The present invention relates to a bill processing device used for vending machines, money changers, pinball dispensers, metal token dispensers and the like, and more particularly to a bill processing device provided with a stacker that accumulatively stores bills.
Generally, a bill processing device for accumulatively storing bills that are deemed authentic among the inserted bills, is mounted in a main body of the devices that handle bills (including coupons and the like) such as vending machines.
Referring to
The device body 2 is provided with a bill transferring route 3 (indicated by a dotted line in
At the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3, a pair of guide parts 4 are provided in which the both edge portions on the lateral of a bill 101 are inserted into slits 4a so that the bill 101 is guided to the end of the bill transferring route 3 along a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface of
Each of the guide parts 4 is constituted by a guide member 200 formed with the slit 4a, having a square U-shape cross section and extended in a direction along the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3, that is, in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface of
The slit 4a is formed in each of the guide parts 4 in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface of
As shown in
The bill moving means 5 comprises a pressing plate 5a which moves parallel to the back faces of the pair of guide parts 4 to push the bills 101, and a pressing plate drive means comprising a motor (not shown) for a reciprocating the pressing plate 5a.
The stacker 11 is disposed to cover the pair of guide parts 4.
Within the stacker 11 is disposed a pushing means 12 for continuously pushing the bills 101 (
In the bill processing device 41 configured as described above, when a bill 101 is inserted through the bill insertion inlet, the bill 101 is transferred downstream along the bill transferring route 3 by driving of a bill transferring means comprising a bill transferring belt (not shown) disposed in the bill transferring route 3, and judged as genuine or not by a bill identification means (not shown) which is disposed in the middle of the bill transferring route 3.
If the bill 101 is judged as counterfeit by the bill identification means, the bill transferring means is driven in reverse to return the bill 101 to the bill insertion inlet. When the bill 101 is judged as genuine, the bill transferring means continues its operation to transfer further the bill 101 downstream of the bill transferring route 3.
When the bill 101 guided downstream of the bill transferring route 3 reaches the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 shown in
When it is detected by a sensor (not shown) or the like that the bill 101 has reached a prescribed position in the respective slits 4a of the pair of guide parts 4, the bill transferring means stops, and the pressing plate drive means of the bill moving means is driven at the same time. When the pressing plate drive means is driven, the pressing plate 5a is moved parallel to the back sides (direction of the arrow C in
Then, the approximate center of the bill 101 inserted into the slits 4a is pushed to the back sides of the pair of guide parts 4 by the pressing plate 5a as the pressing plate 5a moves parallel as shown in
When the pressing plate 5a moves parallel until the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101 are completely released from the respective slits 4a, the pressing plate 5a moves parallel toward the device body 2 (direction of the arrow D in
As shown in
When the bills 101 are stored one after another in the stacker 11 as described above, the plural bills 101 are stacked and stored along the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 as shown in
The plural bills 101 stacked and stored are blocked from the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 by the guide parts 4 that holds the bills so as to be prevented as much as possible from entering the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3. Therefore, a possibility that the bills 101 once stored in the stacker 11 enter the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 so that another bill 101 to be transferred subsequently to the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 cannot be transferred but clogs, is prevented as much as possible.
According to the above-described conventional bill processing device 41, when the bills 101 are stored in the stacker 11 as shown in
As described above, when the bills 101 once stored in the stacker 11 entered the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3, a bill 101 to be transferred next time to the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 could not be transferred to the end portion 3a as shown in
Specially, if the bills 101 stored in the stacker 11 included a bill in a poor condition such as a wrinkled bill, the both edge portions of the bill 101 in contact with the outer circumferential surfaces of the respective guide parts 4 was likely to slip from the outer circumferential surfaces of the respective guide parts 4 because of a bulge or the like formed all of the bills 101 stored in the stacker 11. Therefore, the bills 101 in the stacker 11 entered the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 from their approximate centers, causing a jam of the bills conspicuously.
Therefore, the present invention is aimed at providing a bill processing device capable of preventing as much as possible a bill stored in the stacker from entering the bill transferring route so as to disturb the processing of a bill to be transferred next time.
The bill processing device according to the present invention comprises a pair of guide parts formed with a pair of slits into which both edge portions on the lateral of a bill guided by a bill transferring route are inserted along a longitudinal direction of the bill; and a stacker that stores the bill which is inserted into the slits of the pair of guide parts and moved to back faces of the pair of the guide parts, wherein the respective guide parts are provided with bill slip prevention means at a portion thereof with which a bill which is positioned on the side of the pair of guide parts among the bills stored in the stacker is contacted, the bill slip prevention means preventing a slip of the edge portions on the lateral of the contacting bill, whereby the bills stored in the stacker are prevented from entering the bill transferring route by the bill slip prevention means.
