JP7850485B2 - Paper sheet storage device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a paper sheet storage device that collects and stores paper sheets that have been transported by the action of airflow.

Inside a gaming machine island, which houses multiple sets of gaming machines (such as pachinko machines) and gaming ball dispensers (which dispense game balls, such as pachinko balls, to players upon receiving banknotes), a banknote transport system is installed along the length of the gaming machine island to transport the banknotes inserted into each machine to a safe located at the end of the island.

Some paper sheet conveying devices for transporting banknotes and other paper materials utilize airflow generated within a conveying tube. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a paper sheet conveying device in which a conveying aid, moved by the airflow within the conveying tube, pushes and transports the paper sheets from the rear.

In the paper sheet conveying device disclosed in Patent Document 1, a paper sheet intake device is installed in the middle of the conveying path to take in the paper sheets to be conveyed into the conveying pipe. When recovering the taken-in paper sheets, a conveying aid insertion device installed at the starting end of the conveying pipe sends the conveying aid into the conveying pipe, and a separation and recovery device installed at the ending end of the conveying pipe separates and recovers the paper sheets and the conveying aid. Furthermore, in this paper sheet conveying device, the conveying pipe is configured to complete a desired recovery route (for example, in a gaming machine island, it consists of a forward path from one end of the island to the other, a U-shaped return section, and a return path from the other end of the island back to the first end). The starting and ending ends of the conveying pipe are brought close together, and the conveying aid recovered by the separation and recovery device at the ending end is moved to the conveying aid insertion device at the starting end for repeated cyclical use. The recovered paper sheets are stored in a safe or similar container.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-82062

When a paper sheet intake device is installed in the middle of a transport path to take in the paper sheets to be transported into the transport pipe, airflow from the paper sheet intake port of the intake device is prone to leaking from the transport pipe. Even if a shutter is installed at the intake port that is normally closed and opens only when paper sheets are being taken in, it is difficult to completely prevent airflow leakage. Therefore, there was a risk that the airflow generated by the airflow generator installed at the beginning of the transport path could not be flowed to the end of the transport path with sufficient strength to ensure adequate transport capacity. This is especially likely when the transport path is long or when many intake devices are interposed in the middle of the transport path.
Furthermore, while belt conveying was used to transport the paper sheets, separated from the airflow at the end of the transport path, to the safe (storage area), simplification of the mechanism for storing them in the safe is also desired.

The present invention aims to solve the above problems and provides a simplified paper sheet storage device that stores paper sheets, which have been transported by the action of airflow, into a storage section .

The essence of this invention, for achieving the above objective, lies in the inventions described in the following sections.

[1] A collection passage through which the airflow passes accepts and stops the paper sheets that have been transported by the action of the airflow,
The side wall of the collection passage facing one side of the stopped paper sheets is provided with an opening through which the paper sheets can pass if they are curved,
A storage section for paper sheets is provided adjacent to the side wall, and its interior is connected to the collection passage through the opening,
A pressing plate that is biased from the back of the storage compartment toward the opening and covers the opening,
The collection passage has a pushing section that advances from the side wall facing the other side of the stopped paper sheets through the opening into the storage section, pushes the paper sheets into the storage section against the pressing plate, and then displaces to return to its original position,
The paper sheets pushed into the storage compartment return to their flat state and are held between the side wall with the opening and the pressing plate , thereby sealing the opening.
A paper sheet storage device characterized by the following features.

This is a schematic plan view showing a gaming machine island including a paper sheet transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a front view showing the schematic configuration of a paper sheet transport device installed on a gaming machine island. This is an explanatory diagram showing how a transport assisting body pushes a banknote inside a transport tube from the rear end of the banknote. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the conveyor pipe in the straight sections (forward and return routes). This is a cross-sectional view of the conveying pipe in a straight section. This is a diagram showing the top and front views of the transport assist unit. This is a cross-sectional view taken through the central axis of the transport assist body with the transport assist body inserted into the transport pipe. This is a cross-sectional view showing the turn section. This is a perspective view showing the turning section. This is a front view showing the separation, recovery, and delivery device with the storage box door open. This is a perspective view showing the separation, recovery, and delivery device with the storage box door open. This is a perspective view showing the main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device with the storage box removed. This is a right side view of the main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device. This is a front view of the main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device. This is a left side view of the main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device. This is a partially simplified cross-sectional view of the A-A section in Figure 14 of the main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device. This is a perspective view of the main unit of the separation, recovery, and delivery device, showing the storage compartment door in the open position. This is a perspective view showing the separation section and the delivery section with the opening and closing ribs in the closed position. This is a perspective view showing the separation section and the delivery section with the opening and closing ribs in the open position. This is a front view showing the separation section and the delivery section with the opening and closing ribs closed. This is a front view showing the separation and delivery sections with the opening and closing ribs closed and the transport assisting body captured. This is a cross-sectional view of the separation and discharge sections (section B-B in Figure 20). This is an exploded perspective view of the separation section. This is a perspective view showing the entrance to the collection passage as seen from the separation section. This diagram shows the separation section (with the opening/closing ribs open) and the horizontal cross-section of the recovery passage, with some parts omitted. This diagram shows the separation section (with the opening/closing ribs closed) and the horizontal cross-section of the recovery passage, with some parts omitted. This diagram shows the separation section (with the opening/closing ribs closed, and supplementary information on the transport assist body) and the horizontal cross-section of the recovery passage, with some parts omitted. This is a perspective view showing one wall surface of the discharge section where the backflow prevention valve is in a hanging position. This is a perspective view showing one wall of the discharge section with the backflow prevention valve in the sealed position. This is a cross-sectional view of the separation section and the delivery section (section B-B in Figure 20), showing the state in which the transport assist body is falling through the drop passage. This diagram (viewed from above) shows the positional relationship between the transport aid and the guide roller as they fall through the drop passage. This figure shows a cross-sectional view of the separation and discharge sections (section B-B in Figure 20), where the transport assist body is in the standby position of the discharge section. This is a cross-sectional view of the separation and delivery sections (B-B section in Figure 20), showing the process of the transport assisting body being sent from the standby position toward the transport pipe (start of delivery). This figure shows a cross-sectional view of the separation and delivery sections (B-B section in Figure 20), illustrating how the transport assist body is being sent from the standby position toward the transport pipe (during the process of being sent out). This is a cross-sectional view of the separation and delivery sections (B-B section in Figure 20), showing the transport assist body being sent from the standby position toward the transport pipe (sending complete). This is a perspective view showing the safe unit. This is a perspective view showing the storage assembly. This is a perspective view showing the pressing assembly. This is a perspective view of a disassembled portion of the pressing assembly. This is a perspective view showing the guide member. This is a perspective view showing the connecting duct.

(See Figure 41).
This is an explanatory diagram showing how banknotes can get stuck between the end of the collection passage and the end plate of the connecting duct when no measures such as creating irregularities on the stopper member are taken. This is an explanatory diagram showing how banknotes are pushed from the collection passage into the storage compartment (with banknotes being pushed into the collection passage). This is an explanatory diagram showing how banknotes are pushed from the collection passage into the storage compartment. This is an explanatory diagram showing how banknotes are pushed from the collection passage into the storage compartment (continuation of Figure 44). This diagram shows the storage box door of the separation, recovery, and delivery device in both right-opening and left-opening configurations. This diagram shows two storage boxes for the separation, recovery, and delivery device arranged adjacent to each other. This is an explanatory diagram showing the various positional relationships between the storage box and the main unit. This is a perspective view showing how the connecting ducts are reconfigured for right-hand and left-hand configurations. This is an explanatory diagram illustrating the process of converting a safe unit from a right-hand configuration to a left-hand configuration. This is an explanatory diagram showing the process of reassembling a pressing assembly from a right-hand specification to a left-hand specification. This is an explanatory diagram showing the process of reconfiguring the guide members of the storage compartment from right-hand to left-hand configuration. This is an explanatory diagram showing the process of changing the pressure plate of the storage compartment from a right-hand configuration to a left-hand configuration. This is an explanatory diagram showing the conversion of a full-capacity detection assembly from right-hand specification to left-hand specification. This is a perspective view showing the airflow enhancement unit. This is a top view showing the airflow enhancement unit. This is a cross-sectional view (section A-A in Figure 56) showing the airflow enhancement unit. This is a cross-sectional view (section B-B in Figure 56) showing the airflow enhancement unit in both the closed and open states of the shutter plate. This figure shows the front view and the D-D cross-section of the movable wall. This diagram illustrates various configurations of a slope.

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

Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a gaming machine island 2 including a paper sheet transport device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is a schematic front view showing the schematic configuration of the paper sheet transport device 10 installed on the gaming machine island 2. In this embodiment, the gaming machine island 2 houses multiple sets of gaming media dispensing machines 3, which receive banknotes and dispense gaming media such as game balls (pachinko balls) to players, and gaming machines 4 such as pachinko machines, arranged back to back on both sides. The paper sheet transport device 10 is installed on the gaming machine island 2 and functions to collect banknotes 6 discharged from the back of each gaming media dispensing machine 3 and transport them to a safe (storage section) in a separation, collection, and dispatch device 40 installed at one end of the gaming machine island 2 for storage.

The paper sheet conveying device 10 generates an airflow within the conveying pipe 12, which serves as the conveying path for banknotes (paper sheets). A conveying aid 16, which moves within the conveying pipe 12 in response to this airflow, is inserted into the conveying pipe 12 upstream of the banknotes 6 to be conveyed. The conveying aid 16 pushes the banknotes 6 within the conveying pipe 12 from the rear, conveying them downstream. In this embodiment, the banknotes 6 are conveyed within the conveying pipe 12 in a horizontally elongated position with the paper surface upright, as shown in Figure 3.

The paper sheet transport device 10 comprises a transport pipe 12 and a separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 installed at one end of the gaming machine island 2. The transport pipe 12 consists of a forward path 12a extending from the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 at one end of the gaming machine island 2 to the other end of the island, a U-shaped turn section 12b at the other end, and a return path 12c extending above the forward path 12a and along the forward path 12a to the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 after turning at the turn section 12b.

The forward and return paths 12a and 12c of the transport pipe 12 are divided into units of predetermined length, for example, a length corresponding to the width of one set of gaming machines 4 and gaming media dispensing machines 3 housed together on the gaming machine island 2. By connecting the required number of these units with connecting units, the route length can be adjusted according to the longitudinal length of the gaming machine island 2. Furthermore, at the construction site, the transport pipe 12 can be cut to the required length on-site.

The paper sheet transport device 10 further includes a receiving device 13 that is inserted in the middle of the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12 to take in banknotes 6 discharged from the game media dispensing machine 3 into the transport pipe 12. The receiving device 13 is provided in pairs: one for taking in banknotes 6 from the game media dispensing machine 3 located on the front side of the game machine island 2, and another for taking in banknotes 6 from the game media dispensing machine 3 located on the back side of the game machine island 2. The receiving device 13 is interposed between the transport pipes 12 that constitute the return path 12c, connecting them, and also functions as a transport pipe that forms part of the return path 12c.

Furthermore, an airflow enhancement unit 14 is interposed at an appropriate location along the transport pipe 12 to enhance the airflow within the transport pipe by merging it with airflow from an auxiliary blower. Here, the airflow enhancement unit 14 is located along the return path 12c, downstream of the intake device 13. The airflow enhancement unit 14 may also be located in the forward path 12a.

The separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 performs several functions, including: supplying airflow into the transport pipe 12; sending the transport assisting body 16 into the transport pipe 12 from its starting point; separating the banknotes 6 transported by the transport assisting body 16 from the transport assisting body 16 at the end of the transport pipe 12; moving the separated transport assisting body 16 towards the starting point of the transport pipe 12 for reuse in the next delivery; and storing the separated banknotes 6 in a safe (storage compartment). Details of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 will be described later.

In the paper sheet transport device 10, the banknotes 6 taken in from the intake device 13 into the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12 remain in a horizontally elongated position with the paper surface upright, as shown in Figure 3, at the position where the intake is complete. The separation, recovery, and discharge device 40 generates an airflow within the transport pipe 12 to transport and recover these banknotes 6 to the separation, recovery, and discharge device 40 at the end of the island.

The airflow causes the conveying aid 16 to be sent from the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 into the conveying pipe 12. The conveying aid 16 then moves along the forward path 12a to the turn section 12b, makes a U-turn at the turn section 12b, and then moves further along the return path 12c towards the end. At this time, as shown in Figure 3, the conveying aid 16 pushes the banknotes 6 inside the conveying pipe 12 from the rear end, causing the banknotes 6 to be conveyed towards the end of the conveying pipe 12 (in the conveying direction F in the figure).

In this way, the transport assist body 16 moves under the influence of the airflow, and the transport assist body 16 pushes the banknotes 6 from the rear end for transport. Therefore, the banknotes 6 themselves do not need to receive propulsion from the airflow. Consequently, the banknotes 6 can be transported by the airflow without the need to fold them or take any other measures to receive the airflow. Furthermore, since the transport assist body 16 can obtain propulsion from the airflow more efficiently than the banknotes 6, the banknotes 6 can be transported efficiently.

Next, the shapes of the conveying pipe 12 and the conveying support body 16 will be described in detail.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the conveyor pipe 12 in the straight section (the forward path 12a and the return path 12c), and Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the cross-sectional shape of the conveyor pipe 12 in the same section perpendicular to the extension direction F (= the direction of banknote transport F = the direction of airflow). The conveyor pipe 12 is made of resin with a thickness of approximately 1.5 mm. The conveyor pipe 12 is formed, for example, by extrusion molding.

The cross-sectional shape of the transport pipe 12 perpendicular to the extension direction F of the straight section is a vertically elongated rectangle with the central portions of the left and right side walls extending outward in a rectangular shape. Specifically, the transport pipe 12 comprises upper and lower wall portions 31, left and right side wall portions 32, and an extended portion 33 that protrudes outward in a rectangular shape at the central portion of the left and right side wall portions 32 in the vertical direction. The shorter side direction of the approximately rectangular cross-section perpendicular to the extension direction (transport direction F) of the transport pipe 12 is defined as the X direction (or width direction, left-right direction), and the longer side direction is defined as the Y direction (or height direction, up-down direction). In both the X and Y directions, the direction toward the center of the transport pipe 12 is called the inside, and the direction toward the inner wall from the center is called the outside. In this embodiment, the transport pipe 12 is used with its longer side in the vertical direction, but it may also be used with its shorter side in the vertical direction. In this case, the banknotes 6 are transported in a horizontal orientation with the paper surface facing up and down.

The expansion section 33 is divided into two parts, upper and lower, by a separation wall 34 erected inward from the conveying pipe 12. The conveying pipe 12, including the separation wall 34, is a single, integrated structure. The expansion section 33 has position-regulating ribs 36 that protrude inward from the conveying pipe 12, located in the center of each area divided by the separation wall 34. The position-regulating ribs 36 function to regulate the position of the conveying aid 16 in the X-direction within the conveying pipe 12.

Multiple ribs 35 projecting inward from the conveying pipe 12 are formed along the conveying direction on the side wall portion 32. In this example, the ribs 35 projecting inward from the conveying pipe 12 are formed along the conveying direction at the boundary between the side wall portion 32 and the expansion portion 33. The separation wall 34 is at the same height as the ribs 35, and the top of the separation wall 34 functions as a rib. Hereafter, when the separation wall 34 is treated as a rib, it will also be referred to as rib 34.

The side walls 32 form a pair of inner walls facing the surface of the banknote 6 being transported. The banknote 6 is rectangular and is transported within the transport tube 12 with its longer side facing the transport direction F. In other words, the banknote 6 is transported with its surface facing the side walls 32 of the transport tube 12, and with one short side facing the leading end in the transport direction and the other short side facing the trailing end.

The distance Dy between the upper and lower walls 31 of the conveying pipe 12 is slightly longer than the shorter side of the banknote 6. The distance Dx between the left and right side walls 32 (the portion where the ribs 35, expansion sections 33, and separation walls 34 are not formed (referred to as the reference plane)) is set to approximately 21 mm. The expansion sections 33 provided on the left and right side walls 32 extend outward by approximately 7.5 mm from the side walls 32 (reference plane). The tops of the ribs 35 and separation walls 34 are approximately 2 mm inward from the side walls 32 (reference plane). The height of the ribs 35 can be set as appropriate.

Figure 6 shows the plan and front view of the conveying aid 16. The conveying aid 16 is a cylindrical shape with a circular cross-section and varying diameters in each section. The conveying aid 16 moves within the conveying pipe with its axis oriented perpendicular to the conveying direction. Here, it is inserted into the conveying pipe 12 so that the central axis of the cylinder is in the Y-direction (height direction) of the conveying pipe 12. The conveying aid 16 has a symmetrical shape, and from top to bottom, it consists of a head 16a, a neck 16b with a slightly smaller diameter than the head, a large-diameter section 16c with a larger diameter than the head 16a, a constricted section 16d with the same diameter as the neck 16b and located in the center of the vertical structure, the large-diameter section 16c, the neck 16b, and the head 16a.

The shapes of the conveying pipe 12 and the conveying support body 16 are not limited to these. The external shape of the conveying support body 16 corresponds to the internal shape of the conveying pipe 12, and has irregularities corresponding to the ribs 34 and 35 protruding inward from the side wall portion 32.

The transport assist body 16 is lightweight and durable, and its interior is formed hollow, for example, by plastic. Alternatively, it may be formed from materials such as expanded polystyrene or extruded polystyrene, as long as it is lightweight and durable.

Figure 7 shows a cross-section perpendicular to the extension direction F and passing through the central axis of the conveying support body 16, with the conveying support body 16 inserted into the conveying pipe 12. The diameters of each part of the conveying support body 16 correspond to the inner edge shape of the conveying pipe 12. That is, the cross-sectional shape of the conveying support body 16 passing through its central axis corresponds to the inner edge shape of the conveying pipe 12 in a cross-section perpendicular to the extension direction F, and it substantially closes the inside of the conveying pipe 12, leaving a predetermined clearance between it and the inner wall.

The Y-direction position of the transport assist body 16 within the transport pipe 12 is restricted by the upper or lower surface of the large-diameter portion 16c contacting the rib 35 or the separation wall 34. These also restrict the axial tilt of the transport assist body 16. Furthermore, the X-direction position of the transport assist body 16 within the transport pipe 12 is restricted by the outer circumference of the head portion 16a contacting the side wall portion 32, or by the outer circumference of the large-diameter portion 16c contacting the inside of the expansion portion 33.

Thus, the conveying support body 16 has a shape that corresponds to the inner edge shape of the conveying pipe 12 (almost identical shape with a slight clearance), and covers almost the entire cross-section of the conveying pipe 12, allowing it to efficiently receive the airflow and move. Furthermore, the conveying support body 16 prevents the airflow from upstream from reaching the downstream side of the conveying support body 16, thereby suppressing turbulence in the airflow downstream.

The banknote 6 tends to stick to the side wall 32 when subjected to the airflow within the transport tube 12. That is, the distance between one side of the banknote 6 and the opposing side wall 32 is almost never equal to the distance between the other side of the banknote 6 and the opposing side wall 32. When one distance becomes narrower than the other, the airflow velocity is faster on the narrower side than on the wider side. This causes the air pressure on the narrower side to be lower than on the wider side, and this pressure difference causes the banknote 6 to be attracted and pressed against the side wall 32 on the narrower side. This further narrows the distance on the narrower side, resulting in the phenomenon of the banknote 6 sticking and adhering to the side wall 32.

If the banknote 6 adheres strongly to the side wall 32, it becomes difficult for the transport assist 16 to push and move the banknote 6 for transport. However, as described above, the transport assist 16 acts to obstruct (reduce) the airflow downstream, so the force of adhesion and suction of the banknote 6 is reduced, enabling smooth transport.

The two large-diameter sections 16c of the transport assist body 16 engage with each of the two expanded sections 33 separated by the separation wall 34 of the transport pipe 12. In this example, the expanded sections 33 are divided into two by the separation wall 34, and these expanded sections 33 are positioned closer to the center in the Y-direction of the transport pipe 12, allowing the transport assist body 16 to be moved while maintaining a stable posture. Furthermore, because the posture of the transport assist body 16 is stable, the large-diameter sections 16c of the transport assist body 16 can appropriately contact the rear end of the banknote 6, providing a stable transport force. Additionally, it becomes less likely for the banknote 6 to get caught between the transport pipe 12 and the transport assist body 16.

Furthermore, by providing a large-diameter section 16c to the conveying aid 16, the area of the part that receives the action of the airflow is increased, allowing it to efficiently receive the force for movement. Also, because the large-diameter section 16c efficiently receives the action of the airflow, the diameter of the head 16a can be reduced accordingly. Reducing the diameter of the head allows the distance (width (Dx)) between the opposing pair of side walls 32 inside the conveying pipe 12 to be narrowed, preventing the banknotes 6 from falling over.

Furthermore, the presence of multiple ribs 35 on the side wall 32 prevents the banknote 6 from sticking tightly to the side wall 32. That is, the contact area between the banknote 6 and the side wall 32 is reduced, decreasing friction and suppressing the generation of static electricity. Even if the banknote 6 does stick to the side wall 32, it is supported by the tips of the ribs 35, ensuring a gap between the side wall 32 and the banknote 6 around the ribs 35, thus reducing the adhesive force. Additionally, the separation wall 34 supports the banknote 6, preventing it from falling into the recess of the expansion section 33.

Furthermore, the multiple ribs 35 protruding inward from the side wall 32 and the tops of the separation wall 34 play a role in making the effective passage width W of the banknotes 6 in the width direction (X direction) of the conveying pipe 12 narrower than the distance Dx between the reference plane sections. This makes it difficult for the banknotes 6 to tip over within the conveying pipe 12, and maintains their orientation along the Y direction. In particular, providing multiple ribs 35 effectively prevents the banknotes 6 from tipping over and also effectively prevents them from sticking to the side wall 32. Note that the amount of Dx can be increased by the amount of the ribs 35, thereby increasing the cross-sectional area of the conveying pipe 12 and making the conveying aid 16 more susceptible to the effects of airflow.

In the case of the transport assist body 16 according to this embodiment, the diameter of the large-diameter portion 16c is the largest. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, this large-diameter portion 16c comes into contact with the rear end of the banknote 6 and pushes it forward.

Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the turn section 12b, and Figure 9 is a perspective view of the turn section 12b. The turn section 12b has a shape that connects the conveying pipe 12 with an arc section 12bb that extends in a 90-degree arc with the Y direction as the radial direction, a straight section 12bc, and the 90-degree arc section 12bb, changing the path of the conveying aid 16 by 180 degrees. Ribs 35 and extensions 33 are also formed in the turn section 12b, but a separation wall 34 is not provided so that the conveying aid 16 does not get caught when it moves in an arc along the arc section 12bb, and the ribs 35 and extensions 33 are made to give way (larger clearance than in the straight section) in the parts that overlap with the trajectory of the conveying aid 16 as it passes through the turn section 12b. This makes it possible to reduce the turning radius of the turn section 12b in the arc section 12bb. The length of the straight section 12bc can be appropriately determined according to the distance required between the forward path 12a and the return path 12c, based on the size of the separation, recovery, and discharge device 40 and the intake device 13. Furthermore, the extended section 33 of the turn section 12b is provided with two ribs 12ba corresponding to the large-diameter section 16c of the conveying assist body 16, thereby regulating the position of the conveying assist body 16 towards the center in the X direction.

