Patent Application
20240212411
The present invention relates to a division card.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-70224, filed Apr. 19, 2021, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Patent Document 1 describes a paper sheet processing device that processes two or more processing target paper sheet groups, which are batch processing units, while categorizing the processing target paper sheet groups by division cards.
In the division card described in Patent Document 1, a group of identification holes penetrating in the direction of the card thickness is formed in the card main body portion. The paper sheet processing device of Patent Document 1 detects the division card based on the detection pattern of sensor light passing through a group of identification holes in the division card, and also determines the processing target paper sheet group.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2017-84036
However, in a division card such as the one in the Patent Document 1, the card main body portion is made of paper and has through holes. Therefore, this division card may become bent or torn and unusable after repeated use.
The present invention was made in view of the above circumstances, and is intended to provide a division card that can be used repeatedly over a long period of time with increased durability.
In order to solve the above issues, the implementation of the present invention adopts the following configuration.
The division card of the first aspect of the present invention is a division card that can be taken in from an insertion port of a paper sheet processing device for processing paper sheets, that is arranged overlapping at least one processing target paper sheet to form a paper sheet group together with the processing target paper sheet, and that enables identification information of the paper sheet group to be read by an intake sensor of the paper sheet processing device, wherein the division card is provided with a card main body portion that has an identification portion including the identification information, and which is formed from a synthetic resin sheet.
By this configuration, the division card according to the first aspect is less likely to bend or tear than a division card with a card main body portion made of paper. Accordingly, the division card according to the first aspect is more durable and can be used repeatedly for a long period of time.
In the division card of the second aspect of the present invention, the card main body portion of the division card of the first aspect of the invention may be provided with a shielding portion that blocks the sensor light without allowing transmission thereof, and an identification portion that allows transmission of the sensor light. The intake sensor of the paper sheet processing device that processes the division card of the second aspect may be a transmissive sensor that reads the identification information using sensor light.
In such a configuration, the paper sheet processing device detects the sensor light transmitted at the identification portion by the intake sensor for the division card according to the second aspect. This allows the paper sheet processing device to read the identification information in the identification portion, such as information that the paper sheet is a division card. Accordingly, in the division card according to the second aspect, there is no need to form a through hole or the like in the identification portion, and thus the durability of the card main body portion can be increased.
In the division card of the third aspect of the present invention, the card main body portion in the division card of the second aspect may be provided with a synthetic resin layer that can transmit the sensor light and a shielding layer as the shielding portion that shields the sensor light, and the identification portion may have an exposed surface that is exposed from the shielding layer.
Such a configuration makes it possible to easily form the shielding portion and the identification portion in the division card of the third aspect, since it is only necessary to shield the portion of the card main body portion that is not the identification portion with the shielding layer.
In the division card of the fourth aspect of the present invention, the card main body portion in the division card of the first or second aspect may be provided with a first edge and a second edge extending in a first direction taken into the paper sheet processing device and provided so as to be back-to-back with each other, and the identification portion may be provided between the first edge and the second edge.
With such a configuration, in the division card of the fourth aspect it is possible to read the identification information from the identification portion even if the intake sensor is placed at any position between the first edge and the second edge extending in the first direction. Accordingly, the degree of freedom for positioning the intake sensor can be improved.
In the division card of the fifth aspect of the present invention, the card main body portion in the division card of the fourth aspect may be provided with a third edge and a fourth edge extending in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction and back-to-back with each other, and as the identification portion there may be provided a first identification portion located on the side near the third edge and extending along the third edge from the first edge to the middle portion in the second direction of the card main body portion, and a second identification portion located on the side near the fourth edge and extending along the fourth edge from the second edge to the middle portion.
