U.S. patent application number 12/283257 was filed with the patent office on 2009-01-15 for currency sorter.
This patent application is currently assigned to Glory Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha a corporation of Japan. Invention is credited to Yoshifumi Kawabata, Akito Kuroda, Junichi Sekiguchi, Yasushi Yokota.
Application Number | 20090013653 12/283257 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 35517236 |
Filed Date | 2009-01-15 |
United States Patent
Application |
20090013653 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sekiguchi; Junichi ; et
al. |
January 15, 2009 |
Currency sorter
Abstract
A currency sorter has: take-in means (106) for taking currency
notes in sorter one by one; discriminating means (105) for
discriminating the currency notes; stacking means (111 to 115) for
stacking the currency notes according to the discrimination result
obtained by said discriminating means; bundling means (200) for
bundling a predetermined number of the currency notes; a money
returning unit at which an odd currency note which is a fraction of
the predetermined number of the currency notes is returned, first
conveyer means for conveying the predetermined number of the
currency notes from all deposited in said stacking means with
grabbing them to the bundling means; and second conveyer means for
conveying the odd currency notes left in the stacking means with
grabbing them to said money returning unit. The sorter may further
have printing means (212) for imprinting predetermined information
on a band supplied to said bundling means; and print control means
(400) for controlling said printing means imprint information
indicating one of stacking means from which the currency notes are
derived, whether stacked currency notes are mixture of the new and
old versions or discriminatively stacked new or old version or
whether the currency notes are mixture of the fit and unfit
conditions or discriminatively stacked fit and unfit condition.
Inventors: |
Sekiguchi; Junichi;
(Himeji-Shi, JP) ; Yokota; Yasushi; (Himeji-Shi,
JP) ; Kuroda; Akito; (Himeji-Shi, JP) ;
Kawabata; Yoshifumi; (Himeji-Shi, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
RENNER KENNER GREIVE BOBAK TAYLOR & WEBER
FIRST NATIONAL TOWER FOURTH FLOOR, 106 S. MAIN STREET
AKRON
OH
44308
US
|
Assignee: |
Glory Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha a
corporation of Japan
Himeji-Shi
JP
|
Family ID: |
35517236 |
Appl. No.: |
12/283257 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
11243268 |
Oct 4, 2005 |
|
|
|
12283257 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
53/531 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07D 11/50 20190101;
B65H 31/3045 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/531 |
International
Class: |
B65B 35/30 20060101
B65B035/30 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 4, 2004 |
JP |
2004-291409 |
Mar 23, 2005 |
JP |
2005-84426 |
Claims
1. A currency sorter comprising: discriminating means for
discriminating currency notes taken in from a depositing slit or a
stacking unit; a plurality of stacking means for stacking currency
to be bundled; first conveyer means for conveying the currency
notes to separate stacking means according to the discrimination
results obtained by said discriminating means; bundling means for
bundling the currency notes with a band; second conveyer means for
taking out a predetermined number of the currency notes from said
stacking means and for convening them to said bundling means;
printing means for imprinting predetermined information on a band
supplied to said bundling means and print control means for
controlling said printing means to imprint information indicating
one of stacking means from which the currency notes are derived or
condition of the currency notes according to discriminating results
by the discriminating means.
2. The currency sorter according to claim 1, wherein the
information indicating condition of the currency notes is new and
old versions discriminated by the discriminating means, wherein the
currency sorter further comprises setting means for setting
bundling modes whether currency notes of the new and old versions
are bundled discriminatively by new/old or mixed, and wherein said
first conveyor means conveys the currency notes to separate
stacking means according to the settings by said setting means and
the determination results obtained by said discriminating
means.
3. The currency sorter according to claim 1, wherein the
information indicating condition of the currency notes is fit and
unfit discriminated by the discriminating means, wherein the
currency sorter further comprises setting means to set bundling
modes whether currency notes of the fit and unfit are bundled
discriminatively by fit/unfit or mixed, and wherein said first
conveyor means conveys the currency notes to separate stacking
means according to the settings by said setting means and the
determination results obtained by said discriminating means.
4. The currency sorter according to claim 1, wherein the
information indicating condition of the currency notes is new and
old versions and fit and unfit discriminated by the discriminating
means, wherein the currency sorter further comprises setting means
to set bundling modes whether currency notes of new and old
versions are bundled discriminatively by new/old or mixed and
whether currency notes of fit and unfit are bundled
discriminatively by new/old or mixed , and wherein said first
conveyor means conveys the currency notes to separate stacking
means according to the settings by said setting means and the
determination results obtained by said discriminating means.
5. A currency sorter comprising: discriminating means for
discriminating currency notes taken in from a depositing slit or a
stacking unit; a plurality of stacking means for stacking currency
to be bundled; first conveyer means for conveying the currency
notes to separate stacking means according to the discrimination
results obtained by said discriminating means; bundling means for
bundling the currency notes with a band; second conveyer means for
taking out a predetermined number of the currency notes from said
stacking means and for convening them to said bundling means;
printing means for imprinting predetermined information on a band
supplied to said bundling means and print control means for
controlling said printing means to imprint information indicating
one of stacking means from which the currency notes are derived and
condition of the currency notes according to discriminating results
by the discriminating means.
