Patent Publication Number: US-9430896-B2

Title: Bill handling apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority of the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-069990, filed on Mar. 28, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     FIELD 
     The embodiment discussed herein is related to a bill handling apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A bill recycle unit that receives and dispenses a bill is equipped with a bill validator (hereinafter abbreviated to “BV”) that validates bill species, a serial number of the bill, and authenticity of the bill. Various sensors such as an image sensor that reads an image of the bill, and a magnetic sensor that detects a magnetic pattern of the bill are provided within BV for bill validation purpose. 
     Related-art examples are described, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2009-238090 
     Various sensors within BV are in many cases disposed close to the surface of the bill, and, thus, in the direction of the thickness of the bill, the width of a conveying path within BV is particularly smaller than that of other conveying path within a bill recycle unit. For this reason, when a folded bill and a bent bill are conveyed to BV, jam is likely to occur within BV. When jam occurs within BV, in order to remove the bill that caused jamming from within BV, the operation of the bill recycle unit should be stopped, disadvantageously leading to the stop of account activity. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an aspect of an embodiment, a bill handling apparatus includes a first squeezing unit that performs a first squeezing of a bill in receiving the bill, and a second squeezing unit that performs a second squeezing of the bill after the first squeezing, wherein the first squeezing unit comprises a pair of conveying belts that convey the bill in a predetermined conveying direction in receiving the bill, a distance between both the conveying belts being gradually reduced in a direction of thickness of the bill in the predetermined conveying direction, and the second squeezing unit comprises a pair of rollers disposed at an end part of the first squeezing unit in the predetermined conveying direction. 
     The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims. 
     It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a side cross-sectional view of a bill recycle unit in an embodiment; and 
         FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of a bill handling apparatus in an embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT 
     The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be explained with reference to accompanying drawings. Note that the embodiment does not limit the bill handling apparatus disclosed in the present application . In the following embodiment, like parts are identified with the same reference characters, and the overlapped explanation thereof will be omitted. The bill handling apparatus that will described below are loaded, for example, on a bill recycle unit. 
     Structure of Bill Recycle Unit 
       FIG. 1  is a side cross-sectional view of a bill recycle unit in an embodiment. A bill recycle unit  1  illustrated in  FIG. 1  includes a bill handling apparatus  3 . The bill handling apparatus  3  includes BV  4 . 
     In the bill recycle unit  1 , in receiving bills, the bill that have been received through a bill receiving/dispensing port  2  are passed through a received bill conveying path  6 , are conveyed to the BV  4  within the bill handling apparatus  3 , and are validated by the BV  4 . The bill that is not false, could have been subjected to determination of billing species and serial numbers with acceptable results, and have been validated to be valid are discharged from the BV  4 , are introduced into and stored in any of recycle stackers  5 - 1  to  5 - 4  depending upon bill species. For example, the recycle stacker  5 - 1  stores 10,000 yen bills, the recycle stacker  5 - 2  stores 5,000 yen bills, and the recycle stacker  5 - 3  stores 1,000 yen bills. On the other hand, the bill, when received, of which the species could not have successfully been validated by the BV  4  and the validation result is invalid, are not stored in the recycle stackers  5 - 1  to  5 - 4  and as such are returned to the bill receiving/dispensing port  2 . 
     Bills that, when dispensed, are stored in the recycle stackers  5 - 1  to  5 - 4  are passed through a bill dispensing conveying path  7 , are conveyed to the BV  4  within the bill handling apparatus  3 , and are validated by the BV  4 . The bill that has been determined to be valid is discharged from the BV  4 , are then conveyed to the bill receiving/dispensing port  2 , and are dispensed. On the other hand, when dispersed, the bill which has been determined to be invalid is conveyed and stored in a predetermined box (not shown) within a bill recycle unit. 
     Structure of Bill Handling Apparatus 
       FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating an internal structure of a bill handling apparatus in an embodiment, wherein  FIG. 2(A)  is a top view, and  FIG. 2(B)  is a side view. In a bill B, the longitudinal direction is regarded as a Z-axis direction, and the lateral direction is regarded as an X-axis direction. The bill B, when received, is conveyed in +X direction and, when dispensed, is conveyed in −X direction. 
