Embodiments discussed herein relate to a paper sheet handling apparatus.
In a retail store or other stores, a paper sheet handling apparatus capable of receiving sales proceeds to be deposited is used for counting or collecting banknotes of the sales proceeds of the store in a register. When banknotes are inserted, the paper sheet handling apparatus stores the inserted banknotes in a storage compartment. The paper sheet handling apparatus conveys the banknotes stored in the storage compartment by a conveying unit and stows the banknotes in a stowage compartment. Since the paper sheets stowed in the stowage compartment are managed by a security transportation company or a financial institution of the transportation destination of the security transportation company, only the manager or other person of the security transportation company can access the paper sheets. For example, a technique has been proposed in which banknotes stored in a storage compartment are stowed in a stowage compartment (e.g., see JP 2013-235526 A).
In view of the above conventional situation, an object related to one aspect of the present invention is to provide a paper sheet handling apparatus capable of easily maintaining a conveying unit for conveying paper sheets and maintaining the confidentiality of the paper sheets.
The paper sheet handling apparatus, which is one aspect of the present invention, includes: a storage compartment provided with an opening; a stowage compartment disposed on a lower side of the storage compartment; a storage portion stored in the storage compartment and storing paper sheets; and a conveying unit stored in the storage compartment and for conveying the paper sheets stored in the storage portion to the stowage compartment, in which the conveying unit is configured to be slidable in a direction of the opening provided in the storage compartment, and the stowage compartment stows the paper sheets conveyed by the conveying unit.
Since clogging (jamming) of banknotes may occur during conveyance of paper sheets stored in a storage compartment to a stowage compartment, a conveying unit is desired to have a configuration that facilitates maintenance. On the other hand, since it is necessary to reject access to the paper sheets stowed in the stowage compartment except for a manager or other person of a security transportation company, it is required to maintain confidentiality.
A paper sheet handling apparatus according to a present embodiment will be discussed below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, although a money depositing and dispensing machine 1 is discussed as an example of the paper sheet handling apparatus, the paper sheet handling apparatus may be any other paper sheet handling apparatus such as an automated teller machine (ATM), a point of sales (POS) register, a self-register, a ticket vending machine, or a money changing machine as long as the apparatus handles paper sheets.
As illustrated in
The housing 10 includes a storage compartment 100 and a stowage compartment 200.
A first front opening 101 is provided in front of the money depositing and dispensing machine 1. The money depositing and dispensing machine 1 includes a first front door (not illustrated) for closing the first front opening 101 on its front left side.
A first rear opening 121 is provided at the rear of the money depositing and dispensing machine 1. The money depositing and dispensing machine 1 includes a first rear door (not illustrated) for closing the first rear opening 121 on its upper rear side.
The stowage compartment 200 is disposed on a lower side of the storage compartment 100, and the storage compartment 100 and the stowage compartment 200 are connected to each other in the up-down direction.
A second opening 201 is provided in front of the money depositing and dispensing machine 1. The money depositing and dispensing machine 1 includes a second door 202 for closing the second opening 201 on its front left side. The second opening 201 may be provided at the rear of the money depositing and dispensing machine 1.
Coordinate axes defining the relationship with other drawings are illustrated at the lower right of
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Based on the drive force transmitted from the drive unit 11, the storage portion 12 conveys the paper sheets deposited from a money depositing and dispensing port 103 and stores the paper sheets for each face value of banknotes, for example. The paper sheets stored in the storage portion 12 are conveyed to the money depositing and dispensing port 103 based on the operation of the operator. The paper sheets stored in the storage portion 12 are conveyed to the stowage compartment 200 via the conveying unit 13 at an arbitrary timing. As the arbitrary timing, a timing operated based on the operation of the operator or a timing set in advance based on the operation of the operator can be adopted.
The conveying unit 13 conveys the paper sheets stored in the storage portion 12 to the stowage compartment 200 based on the drive force transmitted from the drive unit 11. A method of conveying the paper sheets to the stowage compartment 200 by the conveying unit 13 will be discussed in detail below.
A heat sealer 15 and a stowage bag 200a are stowed in the stowage compartment 200. The heat sealer 15 and the stowage bag 200a are connected in the up-down direction in the order of the heat sealer 15 and the stowage bag 200a from above. The heat sealer 15 thermally welds and seals the inlet of the stowage bag 200a based on the operation of the operator.
In an upper plate 221 constituting the upper side surface of the stowage compartment 200, a through-hole 17 for passing the paper sheets is formed at a position corresponding to the center in the width direction of the money depositing and dispensing machine 1.
The guide unit 14 is inserted through the through-hole 17. The guide unit 14 includes a flange 401 extending in the width direction and the front-rear direction. The guide unit 14 inserted through the through-hole 17 is fixed to the upper plate 221 of the stowage compartment 200 by using the flange 401 positioned on the stowage compartment 200 side.
