Abstract:
A sheet processing apparatus including a table to be loaded a first and a second banknote group partitioned by a header card recording the bar code number in the piling direction of the banknotes, a take-in portion to take in the banknotes of the first and second banknote groups loaded on the table and the header card, a discrimination portion to count the banknotes taken in by the take-in portion and discriminate the kind thereof, a plurality of stackers to sort and stack the banknotes discriminated by the discrimination portion on the basis of the kink thereof, and a sensor to detect the header card taken in by the take-in portion. The sheet processing apparatus additionally includes a controller to control so as to stop the taking-in of the second banknote group on the basis of detection of the header card by the sensor and after a lapse of a predetermined time, to start the taking-in of the second banknote group.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2004-284308 filed on Sep. 29, 2004, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to a sheets processing apparatus and a sheets processing method applied, for example, as a banknotes sorter for counting sheets such as banknotes and sorting and stacking them according to the kind thereof.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     In such a banknotes sorter, banknotes sent in a bag or an envelope are taken out from the bag or envelop and are set in a take-in portion. The set banknotes are taken out one by one and are sent to a discrimination portion. Here, the banknote kind is decided, and decision results are added up, thus the sum of money is obtained.  
         [0004]     Counted banknotes are, for example, paying-in cash to a bank from a bank customer such as a supermarket and a paying-in slip is accompanied by. Or, on the bag or envelope, information such as an account number and a sum of money is recorded. The banknotes sorter compares and confirms the counted results of banknotes and the sum of money of the paying-in slip by the bag or envelope.  
         [0005]     Conventionally, as a method for counting for each payment, there is a method available for opening a bag or an envelope for each payment, taking out banknotes, setting the banknotes in a take-in portion, inputting the contents of the paying-in slip, thereby performing the counting process.  
         [0006]     However, in this method, while an operator of the apparatus opens a bag or an envelope and sets banknotes, the counter is stopped, so that a problem arises that the throughput is reduced.  
         [0007]     Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-334362, a separator card having a number registering the relation with the contents of the paying-in slip beforehand printed in a bar code is set in the take-in portion in a state that the separator card is held between payment. The set banknotes are taken in and counted continuously and the separator card is recognized as a partition of payment. And, the bar code on the surface is read and is made correspond to the count, thus a method for obtaining an individual count may be considered.  
         [0008]     However, in the method using a separator card, when banknotes are jammed in the conveying route, the succeeding banknotes or a separator collides with and is stacked on the jammed banknotes and the order may not be discriminated. Therefore, the payment to which the banknotes belong is not clear and a problem arises that the counting makes a mistake.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0009]     The present invention was developed with the foregoing in view and is intended to provide a sheets processing apparatus and a sheets processing method, even if sheets of a preceding sheet group are jammed in the conveying route, for preventing sheets of the succeeding sheet group partitioned by a separator card or the separator card from collision.  
         [0010]     According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a sheets processing apparatus comprising: a loading portion to be loaded a first and a second piled sheet groups partitioned by a separator card recording discrimination information in a piling direction of the sheets; take-in means for taking in the sheets of the first and second piled sheet groups loaded on the loading portion and the separator card; conveying means for conveying the sheets taken in by the take-in means; processing means for discriminating a kind of the sheets conveyed by the conveying means; a plurality of stackers to sort and stack the sheets discriminated by the processing means on the basis of the kind; detecting means for detecting the separator card taken in by the take-in means; and control means for controlling so as to stop taking-in of the second sheet group on the basis of detection of the separator card by the detecting means and after a lapse of a predetermined time, to start taking-in of the second sheet group.  
         [0011]     Further, according to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a sheets processing method comprising: loading a first and a second piled sheet groups partitioned by a separator card recording discrimination information in a loading portion in a piling direction of the sheets; taking in the sheets of the first and second piled sheet groups loaded on the loading portion and the separator card; conveying the sheets taken in; discriminating a kind of the sheets conveyed; sorting and stacking the sheets discriminated on the basis of the kind; detecting the separator card taken in; and stopping the take-in of the second sheet group on the basis of detection of the separator card and starting the take-in of the second sheet group after a lapse of a predetermined time. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a front view showing the banknotes sorter relating to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing the banknote take-in operation of the banknotes sorter shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view showing a piled banknote group inserted into an insert port of the banknotes sorter shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4  is a front view showing the arrangement constitution of a sensor and a bar code reader of a header card of the banknotes sorter shown in  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0016]      FIG. 5  is schematic block diagrams showing the condition of banknotes taken in from the take-in portion of the banknotes sorter shown in  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0017]      FIG. 6  is a schematic block diagram showing a processing system of the header car used by the banknotes sorter shown in  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0018]     Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings.  FIG. 1  shows schematically the internal constitution of banknotes sorter  1  as a sheet processing apparatus relating to an embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0019]     Banknotes sorter  1  has main body  1   a  and on one side of main body  1   a,  insert port  2  for inserting banknotes (hereinafter, may be referred to as bills) P as sheets is installed. On insert port  2 , table  3  as a loading portion for loading a plurality of piled banknotes Pa inserted in an upright condition is installed. On table  3 , pressing plate  5  for pressing out piled banknotes Pa is installed and pressing plate  5  is elastically pressed by spring member  6 . In the pressing direction of piled banknotes Pa, take-in portion  8  as a take-in means for taking in banknotes P is installed. Take-in portion  8  is composed of feed out roller  9 , pick-up roller  10 , and separation roller  7 .  