Next, the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 will be described.

Figure 10 is a front view showing the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 with the storage box 41 door 46 open. Figure 11 is a perspective view showing the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 with the storage box 41 door 46 open. Figure 12 is a perspective view showing the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 with the storage box 41 removed. Figure 13 is a right side view of the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40. Figure 14 is a front view of the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40. Figure 15 is a left side view of the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40. Figure 16 is a partially simplified cross-sectional view of the main unit 42, showing the A-A section in Figure 14.

As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 is housed inside the storage box 41. Furthermore, a control unit 43, which controls the operation of the entire paper sheet transport device 10 including the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40, is mounted on the upper inside of the storage box 41. The control unit 43 is mainly composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.

As shown in Figure 12, the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 is fixed to the end plate 18 of the gaming machine island 2 with screws, separately from the storage box 41. The storage box 41 has an open back and is attached to the end plate 18 with screws, separately from the main unit 42, so as to cover it. This allows for arbitrary adjustment of the relative position between the main unit 42 and the storage box 41 depending on the installation location. Further details on this will be described later.

As shown in Figures 13 to 16, the main unit 42 of the separation, collection, and delivery device 40 includes a delivery unit 70 located at the beginning of the forward path 12a of the transport pipe 12, which sends the transport assisting body 16 into the transport pipe 12; a separation unit 50 located at the end of the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12, which allows the banknotes 6 transported by the transport assisting body 16 to pass through and receives the transport assisting body 16 that has pushed them, separating them; a storage unit 90 which serves as a safe for storing a large number of banknotes; and The system comprises a collection section 110 that receives and stops the banknotes 6 that have passed through the separation section 50 downstream of the separation section 50, and then moves the stopped banknotes 6 into the storage section 90 for storage; an airflow generator 130 that supplies airflow to the discharge section 70; and a connecting duct 140 that draws in the airflow discharged from the end of the transport pipe 12 through the separation section 50 and the collection section 111 of the collection section 110, and returns it to the air intake of the airflow generator 130 for circulation. The airflow generated by the airflow generator 130 is sent into the starting end of the transport pipe 12 through the discharge section 70.

As shown in Figures 15 and 18, the main unit 42 is formed by attaching various parts, such as the delivery unit 70 and the separation unit 50, to the support frame 45.

Figure 17 shows the main unit 42 of the separation, collection, and delivery device 40, with the door 91 of the storage section 90 for storing banknotes 6 open.

In the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40, the separation unit 50 is positioned directly above the delivery unit 70. The transport assist body 16 captured by the separation unit 50 is dropped into the delivery unit 70 via the drop passage 71 (see Figure 16, cross-sectional view). The dropped transport assist body 16 is then used for the next delivery, thus ensuring the transport assist body 16 is reused in a cyclical manner.

The starting end of the forward path 12a of the transport pipe 12 is connected to the transport pipe connection port 72 of the discharge unit 70, and the ending end of the return path 12c of the transport pipe 12 is connected to the transport pipe connection port 51 of the separation unit 50 (see Figure 16).

Next, the configuration of the separation unit 50 will be described.

Figure 18 is a perspective view showing the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70 below it with the opening/closing ribs 52 (described later) closed. Figure 19 is a perspective view showing the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70 below it with the opening/closing ribs 52 open. Figure 20 is a front view showing the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70 below it with the opening/closing ribs 52 closed. Figure 21 is a front view showing the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70 below it with the opening/closing ribs 52 closed and the transport assist body 16 captured. Figure 22 is a cross-sectional view (B-B section in Figure 20) of the separation section 50 and the delivery section 70. Figure 23 is an exploded perspective view of the separation section 50.

As shown in the exploded perspective view of Figure 23, the separation section 50 comprises a pair of left and right passage walls 56, a pair of left and right opening/closing ribs 52, and a pair of left and right contact sections 64.

The pair of left and right passage walls 56 are symmetrical in shape, comprising a vertically oriented, flat side wall 57, a ceiling wall 58 extending horizontally from the upper end of the side wall 57, and a bottom wall 59 extending horizontally from the lower end of the side wall 57 in the same direction as the ceiling wall 58. By joining the left and right walls so that the ceiling wall 58 and bottom wall 59 abut against each other, a passage (separation passage 56a) with a vertically elongated rectangular outer shape corresponding to the transport pipe 12 is formed. On the side wall 57 of approximately half of the upstream area (upstream region) of the separation passage 56a, five ribs 61 (61a to 61e) are arranged vertically at intervals, projecting horizontally inward into the passage and extending along its length.

The uppermost and lowermost ribs 61a and 61e function to correspond to the side wall portion 32 of the conveying pipe 12 (see Figure 7). Their horizontal projection height is such that, when the left and right passage walls 56 are combined to form the separation passage 56a, a gap corresponding to Dx in Figure 7 is created between opposing ribs. The three ribs 61b to 61d, excluding the upper and lower ones, correspond to the ribs 34 of the conveying pipe 12 (ribs 35 and separation wall 34, see Figure 7). These are positioned vertically to correspond to the neck portion 16b and constricted portion 16d of the conveying auxiliary body 16. Their horizontal projection height is such that, when the left and right passage walls 56 are combined to form the separation passage 56a, a gap corresponding to the passage width W in Figure 7 is created between opposing ribs.

In the downstream region of the pair of left and right passage walls 56, the ribs 61 present in the upstream region are absent. Instead, slits 62 (62a to 62e) are provided, located in the same vertical position as the ribs 61a to 61e and elongated in the direction of the passage length. Furthermore, the bottom wall 59 present in the upstream region is absent in the downstream region, and the bottom is open when the pair of left and right passage walls 56 are combined to form the separation passage 56a.

The opening/closing rib 52 comprises a vertically oriented, flat side wall 53, five ribs 54 (54a to 54e) erected to project horizontally inward from the side wall 53 into the passageway, and a bottom plate 55. The arrangement of the five ribs 54 (54a to 54e) corresponds to the slits 62 (62a to 62e). Each rib 54 of the opening/closing rib 52 is inserted into each slit 62 of the passageway wall 56 from the outside of the passageway wall 56. The bottom plate 55 is positioned at a height that allows it to connect flush with the bottom wall 59 of the passageway wall 56 when each rib 54 of the opening/closing rib 52 is inserted into each slit 62 of the passageway wall 56. When each rib 54 is inserted all the way into the slit 62 (to the position where the side wall 53 abuts against the outer surface of the side wall 57), the left and right bottom plates 55 abut and connect.

The closed state of the opening/closing rib 52 is defined as the state in which the ribs 54 (54a to 54e) of the opening/closing rib 52 are fully inserted into the slits 62 (62a to 62e) of the passage wall 56 (see Figures 18, 20, and 21). The open state of the opening/closing rib 52 is defined as the state in which the left and right pair of opening/closing ribs 52 are retracted outwards (the distance between them is increased) until the ribs 54 (54a to 54e) of the opening/closing rib 52 are withdrawn from the slits 62 (62a to 62e) (until the bottom plate 55 is no longer inside the separation passage 56a) (see Figure 19). The separation section 50 is equipped with an opening/closing drive unit 68 that displaces the left and right opening/closing ribs 52 between the open and closed states (see Figures 18, 20, etc.). The opening/closing drive unit 68 is configured to use a motor or solenoid as the drive source.

The pair of left and right contact portions 64 allow banknotes 6 arriving from the end of the transport pipe 12 to pass through due to the airflow, and also function to receive and stop the transport assisting body 16 that has been pushing the banknotes 6 from the downstream side. Each contact portion 64 comprises a plurality of contact claws 66 (66a to 66f) that contact the large-diameter portion 16c of the transport assisting body 16, and a support plate 65 that supports these contact claws 66 aligned vertically at predetermined intervals. The left and right contact portions 64 are symmetrical in shape, and are arranged with a predetermined gap between them that allows banknotes to pass through.

The contact claw 66 of the right contact portion 64 (viewed from downstream) of the pair of left and right contact portions has a concave arc-shaped inner shape that contacts the outer circumference of the right half of the large diameter portion 16c of the conveying assist body 16 from the downstream side. The contact claw 66 of the left contact portion 64 (viewed from downstream) of the pair of left and right contact portions has a concave arc-shaped inner shape that contacts the outer circumference of the left half of the large diameter portion 16c of the conveying assist body 16 from the downstream side.

Each contact claw 66 is inserted between the ribs 54 on the opening/closing rib 52 side. Specifically, the uppermost contact claw 66a is inserted between the ceiling wall 58 of the passage wall 56 and the adjacent rib 54a below it; the contact claw 66b is inserted between rib 54a and the second rib 54b from the top; the contact claw 66c is inserted between rib 54b and the third rib 54c from the top; the contact claw 66d is inserted between rib 54c and the fourth rib 54d from the top; the contact claw 66e is inserted between rib 54d and the fifth rib 54e from the top; and the contact claw 66f is inserted between rib 54e and the bottom plate 55 of the opening/closing rib 52. Each contact claw 66 is inserted until the support plate 65 of the contact portion 64 contacts the end face of the passage wall 56.

Figure 24 is a perspective view showing the entrance to the retrieval passage 111 as seen from the separation section 50. As shown in Figure 24, the storage section 90 and the retrieval section 110 form an integrated safe unit 150. The contact section 64 of the separation section 50 is attached to the entrance of the retrieval passage 111 of the retrieval section 110. When the separation section 50 and the safe unit 150 are attached to the support frame 45 and assembled as the main unit 42, each contact claw 66 of the contact section 64 is inserted into the aforementioned position and engages with each rib 54 of the separation section 50.

Figures 25 to 27 show a partially abbreviated horizontal cross-section of the separation unit 50 and the recovery passage 111 of the recovery unit 110 located downstream of it. Figure 25 shows the opening/closing rib 52 in the open state, Figure 26 shows the opening/closing rib 52 in the closed state, and Figure 27 is a diagram of Figure 26 with the transport assisting body 16 captured by the separation unit 50 and the banknotes 6 stopped in the recovery passage 111 added.

The ribs from the rib inside the transport pipe 12 connected to the transport pipe connection port 51 of the separation section 50, to the rib 61 in the upstream region of the separation section 50, to the ribs 54 of the closed opening/closing rib 52, and to the contact claw 66 of the contact section 64 are connected with a sequential step difference from upstream to downstream (the top of the downstream rib is lower than the upstream rib (outside the passage)) (see Figure 26).

Each rib 54 of the opening/closing rib 52 has a slightly increased projection height towards the inside of the passage near its downstream end. Specifically, it is slightly raised so as to follow the outer circumference of the head 16a (or neck portion 16b or constricted portion 16d) of the captured transport assist body 16 (see Figure 27). This maintains the correct posture of the captured transport assist body 16, and the distance between the left and right ribs 54 in the closed state narrows as it approaches the downstream end, guiding the banknotes 6 arriving at the separation section 50 between the left and right contact portions 64, allowing the banknotes 6 to smoothly proceed into the collection passage 111 (see Figures 26 and 27).

