PAPER SHEET SEPARATION DEVICE AND PAPER SHEET SEPARATION METHOD

Abstract

A paper sheet separation device includes a separation roller coming into contact with paper sheets, a feed roller rotating with respect to the separation roller to convey the paper sheets separately one by one, and a pair of guide members having guide faces coming into sliding contact with a front end of the paper sheets and being provided on both sides in an axial direction of the separation roller. A friction coefficient of the guide face is smaller than a friction coefficient of a peripheral face of the separation roller. The guide face is provided protruding outward of the separation roller from the peripheral face of the separation roller in a radial direction of the separation roller. The guide face is supported to be able to move inward in the radial direction of the separation roller at a contact point between the separation roller and the feed roller.

Claims

1. A paper sheet separation device comprising: a separation roller that comes into contact with paper sheets, which are conveyed from an accumulation unit accumulating the paper sheets; a feed roller that is arranged in contact with the separation roller and rotates with respect to the stopped separation roller to convey the paper sheets separately one by one; and a pair of guide members that has guide faces, which come into sliding contact with a front end of the paper sheets, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit, and is provided on both sides in an axial direction of the separation roller, wherein a friction coefficient of the guide face is smaller than a friction coefficient of a peripheral face of the separation roller, the guide face is provided protruding outward of the separation roller from the peripheral face of the separation roller in a radial direction of the separation roller, and the guide face is supported to be able to move inward in the radial direction of the separation roller at a contact point between the separation roller and the feed roller.

2. The paper sheet separation device according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member configured to bias the pair of guide members toward a contact point side, wherein the pair of guide members is provided movably in a radial direction of a rotary shaft of the separation roller.

3. The paper sheet separation device according to claim 1, wherein the guide faces of the pair of guide members protrude outward in the radial direction of the separation roller from the peripheral face of the separation roller over an entire periphery of the separation roller.

4. The paper sheet separation device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of guide members is connected such that the guide faces are extended in the axial direction of the separation roller to cover the peripheral face of the separation roller.

5. The paper sheet separation device according to claim 1, wherein the guide faces of the pair of guide members are extended from an accumulation unit side along the peripheral face of the separation roller toward the contact point between the separation roller and the feed roller, and the vicinity of the contact point is positioned inward in the radial direction of the separation roller from the peripheral face of the separation roller.

6. The paper sheet separation device according to claim 1, wherein the guide faces of the pair of guide members are extended from an accumulation unit side along the peripheral face of the separation roller toward the contact point between the separation roller and the feed roller, pass through the contact point, and extend inward in the radial direction of the separation roller from the peripheral face of the separation roller.

7. A method for separating paper sheets using a paper sheet separation device, the paper sheet separation device comprising a separation roller that comes into contact with paper sheets conveyed from an accumulation unit accumulating the paper sheets, a feed roller that is arranged in contact with the separation roller and rotates with respect to the stopped separation roller to convey the paper sheets separately one by one, and a pair of guide members that has guide faces, which come into sliding contact with a front end of the paper sheets conveyed from the accumulation unit, and is provided on both sides in an axial direction of the separation roller, a friction coefficient of the guide face being smaller than a friction coefficient of a peripheral face of the separation roller, the guide face being provided protruding outward of the separation roller from the peripheral face of the separation roller in a radial direction of the separation roller, and the guide face being supported to be able to move inward in the radial direction of the separation roller at a contact point between the separation roller and the feed roller, the method comprising: sliding the front end of the paper sheets, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit, along the guide faces to the contact point; moving the guide faces inward in the radial direction of the separation roller by the paper sheets at the contact point to bring the paper sheets into contact with the peripheral face of the separation roller; and separating the paper sheets by the separation roller and the feed roller.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an entire banknote handling apparatus according to an embodiment.

[0013] FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for describing the banknote handling apparatus according to the embodiment.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a banknote separation device according to a first embodiment.

[0015] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a separation roller and a feed roller of the banknote separation device according to the first embodiment.

[0016] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the separation roller and the feed roller of the banknote separation device according to the first embodiment.

[0017] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the separation roller and the feed roller of the banknote separation device according to the first embodiment.

[0018] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the separation roller and guide members of the banknote separation device according to the first embodiment.

[0019] FIG. 8 is a front view illustrating the separation roller and the guide members of the banknote separation device according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the side where a banknote enters the separation roller.