With such a configuration, in the division card of the fifth aspect, the identification portion can be provided over the area from the first edge to the second edge by the first identification portion and the second identification portion, while the identification portion can be formed in a manner divided between the first edge and the second edge. Therefore, in the division card of the fifth aspect, the identification information can be read from the identification portion no matter which position the intake sensor is positioned: at the first edge or second edge extending in the first direction. Accordingly, the degree of freedom for arranging the identification portion with respect to the card main body portion can be improved while improving the degree of freedom for arranging the intake sensor.
The division card of the present invention will increase the durability of the division card and enable repeated use over a long period of time.
Hereinbelow, the division card of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A division card in the present embodiment can be taken in from an insertion port of a paper sheet processing device that processes paper sheets.
This paper sheet processing device is a device that counts and classifies paper sheets, such as banknotes, securities, and money certificates. The paper sheet processing device 1 classifies incoming paper sheets S into counting target paper sheets, which are subject to counting, and reject paper sheets which are not subject to counting, further counts the counting target sheets by type, stores them by type, and displays the counting results in association with the storage destination. The left-right direction in
As shown in
The counting unit 2 is providing with a reception portion 11 and a reject portion 13. The reception portion 11 is located at the bottom of the counting unit 2 and is always open to the outside. The reception portion 11 accepts paper sheets S inserted from outside the paper sheet processing device 1. In the reception portion 11, multiple paper sheets S are set in a vertically accumulated state with the short sides thereof aligned with the left and right (the left and right directions are shown in the lower part of
The counting unit 2 has within it an in-counting unit conveyance portion 21 and an identification and counting portion 22. The in-counting unit conveyance portion 21 conveys paper sheets S inserted into the reception portion 11 and fed out from the reception portion 11. The identification and counting portion 22 counts paper sheets S being conveyed in the in-counting unit conveyance portion 21 while identifying them.
The in-counting unit conveyance portion 21 has a main conveyance path 31 and a branch conveyance path 32. The main conveyance path 31 extends from the reception portion 11 toward the left side surface of the counting unit 2, then upward, and then further toward the left side surface of the counting unit 2, opening on the left side surface. The branch conveyance path 32 branches off from the top of the main conveyance path 31, extends toward the right-side surface of the counting unit 2, and connects to the reject portion 13. The above identification and counting portion 22 is located more to the reception portion 11 side of the main conveyance path 31, rather than at the branching position of the branch conveyance path 32 in the main conveyance path 31.
Inside the accumulating unit 3, there is an in-accumulating unit conveyance portion 41. The in-accumulating unit conveyance portion 41 is connected to the main conveyance path 31 of the counting unit 2 and conveys paper sheets S that have been fed from the main conveyance path 31. This in-accumulating unit conveyance portion 41 has a connecting conveyance path 42 and a branch conveyance path 43. The connecting conveyance path 42 opens at the top of the right-side surface of the accumulating unit 3, extends horizontally and in a straight line toward the left side surface of the accumulating unit 3, and opens at the top of the left side surface. The branch conveyance path 43 branches down from the middle portion of the left side of the connecting conveyance path 42.
The branch conveyance path 43 of the accumulating unit 3 has a downward extension portion 44 and a plurality of lateral extension portions 45, 46, 47, 48. The downward extension portion 44 branches off from the middle portion of the left side of the connecting conveyance path 42 and extends vertically downward. The lateral extension portions 45, 46, 47, 48 extend from the downward extension portion 44 toward the right side of the accumulating unit 3.
The lateral extension portions 45, 46, 47, 48 are connected to a first accumulating portion 51, a second accumulating portion 52, a third accumulating portion 53, and a fourth accumulating portion 54, which each accumulate and store the paper sheets S. Specifically, the uppermost first accumulating portion 51 is connected to the uppermost lateral extension portion 45. The second accumulating portion 52, which is second from the top, is connected to the lateral extension portion 46, which is second from the top. The third accumulating portion 53, which is third from the top, is connected to the lateral extension portion 47, which is third from the top. The lowest fourth accumulating portion 54 is connected to the lowest lateral extension portion 48.