As shown in Figure 27, the separation section 50, with the opening/closing rib 52 closed, receives and captures the transport assist body 16 with the contact claw 66 of the contact section 64. The connection between the rib 54 of the opening/closing rib 52 and the rib 61 in the upstream area of the separation section passage 56a has a forward step from the rib 61 towards the rib 54. Therefore, when viewed in the direction of the captured transport assist body 16 returning to the upstream side of the separation section passage 56a, there is a reverse step. As a result, the transport assist body 16 captured by the contact section 64 can be maintained in a stable position in that captured location.

Directly beneath the captured transport assist body 16, as shown in Figures 19, 22, and 25, a drop passage 71 is located. When the opening/closing rib 52 is opened, the bottom of the downstream section of the separation passage 56a is opened, and the transport assist body 16 falls into the drop passage 71.

Thus, the opening/closing ribs 52 are normally in the closed position, and are displaced to the open position when the captured transport aid 16 is dropped. Therefore, when the banknotes 6 pass through the separation section 50, the opening/closing ribs 52 are in the closed position. Consequently, when the banknotes 6 pass through, the entire path from the end of the transport pipe 12 through the separation section passage 56a of the separation section 50 to the collection passage 111 of the collection section 110 is in a state where the ribs are connected, just like inside the transport pipe 12. This maintains the posture of the banknotes 6 with the ribs, preventing jamming.

Even if, for example, the opening/closing rib 52 were omitted and only the bottom plate 55 were opened and closed, it would still be possible to receive and capture the conveying aid 16 arriving from upstream at the contact portion 64, and then open the bottom plate 55 at the appropriate time to allow the conveying aid 16 to fall through the drop passage 71 to the delivery section 70. However, even when the bottom plate 55 is closed, there are no ribs in the downstream area of the separation passage 56a, which makes the posture of the banknotes 6 unstable as they pass through, making jams more likely. Furthermore, it becomes difficult to maintain the captured conveying aid 16 in the correct posture, and when the bottom plate 55 is opened, the conveying aid 16 may not fall properly into the drop passage 71, or its falling posture may be disrupted, hindering the movement of the conveying aid 16 to the delivery section 70.

In this embodiment, when the opening/closing rib 52 is closed, the entire path from the end of the transport pipe 12 to the collection passage 111 of the collection unit 110 has ribs equivalent to those inside the transport pipe 12. Therefore, the ribs maintain the orientation of the banknotes 6, preventing jamming. Furthermore, when the opening/closing rib 52 is closed, the transport assist body 16 can be held in the correct orientation. When the opening/closing rib 52 is opened, the transport assist body 16 can be properly dropped and moved to the discharge unit 70.

The separation unit 50 has a sensor 68a on the upper surface of the separation unit passage 56a, directly above the drop passage 71, which detects whether the transport assist body 16 is in a position where it is caught by the contact portion 64 (see Figures 18 and 19). Furthermore, a sensor 68b for detecting the passage of banknotes 6 is provided on the side of the upstream region of the separation unit passage 56a (see Figure 13). The control unit 43 determines that the banknotes 6 have passed normally if the sensor 68b detects the banknotes 6 and then changes to no detection after a predetermined time has elapsed for the banknotes to pass. If the detection state continues for a certain period of time or longer, it determines that the banknotes 6 are jammed at the location of the sensor 68b. The separation unit 50 also has an opening/closing sensor 68c for detecting the opening and closing of the opening/closing rib 52 (see Figure 13).

Next, the delivery unit 70 will be described based on Figures 18 to 22 and Figures 28 to 35. The delivery unit 70 has a cylindrical delivery passage 73 with a vertically elongated rectangular cross-section. The downstream end of the delivery passage 73 is a transport pipe connection port 72, to which the starting end of the transport pipe 12 is connected. The upstream end of the delivery passage 73 is an air intake port 73a from the airflow generator 130, to which the air supply duct from the airflow generator 130 is connected. A drop passage 71 is provided on the upper surface near the upstream end of the delivery passage 73. The drop passage 71 communicates with the inside of the delivery passage 73. The position directly below the drop passage 71 is a waiting position where the transport assisting body 16, which has fallen through the drop passage 71, waits in preparation for the next delivery.

The delivery section 70 includes a backflow prevention valve 75 as a lid member for opening and closing the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71, a pair of left and right guide rollers 76 for correcting the posture of the conveying assist body 16, posture guide members 77 (a to c) for stably maintaining the posture of the conveying assist body 16 in the standby position, and ribs 78 (a to c).

Figures 28 and 29 are perspective views showing one side wall of the discharge passage 73 and the backflow prevention valve 75. Figure 28 shows the backflow prevention valve 75 in the hanging position, and Figure 29 shows the backflow prevention valve 75 in the closed position.

Figure 30 shows the transport assist body 16 falling from the separation section 50 through the drop passage 71 into the delivery section 70, and Figure 32 shows the transport assist body 16 in the standby position of the delivery section 70. Figures 33 to 35 show the transport assist body 16 being sent out from the standby position towards the starting end of the transport pipe 12 in chronological order.

The backflow prevention valve 75 is a swingable plate-shaped member whose upper end is pivotally supported by an axis 75c (see Figures 28 and 29) in the width direction of the discharge passage 73, adjacent to the upstream side (upstream side in the flow of airflow during discharge) of the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71. When suspended, it is in a position (suspended position) that closes the intake port for airflow from the airflow generator 130. When the airflow generator 130 generates airflow, the valve rotates downstream due to the action of the airflow, closing the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71. The rotation range of the backflow prevention valve 75 is from the suspended position in contact with the intake port (see Figure 28) to the sealed position that closes the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71 (see Figure 29).

A weight may be attached to the backflow prevention valve 75 so that it quickly returns to its lowered position when the airflow generator 130 stops, preventing it from obstructing the fall of the conveying aid 16. The weight should preferably be attached to the tip of the backflow prevention valve 75.

The check valve 75, located in a suspended position, functions as one of the side walls (the upstream side wall) that regulates the position of the transport assist body 16 so that the transport assist body 16, which has fallen through the drop passage 71, is stably held in an appropriate posture at the waiting position (see Figures 30 and 32). In this function, the aforementioned weight plays a role in stabilizing the check valve 75 in the suspended position (the position that acts as a position-regulating wall) when the airflow is stopped.

As shown in Figures 28 and 29, the backflow prevention valve 75 has a cover portion 75a that closes the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71, and an extension portion 75b that extends from the cover portion 75a. In this embodiment, when the backflow prevention valve 75 is in a hanging position, suspended in front of the air intake, the tip of the extension portion 75b is long enough to reach approximately the center of the large-diameter portion 16c on the lower side of the conveying aid body 16, which is waiting in the standby position (see Figure 32).

The extension 75b is shaped and of a suitable length for pushing the transport assist body 16, which is in the standby position, in the discharge direction with the tip of the extension 75b when the backflow prevention valve 75 rotates from its hanging position to a sealed position that closes the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71 due to the action of airflow. Figure 33 shows how the transport assist body 16 is pushed out by the tip of the backflow prevention valve 75 at the start of discharge. Preferably, the position where the tip of the extension 75b first contacts the transport assist body 16 when pushing it out is at least below the axial center of the transport assist body 16.

The guide roller 76 is a circular rotating body that rotates while being supported on an axis perpendicular to the plane including the feeding direction and falling direction of the conveying aid 16. It is supported at a position downstream of the outlet of the falling passage in the feeding direction, contacting the conveying aid 16 from the side as it falls from the outlet, and contacting the conveying aid 16 from above as it is being fed into the conveying pipe. This position regulates the posture of the conveying aid 16 during both falling and feeding.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 28, the guide roller 76 is a circular plate-shaped member with a thickness of several millimeters, and is rotatably supported on a rotating shaft 76a that is erected vertically on the side wall of the delivery passage 73. The pair of left and right guide rollers 76 are pivotally supported as shown in Figure 31, at a position where they contact the outer circumferential surface of the large-diameter portion 16c of the conveying aid body 16 as it falls through the drop passage 71, from the downstream side in the delivery direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 33, the lowest point of the guide roller 76 contacts the upper surface of the upper large-diameter portion 16c of the conveying aid body 16 as it is delivered from the standby position toward the conveying pipe 12. Thus, the guide roller 76 performs the function of regulating the posture and falling position of the conveying aid body 16 as it falls through the drop passage 71, and the function of correcting the posture of the conveying aid body 16 when it is delivered from the standby position.

A posture guide member 77 is attached to the side wall of the delivery passage 73 to stably maintain the posture of the transport assist body 16 in the standby position (see Figure 29). The posture guide member 77a contacts the outer circumference of the large-diameter portion 16c of the transport assist body 16 in the standby position to regulate its posture. The posture guide member 77b contacts the lower surface of the large-diameter portion 16c on the lower side of the transport assist body 16 from below to regulate its posture. The posture guide member 77c contacts the outer circumference of the lower head portion 16a of the transport assist body 16 to regulate its posture.

Rib 78 corresponds to ribs 34 and 35 of the conveying pipe 12 (see Figures 5 and 7). As shown in Figure 32, the lowest rib 78c starts near the conveying auxiliary body 16 in the standby position (the position where it connects to the attitude guide member 77b) and extends to the downstream end of the delivery passage 73. At the starting end of rib 78c, the upper surface slopes downward towards the tip, and at the connection with the attitude guide member 77b, a step is formed where the upper surface of the starting end of rib 78c is lower than the upper surface of the attitude guide member 77b.

The starting end of rib 78b is set approximately directly below the rotation axis of the guide roller 76. The starting end of rib 78a is set slightly downstream of rib 78b, positioned just before contact with the circumferential surface of the guide roller 76 from the upstream side.

A sensor 79 is provided on the wall of the delivery passage 73 to detect whether or not a transport assist unit 16 is present in the standby position (see Figure 18).

The paper sheet conveying device 10 starts in the state shown in Figure 21, where the separation section 50, with its opening/closing ribs 52 closed, is gripping the conveying auxiliary body 16. When collecting banknotes 6 discharged from the intake device 13 into the conveying pipe 12, it operates as follows:

In the initial state, the airflow generator 130 is stopped, and the transport assist body 16 is waiting, held captive by the separation unit 50. First, the intake device 13 detects the banknotes 6 discharged from the back of the game media dispensing machine 3, and then takes the banknotes 6 and inserts them into the transport pipe 12. The control unit 43 periodically monitors the status of each intake device 13 by polling, and upon recognizing that banknotes 6 have been taken, it opens the opening/closing rib 52 of the separation unit 50 from the closed state, causing the transport assist body 16 to drop through the drop passage 71 to the delivery unit 70.

As shown in Figures 30 and 31, when the transport assist body 16 emerges from the lower end of the drop passage 71 during descent, its position is restricted from three directions by the left and right side walls of the delivery passage 73 (and the posture guide members 77 provided on the side walls) and the backflow prevention valve 75 in a hanging position. Furthermore, it receives positional restriction from the guide roller 76 in the remaining direction, allowing it to fall into the delivery section 70 while maintaining an appropriate posture (a nearly vertical posture without tilting beyond a certain point). Since the guide roller 76 is a rotating body, even if the transport assist body 16 comes into contact with it during descent, the guide roller 76 rotates with the transport assist body 16, allowing it to move downwards, thus preventing the transport assist body 16 from getting caught on the guide roller 76.