[0020] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view for describing the operation of the guide member in the banknote separation device according to the first embodiment.

[0021] FIG. 10 is a flowchart for describing the banknote separating operation according to the first embodiment.

[0022] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a guide member of a banknote separation device according to a second embodiment.

[0023] FIG. 12 is a side view for describing guide faces of the guide member according to the second embodiment.

[0024] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view for describing the operation of the guide member according to the second embodiment.

[0025] FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a separation roller of a banknote separation device of the related art.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the paper sheet separation device and the paper sheet separation method disclosed in the present application, will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the paper sheet separation device and the paper sheet separation method disclosed in the present application, are not limited by the following embodiments.

First Embodiment

[0027] (Configuration of Banknote Handling Apparatus)

[0028] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically illustrating an entire banknote handling apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view for describing the banknote handling apparatus according to the embodiment.

[0029] As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, a banknote handling apparatus 1 according to the embodiment includes a deposit/withdrawal unit 3 for depositing/withdrawing a banknote 2, a first temporary storage unit 4 for temporarily storing the banknote 2 that is deposited in the deposit/withdrawal unit 3, a discrimination unit 5 for discriminating the banknote 2 that is conveyed from the first temporary storage unit 4, and a second temporary storage unit 6 for temporarily storing the banknote 2 that is conveyed from the discrimination unit 5. The banknote handling apparatus 1 also includes a recirculation unit 7 for storing and withdrawing the banknote 2 that is conveyed from the discrimination unit 5 to recirculate the banknote 2, and a reject unit 8 for storing the banknote 2 abnormal in thickness and length or the banknote 2 degraded (damaged).

[0030] As illustrated in FIG. 2, in the banknote handling apparatus 1, a banknote 2, which is deposited from the deposit/withdrawal unit 3, is stored in the first temporary storage unit 4, and then discriminated by the discrimination unit 5. The banknote 2, which is discriminated by the discrimination unit 5, is stored and accumulated in the second temporary storage unit 6. At this time, when the deposited banknote 2 is returned, the banknote 2, which is 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 processed to be received, the banknote is conveyed again from the second temporary storage unit 6 to the first temporary storage unit 4, conveyed from the first temporary storage unit 4 to the discrimination unit 5, and then stored in a storage cassette 7a of the recirculation unit 7 from the discrimination unit 5 for each type of the banknote 2.

[0031] Next, when the banknote 2, which is stored in the recirculation unit 7, is to be withdrawn, the banknote 2 is conveyed from the recirculation unit 7 to the discrimination unit 5, and then conveyed from the discrimination unit 5 to the second temporary storage unit 6 for storage. Subsequently, the banknote 2, which is stored in the second temporary storage unit 6, is conveyed to the deposit/withdrawal unit 3, and withdrawn from the deposit/withdrawal unit 3. Further, the banknote 2, which is deposited from the deposit/withdrawal unit 3, is detected by the discrimination unit 5 in its thickness, length and deterioration state, and the banknote 2, which is detected as abnormal, is conveyed from the discrimination unit 5 to the reject unit 8 and stored.

[0032] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the first temporary storage unit 4, which is incorporated in the banknote handling apparatus 1, configured as described above includes a banknote separation device 11 according to the embodiment. As with the first temporary storage unit 4, the recirculation unit 7 of the banknote handling apparatus 1 also includes the banknote separation device 11 according to the embodiment. In the following embodiment, the banknote separation device 11 included in the first temporary storage unit 4, will be described as an example.

[0033] For convenience of description, the width direction of the banknote handling apparatus 1 is referred to as the X direction, the longitudinal direction of the banknote handling apparatus 1 is referred to as the Y direction, and the vertical direction of the banknote handling apparatus 1 is referred to as the Z direction, when the banknote handling apparatus 1 is viewed from the side of the deposit/withdrawal unit 3 in FIG. 1. In FIG. 2 and subsequent drawings, the X, Y, and Z directions are illustrated, respectively, as in FIG. 1. Further, the present embodiment uses the banknote 2 as an example of paper sheets, but is not limited to the banknote 2. The paper sheets include, for example, securities such as negotiable instruments, checks, gift certificates, various securities, and stock certificates.