6. The currency sorter according to claim 5, wherein the
information indicating condition of the currency notes is new and
old versions discriminated by the discriminating means, wherein the
currency sorter further comprises setting means for setting
bundling modes whether currency notes of the new and old versions
are bundled discriminatively by new/old or mixed, and wherein said
first conveyor means conveys the currency notes to separate
stacking means according to the settings by said setting means and
the determination results obtained by said discriminating
means.
7. The currency sorter according to claim 5, wherein the
information indicating condition of the currency notes is fit and
unfit discriminated by the discriminating means, wherein the
currency sorter further comprises setting means to set bundling
modes whether currency notes of the fit and unfit are bundled
discriminatively by fit/unfit or mixed, and wherein said first
conveyor means conveys the currency notes to separate stacking
means according to the settings by said setting means and the
determination results obtained by said discriminating means.
8. The currency sorter according to claim 5, wherein the
information indicating condition of the currency notes is new and
old versions and fit and unfit discriminated by the discriminating
means, wherein the currency sorter further comprises setting means
to set bundling modes whether currency notes of new and old
versions are bundled discriminatively by new/old or mixed and
whether currency notes of fit and unfit are bundled
discriminatively by new/old or mixed , and wherein said first
conveyor means conveys the currency notes to separate stacking
means according to the settings by said setting means and the
determination results obtained by said discriminating means.
9. The currency sorter according to claim 8, wherein said print
control means uses a single alphabetical letter to designate any
combination of the new and old version data, the fit and unfit
condition data, and the data on said stacking means.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a division of U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 11/243,268 filed Oct. 4, 2005.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a currency sorter, and more
particularly, to the one that serves to take in mixed currency
deposited in sheets, discriminate, sort them out denominations,
face values, or versions, put them into stacking units, and bundle
a predetermined number of the notes.
BACKGROUND ART
[0003] In financial companies and organizations, a currency sorter
is generally used to facilitate organizing and handling deposited
currency notes. When a bunch of currency notes of normal and unfit
conditions and of various face amounts together are deposited
(normal notes are referred to as "fit notes" hereinafter while
"unfit notes" means those which are significantly fatigue due to
grime and breakage), such a currency sorter serves to sort the
currency notes according to their respective denominations and
fit/unfit conditions and then bundle a hundred of the notes, for
example, with a band.
[0004] A prior art sorter of the similar type can handle at most
the currency notes of only three face values of 1,000 yen, 5,000
yen, and 10,000 yen, for instance, and the typical sorter is
disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 2597752 (
Patent Document 1).
[0005] The Patent document 1 describes a sorter that includes the
external stacking units for the currency notes of the
above-identified face values and two built-in stacking units. When
odd notes which are fractions of a predetermined number of the
currency notes are still left in the stacking units subsequent to
bundling the last of a hundred of them, the stacking units are
eventually evacuated by removing the odd notes.
[0006] In the currency sorter disclosed in Japanese Patent
Laid-open Publication No. 2003-141606 ( Patent Document 2), data
such as a name of the financial company or organization, a branch
office number, a date of handling, and the like are generally
printed on the bundling band of individual bundles of the currency
notes, and it is processed that a serial number is given to each
bundle to specify it.
[0007] The Patent Document 2, namely, discloses a manner in which a
printing means is used to imprint process information data showing
how the bundle of the currency notes have been processed in each
handling and processing units. Specifically, the printed process
information data gives information about whether the bundle of the
notes are derived from an external stacking units or from a
built-in stacking units and/or information about whether they are
bundled notes to be released or to be stacked.
[0008] The Patent Document 2 also discloses a manner in which the
printed process information data on the bundle of the currency
notes is so specific as to give information about time when the
bundle was processed. This permits a staff member to track the time
when the bunch of the notes were bundled, from the printed letters
on the bundling band. Additionally, the invention also teaches that
the bundling band contains a printed data on an operator to give
definite information about who was in charge of processing the
bundle of the notes.
[0009] However, it is an annoying task to evacuate a fraction of
the predetermined number of the currency notes from the stacking
unit. Actually, the operator, after opening a front door of the
sorter by a hand, must peep into the sorter to seek for the
currency notes left in the stacking unit and then thrust his or her
arm through a narrow clearance around the door to grasp and take
out the notes.
[0010] On the other hand, if the various process information data
were put on the bundling band, it is difficult to diagnose various
malfunctions caused during the bundling.
[0011] Such malfunctions apt to occur during the bundling are often
resulted from some troubles caused in the previous stage during
putting the currency notes in stacking. For instance, it is
empirically known regarding the frequently caused bundling failure
that the currency notes have often their corner bent due to a
switch nail in the course of conveying them into the stacking
units, and/or an organizing mechanism fails to put the notes into
an orderly heap in the stacking units, either case of which results
the currency notes in being stacked so awkwardly as to lead to
unsatisfactory results of the bundling.
