WO2019163004A1 - Paper sheet separation device and paper sheet separation method - Google Patents

Abstract

A paper sheet separation device (11) comprises: a separation roller (16) that comes into contact with paper sheets sent from an accumulation unit for accumulating paper sheets; a feed roller (17) that is disposed to be in contact with the separation roller (16) and that separates and transports paper sheets one sheet at a time by way of rotating with respect to the stopped separation roller (16); and a pair of guide members (18) that have guide faces (18a) in sliding contact with the front edge of paper sheets sent from the accumulation unit and that are provided on both sides of the separation roller (16) in the axial direction. The coefficient of friction of the guide faces (18a) of the pair of guide members (18) is less than the coefficient of friction of the circumferential face (16a) of the separation roller (16). The guide faces (18a) are provided by projecting to the outside of the separation roller (16) further than the circumferential face (16a) of the separation roller (16) in the radial direction of the separation roller (16), and the guide faces (18a), at the contact point between the separation roller (16) and the feed roller (17), are supported so as to be able to move to the inside of the separation roller (16) in the radial direction.

Description

Paper sheet separating apparatus and paper sheet separating method

The present invention relates to a paper sheet separating apparatus and a paper sheet separating method.

As a banknote handling device such as ATM (Automated Teller Machine), one including a banknote storage device that temporarily stores a received banknote is known. Some banknote storage devices of this type include a banknote separating device that feeds banknotes while separating them one by one after storing them in a stacking unit.

As a banknote separator, there exists a structure which has a pair of separation roller and feeding roller for isolate | separating and feeding out the banknote integrated | stacked by the stacking part one by one. In the banknote separator, the front end of the banknote traveling from the stacking unit side is in contact with the peripheral surface of the separation roller at the contact point between the separation roller and the feeding roller, thereby suppressing the overlap of banknotes, and the front end of one banknote is the contact point. The bills are fed out properly. However, in the banknote separating apparatus, the front end of the banknote traveling from the stacking part side may come into contact with the peripheral surface of the separation roller at a position away from the above-mentioned contact point toward the stacking part side. In such a case, since the rubber separation roller is used, the frictional force between the banknote and the peripheral surface of the separation roller may act on the front end of the banknote, and the banknote may be prevented from advancing. As a result, the bill is drawn in an abnormally deformed state between the separation roller and the feeding roller, and there is a disadvantage that a paper jam (hereinafter referred to as jam) is caused.

Further, in the banknote separating device, when the front end of the banknote comes into contact with the corners (edges) of both end portions in the axial direction of the separation roller, the banknote stops due to the frictional force between the front end and the edge. There may occur a skew in which a bill is fed obliquely with respect to the feeding direction. As a result, the skewed banknote is drawn between the separation roller and the feeding roller, and there is a disadvantage that jam occurs.

International Publication No. 2016/147412

As a countermeasure for the above-mentioned problem, a related technique for reducing the frictional force between the bill and the peripheral surface of the separation roller is known. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a separation roller included in a related art banknote separator. As shown in FIG. 14, in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 125, the separation roller 116 includes a central portion 116a formed of a rubber material having a large friction coefficient, and both end portions 116b formed of a resin material having a small friction coefficient, Have The central portion 116a and the both end portions 116b have the same outer diameter and are integrally formed. In the separation roller 116, the front end of the bill is smoothly guided to the contact point between the separation roller 116 and the feeding roller 117 by reducing the frictional force at both end portions 116 b in the axial direction.

However, in the separation roller 116 described above, the center portion 116a and the both end portions 116b having different expansion coefficients thermally expand as the temperature and humidity of the usage environment change. In particular, in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, the central portion 116a expands more than the both end portions 116b in the radial direction of the separation roller 116, and only the central portion 116a comes into contact with the front end of the bill. By such a central part 116a, there is a possibility that the front end of the banknote is crushed with respect to the traveling direction of the banknote or the banknote is skewed. In particular, when a bill is fed out from the stacking unit, if a bill whose front end is folded upward (separation roller 116 side) is fed out, the front end of the bill is caught by the central portion 116a of the separation roller 116, and the bill is separated from the separation roller 116. There is a problem of deformation without being guided to the contact point with the feeding roller 117.

The disclosed technique has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a paper sheet separating apparatus and a paper sheet separating method that can improve the reliability of the paper sheet separating operation.