[0034] (Configuration of Banknote Separation Device)

[0035] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a banknote separation device 11 according to the embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the banknote separation device 11 according to the embodiment includes a storage cassette 13, a pickup roller 15, a pair of a separation roller 16 and a feed roller 17, and a pair of guide members 18.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the storage cassette 13 has an accumulation unit 14 in which a banknote 2 is temporarily accumulated and stored. The banknote 2, which is conveyed into the banknote separation device 11, is stacked and stored in the accumulation unit 14 in the vertical direction (Z direction). The accumulation unit 14 is provided with a delivery port 14a for delivering the accumulated banknotes 2 at a position adjacent to the separation roller 16. The delivery port 14a is formed to be larger than the thickness and the length in the long-side direction of the banknote 2, so that the banknote 2 can be smoothly delivered from the inside of the accumulation unit 14. The banknote 2, which has passed through the delivery port 14a, is conveyed along a conveying path 14b.

[0037] The storage cassette 13 has a stage 13a for pressing the plurality of banknotes 2, which is accumulated in the accumulation unit 14, in the thickness direction. The stage 13a is provided in the accumulation unit 14 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. Further, the stage 13a is biased toward the lower side where the pickup roller 15 is arranged in the thickness direction of a plurality of the accumulated banknotes 2, by a pressing force of a pressing mechanism not illustrated.

[0038] The pickup roller 15 is arranged adjacent to the bottom of the accumulation unit 14 and supported by a rotary shaft 21. The peripheral face of the pickup roller 15 is in contact with the banknote 2 (banknote 2 on the feed side) positioned at the lowest position among the plurality of banknotes 2 that is accumulated in the accumulation unit 14. The pickup roller 15 is rotated by a drive mechanism not illustrated to transfer the banknote 2 positioned at the lowest position in the accumulation unit 14 to the contact point P0 side where the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 come into contact with each other. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the pickup roller 15 is supported via a coil spring 22 so as to be movable in the thickness direction of the plurality of banknotes 2 that is stacked in the accumulation unit 14, that is, in the moving direction of the stage 13a.

[0039] The coil spring 22 is also provided with a pressure sensor 23 for detecting a pressing force applied to the pickup roller 15. The pressing mechanism for pressing the stage 13a, is controlled by a control unit (not illustrated), based on the pressing force that is detected by the pressure sensor 23. Thus, the pickup roller 15 is controlled to be applied an appropriate pressing force corresponding to the number of banknotes 2 that are accumulated in the accumulation unit 14. As a result, the pickup roller 15 can appropriately transfer only one banknote 2 that is positioned at the lowest position among the plurality of banknotes 2 in the accumulation unit 14.

[0040] (Configuration of Separation Roller and Guide Member)

[0041] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 of the banknote separation device 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 of the banknote separation device 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 of the banknote separation device 11 according to the first embodiment.

[0042] As illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5, and 6, in the banknote separation device 11, two sets of the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 are arranged at a predetermined interval with respect to the long-side direction of the banknote 2 advancing along the short-side direction from the accumulation unit 14 side. As illustrated in FIG. 6, when viewed from the axial direction of a rotary shaft 25 of the separation roller 16, a set of the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 has a contact point (separation point) P0 in contact with each other. In practice, although the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 come into line contact with each other along the axial direction of a peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, the contact point is hereinafter referred to as the contact point P0 for convenience of description. The separation roller 16 comes into contact with the banknote 2 that is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14 where the banknote 2 is accumulated. The feed roller 17 rotates with respect to the stopped separation roller 16, so that the banknotes 2 are conveyed separately one by one at the contact point P0 with the separation roller 16.

[0043] The peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 is formed of a rubber material, and has a frictional force suitable for performing the separating operation of the banknote 2. The separation roller 16 is arranged above the feed roller 17 and supported by the rotary shaft 25. The separation roller 16 stops without rotating when the banknote 2 in the accumulation unit 14 is conveyed separately. The separation roller 16 may be configured to rotate together with the feed roller 17 following the rotation of the feed roller 17 which reverses the direction of returning the banknote 2 to the accumulation unit 14 side when a jam occurs in the vicinity of the delivery port 14a. In this configuration, the rotation state and the stop state of the separation roller 16 are switched by a clutch mechanism, for example.

[0044] The separation roller 16 is also biased in a direction in contact with the feed roller 17 by a biasing member (not illustrated) such as a compression coil spring. Thus, when the banknote 2 is fed through the contact point P0, the separation roller 16 elastically displaces in a direction away from the feed roller 17. At this time, the separation roller 16 is set to make a gap corresponding to the thickness of one banknote 2 at the contact point P0 with the feed roller 17.