         [0020]     Banknotes P picked up by pick-up roller  10  are conveyed in first conveying route (conveying means)  11 . First conveying route  11  is composed of a plurality of rollers  12  and conveying belt  13  stretched over rollers  12 . On the banknote conveying-out side of first conveying route  11 , processor  15  as a processing means for discriminating the money kind, front and back, and truth and falsehood of banknotes P is installed. On the conveying-out side of processor  15 , first switching gate G 1  for switching normal banknotes in the first direction and reject banknotes in the second direction is installed. The reject banknotes sent in the second direction are collected in reject box  16 . In the first direction switched by first switching gate G 1 , second switching gate G 2  is installed. By second switching gate G 2 , the conveying direction of banknotes is switched to the third and fourth directions. In the third direction, second conveying route  18  for conveying front banknotes is installed. In the fourth direction, third conveying route  21  for conveying back banknotes and reversing them at reversing portion  19  is installed.  
         [0021]     Second conveying route  18  and third conveying route  21  are joined at joining portion  23 . On the banknote conveying-out side of joining portion  23 , third switching gate G 3  is installed. Third switching gate G 3  switches the banknote conveying direction to bundling portion  25  and stacking portion  26 . On stacking portion  26 , a plurality of stackers  28   a  to  33   a  are arranged horizontally. Under the plurality of stackers  28   a  to  33   a,  cassettes  28   b  to  33   b  for storing stacked banknotes are arranged. Further, above the plurality of stackers  28   a  to  33   a,  fifth to ninth switching gates G 5  to G 9  for guiding banknotes to stackers  28   a  to  33   a  for each banknote kind are arranged.  
         [0022]     On bundling portion  25 , fourth switching gate G 4  for switching the banknote conveying direction to the fifth and sixth directions is installed. In the fifth direction, first stacker  35  is installed and in the sixth direction, second stacker  36  is installed. Under first and second stackers  35  and  36 , conveyor  39  for conveying banknotes stacked on first and second stackers  35  and  36  to bundling position  37  is installed. Conveyor  39  is composed of a belt conveyor or a moving tray. In the neighborhood of bundling position  37 , supply reel  38  for supplying a bundling tape is installed.  
         [0023]     Next, the processing operation of banknotes sorter  1  aforementioned will be explained.  
         [0024]     Firstly, by a controlling unit (not drawn) of the banknotes sorter, the counting classification processing mode or bundling processing mode is set.  
         [0025]     In this state, feed out roller  9 , pick-up roller  10 , and separation roller  7  of take-in portion  8  are driven to rotate. By doing this, banknotes P are taken in and supplied one by one as shown in  FIG. 2 . Banknotes P are sent to and discriminated by discrimination portion  15  via first conveying route  11 . Banknotes P discriminated by discrimination portion  15  to be rejected are conveyed to reject box  16  via first switching gate G 1 . Banknotes P discriminated as normal banknotes by discrimination portion  15  and discriminated not to be reversed are sent to second conveying route  18  via second switching gate G 2  and then are conveyed. Banknotes P discriminated as normal banknotes by discrimination portion  15  and discriminated to be reversed are sent to third conveying route  21  via second switching gate G 2  and then are reversed and conveyed. These banknotes P pass joining portion  23  and are conveyed toward third switching gate G 3 .  
         [0026]     By the controlling unit aforementioned, for example, when the counting classification processing mode is set, by the switching operation of third switching gate G 3 , banknotes P are conveyed toward stacking portion  26  and by the switching operation of switching gates G 5  to G 9 , are sorted and stacked in stackers  28   a  to  33   a  according to the banknote kind thereof. When a predetermined number of banknotes are stacked in stackers  28   a  to  33   a,  the stacked banknotes are pushed and stored in cassettes  28   b  to  33   b  by a pushing mechanism not shown.  
