Abstract:
A banknote depositing unit can be made with a smaller width than those made previously. The unit includes: a first conveying section for conveying banknotes or a bundle of banknotes deposited into a temporary holding section from an inlet through a first route; a second conveying section for conveying each banknote from the bundle of banknotes held in the temporary holding section to a return outlet through a second route; and a third conveying section for conveying each bundle of banknotes held in the temporary holding section to a cassette section where the banknotes are to be stored in each bundle through a third route. The second route and the third route commonly have the temporary holding section as a starting point and three-dimensionally intersect each other.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation application of International PCT Application No. PCT/JP2008/002617 which was filed on Sep. 22, 2008. 
    
    
     FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a banknote depositing unit as a unit attachable to and detachable from an ATM (automatic teller machine) and a deposit-only machine, and an insert/return unit attachable to and detachable from the depositing unit. 
     BACKGROUND 
     When an ATM, a deposit-only machine, and the like are installed in facilities such as a convenience store or the like, there are strict requirements for the width of the machine. There are also strict requirements for the width of a banknote depositing unit that is attachable to and detachable from the machine. 
     In this case, it is preferable that the banknote deposit direction be able to be switched as necessary. 
     As an example of peripheral technology, patent document 1 discloses an automatic teller machine with a smaller depth dimension achieved by setting the banknote conveyance direction as being in the width dimension of the machine. 
     Patent document 2 discloses a rotating mechanism for switching the banknote conveyance direction in a banknote depositing device.
         Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 63-231589   Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2001-76206       

     SUMMARY 
     The present invention aims to provide a banknote depositing unit with a smaller width dimension than that of previously available banknote depositing units. 
     The proposed banknote depositing unit includes: a first conveying section for conveying banknotes or a bundle of banknotes deposited into a temporary holding section from an inlet through a first route; a second conveying section for conveying each banknote from the bundle of banknotes held in the temporary holding section to a return outlet through a second route; and a third conveying section for conveying each bundle of banknotes held in the temporary holding section to a cassette section where the banknotes are to be stored in each bundle through a third route. 
     In the first route and the second route, the first conveying section and the second conveying section convey banknotes in the directions of the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of the banknotes, in the width dimension and the vertical dimension of the depositing unit. In the third route, after the bundle of banknotes is conveyed by the third conveying section within the longitudinal dimension of the bundle toward the front or the back in the depth dimension of the depositing unit, it is conveyed within the longitudinal dimension of the bundle in the downward direction with respect to the orientation of the unit and with the longitudinal dimension of the banknotes set as the vertical dimension, toward the front of the depth dimension of the cassette section. 
     With the proposed banknote depositing unit, when banknotes are conveyed from the temporary holding section to the return outlet, the banknotes are conveyed within the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension, and when the banknotes are conveyed from the temporary holding section to the cassette section, the banknotes are conveyed within the longitudinal dimension. Therefore, the conveying route (third route) from the temporary holding section to the cassette section refers to a route traversing through the depth dimension and heading downward, with the range of the width dimension set as a fixed range corresponding to the length of the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of the banknotes, and the conveying route (second route) from the temporary holding section to the return outlet refers to a route traversing through the width dimension and vertical dimension (essentially upward) with the range of the width dimension set as a fixed range corresponding to the length of the longitudinal dimension of the banknotes. 
     Therefore, the second and third routes three-dimensionally intersect each other, and a smaller width dimension, on which strict demands are placed, can be realized even if the depth dimension of the unit becomes bigger. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating the outline of the configuration of a depositing unit with an insert/return unit attached according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2A  illustrates a method of inserting a banknote into a depositing unit without attaching an insert/return unit; 
         FIG. 2B  illustrates a method of inserting a banknote into a depositing unit with an insert/return unit attached; 
         FIG. 3A  is a detailed front view; and  FIG. 3B  is a side view of the depositing unit illustrated in  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view including an escrow section; 
         FIG. 5A  is a sectional view ( 1 ) of a cassette section viewed from the vantage of the arrow C illustrated in the side view in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5B  is a sectional view ( 2 ) of a cassette section viewed from the vantage of the arrow C illustrated in the side view in  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the vicinity of the escrow section of the conventional depositing unit for comparison with an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  is a top view of the insert/return unit; and 
         FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the outline of the insert/return unit. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     An embodiment of the present invention is described below in detail with reference to the attached drawings. 
     The present invention relates to a banknote depositing unit (hereinafter referred to as a “depositing unit”) attachable to and detachable from an ATM (automatic teller machine) and a deposit-only machine, and an insert/return unit attachable to and detachable from the depositing unit. 
