JP3132200B2 - Banknote recognition device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the construction of a bill validator mounted on a vending machine, a money changing machine or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 6 shows an outline of a conventional bill validator. The bill validator 1 is a device that identifies a bill inserted from a bill insertion slot 3 installed on a front surface 2 a of a main body 2 by an identification unit 4 and stores the bill in a stacker 5 installed below the identification unit 4. . The stacker 5 is provided on the back surface 2b side of the main body.
The bills can be turned downward, and the bills stored in the stacker 5 are collected in an open state after the turn.

[0003] On the other hand, a discriminating section 4 for discriminating bills includes a discrimination sensor such as an optical system necessary for discriminating bills, a bill inserted into the discrimination sensor, and a discriminated bill bill sent to the stacker 5. A mechanism is installed. Since maintenance of these mechanisms is required, the identification unit 4
The transport path can be opened, and is turned upward toward the back surface 2b to perform maintenance.

[0004] Further, in order to ensure the normal operation of the bill validator 1 after maintenance or bill collection, open / close detection is performed by detecting whether or not the stacker 5 and the identification unit 4 have returned to a normal state. Sensors are installed for each.

[0005]

Such a bill validator is installed, for example, in a pachinko parlor as a currency exchange machine, a ball rental machine or the like. In particular, a bill validator such as a pachinko parlor is used. In a bill validator installed in a frequently used place, the frequency of opening and closing the stacker is very high,
Also, the number of times that maintenance is performed is large. And what is frequently opened and closed requires a high degree of reliability. Further, as the bill validator becomes widely used, there is a great demand for cost reduction of the bill validator.
Therefore, in the design of the bill validator, simplification of the configuration, prevention of malfunction, and the like are one of the important problems.

Needless to say, it is desirable to reduce the number of the above-mentioned open / close detection sensors in terms of preventing malfunction and reducing costs. That is, a sensor such as an open / close detection sensor is one of the devices that have been greatly improved in reliability in recent years. However, there is a possibility that the sensor may malfunction. Is likely to stop due to a malfunction of the sensor, making it difficult to increase reliability. Also,
As the number of installed sensors is smaller, the number of parts and the number of assembling steps can be reduced, and the cost can be reduced.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to realize a highly reliable and inexpensive bill validator which enables a reduction in the number of installation / reception detection sensors.

[0008]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in the present invention, the identification unit can be fixed by the stacker unit, and a sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the identification unit can be omitted. That is, an identification unit for identifying a banknote according to the present invention, and a storage unit that is located below the identification unit and stores the identified banknote, and the identification unit is an upper part that can be pivoted upward from the operating state to open upward. In the bill validator, the storage unit includes a stacker unit that can swing downward and open downward from a storage state in which the banknotes can be stored, wherein the stacker unit has a fixing unit that can fix an upper part of the identification unit in an operating state. Features. As the fixing means, it is possible to use a hook member that meshes with the upper part of the identification unit, and the hook member is a projection member that protrudes from the stacker unit toward the upper part of the identification unit. It is desirable to provide a protruding portion that interferes with the projection member in the housed state.

[0009]

As described above, the fixing means is provided in the stacker section, and the upper portion of the identification section is fixed by this fixing means. Therefore, the identification section cannot be opened unless the stacker section is first opened. Therefore, it is possible to indirectly detect whether or not the identification unit is in the open state only by detecting whether or not the stacker unit has been opened. Conventionally, the identification unit and the stacker unit are provided respectively. It is possible to reduce the number of sensors for opening detection to only the stacker section.