The first through fourth accumulating portions 51, 52, 53, 54 store paper sheets S that have been identified as subject to storage, among the paper sheets S identified and counted by the identification and counting portion 22. For example, when the accumulating unit 3 performs the process of accumulating a predetermined number of banknotes sorted by denominations, the denominations to be stored in the first through fourth accumulating portions 51, 52, 53, 54 are set in advance, and the first through fourth accumulating portions 51, 52, 53, 54 respectively store banknotes of the target denomination that has been set. The first through fourth accumulating portions 51, 52, 53, 54 are all pocket-shaped, always open to the outside at the front surface of the accumulating unit 3.
At the opposite end of the connecting conveyance path 42 from the counting unit 2 is provided an evacuation pocket 55 that can accommodate the paper sheets S. The evacuation pocket 55 accommodates overflow paper sheets S when any of the first through fourth accumulating portions 51 to 54 are full.
The in-counting unit conveyance portion 21 and the in-accumulating unit conveyance portion 41, which are connected to each other, constitute an intra-device conveying portion 58 that conveys the paper sheets S fed out from the reception portion 11 to various portions within the paper sheet processing device 1.
During conveyance in the intra-device conveying portion 58, the paper sheets S are identified by the intake sensor 15 and the identification and counting portion 22. Downstream from the identification and counting portion 22, the intra-device conveying portion 58 sorts paper sheets S into one of the reject portion 13, the first through fourth accumulating portions 51 to 54, and the evacuation pocket 55, based on the identification results of the intake sensor 15 and the identification and counting portion 22.
The reject portion 13 is always open to the outside at the upper portion of the counting unit 2. The reject portion 13 accumulates the paper sheets S that have been identified by the identification and counting portion 22 as reject paper sheets S, which are other than counting target paper sheets, among the paper sheets S that have been taken into the paper sheet processing device 1 at the reception portion 11, and stores them to be removable to outside the paper sheet processing device 1.
On the front surface of the counting unit 2 of the paper sheet processing device 1, there is an operation display portion 23 that accepts operation inputs by the operator and displays information on a screen for the operator, and an audio output portion 24 that outputs audio information for the operator. Inside the counting unit 2 is a control portion 25 that controls the counting unit 2 and the accumulating unit 3, and a storage portion 26 that stores control programs and various parameters. The control portion 25 controls the entire paper sheet processing device 1.
The identification and counting portion 22 detects image data on both sides of each paper sheet S. Furthermore, the identification and counting portion 22 compares the image data of each side of the paper sheet S with reference data, and identifies the type of the reference data that is determined to be a match as the type of the paper sheet S whose image data was detected.
As shown in
As shown in
The intake sensor 15 detects the intake of the paper sheet groups G from the reception portion 11. As shown in
The intake sensor 15 is a so-called transmissive sensor having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element arranged so that the paper sheets S taken in from the reception portion 11 pass therebetween. The intake sensor 15 detects the absence of paper sheets S at the position of the intake sensor 15 when the light-receiving element receives the sensor light emitted from the light-emitting element, and detects the presence of paper sheets S at the position of the intake sensor 15 when the light-receiving element does not receive the sensor light emitted from the light-emitting element. The intake sensor 15 is positioned to be capable of detecting the division card S(b) and processing target paper sheets S(a) of all denominations, which are placed between the wall portions 62 and 63 and taken in.
As shown in
The division card S(b) in this embodiment is set in the reception portion 11 with a long side thereof aligned with the wall portion 61 and the short sides thereof aligned with the wall portion 62 and 63. The division card S(b) is set in the reception portion 11 so as to be in contact with the wall portion 61 and wall portion 63. The reception portion 11 conveys the division card S(b) and processing target paper sheets S(a), both of which are paper sheets S, to the wall portion 61 side in the short-side direction of each to take them into the paper sheet processing device 1. The in-counting unit conveyance portion 21 also conveys the division card S(b) and processing target paper sheets S(a), both of which are paper sheets S, in the short-side direction of each.