[0012] If it can be supposed from the bundling band how the
bundling failure occurred due to the currency notes lousily stacked
in stacking, it is still unknown which stacking unit is the place
that developed the bundling failure, and this makes a diagnosis of
the malfunction difficult.
[0013] In a sorter with means adapted to switch a sorting manner
between sorting out new and old versions of the currency and
bundling the mixed currency notes without discrimination of the
versions, one cannot tell any specific bunch is of the mixed
currency notes till all the notes in the bunch are checked. In the
case that all but one in the bunch are the notes of the new
version, since the setting contents cannot be known, it is hard to
track how the single note of the old version was immixed and also
hard to presume if it is as a result of the selected sorting manner
or rather of failure in the sorting, or of the existence of some
bugs in administrative software program. This kind of trouble is
caused not only in handling the mixed currency of the new and old
versions but in the case of a sorter with the discriminatively
switching means for sorting out the fit and unfit conditions to
bundle them in separate bundles or bundling the mixed notes
together.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0014] The present invention is made to overcome the
above-mentioned disadvantages, and accordingly, it is an object of
the present invention to provide a currency sorter that facilitates
retrieving and returning a fraction of a predetermined number of
currency notes left unbundled and that also facilitates diagnosing
failure in the bundling.
[0015] According to the first aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a currency sorter comprising: [0016] take-in
means for taking currency notes in the sorter one by one, [0017]
discriminating means for discriminating the currency notes; [0018]
stacking means for stacking the currency notes according to the
discrimination result obtained by said discriminating means; [0019]
bundling means for bundling a predetermined number of the currency
notes; [0020] a money returning unit at which an odd currency note
which is a fraction of the predetermined number of the currency
notes is returned; [0021] first conveyer means for conveying the
predetermined number of the currency notes from all deposited in
said stacking means with grabbing them to said bundling means; and
[0022] second conveyer means for conveying the odd currency notes
left in the stacking means with grabbing them to said money
returning unit.
[0023] In the first aspect of the present invention, a currency
sorter is provided with means for conveying currency notes from a
stacking unit to a bundling unit and an additional means for
conveying odd currency notes left in the stacking unit to retrieve
them to a money returning unit, and therefore, an annoying task of
thrusting an arm through a partial clearance of the sorter to grab
and take out the notes remaining therein is no longer needed.
[0024] According to the second aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a currency sorter comprising: [0025] a main body;
[0026] take-in means for taking currency notes in said main body;
[0027] discriminating means for discriminating the currency notes,
[0028] a plurality of stacking means vertically juxtaposed
approximately at the center in the hind area of the main body for
stacking the currency notes of predetermined categories according
to the discrimination results obtained by said discriminating
means; [0029] bundling means located under the stacking means, for
bundling a predetermined number of the currency notes; [0030] a
money returning unit located above the stacking means at which an
odd currency note which is a fraction of the predetermined number
of the currency notes being returned; [0031] conveyer means located
behind the money returning unit, the stacking means, and the
bundling means and capable of moving up and down, for conveying
predetermined number of the currency notes from all deposited in
said stacking means to said bundling means and also grabbing the
odd currency notes left in said stacking means to said money
returning unit.
[0032] In the second aspect of the present invention, the currency
sorter is provided with conveyer means capable of moving up and
down behind the stacking unit, the bundling unit, and the money
returning unit for holding the predetermined number of the currency
notes stacked in the stacking unit to transfer them to the bundling
unit and for holding a fraction of the predetermined number of the
currency notes left in the stacking unit to transfer them to the
money returning unit. The single means of the sorter serves to
transfer both the bunch of the currency notes ready to bundle and
the odd money in sheets, and this simplified structure enables
reduced manufacturing cost. Additionally, since the money returning
unit can be located at a certain height in the front of the sorter,
and the odd notes can be easily taken out.
[0033] According to the third aspect of the present invention,
there is provided a currency sorter comprising: [0034]
discriminating means for discriminating currency notes taken in
from a depositing slit or a stacking unit; [0035] a plurality of
stacking means for stacking currency notes to be bundled; [0036]
first conveyer means for conveying the currency notes to separately
according to the discrimination results obtained by said
discriminating means; [0037] bundling means for bundling the
currency notes with a band, [0038] second conveyer means for taking
out a predetermined number of the currency notes from said stacking
means and for convening them to said bundling means; [0039]
printing means for imprinting predetermined information on a band
supplied to said bundling means; and [0040] print controller for
controlling said printing means imprint information indicating one
of said stacking means from which the currency notes are
derived.