In particular, a hook member meshing with the upper portion of the identification portion is used as the fixing means, and the hook member is a projection member protruding from the stacker portion toward the upper portion of the identification portion. When a protruding portion is provided, both the stacker portion and the upper portion of the identification portion are opened, and when only the stacker portion is closed first, the upper portion of the identification portion interferes with the hook member in the stored state. ,
The upper part of the identification unit remains open. By adjusting the protrusion member and the overhanging portion, the distance of the upper part of the identification unit in the open state can be adjusted to a distance at which the bill identification sensor installed in the identification unit becomes abnormal. . Therefore, even in the case described above, it is possible to detect that the upper part of the identification unit is not restored to normal due to the abnormality of the bill identification sensor, and even if the sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the identification unit is omitted. , It can be detected that the identification unit is not closed by a regular procedure.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an outline of a bill discriminating machine 1 according to the present embodiment, using a side surface and a back surface. The bill validator 1 of the present embodiment also has a bill insertion slot 3 on the front surface 2a of the main body 2, as in the conventional bill validator 1 described above. The bill inserted from the insertion slot 3 is sent to the identification unit 4 that is the upper part of the main body 2, and the identified bill is stored in the stacker 5 installed below the identification unit 4.

The stacker 5 is fixed to the main body 2 by a flap latch 6 installed at the upper right portion. When the bills stored in the stacker 5 are collected, as shown in FIG.
By pulling out to the side, the stacker 5 is released from the fixed state, is swung downward around the fulcrum 5a, and the bills are collected.

When the collection of the banknotes stored in the stacker 5 is completed, the stacker 5 is turned upward and pressed against the main body 2, and the stacker 5 is returned to the storage position inside the main body by the cover latch 6. This return state is detected by a stacker open / close detection sensor 9 installed on the side surface of the main body 2. That is, the stacker open / close detection sensor 9
When the stacker 5 is installed at the upper left position of the stacker 5 and the stacker 5 is installed at the storage position inside the main body 2, the stacker 5 operates the stacker open / close detection sensor 9 to operate the stacker 5. It can be confirmed that it is in a normal state.

As shown in FIG. 3, an upper part 4a which is separable from the main body 2 is provided so that the discriminating part 4 provided on the upper part of the stacker 5 can be opened for the purpose of maintenance. ing. The upper portion 4a pushes up a latch lever 7 provided at a lower portion of the identification portion 4 so that the latch is released and the upper portion 4a of the identification portion 4 can turn upward toward the back surface 2b. I can do it.

The point to be noted in the bill validator 1 of the present embodiment is that the upper part of the stacker 5, that is, the upper part 4 a of the identification part 4.
The hook 11 having a C-shaped cross section is
It is installed so as to protrude from the upper part of.
A hole 12 into which the hook 11 can be inserted is provided in the lower part of the upper part 4a, that is, a place where the hook 11 is connected. An overhang 13 is prepared by a flat plate overhanging to the 2b side. Therefore, FIG.
As shown in the figure, when the bill validator 1 of this example is in the operating state, that is, when the upper part 4a of the identifying unit 4 is in the closed state, the hook 11 of the stacker 5 is fitted into the hole 12 of the latch lever 7. The latch lever 7 cannot be operated unless the stacker 5 is opened. Therefore, when opening the upper part 4a of the identification unit 4 for maintenance or the like, it is necessary to first open the stacker 5,
Whether or not “a” has been opened can be determined only by monitoring the open state of the stacker 5. Therefore, it is possible to omit a sensor for detecting the open state of the upper part 4a of the identification unit 4.

After the maintenance or the like is completed with the upper part 4a of the identification unit 4 being opened, the upper part 4a is closed first, and then the stacker 5 is returned.
It is possible to return to the normal state and start the service. At this time, the stacker 5 may be closed prior to the upper part 4a of the identification unit 4. However, in the bill validator 1 of this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
Interferes with the hook 11 and the upper part 4a is compared with the normal state,
The open state, that is, the upper part 4a is maintained in a floating state where the upper part 4a does not touch the upper part of the stacker 5.
Therefore, even if the stacker 5 returns to the normal state and indicates that the stacker opening / closing detection sensor 9 is normal, an abnormality such as a shortage of the received light amount in the banknote recognition sensor for the thickness detection installed in the recognition unit 4. Is detected. Therefore, the operator of the bill validator 1 can recognize that the storage order of the upper part 4a and the stacker 5 is not normal, and can return the stacker 5 to the open state again and return to the normal state.