One aspect of the paper sheet separating apparatus disclosed in the present application is the separation roller in contact with the paper sheet sent from the stacking unit in which the paper sheets are stacked, the separation roller disposed in contact with the separation roller and stopped. A feeding roller that separates and conveys the paper sheets one by one by rotating with respect to a roller; and a guide surface on which a front end of the paper sheets sent from the stacking unit is in sliding contact, and the separation roller A pair of guide members provided on both sides in the axial direction, wherein the pair of guide members have a friction coefficient of the guide surface smaller than that of the peripheral surface of the separation roller, and the guide surface is In the radial direction of the separation roller, the separation roller is provided so as to protrude outward from the peripheral surface of the separation roller, and at the contact point between the separation roller and the feeding roller, the guide surface is provided with the separation roller. It is movably supported inward in the radial direction of the La.

According to one aspect of the paper sheet separating apparatus disclosed in the present application, the reliability of the paper sheet separating operation can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the entire banknote handling apparatus of the embodiment. Drawing 2 is a typical sectional view for explaining the bill handling device of an example. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the banknote separating apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a separation roller and a feeding roller included in the banknote separating apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating a separation roller and a feeding roller included in the banknote separating apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a separation roller and a feeding roller included in the banknote separating apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a separation roller and a guide member included in the banknote separating apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a front view illustrating the separation roller and the guide member included in the banknote separating apparatus according to the first embodiment from the side where the banknote enters the separation roller. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the guide member in the banknote separating apparatus according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the banknote separating operation in the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a guide member included in the banknote separating apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view for explaining the guide surface of the guide member in the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the guide member in the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing a separation roller included in a related art banknote separator.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a paper sheet separating apparatus and a paper sheet separating method disclosed in the present application will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The paper sheet separating apparatus and the paper sheet separating method disclosed in the present application are not limited by the following embodiments.

(Structure of banknote handling device)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the entire banknote handling apparatus of the embodiment. Drawing 2 is a typical sectional view for explaining the bill handling device of an example.

As shown in FIG.1 and FIG.2, the banknote handling apparatus 1 which concerns on an Example is the 1st which accommodates the banknote 2 by which the money_receiving | payment part 3 which deposits / withdraws the banknote 2 and the money_receiving | payment / withdrawal part 3 were received. The temporary storage unit 4, the discrimination unit 5 that discriminates the banknote 2 conveyed from the first temporary storage unit 4, and the second temporary storage unit 6 that temporarily stores the banknote 2 transported from the discrimination unit 5. And comprising. Moreover, the banknote handling apparatus 1 accommodates the banknote 2 conveyed from the discrimination part 5, and also reflux | circulates the banknote 2 by withdrawing, and the banknote 2 with abnormal thickness and length, or deterioration (damage). And a reject unit 8 for storing the banknote 2 that has been processed.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the banknote handling apparatus 1, the banknote 2 deposited from the deposit / withdrawal unit 3 is stored in the first temporary storage unit 4, and then identified by the discrimination unit 5. The banknotes 2 discriminated by the discrimination unit 5 are accommodated and accumulated in the second temporary accommodation unit 6. At this time, when the deposited banknote 2 is returned, the banknote 2 stored in the second temporary storage unit 6 is conveyed to the deposit / withdrawal unit 3 and returned from the deposit / withdrawal unit 3. On the other hand, when the deposited banknote 2 is to be deposited, after being transported again from the second temporary storage unit 6 to the first temporary storage unit 4 and from the first temporary storage unit 4 to the discrimination unit 5 Each of the types of bills 2 is stored in the storage cassette 7a of the reflux unit 7 from the discrimination unit 5.

Next, when the banknote 2 stored in the reflux unit 7 is withdrawn, the banknote 2 is transported from the reflux unit 7 to the discrimination unit 5, and then transported from the discrimination unit 5 to the second temporary storage unit 6. Subsequently, the banknote 2 stored in the second temporary storage unit 6 is transported to the deposit / withdrawal unit 3 and withdrawn from the deposit / withdrawal unit 3. Further, the bill 2 deposited from the deposit / withdrawal unit 3 is detected by the discrimination unit 5 in thickness, length, or deterioration state, and the banknote 2 detected as abnormal is conveyed from the discrimination unit 5 to the reject unit 8 and stored. The

The 1st temporary accommodating part 4 incorporated in the banknote handling apparatus 1 comprised as mentioned above contains the banknote separation apparatus 11 of an Example, as shown in FIG. Moreover, like the 1st temporary storage part 4, the recirculation | reflux part 7 of the banknote handling apparatus 1 also contains the banknote separation apparatus 11 of an Example. In the following embodiments, the banknote separator 11 included in the first temporary storage unit 4 will be described as an example.