     In the bill handling apparatus  3  illustrated in  FIG. 2 , on an inlet side of the BV  4  in receiving bills (that is, on an outlet side of the BV  4  in dispensing bills), a conveying belt  11  is extended over a conveying roller  13 , a pressure roller  31 , a conveying roller  17 , and a conveying roller  15 . A conveying belt  23  is extended over a conveying roller  19  and a squeezing roller  21 . A conveying belt  33  is extended over a squeezing roller  29  and the pressure roller  31 . 
     On an inlet side of the BV  4  in receiving bills, a conveying guide  25  that guides the bill B in receiving into between the squeezing roller  29  and the squeezing roller  21  is disposed near the squeezing roller  29 . The right end of the conveying guide  25  is in such a shape that is open to an upper direction perpendicular to the conveying path (+Y direction). The right end of the conveying guide  25  is located at a position between the squeezing roller  29  and the conveying roller  17  and just before the squeezing roller  29 . A conveying guide  35  that guides the bill B in receiving into between the pressure roller  31  and a conveying roller  37  is disposed between the squeezing roller  21  and the conveying roller  37 . 
     Further, a plate spring  27  that presses the squeezing roller  21  against the squeezing roller  29  is installed by being supported on a casing (not illustrated) in the bill handling apparatus  3 . 
     In receiving bills, the bill B is conveyed along the conveying belt  11  into the BV  4  when the conveying rollers  13 ,  15 ,  17 , the squeezing roller  29  and the pressure roller  31  are rotated clockwise while the conveying roller  19 , the squeezing roller  21 , and the conveying roller  37  are rotated counterclockwise. That is, in receiving bills, the bill B is held between the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23  and is conveyed into a left direction (+X direction). Thereafter, the bill B is conveyed between the conveying belt  11  and the conveying guide  35  by the conveying belts  11 ,  33  in a left direction and is conveyed into the BV  4 . 
     In dispensing bills, the bill B discharged from the BV  4  is conveyed along the conveying belt  11  towards the bill receiving/dispensing port  2  when the conveying rollers  13 ,  15 ,  17 , the squeezing roller  29 , and the pressure roller  31  are rotated counterclockwise while the conveying roller  19 , the squeezing roller  21 , and the conveying roller  37  are rotated clockwise. That is, in dispensing bills, the bill B discharged from the BV  4  is conveyed between the conveying belt  11  and the conveying guide  35  in a right direction (−X direction) by the conveying belts  11 ,  33 . Thereafter, the bill B is held between the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23 , and is conveyed in the right direction. 
     On an outlet side of the BV  4  in receiving bills (that is, on an inlet side of the BV  4  in dispensing bills), a conveying belt  43  is extended over a conveying roller  39  and a conveying roller  41 , and a conveying belt  51  is extended over the conveying roller  41 , a conveying roller  53 , and a conveying roller  55 . Further, a conveying guide  49  that guides the bill B in dispensing bills into between the conveying roller  39  and a squeezing roller  45  is disposed near the squeezing roller  45 . 
     In receiving bills, the bill B discharged from the BV  4  is conveyed in a left direction along the conveying belts  43 ,  51  by rotating the conveying rollers  39 ,  41 ,  53 ,  55  clockwise while the squeezing rollers  45 ,  47  are rotated counterclockwise. 
     In dispensing bills, the bill B is conveyed along the conveying belts  51 ,  43  into the BV  4  by rotating the conveying rollers  39 ,  41 ,  53 ,  55  counterclockwise while the squeezing rollers  45 ,  47  are rotated clockwise. 