[0041] Information may be imprinted on a band bundling the currency
notes to show if the bunch of the currency notes are only of new or
old version as a result of the discriminative sorting, or if they
are only of fit or unfit condition, or rather, such information may
be combined with additional information about stacking unit from
which the currency notes are derived from. Such a combination can
be designated by a single alphabetical letter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0042] FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing an
inner structure of an exemplary currency sorter according to the
present invention,
[0043] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cooperative relation
of a lift unit with a money returning unit,
[0044] FIGS. 3A to 3D are diagrams showing a sequence of actions of
the sorter to take out a batch of or a fraction of a predetermined
number of currency notes from a stacking unit,
[0045] FIGS. 4A to 4F are diagrams showing a sequence of actions of
the lift unit relative to the odd money returning unit,
[0046] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a mode setting
screen presented on an operation display during bundling a bundle
of currency notes with a band,
[0047] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an ordinary operation where the
currency notes are sorted according to denominations without
sorting out new and old versions of the notes before bundling a
bunch of them with a band,
[0048] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of contents printed
in the bundling band,
[0049] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing examples of alphabetical letters
that designate the new and/or old versions of the notes in a bundle
derived from one of several stacking units,
[0050] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing examples of alphabetical letters
that designate the fit and/or unfit conditions of the notes in a
bundle derived from one of the several stacking units, and
[0051] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing further examples of
alphabetical letters that designate the new and/or old versions and
the fit and/or unfit conditions of the notes in a bundle derived
from one of the several stacking units.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0052] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described
with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0053] FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view schematically showing an
inner structure of an exemplary currency sorter in accordance with
the present invention.
[0054] A currency sorter 10 has an operation display unit 11 at its
top, a sorter/stacking unit 100 in its upper frontal area, a
bundling unit 200 in its lower frontal area, and a conveyer unit
300 at its back.
<Sorter/Stacking Unit 100>
[0055] The sorter has a receiving slit 101 approximately at the
center of the front to receive currency notes, and the deposited
mixed notes of various denominations are taken in by rollers 102
and 103 to convey them along on a conveying route 104.
[0056] In the middle of the conveying route 104, a discrimination
unit 105 is located to identify the currency notes with
denominations, fit and unfit conditions, authenticated and
counterfeit entities, and front and reverse orientations. The
discrimination unit 105 herein is capable of discriminating new and
old design versions of the currency notes of the same
denomination.
[0057] The conveying route is branched ahead of the discrimination
unit 105, and as a result of the discrimination by the
discrimination unit 105, the notes identified with the unfit and
the counterfeit are thrown as rejected sheets in a stacking unit
106. The authenticated notes recognized as in the fit condition
further undergo inspections of their respective front or reverse
orientations to be stacked head to tail into a orderly heap by a
front-back reversing unit 107, and thereafter, they are sorted
according to other requirements and then transferred to one of
stacking units 111 to 115 for the later processing of bunching and
bundling with a band.
[0058] The stacking units 111 to 115 have their respective stacking
stages 111a to 115a that can be moved up and down by a lift means
(not shown).
[0059] In FIG. 1, the stacking units 111 to 115 are ready to load.
Walls extending over upper 2/3 dimension of the stacking units,
which are denoted by alphanumerical reference signs 111b to 115b,
have their respective lowest ends leveled with the stages 111a to
115a, and hence, the currency notes deposited in the stacking units
bump against the walls 111b to 115b and temporarily settled
therein. Weight plates 111c to 115c pivot depending upon an amount
of the deposited notes and press them down so as to prevent the
notes from flirting out over the walls. The stages 111a to 115a and
the walls 111b to 115b have their respective slits that permit a
conveyer hand as mentioned below to freely move through.
[0060] On the other hand, the remaining currency notes, which are
left without undergoing the subsequent bundling process, are
transferred to external stacking units 121 and 122.
[0061] These stacking units 111 to 115 and the external stacking
units 121 and 122 can be used to discriminatively stack various
types of currency notes in various manners by varying settings
depending upon the categories such as denominations, fit and unfit
conditions, new and old versions of the currency notes and
combinations of them. Descriptions of the settings are omitted
herein since they are simply of minor concerns of the present
invention.
[0062] A money returning unit 130 is located under the operation
display 11, and a fraction of a predetermined number of the
currency notes left in the stacking units without undergoing the
subsequent process of bundling are retrieved to return therein. The
money returning unit 130 has a tray 131 with a contact lever 132
extending from its bottom, and a tip 132a of the contact lever is
pushed from behind to let the tray 131 move forward, which allows a
front shutter 133 to open so as to further stuck the tray forward
as depicted by dashed-dot line, thereby enabling an operator to
take out the fractional number of the currency notes. Further
structures and functions of this part will be detailed later.
<Bundling Unit 200>
[0063] A bundling unit 200 located under the sorter/stacking unit
100 serves to wind a band around a bunch of currency notes after a
predetermined number (e.g., a hundred) of them are sorted and
stacked.
[0064] The bunch of the currency notes, when reaches one hundred in
number in the stacking unit 111 to 115, are transferred through the
conveyer unit 300 to a stack unit 201 where the currency notes are
held by pressing up and down thereon.
[0065] A rotary mechanism 202 is provided to wind bundling tape in
position around the press-held currency notes, and its rotary
motion makes the bundling tape 204 hold the bundle of the notes
tight while a bundling mechanism 205 pinches one end of the
bundling tape released from a tape box 203. Thus, after winding the
bundling tape up, the end of the tape is cut by a cutter and
thermally bonded by a heater 207 to bundle the notes.