       FIG. 1  is a front view illustrating the outline of the configuration of a depositing unit with an insert/return unit attached. 
     In  FIG. 1 , a depositing unit  1  is configured with an insertion section  2  provided with an inlet for banknotes, a return section  3  provided with a return outlet for banknotes, a banknote authentication section  4  for authenticating each of the inserted banknotes, a temporary holding section (also referred to as an escrow section)  5  for temporarily holding true banknotes from among the inserted banknotes, a conveying section  6 , and a cassette section  7  for storing the banknotes from the temporary holding section  5 . 
     The conveying section  6  conveys banknotes between the banknote authentication section  4  and the temporary holding section  5 , between the banknote authentication section  4  and the return section  3 , and between the temporary holding section  5  and the return section  3 . Although not illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a conveying mechanism is provided between the temporary holding section  5  and the cassette section  7  in  FIG. 1 . 
     The insert/return unit  11  is used when the banknote deposit direction is to be changed in, for example, an ATM in which the depositing unit is installed. The insert/return unit  11  is provided with an inlet  12  for one or more banknotes on the left and a return outlet  13  for the banknote(s) on the right. When the insert/return unit  11  is not installed, a banknote inlet  15  is provided at the position corresponding to the inlet  12  of the insert/return unit  11  on the top surface of the depositing unit  1  as illustrated in  FIG. 2A , and a banknote return outlet  16  is provided at the position corresponding to the return outlet  13  of the insert/return unit  11 . 
       FIG. 1  is a front view from the vantage of the arrow A in  FIG. 2A  or the vantage of the arrow B in  FIG. 2B . 
     To insert a banknote into the depositing unit provided with the insert/return unit, the dimension perpendicular to the banknote surface must match the width dimension of, for example, the ATM as illustrated in  FIG. 2B  so that the longitudinal dimension of (one or more) banknotes can be directed toward the back in the depth dimension of the ATM, thereby allowing the banknote(s) to be inserted from the inlet  12 . 
     On the other hand, when a banknote is inserted into the depositing unit without the insert/return unit, the dimension perpendicular to the banknote surface must match the width dimension of, for example, the ATM as illustrated in  FIG. 2A  so that the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of (one or more) banknotes can be directed vertically downward in the orientation of the ATM, thereby allowing the banknote(s) to be inserted from the inlet  15   
       FIG. 3  is a detailed front view and a side view of the depositing unit illustrated in  FIG. 1 . In  FIG. 3 , the dimension Y indicates the depth dimension of the depositing unit, and the dimension X indicates the width dimension of the depositing unit. 
     In  FIG. 3 , a user inserts (deposits) one or more banknote(s) in the depositing process into an inlet area  21  (also referred to as an “inlet” and indicated by the diagonal hatching in  FIG. 3 ) of a depositing unit  20 . 
     For example, a bundle  19  of banknotes is placed against a standing plate  18  of the inlet area  21  when it is inserted. An inlet banknote detection sensor (transmission sensor)  22  detects the insertion of the bundle  19  of banknotes. Each banknote of the inserted bundle  19  of banknotes is fed to a route  51  by a feeding mechanism  23  configured with a plurality of conveying rollers and a plurality of belts. 
     In this case, a feeding timing sensor  24  detects a banknote fed through the inlet area  21 , and notifies a banknote authentication section  26  of the feeding. The fed banknote is further conveyed by the feeding mechanism  23  into the banknote authentication section  26  through an entrance  27  of the banknote authentication section  26 . 
     A feeding motor  25  drives a feeding mechanism  23  and a feeding mechanism  41  described later. 
     The banknote authentication section  26  authenticates a banknote by, for example, acquiring image data of the banknote by an image sensor (not illustrated in the attached drawings). When the banknote authenticating process is completed by the banknote authentication section  26 , the banknote is fed from an exit  29  of the banknote authentication section  26  to a route  52 , and conveyed on the route  52  by a feeding mechanism  31  configured with a plurality of conveying rollers and a plurality of belts. 
     When the banknote arrives at the position of a gate timing sensor  33 , the gate timing sensor  33  detects the conveyance of the banknote on the route  52 , and at the same time a switch gate  36  rotates around the center, not illustrated in the attached drawings, on the basis of the authentication result acquired by the banknote authentication section  26  on the banknote. 
     The position illustrated in  FIG. 3  corresponds to the position of the switch gate  36  when the authentication result indicates a false note. In this case, the orientation of the banknote conveyed on the route  52  is changed by the switch gate  36  so that the banknote can be conveyed on a route  53 , and is conveyed on the route  53  by a conveying mechanism  37  configured with a plurality of conveying rollers and a plurality of belts, on a route  54  by a conveying mechanism  38 , and on a route  55  by the feeding mechanism  41 . 