Conventionally, a sensor for detecting the opening / closing of the stacker and a sensor for detecting the opening / closing of the identification unit are provided.
One sensor monitored the opening and closing of the stacker and identification unit. However, by providing a hook for fixing the upper part of the identification unit on the top of the stacker as in the bill validator of this example, it is possible to unify the operation procedure for opening and closing the stacker and the identification unit, and the opening and closing detection is performed only on the stacker. By installing this sensor, the opening and closing of the stacker and the identification unit can be monitored. In addition, by providing the overhanging part on the upper part of the identification unit, even if the stacker is closed prior to the upper part, the identification unit and the stacker can be used in a normal order using the abnormality of the bill identification sensor. It can detect that no operation has been performed. Therefore, it is possible to detect in advance that the bill validator has not returned to the normal state, and to allow the operator to return to the normal state.

In such a bill validator of this embodiment,
The number of open / close detection sensors can be reduced as compared with a conventional bill validator. Therefore, the number of parts constituting the bill validator can be reduced, and the cost of parts and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

Further, since it is possible to reduce the number of sensors accompanied by the possibility of malfunction, the reliability of the entire bill validator can be improved. Therefore, the amount of bills handled by pachinko parlors and the like is very large, the number of opened and closed stackers is large, and even when there are many maintenance opportunities, it is possible to sufficiently monitor the open / closed state of the stacker and the identification unit, At the same time, reduce the possibility of sensor malfunction,
It is possible to provide a highly reliable bill validator.

Although it is possible to provide a hook on the upper side of the identification unit and install an open / close sensor only on the upper side, there is a chance to open a stacker for collecting bills rather than an opportunity to open and maintain the upper part. In consideration of the large number, it is desirable to install the open / close detection sensor on the stacker side as described above.

[0022]

As described above, in the bill validator according to the present invention, by providing fixing means such as a hook member on the stacker side, the operation procedure of the stacker and the discriminating section can be fixed. It is possible to reduce the number of sensors for detecting each opening and closing. Furthermore, by providing the overhang portion, even if the operation order of the stacker unit and the identification unit is mistaken, it is possible to detect that the state is not normal due to the abnormality of the bill identification sensor. Monitoring is possible.

As described above, the bill discriminating apparatus according to the present invention has the same monitoring function as the conventional one, while reducing the number of sensors, thereby reducing manufacturing costs. Furthermore, by reducing the number of sensors, the possibility of malfunctions of the sensors is reduced, so that the reliability of the bill identification device is improved, and the opportunity to open and close the stacker unit or the identification unit of a pachinko parlor etc. It is possible to realize a bill validating device suitable for a place where there is a lot of money.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view (a) and a rear view (b) showing an outline of a bill validator according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a state in which a stacker of the bill validator shown in FIG. 1 is opened.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a state in which an upper part of an identification unit of the bill validator shown in FIG. 1 is opened.

FIG. 4 is a side view (a) and a rear view (b) showing a state in which an upper portion of the identification unit shown in FIG. 1 is fixed by a hook of a stacker.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are a side view and a back view showing a state in which the stacker is closed prior to an upper part of the identification unit shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a side view (a) and a rear view (b) showing an outline of a conventional bill validator.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Sensor 10 ··· Identification part open / close detection sensor 11 ··· Hook 12 ··· Hole provided in latch lever 13 ···

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) G07D 9/00 G07F 5/00-9/10

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. An identification portion for identifying a bill, and a storage portion located below the identification portion and for storing the identified bill, wherein the identification portion is capable of turning upward and opening from an operating state. Wherein the storage unit includes a stacker unit that can be pivotally opened downward from a storage state in which the banknotes can be stored, wherein the stacker unit can fix an upper portion of the identification unit to the operating state. A bill identification device comprising: 2. The bill validator according to claim 1, wherein the fixing means is a hook member that meshes with an upper part of the identification unit. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the hook member comprises:
A bill protruding from the stacker toward an upper part of the identification part, wherein the upper part of the identification part is provided with a protruding part that interferes with the projection member in the stored state. Identification device.