DEVICE AND METHOD FOR SEPARATING VALUE DOCUMENTS, IN PARTICULAR BANKNOTES, AND VALUE DOCUMENT PROCESSING SYSTEM

Abstract

A device for separating value documents, in particular banknotes, includes a receiving device which is designed to receive a stack of value documents, a rotatable separating element which is designed to act temporarily on in each case one value document of the stack and to withdraw the same from the stack, and a drive device which is designed to set the separating element into rotation, and a control device which is designed to control the drive device such that the rotational speed of the rotation, into which the separating element is set by the drive device, is changed, in particular temporarily, during each revolution of the separating element. A method corresponds to the device and to a value document processing system comprising such a device

Claims

1.-10. (canceled)

11. A device for separating value documents, comprising: a receiving device which is designed to receive a stack of value documents, a rotatable separating element which is designed to act temporarily on a value document of the stack each time and to withdraw it from the stack, and a drive device which is designed to rotate the separating element, wherein a control device which is designed to control the drive device such that the rotational speed of the rotational movement the separating element is made to perform by the drive device is changed temporarily, during one revolution of the separating element.

12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the control device is designed to control the drive device such that the rotational speed is temporarily increased and/or reduced during one revolution of the separating element in each case.

13. The device according to claim 11, wherein the control device is designed to control the drive device such that the separating element rotates at a first rotational speed while the separating element is acting on the relevant value document and withdrawing it from the stack, and, during one revolution in each case, rotates temporarily at a second rotational speed, which is faster or slower than the first rotational speed.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein the control device is designed to control the drive device such that the first rotational speed of the separating element is identical or substantially identical for all value documents that have been or are to be withdrawn.

15. The device according to claim 13, wherein the separating element is designed to feed the value documents withdrawn from the stack each time to a transport device which is designed to transport the value documents at a transport speed, and the first rotational speed is selected such that the web speed of the separating element, while the separating element is acting on the relevant value document and withdrawing it from the stack, is identical or substantially identical to the transport speed.

16. The device according to claim 11, wherein the control device is designed to control the drive device such that the rotational speed of the separating element is periodically changed.

17. The device according to claim 16, wherein the periodic change in the rotational speed of the separating element has a period which corresponds to the time for a complete revolution of the separating element, and/or between two successive separating processes in which one value document is withdrawn from the stack.

18. The device according to claim 11, wherein the control device is designed to control the drive device in such a way that the change in the rotational speed of the separating element during one revolution of the separating element in each case and/or between two successive separating processes in which one value document is withdrawn from the stack has a sinusoidal, triangular, trapezoidal and/or rectangular time profile.

19. A value document processing system comprising one or more devices for processing, transporting, checking, counting and/or sorting, value document comprising a device for separating value documents according to claim 11.

20. A method for separating value documents in which a stack of value documents is provided, and a rotating separating element temporarily acts on one value document in the stack each time and withdraws it from the stack, wherein the rotational speed of the rotating separating element is changed temporarily, during one revolution of the separating element in each case.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Further advantages, features and possible applications of the present invention can be found in the following description in conjunction with the drawings. In the figures:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows an example of a value document processing system comprising a device for separating value documents;

[0034] FIG. 2, including FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), shows in each case an example of a separating element rotating at an a) constant and b) temporarily increased rotational speed, and its effect on the gap between the separated value documents;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows an example of a time profile for the rotational speed of the separating element during one revolution; and

[0036] FIG. 4, including FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), shows examples of value documents of different formats separated a) in the conventional manner and b) according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an example of a value document processing system 1 having a device 6 for separating value documents 2, in particular banknotes, provided in the form of a stack 3. For receiving the stack 3, a receiving device is provided which is also referred to as a singler compartment or input compartment and in the present example has a support element 4 which serves as a support for the stack 3, and a stop element 5 which serves as a stop for the edges of the value documents 2 on one side of the stack 3.

