Check-actuated control mechanisms – Control mechanism actuated by check – other than coin – which... – By pliant currency
Reexamination Certificate
2000-01-21
2002-07-02
Bidwell, James R. (Department: 3651)
Check-actuated control mechanisms
Control mechanism actuated by check, other than coin , which...
By pliant currency
C194S348000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06412619
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a bill processing unit used for e.g. a ending machine, a money-changing machine, a pachinko ball dispenser and a metal token dispenser.
BACKGROUND ART
In a main unit of dispensers handling bills (including coupons), a bill processing unit for judging the genuineness of an inserted bill and for storing only bills regarded as genuine is normally equipped.
The bill processing unit generally comprises bill transporting means which guides a bill inserted from a bill slot to the main body of the unit, bill identification means which judges the genuineness of the transported bill, and a stacker which sequentially stacks and contains the bills regarded as genuine.
FIG. 6
is a partially-cutaway schematic cross-sectional side view of a major portion of a conventional bill-processing unit
1
.
This bill processing unit
1
comprises a rectangular main body
2
, where a front mask
4
where a bill slot
3
is formed is removably attached at the lower part of the front face
2
a
of the main body
2
.
The front mask
4
where a bill slot
3
is formed is attached such that the tip, that is, the bill slot
3
, is exposed to the outside from a front mask attachment hole formed on a door at the front face of such equipment as a dispenser, which is not illustrated.
A bill detection sensor
5
for judging whether a bill is inserted from the bill slot
3
is disposed directly behind the bill slot
3
that is formed in the front mask
4
. Shutter means
7
for opening/closing a bill transporting route
6
connected to the bill slot
3
is disposed in the front mask
4
directly behind the bill detection sensor
5
.
The shutter means
7
comprises a shutter
7
a
that moves vertically in the arrow A direction, by elevation means, which is not illustrated. Since the shutter
7
a
is disposed at a location very close to the bill slot
3
, the shutter
7
a
is normally positioned at a position indicated by the solid line as an initial position, so as to open the bill transport route
6
, because if the shutter
7
a
closes the bill transport route
6
at the initial position, then a bill inserted from the bill slot
3
may directly contact the shutter
7
a
causing jamming.
The bill transporting route
6
connected to the bill slot
3
is L shaped, and comprises a horizontal portion
6
a
, which is substantially parallel to the bill insertion direction, and a vertical portion
6
b
, which rises up substantially in a vertical direction from the end of the horizontal portion
6
a.
The bill transporting means
8
for transporting the inserted bill along this L shaped bill transporting route
6
comprises a looped bill transporting belt
9
, which is extended along the horizontal portion
6
a
and the vertical portion
6
b
of the bill transporting route
6
, and belt driving means
10
which drives the rotation of the bill transporting belt
9
.
The belt driving means
10
comprises driving pulleys
11
,
12
and
13
for looping and stretching the bill transporting belt
9
, slave pulleys
14
and
15
, which are pressed against the cylindrical surface of the driving pulleys
11
and
12
disposed in the horizontal portion
6
a
of the bill transporting route
6
, and pulley driving means
16
, which drives the rotation of the above driving pulleys
11
,
12
and
13
. The pulley driving means
16
comprises a driving motor
17
and a power transmission device
18
for transferring the driving force of the driving motor
17
to the driving pulley
13
. An idle pulley
19
for adjusting the tension of the belt is pressed against the bill transporting belt
9
.
In the horizontal portion
6
a
of the bill transporting route
6
, which is located directly behind the bill slot
3
, the bill identification means
20
for judging the genuineness of an inserted bill is disposed.
This bill identification means
20
comprises various sensors including magnetic sensors, such as magnetic heads, for judging the genuineness of a bill, and photo sensors disposed facing each other. Elements
20
a
and
20
b
of the bill identification means
20
are disposed facing each other at a top chute
21
and a bottom chute
22
of the horizontal portion
6
a
of the bill transporting route
6
.
In accordance with this bill processing unit
1
, when a bill is inserted into the bill slot
3
, the bill detection sensor
5
, which is disposed in the front mask
4
, detects the existence of the inserted bill, the inserted bill is transported horizontally in the right direction shown in the drawing along the horizontal portion
6
a
of the bill transporting route
6
by the transporting force of the bill transporting belt
9
, which rotates counterclockwise, which is the normal rotation, based on the detection signal.
When the inserted bill is horizontally transported in the right direction shown in the drawing along the horizontal portion
6
a
of the bill transporting route
6
by normal rotation (counterclockwise rotation) of the bill transporting belt
9
, and passes the bill identification means
20
, the bill identification means
20
judges the genuineness of the inserted bill.
If the bill identification means
20
judges the inserted bill as counterfeit, the bill transporting belt
9
rotates in reverse (clockwise rotation), so as to return the inserted bill back through the bill slot
3
.
If the bill identification means
20
judges the inserted bill as genuine, the bill transporting belt
9
continues normal rotation based on the detection signal, the inserted bill is transported changing direction to substantially 90° up along the vertical portion
6
b
of the bill transporting route
6
, and is transported to the stacker
21
which is removably disposed on the rear face
2
b
of the main body
2
, where the inserted bill, regarded as genuine, is stacked in the stacker
21
one by one via a known bill storing means.
As the known bill storing means, which is not illustrated here, disposed in the main body
2
, various types are available, for example, the type that contains bills in the stacker
21
using a pantograph type linking mechanism, or the type that contains bills in the stacker
21
by rotating a drum which has bill insertion slots on its surface.
In the conventional bill processing unit
1
, a part of the L shaped bottom chute
22
of the bill transporting route
6
is structured to be rotatable on an axis, not illustrated here, as shown by arrow B, so as to make easier the maintenance and inspection operations of the bill identification means
20
, such as cleaning, easier. Further, at the maintenance and inspection operations, the L shaped bottom chute
22
is rotated clockwise to expand the space between the top chute
21
and the bottom chute
21
, which makes it easier to clean each element
20
a
and
20
b
of the bill identification means
20
.
Since the L shaped bottom chute
22
is supported to be rotatable as shown by the arrow B, the element
20
b
of the bill identification means
20
, disposed at the bottom chute
21
, and a control unit, not illustrated here, disposed in the main body
2
, are electrically connected by one cable
23
which is connected to the control unit, the other cable
24
which is connected to the element
20
b
of the bill identification means
20
, and a connector
25
which connects these cables
23
and
24
.
In
FIG. 6
, the numeral
26
indicates a stacker motor, which is disposed in the main body
2
, and drives the bill storing means.
In accordance with the above mentioned conventional bill processing unit
1
, each element
20
a
and
20
b
of the bill identification means
20
is disposed in the horizontal portion
6
a
of the bill transporting route
6
located directly behind the bill slot
3
. Therefore, if liquid, such as salt water, enters from the bill slot
3
, for example, the liquid would easily reach the elements
20
a
and
20
b
of the bill identification means
20
, and when the liquid attaches and dries on the elements
20
a
and
20
b
of the bill identification means
20
, the bill identification fun
Ito Yukio
Kodama Yasuyuki
Mikami Mitsugu
Mori Yoshikazu
Bidwell James R.
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Conlux
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