Paper Sheet Conveyance Device

Abstract

This paper sheet conveyance device ( 100 ) includes an upstream-side roller pair ( 3 ) and a downstream-side roller pair ( 4 ) as well as an upstream-side guide member ( 8 ) and a downstream-side guide member ( 9 ). The upstream-side guide member is arranged to traverse a tangent ( 11 ) to the upstream-side roller pair extending along a conveyance direction, while the downstream-side guide member is arranged to traverse a tangent ( 12 ) to the downstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A paper sheet conveyance device ( 100 ,  200 ) comprising:
 an upstream-side roller pair ( 3 ,  23 ) and a downstream-side roller pair ( 4 ,  24 ) arranged to hold a paper sheet (S) therebetween for conveying the held paper sheet in a prescribed conveyance direction; and   an upstream-side guide member ( 8 ,  26 ) and a downstream-side guide member ( 9 ,  27 ) arranged to separate from each other in the vicinity of the upstream-side roller pair and the downstream-side roller pair for guiding the paper sheet along the conveyance direction, wherein   arrangement positions of the upstream-side guide member and the downstream-side guide member with respect to the upstream-side roller pair and the downstream-side roller pair are set to include at least one of a structure that the upstream-side guide member is arranged to traverse a tangent ( 11 ,  16 ) to the upstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction and a structure that the downstream-side guide member is arranged to traverse a tangent ( 12 ,  18 ) to the downstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         2 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the upstream-side guide member is arranged to traverse the tangent to the upstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction, and the downstream-side guide member is arranged to traverse the tangent to the downstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         3 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to claim  2 , having at least a structure that the upstream-side guide member is arranged to traverse the tangent to the upstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction, wherein
 at least the upstream-side guide member is arranged to extend in a direction intersecting with the conveyance direction in the vicinity of the upstream-side roller pair.   
     
     
         4 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the upstream-side guide member is arranged on a downstream side with respect to the upstream-side roller pair and on an outer side with respect to the conveyance direction, while the downstream-side guide member is arranged on an upstream side with respect to the downstream-side roller pair and on an outer side with respect to the conveyance direction, and   a vicinity of an upstream-side end portion of the downstream-side guide member is arranged on an outer side beyond a vicinity of a downstream-side end portion of the upstream-side guide member with respect to the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         5 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the vicinity of the downstream-side end portion of the upstream-side guide member and the vicinity of the upstream-side end portion of the downstream-side guide member are arranged separately from each other not to overlap with each other.   
     
     
         6 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the vicinity of the downstream-side end portion of the upstream-side guide member and the vicinity of the upstream-side end portion of the downstream-side guide member are arranged separately from each other on positions close to each other not to overlap with each other.   
     
     
         7 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 a first inclined surface ( 8   b ) inclined to separate from the vicinity of the upstream-side end portion of the downstream-side guide member is formed on a surface of the vicinity of the downstream-side end portion of the upstream-side guide member on the side of the downstream-side guide member, and   a second inclined surface ( 9   b ) inclined to separate from the vicinity of the downstream-side end portion of the upstream-side guide member is formed on a surface of the vicinity of the upstream-side end portion of the downstream-side guide member on the side of the upstream-side guide member.   
     
     
         8 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the upstream-side guide member ( 26 ) is arranged to extend over both of an upstream side and a downstream side with respect to the upstream-side roller pair.   
     
     
         9 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the upstream-side guide member is arranged that at least the downstream side with respect to the upstream-side roller pair traverses the tangent to the upstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         10 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the downstream-side guide member ( 27 ) is arranged to extend over both of an upstream side and a downstream side with respect to the downstream-side roller pair.   
     
     
         11 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the downstream-side guide member is arranged that at least the upstream side with respect to the downstream-side roller pair traverses the tangent to the downstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         12 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a vicinity of a downstream-side end portion of the upstream-side guide member is formed to taper toward a downstream side in the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         13 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a printing portion ( 1 ) for printing images on the paper sheet, wherein
 the downstream-side roller pair includes a discharge roller ( 5   a ) arranged to come into contact with a surface of the paper sheet on a side opposite to a side printed with the images and rotatable in a direction for discharging the paper sheet, and a driven roller ( 5   b ) arranged to come into contact with a surface of the paper sheet on the side printed with the images and rotating following the discharge roller, and   the driven roller includes a thin disc member ( 50   b ) arranged to be orthogonal to the paper sheet and having an outer peripheral portion of an irregular shape.   
     
     
         14 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a printing portion for printing images on the paper sheet, wherein
 the downstream-side roller pair includes a discharge roller arranged to come into contact with a surface of the paper sheet on a side opposite to a side printed with the images and rotatable in a direction for discharging the paper sheet, and a driven roller arranged to come into contact with a surface of the paper sheet on the side printed with the images and rotating following the discharge roller, and   the downstream-side guide member ( 10 ) arranged in the vicinity of the discharge roller and the driven roller is arranged on an upstream side of the discharge roller and the driven roller and on a side opposite to a side where the printing portion is arranged.   
     
     
         15 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 14 , further comprising an intermediate member ( 11 ) arranged on an inner side with respect to the conveyance direction and including a curved surface portion ( 11   b ) bent in the form of a curved surface along the conveyance direction, wherein
 the paper sheet is conveyed to be along the curved surface portion of the intermediate member, and   the downstream-side guide member ( 10 ) arranged in the vicinity of the discharge roller and the driven roller is integrally formed on the intermediate member.   
     
     
         16 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a reading portion ( 21 ) for performing image reading processing with respect to the paper sheet, wherein
 the downstream-side guide member ( 28 ) arranged on a downstream side of the reading portion is arranged on an upstream side of the downstream-side roller pair ( 25 ) arranged on the downstream side of the reading portion and on a side opposite to a side where the reading portion is arranged, and arranged to traverse the tangent to the downstream-side roller pair extending along the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         17 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate member ( 11 ,  29 ) arranged on an inner side with respect to the conveyance direction and including a curved surface portion ( 11   b ,  29   a ) bent in the form of a curved surface along the conveyance direction, wherein
 the paper sheet is conveyed to be along the curved surface portion of the intermediate member, and   the upstream-side guide member and the downstream-side guide member are arranged on an outer side with respect to the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         18 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the curved surface portion is at least provided between the upstream-side roller pair ( 23 ) and the downstream-side roller pair ( 24 ) in the conveyance direction.   
     
     
         19 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to  claim 17 , wherein
 at least either one ( 3 ) of the upstream-side roller pair and the downstream-side roller pair is arranged on a position corresponding to the curved surface portion.   
     
     
         20 . The paper sheet conveyance device according to claim  17 , wherein
 the upstream-side roller pair and the downstream-side roller pair both include driving rollers ( 3   a ,  4   a ,  23   a ,  24   a ) rotatable in a direction for conveying the paper sheet and driven rollers ( 3   b ,  4   b ,  23   b ,  24   b ) rotating following the driving rollers, and   the driving roller of the upstream-side roller pair and the driving roller of the downstream-side roller pair are both arranged on an inner side with respect to the conveyance direction, and the driven roller of the upstream-side roller pair and the driven roller of the downstream-side roller pair are both arranged on an outer side with respect to the conveyance direction.