         [0027]     Further, when the bundling processing mode is set by the controlling unit, by the switching operation of third switching gate G 3 , the banknotes are conveyed toward fourth switching gate G 4  of bundling portion  25  and by the switching operation of switching gate G 4 , are stacked in first stacker  35  or second stacker  36 . When a predetermined number of banknotes P is stacked in first stacker  35  or second stacker  36 , stacked banknotes P are conveyed to bundling position  37  by conveyor  39  and are bundled by bundling tape  38   a.    
         [0028]      FIG. 3  shows piled banknotes Pa set in a standing position on table  3  of insert port  2  aforementioned.  
         [0029]     Piled banknotes Pa are composed of first banknote group P 1  as a first piled banknote group and second banknote group P 2  as a second piled banknote group. The interval between first banknote group P 1  and second banknote group P 2  is partitioned by header card  41  and trailer car  42  as separator cards. On header card  41 , bar code  41   a  as discrimination information of a unique number is printed. Further, also on trailer card  42 , a bar code may be printed similarly to header card  41 . Or, to distinguish trailer card  42  from banknotes, it may have a different color from that of banknotes.  
         [0030]     In the neighborhood of take-in portion  8 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , sensor  43  as a detecting means for optically detecting trailer card  42  is installed. Sensor  43  is connected to controller  47  as a controlling means via a signal circuit. To controller  47 , driver  49  of take-in portion  8  is connected via the control circuit.  
         [0031]     On the banknote ejection side of discrimination portion  15 , bar code reader  45  as a reading means for reading bar code  41   a  of header card  41  is installed. Bar code reader  45  and discrimination portion  15  are connected to data base server  53 , which will be described later, via a transmission circuit.  
         [0032]     At the time of the aforementioned take-in operation of banknotes P, when the banknotes of first banknote group P 1  are taken in the state shown in  FIG. 5A  and as shown in  FIG. 5B , header card  41  of second banknote group P 2  is optically detected by sensor  43 , after or before taking in header card  41 , driver  49  of take-in portion  8  is stopped temporarily by controller  47  and the take-in operation of banknotes is stopped. And, as described later in detail, after a lapse of a predetermined time, as shown in  FIG. 5C , the take-in operation of second banknote group P 2  is restarted. Further, when trailer card  42  of first banknote group P 1  is optically detected by sensor  43 , it is possible to temporarily stop driver  49  and stop the take-in operation of banknotes. And, after a lapse of a predetermined time, as shown in  FIG. 5C , the take-in operation of second banknote group P 2  may be restarted.  
         [0033]     Further, after header card  41  taken in passes discrimination portion  15 , the bar code number as discrimination information thereof is read by bar code reader  45 . Header card  41  is conveyed to reject box  16  via first switching gate G 1 . When banknotes P taken in following header card  41  are discriminated to be rejected by discrimination portion  15 , they are conveyed to reject box  16  and the banknotes are stacked on the corresponding header card  41 .  
         [0034]     Further, the data such as the sum of money and number of banknotes of first banknote group P 1  processed by discrimination portion  15  is written into database server  53 , which will be described later, in correspondence to the header card number.  
         [0035]      FIG. 6  is a block diagram showing the processing system of the header card.  
         [0036]     The processing system has standby station  51  and standby station  51  is connected to database server  53  via a signal circuit. To database server  53 , banknote sorter  1  aforementioned is connected and reject data manual input station  54  is also connected.  
         [0037]     Standby station  51  reads the header card number by bar code reader  51   a,  inputs the account number (the bar code may be used), slip sum, and number of paying-in banknotes, transmits the data to database server  53 , and inputs the operator number.  
         [0038]     Banknote sorter  1 , as described above, executes counting of banknotes, sorting of the banknote kind, adjusting of the direction, bundling, reading of the header card (during conveyance), and transmission of data to database server  53 .  
         [0039]     Reject data manual input station  54  executes reading and manual input of the header card number, input of the number of banknotes, and input of false banknote information (when a banknote is false, the effect is registered).  
         [0040]     Database server  53  has a database function, an addition and check function, and a printing function.  
         [0041]     The database function, using the header card number as a key, preserves the following data.  
         [0042]     Namely, the database function preserves the account number, slip sum, number of mechanically counted banknotes, number of manually input banknotes, number of false banknotes, and comments.  