     When the banknote reaches the position of a rejecting conveyance detection sensor  43  during the conveyance on the route  55 , the rejecting conveyance detection sensor  43  detects the rejection of the banknote. Then, the banknote is fed to a return outlet area (also referred to as a “return outlet”, and indicated by the diagonal hatching)  45  where the banknote to be returned is conveyed from the route  55  by the feeding mechanism  41 . 
     A fed banknote  48  is enclosed by a standing plate  46  of the return outlet area  45  and a holding plate  44 . As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the depth of the return outlet area  45  is actually smaller than the depth of the inlet area  21 . Therefore, the banknote(s) enclosed by the standing plate  46  and the holding plate  44  juts out of the top surface of the depositing unit  20  orthogonally to the longitudinal dimension of the banknote(s). 
     In this case, a return outlet banknote detection sensor (transmission sensor)  47  detects that there is a banknote in the return outlet area  45 . 
     On the other hand, when the banknote authentication section  26  authenticates the banknote, the switch gate  36  moves to the position it takes after the rotation around the center, not illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the rotation being clockwise. At this new position, a part of the switch gate  36  looks from the front view as though it overlaps a conveying roller  35 . 
     In this case, the banknote conveyed on the route  52  is conveyed on a route  56  by a feeding mechanism  49 , fed to a temporary holding section (escrow section)  50 , and pushed against the lower end of the escrow section  50  which is provided with a stage  62  that is movable vertically. In  FIG. 3 , the direction vertically upward is indicated by an arrow as the “upward direction”. The escrow section  50  is a hollow section capable of storing bundles of banknotes whose lower end is determined by the stage  62  that is movable vertically. 
     In the depositing process, the number of deposited banknotes is for example displayed on the screen. If the user selects an “OK Button  9 ”, the banknotes are moved from the escrow section  50  to a cassette section  70 . However, when the number of deposited banknotes does not match the number on the screen display, the user selects an “NG Button  10 ”, and the deposited banknotes are moved and returned from the escrow section  50  to the return outlet area  45 . 
     First, the case in which banknotes are returned from the escrow section  50  to the return outlet area  45  is described below. 
     In this case, a stage operation motor  66  of the escrow section  50  moves the stage  62  upward, and pushes one or more banknotes in the escrow section  50  against the upper end of the escrow section  50 . A feeding mechanism  68  (driven by a feeding motor  67 ) feeds each of the banknotes from the escrow section  50  to a route  57 , and the conveying mechanism  38  conveys the banknotes on the route  54  as described above. Then, the banknotes reach the return outlet area  45  through the route  55 . 
     Described next is the conveyance of banknotes from the escrow section  50  to the cassette section  70 . It corresponds to, for example, a user selecting the OK button in the above-mentioned depositing process. 
     In this case, in the front view in  FIG. 3 , bundles of banknotes are piled up oriented orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of the bundles viewed in the escrow section  50 . Each bundle of banknotes is fed upward perpendicular to the front view in  FIG. 3 , that is, toward the front in the depth dimension of, for example, an ATM. Then, the orientation of the bundle of banknotes is changed to vertically downward, that is, the bundle of banknotes is conveyed while drawing a locus of jumping into the cassette section  70 . 
     Then, the longitudinal side of the banknotes is placed vertically in the ATM, the bundle of banknotes reach the front in the depth dimension of the ATM of the cassette section  70 , and the pushing mechanism of the cassette section  70  pushes the bundle of banknotes from this position toward the back in the depth dimension of the ATM. 
     That is, the conveying route formed by the routes  57 ,  54 , and  55  from the escrow section  50  as a starting point to the return outlet  45 , and the conveying route formed by the routes  91  and  92  to the cassette section  70  are not arranged on the same plane, and three-dimensionally intersect each other. 
     The process of conveying the bundle of banknotes from the escrow section  50  to the cassette section  70  is further described below with reference to the side view in  FIG. 3  and  FIGS. 4 ,  5 A, and  5 B. 
