Abstract:
Disclosed is a banknote separation apparatus, comprising a banknote support plate used for bearing banknotes to be separated, a reference plate used for laying and ordering banknotes, a banknote pressing plate used for supplying compression on banknotes to be separated, a banknote separating wheel formed with a high friction part and exposed at the outside of the banknote support plate and arranged facing the banknote pressing plate, a feeding wheel and a reverse wheel arranged facing the feeding wheel, wherein the banknote separating apparatus further comprises a pressure compensation apparatus used to provide a variable compression compensation force to the banknote separating wheel so as to make the total positive pressure to which the banknote separating wheel is subjected constant. That is to say, the provision of a pressure compensation apparatus makes the frictional force for separating banknotes of the banknote separation apparatus constant.

Description:
[0001]    The present application claims the benefit of Chinese Patent Application No. 201210356752.2, entitled “FINANCIAL SELF-SERVICE EQUIPMENT AND BANKNOTE SEPARATING DEVICE AND SEPARATING METHOD OF THE SAME”, filed with the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office on Sep. 21, 2012, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
       FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present application relates to the sheet medium separation technology, and particularly to a financial self-service equipment, a banknote separating device and a banknote separating method. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , a frictional-type banknote separating device of a conventional financial self-service equipment includes a banknote supporting plate  01 , a reference plate  02 , a banknote pressing plate  03 , and a banknote separating wheel  04  and a feeding wheel  05  which are both formed with a high frictional portion and are exposed outside the banknote supporting plate  01  and arranged opposite to the banknote pressing plate  03 , and a reverse wheel  06  arranged opposite to the feeding wheel  05 . When a stack of banknotes is put into a placement space  101  for banknotes to be separated, the banknote pressing plate  03  is raised up under the action of a power device (not shown), when the banknotes are to be separated, the power device no longer restricts the banknote pressing plate  03 , and the banknote pressing plate  03  falls freely towards the banknote supporting plate  01  under its own weight, thereby applying a pressing force to the stack of banknotes, the gravities of the banknote pressing plate  03  and the stack of banknotes together provide a frictional force for banknotes separation. The banknote separating wheel  04  conveys the stack of banknotes towards the feeding wheel  05 , and the banknotes are separated one by one and then are conveyed along a banknotes separating direction  102  under the action of the reverse wheel  06 . 
         [0004]    However, the conventional frictional-type banknotes separating mechanisms have following defects due to the limitations of its own structure, that the self-weight of the banknote pressing plate is constant, and as the quantity of the whole stack of banknotes to be separated continuously reduces during banknotes separating process, self-weight of the whole stack of banknotes is reduced continuously, such that a normal pressure provided to the banknote separating frictional wheel is also reduced continuously, however, changing of the frictional force for banknotes separating will cause the banknotes separating performance unstable. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    An object of the present application is to provide a banknote separating device, a normal pressure applied on a banknote separating friction wheel thereof being maintained constant, thereby insuring the stability of the banknotes separating performance. 
         [0006]    Another object of the present application is to provide a financial self-service equipment having the above banknote separating device. 
         [0007]    A banknote separating device includes a banknote supporting plate for carrying banknotes to be separated; a reference plate for aligning the banknotes; a banknote pressing plate for providing a pressing force to the banknotes to be separated; a banknote separating wheel and a feeding wheel which are both formed with a high frictional portion and are exposed outside the banknote supporting plate and arranged opposite to the banknote pressing plate; and a reverse wheel arranged opposite to the feeding wheel; wherein, the banknote separating device further includes a pressure compensating device for providing a variable pressing compensating force to the banknote separating wheel, such that a total normal pressure applied on the banknote separating wheel is constant. 
         [0008]    Specifically, the banknote separating device further includes a stress collecting device for collecting a stress value on the banknote supporting plate, and a distance collecting device for collecting a current thickness of a stack of banknotes, and the stress collecting device and the distance collecting device provide a calculation parameter for timely adjusting the pressing compensating force to the pressure compensating device. 
