Patent ID: 7364157

Claim:
A compact banknote dispensing device, comprising: a banknote supply storing section for storing one or more banknotes; a banknote transporting unit for transporting a stored banknote, the banknote transporting unit being adjacent to the banknote supply storing section for receiving a stored banknote from the banknote supply storing section, wherein the banknote transporting unit includes a U-shaped transporting path including a first roller, a guiding roller and a second transporting roller, the first roller being adjacent to the banknote supply storing section, the guiding roller being adjacent the first roller to receive the banknote on a side opposite to the side of the first roller, the second roller being disposed on the side of the first roller on a side opposite to the guiding roller to enable the transported banknote to traverse a U-shaped path around the first roller, the guiding roller, and the second roller; a banknote length sensor unit located within the banknote transporting unit adjacent to the U-shaped transporting path for detecting a length of transported banknotes; and a dispensing slot for dispensing the transported banknotes, wherein the banknote length sensor unit is adjacent to the U-shaped transporting path, the banknote length sensor comprising a first banknote sensor and a second banknote sensor, the first banknote sensor being adjacent to the first roller to detect the banknote as it is received by the first roller, the second banknote sensor being disposed between the guiding roller and the second roller so that the first sensor and the second sensor are spaced at a distance along the U-shaped transporting path that is less than the length of the shortest valid banknotes, wherein the banknote supply storing section is inclined at an angle to permit the stored banknotes to be stored in a more compact longitudinal distance and to facilitate discharging of banknotes in a downward direction.