Paper handling equipment

Abstract

To provide a paper sheet handling device that meets various requirements such as universal design while being a general-purpose paper sheet processing device.SOLUTION: A paper-sheet handling device consists of a connecting and conveying part 30 for batch conveying a paper-sheet bundle B received at a batch receiving part 20 toward a separating and taking part 210, and a paper sheet processor 200 with the separating and taking part 210 that unfolds the paper sheet bundle and takes in the paper sheets one by one. The connecting and conveying part 30 consists of a clamping and conveyance section Z1 that holds the batch conveyance at a clamping pressure that does not cause breakage, a clamping pressure relief conveyance section Z2 that receives the paper sheet bundle conveyed from the clamping and conveyance section and conveys the bundle to the separation and taking part 210 with relaxed clamping pressure, and a correction guide 150 that regulates and corrects the position and orientation of the paper sheet bundle being conveyed in the clamping pressure relief conveyance section in the width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper handling machine. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art As a type of banknote processing device that is equipped in banknote handling devices such as vending machines that have the function of accepting inserted banknotes to provide various goods and services, gaming media lending machines in amusement arcades, ticket vending machines, deposit and withdrawal devices, currency exchange machines, and settlement machines, there is known a type that takes in multiple banknotes (bundles of banknotes) that are inserted in a stack at once, then separates and sorts them one by one and stores them internally.

[0003] The banknote processing device of Patent Document 1 is configured to separate and take in a stack of banknotes inserted all at once through a banknote insertion port located at the top of the device, one by one, using a separation and intake section, and then sort and store the banknotes by denomination in a storage space at the bottom inside the device. In order to adopt universal design in vending machines and other banknote handling devices, it is sometimes necessary to position the banknote insertion slot at a low position. In this case, in order to move the banknote insertion slot located at the top to a lower position, it is necessary to change the design and modify the separation and intake unit to a lower position corresponding to the banknote insertion slot, which results in a significant increase in work and costs.

[0004] In addition, for the convenience of maintenance, it may become necessary to dispose the banknote handling device at a position separated a predetermined distance behind the banknote insertion slot. However, if the layout of each banknote handling device is changed individually to meet various demands for banknote handling devices, the manufacturing costs will be enormous. In order to construct a banknote handling machine that can meet universal design and other requirements without modifying the banknote handling machine, it is desirable to adopt a configuration in which a banknote input slot 1110 and a banknote handling machine 1120 are connected by a connecting conveyance path 1130 as shown in Fig. 11. Fig. 11(a) is an example of a configuration that meets universal design, and Fig. 11(b) is an example of a configuration in which the banknote handling machine is spaced apart and disposed rearward from the banknote input slot. Providing a connecting conveyance path enables the banknote handling machine to be versatile.

[0005] However, if the banknote separation and feed section 1122 on the banknote processing device side is of the so-called "partial feed type", it becomes difficult to ensure compatibility with the connecting transport path 1130 which transports banknotes while tightly gripping them.

[0006] The "partial capture method" and "complete capture method" will be described below. Since bill handling devices are required to be versatile, compact, and low-cost, the so-called "partial intake method" that can save space and reduce the number of parts, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, has become mainstream as a method for separating and taking in a bundle of bills inserted in a lump, as disclosed in Patent Document 2. In the "partial intake method," the entire bundle of bills inserted in a lump from the bill insertion port is not received and held in the device in its entirety (total length), but the entire bundle of bills is temporarily held in the bill insertion port. In this holding state, most of the bills except for the leading end or the front half of the bundle of bills set in the bill insertion port are exposed to the outside. Therefore, the state in which the bills are separated and fed one by one and reduced can be visually observed from the outside. The "partial intake method" is convenient for miniaturizing the bill handling device because it is not necessary to provide a holding space in the device to hold the entire bundle of bills.

[0007] Furthermore, in the "partial intake method" disclosed in Patent Document 2, when separating bills one by one from a bundle of bills inserted at once, only the frictional force generated between the pay-out roller and the opposing bill load member is utilized. In other words, external forces that block the frictional force (conveying force) of the pay-out roller must be eliminated, and the frictional force between bills must be reduced.

[0008] On the other hand, Patent Document 3 discloses a recycling-type banknote processing device of the so-called "complete intake type" in which a banknote bundle inserted at once is released as a whole into a retention and separation section built into the device, where it is retained, and then separated one by one by a separation roller pair and transported to a recycling-type safe. This "complete intake type" requires a mechanism for retaining the entire banknote bundle inside the device and a space for retaining the bundle, which leads to an increase in size and cost of the banknote processing device. For these reasons, the "partial capture method" which does not have the above drawbacks has become mainstream. As shown in FIG. 11(a), in order to use a banknote processing device 1120 equipped with a "partial intake type" banknote separation intake section (machine interface) 1122 at the top, while positioning a banknote insertion port (user interface) 1110 capable of accepting a bundle of banknotes all at once at a low position, an L-shaped connecting conveying path 1130 as shown is required.

[0009] Furthermore, if it is desired to dispose the banknote handling device 1120 at a distance L rearward from the banknote inlet 1110, a connecting transport path 1130 that is long in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 11(b) is required. The connecting transport path 1130 is usually configured by combining multiple endless belts. Specifically, for example, a contact transport area is formed by bringing the running surfaces of two endless belts close to each other facing each other, and a configuration is made such that a bundle of banknotes is gripped and transported all at once within this contact transport area. With the effort of simply newly designing a contact transport area made up of such endless belts according to the differences in the layout of each banknote handling device, it becomes possible to build an inexpensive banknote handling device 1100 using a general-purpose banknote handling device. When a general-purpose banknote processing device 1120 is connected to a banknote input port (user interface) 1110 using a connection conveying path 1130, the relationship between the end of the connection conveying path 1130 and the banknote separation and intake unit (man-machine interface) 1122 is a machine-to-machine correspondence relationship. The connection conveying path needs to convey the banknote bundle by clamping it between the belts with a strong grip so that there is no misalignment between the banknotes. On the other hand, the banknote separation and intake unit 1122 needs to reduce the friction between the banknotes because it separates them using the friction between the separation roller and the banknotes. If the banknotes transferred from the end of the connection conveying path 1130 are supplied to the banknote separation and intake unit while still being clamped by the strong grip between the belts, separation will need to be performed without reducing the friction between the banknotes. This makes it easier for multiple feeding and other separation failures to occur. There has been no proposal so far regarding a device configuration that, when feeding a stack of banknotes tightly gripped by a connecting transport path into a banknote separation and intake section, releases the grip without manual intervention to avoid interfering with the separation operation.