With the above configuration, the both edge portions of the bill can be prevented as much as possible from a slip from the contacting guide parts by high frictional force produced between the contacting bill slip prevention means and both edge portions on the lateral of the bill positioned on the side of the pair of guide parts among the bills stored in the stacker, and the bill can be prevented as much as possible from entering the bill transferring route from the approximate center thereof. Further, remaining bills in the stacker can also be prevented as much as possible from entering the bill transferring route from the approximate center of each of the bills. Therefore, the bill to be transferred next time to the bill transferring route can be transferred to an end part of the bill transferring route with certainty, and a conventionally experienced jam of a bill can be prevented as much as possible.
Even if the bills stored in the stacker include a bill in poor condition such as a wrinkled bill, which makes the bills in the stacker bulky as a whole, the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill can be prevented as much as possible from a slip from the contacting guide parts by high frictional force produced between the mutually contacting bill slip prevention means and both edge portions on the lateral of the bill positioned on the side of the pair of guide parts among the bills stored in the stacker. Therefore, the bill is prevented from entering the bill transferring route from the approximate center of the bill as much as possible, and the remaining bills in the stacker can also be prevented from sequentially entering the bill transferring route from the approximate centers of the bills. Thus, the conventionally occurred jam of the bill can be prevented as much as possible.
Embodiments of the bill processing device according to the present invention will be described in detail.
As shown in
The bill returning-back preventing means 9 is embedded in the outer circumferential surfaces of the guide members 200 of plastic configuring the device body 3. The bill slip prevention means 9 is configured of an anti-slip member made of a material having high frictional force which is produced when contacted with the bill 101, namely a material having a high coefficient of friction. It is formed of, for example, a sheet rubber member.
The bill slip prevention means 9 are formed along the longitudinal direction of the bill 101 in the stacker 11 and disposed in the guide parts 4 with which the upper or lower part of the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101 positioned on the side of the guide parts 4 within the stacker 11 contacts.
In the bill processing device 1, the transfer of the bill 101 inserted through a bill insertion inlet (not shown), the return of a bill judged as counterfeit, and the storage of bills 101 judged as genuine into the stacker 11 are performed by the same operation as that of a conventional bill processing device 31.
In the bill processing device 1, when the bills 101 are stored in the stacker 11 as shown in
As described above, the bill processing device 1 can prevent as much as possible a possibility that the bills 101 in the stacker 11 enter the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3, so that a bill 101 to be transferred next time to the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 can be transferred to the end portion 3a with certainty, and a conventionally occurred jam of a bill can be prevented as much as possible.
If the bills 101 stored in the stacker 11 include a bill in poor condition such as a wrinkled bill or the like and the bills 101 as a whole in the stacker 11 become bulky, the both edge portions of the bill 101 in contact with the outer circumferential surface of the respective guide parts 4 are prevented as much as possible from a possibility of a slip on the outer circumferential surfaces of the respective guide parts 4 by high frictional force produced with an anti-slip member (a rubber member in this embodiment) which is the bill slip prevention means 9 disposed on the outer circumferential surface of the respective guide parts 4. Therefore, a possibility of entering the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 from the approximate center of the bill 101 can be prevented as much as possible. Thus, the remaining bills 101 in the stacker 11 are prevented as much as possible from sequentially entering the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 from their approximate centers.
Therefore, even if the bills 101 stored in the stacker 11 include a bill in a poor condition, the bill 101 to be transferred next time to the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 can be transferred to the end portion 3a with certainty, and a conventional bill jam can be prevented as much as possible.
According to the bill processing device 1, the anti-slip member as the bill returning-back preventing means 9 is embedded in the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of guide parts 4. The bill returning-back preventing means 9 may be satisfactorily disposed in the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of guide parts 4. For example, the anti-slip member as the bill returning-back preventing means 9 may be adhered to the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of guide parts 4 like the bill processing device 21 of a second embodiment of
When the anti-slip member as the bill returning-back preventing means 9 is embedded in the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of guide parts 4 like the bill processing device 1 of
In the above-described bill processing devices 1, 21, the pair of guide parts 4 are disposed in the device body 2. However, the pair of guide parts 4 configuring the bill processing device of the present invention are not limited to those disposed in the device body 2, but may be disposed in the stacker 11.
In the bill processing devices 1, 21, the pair of guide parts 4 is fixed to the device body 2. However, the pair of guide parts 4 configuring the bill processing device of the present invention is not limited to that configuration. For example, the pair of guide parts 4 may be configured of an operable member disposed within the device body 2.
Then, the bill processing device of a third embodiment of the present invention where the pair of guide parts 4 are configured of an operable member disposed within the device body 2 will be described.
In a bill processing device 31 of the third embodiment shown in
The bill moving means 35 comprises a pair of guide parts 34 formed of guide members 201 which formed of a pair of bill guide drums disposed in the device body 2 and a guide part drive means (not shown) for driving the pair of guide parts 34.
The pair of guide parts 34 as the pair of bill guide drums are extended in a direction along the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 configured of an upper shoot 32a and a lower shoot 32b, namely in a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface of
In the bill processing device 31, when the bill 101 is guided to the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3, the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101 are inserted into the respective slits 34a of the pair of guide parts 34. When the pair of guide parts 34 in which the bill 101 is inserted rotate (in direction F of
For details of the operation of the bill moving means 35, refer to Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 2000-331216 and No. HEI 07-125896.