[0045] As illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6, a cover member 27, which covers the upper side of the separation roller 16, is also provided between the accumulation unit 14 and the separation roller 16, and the banknote 2, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, is guided to the separation roller 16 side by the cover member 27. The cover member 27 is formed of a resin material and extends from the inside of the accumulation unit 14 toward the separation roller 16 side. Further, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the cover member 27 has a curved face 27a curved so that the end portion on the separation roller 16 side approaches the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16. Thus, the banknotes 2, which are stacked in the accumulation unit 14, are conveyed by the pickup roller 15, and slide along the curved face 27a of the cover member 27 to smoothly advance toward the separation roller 16 side.

[0046] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the guide members 18 of the banknote separation device 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a front view illustrating the separation roller 16 and the guide members 18 of the banknote separation device 11 according to the first embodiment, as viewed from the side where a banknote 2 enters the separation roller 16.

[0047] As illustrated in FIGS. 5, 7, and 8, a pair of guide members 18 for guiding the front end of the banknote 2, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, toward the contact point P0, is provided on both sides in the axial direction (X direction) of the separation roller 16, and the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 is sandwiched between the pair of guide members 18. The pair of guide members 18 is formed in a substantially disk shape from a resin material such as POM (polyacetal) or PPE (polyphenylene ether). The guide member 18 has a guide face 18a on which the front end of the banknote 2, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, comes into sliding contact, a shaft hole 18b supported by the rotary shaft 25 of the separation roller 16, and a support pin 18c supporting a later-described biasing member 19.

[0048] 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 face of the guide member 18 functions as a guide face 18a. Therefore, the guide face 18a protrudes outward of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 in the radial direction of the separation roller 16. Further, each of the guide face 18a of the pair of guide members 18 protrudes outward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 over the entire periphery of the separation roller 16. Since the guide member 18 is formed of a resin material, the friction coefficient of the guide face 18a is smaller than the friction coefficient of the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 as compared with the separation roller 16 made of rubber.

[0049] In the radial direction of the separation roller 16, the amount of protrusion of the guide face 18a with respect to the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 is set to be larger than the difference between the amount of expansion of the rubber material of the separation roller 16 and the amount of expansion of the resin material of the guide member 18 under the operating environment at high temperature and high humidity, for example. Thus, the guide face 18a is kept in a state of protruding from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 even when the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 expands in the radial direction of the separation roller 16.

[0050] The guide face 18a is formed in a circumferential surface shape along the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, and the guide face 18a is formed to be aligned with the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 when the guide member 18 moves in the radial direction of the separation roller 16. Although the guide face 18a is formed in a circumferential surface shape with respect to the circumferential direction of the separation roller 16, the guide face 18a may partially include a portion extended in a linear shape if desired. In the first embodiment, the width of the peripheral face 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 width of each of the guide face 18a of the guide member 18 in the axial direction of the rotary shaft 25 is set to about 1 [mm].

[0051] Further, the material for forming the guide face 18a of the guide member 18 is not limited to a resin material, but may be a material having a smaller friction coefficient than the rubber material for forming the separation roller 16. The guide face 18a may be formed of, for example, a coating film such as a plating film for reducing the friction coefficient, or a low-friction member for forming the guide face 18a may be incorporated in the guide member 18.

[0052] The shaft hole 18b of the guide member 18 is a long hole extending in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the rotary shaft 25 is inserted to be movable in the vertical direction. Thus, each of the guide faces 18a of the pair of guide members 18 is supported to be able to move independently in a direction, in which each of the guide faces 18a comes into contact with and separated from the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 (Z direction). Therefore, the guide face 18a is supported to be able to move inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 at the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17. A regulating piece (not illustrated) for regulating the rotation of the guide member 18 may also be formed in the shaft hole 18b along the major axis direction of the shaft hole 18b.

[0053] One end side of a biasing member 19 for biasing the guide member 18 toward the feed roller 17 side, that is, toward the contact point P0 side between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17, is attached to the support pin 18c of the guide member 18. The other end side of the biasing member 19 is fixed to a support portion (not illustrated) formed on the cover member 27, for example. For example, a compression coil spring is used as the biasing member 19.