[0010] Next, when a user directly inserts a bill bundle into the separation and feed section, if the bill bundle is slanted with respect to the insertion direction or if there is misalignment between bills, the user can correct it and insert it themselves, but such corrections cannot be made when the bill bundle is transferred from the terminal end of the connection transport path 1130 to the bill separation and feed section 1122. That is, to stably separate bill bundles inserted all at once, a correction operation is required to align bill bundles inserted randomly at the user interface at the machine interface, but no proposal has been made to enable such correction operation. Patent Document 4, "Paper Sheet Dispensing Device and Control Method Thereof," proposes a method for controlling the skewed posture of a bill bundle by first taking in the inserted bill bundle in the dispensing direction, then driving the dispensing roller in the opposite direction to the dispensing direction for a predetermined period of time and controlling it to return in the opposite direction to the bill insertion direction. However, this method has the disadvantages of being time consuming to process, and the control program for the dispensing roller and the drive mechanism for the dispensing roller are complicated. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-367003 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2002-321839 A [Patent Document 3] JP2013-97665A [Patent Document 4] JP2008-265937A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0012] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above, and proposes a technology that makes it possible to construct a paper handling device that satisfies various requirements, such as compatibility with universal design, while using a general-purpose paper processing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to solve the above problems, the paper handling device of the present invention comprises a batch receiving section that receives a bundle of paper sheets in a batch, a connection conveying section that conveys the bundle of paper sheets received at the batch receiving section in a batch toward a separation and intake section, and a paper processing device having the separation and intake section that separates and takes in the bundle of paper sheets one by one, wherein the connection conveying section comprises a clamping conveying unit that constitutes a clamping conveying section that conveys the bundle of paper sheets while holding them with a clamping pressure that does not cause misalignment between the sheets of the bundle of paper sheets, a clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit that constitutes a clamping pressure relaxation conveying section that receives the bundle of paper sheets transported by the clamping conveying unit and transports it to the separation and intake section with the clamping pressure on the bundle of paper sheets relaxed, and a correction guide that corrects the conveying state of the bundle of paper sheets transported within the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, it is possible to construct a paper handling device that satisfies various requirements such as universal design while using a general-purpose paper processing device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are longitudinal sectional views showing the overall configuration of a banknote handling machine as an example of a paper handling machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 3A and 3B are perspective views showing the configurations of a connection and transport unit and a separation and intake unit in the banknote handling machine. [Diagram 3] 13(a), (b), and (c) are plan views showing a skew correction procedure when a banknote is transferred from a connection transport section to a separation take-in section. [Figure 4] 5(a) and 5(b) are front views illustrating the operation of the clamping pressure adjusting unit. [Diagram 5] 13(a) and 13(b) are rear views of the same. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view showing the configuration of a swing mechanism. [Figure 7] 13(a), (b) and (c) are schematic diagrams of a clamping pressure relaxation transport unit, illustrating the principle of deforming a banknote stack into a stepped shape. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure for transferring a bundle of banknotes inserted at once to a banknote processing device via a connection and transport unit. [Figure 9] 5A and 5B are front views showing the configuration of the connection transport section including the stopper and the stopper appearing / retracting mechanism. [Figure 10] 5A and 5B are rear views showing the configuration of the connection transport section including the stopper and the stopper appearing / retracting mechanism. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the configuration of a connection transport path that connects the banknote processing device and a banknote insertion slot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiment shown in the drawings. However, unless otherwise specified, the components, types, combinations, shapes, relative positions, etc. described in the embodiment are merely illustrative examples and do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0017] [Overall composition] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. Fig. 1(a) and (b) are vertical cross-sectional views showing the overall configuration of a banknote handling device as an example of a paper handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2(a) and (b) are perspective views showing the configuration of a connection conveyance section and a separation take-in section in the banknote handling device, and Fig. 3(a), (b) and (c) are plan views showing a skew correction procedure when a banknote bundle is transferred from the connection conveyance section to the separation take-in section. Fig. 4(a) and (b) are front views explaining the operation of the clamping pressure adjustment unit, and Fig. 5(a) and (b) are rear views of the same. Fig. 6 is a rear perspective view showing the configuration of a swinging mechanism.

[0018] The banknote handling device 1 generally comprises an outer casing 10 equipped with a batch receiving section 20 that receives banknote bundles B in a batch, a connection and transport section 30 that transports the banknote bundles received by the batch receiving section 20 in a batch toward a separation and take-in section 210 of the banknote handling device 200, a banknote handling device 200 equipped with a separation and take-in section 210 of a so-called "partial take-in type" that temporarily stops and holds the banknote bundle transported from the connection and transport section (holding only a portion of the banknote bundle including the tip portion) and separates the banknote bundles one by one and receives and feeds them inside, a transport motor M1 which is a DC motor that drives each of the endless belts 50, 60, 80 and the low-friction roller pair 90 described later, an oscillation motor M2 that drives an oscillation cam 124 described later, control means 500 that controls these, and a support plate 550 that supports some of these components. Only the separation and intake unit 210 of the banknote processing device 200 is illustrated, and the configuration of the transport means located downstream of the separation and intake unit, the banknote storage units by denomination, etc. are not illustrated. Although the pair of upper and lower separation and intake rollers 212 has been illustrated as an example of the configuration of the separation and intake unit 210, this is merely one example, and any configuration may be used as long as it can separate and feed the topmost banknotes of a banknote stack one by one, such as a separation and intake unit combining a separation roller and a separation pad.

[0019] The bulk receiving section 20 is configured to receive the bill bundles inserted by the user in a lump and transport them into the connecting and transporting section 30. Although the specific configuration of the bulk receiving section 20 is not shown, the bulk receiving section 20 is configured to nip the bill bundles inserted by the user by hand with at least a pair of rollers 22, introduce them in a lump, and supply them to the connecting and transporting section 30. The connection and transport section 30 is equipped with a clamping transport unit 40 that constitutes a clamping transport section Z1 (Z1a, Z1b) which transports the banknotes in a batch while holding them in a clamping manner with a predetermined strength or more so that the banknotes do not shift or come apart during transport, a clamping pressure relaxation transport unit 70 that constitutes a clamping pressure relaxation transport section Z2 which receives the banknote bundle transported by the clamping transport unit 40 and transports it to the separation and take-in section 210 in a state where the clamping pressure on the banknote bundle is relaxed (released), and a correction guide (banknote bundle transport state correction means) 150 that is arranged within the clamping pressure relaxation transport unit to regulate the width (horizontal) position of the banknote bundle while correcting any misalignment between the banknotes and any skewed posture (banknote bundle transport state correction means). The pinch conveying unit 40 includes at least first and second endless belts 50, 60 that run while forming contact running areas CZ1, CZ2 in which the belts run at a constant speed in the same direction while in contact with each other. An upstream pinch conveying mechanism GZ is provided between the lump-sum receiving section 20 and the first and second endless belts, which tightly pinches the bill bundle between a plurality of belt pairs while conveying the bill bundle and delivering it to the pinch conveying section Z1, but the specific configuration is not shown in the figure.

