Abstract:
Disclosed is a banknote output control device, which includes an optical transmitter module controlled to emit light across the banknote delivery path, an optical receiver module controlled to detect light passing from the optical transmitter module across the banknote delivery path, and a control circuit, which continues the output of a banknote when the value of the detected signal from the optical receiver module is approximately equal to the predetermined reference value, or reverses the banknote delivering direction when the value of the detected signal from the optical receiver module differs from the predetermined reference value significantly.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a banknote output control device for use in, for example, a money exchanging machine and more particularly, to such a banknote output control device that prevents supply of stacked banknotes.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     Following fast development of high technology, a variety of auto vending machines (such as ticket vending machines, money exchanging machines, etc.) have been developed and intensively used in public places, stores, and etc. In an auto vending machine, a banknote (ticket) output control device may be used to automatically output banknotes (tickets). Because a banknote (ticket) has a thin thickness, two or more banknotes (tickets) may be carried together for output erroneously.  
         [0005]      FIG. 8  shows a banknote output control device A according to the prior art. According to this design, the banknote output control device A comprises a chamber A 1 , a gap control device B provided in front of the chamber A 1  for adjusting the banknote delivery gap, a plurality of output wheels A 2  provided below the chamber A 1 , and a motor A 3  adapted to rotate the output wheels A 2  to carry banknotes C out of the chamber A 1  through the gap control device B. The length of the circumference of the output wheels A 2  is shorter than the length of the banknotes C. The output wheels A 2  are made of a material of high coefficient of friction, for example, rubber. Rotating the output wheels A 2  causes the output wheels A 2  to carry the banknotes C one after another. For enabling the aforesaid structure to output one banknote per each time, the ratio between the length of the circumference of the output wheels A 2  and the length of the banknotes C must be calculated so that the turning angle of the output wheels A 2  can be controlled corresponding to the length of the banknotes C. However, because different banknotes have different sizes, one banknote output control device fits only one particular type of banknotes. Further, the output wheels A 2  use a friction force to carry the banknotes C. During rotation, the output wheels A 2  may carry multiple banknotes C outwards at a time. Further, because a banknote C has a thin thickness, it is difficult to adjust the banknote delivery gap to the thickness of the banknotes C accurately. If the banknote delivery gap is not equal to the thickness of the banknotes C, two or more banknotes C may be delivered together, or banknotes C may be jammed in the gap control device B, resulting in failure of the whole system.  
         [0006]     Therefore, it is desirable to provide a banknote output control device that eliminates the aforesaid drawbacks.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The present invention has been accomplished under the circumstances in view. It is the main object of the present invention to provide a banknote output control device, which prevents supply of stacked banknotes. To achieve this and other objects of the present invention, the banknote output control device uses an optical transmitter module to emit light across the banknote delivery path, an optical receiver module to detect light passing from the optical transmitter module across the banknote delivery path, and a control circuit to control the output of banknote subject to the detection result. When only one banknote is delivered through the banknote delivery path, the value of the detection signal from the optical receiver module is approximately equal to a predetermined reference value. When two or more banknotes are put together and carried through the banknote delivery path, the transmittancy of the banknotes detected by the optical receiver module is far from the reference value. At this time, the control circuit reverses the banknote carrying direction, preventing output of stacked banknotes. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  is an elevational view of a banknote output control device according to the present invention.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the banknote output control device according to the present invention.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a sectional side view of the banknote output control device according to the present invention.  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a circuit diagram of the control circuit of the banknote output control device according to the present invention.  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  is a schematic side view showing the status of the banknote output control device before output of a banknote.  
         [0013]      FIG. 6  is similar to  FIG. 5  but showing a banknote delivered to the banknote outlet.  
         [0014]      FIG. 7  is an operation flow chart of the present invention.  
         [0015]      FIG. 8  is a schematic side view of the prior art design. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0016]     Referring to FIGS.  1 ˜ 3 , a banknote output control device in accordance with the present invention is shown comprised of an optical receiver module  2 , an optical transmitter module  3 , and a housing  1  houses the optical receiver module  2  and the optical emitter module  3 .  
         [0017]     The housing  1  comprises a horizontal inside board  11 , which has a plurality of openings  111 , an accommodating chamber  12  defined above the horizontal inside board  11 , a receiving chamber  13  defined below the horizontal inside board  11 , a banknote outlet  15 , and a banknote delivery path  14  in communication between the accommodating chamber  12  and the banknote outlet  15 .  
         [0018]     The optical receiver module  2  is provided at one side of the banknote delivery path  14  adjacent to the banknote outlet  15 . The optical receiver module  2  is electrically connected to a control circuit, and comprised of resistors, capacitors, photoelectric transistors, and a photo sensor  21  (see  FIG. 4 ).  