     In the BV  4 , the conveying path  73  is provided, and a pair of conveying rollers  61 , 67 , a pair of conveying rollers  63 ,  69 , and a pair of conveying rollers  65 ,  71  are disposed with the conveying path  73  being located between conveying rollers constituting the conveying roller pairs. Sensors  75 ,  77  are disposed with the conveying path  73  being located between the sensors  75 ,  77 . In receiving bills, the bill B is conveyed in a left direction (+X direction) on the conveying path when the conveying rollers  61 ,  63 ,  65  are rotated clockwise while the conveying rollers  67 ,  69 ,  71  are rotated counterclockwise. In dispensing bills, the bill B is conveyed in a right direction (−X direction) on the conveying path when the conveying rollers  61 ,  63 ,  65  are rotated counterclockwise while the conveying rollers  67 ,  69 ,  71  are rotated clockwise. Examples of sensors  75 ,  77  include image sensors and magnetic sensors. For example, reading of an image of the bill B and the detection of a magnetic pattern of the bill B are carried out in both the receipt of the bill B and the dispensing of the bill B. In the BV  4 , the bill B is validated based on the image read and the detected magnetic pattern with the sensors  75 ,  77 . 
     Operation of Bill Handling Apparatus 
     An operation in receiving bills and an operation in dispensing bills will be described separately from each other. 
     Operation in Receiving Bills 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 2(B) , the distance between the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23  that constitute a pair of belts in a Y-axis direction (that is, in a direction of the thickness of the bill B) is gradually reduced from the conveying roller  19  towards the squeezing roller  21 . That is, the conveying path defined by the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23  is gradually narrowed in a conveying direction of the bill B in receiving bills. In receiving bills, since the bill B is conveyed in a left direction (+X direction) while being held between the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23 , the “first-stage squeezing” in receiving bills is carried out against the bill B in receiving bills by the gradually narrowed conveying path. That is, the gradually narrowed conveying path corresponds to a “first squeezing unit” that performs a “first-stage squeezing” against the bill B in receiving bills. In the direction of X-axis, the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23  come into contact with each other at a position near an approximate center of the cross section of the squeezing roller  21  and the squeezing roller  29 . Thus, the conveying path that is gradually narrowed in +X direction is terminated at a position near an approximate center of the cross section of the squeezing roller  21  and the squeezing roller  29 . 
     Squeezing rollers  21 ,  29  that constitute a pair of rollers are disposed at an end part of the conveying path that is defined by the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23  and is gradually narrowed. Thus, the bill B that has been subjected to the first-stage squeezing by the conveying path that is defined by the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23  and is gradually narrowed is guided by the conveying guide  25  into between the squeezing roller  21  and the squeezing roller  29  and is pressed while being held between the squeezing roller  21  and the squeezing roller  29  for “second-stage squeezing.” That is, the squeezing roller  21  and the squeezing roller  29  correspond to the “second squeezing unit” that performs “second-stage squeezing” against the bill B in receiving bills. 
     Here in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the bill B, the area of contact between each of the squeezing rollers  29 ,  21  and the bill B is extended over a substantially entire area in the longitudinal direction of the bill B. For example, in the longitudinal direction, the length of contact between each of the squeezing rollers  29 ,  21  and the bill B is preferably set 80% or more of the length in the longitudinal direction of the bill B. Further, the squeezing roller  21  is pressed against the squeezing roller  29  by the plate spring  27 . Thus, the bill B in receiving bills is reliably squeezed by the second-stage squeezing. Further, the pressure of the second-stage squeezing against the bill B in receiving bills is larger than the pressure of the first-stage squeezing. That is, the bill B that has been gradually squeezed by the conveying path that is defined by the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23  and is gradually narrowed is further strongly squeezed by the squeezing rollers  29 ,  21 . 
     The bill B that has been subjected to the first-stage squeezing and second-stage squeezing is further conveyed in a left direction (+X direction) and is guided by the conveying guide  35  into between the pressure roller  31  and the conveying roller  37  that constitute a pair of rollers. The bill B is then held between the pressure roller  31  and the conveying roller  37  and, in this state, is pressed for a “third-stage squeezing.” That is, the pressure roller  31  and the conveying roller  37  correspond to a “third squeezing unit” that performs the “third-stage squeezing” against the bill B in receiving bills. 