[0038] Furthermore, a separating element 7 is provided which is designed, for example, as a rotating roller and has a friction element 7T in a region of its circumferential surface, which friction element has greater friction compared to the remaining circumferential surface and/or is increased relative to the remaining circumferential surface. For example, the friction element 7 can be an element made of rubber or plastics which is introduced into or attached to a roller made of metal. In this embodiment of the separating element 7, the device 6 is also referred to as a so-called friction-wheel singler.

[0039] Furthermore, a drive device 8, for example an electric motor, is provided, by means of which the separating element 7 can be rotated, as indicated by the curved arrow shown. Depending on the embodiment, the drive device 8 can be coupled to the separating element 7 directly, by means of a transmission or by means of a belt drive.

[0040] Possible further elements, for example in the form of one or more further rollers, belts, stripping and/or retaining elements, have been omitted in the present example for reasons of clarity.

[0041] In the present example, the support element 4 is designed, and the separating element 7 is arranged, such that the separating element 7 can touch the lowest value document 2 in the stack 3, through the support element 4, by means of the friction element 7 at one or more points. The friction element 7 of the separating element 7, which has been made to rotate, can thereby periodically act on the lowest value document 2 in the stack and thereby withdraw it from the stack 3 and feed it to a transport device 10 which, for reasons of clarity, is shown only in a highly schematic manner.

[0042] By means of the transport device 10, the separated value documents 2 are conveyed to a checking device 20, in which they are checked with regard to their properties, such as denomination and/or condition and/or authenticity, and/or are counted. For this purpose, one or more test sensors (not shown) are provided which detect the physical properties of the value documents and convert them into corresponding sensor signals which are evaluated in a control device 9. The control device 9 is also designed to control path switches 11, 12 in such a way that the processed value documents 2 are transferred to a first or second container 13 or 14 depending on the properties determined in each case. Here, for example, value documents 2 in good condition (fit) are deposited in the first container 13 and value documents 2 in poor condition (unfit) are deposited in the second container 14. Depending on the application, the value documents 2 can also be deposited in the different containers 13, 14, for example, on the basis of their denomination. Further path switches and further containers (not shown) or further processing elements, such as a shredder for destroying value documents 2 having certain properties, can also be provided, this being indicated by an arrow 15.

[0043] The control device 9 is further designed to control the drive device 8 such that the rotational speed of the separating element 7 is temporarily changed, in particular increased or reduced, during one revolution of the separating element 7 in each case. As a result, the gap L occurring in each case between the value documents 2 withdrawn successively from the stack 3 can be reduced or enlarged in a simple and reliable manner, in particular without there being a need to change the transport speed at which the separated value documents 2 are conveyed in the transport device 10. This will be explained in more detail below.

[0044] FIG. 2 shows in each case an example of a separating element 7 which is rotating at an a) constant and b) temporarily increased rotational speed and its effect on the gap L between the separated value documents 2. Due to the rotational speed (angular velocity) of the separating element 7, which is temporarily, in particular briefly, increased during one revolution in each case, the friction element 7 touches the lowest value document 2 in the stack (not shown) after a shorter time span or rotation time than in the case of an unchanged rotational speed. Accordingly, the value documents 2 are withdrawn from the stack at a faster rate (value documents per unit of time) so that the gap L also becomes correspondingly smaller between value documents 2 being successively withdrawn each time.