     When the user selects the OK button in the depositing process, upper conveying rollers  72  and  74  and upper conveying rollers  73  and  75 , which are placed in the lay-by position A in a bundle conveying section  82 , are moved to the position B to enclose the bundle of banknotes of the escrow section  50 . Thus, the bundle of banknotes is enclosed by a conveying mechanism  80  configured with lower conveying rollers  78 - 1 ,  78 - 2 , and  78 - 3  provided on the lower end of the escrow section  50  and a lower conveying belt  79 , and a conveying mechanism  81  including the upper conveying rollers  72  and  74  and the upper conveying rollers  73  and  75 . Then, a conveying motor  83  drives the conveying mechanisms  80  and  81 , and the bundle of banknotes is conveyed through routes  91  and  92 , passes through conveying rollers  84 - 1  and  84 - 2  positioned at the entrance of the cassette section  70 , and is fed into the cassette section  70   
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , the upper conveying rollers  73  and  75  can be moved to the position B shown in the side view in  FIG. 3  by moving a link (for pushing the upper conveying roller)  76  in the same direction as the banknote conveyance direction. The recovery from the position B to the position A in the side view in  FIG. 3  is realized by moving the link  76  in  FIG. 4  in the direction opposite the banknote conveyance direction by the operation of a link recovery spring  77 . In  FIG. 4 , the upward direction of the ATM is indicated by an arrow as the “upward direction”. 
       FIGS. 5A and 5B  are sectional views of the cassette section viewed from the vantage of the arrow C in the side view in  FIG. 3 . 
     In  FIGS. 5A and 5B , the dimension Y indicates the depth dimension of the depositing unit, and the dimension X indicates the width dimension of the depositing unit. The top of the figure in  FIGS. 5A and 5B  corresponds to the front of the ATM. 
     A bundle  101  of banknotes conveyed by the bundle conveying section  82  to the frontmost position in the depth dimension of the cassette section  70  is enclosed by a door  106  rotating in the direction of the arrow D in  FIG. 5A  and by a holding plate  104  of a banknote pushing mechanism  103  when pressure at a predetermined level or higher is applied backward in the depth dimension (direction of the arrow C in  FIG. 5A ) of the ATM in the initial state in which the bundle of banknotes is conveyed to the frontmost position. 
     In the state in which the holding plate  104  of the banknote pushing mechanism  103  moves backward in the depth dimension (direction of the arrow C in  FIG. 5A ) of the ATM and applies pressure to the bundle  101  of banknotes, the pressure allows the bundle  101  of banknotes to move from the position A toward the back in the depth dimension of the ATM while being depressed at the center and to reach the position B. Correspondingly, the door  106  also rotates toward the back in the depth dimension of the ATM (direction of the arrow D in  FIG. 5A ). 
     When the bundle  101  of banknotes further moves toward the back from the position B, neither side in the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension of the bundle  101  of banknotes contacts a tip portion of each door  106 . At this time, the door  106  returns to its original position via the operation of a spring not illustrated in the attached drawings, a stage  108  moves toward the front in the depth dimension of the ATM, as illustrated in  FIG. 5B , and the bundle  101  of banknotes is enclosed between the stage  108  and the door  106  via the door  106  not rotating in the opposite direction of the arrow D in  FIG. 5A , thereby completing the storage of the bundle  101  of banknotes in the cassette section  70 . 
       FIG. 6  is a sectional view of the vicinity of the escrow section of the conventional depositing unit, for comparison with the present embodiment. 
     In  FIG. 6 , each banknote is conveyed into an escrow section  114  through driving rollers  115 - 1  and  115 - 2  provided at the entrance of the escrow section  114 . As a result, a bundle  116  of banknotes is piled into the escrow section  114 . The bundle  116  of banknotes is pushed against the lower end of the escrow section  114 . 
     An exit  120  of the escrow section  114  is used both when a banknote is conveyed to the cassette section (not illustrated in the attached drawings) and when it is conveyed to the return outlet (not illustrated in the attached drawings). Therefore, in addition to a route  123  to the cassette section via a conveying mechanism  122  and a route  125  to the return outlet via a conveying mechanism  124 , it is necessary to provide a switch gate  126  for determining whether the route  123  or the route  125  is to be selected via the rotation around the center, not illustrated in the attached drawings. 
     Accordingly, the installation of the switch gate  126  increases the width dimension. As a result, it is difficult to install this system in a facility such as a convenience store or the like where limits on width are severe. 
     On the other hand, in the depositing unit according to the present embodiment, a banknote is conveyed within the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension when the banknote is conveyed from the escrow section  50  to the return outlet  45 , and the banknote is conveyed within the longitudinal dimension when the banknote is conveyed from the escrow section  50  to the cassette section  70 . Accordingly, the conveying route from the escrow section  50  to the cassette section  70  is a route in which a banknote is moved toward the back and downward with the range of the width dimension defined as a fixed range corresponding to the length of the banknote in the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension, and the conveying route from the escrow section  50  to the return outlet  45  is a route in which a banknote is moved in the width dimension and the vertical dimension (essentially upward) with the range of the depth dimension defined as a fixed range corresponding to the length in the longitudinal dimension of the banknote. Therefore, the conveying route from the escrow section  50  to the cassette section  70  and the conveying route from the escrow section  50  to the return outlet  45  three-dimensionally intersect each other, and the demanded smaller width dimension can be realized even if the depth dimension becomes bigger. 
