TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a money handling apparatus and a money handling method for handling money such as banknotes and coins.

BACKGROUND ART

Various types of money handling apparatuses for handling money such as banknotes and coins have been known. For example, Japanese Patent No. 4481061 (JP4481061B) discloses a banknote handling apparatus for performing deposit and dispense processing of banknotes. In such a banknote handling apparatus, the banknotes are stored such that the banknotes are wound on a drum together with a tape and fed out from the drum by sending out the tape from the drum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a conventional banknote handling apparatus as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4481061 and the like, a capture bin is provided inside a lower assembly. When processing of banknotes is performed, a banknote judged as a counterfeit note based on a recognition result by a recognition unit is sent to the capture bin and stored in this capture bin. However, in such a conventional banknote handling apparatus, since only one capture bin is provided and there is only one place where the counterfeit note is to be transported, there was a problem that flexible processing of banknotes according to the operation form can not be achieved. Further, in the above banknote handling apparatus, when dispense processing of banknotes is performed, a banknote judged as abnormal transportation based on the recognition result by the recognition unit is also sent to the capture bin as a dispense reject banknote. In this case, the banknotes stored in the capture bin must be sorted into the counterfeit note and the dispense reject banknote by hand, which is troublesome for the operator.

The present invention is made in view of such a matter, and an object of the present invention is to provide a money handling apparatus and money handling method which can perform flexible processing of banknotes according to the operation form compared with the case where there is only one storage unit for storing a counterfeit money or suspect money sent from the transporting unit.

A money handling apparatus of the present invention comprises: a transporting unit configured to transport money; a plurality of storage units, each being connected to different places of the transporting unit and configured to store money transported from the transporting unit, at least one of the storage units being configured such that the stored money is not exposed to the outside; a destination selector configured to select a storage unit, where at least one of a counterfeit money and suspect money among the money transported by the transporting unit is to be transported, from the plurality of storage units; and a controller configured to control the transporting unit to transport at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money to the storage unit selected by the destination selector among the plurality of storage units.

In the money handling apparatus of the present invention, all the storage units may be configured such that the stored money is not exposed to the outside.

In the money handling apparatus of the present invention, the storage unit configured such that the stored money is not exposed to the outside, among the plurality of storage units, may include a storage/feeding unit configured to store money and feed out the stored money to the transporting unit.

In this case, the storage/feeding unit may include a plurality of rotating members, money is wound by a strip-shaped storage member onto each rotating member, and lengths of the strip-shaped storage members of at least two of the rotating members are different from each other, and at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money may be wound on the rotating member provided with the smallest length of the strip-shaped storage member among the plurality of rotating members in the storage/feeding unit.

In the money handling apparatus of the present invention, at least one storage unit among the plurality of storage units may include a money ejecting unit configured to eject the money sent from the transporting unit to the outside of the money handling apparatus and configured such that the stored money is exposed to the outside.

In this case, the money ejecting unit may be provided with an opening and closing member and the money ejecting unit is capable of being accessed from the outside of the money handling apparatus when an opening of the money ejecting unit is opened by the opening and closing member.

Further, when the money to be ejected to the outside of the money handling apparatus is transported to the money ejecting unit, the opening of the money ejecting unit may be opened by the opening and closing member, and when at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money is transported to the money ejecting unit, the opening of the money ejecting unit may be closed by the opening and closing member.

In addition, when at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money is transported to the money ejecting unit, after the opening of the money ejecting unit is closed by the opening and closing member, if a command to open the opening of the money ejecting unit by the opening and closing member is given, the opening of the money ejecting unit may be opened by the opening and closing member so that the money ejecting unit is capable of being accessed from the outside of the money handling apparatus.

The money handling apparatus of the present invention may further include a notifying unit configured to inform a fact in which at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money is transported to the money ejecting unit.

In the money handling apparatus of the present invention, the plurality of storage units may comprise three or more storage units and at least two of the storage units are configured such that the stored money is not exposed to the outside and the other storage unit includes the money ejecting unit.

The money handling apparatus of the present invention may further comprises: an upper assembly including an inlet unit configured to take in the money into the money handling apparatus and a recognition unit configured to recognize the money taken in into the money handling apparatus by the inlet unit; and a lower assembly configured to be capable of being accessed internally only when an operator has a certain authority, and at least one storage unit among the plurality of storage units may be provided inside the lower assembly.

In the money handling apparatus of the present invention, the controller may control the transporting unit such that a reject money other than the counterfeit money and suspect money among the money transported by the transporting unit is transported to the storage unit other than the storage unit selected by the destination selector among the plurality of storage units.

The money handling apparatus of the present invention may further comprises an input unit configured to input information on the storage unit where at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money among the money transported by the transporting unit is to be transported, and the destination selector may select the storage unit, where at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money among the money transported by the transporting unit is to be transported, from the plurality of storage units based on the information inputted by the input unit.

Alternatively, the money handling apparatus of the present invention may further comprises a communication unit for transmitting and receiving a signal to and from an external device, and the destination selector may select the storage unit, where at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money, among the money transported by the transporting unit is to be transported, from the plurality of storage units based on the information received from the external device via the communication unit.

A money handling method of the present invention, conducted by a money handling apparatus including a transporting unit configured to transport money and a plurality of storage units, each being connected to different places of the transporting unit and configured to store money transported from the transporting unit, at least one of the storage units being configured such that the stored money is not exposed to the outside, comprises: selecting a storage unit, where at least one of a counterfeit money and suspect money among the money transported by the transporting unit is to be transported, from the plurality of storage units in advance, transporting at least one of the counterfeit money and suspect money to the selected storage unit among the plurality of storage units.