[0020] Each of the endless belts 50, 60, 80 is made of a stretchable elastic material such as rubber, etc. In the following description, the endless belts will simply be referred to as belts. The first belt 50 is tensioned in an L-shaped track by pulleys 52a to 52e etc. For example, the pulley 52a is a driving pulley driven by a conveyor motor M1, and the other pulleys 52b to 52e are driven pulleys. The second belt 60 is tensioned in a substantially horizontal track by pulleys 62a, 62d, 62b, 62c, 62d, etc. For example, the pulley 52d is a drive pulley driven by a conveyor motor M1, and the other pulleys 62a, 62b, 62c, 62d are driven pulleys. Both belts 50 and 60 are rotated in the conveying direction indicated by the arrow by the drive of conveying motor M1. In the contact running areas CZ1, CZ2 of both belts 50, 60, the pressure between the belts is set to be sufficiently strong so as not to cause misalignment or loosening of the banknotes. A downstream portion (overhanging portion, downstream running region) 63 of the second belt 60 that does not constitute the contact running regions CZ1, CZ2 extends to the separation take-in section 210. In other words, the second belt 60 does not form the contact running regions CZ1, CZ2 with the first belt 50 over the entire length in the conveying direction, but the downstream portion 63 forms a clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2 with the lower running surface of the third belt 80 located immediately above.

[0021] The clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit 70 comprises a downstream portion 63 of the second belt, a third belt 80 which, when in a first position (first posture), forms a clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2 by running at a constant speed in the same direction while approaching the upper surface (outer surface) of the downstream portion 63, a pair of low-friction rollers 90 which are rotatably arranged on the downstream side of the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section and clamp the widthwise center of the banknote bundle, a clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 which is in a first position (initial position) until the leading end of the banknote bundle reaches the separation and intake section, enabling the banknote bundle to be conveyed by the clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit 70, and which retreats to a second position (second posture) after the leading end of the banknote bundle reaches the separation and intake section 210, enabling the banknotes to be conveyed by the clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit 70 (clamp release state), and a swinging mechanism 120 which swings (raises and lowers) the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100. The clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is roughly composed of a third belt 80 made of an elastic material, an upper low-friction roller 90b, a holder body 102 which holds the third belt 80 and the low-friction roller 90b and swings vertically around a swing shaft 115, and an elastic member 116 which elastically biases the holder body downward around the swing shaft 115.

[0022] The third belt 80 is stretched endlessly between an upstream pulley (driven side) 82a on the upstream side in the conveying direction journaled by the holder body 102, and a downstream pulley (driving side) 82b journaled rotatably by a holder piece 110 journaled rotatably by the holder body. The holder body 102 journals up and down about a journal shaft 115 provided on the upper upstream side of the holder body. In the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2 formed between the third belt 80 and the upper surface of the downstream portion 63 of the second belt when the third belt 80 is in the first position shown in Fig. 1(a), the force for clamping and holding the banknote bundle B is reduced compared to the clamping conveying section Z1. For example, in the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2, in the state of Fig. 1(a), the gap G (see Fig. 7(a)) between the downstream portion 63 and the third belt 80 is configured to taper and widen toward the downstream side, thereby reducing the clamping pressure applied by each belt to the banknote bundle (frictional resistance between the belts and banknotes) and reducing the frictional resistance between banknotes.

[0023] This will be explained in more detail with reference to Figs. 7(a), (b) and (c), which are schematic diagrams of the clamping pressure relief conveying unit 70. In Fig. 7, the configuration of the second belt 60 is different from that shown in Fig. 1 for the sake of simplicity, but there is no difference in the essential function of the clamping pressure relief conveying unit 70. The section L1 between the upstream pulley 62d and the low friction roller pair 90 (or the downstream pulley 62c and pulley 82b) in Fig. 7 is a section in which the clamping pressure relief conveying section Z2 (gap G) is formed between the third belt 80 and the downstream part 63 of the second belt 60 when the third belt 80 is in the first position. More specifically, the section L1 is a section formed between the pulley 62d and the pulley pair 62c, 82b (the low friction roller pair 90).

[0024] In the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2, the clamping pressure on the banknote bundle is significantly lower than that in the upstream clamping conveying section Z1. In the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2, the banknote bundle is conveyed between the downstream portion 63 and the corresponding portion of the third belt 80 by driving both belts 60 and 80, and after the banknote bundle is nipped by the low friction roller pair 90, it is conveyed by cooperation with the low friction roller pair. When a sensor detects that the sheet has been nipped by the pair of low-friction rollers 90, the transmission of driving force to both belts 60, 80 may be stopped by a clutch (not shown) or the like. After that, the sheet is sent to the separation and intake section 210 by the low-friction rollers alone.

[0025] In the process of transporting the banknote bundle in the clamping pressure relaxed transport section Z2, the clamping pressure between the belts 63, 80 is reduced, allowing misalignment between the banknotes and allowing the banknote bundle to move in the width direction relative to each belt. In this way, in the clamping pressure relaxed transport section Z2, movement of the banknotes between each other and relative to the belts is possible, so that the transport state of the banknotes, such as the transport position and transport posture, can be automatically corrected by the correction guide 150, at least a part of which is located in the section Z2.

[0026] The connection conveying section 30 according to this embodiment corresponds to the universal design shown in Fig. 11(a). When the banknote processing device is disposed rearward away from the batch receiving section as shown in Fig. 11(b), the configuration of the clamping relaxation conveying unit 70 (clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2) does not require many changes, and can be accommodated by simply changing the layout of the upstream clamping conveying mechanism GZ and the belts constituting the clamping conveying section Z1.

[0027] <Clamping pressure relief conveying unit 70 (clamping pressure relief conveying section Z2)> The length of the section L1 in the conveying direction is preferably equal to or slightly shorter than the length of the shortest banknote. By configuring in this way, even when the shortest banknote bundle enters the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2, reliable delivery can be achieved between the pulley 62d and the pulley pair 62c, 82b (low friction roller pair 90). In other words, in the section L1, regardless of the length of the banknotes, a stable delivery can be achieved between the pulleys without the banknote bundle being completely clamped by the belt, in other words, without relying only on the belt clamping. In addition, within the clamping pressure relaxation transport section Z2, delivery and transport are possible only by belt clamping without relying on the pulley 62d and the pulley pair 62c, 82b, so the above definition of the relationship between the length of section L1 and the banknote length is not essential. In this embodiment, the third belt 80 is configured to be out of contact with the downstream portion 63 of the second belt when the third belt is in the first position, but this is merely one example, and the banknote stack may be configured to move or change its position within the clamping pressure relaxation transport section Z2 by putting part or all of both belts in light contact.

[0028] In the clamping pressure relaxed transport section Z2, even if the third belt and the downstream part 63 of the second belt are not in contact with each other or are in a weak contact state, the low friction roller pair 90 biased by the elastic member 111 clamps the bill bundle with a sufficient nip force, so that the bill bundle can be reliably transported. On the other hand, in the clamping pressure relaxed transport section Z2, the conveying force (clamping pressure) between the belts when the third belt 80 is in the first position is reduced, so that the bill bundle being transported can be easily moved laterally while rotating around the nip part of the low friction roller pair 90. In other words, the configuration is such that the bill bundle can be reliably transported downstream while the bill bundle's attitude in the lateral direction can be changed. For this reason, by arranging the correction guide 150 shown in FIG. 3 so as to overlap the low friction roller pair 90, it becomes possible to correct the attitude and width direction position of the bill bundle being transported in the clamping pressure relaxed transport section Z2 immediately before it is transported into the separation and intake section 210.