The guide unit 14 guides the paper sheets conveyed by the conveying unit 13 from the storage compartment 100 to the stowage compartment 200. The guide unit 14 is connected to the conveying unit 13 on the storage compartment 100 side in a state of being detachable in the front-rear direction, and is connected to the stowage bag 200a via the heat sealer 15 on the stowage compartment 200 side. The details of the guide unit 14 will be discussed below with reference to
In the present embodiment, the stowage bag 200a is connected to the guide unit 14 via the heat sealer 15, but is not limited thereto, and the stowage bag 200a may be directly connected to the guide unit 14 without the heat sealer 15.
The drive unit 11 is connected to inner side surfaces on both right and left sides of the storage compartment 100 via the slide member 16 attached to the drive unit 11 and slidable in the front-rear direction.
The drive unit 11, the storage portion 12, and the conveying unit 13, which are integrally connected, are attached to be slidable in the front-rear direction via the slide member 16 attached to the drive unit 11. In other words, the conveying unit 13 is configured to be slidable in the direction of the first front opening 101.
For example, when the money depositing and dispensing machine 1 is in operation, as illustrated in
The drive unit 11, the storage portion 12, and the conveying unit 13 are detachably connected to each other. Therefore, even in a case where clogging (jamming) of the paper sheets occurs in the conveying unit 13, the operator can pull out the drive unit 11, the storage portion 12, and the conveying unit 13 in the front direction, and then remove the conveying unit 13 to visually recognize and easily remove the clogged paper sheets.
Since the paper sheets stored in the storage compartment 100 are managed by a store, only the manager or other person of the store needs to be able to access the paper sheets. Therefore, the storage compartment 100 is locked so that a person other than the manager or other person of the store cannot open the first front door (not illustrated) of the storage compartment 100.
Since the paper sheets stowed in the stowage bag 200a of the stowage compartment 200 are managed by a security transportation company or a financial institution of the transportation destination of the security transportation company, only the managers or other person of the security transportation company needs to be able to access the paper sheets. Therefore, the stowage compartment 200 is locked so that a person other than the manager or other person of the security transportation company cannot open the second door 202. Therefore, since a person other than the manager or other person of the security transportation company cannot open the stowage compartment 200, the confidentiality in the stowage compartment 200 can be maintained even when the storage compartment 100 is opened due to the maintenance of the conveying unit 13.
The conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14 of the present embodiment will be discussed with reference to
As illustrated in
The first shaft 311 to the fourth shaft 314 are rotatably pivotally supported at both ends in the width direction of the conveying unit housing 301 along the width direction of the conveying unit housing 301. The first shaft 311 is disposed in the vicinity of the rear of the conveying unit housing 301 in the front-rear direction, and the second shaft 312 is disposed in the vicinity of the center of the conveying unit housing 301 in the front-rear direction.
The first pulley 321 rotates about the first shaft 311, and the second pulley 322 and the third pulley rotate about the second shaft 312.
The first belt 331 is wound around the outer peripheries of the first pulley 321 and the second pulley 322, transmits the drive force of the first pulley 321 rotating based on the drive force transmitted from the drive unit 11 to the second pulley 322, and rotates the second shaft 312. The rotation of the second shaft 312 rotates the third pulley 323 pivotally supported by the second shaft 312.
The third shaft 313 is disposed in front of the first shaft 311 in the front-rear direction of the conveying unit housing 301, and the fourth shaft 314 is disposed between the third shaft 313 and the second shaft 312 in the front-rear direction of the conveying unit housing 301. The fourth pulley 324 rotates about the third shaft 313, and the fifth pulley 325 rotates about the fourth shaft 314.
The second belt 332 is wound around the outer peripheries of the fourth pulley 324 and the fifth pulley 325, and conveys the paper sheets stored in the storage portion 12 to the guide unit 14 based on the drive force transmitted from the drive unit 11.
The conveying unit lid 303 is configured to be freely openable and closable. Therefore, even if paper sheets are clogged (jammed) under the conveying unit lid 303, the operator can check the cause of the clogging and easily perform maintenance, by opening the conveying unit lid 303.
The protrusion 341 is formed to protrude to the right in the width direction of the conveying unit housing 301 in the vicinity of the second shaft 312 in the front-rear direction of the conveying unit housing 301. The protrusions 341 may be formed to protrude to the left or both sides in the width direction of the conveying unit housing 301.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Each of the pair of lower housings 403 is fixed to a support 405 disposed along the width direction of the guide unit 14 and having an L-shaped cross section. The first guide shaft 421 to the fourth guide shaft 424 are rotatably pivotally supported at both ends in the width direction of the guide unit 14.
The first guide shaft 421 and the second guide shaft 422 are disposed adjacent to each other on the front side of the upper housing 402. The first guide pulley 431 and the second guide pulley 432 rotate about the first guide shaft 421, and the third guide pulley 433 rotates about the second guide shaft 422. The second guide pulley 432 and the third guide pulley 433 are rotatably engaged with each other, and the drive force transmitted to the second guide pulley 432 is transmitted to the third guide pulley 433.