For convenience of explanation, the banknote handling device 1 is viewed from the deposit / withdrawal unit 3 side in FIG. 1, the width direction of the banknote handling device 1 is the X direction, the front-rear direction of the banknote handling device 1 is the Y direction, and the vertical direction of the banknote handling device 1. Is referred to as the Z direction. In the drawings subsequent to FIG. 1, the X, Y, and Z directions are shown as in FIG. 1. In the present embodiment, the banknote 2 is used as an example of the paper sheet, but is not limited to the banknote 2. Paper sheets also include securities such as bills, checks, gift certificates, various securities, and stock certificates.

(Configuration of banknote separator)
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the banknote separator 11 of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 3, the banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the embodiment includes a storage cassette 13, a pickup roller 15, a pair of separating rollers 16 and a feeding roller 17, and a pair of guide members 18.

As shown in FIG. 3, the storage cassette 13 has a stacking unit 14 in which banknotes 2 are temporarily stacked. The banknotes 2 carried into the banknote separator 11 are stacked and accommodated along the vertical direction (Z direction) in the stacking unit 14. Further, the stacking unit 14 is provided with a delivery port 14 a for feeding the stacked banknotes 2 at a position adjacent to the separation roller 16. The delivery port 14a is formed larger than the thickness of the banknote 2 and the length in the long side direction, so that the banknote 2 can be smoothly fed out from the stacking unit 14. The banknote 2 that has passed through the delivery port 14a is sent along the transport path 14b.

Moreover, the accommodation cassette 13 has a stage 13a for pressing the plurality of banknotes 2 stacked in the stacking unit 14 in the thickness direction. The stage 13a is provided in the stacking unit 14 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Moreover, the stage 13a is urged | biased by the pressing force of the press mechanism which is not illustrated toward the downward side in which the pick-up roller 15 is arrange | positioned in the thickness direction of the several banknote 2 integrated | stacked.

The pickup roller 15 is disposed adjacent to the bottom of the stacking unit 14 and is supported by the rotating shaft 21. Among the plurality of banknotes 2 stacked in the stacking unit 14, the banknote 2 positioned at the lowest position (the banknote 2 on the feeding side) is in contact with the peripheral surface of the pickup roller 15. The pickup roller 15 is rotated by a driving mechanism (not shown) to transfer the banknote 2 positioned at the lowest position of the stacking unit 14 to the contact P0 side where the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17 are in contact with each other. As shown in FIG. 3, the pickup roller 15 is supported by a coil spring 22 so as to be movable in the thickness direction of the plurality of banknotes 2 stacked in the stacking unit 14, that is, in the moving direction of the stage 13a. Has been.

Further, the coil spring 22 is provided with a pressure sensor 23 for detecting the pressing force applied to the pickup roller 15. The pressing mechanism that presses the stage 13 a is controlled by a control unit (not shown) based on the pressing force detected by the pressure sensor 23. Thereby, it is controlled so that an appropriate pressing force corresponding to the number of banknotes 2 stacked in the stacking unit 14 is applied to the pickup roller 15. As a result, the pickup roller 15 can appropriately transfer only one banknote 2 positioned at the lowest position among the plurality of banknotes 2 in the stacking unit 14.

(Configuration of separation roller and guide member)
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17 included in the banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17 included in the banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17 included in the banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, the banknote separating apparatus 11 includes a pair of separation rollers 16 and a feeding roller 17 that extend along the short side direction from the stacking unit 14 side. Two sets are arranged at predetermined intervals with respect to the direction. As shown in FIG. 6, when viewed from the axial direction of the rotation shaft 25 of the separation roller 16, the pair of separation rollers 16 and the feeding roller 17 have a contact point (separation point) P <b> 0 that contacts each other. In practice, the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17 are in line contact along the axial direction of the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16, but for convenience of explanation, hereinafter referred to as a contact P0. And the banknote 2 sent from the stacking part 14 in which the banknote 2 was stacked contacts the separation roller 16. The feeding roller 17 rotates with respect to the stopped separation roller 16 to separate and convey the banknotes 2 one by one at the contact point P0 with the separation roller 16.

The peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 is formed of a rubber material, and has an appropriate frictional force for performing the separation operation of the banknote 2. The separation roller 16 is disposed above the feeding roller 17 and is supported by the rotating shaft 25. The separation roller 16 stops without rotating when separating and transporting the banknotes 2 in the stacking unit 14. The separation roller 16 is rotated with the feeding roller 17 following the rotation of the feeding roller 17 that reversely rotates the banknote 2 in the direction to return the banknote 2 to the stacking unit 14 side when a jam occurs in the vicinity of the delivery port 14a. It may be configured. In the case of this configuration, the rotation state and the stop state of the separation roller 16 are switched, for example, by a clutch mechanism.

Further, the separation roller 16 is urged in a direction in contact with the feeding roller 17 by an urging member (not shown) such as a compression coil spring. For this reason, the separation roller 16 is elastically displaced in a direction away from the feeding roller 17 when the banknote 2 is fed out through the contact point P0. At this time, the separation roller 16 is set to open a gap corresponding to the thickness of one banknote 2 at the contact point P 0 between the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, a cover member 27 that covers the upper side of the separation roller 16 is provided between the stacking unit 14 and the separation roller 16. 2 is guided to the separation roller 16 side. The cover member 27 is formed of a resin material, and extends from the accumulation unit 14 toward the separation roller 16 side. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the cover member 27 has a curved surface 27 a that is curved so that the end portion on the separation roller 16 side approaches the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16. Thereby, the banknotes 2 stacked in the stacking unit 14 are fed by the pickup roller 15 and smoothly move toward the separation roller 16 side by sliding along the curved surface 27 a of the cover member 27.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the guide member 18 included in the banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a front view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the guide member 18 included in the banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the first embodiment from the side where the banknote 2 enters the separation roller 16.

As shown in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, on both sides in the axial direction (X direction) of the separation roller 16, a pair of guides that guide the front end of the banknote 2 sent from the stacking unit 14 toward the contact point P <b> 0. A member 18 is provided, and a peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16 is sandwiched between a pair of guide members 18. The pair of guide members 18 are formed in a substantially disc shape by a resin material such as POM (polyacetal) or PPE (polyphenylene ether). The guide member 18 supports the guide surface 18a with which the front end of the banknote 2 sent from the stacking unit 14 is in sliding contact, the shaft hole 18b supported by the rotating shaft 25 of the separation roller 16, and the biasing member 19 described later. And a pin 18c.

The outer diameter of the disc-shaped guide member 18 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the separation roller 16, and the outer peripheral surface of the guide member 18 functions as the guide surface 18a. Therefore, the guide surface 18 a is provided so as to protrude outward from the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16 in the radial direction of the separation roller 16. Each guide surface 18 a of the pair of guide members 18 protrudes outward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the circumferential surface 16 a of the separation roller 16 over the entire circumference of the separation roller 16. Since the guide member 18 is formed of a resin material, the friction coefficient of the guide surface 18 a is smaller than the friction coefficient of the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16 compared to the rubber separation roller 16.

In the radial direction of the separation roller 16, the protrusion amount of the guide surface 18a with respect to the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 is, for example, the amount of expansion of the rubber material of the separation roller 16 in a use environment at high temperature and high humidity, and the guide member. It is set to be larger than the difference from the expansion amount of 18 resin materials. Thereby, the guide surface 18a is maintained in a state of protruding from the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 even when the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 expands in the radial direction of the separation roller 16.

The guide surface 18 a is formed in a circumferential shape along the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16. When the guide member 18 moves in the radial direction of the separation roller 16, the guide surface 18 a becomes the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16. It is formed so as to be aligned. In addition, although the guide surface 18a was formed in the circumferential surface shape with respect to the circumferential direction of the separation roller 16, you may partially include the part extended linearly as needed. In the first embodiment, the width of the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 in the axial direction (X direction) of the rotary shaft 25 is set to about 6 mm, and the guide member with respect to the axial direction of the rotary shaft 25 is set. The width of each of the 18 guide surfaces 18a is set to about 1 [mm].

Further, the material forming the guide surface 18a of the guide member 18 is not limited to the resin material, and any material may be used as long as the friction coefficient is smaller than that of the rubber material forming the separation roller 16. For example, the guide surface 18 a may be formed of a coating film such as a plating film that reduces the friction coefficient, or a low friction member that forms the guide surface 18 a may be incorporated in the guide member 18.