[0029] <Low friction roller pair, holder body> A lower low-friction resistance roller 90a is coaxially supported on a shaft 92 of the pulley 62c supporting the downstream portion of the second belt. An upper low-friction resistance roller 90b is coaxially supported on a shaft 94 of the downstream pulley 82b supporting the third belt 80, forming a nip between the lower low-friction resistance roller 90a. Furthermore, each of the low-friction resistance rollers 90a, 90b is disposed in the center in the width direction of the transport path Z2 for the bill bundle. The upper low-friction resistance roller 90b is configured to oscillate between a first position and a second position together with the third belt. The upper low-friction roller 90b constituting the low-friction roller pair 90 is rotatably supported by a rotary shaft 94 of the downstream pulley 82b, and therefore oscillates up and down together with the downstream pulley 82b.

[0030] In this example, the upstream pulley 82a is rotatably supported by a shaft 103 fixed to the holder body 102, while the downstream pulley 82b and the upper low-friction roller 90b share a common shaft 94 that is supported by the downstream end of a holder piece 105 that is a separate member supported by the holder body. That is, as shown in FIG. 2 and other figures, a rectangular opening 104a is formed at a downstream position of the top plate 104 of the holder body 102, and a holder piece (holder) 105 is disposed within the opening 104a. The holder piece 105 is supported at its upstream end by a shaft 106 provided on the holder body 102 and swings up and down. A shaft 94 is supported at the downstream end of the holder piece 105, and the downstream pulley 82b and the upper low-friction roller 90b are rotatably supported on the shaft 94. The holder piece 105 is also biased downward by an elastic member 111. Therefore, when the holder body is in the first position shown in Figures 1(a) and 2(a), the upper low-friction roller 90b is elastically pressed against the lower low-friction roller 90a, and a paper feed pressure is applied to the nip portion between the two rollers.

[0031] The shaft 92 of the lower low-friction roller 90a is common to the shaft of the pulley 62c of the second belt 60, and a gear 93 integrated into the shaft end is positioned so as to be meshable with a gear 95 integrated into the shaft end of the upper shaft 94 (FIG. 6). The two gears 93, 95 mesh when the holder body 102 is in the first position, and are separated when the holder body 102 is in the second position. The lower gear 93 is driven by the conveyor motor M1, and the upper gear 95 is the driven gear. A low-friction roller 90a and a pulley 62c are integrated with a shaft 92, and a low-friction roller 90b and a pulley 82b are integrated with a shaft 94.

[0032] <Swing mechanism> The swing mechanism 120 is a means for swinging the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100. Specifically, the swing mechanism 120 is a means for swinging the downstream pulley 82b and the upper low-friction roller 90b together with the holder main body 102 in the vertical direction around the upstream pulley 82a (or a swing shaft 115 provided in the vicinity thereof) of the third belt 80 as the center of rotation. Note that, in the configuration example shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the third belt swings around the swing shaft 115 provided in the holder main body, but the upstream pulley 82a may be the center of rotation as shown in the figures. As shown in Figures 4, 5, and 6, the oscillation mechanism 120 generally comprises an oscillation cam 124 that rotates around a cam shaft 122, a oscillation motor M2 that rotates the oscillation cam forward and backward, and a cam follower 126 that is rotatably supported on the back surface of the holder body 102 and rolls along the outer peripheral surface of the oscillation cam.

[0033] Since the holder body 102 is biased toward the first position (lowered position) by the elastic member 116, the third belt 80 and the low-friction roller pair 90 are normally in the first position. When the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is in the first position (initial position) shown in Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 5(a), the swing cam 124 holds the cam follower 126 (holder body 102) in the initial position (lowered position) where it does not push up, as shown in the figures. When the swing motor M2 is driven to rotate the swing cam 124 in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 4(a) (clockwise direction in Fig. 5(a)) by a predetermined angle, the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 moves to the second position shown in Fig. 4(b) and Fig. 5(b). During and after this movement, the swing cam 124 pushes up the cam follower 126 as shown in the figures to hold the holder body in the retracted position (upper position) shown in the figures.

[0034] In order to return the clamping pressure adjusting unit 100 from the second position to the first position, the swing cam 124 may be returned by a predetermined angle in the opposite direction to that described above. Incidentally, a stopper cam 172 is superimposed on and integrated with the swing cam 124, which will be described later.

[0035] <Correction guide> Next, the correction guide 150 includes a bottom plate 151 that guides the bottom surface of the bill bundle transported through the clamping pressure relaxation transport section Z2 as shown in Fig. 3, and side plates 152 erected on both sides of the bottom plate in the width direction. The bottom plate 151 includes a tapered portion 151a whose width gradually decreases from the upstream end toward the downstream, and a portion 151b that is connected to the downstream side of the tapered portion and has the same width and extends parallel to the transport direction. The side plates 152 erect along both side edges of the bottom plate. The correction guide 150 determines the correction width of the bill bundle. The correction guide 150 works in cooperation with the clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit 70 (clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2, low-friction roller pair 90) to correct the widthwise position and posture of the banknote bundle B being conveyed within the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2 to the normal conveying position and conveying posture.

[0036] <Skew correction procedure> Next, a procedure for correcting the skew of a bill bundle will be described with reference to Figs. At the time points of Fig. 3(a), (b), and (c), the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is in the first position shown in Fig. 7(a). After the time point of 3(c), the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 moves to the second position as shown in Fig. 7(b) and (c).

[0037] First, Fig. 3(a) shows a state in which the bill bundle B conveyed from the clamping conveying section Z1 enters the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2 and is conveyed. At this time, the bill bundle B is skewed with respect to the conveying direction and biased toward the back. In Fig. 3(b), the bill bundle B is conveyed downstream in the same position by the third belt 80 and the downstream part 63 of the second belt, and the leading end of the bill bundle B is nipped by the low friction roller pair 90, so that the bill bundle B is conveyed by the conveying force from the low friction roller pair. At this point, the leading end of the bill bundle B reaches the tapered part 151a of the correction guide 150, and the lower corner of the leading end of the bill bundle moves forward while abutting against the side wall 152 on the front side. At this time, the force for conveying the bill bundle is mainly exerted by the pair of low-friction rollers, while the resistance from both belts 80 and 63 is small, so that the bill bundle enters the separation and intake section 210 along the center of the conveying path and in a posture parallel to the conveying direction as shown in FIG. 3(c) due to the skew correction function of the side walls 152. Then, the bill bundle is separated one by one by the pair of separation and intake rollers 212 and taken into the bill processing device 200. At the time of FIG. 3(c), the correction of the conveying position and conveying posture is completed by the rotation of the bill bundle around the part nipped by the pair of low-friction rollers located at the center in the width direction, and the positional deviation between the bills is also corrected by the correction function of the correction guide 150. That is, the bill bundle in the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2 is nipped by the pair of low-friction rollers 90 located at the center in the width direction, so that it is easy to rotate around this nip part and to make other movements. The bill bundle can move freely in the width direction while rotating around the nip part. On the other hand, since the correction guide 150 is disposed within this section in which the bill stack can move freely, it becomes easy to correct the conveying position, posture, and misalignment between bills.