         [0009]    Preferably, the pressure compensating device includes a control unit, an electromagnet fixedly mounted on the banknote supporting plate, and a magnet fixedly mounted on the banknote pressing plate and attracted to the electromagnet or the banknote pressing plate itself having a function of being attracted to the electromagnet; and the control unit is configured to output an electric current value to the electromagnet based on the stress value on the banknote supporting plate collected by the stress collecting device and the current thickness value of the stack of banknotes collected by the distance collecting device, so as to provide the variable pressing compensating force. 
         [0010]    Specifically, the control unit includes a pressure compensation calculating unit for calculating a pressure loss value based on a stress collected by a stress sensor; an electric current output controlling unit for outputting a corresponding electric current value to the electromagnet based on information of the pressure loss value and the thickness of the banknotes, so as to control the electromagnet to output a corresponding pressing compensating force; and a storage unit for storing information of the electric current output value corresponding to the information of various pressure loss values and distances, and gravities of the banknote supporting plate and the banknote pressing plate. 
         [0011]    Specifically, a relationship among the electric current value x, the pressure loss value Y 3  and the thickness H of the whole stack of banknotes to be separated is as follow: Y 3 ==k 1 x+k 2 H; in which k 1  is a proportional constant between the electric current and a generated electromagnetic force, and k 2  is a proportional constant between the distance H and a magnetic attractive force. 
         [0012]    Preferably, the stress collecting device is a stress sensor fixedly mounted at a bottom of the banknote supporting plate. 
         [0013]    Preferably, the distance collecting device is a distance sensor mounted on a surface of the banknote supporting plate outside a banknotes stacking zone. 
         [0014]    The present application further provides a financial self-service equipment including a banknote separating device, an identification module, a temporary storage module, a banknote withdrawal module and a cashbox, wherein the banknote separating device includes a banknote supporting plate for carrying banknotes to be separated; a reference plate for aligning the banknotes; a banknote pressing plate for providing a pressing force to the banknotes to be separated; a banknote separating wheel and a feeding wheel which are both formed with a high frictional portion and are exposed outside the banknote supporting plate and arranged opposite to the banknote pressing plate; and a reverse wheel arranged opposite to the feeding wheel; wherein, the banknote separating device further includes a pressure compensating device for providing a variable pressing compensating force to the banknote separating wheel, such that a total normal pressure applied on the banknote separating wheel is constant. 
         [0015]    Specifically, the banknote separating device further includes a stress collecting device for collecting a stress value on the banknote supporting plate, and a distance collecting device for collecting a current thickness of a stack of banknotes, and the stress collecting device and the distance collecting device provide a calculation parameter for timely adjusting the pressing compensating force to the pressure compensating device. 
         [0016]    Preferably, the pressure compensating device includes a control unit, an electromagnet fixedly mounted on the banknote supporting plate, and a magnet fixedly mounted on the banknote pressing plate and attracted to the electromagnet or the banknote pressing plate itself having a function of being attracted to the electromagnet; and the control unit is configured to output an electric current value to the electromagnet based on the stress value on the banknote supporting plate collected by the stress collecting device and the current thickness value of the stack of banknotes collected by the distance collecting device, so as to provide the variable pressing compensating force. 
         [0017]    Specifically, the control unit includes a pressure compensation calculating unit for calculating a pressure loss value based on a stress collected by a stress sensor; an electric current output controlling unit for outputting a corresponding electric current value to the electromagnet based on information of the pressure loss value and the thickness of the banknotes, so as to control the electromagnet to output a corresponding pressing compensating force; and a storage unit for storing information of the electric current output value corresponding to the information of various pressure loss values and distances, and gravities of the banknote supporting plate and the banknote pressing plate. 
         [0018]    Specifically, a relationship among the electric current value x, the pressure loss value Y 3  and the thickness H of the whole stack of banknotes to be separated is as follow: Y 3 ==k 1 x+k 2 H; in which k 1  is a proportional constant between the electric current and a generated electromagnetic force, and k 2  is a proportional constant between the distance H and a magnetic attractive force. 
         [0019]    Preferably, the stress collecting device is a stress sensor fixedly mounted at a bottom of the banknote supporting plate. 
         [0020]    Preferably, the distance collecting device is a distance sensor mounted on a surface of the banknote supporting plate outside a banknotes stacking zone. 