The division card S(b) has a card main body portion 80 formed of a synthetic resin sheet with an identification portion 81. The card main body portion 80 in this embodiment is formed as a rectangular sheet in plan view. The card main body portion 80 in this embodiment is provided with a first edge 82, a second edge 83, a third edge 84, and a fourth edge 85. Furthermore, the division card S(b) has a first surface 86 facing the first side of the thickness direction Dt thereof and a second surface 87 facing the second side of the thickness direction Dt, as shown in
The first edge 82 and the second edge 83 extend in the first direction Da. The first direction Da in this embodiment is the direction in which the paper sheets are taken into the paper sheet processing device 1 described above (in other words, the conveyance direction). The first edge 82 and the second edge 83 are formed back-to-back with each other in the second direction db, which is perpendicular to the first direction Da. The first edge 82 and the second edge 83 in this embodiment are each formed in a straight line that constitutes a short side of the rectangular sheet-like shape in plan view described above.
The third edge 84 and the fourth edge 85 extend in the second direction db. The third edge 84 and the fourth edge 85 are formed back-to-back with each other in the first direction Da. The third edge 84 and the fourth edge 85 in this embodiment are each formed in a straight line that constitutes a long side of the rectangular sheet-like shape in plan view described above.
The card main body portion 80 is provided with a shielding portion 88 and the identification portion 81 described above. The shielding portion 88 blocks the sensor light of the intake sensor 15 without allowing the transmission thereof. The identification portion 81 contains identification information that can be read by the intake sensor 15. As shown in
The synthetic resin layer 91 is formed to be permeable to sensor light. The synthetic resin layer 91 in this embodiment is formed by a transparent synthetic resin.
The shielding layer 92 is formed, for example, by coloring at least one of the first surface 86 and the second surface 87 of the synthetic resin layer 91, whereby this shielding layer 92 is capable of shielding the sensor light. More specifically, when the shielding layer 92 is located between the light-emitting and light-receiving elements of the intake sensor 15, it is impossible to detect the sensor light with the light-receiving element. In other words, the part of the first surface 86 and the second surface 87 where the shielding layer 92 is formed is the shielding portion 88 described above.
The identification portion 81 contains identification information that can be read by the intake sensor 15. The identification portion 81 in this embodiment contains information to the effect of being the division card S(b). This identification portion 81 is configured to transmit the sensor light. More specifically, the identification portion 81 in this embodiment is composed of an exposed surface 93 where the synthetic resin layer 91 is exposed without being covered by the shielding layer 92. The identification portion 81 can also be referred to as the uncolored, non-colored portion. The exposed surface 93 is formed on both the first surface 86 and the second surface 87 so as to be symmetrically positioned in a manner sandwiching the synthetic resin layer 91. Since the synthetic resin layer 91 is permeable to sensor light as described above, when the identification portion 81 is placed between the light-emitting and light-receiving elements of the intake sensor 15, the sensor light passes through the identification portion 81 and is detected by the light-receiving element. In other words, the presence or absence of the identification portion 81 is detected by the intake sensor 15. When the sensor light is detected by the intake sensor 15, the control portion 25 determines that the taken-in item is the division card S(b). Thus, the identification portion 81 contains information to the effect of being the division card S(b).
The identification portion 81 in this embodiment is provided over the space between the first edge 82 and the second edge 83. In other words, the identification portion 81 is formed at any position in the first direction Da in the card main body portion 80. Furthermore, the card main body portion 80 in this embodiment has a first identification portion 81A and a second identification portion 81B as the identification portion 81. The first identification portion 81A is located closer to the third edge 84 of the card main body portion 80, and the second identification portion 81B is located closer to the fourth edge 85 of the card main body portion 80. The first identification portion 81A extends along the third edge 84 from the first edge 82 to the middle of the card main body portion 80 in the second direction db (the position indicated by the single-dotted line in
On the first surface 86 of the division card S(b) is printed a two-dimensional code 95 containing a card-specific number (unique information), which is a card-specific number assigned to each division card S(b). In other words, the card-specific number is included in the reading information obtained by reading this two-dimensional code 95 with a code reader (not shown). The card-specific numbers are assigned to the division cards S(b) in a one-to-one manner, so that there cannot be another division cared S(b) with the same card-specific number, at least among the division cards S(b) intended for the same paper sheet processing device 1.