[0066] The bundled currency notes are transferred on a belt
conveyer mechanism 208 and stacked down to a sorter outlet 209 in
the course to which provided are a stamp 210 imprinting on the
bundling tape a mark of a financial company that handled and
processed the notes, and another stamp 211 imprinting on the
bundling tape a mark indicative of unfit notes.
[0067] A run out mechanism of the bundling tape 204 is provided
with a printer 212 printing a date of the bundling process, a time
of the same, a serial number of the processing machine, processing
data featured according to the present invention, an identification
number of a person in charge, and the like.
[0068] The bundled currency notes may be sent to the sorter outlet
as in this embodiment, and alternatively, as in an apparatus
disclosed in Japanese Patent Preliminary Publication No.
2003-141606, the bundled currency notes may be put in stacking in a
housing.
[0069] The conveyer unit 300 at the back of the sorter transports
both the currency notes ready to bundle in the following stage and
the odd notes left in sheets, between the stacking units 111 to 115
and the bundling unit 200 or the money returning unit 130.
<Conveyer Unit 300>
[0070] The conveyer unit 300 is comprised of a guide shaft 301
vertically extended between lower and upper ends of the sorter, a
lift unit 310 operatively engaged with the guide shaft 301 to move
up and down, and a driving belt 302 used to move the lift unit 301
up and down.
[0071] The lift unit 310 has a block 312 that is operatively held
on a belt mechanism 311 to move backward and forward, and the block
312 is provided with a fixed lower hand 313 and an upper hand 314
vertically movable along the shaft 315 by means of the belt 316.
The hands 313 and 314 press up and down on the currency notes
stacked and ready to bundle or the currency notes left in sheets in
the stacking units 111 to 115 and take them out therefrom to
transfer to the bundling unit 200 and the odd money returning tray
131 of the money returning unit.
[0072] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a cooperative relation
of the lift unit 310 with the money returning unit 130.
[0073] The odd money returning tray 131 is a component having walls
at its lateral sides and backside, and a slide rail 134 provided on
the lateral sides permits the tray to slide forward and backward.
Several extension springs 135, having their respective one ends
attached to the lateral sides of the odd money tray, continually
urge the tray toward the conveyer unit 300.
[0074] FIG. 2 partially depicts the lift unit 310, and upper hands
314 are also shown being engaged respectively with three guide
shafts 315 to move up and down, thereby assuredly holding currency
notes between the upper hands 314 and fixed lower hands 313.
[0075] The tray 131 is provided with three slits 136 that permit
the upper and lower hands 314 and 313 freely to pass through, and
an extension of the slit 136 is greater than a length of grabbers
of the upper hands 314.
[0076] The tray 131 has the contact lever 132 at its bottom. The
contact lever 132 bends twice; that is, it extends down from the
bottom of the tray by a distance sufficiently greater than a
thickness of the lower hand 313, and then turns horizontally
backward, and this horizontal portion is followed by an additional
downward extension. The contact lever 132a is mated with the upper
and lower hands 314 and 313 and is pushed forward along with the
tray 131 so as to return the odd currency notes.
[0077] Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the functions of the
conveyer unit 300 will be described in detail.
[0078] FIG. 3 illustrates a sequence of steps in taking out the
currency notes ready to bundle or the odd notes from the stacking
unit. An example of evacuating the currency notes from the
lowermost stacking unit 111 will now be described.
[0079] First, a lift means (not shown) makes the stage 111a go down
to the lowest level in the stacking unit 111. The lift unit 310
also goes down along the guide shaft 301 by means of the belt 302,
to a predetermined level relative to the target stacking unit 111,
namely, to a level where an upper surface of the lower hand 313 is
lower than the currency note at the bottom of the bundle 400. The
belt 316 works to raise the upper hand 314 to a level where its
lower surface is higher than the currency note at the top of the
bundle 400. This leads both the hands 313 and 314 to their
respective open positions.
[0080] Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the belt 311 moves to advance the
block 312 to leave the bundle of the currency notes 400 between the
upper and lower hands 314 and 313. During this action, the slits in
the wall 111b and the stage 111a letting the hands pass through,
there is no conflict between these components.
[0081] As can be seen in FIG. 3C, the belt 316 works to make the
upper hand 315 go down, and the upper hand 314 along with the lower
hand tightly hold the bundle of the currency notes 400
therebetween.
[0082] Further, as will be recognized in FIG. 3D, the belt 311
moves to enable the block 312 to recede, and hence, both the hands
313 and 314, while holding the bundle of the currency notes 400,
become movable upward and downward together. Thus, when the
currency notes reach the predetermined number and are ready to
undergo the bundling with the tape, the lift unit goes down to the
level of the bundling unit 200, and when they are odd in number,
the lift unit goes up to the level of the odd money returning unit
130.
[0083] After evacuating the stacking unit 111, the stage 111a in
the stacking unit is raised to its initial standby position.
[0084] FIG. 4 illustrates a sequence of actions of the lift unit
310 relative to the odd money returning unit 130.