         [0021]    The present application further provides a method for separating banknotes including the following steps: 
         [0022]    step 1: obtaining a preset normal pressure value Y 1  generating a frictional force for separating banknotes according to a design principle of frictional-type banknotes separation for a banknote separating device, and storing the preset normal pressure value Y 1 , a gravity Y t  of a banknote supporting plate and a gravity Y 2  of a banknote pressing plate into a storage unit; 
         [0023]    step 2: detecting a current thickness H 0  of a stack of banknotes and a stress value Y y  on the banknote supporting plate, and calculating a gravity Y 0  of the stack of banknotes based on an equation of Y 0 =Y y −Y t −Y 2 ; 
         [0024]    step 3: calculating a pressure loss value Y 3  according to an equation of Y 3 =Y 1 −Y 0 −Y 2 ; 
         [0025]    step 4: calculating an electric current value required for an electromagnet in a pressure compensating device based on the current thickness H 0  of the stack of banknotes and the pressure loss value Y 3 , and controlling the electromagnet to output a corresponding pressing compensating force; and 
         [0026]    step 5: repeating steps 2 to 4 in cycles, and maintaining a normal pressure value generating the frictional force for separating banknotes during banknotes separating process at an optimum level around the preset normal pressure value. 
         [0027]    Due to the provided pressure compensating device, the frictional force for separating banknotes of the banknote separating device is constant, therefore the banknotes separating performance is stable. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0028]      FIG. 1  is a schematic view of a conventional banknote separating device; 
           [0029]      FIG. 2  is a schematic view showing a banknote separating device according to a preferred embodiment of the present application being used in a financial self-service equipment; 
           [0030]      FIG. 3  is a perspective schematic view of the banknote separating device according to the preferred embodiment of the present application; 
           [0031]      FIG. 4  is a side schematic view showing the structure of the banknote separating device in  FIG. 3 ; 
           [0032]      FIG. 5  is a structural view of a control system of the banknote separating device according to the preferred embodiment of the present application; 
           [0033]      FIG. 6  is a schematic view showing the variation of a pressing force in a method for separating banknotes according to the preferred embodiment of the present application; and 
           [0034]      FIG. 7  is a schematic view of working principle of the banknote separating device according to the preferred embodiment of the present application being inclinedly disposed. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0035]    The technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application will be described clearly and completely hereinafter in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Apparently, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all of other embodiments, made by the person skilled in the art without any creative efforts, fall into the protection scope of the present application. 
         [0036]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , a financial self-service equipment includes a banknote separating device  10 , an identification module  11 , a temporary storage module  12 , a banknote withdrawal module  13  and a cashbox  14 . The banknote separating device  10  is used for receiving a stack of banknotes, separating the banknotes and then conveying them to the identification module  11  along a banknote conveying passage. The banknotes identified as qualified are conveyed to the temporary storage module  12  along the banknote conveying passage, and unqualified banknotes are conveyed to the banknote withdrawal module  13  to be returned to a client; and when the client confirms the depositing operation, the banknotes are conveyed from the temporary storage module  12  to the cashbox  14  along the banknote conveying passage. 
         [0037]    As shown in  FIG. 3  and  FIG. 4 , the banknote separating device  10  according to the present embodiment includes a banknote supporting plate  21  for carrying the banknotes to be separated, a reference plate  22  for aligning the banknotes, a banknote pressing plate  23  for providing a pressing force to the banknotes to be separated, a banknote separating wheel  24  and a feeding wheel  25  which are both formed with a high frictional portion and are exposed outside the banknote supporting plate  21  and are arranged opposite to the banknote pressing plate  23 , a reverse wheel  26  arranged opposite to the feeding wheel  25 , a stress collecting device for collecting a current stress value on the banknote supporting plate  21 , a pressure compensating device for providing a variable pressing compensating force, and a distance collecting device  33  for collecting a current thickness of the stack of banknotes. 