When the control unit 43 recognizes, via sensor 79, that the transport assist body 16 has moved normally to the discharge unit 70, it closes the opening/closing rib 52 and then activates the airflow generator 130 to generate airflow. Upon receiving the airflow from the intake, the backflow prevention valve 75 of the discharge unit 70 begins to rotate toward the closed position. The transport assist body 16, in its standby position, begins to move toward the starting end of the transport pipe 12 due to the action of the airflow flowing in from the intake and the push from the tip of the extension 75b of the rotating backflow prevention valve 75 (see Figure 33).

At this time, the posture of the transport assist body 16 is restricted by the ribs 78c and guide rollers 76 provided on the side wall of the delivery passage 73, and it begins to move without tilting beyond a certain point forward or backward. For example, if the transport assist body 16 attempts to lift up while moving downstream, the upper surface of the large-diameter portion 16c on the upper side of the transport assist body 16 comes into contact with the guide rollers 76, restricting its position. The guide rollers 76 rotate as they move the transport assist body 16 forward when they come into contact with it, allowing the transport assist body 16 to be smoothly fed out without getting stuck, while its posture can be corrected.

Once the conveying support body 16 moves to the position shown in Figure 34, it is then guided by ribs 78a to 78c and enters the conveying pipe 12 in the correct orientation. The backflow prevention valve 75, under the influence of the airflow, enters a sealed position that closes the opening at the lower end of the drop passage 71 (Figure 35). It remains in this sealed position as long as the airflow continues, preventing the airflow from flowing back into the separation section 50 through the drop passage 71.

The transport assisting body 16, sent out from the delivery unit 70, transports the banknotes 6 along the way, pushing them from behind as it reaches the separation unit 50. Since the opening/closing ribs 52 of the separation unit 50 are closed, the transported banknotes 6 are guided by the ribs 61 in the separation unit passage 56a and the ribs 54 and contact claws 66 of the opening/closing ribs 52, passing through the separation unit passage 56a in the correct posture. It then passes between the left and right contact points 64 and enters the collection passage 111 of the collection unit 110, where it abuts the end of the collection passage 111 and stops (see Figure 27). When the sensor 68a detects that the transport assisting body 16 has stopped after contacting the contact claws 66 of the contact points 64 of the separation unit 50, the control unit 43 stops the airflow generator 130. Afterward, the operation to store the banknotes 6 in the collection passage 111 into the storage unit 90 is performed, returning to the initial state.

By performing the above operations each time a banknote 6 is collected, one transport assist unit 16 is used cyclically. Alternatively, under the condition that no banknotes 6 are taken into the intake device 13 (no banknotes 6 are taken into the transport pipe 12), the transport assist unit 16 waiting in the separation unit 50 may be moved to the discharge unit 70, and then the airflow generator 130 may be activated to perform an airflow generator operation confirmation mode to confirm that the transport assist unit 16 returns to the separation unit 50. The airflow generator operation confirmation mode may be executed when the paper sheet transport device 10 is started, at regular intervals (for example, every 30 minutes), or as a confirmation operation after clearing an error such as a jam.

Furthermore, while the transport assist body 16 is waiting in the separation unit 50, the airflow generator 130 may be activated, and it may be checked whether a signal indicating that the airflow generator 130 has operated normally has been output. This prevents a situation where, even though the banknotes have been taken into the intake device 13 and the transport assist body 16 has fallen from the separation unit 50, the airflow generator 130 does not activate, preventing the transport assist body 16 from collecting the banknotes.

In the separation section 50, the step is in the direction in which the transport assist body 16 enters the separation section passage 56a. Therefore, the step is reversed in the direction in which the captured transport assist body 16 tilts or moves towards the end of the transport path, allowing the transport assist body 16 to be held in a stable position at the captured location. On the other hand, in the delivery section 70, which sends the transport assist body 16 that has fallen from the drop passage 71 to the starting end of the transport pipe 12, the step is in the delivery direction to allow the transport assist body 16 to be sent out smoothly without snagging. Guide rollers 76 are also provided. Therefore, to maintain the transport assist body 16 in a long and stable position, the separation section 50 is preferable to the delivery section 70.

In the paper sheet conveying device 10 according to this embodiment, the conveying auxiliary body 16 is kept in standby in the separation unit 50. When the paper sheets are to be conveyed again, the conveying auxiliary body 16, which is waiting in the separation unit 50, is moved to the delivery unit 70. After this, an airflow is generated, allowing the conveying auxiliary body 16 to be held in a stable position within the separation unit 50 until immediately before the next delivery. Furthermore, since the airflow is generated after the conveying auxiliary body 16 is dropped from the separation unit 50 to the delivery unit 70 via the drop passage 71, there is no obstruction to its fall.

Furthermore, it becomes possible to send only airflow into the transport pipe 12 while the transport assist body 16 remains captured in the separation unit 50, which can be used to resolve various obstacles. For example, if the transport assist body 16 is held in the separation unit 50, even if its posture becomes unstable during capture, generating a short airflow before dropping it will return the transport assist body 16 to its correct capture position before dropping it.

Furthermore, when the transport assist unit 16 is first set inside the separation unit 50, blowing air from the airflow generator 130 for a short time (for example, about 10 seconds) can correct the posture of the transport assist unit 16 to its proper position.

Next, the storage section 90 and the retrieval section 110 will be described.

As shown in Figures 24 and 36, the collection unit 110 and the storage unit 90 are integrated into a single safe unit 150. Figure 36 is a perspective view showing the entrance to the collection passage 111 as seen from the separation unit 50 side. The collection unit 110 is equipped with a collection passage 111 that receives and stops the banknotes 6 that have passed through the separation unit 50 (see Figure 27). The collection passage 111 is a hollow passage with a vertically elongated rectangular cross-section. The collection passage 111 receives the banknotes 6 in a horizontal orientation with the paper surface upright. The length of the passage is slightly longer than the long side of the banknote 6, and the end is an outlet 112 for the airflow flowing in from the separation unit 50. The outlet 112 is provided with a stopper member 113 that abuts against the banknotes 6 arriving from the separation unit 50 and stops them within the collection passage 111.

As shown in Figure 16, one end of the connecting duct 140 is connected to the discharge port 112 at the end of the recovery passage 111, and the other end of the connecting duct 140 is connected to the air intake port of the airflow generator 130. In this example, the abutment member 113 is provided on the side of the connecting duct 140 that is connected to the discharge port 112 (see Figure 41). In detail, the end of the connecting duct 140 that is connected to the end of the recovery passage 111 is an end plate 142 equipped with an airflow suction port 141. The connecting duct 140 is connected to the recovery passage 111 by aligning the positions of the suction port 141 and the discharge port 112, and by positioning the end plate 142 in contact with the end of the recovery passage 111. The abutment member 113 is provided on the end plate 142 so as to cross the suction port 141.

The abutment member 113 provided on the end plate 142 is positioned approximately in the center of the height direction of the recovery passage 111 when the connecting duct 140 is connected to the recovery passage 111, so as to traverse the discharge port 112 at the end of the recovery passage 111 in the passage width direction. Here, two abutment members 113 are provided at a predetermined interval in the height direction of the recovery passage 111.

As shown in Figures 27 and 41, the contact surface of the abutting member 113 against which the banknote 6 abuts has multiple protrusions spaced apart in a direction that crosses the paper surface (either perpendicularly or diagonally). Specifically, the surface has irregularities that undulate in a wave-like pattern with the passage width direction as the wavelength direction. These irregularities (protrusions are convex parts, and the spaces between protrusions are concave parts) prevent the tip of the banknote 6 from sliding in the passage width direction during collision with the abutting member 113 when the banknote 6 enters the collection passage 111 from the separation section 50. This prevents the tip of the banknote 6 from sliding in the passage width direction during collision, thereby stabilizing the stopping position of the banknote 6.

The height of the protrusions should be sufficient to allow the tip of a banknote to catch on them, preferably 0.5 mm to 1 mm, and more preferably 1 mm. The spacing between the protrusions should be 3 mm to 5 mm, preferably 4 mm, and the width of the protrusions should be as small as possible while maintaining sufficient strength. Note that the height, spacing, and width of the protrusions are not limited to these values. Furthermore, the direction in which the multiple protrusions cross the discharge port 112 at the end of the collection passage 111 is not limited to crossing directly across; they may also cross diagonally or in a zigzag pattern, as long as they are arranged with spacing in the direction of the passage width.

One side wall of the collection passage 111 (the first side wall 115) forms the boundary with the storage section 90 and is composed of an upper first side wall 115a and a lower first side wall 115b, with an opening 115c between them for pushing the banknotes 6 in the collection passage 111 into the storage section 90 (see Figures 37, 40, and 44). Figure 37 is a perspective view showing a storage assembly 152 in which the storage section 90 and the first side wall 115 of the collection passage 111 are integrated.

Figure 38 is a perspective view showing the pressing assembly 151, and Figure 39 is a perspective view showing a part of the pressing assembly 151 disassembled. The other side wall of the recovery passage 111 (the second side wall 117) comprises a movable wall 117a that can be displaced to advance into the storage section 90 through the opening 115c, a fixed, rectangular-sectioned, rod-shaped upper second side wall 117b that constitutes the second side wall 117 above the movable wall 117a, and a fixed, rectangular-sectioned, rod-shaped lower second side wall 117c that constitutes the second side wall 117 below the movable wall 117a (see Figures 38, 39, and 44).

Figure 59 shows the front view and the D-D cross-section of the movable wall 117a. The movable wall 117a is constructed by erecting multiple ribs 118b on a base plate 118a parallel to the first side wall 115. The ribs 118b are erected vertically from the base plate 118a toward the inside of the recovery passage 111 and extend over the length of the recovery passage 111 (along the entire length of the second side wall 117). The multiple ribs 118b are spaced apart and arranged parallel to each other in the passage height direction, forming grooves between them. At the starting end of the recovery passage 111, the height of the ribs 118b from the base plate 118a is zero. From the starting end toward the end, the height gradually increases within a predetermined range (near the entrance of the recovery passage 111, for example, within about 5 cm from the entrance), and thereafter extends to the end at a constant height. The portion where the height gradually increases is called the height-increasing region.

The height of rib 118b (the height of the portion extending to the end at a constant height) is approximately 10 mm, the thickness is approximately 2 mm, and the groove width is approximately 10 mm. Preferably, the height of rib 118b is 9 mm to 10 mm, the thickness of rib 118b is 1.5 mm to 2 mm, and the groove width is 5 mm to 6 mm.

A sloping section 119 is provided in the groove between the ribs 118b near the entrance of the collection passage 111. This sloping section 119 bends the airflow flowing in from the separation section 50 towards the surface of the banknotes within the passage. The airflow flowing in from the separation section 50, upon contact with the sloping section 119, changes its course from flowing downstream along the surface of the paper to flowing diagonally downstream toward the surface of the paper. Figure 59 shows a cross-sectional view with added illustrations of the airflow and banknotes. Here, the sloping section 119 is located between the ribs 118b in the height-increasing region and is designed not to extend beyond the top of the ribs 118b into the passage. In this embodiment, the sloping section 119 is located in approximately 1/4 of the end of the height-increasing region of the ribs 118b, starting from zero height and sloping at an angle such that it reaches the same height as the top of the ribs 118b near the end of the height-increasing region.

The number, location, range, and inclination angle of the inclined sections 119 are not limited to those described above. They can be adjusted as appropriate, as long as they effectively bend the airflow path so that the airflow entering the collection passage 111 is directed towards the surface of the banknotes within the collection passage. For example, the inclined sections 119 may be provided in any range within the height-increasing region. The beginning of the inclined section 119 may be at the beginning of the collection passage 111, similar to the rib 118b, or it may be further downstream. Furthermore, the end of the inclined section 119 is not limited to the end of the height-increasing region; it may end closer to the beginning. Additionally, the inclined section 119 may be a curved slope or a flat slope. Figure 60(a) illustrates an inclined section 119 with a gentler inclination compared to Figure 59.