[0085] Referring to FIG. 4A, the belt 302 is driven while both the
hands 313 and 314 hold the odd notes as shown in FIG. 3D, and thus,
the lift unit 310 goes up. The odd notes 400 are raised to a
position higher than the level of the wall of the tray 131.
[0086] Then, as shown in FIG. 4B, the belt 311 is driven to advance
the block 312 to a position where the entire extension of the odd
notes 400 falls in a range of the emptiness in the tray 131 fit
under.
[0087] After that, as shown in FIG. 4C, driving the belt 302 causes
the whole lift unit 310 to go down, and the slit 136 provided in
the tray 131 permits the lower hand 313 to freely pass through. In
this stage of the process, it is preferable to position an upper
surface of the lower hand 313 so as to be flat with an inner bottom
surface of the tray 131. In this way, the odd notes 400 are
entirely accommodated in the tray 131.
[0088] As in FIG. 4D, the belt 311 and the belt 316 are
simultaneously driven to make the upper hand 314 go up and make the
block to recede. Thus, the odd notes 400 are released and left in
the tray 131.
[0089] Then, the belt 316 is driven to move the upper hand 314
downward till it comes in contact with the lower hand 313, and the
belt 302 is further driven to move the lift unit 310 downward till
the hands reach a level where they are to comes in contact with a
contact 132a of the contact lever 132.
[0090] Subsequently, as depicted in FIG. 4F, as the belt 311 is
driven to advance the block 312, the hands 313 and 314 push the
contact lever 132a, and this results in the whole tray 131 being
stuck forward. The shutter 133, which is located ahead of the tray
131, pivots about a rotation axis attached at its upper portion,
and this allows the tray to slide under the shutter to the outside
of the sorter, thereby facilitating to pick the currency notes up.
Thus, FIGS. 4E to 4F depict the steps of returning the currency
notes.
[0091] After completing the returning procedure, as a sensor (not
shown) detects that the odd notes have been evacuated from the
tray, the block 312 is forced to recede and urge the extension
spring 132 in FIG. 2 to pull the tray backward, and the shutter 133
is closed and ready for the next sequence.
[0092] Eliminating a dedicated drive means for moving the tray
forward and backward beneficially brings about the reduced
manufacturing cost and the downsizing of the currency sorter, as a
whole.
[0093] As has been described, the currency sorter according to the
present invention facilitates taking out the odd notes left in
sheets without undergoing the bundling process, and this is unlike
a prior art currency sorter in that this embodiment no longer
necessitate an annoying sequence of the steps of opening part of
the sorter to grab and remove the odd notes.
[0094] The processes of conveying the currency notes to the
bundling unit and conveying the odd notes to the odd money
returning unit share the same conveyer means, and this also
simplifies the structure of the currency sorter and contributes to
the cost reduction. The odd money returning unit can be set in a
higher position in the front of the sorter, and this enhances
accessibility to the notes in the sorter to satisfactorily get rid
of the clumsy manipulation in the prior art embodiment.
[0095] Thorough evacuation of the odd currency notes from the
sorter can be conducted by applying the sequences as in FIGS. 3 and
4 to all the stacking units.
[0096] In such a manner, conducting the sequence of the returning
for each stacking unit, the returning of the odd notes can be
supervised for individual categories of the bundled currency notes,
as desired in an administrative point of view.
[0097] The odd notes derived from more than one stacking units may
be gathered in the tray 131 so as to pick them all up in the odd
money returning unit.
[0098] In such a manner, evacuating the tray only once enables to
return all the odd notes, as intended to attain more efficient
operation.
[0099] The sequence of the aforementioned process steps can be
preprogrammed so as to control in each of the units of the sorter,
and such preprogramming facilitates a retrieval of the odd notes,
for example, by simply pressing a return button.
[0100] There is only one lift unit in the above-mentioned
embodiment, but two lift units of the same type can be engaged with
the guide shaft; i.e., the lower one is dedicated to the
transportation of the batch of the notes ready to bundle while the
upper one is used only for retrieving the odd notes. In this way,
the sequence of the operation steps can be quickened. Two of the
lift units are as defined as first and second conveyer means in
claim 1 appended hereto.
<Control Unit 400>
[0101] A control unit 400 is provided to control the total
operation of the currency sorter as a whole. The control unit 400
has a microprocessor serving as the control means, and a
communication means using communication line for connecting the
microprocessor with a supercomputer such as the one introduced in
the center of a financial company or organization. Such a
communication means serves to send data on all the circumstances
within the currency sorter one after another to the super
computer.
[0102] The control unit 400 also functions as a printer control
unit that determines letters to print on the bundling tape in
response to the process command given by an operator and to actual
processing situations, so as to give print instructions to a
printer 212.
[0103] In FIG. 1, the control unit 400 is depicted residing under
the bundling unit 200 for convenience sake, but it can be placed in
any spatially available part within the sorter, as a matter of the
design, for example, behind the operation display unit 11.