         [0038]    A stress sensor  27  is fixedly mounted at a bottom of the banknote supporting plate  21 , the other end of the stress sensor  27  is fixedly mounted on a fixed base  28 , and the fixed base  28  is fixed on a frame (not shown). The banknote separating wheel  24 , the feeding wheel  25 , and the reverse wheel  26  are fixed onto a side wall (not shown) of the financial self-service equipment through rotation shafts respectively. The reference plate  22  is fixed perpendicularly to the banknote supporting plate  21 , and the banknote pressing plate  23  and the banknote supporting plate  21  are arranged parallel with each other. Two position-limiting shafts  34  are respectively fixed at two sides of the banknote pressing plate  23 , and the position-limiting shafts  34  are perpendicular to the plane of the banknote pressing plate  23 . Two sides of the banknote pressing plate  23  extend outwardly to form two protruding portions respectively, a through hole is arranged in each protruding portion at the center, and the banknote pressing plate  23  is disposed on the position-limiting shafts  34  through the through holes. A switching block  35  is further disposed on the position-limiting shaft  34  and is driven by a power device (not shown), and when it is needed to store the stack of banknotes on the banknote supporting plate  21 , the banknote pressing plate  23  is raised by the switching block  35  driven by the power device, and when it starts to separate the banknotes, the banknote pressing plate  23  is released by the switching block  35  driven by the power device, and the banknote pressing plate  23  falls freely under its own weight. 
         [0039]    There is a banknotes stacking zone  30  on the banknote supporting plate  21 , a first group of notches  29  are arranged within the banknotes stacking zone  30 , and the banknote separating wheel  24  is exposed outside the banknote supporting plate  21  through the first group of notches  29 . There are two banknote separating wheels  24  arranged side by side in the present application, and correspondingly there are two notches in the first group of notches  29 . 
         [0040]    A pressure compensating device is provided between the banknote pressing plate  23  and the banknote supporting plate  21 , and in the present embodiment, an electromagnet  32  and a banknote pressing plate ( 23 ) having a function of attracting are preferably employed to cooperate with each other to act as the pressure compensating device, so as to provide the pressure compensation. The electromagnet  32  is fixedly mounted in a second group of notches  31  of the banknote supporting plate  21 , and an outer surface of the electromagnet  32  is located on the same horizontal plane with an upper surface of the banknote supporting plate  21 , that is, the electromagnet  32  is exposed outside the upper surface of the banknote supporting plate  21 , but is not protruded outside the upper surface of the banknote supporting plate  21 . In the present application, there are two groups of the second group of notches  31  and the electromagnet  32  respectively. The banknote pressing plate  23  is made of iron material. In order to increase a compensation range of the pressure compensating device, a magnet may be mounted on the banknote pressing plate  23  at a position corresponding to the electromagnet  32 , and opposite magnetic poles of the magnet and the electromagnet  32  face to each other. 
         [0041]    A distance collecting device  33  is mounted on the banknote supporting plate  21  outside the banknotes stacking zone  30 , and is used for collecting a distance between the banknote pressing plate  23  and the banknote supporting plate  21 . The distance collecting device  33  can employ a common distance sensor. 
         [0042]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the banknote separating device  10  according to the present embodiment includes a control module  40 , the control module  40  is electrically connected with the distance collecting device  33 , the stress sensor  27 , and the electromagnet  32  respectively. The control module  40  further includes a storage unit  41  for storing the information of an output electric current value corresponding to various pressure loss values and distance information, and storing the gravities of the banknote supporting plate  21  and the banknote pressing plate  23 ; a pressure compensation calculating unit  42  for calculating a pressure loss value based on a stress collected by a stress sensor  27 ; and an electric current output controlling unit  43  for controlling the electromagnet  32  to output a corresponding pressing compensating force based on the pressure loss value and the thickness information of the banknotes. The changing of the pressing compensating force of the electromagnet  32  is achieved by controlling the output of the electric current. Specifically, a relationship among the electric current value x, the pressure loss value Y 3  and the thickness H of the whole stack of the banknotes to be separated is as follow: Y 3 ==k 1 x+k 2 H, in which k 1  is a proportional constant between the electric current and the generated electromagnetic force, and k 2  is a proportional constant between the distance H and the magnetic attractive force. 
         [0043]    After an operator fills the banknote supporting plate  21  with banknotes, the power device (not shown) drives the switching block  35  to release the banknote pressing plate  23 , and the banknote pressing plate  23  falls freely along the position-limiting shafts  34  under its own weight, thereby pressing against the stack of banknotes. 