The shaft hole 18b of the guide member 18 is a long hole extending in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the rotation shaft 25 is inserted so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Thereby, each guide surface 18a of a pair of guide member 18 is supported so that it can move independently in the direction (Z direction) which contacts / separates with respect to the contact P0 of the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17, respectively. . Therefore, the guide surface 18 a is supported by the contact point P 0 between the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17 so as to be movable inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16. In addition, a restriction piece (not shown) for restricting the rotation of the guide member 18 may be formed in the shaft hole 18b along the major axis direction of the shaft hole 18b.

One end side of a biasing member 19 that biases the guide member 18 toward the feeding roller 17, that is, the contact point P 0 between the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17 is attached to the support pin 18 c of the guide member 18. . The other end side of the urging member 19 is fixed to, for example, a support portion (not shown) formed on the cover member 27. As the urging member 19, for example, a compression coil spring is used.

The feeding roller 17 is disposed below the separation roller 16 and is supported by the rotating shaft 26. Further, the feeding roller 17 is connected to a drive mechanism that drives the pickup roller 15 and is driven to rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the pickup roller 15. At this time, the separation roller 16 is stopped without rotating.

The feeding roller 17 has a base portion 17a formed of a resin material and an elastic portion 17b formed of a rubber material. The elastic portion 17b is fitted into the base portion 17a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the feeding roller 17 is provided with an elastic portion 17b only in a part in the circumferential direction. Further, as the rubber material forming the elastic portion 17b of the feeding roller 17, a material having a larger friction coefficient and lower hardness than the rubber material forming the separation roller 16 is used. For example, silicon rubber is used as the rubber material forming the elastic portion 17b of the feeding roller 17. Silicon rubber is a material having a larger adhesive force and a larger frictional force than the urethane rubber forming the separation roller 16. Further, the diameter of the feeding roller 17 is formed larger than the diameter of the entire separation roller 16.

When the feeding roller 17 is driven to rotate, when the elastic portion 17b comes into contact with the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 at the contact point P0 with the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16, the separation roller 16 causes the bill 2 Are separated one by one.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the optical system for counting the number of banknotes 2 that have passed through the contact P0 and detecting the skew of the banknote 2 on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the banknote 2 with respect to the contact P0. A sensor 28 is arranged. The optical sensor 28 includes a light emitting unit 28a that emits detection light and a light receiving unit 28b that receives the detection light emitted from the light emitting unit 28a. The light emitting unit 28a and the light receiving unit 28b are arranged to face each other across the conveyance path of the banknote 2 so that the banknote 2 passing through the contact point P0 and the detection light intersect. The light emitting unit 28a and the light receiving unit 28b are electrically connected to the control unit, and a detection signal is transmitted from the light receiving unit 28b to the control unit. Based on the detection signal, the control unit counts the number of banknotes 2 fed out from the stacking unit 14 and detects skew of the banknotes 2.

In the accommodation cassette 13, a group of conveyance rollers 29 is rotatably arranged on the downstream side with respect to the contact point P <b> 0 in the conveyance direction of the banknote 2 fed out from the stacking unit 14. The conveying roller 29 is disposed in contact with the peripheral surface of the feeding roller 17, and is rotated together with the feeding roller 17 following the rotation of the feeding roller 17. The transport roller 29 transports the banknote 2 to the outside of the banknote separator 11 by transporting the banknote 2 with the feeding roller 17 therebetween. In addition, a switching member 30 for switching the transport path of the banknote 2 is rotatably provided in the vicinity of the transport roller 29 disposed adjacent to the outside of the storage cassette 13.

In the present embodiment, the plurality of banknotes 2 stacked in the stacking unit 14 are pressed vertically downward, and the separation roller 16 is disposed on the upper side with respect to the feeding roller 17. However, it is not limited to such an arrangement in the vertical direction. For example, the separation roller 16 may be disposed on the lower side with respect to the feeding roller 17.