[0038] At the time of FIG. 3(c), the individual banknotes constituting the banknote bundle are aligned in the width direction. However, as will be described later, at the stage shown in FIG. 7(b), the position of the bill bundle in the conveying direction is shifted stepwise due to slackness of the third belt.

[0039] 3(a) and 7(a), when the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is in the first position, the bill stack is conveyed by the belts 63, 80 toward the correction guide 150, whereby the conveying position, conveying posture, and positional deviation between bills are corrected in cooperation with the correction guide 150. When it is determined based on a detection signal from the paper passing sensor S2 that the bill stack has reached the position shown in Fig. 7(a) (nipped state by the low friction roller pair), the control means 500 temporarily stops driving the clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit 70 by the conveying motor M1. In addition, since the low friction roller 60 is also driven by the transport motor M1, the bill stack may be transported to the position shown in Fig. 7(a) or 7(b) by the detection signal from the paper passing sensor S2 and stopped. After that, the swinging motor M2 drives the swinging mechanism 120 to move the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 to the second position as shown in Fig. 7(b) and (c).

[0040] The reason for opening the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is that, in addition to deforming the bill stack into a stepped shape suitable for separation and feeding as described below, if the low-friction roller pair 90 continues to press down on the bill stack, it will interfere with the separation work by the separation and feed section 210. Even though the frictional resistance of the resin low-friction rollers is low, when the bill stack is clamped in the nip portion of the low-friction roller pair, the friction between the bills becomes large enough to be not negligible during separation and feed, and this friction between the bills becomes an obstacle to frictional separation in the separation and feed section. When the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is opened, it is necessary that the leading edge of the bill bundle has already reached the separation and intake section 210 and is prevented from moving freely. If the bill bundle becomes completely free as a result of the opening of the clamping pressure adjustment unit, there is a risk that the bill bundle will move unnecessarily, so it is necessary to press it down with the pair of separation and intake rollers 212.

[0041] <Transportation process procedure from the connection and transport unit 30 to the banknote processing device 200> FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure for transferring a bundle of banknotes inserted at once to the banknote processing device via the connection and transport unit. At the start, the swing cam 124 is in the initial angular position (first angular position) shown in FIG. 9(a) and FIG. 10(a), so the clamping pressure adjusting unit 100 is in the first position.

[0042] When the sensor S1 detects that a banknote bundle has been inserted into the lump-sum receiving section 20 (step S1, YES), the control means 500 starts driving the transport motor M1 (step S3). Next, when the sensor S2 detects the leading edge of the banknote bundle (step S5, YES), the control means 500 stops the transport motor M1 (step S7). That is, the banknote bundle inserted in a lump is clamped by the clamping transport section Z1 and the clamping pressure relaxation transport section Z2 and transported to the separation and intake section 210, and when the sensor S2 detects that the leading edge of the banknote bundle has reached the separation and intake section, the transport by the belts 63 and 80 is stopped (step S7). At this point, the correction of the transport state of the banknote bundle using the correction guide 150 is completed. It is also possible to continue driving the belts 63, 80 and the pair of low friction rollers even after the sensor S2 detects the leading edge of the bill bundle, and to stop the motor M1 when the sensor S4 detects a bill.

[0043] Next, the swing motor M2 is driven in the forward direction to rotate the swing cam 124 by a predetermined angle, and when the cam position detection sensor S3 detects that the swing cam has reached a predetermined stop angle position (second angle position), the swing motor is stopped (steps S9, S11, S13). As a result, the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100, which was in the first position, moves to the second position and stops (FIGS. 9(b), 10(b)). The clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is released to completely release the clamping pressure on the bill bundle, and the nip by the low-friction roller pair is released. At this point, frictional force is generated on the bill bundle only from the separation and intake roller pair 212.

[0044] At this time, the bill stack is deformed in a stepped shape in conjunction with the rotation of the third belt 80 so as to be suitable for separation and take-in by the pair of separation and take-in rollers 212. Next, when the sensor S4 of the separating and taking-in unit 210 detects the leading edge of the bill stack, a motor (not shown) for driving the separating and taking-in roller pair 212 is driven to start taking in the bills one by one (step S17). Next, when the sensor S2 and the sensor S4 detect that the separation and intake of all the banknotes constituting the banknote bundle has been completed, the control means 500 rotates the swing motor M2 to rotate the swing cam 124 by a predetermined angle, and returns it to the initial angle position shown in Fig. 9(a) and Fig. 10(a), and then stops it (step S19 YES, step S21). The sensor S3 detects that the swing cam 124 has returned to the initial angle position, which ensures that the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100, which was in the second position, has returned to the second position. This returns the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 to the first position, making it possible to receive and transport the following banknote bundle.

[0045] The above process steps ensure that the banknote bundles are not misaligned during transport in the clamping transport section Z1 due to the reliable clamping pressure. During transport in the clamping pressure relaxation transport section Z2, the posture and other aspects are corrected with the clamping pressure (clamping force) on the banknote bundle relaxed, and after the leading end of the banknote bundle reaches the separation and intake section 210, the clamping pressure by the third belt and the nip by the pair of low-friction rollers are sequentially released. Therefore, when the banknotes are delivered from the connection and transport section 30 to the banknote processing device 200, the delivery is performed after the clamping pressure between the belts is released, and the friction between the banknotes increased by the clamping pressure does not hinder the separation and intake of the banknotes, making it possible to stably separate the banknotes. Moreover, a correction operation is performed to prevent the transport position, posture, and positional deviation of the banknote bundle during delivery, making the separation and intake smoother.

[0046] To summarise, in the connection transport section 30, the banknote bundle is initially transported while being strongly pinched by the pair of belts 50, 60, but in section L1 on the upstream side of the low friction rollers, the pinching pressure is alleviated (reduced) by, for example, providing a gap between the downstream part 63 of the second belt and the third belt 80. In the delivery section (machine interface section) to the banknote processing device 200, the banknote bundle is fed by being nipped only at the centre in the width direction by a pair of low friction rollers (pair of resin rollers) that do not generate friction with banknotes. Furthermore, in section L1, a correction guide 150 is provided to regulate the conveying posture while moving the conveying position of the bill bundle to the widthwise center of the conveying path. With this configuration, when a bill bundle randomly inserted from the lump-sum receiving section 20 reaches the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2, the bill bundle is conveyed along the correction guide set to gradually narrow the conveying width. At this time, the bill bundle is nipped only by the pair of low-friction rollers with almost no friction, and since there is a gap G between the belts 80 and 63, the bill bundle can be easily aligned along the correction guide 150.