[0104] In the currency sorter configured as stated above, the
present invention provides an improved design of the stacking units
of the currency notes ready to bundle with the tape and the
external stacking units of the notes to be left unbundled, which
can be respectively allocated to individual categories of the
currency notes according to their respective denominations, fit and
unfit conditions, new and old versions, and so forth.
[0105] FIG. 5 shows an exemplary mode setting screen presented in
the operation display, which is evoked as a result of touching the
uppermost setting button in the leftmost column. The screen is
configured in a touch panel that presents guidance to various
manipulations of the sorter only by letting the operator touch some
part on the screen.
[0106] There are various setting buttons in the leftmost,
rightmost, and second rightmost columns in the screen, and the
operator touches the buttons to select the denominations,
conditions, and versions of the currency notes to dump in the
stacking units and the external stacking units.
[0107] The second leftmost column gives the descriptions of the
settings selected for each stacking unit and values of the money
handled. The uppermost and second uppermost rows show the settings
in relation to the external stacking units 121 and 122, and the
next four rows show the settings relative to the stacking units 111
to 114. The stacking unit 115 is of a supplemental use in case that
any of the stacking units 111 to 114 becomes full.
[0108] FIG. 5 shows an example of the mixed notes stacked in two of
the external stacking units 121 and 122, and the fit 5,000-yen
notes of both the new and old versions, the unfit 5,000-yen notes
of both the versions, the fit 2,000-yen notes of both the versions,
and the unfit 2,000-yen notes of both the versions stacked in four
of the stacking units 111 to 114, respectively. The terms "mixed"
and "of both the new and old versions" will be explained later.
[0109] The remaining part of the screen below these setting
descriptions gives the subtotals for the notes of the individual
denominations and the total for the all.
[0110] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of various settings
of the processing on the currency sorter according to the present
invention.
[0111] A case depicted in FIG. 6 is the normal non-discriminative
handling of the notes of the old version from those of the new
version, and the denominations of the currency notes to bundle with
the tape are selected.
[0112] In more detail, the selected mode is a bundling mode where
the denominations of the notes to bundle with the tape are to be
selected. The bundling mode is an initial value (default
value).
[0113] As shown in FIG. 1, there are five of the stacking units
which are enough in number to respectively allocate to the
individual denominations of 10,000 yen, 5,000 yen, 2,000 yen, and
1,000 yen. Allowing for an actual amount passed in the market, the
default value is selecting all of the four denominations, and any
combination of single, double and triple denominations can also be
selected from the four of them since it is not always desired to
bundle the all. The initial value can vary among 10,000 in
selecting the single denomination, 10,000 and 1,000 in selecting
the double denominations, and 10,000, 5,000 and 1,000 in selecting
the triple denominations, and this also can be changed to any
single denomination or any combination of the denominations as
desired.
[0114] For all the denominations and the combinations thereof, an
additional selection can be made according to the conditions of the
notes, namely, fit or unfit. More specific discrimination is made
among the fit notes of good condition, the unfit notes of poor
condition, the mixed fit notes, and the mixed unfit notes so that
one of them can be selected, although the initial value is the fit
notes. The "mixed fit notes" are a batch of the currency notes that
are stacked without discrimination of the fit notes from the unfit
notes and then bundled where the unfit notes in the bundle are
exceptionally regarded as the fit notes. The "mixed unfit notes"
are a batch of the currency notes under the mixed condition of fit
and unfit, and after bundled, they have a mark indicating "unfit"
stamped on the bundling tape.
[0115] There is still another choice between the new and old
versions of the currency. When the currency is changed in design,
the new and old conditions can be designated for only the notes of
the denomination(s) of which design has been renewed, or rather,
the conditions may be designated without discrimination of the old
version from the new version. The initial value is the new
version.
[0116] As has been described, since the stacking units are
allocated to the individual categories according to the
denominations, conditions, and versions of the notes, and the notes
which do not fall in the categories are regarded as being not ready
to bundle and transferred to the external stacking units instead of
the built-in stacking units.
[0117] The currency notes sent to the external stacking units can
include some other categories designated by the settings. In this
embodiment, there are two of the external stacking units, and
therefore, there is a choice among discriminating between the fit
and unfit conditions, discriminating between the new and old
versions, and dumping the mixed without such discrimination.
[0118] In dumping the fit and unfit notes separately, for example,
the external stacking unit 121 stacks the fit notes not falling in
the categories designated as ready to bundle with the tape while
the external stacking unit 122 stacks the unfit notes or the mixed
notes out of the above designation. Such a discriminative stacking
enables the unfit currency notes to be eliminated so that only the
fit notes are to be handled in the succeeding steps, and this is
advantageous to enhance the operation efficiency.
[0119] In dumping the notes of the new and old versions separately,
for instance, the external stacking unit 121 stacks the new notes
out of the designation as ready to bundle with the tape while the
external stacking unit 122 stacks the old notes out of the same
designation. Such a discriminative stacking ensures to eliminate
the currency notes of the old version not to be passed in the
financial market.