[0054] The feed roller 17 is arranged below the separation roller 16 and supported by a rotary shaft 26. The feed roller 17 is connected to a drive mechanism for driving the pickup roller 15, and is rotationally driven in conjunction with the rotation of the pickup roller 15. At this time, the separation roller 16 stops without rotating.

[0055] The feed roller 17 has a base portion 17a formed of a resin material, and an elastic portion 17b formed of a rubber material, and is constituted by fitting the elastic portion 17b into the base portion 17a. Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 6, the elastic portion 17b is provided only at one portion in the circumferential direction of the feed roller 17. Further, as the rubber material for forming the elastic portion 17b of the feed roller 17, a material having a larger friction coefficient and a lower hardness than the rubber material for forming the separation roller, 16 is used. For example, silicone rubber is used as a rubber material for forming the elastic portion 17b of the feed roller 17. The silicone rubber is a material having a higher adhesive force and a higher frictional force than the urethane rubber forming the separation roller 16. The diameter of the feed roller 17 is formed larger than the diameter of the entire separation roller 16.

[0056] When the feed roller 17 is driven to rotate and the elastic portion 17b contacts the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 at the contact point P0 with the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, the banknote 2 is separated one by one by the separation roller 16.

[0057] As illustrated in FIG. 3, an optical sensor 28 for counting the number of banknotes 2 that have passed through the contact point P0 and for detecting skew of the banknote 2, is arranged downstream of the contact point P0 in the conveying direction of the banknote 2. The optical sensor 28 has a light emitter 28a for emitting a detection light, and a light receiver 28b for receiving the detection light that is emitted by the light emitter 28a. The light emitter 28a and the light receiver 28b are arranged opposite to each other across the conveying path of the banknote 2 so that the banknote 2, which passes through the contact point P0, intersects with the detection light. The light emitter 28a and the light receiver 28b are also electrically connected to a controller, and a detection signal is sent from the light receiver 28b to the controller. The controller counts the number of banknotes 2, which are fed out from the accumulation unit 14, based on the detection signal, and detects the skew of the banknote 2.

[0058] Further, in the storage cassette 13, a group of conveying rollers 29 is rotatably arranged on the downstream side with respect to the contact point P0 in the conveying direction of the banknote 2 that are fed out from the accumulation unit 14. The conveying roller 29 is arranged in contact with the peripheral face of the feed roller 17, and is rotated together with the feed roller 17 following the rotation of the feed roller 17. The conveying roller 29 conveys the banknote 2 to the outside of the banknote separation device 11 by sandwiching the banknote 2 between the conveying roller 29 and the feed roller 17. A switching member 30 for switching the conveying path of the banknote 2, is also rotatably provided in the vicinity of the conveying roller 29, which is arranged adjacent to the outside of the storage cassette 13.

[0059] Note that, in the present embodiment, the plurality of banknotes 2, which is accumulated in the accumulation unit 14, is pressed vertically downward, and the separation roller 16 is arranged on the upper side with respect to the feed roller 17, but the arrangement is not limited to the vertical direction. For example, the separation roller 16 may be arranged on the lower side with respect to the feed roller 17.

[0060] (Operation of Guide Member in Banknote Separation Device)

[0061] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view for describing the operation of the guide member 18 in the banknote separation device 11 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for describing the banknote separating operation according to the first embodiment.

[0062] As illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10, the banknote 2 is fed out from the accumulation unit 14 by the pickup roller 15 (step S1), and the front end of the banknote 2 advances toward the separation roller 16 side. At this time, for example, even when the banknote 2, of which front end is bent upward, is conveyed, the banknote 2 slides along the guide face 18a (step S2), and the front end of the banknote 2 is smoothly guided toward the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17. Thus, deformation of the front end of the banknote 2, is reduced, and jam and skew of the banknote 2 is reduced. When the front end of the banknote 2 reaches the contact point P0, the front end of the banknote 2 enters the contact point P0, and thus the guide face 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.

[0063] As the guide member 18 is lifted, the guide face 18a is aligned with the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, so that the front end of the banknote 2 comes into contact with the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 (step S4), and the banknotes 2 are separated one by one by the separation roller 16 (step S5). In other words, the front end of the banknote 2 is smoothly guided along the guide face 18a to the contact point P0, and the banknote is conveyed from the contact point P0 by properly separating by the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16.