[0047] In addition, even if the banknote stack is significantly tilted so that the side of the banknote stack rides up onto the side wall 152 and rolls up as it moves along the correction guide 150, when the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is released, the force that causes the stiffness of the rolled up banknotes to return to their original state acts, ensuring that the banknotes are aligned.

[0048] According to the above configuration and processing procedure, in order to meet various requirements such as universal design, when a connection and conveying section 30 is provided between the bulk receiving section 20 (user interface) and a general-purpose banknote processing device 200, the banknote bundle can be smoothly handed over to the partial-taking-in type separation taking-in section 210 (machine interface) to smoothly perform the separation operation.

[0049] <Configuration for transforming into a staircase shape> Next, a procedure for deforming a bill bundle into a so-called step shape suitable for separating the bill bundle one by one by the separation and intake unit 210 will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The step shape refers to a shape in which the bill bundle, which is aligned so that the leading end surface is a substantially vertical surface as shown in FIG. 7(a), is deformed so that the leading end surface is tapered in a side view. In this example, it means a step shape in which the top bill is in a state in which it protrudes the most downstream side as shown in FIG. 7(b)(c), and the bills below are successively retracted to the upstream side. The separation and intake roller pair 212 of the separation and intake unit 210 is configured to take out, separate, and take in the bills one by one starting from the top bill of the bill bundle B, so that when the bill bundle is pushed into the separation and intake roller pair, only the top bill is in a state in which it protrudes the most. After the top bill is fed, the second bill is in the most protruding position, and after the second bill is fed, the third bill is in the most protruding position, thereby improving separation performance. At the stage of FIG. 7(c), the transformation of the stack of bills into a staircase shape is completed, so that the pair of separation and intake rollers 212 are driven to start separation and intake of the uppermost bill.

[0050] Next, the configuration for deforming a bill stack into a staircase shape and the procedure for deforming the bill stack will be described with reference to FIG. This embodiment is characterized in that when the corresponding portion 80A of the third belt facing the downstream portion 63 of the second belt is in the first position, it is expanded due to the tension T applied thereto, but when it rises to the second position, the tension is reduced and it contracts, causing it to shift toward the upstream pulley. Furthermore, it is configured so that paper sheets in contact with the corresponding portion 80A of the third belt are shifted in the shifting direction S. That is, first, at the time of Fig. 7(a), the sensor S2 detects that the leading edge of the bill bundle has reached the pair of separation and intake rollers 212, so the conveying motor M1 is stopped. At this time, the corresponding portion 80A of the third belt 80 located in the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2, which is located between the pulley 82b and the pulley 62d, is subjected to a tension in the upstream direction as indicated by the arrow T. Next, as shown in Fig. 7(b), when the third belt 80 starts to separate from the downstream portion 63 of the second belt 60, the tension T in the upstream direction applied to the corresponding portion 80A made of an elastic material such as rubber is eliminated or reduced. In other words, the corresponding portion 80A becomes free. When the tension T is eliminated or reduced, the corresponding portion 80A, which had been stretched up until then, contracts, so that a force is generated to shift (return to the original shape) in the direction S indicated by the arrow in (b). (b) is an intermediate stage of the movement (opening operation) of the third belt to the second position, and since the corresponding part 80A is in contact with the rear end edge of the bill stack, the force of the corresponding part 80A shrinking in the S direction is transmitted to the rear end of the bill stack, causing the bill stack to deform in a staircase shape. When the second belt 60 and the third belt 80 stop rotating, the pulleys 82a and 82b are stopped (locked) from rotating. By locking the rotation of the pulley 82b, the third belt 80 (corresponding portion 80A) is relaxed in a concentrated manner in the section of the downstream portion 63 in FIG. 7(a), so that the stepped shape can be formed. 7(a) is because stopping the motor M1 locks the rotation of the pulleys 82a and 82b, and the banknote bundle can be easily formed into a stepped shape by opening the third belt. However, the third belt may be opened without stopping the motor M1. In other words, it is not essential to deform the banknote bundle into a stepped shape, and depending on the configuration of the separation and intake section, the separation performance can be maintained without deforming the banknote bundle into a stepped shape by the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2.

[0051] <Stopper, stopper extension mechanism> Next, the stopper 160 and the stopper appearing / withdrawing mechanism 170 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), 10(a) and 10(b), and 6. FIG. The stopper 160 shown in FIG. 9 can be rotated between a retracted position shown in FIG. 9(a) and a protruding position shown in FIG. 9(b) to be able to protrude and retract, and when the bill bundle is transported into the clamping pressure relaxation transport section Z2, the stopper 160 retracts and is ready to receive the bill bundle. When the third belt 80 is released and the bills are separated by the separation and intake section 210, the stopper 160 protrudes from the rear end side of the bill bundle to prevent the bill bundle from shifting backward. That is, when a bill bundle consisting of many bills, for example a bill bundle of 20 bills, is separated, the bill bundle bounces due to the rotation of the separation and intake roller and is gradually likely to shift backward, but if this backward shift occurs, the timing of separation becomes unstable. If the bill bundle shifts backward, the stacking state of the bill bundle is disturbed, which adversely affects the separation operation. Therefore, in conjunction with the opening operation of the clamping pressure adjusting unit 100, the stopper 160 is caused to protrude into the transport path to prevent the bill stack from moving backward.

[0052] The stopper retraction mechanism 170 generally includes a retraction cam 172 that rotates around the cam shaft 122 constituting the oscillating mechanism 120 and is integrated with one surface of the oscillating cam 124 in a state where one surface of the retraction cam 172 overlaps with one surface of the oscillating cam 124, an oscillation motor M2 that rotates the retraction cam forward and backward, a cam follower 180 journaled at the tip of an advancing and retreating member 175 supported by the back surface of the supporting sheet metal 550 so as to be capable of advancing and retreating in the lateral direction, an elastic member 177 that urges the advancing and retreating member 175 in the protruding direction D1, and an elastic member 178 that urges the operating piece 179 toward the pin 175b to make the operating piece 179 follow the movement of the advancing and retreating member 175. The cam follower 180 rolls along the outer circumferential surface of the retraction cam 172, and in the process is moved in the protruding direction D1 and the retreating direction D2 by the advancing and retreating cam. As a result, the advancing / retreating member 175 having the cam follower 180 at its tip advances and retreats linearly in the protruding direction D1 and the retracting direction D2. The advancing and retreating member 175 is a plate material that is long in the horizontal direction, and is allowed to stably advance and retreat in the horizontal direction by fitting guide pins 551 protruding from a supporting metal plate 550 into two linearly extending elongated holes 175a.

[0053] An elastic member 178 made of a coil spring has one end fixed at a suitable position above an operating piece 179 fixed to the shaft portion 106 (rotation shaft of the holder piece 110) protruding from the support sheet metal 550 toward the rear side. Therefore, the elastic member constantly urges the operating piece 179 in the clockwise direction in Figs. 6 and 10 around the shaft portion 106. The lower part of the operating piece 179 is engageable with a pin 175b protruding from the rear side of the advancing and retracting member 175. The elastic member 177 urges the advancing and retracting member in the protruding direction D1, and the cam follower 180 is constantly pressed against the outer circumferential surface of the retracting cam 172. The retracting cam 172 has an outer circumferential surface shape that causes the cam follower 180 to advance and retract in both directions D1 and D2, so that the advancing and retracting member advances and retracts in both directions as the retracting cam rotates.

