US 12,404,137 B2
Paper sheet handling apparatus
Tadaaki Morita, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to LAUREL BANK MACHINES CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP); and LAUREL PRECISION CO., LTD., Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 18/256,166
Filed by LAUREL BANK MACHINES CO., LTD., Tokyo (JP); LAUREL MACHINERY CO., LTD., Osaka (JP); and LAUREL PRECISION MACHINES CO., LTD., Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Nov. 30, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/043994
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 6, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/130970, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 23, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-208350 (JP), filed on Dec. 16, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0034589 A1, Feb. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. B65H 31/34 (2006.01)
CPC B65H 31/34 (2013.01) [B65H 2405/10 (2013.01); B65H 2701/1912 (2013.01)] 6 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A paper sheet handling apparatus comprising:
a conveyance unit that conveys paper sheets;
an accumulation and storage unit that accumulates and stores paper sheets conveyed by the conveyance unit while aligning the paper sheets; and
a control unit that controls the accumulation and storage unit,
wherein the accumulation and storage unit comprises:
an accumulation unit that accumulates paper sheets so that a first direction, which is one direction of the vertical width direction and the horizontal width direction, and a second direction, which is the other of the vertical width direction and the horizontal width direction, are oriented in predetermined directions;
a first alignment unit that is arranged more to one side in the first direction than the accumulation unit and constituted to be movable between a first retracted position spaced apart from the paper sheets accumulated in the accumulation unit, and a first alignment position that is in contact with one end edge positioned in the first direction of the paper sheets accumulated in the accumulation unit; and
a second alignment unit that is arranged more to the other side in the first direction than the accumulation unit and constituted to be movable between a second retracted position spaced apart from the paper sheets accumulated in the accumulation unit, and a second alignment position that is in contact with the other end edge positioned in the first direction of the paper sheets accumulated in the accumulation unit,
a third base unit disposed more to one side in the second direction than the accumulation unit and configured to be movable along the second direction;
a fourth base unit disposed more to the other side in the second direction than the accumulation unit, configured to be movable along the second direction, and configured to be capable of approaching and separating from the third base unit;
a third accumulation conveyance unit mounted on the third base unit and having a third conveyance roller for loading the paper sheets conveyed from the conveyance unit into the accumulation unit; and
a fourth accumulation conveyance unit mounted on the fourth base unit and having a fourth conveyance roller for loading the paper sheets conveyed from the conveyance unit into the accumulation unit,
wherein the control unit causes the paper sheets to be aligned in the first direction by causing the first alignment unit and the second alignment unit to move from the first retracted position and the second retracted position to the first alignment position and the second alignment position and tap the paper sheets accumulated in the accumulation unit from both sides in the first direction, and further causes the third base unit and the fourth base unit to move along the second direction according to the type of paper sheets accumulated in the accumulation unit, to adjust the spacing between the third base unit and the fourth base unit.