The sloped section 119 may be provided downstream of the height-increasing region, or it may be provided extending from the height-increasing region downstream thereafter. The sloped section 119 is not limited to being provided near the entrance of the recovery passage 111; it may also be provided downstream of the recovery passage 111, or, as shown in Figure 60(b), another sloped section 119b may be added downstream of the sloped section 119 provided near the entrance of the recovery passage 111.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 60(c), the rib 118b and the inclined surface 119 may be integrated, for example, so that the entire height-increasing region becomes the inclined surface 119. The inclined surface 119 may be provided on the first side wall 115 near the entrance of the recovery passage 111, or on both side walls.

The inclined portion 119 has the effect of guiding the banknotes 6 to the end of the collection passage 111. Without the inclined portion 119, banknotes 6 entering the collection passage 111 from the separation section 50 may not reach the end of the collection passage 111. In this state, if the movable wall 117a is advanced to store the banknotes 6 in the storage section 90, problems such as the rear end of the banknotes 6 not fitting properly into the opening 115c and becoming folded will occur.

In other words, when the transport assist body 16 is captured by the separation unit 50, the banknote 6 is no longer pushed by the transport assist body 16, and therefore must receive the force moving downstream directly from the airflow. However, since the airflow flows parallel to the surface of the banknote 6, it is difficult for the banknote to receive force from the airflow.

In particular, when the transport assist body 16 is caught in the separation section 50, the transport assist body 16 obstructs the airflow, weakening the airflow in the recovery passage 111 downstream of the separation section 50, making the above-mentioned problems more likely to occur.

By providing the inclined section 119, the path of the airflow flowing in from the separation section 50 is bent from a direction parallel to the surface of the banknote to a direction toward the surface of the banknote (diagonally downstream). This diagonally downstream airflow strikes the surface of the banknote 6, moving it downstream. This movement is only a few centimeters, until the leading edge of the banknote 6 reaches the abutment member 113 at the end of the collection passage 111; it is sufficient to advance the banknote 6 gradually. The inclined section 119 is positioned to allow the banknote 6 to move downstream until its leading edge reaches the abutment member 113. Specifically, it is preferable to position the inclined section 119 so that the trailing end of the banknote, once its leading edge reaches the abutment member 113, is upstream of the end of the inclined section 119 (the end on the abutment member 113 side).

While a sensor may be used to directly confirm that the leading edge of the banknote 6 has reached the abutment member 113 at the end of the collection passage 111, it may also be possible to estimate that the leading edge of the banknote 6 has reached the abutment member 113 at the end of the collection passage 111 by waiting for a predetermined time to elapse after the sensor detects that the transport assisting body 16 has reached the separation section 50. In this embodiment, the system is controlled to start the operation of storing the banknotes from the collection passage 111 into the storage section 90 2 to 3 seconds after the sensor 68c detects that the transport assisting body 16 has reached the separation section 50.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 59, if a sloped portion 119 with a greater incline than that of the ribs 118b is provided in the groove between the ribs 118b in the height-increasing region, even if the banknote 6 adheres to the top of the ribs 118b, airflow will flow into the groove between the ribs 118b, and this airflow will change direction at the sloped portion 119 to strike the surface of the banknote 6. Therefore, the sloped portion in the above configuration can more effectively ensure the transport force by airflow compared to the sloped portion in the configuration shown in Figure 60(c) (a configuration without a groove) where the ribs 118b and the sloped portion 119 are integrated.

Furthermore, even downstream from the height-increasing region, the grooves formed between the multiple ribs 118b ensure a passage for airflow on the side of the movable wall 117a from the surface of the banknote 6 within the collection passage 111 (ensuring an air passage even if the banknote sticks to the ribs 118b). Therefore, airflow flows on both sides of the surface of the banknote 6, smoothly guiding the banknote 6 to the end of the collection passage 111. Additionally, the presence of the ribs 118b reduces the contact area between the movable wall 117a and the banknote 6, reducing resistance and making it easier to guide the banknote 6 to the end of the collection passage 111.

The ribs 118b and inclined surfaces 119 can be provided on the wall surface of the collection passage 111 facing the paper sheets, and are not limited to the movable wall 117a. For example, they may be formed on a fixed wall surface rather than a movable wall surface like the movable wall 117a.

Furthermore, the retrieval unit 110 has a displacement mechanism 120 that displaces the movable wall 117a. The displacement mechanism 120 consists of a motor and a link that converts its rotation into a linear reciprocating motion that moves the movable wall 117a forward and backward. The movable wall 117a moves forward and backward in the width direction of the retrieval passage 111, displacing between the storage position shown in Figures 38 and 43 and the pushed-in position (see Figure 44(c)) where it has advanced into the storage unit 90 through the opening 115c.

The height of the recovery passage 111 in the movable wall 117a is slightly shorter than the height of the recovery passage 111 in the opening 115c, and the height-direction center of the recovery passage in the movable wall 117a coincides with the height-direction center of the recovery passage in the opening 115c.

The pressing assembly 151 shown in Figure 38 is an assembly that integrates the second side wall 117 of the recovery passage 111 within the recovery section 110 and the displacement mechanism 120. Figure 39 is a perspective view from Figure 38, showing the movable wall 117a separated from the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c of the second side wall 117. Figure 40 shows the portion (guide member 157) attached to the storage section 90 side of the recovery passage 111. The guide member 157 is a member that forms the first side walls 115a, 115b and the upper and lower wall portions 126, 127 of the recovery passage 111.

Of the second side walls 117, the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c, which have a rectangular cross-section, extend beyond the abutment member 113 and into the suction port 141 provided in the end plate 142 of the connecting duct 140, as shown in Figures 16, 27, and 41. This prevents the tip of the banknote 6 from entering between the end of the collection passage 111 and the end plate 142 of the connecting duct 140. Figure 41 is a perspective view of the connecting duct 140, with the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c indicated.

Even with improved manufacturing precision, a gap inevitably remains between the end of the collection passage 111 and the end plate 142 on the connecting duct 140 side. Therefore, if, as shown in Figure 42, the abutment member 113 lacks any irregularities, and the upper second side wall 117b and lower second side wall 117c terminate at or just before the end of the collection passage 111, there is a risk that when a banknote 6 collides with the abutment member 113, the tip of the banknote 6 may slide along the smooth contact surface of the abutment member 113, enter the gap between the end of the collection passage 111 and the end plate 142 of the connecting duct 140, and become trapped.

In the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 according to this embodiment, the uneven surface of the abutment member 113 prevents the leading edge of the banknote 6 from sliding sideways on the contact surface. Furthermore, since the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c extend beyond the abutment member 113 into the suction port 141 of the connecting duct 140, the leading edge of the banknote 6 that contacts the contact surface of the abutment member 113 is blocked by the upper second side wall 117b and the lower second side wall 117c, preventing it from entering the gap between the end of the recovery passage 111 and the end plate 142 of the connecting duct 140 and becoming trapped.

As shown in Figure 27, the starting end (the end on the separation section 50 side) of the second side wall 117 (117a to 117c) of the collection passage 111 is located outside the passage width direction of the banknote passage area formed between the pair of left and right contact claws 66 of the separation section 50, and the connection with the adjacent contact claw 66 on the upstream side is stepped in the passage width direction. The second side wall 117 is inclined towards the first side wall 115 within a predetermined range at its starting end, and as the wall surface approaches the center of the passage width (the center position in the passage width direction of the passage area between the pair of left and right contact claws 66), it then extends parallel to the passage length direction to the end. In other words, the second side wall 117 narrows the effective passage width of the collection passage 111 to approximately half that of the first side wall 115 side, thereby suppressing the inclination of the banknote 6 in its vertical orientation.

The starting ends (ends on the separation section 50 side) of the upper first side wall 115a and lower first side wall 115b, which constitute the first side wall 115, are located outside the passage width direction of the banknote 6 passage area formed between the pair of left and right contact claws 66, and the connection with the adjacent contact claw 66 on the upstream side is stepped in the passage width direction. The first side wall 115 inclines towards the second side wall 117 in a small area at its starting end, and as it approaches a central position until the wall surface is slightly outside the passage area, it then extends parallel to the passage length direction to the end. The position of the wall surface of the first side wall 115 in the passage width direction in the portion parallel to the passage length direction is the same as the tip of the rib 61 formed on the side wall 57 on the same side as the first side wall 115 of the separation section passage 56a. Similar to the second side wall 117, the first side wall 115 narrows the effective passage width of the collection passage 111, suppressing the inclination of the banknote 6 in its vertical orientation.

As shown in Figures 17, 37, etc.,
The storage section 90 is a hollow rectangular parallelepiped that stores banknotes 6, and its front is an opening and closing door 91. The storage section 90 and the collection passage 111 are adjacent to each other and integrated via a first side wall 115 of the collection passage 111 (one side wall of the collection passage facing one side of the stopped paper sheets). The storage section 90 has an open side facing the collection passage 111, and the boundary between the storage section 90 and the collection passage 111 is the first side wall 115 on the collection passage 111 side, and the storage section 90 and the collection passage 111 are in communication via an opening 115c in the first side wall 115.

Figure 43 is a schematic diagram showing a cross-section of the collection passage 111 and storage section 90 at a position corresponding to line C-C in Figure 13. Inside the storage section 90, there is a pressing plate 92 for pressing the side surface of the banknotes 6 to be stored toward the first side wall 115 of the collection passage 111, and a spring 94 for biasing the pressing plate 92 toward the first side wall 115 of the collection passage 111.

A rubber sheet 96 is attached to the surface of the first side wall 115 (upper first side wall 115a, lower first side wall 115b) of the recovery passage 111 that faces the storage section 90. The pressing plate 92 has a base portion 92a that is pressed by a spring 94, an upper pressing portion 92b that extends diagonally upward and forward (forward: towards the recovery passage 111) from the top of the base portion 92a and whose tip contacts the rubber sheet 96 on the upper first side wall 115a, and a lower pressing portion 92c that extends diagonally downward and forward from the bottom of the base portion 92a and whose tip contacts the rubber sheet 96 on the lower first side wall 115b. The other end of the spring 94 is attached to the side wall of the storage section 90. As shown in Figure 37, U-shaped notches 92d are provided at both ends of the base portion 92a of the pressing plate 92 in the direction of the passage length of the recovery passage.

Figures 44 and 45 are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of storing banknotes 6 that have stopped in the collection passage 111 of the collection unit 110 into the storage unit 90. Similar to Figure 43, Figures 44 and 45 show schematic cross-sections of the collection passage 111 and the storage unit 90 at the position corresponding to line C-C in Figure 13.

Figure 44(a) shows the state where several banknotes 6 are stored in the storage section 90, and the next banknote 6 to be stored has arrived in the collection passage 111. When storing the banknotes 6 in the collection passage 111 into the storage section 90, the movable wall 117a advances into the storage section 90, and upon reaching the pushed-in position shown in Figure 44(c), begins to retract, returning to the storage position shown in Figure 45(a), thus completing the series of operations.

As shown in Figure 44(b), when the banknote 6 is pushed by the movable wall 117a and passes through the opening 115c of the first side wall 115, its upper and lower ends come into contact with the upper first side wall 115a and the lower first side wall 115b, causing it to curve. Once it has passed, the curve returns to its original shape and becomes flat (Figure 44(c)). Then, as the movable wall 117a retracts from the pushed-in position towards the storage position, the pressing plate 92, pressed by the spring 94, moves toward the recovery passage 111 side, holding the banknote 6 between itself and the movable wall 117a.