The both edge portions of the bill 101 stored in the stacker 11 are held between a stacker plate 14 and the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of guide parts 34 by means of a stack spring (not shown). An anti-slip member (e.g., a rubber member) as the bill slip prevention means 9 is disposed in the respective outer circumferential surfaces of the respective guide parts 34 with which the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101, which is located on the side of the pair of guide parts 34, among the bills stored in the stacker 11 is contacted. This anti-slip member is disposed along the longitudinal direction of the bill 101 in the guide parts 34 with which the upper and lower parts of the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101 in the stacker 11 are contacted.
In the bill processing device 31 configured as described above, the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101, which is positioned on the side of the pair of guide parts 34, among the bills stored in the stacker 11 are contacted to the anti-slip members as the bill slip prevention means 9. Therefore, the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101 are prevented as much as possible from a possibility of a slip on the outer circumferential surfaces of the respective guide parts 34 by virtue of high frictional force produced between the mutually contacted bill 101 and anti-slip members (rubber members in this embodiment). Thus, a possibility of entering the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 from the approximate center of the bill 101 is prevented as much as possible. Therefore, the remaining bills 101 in the stacker 11 are also prevented as much as possible from a possibility of entering the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 from the respective approximate centers one after another. And, the conventionally occurred jam of a bill is prevented as much as possible.
Even if the bills 101 stored in the stacker 11 of the bill processing device 31 include bills in poor condition such as wrinkled bills and the like and the bills 101 as a whole in the stacker 11 become bulky, the both edge portions of the bill 101 in contact with the outer circumferential surfaces of the respective guide parts 34 are prevented from a possibility as much as possible of slipping on the outer circumferential surfaces of the respective guide parts 34 by high frictional force produced by the bill slip prevention means 9. Thus, the bills 101 in the stacker 11 are also prevented as much as possible from entering the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 from their approximate centers. Therefore, according to the bill processing device 31 of the third embodiment, even if the bills 101 stored in the stacker 11 include a bill in poor condition, the bill 101 to be transferred next time to the end portion 3a of the bill transferring route 3 can be transferred to the end portion 3a with certainty, and the conventionally occurred jam of a bill can be prevented as much as possible.
The bill processing device 31 is configured to moved the bill 101 in the bill transferring route 3 to the back faces of the pair of guide parts 34 by rotating the bill guide drums as the pair of guide parts 34 toward the outside of the device body 2 about a direction perpendicular to the sheet surface of
The bill processing devices 1, 21, 31 of the first to third embodiments of the present invention were described assuming that a bill carrier roller or a carrier belt was not disposed within the slits 4a, 34a of the respective guide parts 4, 34. However, the bill processing device of the present invention is not limited to the described configurations of the slits 4a, 34a. For example, the bill carrier roller and the bill transferring belt may be disposed within the slits 4a, 34a of the respective guide parts 4, 34 of the bill processing device. Thus, the bill 101 inserted into the slits 4a, 34a may be facilitated so to be further transferred downstream of the bill transferring route 4.
In the above-described bill processing devices 1, 21, 31 of the first to third embodiments of the present invention, the bill moving means 5, 35 were determined to be disposed in the device body 2. However, the bill moving means 5, 35 configuring the bill processing device of the present invention are not limited to those disposed in the device body 2, but may be disposed in the stacker 11.
In the above-described bill processing devices 1, 21, 31, the anti-slip member as the bill slip prevention means 9 is disposed in the guide parts 4, with which the upper and lower parts of the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101 within the stacker 11 are contacted, along the longitudinal direction of the bill 101. However, the bill processing device of the present invention does not limit the anti-slip member to the described disposition position, but the slip prevention means 9 may be disposed in the guide parts 4, with which the entire longitudinal direction of the both edge portions on the lateral of the bill 101 in the stacker 11 is contacted, along the longitudinal direction of the bill 101.
In the above embodiment, the guide parts 4 were described in detail referring to the case of forming of only the guide members 200 having the U-shaped cross section with the slit 4a formed. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the pair of guide parts 4 may be comprised of the guide members 200 having the U-shaped cross section with the slit 4a formed and an upper edge 11a of the stacker 11 having an L-shaped cross section and disposed on the outer circumferential surfaces of the members 200 as shown in
Therefore, it is needless to say that the guide parts 4 include not only the members 200 having the U-shaped cross section with the slit 4a formed but also one integrally formed of the guide members 200 with the slit 4a formed and a portion of the other member configuring the bill processing device 1.
As described above, the bill processing device according to the present invention is useful for vending machines, money changers, pinball dispensers, metal token dispensers and the like, as a bill processing device which prevents as much as possible a bill stored in the stacker from entering the bill transferring route to disturb the processing of a bill to be transferred next time.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2002-140162 | May 2002 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP03/05731 | 5/8/2003 | WO | 11/12/2004 |