Banknote feeding apparatus

Abstract

A banknote feeding apparatus 10 comprises a first kicker roller 16 configured to be in contact with a surface of one banknote of a plurality of banknotes stored in the banknote storage unit 101 , and further configured to be continuously rotated; a second kicker roller 18 provided upstream relative to the first kicker roller 16 in a feed direction of the banknotes, and configured to be continuously rotated, in the same direction of rotation, at approximately the same peripheral velocity, as those of the first kicker roller 16 ; and a feed roller 12 adapted for feeding each banknote kicked by the first kicker roller 16 . The first kicker roller 16 has a high friction unit 16 a adapted for kicking each banknote and partly provided in the outer circumference of the first kicker roller 16 . The second kicker roller 18 has a low friction unit 18 a having a coefficient of friction lower than the coefficient of friction of the high friction unit 16 a of the first kicker roller 16 and provided over the whole outer circumference of the second kicker roller 18 . The outer-circumferential length of the first kicker roller 16 is set greater than a length in a feed direction of the banknote having the largest size of the banknotes to be fed out by the banknote feeding apparatus 10.

1 . A banknote feeding apparatus adapted for feeding a plurality of banknotes stored in a banknote storage unit, one by one, through a feed opening of the banknote storage unit, the banknote feeding apparatus comprising:
 a feed roller provided in the vicinity of the feed opening of the banknote storage unit and adapted for feeding out the banknotes, one by one, successively, through the feed opening toward the exterior of the banknote storage unit;   a gate unit provided to be opposed to the feed roller, thereby forming a gate part between the gate unit and the feed roller;   a first kicker roller configured to be in contact with a surface of one banknote of the plurality of banknotes stored in the banknote storage unit and adapted for kicking the one contacted banknote toward the gate part, the first kicker roller being further configured to be continuously rotated and having an outer-circumferential length set greater than a length in a feed direction of the banknote having the largest size of the banknotes to be fed out by the banknote feeding apparatus, and further having a high friction unit adapted for kicking each banknote and partly provided in the outer circumference of the first kicker roller; and   a second kicker roller provided upstream relative to the first kicker roller in the feed direction of the banknotes, the second kicker roller being configured to be continuously rotated, at approximately the same peripheral velocity as that of the first kicker roller, and having a low friction unit having a coefficient of friction lower than the coefficient of friction of the high friction unit of the first kicker roller and provided over the whole outer circumference of the second kicker roller.   
   
   
       2 . The banknote feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the diameter of the first kicker roller is approximately the same as the diameter of the second kicker roller, and   wherein the first kicker roller and second kicker roller are arranged, respectively, in positions such that the first kicker roller can be partly and alternately overlapped with the second kicker roller, when seen in an axial direction of the first kicker roller, without any interference between the first kicker roller and the second kicker roller in the axial direction of the first kicker roller.   
   
   
       3 . The banknote feeding apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first kicker roller is provided in a plural number along a common shaft, and   wherein the positions, in which the plurality of first kicker rollers are arranged, are set, respectively, such that, when assuming that the banknote having the smallest size of the banknotes to be fed out by the banknote feeding apparatus is divided into a pair of left and right regions, with respect to an imaginary central line defined along the feed direction of the banknotes, such a pair of left and right regions of the banknote having the smallest size and stored in any given position of the banknote storage unit can be kicked out by the first kicker rollers, respectively.   
   
   
       4 . The banknote feeding apparatus according to  claim 3 ,
 wherein three first kicker rollers are provided,   wherein one of the three first kicker rollers is located corresponding to a central position of the banknote storage unit in a direction along the shaft of the first kicker rollers, and   wherein the other two of the three first kicker rollers are respectively located in positions that are symmetrical about the first kicker roller located corresponding to the central position of the banknote storage unit.   
   
   
       5 . The banknote feeding apparatus according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein two second kicker rollers are arranged along a common shaft, while each second kicker roller is located between each adjacent pair of the first kicker rollers, and   wherein the first kicker rollers and second kicker rollers are arranged, respectively, in positions such that each first kicker roller can be partly and alternately overlapped with each second kicker roller, when seen in the axial direction of the first kicker roller.