         [0019]     The optical transmitter module  3  is provided at one side of the banknote delivery path  14  opposite to the optical receiver module  2 . The optical transmitter module  3  is electrically connected to the aforesaid control circuit, and comprised of resistors, capacitors, transistors, and a light emitting device  31  (see  FIG. 4 ). The light emitting device  31  faces the photo sensor  21 . The aforesaid control circuit controls the intensity of light of the light emitting device  31  by means of controlling the flowing of electric current to the light emitting device  31 . Light from the light emitting device  31  passes across the banknote delivery path  14  toward the photo sensor  21 . The photo sensor  21  sends detected light signal to the control circuit for comparison with a predetermined reference value.  
         [0020]     Further, the housing  1  houses a transmission wheel set  4  and an output wheel set  5 . The transmission wheel set  4  is mounted in the receiving chamber  13  below the horizontal inside board  11 , comprised of a plurality of wheels  41 . Some wheels  41  have a respective push block  411  fixedly provided at one side and protruding over the openings  111  of the horizontal inside board  11 . The output wheel set  5  is mounted in the accommodating chamber  12  between the horizontal inside board  11  and the banknote delivery path  14 , comprising a dispensing wheel  51 , an adjustment wheel  52 , and an impression wheel  53 . The dispensing wheel  51 , adjustment wheel  52  and impression wheel  53  of the output wheel set  5  are kept in contact with the periphery of the respective wheels  41  of the transmission wheel set  4 . The adjustment wheel  52  can be moved to adjust the pitch between the adjustment wheel  52  and the corresponding wheel  41 .  
         [0021]     Further, the aforesaid optical receiver module  2 , optical transmitter module  3 , transmission wheel set  4 , output wheel set  5  and control circuit (see  FIG. 4 ) are electrically connected with a driving mechanism (not shown). The control circuit controls the operation of the optical receiver module  2  and the optical transmitter module  3  and controls the transmission wheel set  4  and output wheel set  5  to pick up banknotes individually and to deliver each received banknote to the banknote outlet  15  subject to a set program. Further, the housing  1  is connected to a main unit (not shown). The main unit can be a computer, money exchanging machine, or vending machine. Through the main unit, the user can set the operation mode of the control circuit.  
         [0022]     Referring to  FIGS. 5 and 6  and  FIG. 3  again, a number of banknotes  6  are arranged in a stack inside the accommodating chamber  12  of the housing  1 . When started the mode of outputting a banknote, the transmission wheel set  4  is rotated forwards. During forward rotation of the wheels  41 , the push block  411  of one wheel  41  is rubbed over the first banknote of the banknotes  6  to carry the banknotes  6  toward the banknote outlet  15  and to further push the first banknote of the banknotes  6  toward the dispensing wheel  51  of the output wheel set  5 . When the banknotes  6  touched the dispensing wheel  51 , the dispensing wheel  51  pushes the banknotes  6  into a stepped status and carries the stepped banknotes  6  toward the impression wheel  53 , enabling the first banknote of the banknotes  6  to be transferred through the gap between the adjustment wheel  52  and the corresponding wheel  41  into the banknote delivery path  14 . At this time, the optical receiver module  2  and the optical transmitter module  3  are operated.  
         [0023]     Referring to  FIG. 7 , when started the optical receiver module  2  and the optical transmitter module  3 , the control circuit (see  FIG. 4 ) operates subject to the following steps:  
         [0024]     ( 101 ) proceeding with system initialization after start;  
         [0025]     ( 102 ) judging if there is a banknote for output? And then entering step ( 103 ) if positive, or repeating step ( 102 ) if negative;  
         [0026]     ( 103 ) driving the optical transmitter module to emit light and the optical receiver module to receive light signal directly from the optical transmitter module or via the banknote being transferred, and then entering step ( 104 );  
         [0027]     ( 104 ) comparing the value of the detected signal from the optical receiver module with the predetermined reference value, and then proceeding to step ( 105 ) if the two values are approximately equal, or to step ( 106 ) if the difference between these two values surpassed a predetermined value (two banknotes are outputted together);  
         [0028]     ( 105 ) continuing the operation of the optical transmitter module and the optical receiver module to detect if the banknote has been sent out or not? And then proceeding to step ( 108 ) if positive, or to step ( 106 ) if negative (overtime);  
         [0029]     ( 106 ) reversing the output wheel set and then proceeding to step ( 107 );  
         [0030]     ( 107 ) shutting down the device and then starting a troubleshooting operation; and  
         [0031]     ( 108 ) End.  
         [0032]     As indicated above, the invention uses an optical transmitter module and an optical receiver module to detect the transmittancy of the outputting banknote. When the transmittancy surpassed a predetermined value, it is judged to have multiple banknotes put together, preventing output of multiple banknotes at a time. The reference value can be obtained from the mean value of several tests. The obtained reference value is then written in the program of the control circuit. Therefore, different reference value can be accurately set for different banknotes.  
         [0033]     A prototype of banknote output control device has been constructed with the features of FIGS.  1 ˜ 7 . The banknote output control device functions smoothly to provide all of the features discussed earlier.  
         [0034]     Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.