[0045] Preferably, the rotational speed i) is thereby increased only outside or between the successive separating processes, in which the friction element 7 contacts the corresponding value document 2 and thereby withdraws it from the stack, and/or ii) is thereby not increased in the corresponding separating phases during which the friction element 7 contacts the corresponding value document 2 and/or withdraws it from the stack. This ensures that the value document 2 withdrawn in each case is always withdrawn from the stack and fed to the transport device 10 at the same speed. The speed during withdrawal substantially corresponds to the web speed of the separating element 7 or of the friction element 7, which derives from the product of the angular velocity of the separating element 7 or friction element 7 during the separating process and the radius of the separating element 7 or friction element 7.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows an example of a time profile for the rotational speed ? (angular velocity in the unit of revolutions per unit of time) of the separating element 7 during one revolution or between two successive separating processes at the time points t.sub.n and t.sub.n+1. Starting from a first rotational speed ?.sub.1 at a time t.sub.n during the separation of a value document n, the rotation of the separating element 7 is temporarily accelerated to a second rotational speed ?.sub.2 and then braked back down to the first rotational speed ?.sub.1 so that the separating element 7 is once again rotating at the first rotational speed ?.sub.1 at a later point in time t.sub.n+1 at which the next value document n+1 is withdrawn from the stack. Even if the time profile for the rotational speed ? shown in the present example is essentially trapezoidal, other time profiles are also possible or preferred, such as a sinusoidal, triangular, sawtooth or rectangular profile.

[0047] Preferably, the first rotational speed ?.sub.1 is selected such that the web speed of the separating element 7 and/or friction element 7 during the separating process or during withdrawal of the corresponding value document from the stack corresponds substantially to the transport speed at which the separated value documents 2 are transported by the transport device 10. This prevents value documents backing up and/or additional wear on the value documents and/or noise emission during the transfer of the value documents to the transport device 10. Typical transport speeds in the transport device 10 are, for example, 1.8 m/s, 2.0 m/s or 2.63 m/s, but can also be less or more.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows examples of value documents of different formats separated a) in a conventional manner and b) in accordance with the present disclosure and transported in the transport device 10 in the transport direction T. The upper part of the drawing in each case shows larger format value documents, the lower part of the drawing in each case shows smaller format value documents.

[0049] In the case of value documents separated in a conventional manner, the distance D between the leading edge of each of the separated value documents is always the same regardless of the format (cf. the upper and lower parts of FIG. 4a) of the value documents and is predetermined by the transport speed in the transport device 10 or by the web speed of the friction element 7 during withdrawal from the stack. For example, the distance D is 15 cm at a transport speed of 17.5 value documents per second. The gaps occurring between the value documents withdrawn successively in this case are correspondingly larger in the case of smaller formats than in the case of larger formats. The achievable throughput (value documents per unit of time) during processing of the value documents is always the same for larger and smaller value documents in this case.

[0050] In contrast thereto, in the case of value documents separated according to the present disclosure, the gap L between the successively separated value documents can be targetedly reduced in a simple and reliable manner, in particular during the separating and/or processing of value documents, as illustrated in the lower part of FIG. 4b, by temporarily increasing the rotational speed of the separating element 7 or friction element 7 during one revolution in each case. The distance between the leading edge of each of the successively withdrawn value documents is thereby accordingly reduced compared to the situation shown in FIG. 4a so that, despite the same transport speed at which the withdrawn value documents are transported in the transport direction T, a higher throughput (value documents per unit of time) can be achieved, in particular in the case of smaller format value documents, during processing of the value documents.

[0051] In an application in which a stack of value documents of different formats is to be processed (so-called multi-denomination processing), the temporary increase in the rotational speed of the separating element 7 can preferably be of such a size that the gap occurring between two subsequently separated value documents of the largest format of this currency has a predefinable width, in particular the smallest possible predefinable width (e.g., 10, 20 or 30 mm). This ensures that at least the largest format value documents contained in the stack can be separated and processed with the highest possible throughput. In this case, the dimensions of the largest format value documents thus determine the achievable throughput during processing of the value documents contained in the stack.

[0052] In an application in which a stack of value documents of the same format is to be processed (so-called mono-denomination processing), the temporary increase in the rotational speed of the separating element 7 can preferably be of such a size that the gap occurring between two value documents of this format subsequently separated has a predefinable width, in particular the smallest possible predefinable width (e.g., 10, 20 or 30 mm). This ensures that the value documents contained in the stack can be separated and processed with the highest possible throughput.

[0053] The above statements apply accordingly to applications in which the gap between the separated value documents is to be increased, wherein in these cases the rotational speed of the separating element 7 is temporarily reduced during one revolution in each case.