In the division card S(b) in this embodiment, two two-dimensional codes 95 are printed on the shielding portion 88 of each of the first surface 86 and the second surface 87. The two two-dimensional codes 95 on the first surface 86 are respectively arranged at a position closer to the first edge 82 than the center in the second direction db and closer to the fourth edge 85 in the first direction Da, and at a position closer to the second edge 83 than the center in the second direction db and closer to the third edge 84 in the first direction Da.
In addition, a first text display 96, which is a text display of the card-specific number, is printed near the first edge 82 on the shielding portion 88 of the first surface 86. A second text display 97, which is a text display of the card-specific number, is printed along the second identification portion 81B on the shielding portion 88 of the first surface 86. Although not shown in the figure, the two-dimensional code 95, the first text display 96, and the second text display 97 are similarly printed on the shielding portion 88 of the second surface 87. Furthermore, like the first surface 86, the identification portion 81 is also present on the second surface 87. On the same one division card S(b), a barcode 90 on the first surface 86 and the two-dimensional code 95 on the second surface 87 are the same code. Furthermore, the card-specific number that can be obtained from these two-dimensional codes 95, the card-specific number of the first text display 96 on the first surface 86, the card-specific number of the second text display 97 on the first surface 86, the card-specific number of the first text display 96 on the second surface 87, and the card-specific number of the second text display 97 of the second surface 87 are the same.
As shown in
According to the embodiment of the division card S(b) described above, the card main body portion 80 having the identification portion 81 containing identification information that can be read by the intake sensor 15 is formed of a synthetic resin sheet. Therefore, the division card S(b) is less likely to be bent or torn than a card main body portion 80 made of paper. Accordingly, the division card S(b) is more durable and can be used repeatedly over a longer period of time.
Furthermore, according to the above embodiment of the division card S(b), a transmissive sensor that uses sensor light to read identification information can be used as the intake sensor 15. The card main body portion 80 of the division card S(b) is provided with the shielding portion 88 that blocks the sensor light without allowing the transmission thereof, and an identification portion 81 that can transmit the sensor light. Therefore, by detecting the sensor light transmitted by the identification portion 81 with the intake sensor 15, the paper sheet processing device 1 can read the identification information of the identification portion 81. Therefore, the durability of the card main body portion 80 can be increased because there is no need to form a through hole or the like in the identification portion 81.
According to the division card S(b) of the above embodiment, the card main body portion 80 is provided with the synthetic resin layer 91 that can transmit the sensor light and the shielding layer 92 as the shielding portion 88 that shields the sensor light, and the identification portion 81 has the exposed surface 93 that is exposed without being covered by the shielding layer 92. Therefore, by shielding the portion of the card main body portion 80 that is not the identification portion 81 with the shielding layer 92, it is possible to easily form the shielding portion 88 and the identification portion 81.
Furthermore, according to the above embodiment of the division card S(b), the card main body portion 80 has the first edge 82 and the second edge 83 that extend in the first direction Da and are provided back-to-back with each other, with the identification portion 81 being provided across the space between the first edge 82 and the second edge 83. Therefore, the identification information can be read from the identification portion 81 even if the intake sensor 15 is placed at any position between the first edge 82 and the second edge 83 extending in the first direction Da. Thus, the degree of freedom in the placement of the intake sensor 15 can be improved.