[0064] When two or more banknotes 2 enter the contact point P0, the guide face 18a retracts to the inside of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, thereby reducing jam of the plurality of banknotes 2 in the vicinity of the contact point P0. Further, since the guide faces 18a of the pair of guide members 18 in the first embodiment can move independently of each other, the ability to follow the behavior of the banknote 2, which are conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, is high, and the jam of the banknote 2 in the vicinity of the contact point P0, is reduced.

[0065] (Banknote Separation Method)

[0066] A banknote separation method using the banknote separation device 11 configured as described above, will be described. The banknote separation method includes sliding the front end of the banknote 2, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, along the guide face 18a of the guide member 18 to the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17, moving the guide face 18a inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 by the banknote 2 at the contact point P0 to bring the banknote 2 into contact with the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, and separating the banknote 2 by the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17.

[0067] As described above, the banknote separation device 11 according to the first embodiment, includes a pair of guide members 18 that has a guide face 18a, which comes into sliding contact with the front end of the banknote 2 that is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, and being provided on both sides in the axial direction (X direction) of the separation roller 16, the friction coefficient of the guide face 18a being smaller than the friction coefficient of the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, the guide face 18a being provided protruding outward of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 in the radial direction of the separation roller 16, and the guide face 18a being supported to be able to move inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 at the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17. Thus, the front end of the banknote 2 can be smoothly guided to the contact point P0 side along the guide face 18a, so that deformation such as bending of the front end of the banknote 2, can be reduced. Further, since the guide face 18a protrudes from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, adverse effects, due to expansion of the separation roller 16 under the operating environment at a high temperature and high humidity, can be reduced. Thus, the banknote separation device 11 can reduce the jam or skew of the banknote 2 during the separating operation, and enhance the reliability of the separating operation of the banknote 2.

[0068] The banknote separation device 11 prevents the front end of the banknote 2 from being caught by the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 even when the banknote 2, of which front end is bent upward (separation roller 16 side), is fed out especially when the banknote 2 is fed out from the accumulation unit 14, so that the banknote 2 can be smoothly guided to the contact point P0.

[0069] In addition, since the pair of guide members 18 moves independently of each other, the banknote separation device 11 can enhance the ability to follow the behavior of the banknote 2 that are conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, and reduce the jam of the banknote 2 in the vicinity of the contact point P0.

[0070] The banknote separation device 11 according to the first embodiment, also includes the biasing member 19 for biasing the pair of guide members 18 toward the contact point P0 side, in which the pair of guide members 18 is provided movably in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 25 of the separation roller 16. Thus, for example, since the pair of guide members 18 is supported movably by the rotary shaft 25, the pair of guide members 18 can be supported movably with a simple configuration, so that the overall size of the banknote separation device 11 can be suppressed.

[0071] The second embodiment will be described below 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 description thereof is omitted. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the configuration of the guide member.

Second Embodiment

[0072] FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a guide member of a banknote separation device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a side view for describing guide faces of the guide member according to the second embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 11, a banknote separation device 31 according to the second embodiment, includes a guide member 35 for guiding the front end of the banknote 2, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, toward the contact point P0. The guide member 35 according to the second embodiment has a pair of guide portions 36 corresponding to the pair of guide members 18 according to the first embodiment, and a connecting portion 37 for connecting the pair of guide portions 36.

[0073] The guide portion 36 has a guide face 36a on which the front end of the banknote 2, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, comes into sliding contact, a shaft hole 36b supported by the rotary shaft 25 of the separation roller 16, and a support pin 36c supporting the biasing member 19.

[0074] As illustrated in FIG. 12, each of the guide faces 36a of the pair of guide portions 36 extend from the accumulation unit 14 side toward the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17 along the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16. Each of the guide faces 36a protrudes outward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 on the accumulation unit 14 side. In the radial direction of the separation roller 16, the amount of protrusion of the guide face 36a gradually decreases toward the contact point P0 side. The minimum value of the amount of protrusion of the guide face 36a is also set to be larger than the difference between the amount of expansion of the rubber material of the separation roller 16 and the amount of expansion of the resin material of the guide member 35 under the operating environment at high temperature and high humidity, for example.

[0075] Each of the guide faces 36a is positioned inward (centrally) in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 in the vicinity of the contact point P0. Further, each of the guide faces 36a extends inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 at the downstream from the contact point P0 in the conveying direction of the banknote 2. Here, the vicinity of the contact point P0 indicates a range of, for example, about a few [mm] positioned above the contact point P0 (the accumulation unit 14 side) in the conveying direction of the banknote 2.

