Patent ID: 8245830

Claim:
A bill processing apparatus comprising: an insertion slot through which a bill is inserted; a bill housing part housing the bill having been inserted from the insertion slot; an opening receiving the bill into the bill housing part; a pair of regulatory members defining the opening; a regulatory piece provided to one of the regulatory members, protruding toward the opening, and having a lateral dimension shorter than a length of the bill so as to contact the bill only partially on a side edge of the bill; and a presser plate configured to pass through the opening and housing the bill in the bill housing part, the presser plate including a notch disposed at a position corresponding to a position of the regulatory piece so as to pass the opening without interference with the regulatory piece, wherein: the regulatory piece is rotatably supported by the one of the regulatory members, and is protrusible and retractable from the opening when the bill passes through the opening by the presser plate; and a sensor to detect the bill inserted from the insertion slot is provided such that passage of the bill through the opening is regulated by moving the presser plate until the sensor detects insertion of the bill.