         [0043]     The addition and check function adds a plurality of times of the number of mechanically counted banknotes and the number of manually input banknotes and checks the result with the slip sum.  
         [0044]     The printing function prints the result of addition and check.  
         [0045]     Next, the processing operation procedure of the header card aforementioned will be explained.  
         [0046]     Firstly, the operator, in standby station  51 , takes out first header card  41  from the card storage portion and reads the number of header card  41  by bar code reader  51   a.  Hereafter, he opens a paying-in bag sent from a customer, takes out the banknote group, holds the banknote group between first header car  41  aforementioned and trailer card  42 , and loads the banknote group on table  3  of insert port  2  of banknote sorter  1  in a standing position.  
         [0047]     Then, he inputs the account number (or envelope number) and sum of money recorded on the slip of the paying-in bag by standby station  51 . He repeats the operation until table  3  is filled up. The data input by standby station  51  is transmitted and registered in database server  53 .  
         [0048]     After the preparation by standby station  51  is finished in this way, banknote sorter  1  is operated. The operation of banknote sorter  1  is as described above and the counting data and header card number are transmitted to and registered in database server  53 .  
         [0049]     On the other hand, reject banknotes rejected in reject box  16  are sequentially stored in a tray not drawn, which is prepared separately, so as not to disturb the order with header card  41 . And, the reject banknotes stored in the tray are set again on table  3  of banknote sorter  1  and are taken in. The counting data obtained by this process and header card number are transmitted to and registered in database server  53 .  
         [0050]     Further, banknotes rejected again during the aforementioned processing operation of the reject banknotes are input by manually counting by reject data manual input station  54 . At this time, the header card number is simultaneously read by bar code reader  54   a.    
         [0051]     When the processing of all reject banknotes is finished in this way, database server  53  performs the counting addition start operation. By doing this, the data registered in database server  53  is added for each account number using the header card number as a key and the counting value is calculated.  
         [0052]     On the other hand, during the aforementioned banknote take-in operation, when header card  41  is optically detected by sensor  43 , the banknote take-in operation is stopped, and after a lapse of a predetermined time, the banknote taking-in operation is restarted, though the take-in restart condition is one of the following.  
         [0053]     1) Restarting after the banknotes of first banknote group P 1  are all conveyed to and stacked on stackers  28   a  to  33   a.    
         [0054]     2) Restarting after the banknotes of first banknote group P 1  are all conveyed to and stacked on stackers  28   a  to  33   a  and then the physical operation such as storage in cassettes  28   b  to  33   b  and the process such as preservation of counts are completed.  
         [0055]     3) Restarting, when the conveying route branches at switching gate G 3 , after the time longer than the difference in the arrival time of banknotes between from take-in portion  8  to farthest stacker  36  and from take-in portion  8  to nearest stacker  28   a  elapses. By doing this, even if the last banknote of first banknote group P 1  is conveyed to farthest stacker  36  and the first banknote of second banknote group P 2  is conveyed to nearest stacker  28   a,  the banknotes remaining on the conveying route can be all set only to the banknotes of second banknote group P 2 .  
         [0056]     4) Restarting after the interval between the last banknote of first banknote group P 1  and the first banknote of second banknote group P 2  is at a distance which can be visually seen easily. 5) Restarting when the banknotes of first banknote group P 1  are all counted.  
         [0057]     Further, it is difficult to precisely detect the header card by a specific means of magnetism transmitting paper, so that it is necessary to use optical reflection of infrared light, for example, detect the reflection amount at several points, thereby surely distinguish the header card from banknotes.  
         [0058]     As described above, according to this embodiment, on the basis of detection of header card  41  partitioning between first banknote group P 1  and second banknote group P 2 , the take-in of banknotes is interrupted and after a lapse of a predetermined time, the take-in is restarted. Therefore, even if the banknotes of first banknote group P 1  are jammed on the conveying route, the banknotes taken in from second banknote group P 2  will not collide with the jammed banknotes of first banknote group P 1 .  
         [0059]     Therefore, the order of the banknotes taken in from first banknote group P 1  and the banknotes taken in from second banknote group P 2  will not become obscure. Therefore, the payment to which the banknotes belong will not become obscure and the counting can be surely prevented from an error.  
         [0060]     According to the present invention, even if the sheets of a preceding sheet group are jammed on the conveying route, the sheets of the succeeding sheet group or the separator card will not collide with them and there is an advantage of accurate counting.  
         [0061]     Further, the present invention is not limited to one embodiment aforementioned and within the scope of the object thereof, needless to say, the present invention can be modified variously.