[0076] Thus, the guide member 35 according to the second embodiment is formed such that the guide face 36a retracts inward of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a in the vicinity of the contact point P0 and the peripheral face 16a protrudes outward from the guide face 36a, in comparison with the guide member 18 according to the first embodiment. In the radial direction of the separation roller 16, the amount of protrusion of the peripheral face 16a at the contact point P0 with respect to the guide face 36a, is set to, for example, about the thickness of one banknote 2. As illustrate in FIG. 12, the guide face 36a also includes a portion extending linearly from the accumulation unit 14 side toward the vicinity of the contact point P0, and the front end of the banknote 2 is smoothly guided along the linear guide face 36a to the contact point P0.

[0077] The shaft hole 36b of the guide portion 36 is a long hole extending in the vertical direction (Z direction), and the rotary shaft 25 is inserted to be movable in the vertical direction. Thus, each of the guide faces 36a of the pair of guide portions 36, which is connected via the connecting portion 37, is supported to be integrally movable in a direction (Z direction) in which each of the guide faces 36a comes into contact with and separates from the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17.

[0078] The connecting portion 37 extends in the axial direction (X direction) of the separation roller 16 so as to cover the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 facing the accumulation unit 14 side, and is formed integrally with the pair of guide portions 36. The connecting portion 37 is also formed to bulge toward the accumulation unit 14 side (Y direction), and functions as a lower end portion of the cover member 27 according to the first embodiment. The connecting portion 37 has a guide face 37a on which the front end of the banknote 2, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, comes in sliding contact. The guide face 37a is formed to be smoothly continuous with the guide face 36a of the guide portion 36.

[0079] (Operation of Guide Member in Banknote Separation Device)

[0080] In the first embodiment, even when one banknote 2 is normally conveyed to the contact point P0, the guide face 18a is lifted by the front end of the banknote 2 entering the contact point P0. On the other hand, in the second embodiment, at the contact point P0, the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 protrudes from the guide face 36a of the guide member 35 toward the contact point P0 side, that is, toward the feed roller 17 side. Therefore, when one banknote 2 is normally conveyed to the contact point P0, the guide face 36a is not moved by the banknote 2, and the front end of the banknote 2 contacts the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 at the contact point P0.

[0081] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view for describing the operation of the guide member 35 according to the second embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 13, in the second embodiment, when two or more banknotes 2 are conveyed to the contact point P0, the thickness of the front end portion of the group of banknotes 2, is increased, so that the guide face 36a is lifted by the group of banknotes 2. Thus, when two or more banknotes 2 enter the contact point P0 side, the guide face 36a is retracted upward, thereby reducing jam in the vicinity of the contact point P0.

[0082] Although not illustrated, the ideal shape of the guide face 36a is desirably such that the guide face extends from the accumulation unit 14 side toward the contact point P0, passes through the contact point P0, and extends inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16. This shape enables the front end of the banknote 2, which is conveyed from the accumulation unit 14, to be guided to the contact point P0, and the banknote 2 to be brought into contact with the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16 without lifting the guide face 36a by the banknote 2, thereby further reducing the jam and skew of the banknote 2 and further enhancing the reliability of the separating operation.

[0083] The banknote separation device 31 of the second embodiment includes the guide member 35 to which a pair of guide portions 36 is connected, and thus the configuration can be simplified. Further, in 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 face 36a and the banknote 2 at the contact point P0, is suppressed, so that the durability of the guide member 35 can be enhanced. As with the first embodiment, the second embodiment can also reduce the jam and skew of the banknote 2 during the separating operation, and enhance the reliability of the separating operation of the banknote 2.

[0084] Note that the guide faces 18a and 36a of the guide members 18 and 35 in the above-described first and second embodiments are supported by the rotary shaft 25 so as to be movable in the radial direction of the rotary shaft 25, but are not limited to this configuration. The guide members 18 and 35 may be capable of being lifted inward in the radial direction of the separation roller 16 from the peripheral face 16a of the separation roller 16, by the front end of the banknote 2 entering the contact point P0 between the separation roller 16 and the feed roller 17, and may be swingably supported, for example, around a swinging shaft not illustrated.

[0085] According to one aspect of the paper sheet separation device disclosed herein, the reliability of the separating operation of the paper sheets, can be enhanced.

[0086] All examples and conditional language provided herein are intended for the pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.