As shown in Figure 45(a), the movable wall 117a passes through the opening 115c and returns to its storage position. The banknote 6, now flat after its curvature has been restored, has both its upper and lower ends in contact with the rubber plates 96 of the upper first side wall 115a and the lower first side wall 115b, and is held between the first side walls 115 (115a, 115b) and the pressing plate 92.

When an operator retrieves the stored banknotes 6 from the storage compartment 90, they simply open the door 91 of the storage compartment 90 and use the notch 92d provided in the pressing plate 92 to pick up the banknotes 6 with their fingers. If one or more banknotes 6 are stored, as shown in Figures 44(a) and 45(a), the opening 115c of the first side wall 115 of the collection passage 111 is closed by the banknotes 6 held between the pressing plate 92 and the rubber plate 96. Therefore, even with the notch 92d in the pressing plate 92, airtightness at the boundary between the collection passage 111 and the storage compartment 90 is ensured. Thus, the suction force when the airflow generator 130 draws airflow from the end of the collection passage 111 can be maintained at a high level, enabling high-speed and stable transport of the transport assist body 16 and the banknotes 6.

Furthermore, after reaching the storage position shown in Figure 45(a), the movable wall 117a may be extended again to the position shown in Figure 45(b) as the end position of the storage operation. If the state shown in Figure 45(a) is considered the end of the storage operation, when attempting to remove the banknotes 6 by opening the door 91 of the storage section 90, the fingers (the fingers opposite the notch 92d) will hit the wall member at the boundary between the retrieval passage 111 and the storage section 90, making removal difficult. If the storage operation is ended at the position shown in Figure 45(b), there is nothing obstructing the fingers attempting to remove the banknotes 6, making removal easier.

As described above, with the airflow being discharged from the outlet 112 at the end of the collection passage 111, the banknotes 6 entering the collection passage 111 are brought into contact with the abutment member 113 and stopped. Then, by stopping the airflow, the banknotes 6 are collected and separated from the airflow. Therefore, the banknotes 6 can be separated from the airflow and collected with a simple configuration.

Furthermore, by using the movable wall 117a to push the surface of the banknote 6 that has stopped in the collection passage 111 in the direction of the passage width, the banknote is stored directly into the storage section 90 from its stopping position. Compared to transporting banknotes to a safe using a belt conveyor or similar mechanism, this simplifies the storage mechanism and reduces the causes of malfunctions and banknote jams.

As shown in Figure 43, the height of the collection passage 111 is greater than the height of the banknote 6, taking clearance into consideration. When a banknote 6 stops in the collection passage 111, its weight causes its lower edge to be in contact with the bottom surface of the collection passage 111, resulting in a downward-shifted position. Therefore, the height center of the collection passage 111 and the height center of the banknote 6 within the passage are misaligned.

However, for the banknotes 6 to be pushed from the collection passage 111 into the storage section 90 through the opening 115c of the first side wall 115, it is desirable that the height-direction center of the banknotes 6 coincides with the height-direction center of the opening 115c of the first side wall 115. Therefore, the length of the upper first side wall 115a in the passage height direction is made longer than the length of the lower first side wall 115b in the passage height direction.

Furthermore, the upper pressing portion 92b and the lower pressing portion 92c of the pressing plate 92 are sized and shaped to correspond to the upper first side wall 115a and the lower first side wall 115b, respectively, where the rubber plate 96 is provided.

Next, we will explain the flexibility of the installation of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40.

As shown in Figure 46, the door 46 of the storage box 41 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 can be used as either a right-opening or left-opening door by reversing its orientation relative to the main body of the storage box 41. In either case, a window 46a is positioned symmetrically with respect to the vertical and horizontal center of the door, allowing the display of the control unit 43 to be viewed. The unused window 46a is covered with a privacy screen.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 47, two separation, recovery, and delivery devices 40 may be used side-by-side, resulting in two storage boxes 41 being positioned adjacent to each other. In this case as well, the edges of the door 46 are chamfered and inclined at a 45-degree angle so that the door 46 can be opened to 90 degrees.

Furthermore, the main unit 42 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 can be used in both a right-hand configuration (Figures 48(a) and 48(b)) where the storage unit 90 is positioned to the right of the recovery unit 110, and a left-hand configuration (see Figure 48(c)) where the storage unit 90 is positioned to the left of the recovery unit 110, by changing the orientation and assembly of several components.

The separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 consists of a separate storage box 41 and a main unit 42. Each is individually mounted to the end plate 18, and the main unit 42 can be configured for either the right or left side, allowing for a variety of mounting options as shown in Figure 48.

Figure 48(a) shows the main unit 42, designed for right-hand use, installed on the left side inside the storage box 41 with the door 46 opening to the right. Figure 48(b) shows the main unit 42, designed for right-hand use, installed on the right side inside the storage box 41 with the door 46 opening to the left. Figure 48(c) shows the main unit 42, designed for left-hand use, installed on the right side inside the storage box 41 with the door 46 opening to the left.

For example, if the separation, collection, and delivery device 40 shown in Figure 48(c) is installed adjacent to the left side of the separation, collection, and delivery device 40 shown in Figure 48(a), the two transport pipes 12 connected to these two separation, collection, and delivery devices 40 can be installed as close together as possible, making it possible to reduce the width of the gaming machine island 2, which has two banknote transport paths side by side.

The conversion between right-hand and left-hand specifications is performed as follows:

As shown in Figure 49, the connecting duct 140 is constructed by combining a lower duct 144, an upper duct 145, an upper and lower connecting plate 146, and an end plate 142. The lower duct 144 extends downward from a rectangular first opening 144a facing upwards at one end, then bends 90 degrees to a second opening 144b at the other end, which is connected to the air intake port of the airflow generator 130. The upper duct 145 has a rectangular cross-section with one end closed and the other open, and one side of the duct is open. The end plate 142 is fitted into this open side to complete the assembly.

The upper and lower connecting plate 146 is a plate-shaped member that fits over the first opening 144a of the lower duct 144. It has a rectangular notch 146a at one corner that corresponds to the opening at the lower end of the upper duct 145, which is combined with the end plate 142. The combined end plate 142 and the lower end of the upper duct 145 are fastened together with screws, aligning the opening at the lower end with the notch 146a.

The end plate 142 is a rectangular plate-shaped member with a rectangular notch 142a at one corner, which serves as a suction port 141 communicating with the end of the recovery passage 111. A stopper member 113 is provided, protruding into the notch 142a. The stopper member 113 has irregularities (projections) formed on both its front and back surfaces.

By flipping the upper and lower connecting plates 146 over to reverse the position of the notches 146a on the right-hand side of the connecting duct 140 and combining them with the lower duct 144, and also flipping the end plate 142 over to reverse the position of the notches 142a on the left-hand side and combining them with the upper duct 145, and connecting the upper duct 145 side to the lower duct 144 side, a left-hand connecting duct 140 is obtained.

Figure 50 shows an overview of the process for reconfiguring the safe unit 150 from a right-hand configuration to a left-hand configuration. Figure 50(a) shows the assembled right-hand safe unit 150, Figure 50(b) shows the disassembled right-hand safe unit 150, Figure 50(c) shows the disassembled left-hand safe unit 150, and Figure 50(d) shows the assembled left-hand safe unit 150.

<First step>
The safe unit 150 is disassembled into a pressing assembly 151, which integrates the second side wall 117 of the retrieval unit 110 and the displacement mechanism 120, and a storage assembly 152, which integrates the first side wall 115 of the retrieval unit 110 and the storage unit 90. From the storage assembly 152, a full-fill detection assembly 153 consisting of a sensor and its support member for detecting when the storage unit 90 is full of banknotes 6, and a locking mechanism assembly 154 for locking the door 91 of the storage unit 90 are removed (see Figure 50(b)).

<Second process>
(1) Reconfiguring the pressing assembly 151 from right-hand to left-hand specification As shown in Figure 51, the second side wall 117 (movable wall 117a and upper second side wall 117b, lower second side wall 117c) is removed from the pressing assembly 151 (Figure (b)), and then reassembled onto the pressing assembly 151 in reverse (Figure (c)). Also, the clamp 155 that was attached to the mounting position for the right-hand specification is removed and attached to the mounting position for the left-hand specification.

(2) Reconfiguring the storage assembly 152 from right-hand to left-hand configuration As shown in Figure 52, the guide members 157, such as the first side wall 115, which were attached to the storage section 90 side of the retrieval passage 111 are removed, inverted, and reassembled.

As shown in Figure 53, the pressure plate 92 of the storage compartment 90 is temporarily removed, reassembled from the right-hand configuration to the left-hand configuration, and then reassembled into the storage compartment 90. Specifically, the detection plate 158, which is the target of the full-capacity detection sensor and was installed in the right-hand configuration position, and the handle 159 used for manually moving the pressure plate 92 are temporarily removed from the pressure plate 92. These are then installed in the left-hand configuration position, and then the pressure plate 92 is reassembled into the storage compartment 90.

As shown in Figure 54, the full-capacity detection assembly 153 is reassembled from the right-hand configuration (Figure 54(a)) to the left-hand configuration (Figure 54(b)). Specifically, the sensor 153b attached to the support member 153a is temporarily removed, and then the sensor 153b is reassembled onto the support member 153a in the left-hand configuration position.

<3rd process>
As shown in Figure 50(c), the storage assembly 152 is inverted vertically and horizontally relative to the orientation of the right specification, and the full-capacitation assembly 153 and locking mechanism assembly 154, which have been modified for the left specification, are attached to it, and then the pressing assembly 151, which has been inverted horizontally relative to the orientation of the right specification, is attached.

Based on the above, the specifications will be changed to the left-hand version shown in Figure 50(d).

Next, the airflow enhancement unit 14 will be described.

Figure 55 is a perspective view showing the airflow enhancement unit 14, Figure 56 is a top view of the airflow enhancement unit 14, Figure 57 is a cross-sectional view along line A-A in Figure 56, and Figure 58 is a cross-sectional view along line B-B in Figure 56.

The airflow enhancement unit 14 is installed in the middle of the straight section of the transport pipe 12. The airflow enhancement unit 14 has a passage section 171 connected between the transport pipes 12 and forming part of the transport path, and a confluence section 172 erected from the upper surface of the passage section 171, inclined upward diagonally upstream (upstream in the transport direction), which introduces airflow from the auxiliary blower into the passage section 171. The confluence section 172 communicates with the interior of the passage section 171 and has a rectangular cross-section cylindrical confluence base section 172a extending upward diagonally upstream from the middle of the passage section 171, and a cylindrical hose connection section 172b erected further upward diagonally upstream from the upper end of the confluence base section 172a. The air supply hose from the auxiliary blower is connected to the hose connection section 172b.

As shown in Figure 57, the confluence base 172a is provided with a shutter plate 173 that opens and closes to seal the internal air passage below the hose connection 172b. The shutter plate 173 is pivotally supported at one end on a shaft 174 located upstream of the passage section 171 in the direction of banknote transport, and is biased by a spring in the direction of sealing the air passage. The shutter plate 173 opens when airflow generated by the auxiliary blower is blown in from the hose connection 172b.

The shutter plate 173 does not open to an angle where its lower end is directly below the axis of rotation 174. Its rotation range is restricted so that the limit of opening is an angle at which the lower end of the shutter plate 173 is tilted downstream in the conveying direction relative to the axis 174. When receiving airflow from the hose connection 172b, the shutter plate 173 assumes a tilted position when opened to its limit position, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 57, thus guiding the incoming airflow downstream in the conveying direction.