(Operation of guide member in banknote separator)
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the guide member 18 in the banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the banknote separating operation in the first embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the bill 2 is fed out from the stacking unit 14 by the pickup roller 15 (step S1), and the front end of the bill 2 advances toward the separation roller 16 side. At this time, for example, even when the banknote 2 whose front end is bent upward is sent, the banknote 2 slides along the guide surface 18a (step S2), and the front end of the banknote 2 is separated by the separation roller 16. Are smoothly guided toward the contact point P0 with the feeding roller 17. For this reason, the deformation | transformation of the front end of the banknote 2 is suppressed, and the jam and skewing of the banknote 2 are suppressed. When the front end of the banknote 2 reaches the contact point P0, the front end enters the contact point P0, whereby the guide surface 18a is moved by the banknote 2 at the contact point P0 (step S3), and the guide member 18 is lifted along the shaft hole 18b. It is done.

As the guide member 18 is lifted, the guide surface 18a is aligned with the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16, so that the front end of the banknote 2 comes into contact with the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 (step S4). Each sheet is separated (step S5). That is, the front end of the banknote 2 is smoothly guided along the guide surface 18a to the contact point P0, and is properly separated and sent from the contact point P0 by the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16.

When two or more banknotes 2 enter the contact point P0, the guide surface 18a retreats to the inside of the separation roller 16 rather than the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16, so that the plurality of banknotes 2 are near the contact point P0. The occurrence of jam is suppressed. In addition, since the guide surfaces 18a of the pair of guide members 18 in the first embodiment can move independently from each other, the followability to the behavior of the banknotes 2 sent from the stacking unit 14 is high, and in the vicinity of the contact point P0. The jam of the banknote 2 is suppressed.

(Banknote separation method)
A bill separating method using the bill separating apparatus 11 configured as described above will be described. In the bill separating method, the front end of the bill 2 sent from the stacking unit 14 is slid along the guide surface 18a of the guide member 18 to the contact P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17, and the bill 2 By moving the guide surface 18 a inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16, the banknote 2 is brought into contact with the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16, and the banknote 2 is separated by the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17.

As described above, the banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the first embodiment includes the guide surfaces 18a with which the front ends of the banknotes 2 sent from the stacking unit 14 come into sliding contact, and are provided on both sides in the axial direction (X direction) of the separating roller 16. A pair of guide members 18, the friction coefficient of the guide surface 18 a is smaller than the friction coefficient of the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16, and the guide surface 18 a is the peripheral surface of the separation roller 16 in the radial direction of the separation roller 16. The guide surface 18 a is supported by a contact point P 0 between the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17 so as to be movable inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16. Thereby, since the front end of the banknote 2 can be smoothly guided to the contact P0 side along the guide surface 18a, the occurrence of deformation such as bending of the front end of the banknote 2 can be suppressed. Further, since the guide surface 18a protrudes from the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16, adverse effects due to expansion of the separation roller 16 in a high temperature and high humidity environment can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the banknote separating apparatus 11, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of jamming and skewing of the banknote 2 during the separating operation, and the reliability of the separating operation of the banknote 2 can be improved.

According to the banknote separator 11, in particular, when the banknote 2 is fed out from the stacking unit 14, even if the banknote 2 whose front end is folded upward (separation roller 16 side) is fed out, the front end of the banknote 2 is It is possible to prevent the banknote 2 from being caught on the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 and smoothly guide the banknote 2 to the contact point P0.

In addition, according to the banknote separator 11, the pair of guide members 18 move independently of each other, so that the followability to the behavior of the banknote 2 sent from the stacking unit 14 is enhanced, and in the vicinity of the contact P <b> 0. Can be prevented from jamming.

The banknote separating apparatus 11 according to the first embodiment includes an urging member 19 that urges the pair of guide members 18 toward the contact point P <b> 0, and the pair of guide members 18 has a diameter of the rotation shaft 25 of the separation roller 16. It is provided to be movable in the direction. Thereby, for example, it becomes possible to support a pair of guide member 18 so that movement is possible by simple composition because a pair of guide member 18 is supported so that movement to axis of rotation 25 is possible, and banknote separation device 11 Overall size increase can be suppressed.

Hereinafter, Example 2 will be described with reference to the drawings. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted. The second embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the guide member.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a guide member included in the banknote separating apparatus according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view for explaining the guide surface of the guide member in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 11, the banknote separator 31 in Example 2 includes a guide member 35 that guides the front end of the banknote 2 sent from the stacking unit 14 toward the contact point P0. The guide member 35 according to the second embodiment includes a pair of guide portions 36 corresponding to the pair of guide members 18 according to the first embodiment, and a connecting portion 37 that connects the pair of guide portions 36.