     The insert/return unit attached as an option on the top surface of the depositing unit  20  is described below with reference to  FIGS. 7 and 8 . 
       FIG. 7  is a plan view of the insert/return unit.  FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the outline of the insert/return unit. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 7 and 8 , an inlet  132  of an insert/return unit  130  is an opening provided on the left in the width dimension of the front of the insert/return unit  130  and having a height corresponding to the length of the banknote in the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension. A return outlet  134  is an opening provided on the right in the width dimension of the front of the insert/return unit  130  and having a height corresponding to the length of the banknote in the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension. 
     A banknote or a bundle of banknotes inserted in a longitudinal orientation into the inlet  132  in the depth dimension of the insert/return unit  130  is fed toward the back of the insert/return unit  130  in the depth dimension by a feeding mechanism  138  configured with a pair of conveying rollers  136 - 1  and  136 - 2 , and reaches an inlet area  141  indicated by the diagonal hatching in  FIG. 7 . The inlet area  141  is hollow, and an opening is provided at the bottom corresponding to the inlet area  141 , and a hollow portion extends continuously up to the inlet area  21  of the depositing unit  20 . The banknote or the bundle of banknotes fed by the feeding mechanism  138  naturally drops into the inlet area  21  of the banknote depositing unit  20  via the operation of gravity when the banknote or the bundle of banknotes is disconnected from the pair of conveying rollers  136 - 1  and  136 - 2 . 
     In the present embodiment, as illustrated in  FIG. 7 , one of the pair of conveying rollers  136 - 1  and  136 - 2  (the conveying roller  136 - 2  in  FIG. 7 ) is provided with members  137 - 1  and  137 - 2  for depressing the central portion of the banknotes of the bundle of banknotes within the dimension orthogonal to the longitudinal dimension, coaxially with the conveying roller  136 - 2 . 
     After an experiment, such an action performed on the bundle of banknotes as described above can prevent unevenness at the tip of the bundle of banknotes. 
     Described next is the case in which a banknote or a bundle of banknotes is to be returned through the insert/return unit  130 . 
     As in the last case, a return outlet area  143  indicated by the diagonal hatching in  FIG. 7  is hollow, an opening is provided at the bottom of the insert/return unit  130  corresponding to the return outlet area  143 , and a hollow portion extends continuously up to the return outlet  45  of the depositing unit  20 . 
     Therefore, as described above with reference to the front view in  FIG. 3 , the banknotes or the bundles of the banknotes enclosed by the standing plate  46  and the holding plate  44  and fed in orthogonally to the longitudinal dimension above the return outlet  45  of the depositing unit  20  are simultaneously positioned in the return outlet area  143  of the insert/return unit  130 . 
     When the return outlet banknote detection sensor (not illustrated in the attached drawings) in the insert/return unit  130  detects, for example, a bundle of banknotes in the return outlet area  143  of the insert/return unit  130 , a left conveying roller  145  and a left conveying belt  147  at the lay-by position A are moved to the position B where the bundle of banknotes in the return outlet area  143  is enclosed. Thus, the bundle of banknotes is enclosed by the conveying mechanism including a right conveying roller  146  and a right conveying belt  148  provided on the surface at the rightmost portion of the return outlet area  143  and by the conveying mechanism including the left conveying roller  145  and the left conveying belt  147 . Then, a conveying motor  152  drives the conveying mechanisms, and the bundle of banknotes is conveyed toward the return outlet  134  through a pair of conveying rollers  149 - 1  and  149 - 2 , and the bundle of banknotes is returned. 
     Thus, by attaching the insert/return unit  130 , the banknote deposit direction can be switched as necessary. For example, the banknote deposit direction in a self-checkout system is mainly determined by attaching the insert/return unit  130 . 
     In the explanation above, after a bundle of banknotes is fed toward the front in the depth dimension of the ATM from the escrow section, the bundle is fed downward to the front in the depth dimension of the cassette section. However, after the bundle of banknotes is fed toward the back in the depth dimension of the ATM from the escrow section, the bundle can be fed downward and fed toward the back in the depth dimension of the cassette section. In this case, the pushing mechanism of the cassette section pushes the bundle of banknotes toward the front in the depth dimension of the ATM.