A passage sensor 175 is provided on the side wall of the passage section 171 for detecting the passage of the transport assisting body 16.

To make efficient use of space within the gaming area, it is desirable to reduce the thickness of the gaming machine island 2, resulting in limited clearance in the thickness direction within the gaming machine island. Since the airflow enhancement unit 14 blows airflow from above the passage section 171, the air hose connected to the hose connection section 172b is also connected from above. Compared to connecting the air hose from the side, this reduces the installation space required in the thickness direction of the gaming machine island 2.

Furthermore, the airflow enhancement unit 14 blows air into the passage 171 from above in an oblique downstream direction (downstream in the conveying direction), thus efficiently enhancing the airflow in the downstream direction of the conveying pipe 12. The airflow enhancement unit 14 may also be configured, for example, to blow air into the passage 171 from below in an oblique downstream direction.

Furthermore, the merging of airflow into the conveyor pipe by the airflow enhancement unit 14 is not limited to merging from the upper (or lower) surface of the conveyor path in an oblique downstream direction. Airflow inlets may be provided on the left and right sides of the conveyor pipe 12, and airflow from the auxiliary blower may be introduced from the sides of the conveyor pipe for merging. Moreover, the airflow inlets may be formed to span both the upper and side surfaces of the conveyor pipe 12, and the inlets can be located at any point on the outer circumference of the conveyor pipe.

As shown in Figure 58, the airflow enhancement unit 14 has ribs 176 along its entire length within the passage section 171, similar to the ribs 34 and 35 of the conveying pipe 12. The airflow enhancement unit 14 has a confluence section 172 approximately in the middle of the passage section 171, and the sections of the passage section 171 before and after this confluence section have the same shape as the conveying pipe 12. The confluence base 172a of the confluence section 172 has the same internal shape as the conveying pipe 12 in the portion corresponding to the expansion section 33 and the portion below it. Above the portion corresponding to the expansion section 33, it has the same air passage width as the expansion section 33 of the conveying pipe 12, and has a pair of partition walls 177 inside the air passage, corresponding to the left and right side walls 32 of the conveying pipe 12.

The pair of partition walls 177 extend to the height of the closed position of the shutter plate 173. The shutter plate 173 has notches 173a at locations corresponding to the pair of partition walls 177 to avoid them. When the shutter plate 173 is in the closed position, the notches 173a are blocked by the partition walls 177, preventing air leakage.

When the shutter plate 173 is opened, the outer portions of the pair of notches 173a abut against the inner wall of the confluence base 172a, thereby restricting the limit angle of opening.

The airflow enhancement unit 14, by providing a pair of partition walls 177 within the confluence base 172a of the confluence section 172, ensures that the banknote passage has the same internal shape as the inside of the transport pipe 12 throughout its entire length, allowing the banknotes 6 and the transport aid 16 to pass through while maintaining their proper orientation.

The intake device 13, connected to the middle of the transport pipe 12, has an opening for taking in banknotes 6. Even if a lid is provided that opens only when taking in banknotes, airflow from the transport pipe is likely to leak out of the intake device 13. Therefore, it is preferable to install the airflow enhancement unit 14 downstream of the intake device 13, preferably adjacent to the downstream side of the intake device 13. Furthermore, multiple airflow enhancement units 14 (for example, up to 5 units) can be installed along the transport pipe 12.

The control of the operation of the airflow enhancement unit 14 will be explained.

The auxiliary blower is activated when the passage sensor 175 detects the passage of the transport assist unit 16. More specifically, the time required from the time the transport assist unit 16 is sent out from the delivery unit 70 until it reaches the corresponding airflow enhancement unit 14 is measured, and a time equal to the required time plus a certain amount is pre-set as a mask time. If there are no obstacles such as blockages, the transport assist unit 16 will pass the corresponding airflow enhancement unit 14 before the mask time has elapsed after being sent out.

The airflow enhancement unit 14 activates the auxiliary blower to merge the airflows after the transport assist body 16 has been delivered, provided that the passage sensor 175 detects the passage of the transport assist body 16 and a mask time has elapsed since the transport assist body 16 was delivered.
- The auxiliary blower is activated either after the mask time has elapsed and passage is detected, or after passage is detected and the mask time has elapsed.

The masking time prevents the auxiliary blower from being activated when the passage sensor 175 of the airflow enhancement unit 14 detects the banknote 6 before it passes the transport assist body 16, as the banknote 6 taken into the intake device 13 may move in the transport direction due to the airflow.

The airflow enhancement unit 14 stops the auxiliary blower when it receives a stop command from the control unit 43 of the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40. For example, when the separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 detects the arrival of the transport auxiliary body 16, the control unit 43 sends a stop command to each airflow enhancement unit 14.

The timing for stopping the auxiliary blower is not limited to this. For example, if multiple airflow enhancement units 14 are installed along the transport path, the auxiliary blower of the first airflow enhancement unit 14 may be stopped when a second airflow enhancement unit 14 located downstream (one or more downstream) of the first airflow enhancement unit 14 activates its auxiliary blower.

Furthermore, during transport retries after a transport error occurs, the auxiliary blower is activated after a mask time has elapsed, regardless of whether passage detection has been performed. This is intended to ensure that even if the passage sensor 175 of the airflow enhancement unit 14 fails to detect passage (i.e., the transport assisting body 16 is transported at high speed), airflow from the auxiliary blower is used to move the banknotes 6 and the transport assisting body 16 to the end of the transport pipe.

The airflow enhancement unit 14 activates the auxiliary blower after the conveying aid 16 has passed, blowing in airflow. Therefore, when the banknotes 6 and the conveying aid 16 are passing, the shutter plate 173 is positioned to seal the air intake, not obstructing the passage of the banknotes 6 and the conveying aid 16. Furthermore, when the auxiliary blower is not blowing airflow, the shutter plate 173 seals the air passage at the junction 172, preventing the airflow within the conveying pipe 12 from leaking out of the junction 172.

While embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to those shown in the embodiments, and any modifications or additions that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included.

The shape of the transport assist body 16 is not limited to those illustrated in the embodiment. The shape of the transport pipe 12 is also not limited to those illustrated in the embodiment. The inner shape only needs to correspond to the shape of the transport assist body 16.

In this embodiment, the paper material transport device 10 was used to collect banknotes 6 within the gaming machine island 2 and transport them to the separation, collection, and delivery device 40 at the end of the island. However, it is not limited to this, and may be used as a device to collect paper materials from a wider area. For example, it may be configured as a transport device to collect banknotes 6 from the safes of each gaming machine island 2 within the gaming hall and transport them to the main safe in the office. Furthermore, its use is not limited to gaming halls and can be applied to any facility.

The separation, recovery, and delivery device 40 may be configured as a separate device by extracting some of its functions. For example, in a paper sheet conveying device that conveys paper sheets using airflow without using the conveying aid 16, the separation unit 50 is unnecessary, and a device that separates the airflow from the paper sheets and stores the paper sheets in a safe may be configured using the recovery unit 110 and the storage unit 90.

The gaming machine island 2 is not limited to the configuration that houses the gaming machine 4 and gaming media dispensing machine 3 as exemplified in the embodiment; it may also be a gaming machine island that houses a medal dispensing machine and slot machines, etc. The paper materials to be transported are not limited to banknotes.

In this embodiment, a transport assist device 16 was used to transport the paper sheets. However, the present invention is also applicable to transport methods where the paper sheets are transported by the action of airflow, without using the transport assist device 16, and where airflow directly acts on the paper sheets for transport.

2... Amusement machine island 3... Amusement media dispensing machine 4... Amusement machine 6... Banknotes 10... Paper sheet transport device 12... Transport pipe 12a... Outbound path 12b... Turn section 12c... Return path 13... Intake device 14... Airflow enhancement unit 16... Transport assist body 16a... Head section 16b... Neck section 16c... Large diameter section 16d... Constricted section 18... End plate 31... Upper and lower wall sections 32... Side wall section 33... Expansion section 34... Separation wall (rib)
35...Rib 40...Separation, recovery, and delivery device 41...Storage box 42...Main unit 43...Control unit 45...Support frame 46...Door 46a...Window 50...Separation section 51...Conveyor pipe connection port 52...Opening/closing rib 53...Side wall 54 (a-e)...Rib 55...Bottom plate 56...Passage wall 56a...Separation section passage 57...Side wall 58...Ceiling wall 59...Bottom wall 61 (a-e)...Rib 62 (a-e)...Slit 64...Contact section 65...Support plate 66 (a-f)...Contact claw 68...Opening/closing drive unit 68a...Sensor (Detects conveyor assisting body at acquisition position)
68b... Sensor (for detecting banknote passage)
68c...Opening/closing sensor 70...Discharge section 71...Drop passage 72...Conveyor pipe connection port 73...Discharge passage 73a...Airflow intake port 75...Backflow prevention valve 75a...Lid section 75b...Extension section 75c...Shaft 76...Guide roller 76a...Rotating shaft 77(a-c)...Position guide member 78(a-c)...Rib 79...Sensor (Detection of conveyor auxiliary body in standby position)
90...Storage section 91...Door 92...Pressing plate 92a...Base 92b...Upper pressing section 92c...Lower pressing section 92d...Notch 94...Spring 96...Rubber plate 110...Collection section 111...Collection passage 112...End outlet 113...Butt member 115...First side wall 115a...Upper first side wall 115b...Lower first side wall 115c...Opening 117...Second side wall 117a...Movable wall 117b...Upper second side wall 117c...Lower second side wall 118a...Base plate 118b...Rib 119...Sloping section 120...Displacement mechanism 126, 127...Upper and lower wall sections 130...Airflow generator 140...Connecting duct 141...Suction port 142...End plate 142a... Notch 144... Lower duct 144a... First opening 144b... Second opening 145... Upper duct 146... Upper and lower connecting plate 146a... Notch 150... Safe unit 151... Pressing assembly 152... Storage assembly 153... Full detection assembly 153a... Support member 153b... Sensor (full detection)
154... Locking mechanism assembly 155... Clamp 157... Guide member 158... Detection plate 159... Handle 171... Passage section 172... Junction section 172a... Junction base section 172b... Hose connection section 173... Shutter plate 173a... Notch 174... Shaft 175... Passage sensor 176... Rib 177... Partition wall Dx... Distance between reference plane sections of the conveying pipe Dy... Inner dimension of the conveying pipe in the Y direction F... Extension direction of the conveying pipe W... Passage width X... Passage width direction of the conveying pipe Y... Height direction of the conveying pipe

Claims (2)

A collection passage through which the airflow passes accepts and stops the paper sheets that have been transported by the action of the airflow,
The side wall of the collection passage facing one side of the stopped paper sheets is provided with an opening through which the paper sheets can pass if they are curved,
A storage section for paper sheets is provided adjacent to the side wall, and its interior is connected to the collection passage through the opening,
A pressing plate that is biased from the back of the storage compartment toward the opening and covers the opening,
The collection passage has a pushing section that advances from the side wall facing the other side of the stopped paper sheets through the opening into the storage section, pushes the paper sheets into the storage section against the pressing plate, and then displaces to return to its original position,
The paper sheets pushed into the storage compartment return to their flat state and are held between the side wall with the opening and the pressing plate , thereby sealing the opening.
A paper sheet storage device characterized by the following features. The pressing plate has a notch that allows the stored paper sheets to be picked out.
The paper sheet storage device according to feature 1.