[0120] Under the setting of a choice of the mixed notes, when the
external stacking unit 121 becomes stuffed (typically with two
hundreds of the notes), the external stacking unit 122 is
supplementally used. While the notes are being stacked into the
external stacking unit 122, evacuating the external stacking unit
121 makes it ready for supplemental use instead of the stacking
unit 122 when it becomes full later. The currency notes stacked in
and evacuated from the external stacking unit have their respective
categories checked and presented with definite data on the display
unit, and the data are preferably sent to the super computer via
the communication means of the control unit 400.
[0121] In the currency note sorting/bundling unit according to the
present invention, presuming that the settings can be widely
varied, the categories of the notes and the allocation of the
stacking units are symbolized as information about the stacking
units and marked on the bundling tape of the bundle.
[0122] FIG. 7 shows an example of printed marks and descriptions of
the same, which is divided into five segments.
[0123] The first segment includes eight digits indicating the date
in Christian year. The second segment represents the time in
hours/minutes/seconds on the 24-hour-clock basis. The third group
includes a serial number indicative of the type of the machine, and
the number of digits depends on a factor such as a scale of the
financial company, which may be sometimes of as much as three
digits. The fourth group is a conspicuous part of the present
invention, representing the information about the currency notes in
stacking. The last or fifth group contains the information about a
person in charge, and if there are more than one staff members in
charge, the number of digits can be appropriately increased.
[0124] FIGS. 8 to 10 are diagrams illustrating the information
about the currency notes in stacking in detail. The "information
about the currency notes in stacking" is comprehensively referred
to the data about the stacking units, the new and old versions of
the notes, the fit and unfit conditions of the notes, and the
like.
[0125] In FIG. 8, when selected is a mode of discriminatively
dumping the notes of the new version from those of the old version,
the first to fifth stacking units are designated by alphabets A to
E, respectively, and in a mode of stacking the mixed notes of the
old and new versions, the first to fifth stacking units are
designated by G to K.
[0126] Determining the settings as in the above, for example, in
the mode of selecting the mixed notes of the new and old versions
(i.e., the batch of the mixed notes of both the versions are to be
bundled), when the notes of 10,000 yen are stacked in the first
stacking units 111 in FIG. 1 and then bundled in the bundling unit
200, a mark G is printed on the bundling tape wound on the
notes.
[0127] A glimpse at the printed alphabetical letter is sufficient
to instantaneously let a staff member know which stacking unit the
batch of the notes were stacked in before they were bundled and
also let him or her detect which mode the notes of the new and old
versions are bundled, discriminative or mixed.
[0128] Thus, in the event that the currency notes in an orderly
stack have their corners bent and that the bundling state is
unsatisfactory due to the notes stacked awkwardly, the category
designation G to all the unsatisfactorily bundled currency notes
would help the staff member draw a conclusion that the first
stacking unit is the spot of such malfunction, thereby bringing
about a quick diagnosis and solution.
[0129] Also, in the event that all the notes but one in the same
bundle are of new versions to make the user suspect an error in the
sorting and bugs in software program, the information on the notes
in stacking, which are printed in the bundling tape, let the staff
member instantaneously know the settings determined to bundle the
notes, thereby helping both the user and the manufacturer shoot a
trouble without conflict to each other.
[0130] In FIG. 9, the currency notes are categorized according
primarily to the fit and unfit conditions of the notes.
Specifically, in the mode of stacking the fit and unfit notes
separately, the first to fifth stacking units are designated by
alphabetical letters O to S, respectively, while in the mode of
stacking both the fit and unfit notes together, the first to fifth
stacking units are designated by V to Z.
[0131] There are 26 alphabetical letters, and any combination of
the examples in FIGS. 8 and 9 can be represented by them.
[0132] FIG. 10 illustrates such a combination: In the mode of
sorting out the fit and unfit conditions and the new and old
versions, the first and fifth stacking units are designated by
alphabetical letters A to E, respectively; in the mode of sorting
the mixed notes of the new and old versions according to the fit
and unfit conditions, the first to fifth stacking units are
designated by G to K; in the mode of sorting the mixed notes of the
fit and unfit conditions according to the new and old versions, the
first to fifth stacking units are designated by O to S; and in the
mode of stacking the mixed notes of the new and old versions and
the fit and unfit conditions together, the first to fifth stacking
units are designated by V to Z.
[0133] In this way, since a single alphabetical letter is useful to
record a variety of categories of the notes, it becomes easier to
trace what caused a trouble, and this is especially advantageous
when only a restricted number of letters are printed on the
bundling tape.
[0134] Although, in this embodiment, only one alphabetical letter
is used, a larger number of alphanumeric letters in combination can
represent increased combinations of the categories of the notes. In
addition, using Japanese hirakana letters or katakana letters, 50
combinations of the categories of the notes can be denoted by 50
different letters.
[0135] The categories of the currency notes includes almost all
requirements as well as the data on the stacking units, the new and
old versions of the notes, and the fit and unfit conditions of the
notes as in the above, so far as they can be designated by the
usable letters restricted in number.
[0136] Structures, configurations, positions, materials, and the
like of the components in the aforementioned embodiments may be
modified without departing from the true scope of the present
invention.
* * * * *