The guide portion 36 includes a guide surface 36 a that the front end of the banknote 2 sent from the stacking portion 14 is in sliding contact with, a shaft hole 36 b that is supported by the rotating shaft 25 of the separation roller 16, and a support pin 36 c that supports the biasing member 19. And having.

As shown in FIG. 12, the guide surfaces 36 a of the pair of guide portions 36 extend from the stacking portion 14 side along the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16 toward the contact point P <b> 0 between the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17. Has been. Each guide surface 36 a protrudes outward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16 on the stacking unit 14 side. In the radial direction of the separation roller 16, the protrusion amount of the guide surface 36a is formed so as to gradually decrease toward the contact point P0 side. The minimum value of the protrusion amount of the guide surface 18a is also set to be larger than the difference between the expansion amount of the rubber material of the separation roller 16 and the expansion amount of the resin material of the guide member 18 under the use environment at high temperature and high humidity, for example. Has been.

Further, each guide surface 36a is located near the contact point P0 on the inner side (center side) in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 than the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16. In addition, each guide surface 36 a extends inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral surface 16 a of the separation roller 16 at the downstream side of the contact point P 0 in the banknote 2 feeding direction. Here, the vicinity of the contact point P0 refers to a range of, for example, about a few [mm] in the feeding direction of the banknote 2 and located above the contact point P0 (on the stacking unit 14 side).

Therefore, in the guide member 35 of the second embodiment, compared to the guide member 18 of the first embodiment, the guide surface 18a is retracted to the inside of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral surface 16a in the vicinity of the contact point P0, and the peripheral surface 16a. Is formed so as to protrude outward from the guide surface 36a. In the radial direction of the separation roller 16, the protruding amount of the peripheral surface 16 a at the contact point P 0 with respect to the guide surface 36 a is set to, for example, the thickness of one bill 2. Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the guide surface 36a includes a portion extending linearly from the stacking portion 12 toward the vicinity of the contact point P0, and the front end of the banknote 2 is smoothly along the linear guide surface 36a. To the contact point P0.

The shaft hole 36b of the guide part 36 is a long hole extending in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the rotary shaft 25 is inserted so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Thereby, each guide surface 36a of a pair of guide part 36 connected via the connection part 37 is integrated in the direction (Z direction) which contacts / separates with respect to the contact P0 of the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17. Is supported so as to be movable.

The connecting portion 37 extends in the axial direction (X direction) of the separation roller 16 so as to cover the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 facing the stacking portion 14, and is integrally formed with the pair of guide portions 36. ing. Further, the connecting portion 37 is formed to bulge toward the stacking portion 14 side (Y direction), and also serves as a lower end portion of the cover member 27 in the first embodiment. Further, the connecting portion 37 has a guide surface 37 a with which the front end of the banknote 2 sent from the stacking portion 14 comes into sliding contact. The guide surface 37a is formed to be smoothly continuous with the guide surface 36a of the guide portion 36.

(Operation of guide member in banknote separator)
In Example 1, even when one banknote 2 is normally sent to the contact P0, the guide surface 18a is lifted by the front end of the banknote 2 entering the contact P0. On the other hand, in Example 2, the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 protrudes from the guide surface 36a of the guide member 35 to the contact P0 side, that is, the feeding roller 17 side at the contact point P0. For this reason, when one banknote 2 is normally sent to the contact P0, the guide surface 36a is not moved by the banknote 2, and the front end of the banknote 2 is contacted with the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 at the contact P0. Touch.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view for explaining the operation of the guide member 35 in the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 13, in Example 2, when two or more banknotes 2 are sent to the contact point P0, the thickness of the front end portion of the banknote 2 group is increased, whereby the guide surface 36a is set by the banknote 2 group. Is lifted. As described above, when two or more banknotes 2 enter the contact point P0 side, the guide surface 36a is retracted upward, so that jamming in the vicinity of the contact point P0 is suppressed.

Although not shown, the ideal guide surface 18a has a shape that extends from the stacking portion 14 toward the contact P0, passes through the contact P0, and is separated from the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 by a separation roller. It is desirable for the shape to extend inward in the 16 radial direction. According to this shape, the front end of the banknote 2 sent from the stacking unit 14 is guided to the contact point P0, and the banknote 2 can be brought into contact with the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 without lifting the guide surface 18a. This makes it possible to further suppress jamming and skewing of the banknote 2 and further increase the reliability of the separation operation.