For example, when the identification portion 81 is formed with a through hole, if the identification portion 81 is formed up to the first edge 82 or the second edge 83, since the first edge 82 and the second edge 83 adjacent to the through hole can move freely in the thickness direction Dt of the card main body portion 80 and so may become caught on a step during conveyance, there is a possibility that a jam may occur. In contrast, in the division card S(b) of the above embodiment, there is no need to provide a through hole, so even if the identification portion 81 is formed to the position of the first edge 82 or the second edge 83, it will not cause a jam as described above. As a result, the degree of freedom in the placement of the intake sensor 15 can be further improved.
According to the above embodiment of the division card S(b), the card main body portion 80 is provided with the third edge 84 and the fourth edge 85, which extend in the second direction db orthogonal to the first direction Da and are back-to-back with each other. Furthermore, the card main body portion 80 has the first identification portion 81A located near the third edge 84 and the second identification portion 81B located near the fourth edge 85 of the card main body portion 80. The first identification portion 81A extends along the third edge 84 from the first edge 82 to the middle of the card main body portion 80 in the second direction db, and the second identification portion 81B extends along the fourth edge 85 from the second edge 83 to the middle. Thereby, the identification portion 81 can be provided over the area from the first edge 82 to the second edge 83 by the first identification portion 81A and the second identification portion 81B, while the identification portion 81 can be formed in a manner divided between the first edge 82 and the second edge 83. Therefore, compared to the case where the identification portion 81 is not divided between the first edge 82 and the second edge 83, the area of the shielding portion 88 can be increased, for example, to improve the degree of freedom of placement of the two-dimensional code 95 in the card main body portion 80. The degree of freedom in the placement of the intake sensor 15 can be improved because the identification information can be read from the identification portion 81 regardless of whether the intake sensor 15 is placed at the first edge 82 or the second edge 83, which extend in the first direction Da.
The division card S(b) of the embodiment described above can be modified as in the following modifications 1 to 3.
In the above-described embodiment, the case in which the first direction Da, in which the first edge 82 and the second edge 83, which are the short edges of the division card S(b), extend, is the conveyance direction is described. However, as in modification 1 shown in
The above-described embodiment describes a case in which the first identification portion 81A is formed from the first edge 82 to the center, and the second identification portion 81B is formed from the second edge 83 to the center, with the identification portion 81 being thus formed in a manner divided in the second direction db. The first identification portion 81A and the second identification portion 81B may each be divided at specific positions other than the center. Furthermore, the first identification portion 81A may be provided from the first edge 82 to a first specific position, and the second identification portion 81B may be provided from a second specific position, which is different from the first specific position, to the second edge 83.
Although one preferred embodiment has been described in detail with reference to the drawings above, the specific configuration is not limited to the one described above, and various design changes and the like can be made.
For example, the above embodiment describes a case where the division card S(b) is provided with a transparent synthetic resin layer 91. This synthetic resin layer, provided it be capable of transmitting sensor light, is not limited to being transparent.
Furthermore, the above embodiment describes a case in which the identification portion 81 of the division card S(b) is the exposed surface 93 that does not penetrate in the direction of the thickness Dt thereof, but the identification portion 81 may be configured to penetrate in the thickness direction Dt.
In the above embodiment, the case in which the two-dimensional code 95 is provided was described, but a barcode may be provided along with the two-dimensional code 95, or only a barcode may be provided without the two-dimensional code 95.
Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case in which the identification portion 81 has a straight portion 94 with a constant thickness was described. The identification portion 81 is not limited to a straight line, but may have a circular shape, an elongated hole shape, a polygon shape, or other shapes, for example. The identification portion 81 may be a through hole with a circular, elongated hole, polygonal, or other shape.
In the above embodiment, the case in which the first identification portion 81A and the second identification portion 81B each have two straight portions 94 was described. The first identification portion 81A and the second identification portion 81B may each have one straight portion 94.
The present invention provides a division card that is applicable to a division card used in a paper sheet processing device, and that can be used repeatedly over a long period of time with increased durability.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-070224 | Apr 2021 | JP | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/JP2022/017850 | 4/14/2022 | WO |