[0054] The stopper 160 has its base end fixed to the shaft portion 106, and moves between the retracted position shown in Figures 9(a) and 10(a) and the extended position shown in Figures 9(b) and 10(b) as the shaft portion 106 rotates. 6(a), 9(a), and 10(a), the retractable cam 172 stops the advancing / retreating member 175 at the most protruding position, and in this state the stopper 160 is retracted from the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section S2. In Fig. 6(b), 9(b), and 10(b), the retractable cam 172 stops the advancing / retreating member 175 at the most retracted position, and in this state the stopper 160 protrudes into the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section S2.

[0055] [Summary of the configuration, action, and effect of the present invention] The paper handling device 1 according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises a bulk receiving section 20 which receives a bundle of paper sheets B in a lump, a connection transport section 30 which transports the bundle of paper sheets received at the bulk receiving section in a lump towards a separation and intake section 210, and a paper handling device 200 having the separation and intake section 210 which receives only a portion of the bundle of paper sheets including the tip thereof and separates and takes in the bundle of paper sheets one by one. The connection conveying section 30 is equipped with a clamping conveying unit 40 that constitutes a clamping conveying section Z1 which conveys the paper bundle in one go while holding it with a clamping pressure that prevents the paper bundle from shifting or coming apart during conveying, a clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit 70 that constitutes a clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2 which receives the paper bundle conveyed by the clamping conveying unit and conveys it to the separation and intake section 210 with the clamping pressure on the paper bundle relaxed (released), and a correction guide 150 that regulates and corrects the widthwise position and posture of the paper bundle conveyed within the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section (correcting the skew of the paper bundle and misalignment between the paper bundles).

[0056] When the bulk receiving section 20 and the paper processing device 200 equipped with the general-purpose separation and intake section 210 are connected by a conventional connection and transport section, the paper bundles randomly inserted into the bulk receiving section by the user reach the separation and intake section as they are via the connection and transport section, and are separated and taken in in a random stacked state, resulting in separation failures such as chain reaction and double feeding. Since there is no room for human intervention in the transfer section between the conventional connection and transport section, which needs to transport the paper bundles while gripping them with strong force, and the separation and intake section, which needs to reduce the frictional resistance between the paper bundles, it was difficult to design a transfer section that avoids separation failures. In other words, the separation and intake section separates, takes in, and transports the paper bundles by utilizing the friction between the separating member and the paper sheets, but separation becomes difficult if the strength of the friction between the paper sheets caused by the strong clamping pressure in the connection and transport section is maintained. Conversely, if the bundle of bank notes inserted at once is transported without being strongly clamped in the connecting transport section in order to improve the separation performance of the bundle of bank notes, the bundle of bank notes cannot be transported to the separation and intake section while maintaining the appropriate posture.

[0057] In the present invention, the paper stack is strongly clamped during transport in the clamping transport section Z1 so as not to separate, while after moving to the clamping pressure relaxation transport section Z2, the paper stack is transported in a state in which the friction between the paper sheets is reduced so as to be suitable for separation in the separation and intake section, thereby preventing the occurrence of separation failure. Furthermore, a paper stack that is in a disorderly stacked state or that is out of the normal transport position can be automatically corrected during the process of feeding it into the separation and intake section.

[0058] The second paper handling device according to the present invention is equipped with a clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 which forms part of a clamping pressure relief conveying unit 70 and which is in a first position (initial position) until the leading end of the paper stack reaches the separation and intake section, enabling the paper stack to be conveyed by the clamping pressure relief conveying unit, and which retreats to a second position after the leading end of the paper stack reaches the separation and intake section, enabling the paper stack to be conveyed by the clamping pressure relief conveying unit (clamp release state). After the leading edge of the paper stack reaches the separation and intake section 210, the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is retracted to the second position to release the clamping pressure on the paper stack, so that the frictional force between the paper sheets increased by the clamping pressure does not hinder the separation and intake of the paper sheets. In the embodiment, the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 is configured so that the downstream side swings up and down around the upstream side as an axis, but this is merely one example, and any configuration can be used as long as it can move the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 up and down.

[0059] In the third paper handling device of the present invention, the timing at which the clamping pressure adjustment unit in the first position retreats to the second position is after the leading edge of the paper stack that has entered the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section reaches the separation and intake section 210. "The point at which the tip of the stack of paper sheets reaches the separation and intake section" means the point at which the pair of rollers and other separating members that make up the separation and intake section are activated so that the topmost paper sheet of the stack of paper sheets can be separated and fed.

[0060] In the fourth paper handling device of the present invention, the clamping and conveying unit 40 has at least first and second endless belts 50, 60 which form contact running areas CZ1, CZ2 in which the belts are in contact with each other and run in the same direction at a constant speed, and a downstream portion 63 of the second endless belt which does not form a contact running area extends to the separation and intake section (nearby). Furthermore, the clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit 70 includes a downstream portion 63 of the second endless belt and a third endless belt 80 which forms a clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2 by running at a constant speed in the same direction while being in close proximity (including non-contact) to the upper surface (outer surface) of the downstream portion when the clamping pressure adjustment unit is in the first position.

[0061] By configuring the clamping conveying unit 40 and the clamping / relaxing conveying unit 70 with endless belts, the number of parts can be reduced and the layout freedom can be increased. In particular, the pair of endless belts makes it easy to finely adjust and relax the clamping pressure in the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2. In addition, by swinging the entire third endless belt, it becomes easy to completely release the clamping pressure in the section Z2. In the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section, the sheets are handed over to the separation and intake section in a state where the clamping pressure between the belts is relaxed, and the friction between the sheets increased by the clamping pressure does not hinder the separation and intake of the sheets. Moreover, a correction operation is performed to prevent the conveying position, posture, and positional deviation of the sheet stack during delivery. Therefore, even if the sheet stack was in a randomly stacked state when it was input into the clamping conveying section Z1, it can be separated and taken in smoothly.

[0062] In the paper handling device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the third endless belt 80 is stretched between an upstream pulley 82a on the upstream side in the conveying direction and a downstream pulley 82b on the downstream side in the conveying direction, and is configured to be capable of swinging up and down on the downstream pulley side with the upstream pulley or the vicinity of the upstream pulley as the center of rotation. Since the clamping pressure is released by swinging the third endless belt itself, the configuration can be simplified.

[0063] In the sixth paper handling device according to the present invention, the third endless belt facing the downstream portion of the second endless belt is stretched due to the application of tension when in the first position, but when it rises to the second position, the tension is reduced and it shrinks, shifting its position toward the upstream pulley, and the paper sheets in contact with the third endless belt are shifted in the direction of the shift. This configuration is adopted when it is preferable for the leading edge of the paper bundle to be deformed in a stepped shape when separating the paper bundle in the separating / feeding section (so-called partial feed type separating section).