According to the banknote separating apparatus 31 of the second embodiment, the configuration can be simplified by including the guide member 35 to which the pair of guide portions 36 are connected. Further, according to the second embodiment, the movement of the guide member 35 when the front end of the banknote 2 enters the contact point P0 is suppressed, and the contact between the guide surface 36a and the banknote 2 at the contact point P0 is suppressed. The durability of the member 35 can be increased. Also in the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the banknote 2 is prevented from being jammed or skewed during the separation operation, and the reliability of the separation operation of the banknote 2 can be improved.

In addition, although the guide surfaces 18a and 36a of the guide members 18 and 35 in the first and second embodiments described above are supported by the rotary shaft 25 so as to be movable with respect to the radial direction of the rotary shaft 25, they are limited to this configuration. It is not a thing. The guide members 18 and 35 can be lifted inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral surface 16a of the separation roller 16 by the front end of the bill 2 that has entered the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feeding roller 17. For example, it may be supported so as to be swingable around a swinging shaft (not shown).

1 Banknote handling device 2 Banknotes (paper sheets)
11 Banknote separator (paper sheet separator)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 Stacking part 16 Separation roller 16a Circumferential surface 17 Feeding roller 18 Guide member 18a Guide surface 19 Biasing member 25 Rotating shaft P0

Claims (7)

A separation roller in contact with the paper sheets sent from the stacking unit in which the paper sheets are stacked;
A feeding roller that is disposed in contact with the separation roller and separates and conveys the sheets one by one by rotating with respect to the stopped separation roller;
A pair of guide members provided on both sides in the axial direction of the separation roller, each having a guide surface with which a front end of the paper sheet sent from the stacking unit is in sliding contact;
In the pair of guide members, the friction coefficient of the guide surface is smaller than the friction coefficient of the circumferential surface of the separation roller, and the guide surface is larger than the circumferential surface of the separation roller in the radial direction of the separation roller. A paper sheet separating apparatus, wherein the guide surface is supported so as to be movable inward in the radial direction of the separation roller at a contact point between the separation roller and the feeding roller. A biasing member that biases the pair of guide members toward the contact point;
The pair of guide members are provided to be movable in the radial direction of the rotation shaft of the separation roller.
The paper sheet separating apparatus according to claim 1. The guide surfaces of the pair of guide members protrude outward in the radial direction of the separation roller from the circumferential surface of the separation roller over the entire circumference of the separation roller.
The paper sheet separating apparatus according to claim 1. The pair of guide members are connected so that the guide surfaces extend in the axial direction of the separation roller and cover the peripheral surface of the separation roller.
The paper sheet separating apparatus according to claim 1. The guide surfaces of the pair of guide members extend from the stacking portion side along the peripheral surface of the separation roller toward the contact point of the separation roller and the feeding roller, and the vicinity of the contact point is the separation surface. It is located on the inner side in the radial direction of the separation roller than the peripheral surface of the roller,
The paper sheet separating apparatus according to claim 1. The guide surfaces of the pair of guide members are extended from the stacking portion side along the peripheral surface of the separation roller toward the contact point of the separation roller and the feeding roller, and pass through the contact point and It extends to the inner side in the radial direction of the separation roller from the peripheral surface of the separation roller,
The paper sheet separating apparatus according to claim 1. A separation roller that is in contact with the paper sheets sent from the stacking unit where the paper sheets are stacked, and the paper rollers that are disposed in contact with the separation rollers and rotate with respect to the stopped separation rollers. A feeding roller that separates and conveys the sheets one by one, and a pair of guide members that are provided on both sides in the axial direction of the separation roller, each having a guide surface with which a front end of the paper sheet sent from the stacking unit is in sliding contact The friction coefficient of the guide surface is smaller than the friction coefficient of the peripheral surface of the separation roller, and the guide surface is closer to the peripheral surface of the separation roller in the radial direction of the separation roller. And the guide surface is supported by a contact point between the separation roller and the feeding roller so as to be movable inward in the radial direction of the separation roller. A sheet separation method using it are paper sheet separating apparatus,
The front end of the paper sheet sent from the stacking unit is slid along the guide surface to the contact point, and the guide surface is moved inward in the radial direction of the separation roller by the paper sheet at the contact point. Thus, the paper sheet separating method, wherein the paper sheet is brought into contact with the peripheral surface of the separation roller, and the paper sheet is separated by the separation roller and the feeding roller.

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