When the conveying unit 13 is stored in the storage compartment 100 and the conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14 are connected to each other, the first guide pulley 431 is formed to be engageable with the third pulley 323 pivotally supported by the second shaft 312 of the conveying unit 13. Therefore, the third pulley 323 transmits the drive force transmitted to the second shaft 312 to the second guide shaft 422 via the first guide pulley 431, the second guide pulley 432, and the third guide pulley 433.
As illustrated in
In the present embodiment, since five first rollers 434 and five second rollers 435 are disposed, the gap 406 formed between the first guide portion 411 and the second guide portion 412 can be narrowed. Thus, it is possible to prevent unauthorized access to the stowage compartment 200 by inserting a hand or a jig into the gap 406, and to improve the confidentiality of the stowage compartment 200. The number of the first rollers 434 and the second rollers 435 is not limited to five, but may be a plurality of rollers, or may be one roller each. The first roller 434 and the second roller 435 are rotatably pivotally supported by the upper housing 402, respectively.
In a case where the first roller 434 and the second roller 435 are configured with a small number of rollers, it is preferable to increase the length of each roller in the width direction. Thus, the gap 406 formed between the first guide portion 411 and the second guide portion 412 can be narrowed. Thus, it is possible to prevent unauthorized access to the stowage compartment 200 by inserting a hand or a jig into the gap 406, and to improve the confidentiality of the stowage compartment 200.
The first roller 434 and the second roller 435 are configured to rotate such that the paper sheets inserted from the gap 406 by a one-way clutch are conveyed only in a direction from the upper side to the lower side. Thus, the paper sheets stowed in the stowage compartment 200 can be prevented from being pulled out from the gap 406 to improve the confidentiality of the stowage compartment 200.
As illustrated in
When the conveying unit 13 is connected to the guide unit 14 by sliding in the front-rear direction, the pair of slide rails 302 formed in the conveying unit 13 is guided between the pair of upper housings 402 of the guide unit 14, and is configured to be slidable on the four slide rollers 436 in the direction of the first front opening 101. Thus, the deviation at the time of connecting the conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14 can be suppressed to improve the efficiency of work during maintenance.
As illustrated in
The protruding piece 471 is formed on the upper side in the rear of the upper housing 402, but is not limited thereto, and may be formed, for example, on the upper side in the front of the upper housing 402. The conveying unit 13 is stored in the storage compartment 100 from the first rear opening 121 side, and the conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14 are connected to each other. In this case, the front side of the protrusion 341 formed in the conveying unit 13 abuts on the rear side of the protruding piece 471 of the guide unit 14 to restrict sliding of the conveying unit 13 in the front-rear direction. Thus, only by changing the position of the protruding piece 471 constituting the upper housing 402, it is possible to cope with the configurations of both the type of the money depositing and dispensing machine 1 stored from the first front opening 101 and the type of the money depositing and dispensing machine 1 stored from the first rear opening 121, and it is possible to increase the variation of the types of money depositing and dispensing machines at low cost.
As illustrated in
Thus, the through-hole 17 formed between the storage compartment 100 and the stowage compartment 200 can be closed by the guide unit 14. Since the guide unit 14 is fixed from the stowage compartment 200 side, unauthorized access to the stowage compartment 200 can be prevented by inserting a hand or a jig into the through-hole 17 from the storage compartment 100 side, to improve the confidentiality of the stowage compartment 200.
As illustrated in
As illustrated in
Specifically, when the spring 441 is extended, as illustrated in
When the spring 441 contracts, as illustrated in
Thus, the distance between the upper housing 402 and the lower housing 403 constituting the guide unit 14 can be adjusted by the length in the up-down direction constituting the first guide hole 451 and the second guide hole 452. Thus, when the conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14 are connected to each other, the conveying unit and the guide unit can be fixed to each other with an appropriate clearance, so that the deviation at the time of connecting the conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14 can be suppressed to improve the efficiency of work during maintenance.
As illustrated in
Thus, the distance in the width direction between the upper housing 402 and the lower housing 403 constituting the guide unit 14 can be adjusted by the length of the distance w3. Thus, when the conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14 are connected to each other, the conveying unit and the guide unit can be fixed to each other with an appropriate clearance, so that the deviation at the time of connecting the conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14 can be suppressed to improve the efficiency of work during maintenance. Since the upper housing 402 and the lower housing 403 are connected to each other via the spring 441, the upper housing and the lower housing can be returned to an appropriate position, even when the upper housing and the lower housing are deviated in the width direction, to suppress the deviation at the time of connecting the conveying unit 13 and the guide unit 14. The spring 441 is disposed substantially vertically in the up-down direction, but is not limited thereto, and may be disposed obliquely in the width direction.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment as it is, but can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the gist of the embodiment. Various inventions can be formed by appropriately combining of the plurality of components disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, all the components illustrated in the embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Further, components in different embodiments may be combined as appropriate. Various modifications and applications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.
This application is continuation application of International Application PCT/JP2019/042712 filed on Oct. 31 2019 and designated the U.S., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2019/042712 | Oct 2019 | US |
Child | 17660670 | US |