[0064] In the seventh paper handling device of the present invention, a lower low-friction resistance roller 90a is coaxially supported on the shaft 92 of pulley 62c that supports (winds) the downstream portion 63 of the second endless belt, and an upper low-friction resistance roller 90b is coaxially supported on the shaft 94 of the downstream pulley 82b to form a nip portion between the lower low-friction resistance roller 90a, each low-friction resistance roller being positioned at the widthwise center of the transport path for the paper stack, and the upper low-friction resistance roller oscillates between a first position and a second position together with the third endless belt. The "pulley 62c supporting the downstream portion 63" is a pulley that winds around the downstream portion 63 and rotates downward. The pulley 62c and the lower low friction resistance roller 90a are integrated with and rotate on a shaft 92. The downstream pulley 82b and the upper low friction resistance roller 90b are integrated with and rotate on a shaft 94. In the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section S2, a gap G is provided between the belt 60 (downstream portion 63) and the belt 80 (or the contact pressure is reduced), and the belts are nipped only by the low friction resistance roller pair (resin roller pair) 90. As a result, paper bundles that have been randomly inserted from the batch receiving section and conveyed in an unaligned state through the clamping conveying section Z1 can be aligned along the correction guide 150. Furthermore, by simultaneously opening the clamping pressure adjustment unit (third belt 80, low friction resistance roller 90b) 100, even a significantly skewed paper bundle can be aligned.

[0065] The paper handling device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that it is provided with a stopper 160 which appears and disappears within the paper stack transport path of the clamping pressure relief transport unit 70 in conjunction with the reciprocating movement of the clamping pressure adjustment unit 100 between the first position and the second position, and which forms a back-off prevention wall which can come into contact with the rear of the paper stack when protruding. Since the retractable stopper 160 is provided within the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section Z2, the stack of paper sheets can be prevented from moving backward during the separation operation in the separation and intake section 210, and stable separation can be achieved without disturbing the stack of paper sheets, even when separating a stack of many sheets. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1...banknote handling device, 10...outer casing, 20...bulk receiving section, 22...roller pair, 30...connecting conveying section, CZ1, CZ2...contact running area, 40...clamping conveying unit, 50...first endless belt, 52a-52e...pulley, 60...second endless belt, Z1...clamping conveying section, 63...downstream part (downstream running section, downstream running area), 62a-62d...pulley, Z2...clamping pressure relief conveying section, 70...clamping pressure relief conveying unit, 80...third endless belt, 82a...upstream pulley, 82b...downstream pulley, M1...conveyor motor, 90...low friction roller pair, 90a...lower low friction roller, 90b...upper low friction roller ra, 92...shaft, 93...gear, 94...shaft, 95...gear, 100...clamping pressure adjustment unit, 102...holder main body, 103...shaft, 104...top plate, 104a...opening, 105...holder piece, 106...shaft portion, 110...holder piece, 111...elastic member, 120...oscillating mechanism, 122...cam shaft, 124...oscillating cam, 126...cam follower, 130...connecting conveying path, 150...correction guide, 160...stopper, 170...stopper appearing and disappearing mechanism, 172...appearing and disappearing cam, M2...oscillating motor, 175...advancing and retreating member, 177...elastic member, 179...actuating piece, 180...cam follower, 200...banknote processing device, 210...separation and intake portion, 500...control means.

Claims

1. A paper handling device including a batch receiving section that receives a bundle of paper sheets at a time, a connection conveying section that conveys the bundle of paper sheets received at the batch receiving section toward a separation and intake section at a time, and a paper processing device including the separation and intake section that separates the bundle of paper sheets one by one and takes them in, the connection conveying section includes a clamping conveying unit constituting a clamping conveying section that conveys the paper bundle while holding it with a clamping pressure that does not cause misalignment between the paper sheets of the paper bundle, a clamping pressure relaxation conveying unit that receives the paper bundle conveyed by the clamping conveying section and constitutes a clamping pressure relaxation conveying section that conveys the paper bundle to the separation take-in section with the clamping pressure on the paper bundle relaxed, and a correction guide that corrects the conveying state of the paper bundle conveyed within the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section, a clamping pressure adjustment unit that forms part of the clamping pressure relief transport unit, that is in a first position until the stack of paper leaves reaches the separation and intake section, enabling the stack of paper leaves to be transported by the clamping pressure relief transport unit, and that retreats to a second position after the stack of paper leaves reaches the separation and intake section, rendering the clamping pressure relief transport unit unable to transport the sheets.

2. The paper handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the timing at which the clamping pressure adjustment unit, which is in the first position, retreats to the second position is after the leading edge of the paper stack that has entered the clamping pressure relaxation conveying section has reached the separation and intake section.

3. the nip-and-convey unit includes at least first and second endless belts that form a contact running area in which the first and second endless belts contact each other and run in the same direction at a constant speed, and a downstream portion of the second endless belt that does not form the contact running area extends to the separation and intake section; The paper handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping pressure relief conveying unit comprises a downstream portion of the second endless belt and a third endless belt which forms the clamping pressure relief conveying section by running in the same direction at a constant speed while being close to an upper surface of the downstream portion when the clamping pressure adjustment unit is in the first position.

4. 4. The paper handling device according to claim 3, wherein the third endless belt is stretched between an upstream pulley and a downstream pulley and is configured to be able to swing up and down on the downstream pulley side.

5. 5. The paper handling device according to claim 4, wherein the third endless belt facing the downstream portion of the second endless belt is stretched by tension in the direction of extension when in the first position, but when it rises to the second position, the tension is reduced and the third endless belt contracts, thereby shifting its position toward the upstream pulley, and shifting paper sheets in contact with the third endless belt in the direction of the shift.

6. The third endless belt is stretched between an upstream pulley and a downstream pulley, and is configured to be able to swing in the up-down direction on the downstream pulley side, The third endless belt facing the downstream portion of the second endless belt is stretched by tension in the stretching direction when it is at the first position, but when it rises to the second position, the tension is reduced and it contracts, thereby shifting its position toward the upstream pulley, and the paper sheets in contact with the third endless belt are shifted in the position shifting direction, a pulley shaft supporting a downstream portion of the second endless belt and a lower low friction roller coaxially supported on the shaft of the pulley; An upper low-friction roller is supported coaxially on the shaft of the downstream pulley and forms a nip between the lower low-friction roller and the lower low-friction roller, Each of the low friction resistance rollers is disposed at a widthwise center of the paper sheet bundle conveying path of the clamping pressure relief conveying unit, 4. The paper handling device according to claim 3, wherein said upper low friction resistance roller oscillates together with said third endless belt between said first position and said second position.

7. The paper handling device according to claim 1, characterized in that the clamping pressure adjustment unit is provided with a stopper that appears and disappears within the paper stack transport path of the clamping pressure relief transport unit in conjunction with the reciprocating movement between the first position and the second position, and that forms a back-off prevention wall that can come into contact with the rear of the paper stack when protruding.

Images