Transport mechanism and air flow control apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12269704-B2
Application number	US-202017595526-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2020
Priority date	May 30, 2019
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

A banknote transport system 10 includes: an air blowing tube 100 that forms an air flow path 101 ; a moving body 200 that travels inside the air blowing tube while receiving an air flow within the air blowing tube; a transport path 401 (a transport tube 400 ) having at least a portion arranged along the air blowing tube to be adjacent to the air blowing tube; and a transport body 500 configured to be able to retain a banknote and traveling inside the transport path. The moving body includes a moving body magnet 213 , and the transport body includes a transport body magnet 523 . The banknote transport system moves the transport body in conjunction with movement of the moving body receiving the air flow due to attraction and/or repulsion based on a magnetic force applied between the moving body magnet and the transport body magnet.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air flow control apparatus comprising:
an air flow switching unit that includes first to fourth flow paths respectively connecting to external pipes, and a switching valve arranged in a joint portion of the first to fourth flow paths and switching a communication state among the flow paths;
a first circulation pipe that has one end portion communicatively connected to the first flow path and an other end portion communicatively connected to the second flow path to form an air flow path in an endless manner through the air flow switching unit;
an air flow generating device that is arranged at an appropriate place in the first circulation pipe and that generates an air flow flowing in a certain direction inside the first circulation pipe; and
a second circulation pipe that has one end portion connected to the third flow path and an other end portion connected to the fourth flow path to form an air flow path in an endless manner through the air flow switching unit and that moves a moving body arranged therein in a predetermined direction with an air flow, wherein
the switching valve is configured to be able to switch among a neutral position for establishing communication between the first and second flow paths, a first communication position for generating an air flow flowing in a first direction inside the second circulation pipe by establishing communication between the first and fourth flow paths and communication between the second and third flow paths, and a second communication position for generating an air flow flowing in a second direction inside the second circulation pipe by establishing communication between the first and third flow paths and communication between the second and fourth flow paths.

2. A transport mechanism comprising:
an air blowing tube that forms a flow path of a gas;
a moving body that travels inside the air blowing tube while receiving an air flow flowing in a predetermined direction within the air blowing tube;
a transport path having at least a portion arranged along the air blowing tube to be adjacent to the air blowing tube; and
a transport body configured to be able to retain an object to be transported and traveling inside the transport path, wherein
the moving body includes a plurality of a moving body magnets spaced apart in a travel direction,
the transport body includes a plurality of a transport body magnets spaced apart in a travel direction, and
the transport body is moved in conjunction with movement of the moving body receiving the air flow due to repelling force based on a magnetic force applied between the moving body magnet and the transport body magnet, and
when the moving body and the transport body travel in tandem, the transport body magnet is positioned between the two moving body magnets that are separated in the travel direction, and the moving body magnet is positioned between the two transport body magnets that are separated in the travel direction.

3. The transport mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein the moving body magnet and the transport body magnet are mounted on the moving body and the transport body so that magnetic poles repelling each other face each other and magnetic poles adsorbing each other do not face each other.

4. A transport mechanism comprising:
an air blowing tube that forms a flow path of a gas;
a moving body that travels inside the air blowing tube while receiving an air flow flowing in a predetermined direction within the air blowing tube;
a transport path having at least a portion arranged along the air blowing tube to be adjacent to the air blowing tube; and
a transport body configured to be able to retain an object to be transported and traveling inside the transport path, wherein
the moving body includes a moving body magnet,
the transport body includes a transport body magnet, and
the transport body is moved in conjunction with movement of the moving body receiving the air flow due to repelling force based on a magnetic force applied between the moving body magnet and the transport body magnet, wherein
the transport body includes a plurality of transport body divided pieces sequentially coupled to each other with hinge parts along a travel direction, and each transport body magnet is mounted on each of the transport body divided pieces, and
each of the transport body divided pieces is configured to be able to support the object to be transported.

5. The transport mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein
the moving body includes a plurality of moving body divided pieces sequentially coupled to each other with hinge parts along a travel direction, and each moving body magnet is mounted on each of the moving body divided pieces, and
when the moving body and the transport body travel in tandem, the transport body magnet is positioned between the two moving body magnets that are separated in the travel direction, and the moving body magnet is positioned between the two transport body magnets that are separated in the travel direction.

6. The transport mechanism according to claim 5 , wherein the moving body magnet and the transport body magnet are mounted on the moving body and the transport body so that magnetic poles repelling each other face each other and magnetic poles adsorbing each other do not face each other.

7. The transport mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein the moving body magnet and the transport body magnet are mounted on the moving body and the transport body so that magnetic poles repelling each other face each other and magnetic poles adsorbing each other do not face each other.

Assignees

• Nippon Kinsen Kikai Kk

Inventors

• Ichikawa Masaaki
• Arai Hirokazu

Classifications

• B65G54/025

  the load being magnetically coupled with a piston-like driver moved within a tube · CPC title

• B65G51/04

  Conveying the articles in carriers having a cross-section approximating that of the pipe or tube; Tube mail systems · CPC title

• B65G54/02

  electrostatic, electric, or magnetic · CPC title

• B65H2701/1912

  Banknotes, bills and cheques or the like · CPC title

• B65H2301/4461

  by blowing air towards handled material · CPC title