     Thus, in the bill handling apparatus  3 , the bill B in receiving bills is conveyed into the BV  4  after the first- to third-stage squeezing. Therefore, the bill B in receiving bills when conveyed into the BV  4  is in the state of being flatly shaped by the first- to third-stage squeezing. That is, when folding is present in the bill B before the entry into the gradually narrowed conveying path defined by the conveying belt  11  and the conveying belt  23 , the bill B is first subjected to the first-stage squeezing by the gradually narrowed conveying path. Next, the bill B after the first-stage squeezing is subjected to the second-stage squeezing by the squeezing roller  21  and the squeezing roller  29 . Further, the bill B after the first-stage and second-stage squeezing is subjected to the third-stage squeezing by the pressure roller  31  and the conveying roller  37 . Thus, when folding is present in the bill B to be conveyed to the gradually narrowed conveying path, the three-stage squeezings can allow the folding to be further deeply folded to render the bill B flat or the folding to be returned to the original state to render the bill B flat. When the bill B conveyed to the gradually narrowed conveying path is a bill B bent in Y-axis direction, the three-stage squeezings can allow the bending to be corrected to render the bill B flat. Thus, the thickness of the folded bill B or the bent bill B can be minimized by the three-stage squeezings. Thus, jamming of the bill B within the BV  4  in receiving bills can be prevented. This in turn prevents the stop of account activity derived from the occurrence of jamming of the bill B within the BV  4 . 
     When the bill B in receiving bills is in the state of being satisfactorily squeezed by the first-stage and second stage squeezing to such an extent that jamming does not occur within the BV  4  and the bill B is satisfactorily flatten, the third-stage squeezing in receiving bills can be omitted. 
     The folded bill B that has been further deeply folded to be rendered flat is sometimes determined to be invalid by the validation in the BV  4 . Since, however, as described above, the bill B that has been determined to be invalid by the validation as such is returned to the bill receiving/dispensing port  2 , there is no possibility that the account activity is stopped due to the bill B that has been further deeply folded to be rendered flat. 
     Operation in Dispensing Bills 
     The bill B that has been introduced into and stored in the recycle stackers  5 - 1  to  5 - 4  in receiving bills is already in the state of being rendered flat by the above three-stage squeezings. In dispensing bills, the flatly shaped bill B is conveyed by the conveying belt  51  into between the squeezing roller  47  and the conveying roller  41  that constitute a pair of rollers. The bill B is then held between the squeezing roller  47  and the conveying roller  41  and, is pressed for the “first-stage squeezing” in dispensing bills. That is, the squeezing roller  47  and the conveying roller  41  correspond to a “fourth squeezing unit” that performs the “first-stage squeezing” against the bill B in dispensing bills. 
     The bill B that has been subjected to the first-stage squeezing is conveyed by the conveying belt  43  and is guided by the conveying guide  49  into between the squeezing roller  45  and the conveying roller  39  that constitute a pair of rollers. The bill B is then pressed while being held between the squeezing roller  45  and the conveying roller  39  for the “second-stage squeezing” in dispensing bills. That is, the squeezing roller  45  and the conveying roller  39  correspond to a “fifth squeezing unit” that performs the “second-stage squeezing” against the bill B in dispensing bills. 
     Thus, in the bill handling apparatus  3 , the bill B in dispensing bills is conveyed into the BV  4  after squeezing by the fourth squeezing unit and the fifth squeezing unit. Thus, when the bill B in dispensing bills is conveyed into the BV  4 , the bill B is in the state of being further deeply shaped to a more flat form as compared with when the bill B is received. Therefore, the occurrence of jamming of the bill B within the BV  4  in dispensing bills can be prevented. 
     As described above, since the bill B in dispensing bills is already in the state being flatly shaped in receiving bills, squeezing against the bill B in dispensing bills can be omitted, for example, when simplification of the structure of the bill handling apparatus  3  is contemplated. 
     According to the disclosed aspect, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of jamming of the bill within BV. 
     All examples and conditional language recited herein are intended for pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.