         [0044]    According to a design principle of frictional-type banknotes separation, a preset normal pressure value Y 1  generating a frictional force for separating banknotes can be obtained previously, which is shown by the straight line C, and this value is stored in the pressure compensation calculating unit  42 . 
         [0045]    When the operation of banknotes separation is started, the distance collecting device  33  collects a current thickness H 0  of the stack of the banknotes, the stress sensor  27  collects a current stress value Y y , and the pressure compensation calculating unit  42  obtains the pressing force applied on the banknote supporting plate  21  based on the stress value Y y  minus a gravity Y t  of the banknote supporting plate  21 . The pressing force applied on the banknote supporting plate  21  is provided by a gravity Y 2  of the banknote pressing plate  23  and a gravity Y 0  of the stack of the banknotes, that is, Y y −Y t =Y 2 +Y 0 , therefore the gravity value Y 0  of the stack of the banknotes can be calculated according to the equation: Y 0 =Y y −Y t −Y 2 , and at this time the pressure loss value Y 3 =Y 1 −Y 0 −Y 2 . 
         [0046]    The electric current output controlling unit  43  calculates the electric current output value for the electromagnet  32  based on the current thickness value H 0  of the stack of the banknotes and the pressure loss value Y 3 , so as to cause the pressure compensating device consisted of the electromagnet  32  and the banknote pressing plate  23  to generate a corresponding pressing compensating force, such that the pressing compensating force is equal to the current pressure loss value. 
         [0047]    As shown in  FIG. 6 , the horizontal coordinate represents a thickness value H of the banknotes, and the vertical coordinate represents a pressure value N. The straight line B is a schematic diagram of the pressure Y 2  generated by the self-weight of the banknote pressing plate  23 , and Y 2  is a constant value; the straight line C is a schematic diagram of an optimum pressing force Y 1 , and Y 1  is also a constant value. As the separation of the banknotes is performed continuously, the distance sensor obtains the continuously varied thickness value H of the banknotes, and the stress sensor  27  obtains the continuously varied stress value, as shown by the straight line A, and the pressure generated by the self-weight of the stack of banknotes is directly proportional to the thickness variation; and the pressure compensation calculating unit  42  obtains the variable pressure loss value Y 3  based on the stress value, as shown by the straight line D, and the pressure loss value is inversely proportional to the thickness of the stack of banknotes. 
         [0048]    The electric current output controlling unit  43  continually adjusts the electric current output value based on the variable thickness H of the banknotes and the pressure loss value Y 3 , so as to control the current pressure compensation value generated by the electromagnet  32  to be equal to the pressure loss value, until the last piece of banknote is separated. 
         [0049]    In the situation described hereinabove, the banknote separating device is placed horizontally, and when the banknote separating device is inclinedly disposed as shown in  FIG. 7 , the principle thereof is same as that in  FIG. 4 , and the difference lies in that the stack of banknotes is inclined and has an inclination angle A relative to the horizontal direction. A gravity  05 A of the banknote pressing plate  23  has a component  05 AA in the vector direction of the normal pressure  06 . When calculating the normal pressure  06 , the gravity  05 A is replaced by the component  05 AA, and the method for calculating the normal pressure generated by the stack of banknotes on the banknote supporting plate  21  is same as that of the banknote pressing plate  23 , which will not be described in detail. 
         [0050]    A method for separating banknotes according to the present embodiment includes the following steps. 
         [0051]    Step 1: obtaining a preset normal pressure value Y 1  generating a frictional force for separating banknotes according to a design principle of frictional-type banknotes separation for a banknote separating device, and storing the preset normal pressure value Y 1 , a gravity Y t  of a banknote supporting plate and a gravity Y 2  of a banknote pressing plate into a storage unit; 
         [0052]    Step 2: detecting a current thickness H 0  of a stack of banknotes and a stress value Y y  on the banknote supporting plate, and calculating a gravity Y 0  of the stack of banknotes based on an equation of Y 0 =Y y −Y t −Y 2 ; 
         [0053]    Step 3: calculating a pressure loss value Y 3  according to an equation of Y 3 =Y 1 −Y 0 −Y 2 ; 
         [0054]    Step 4: calculating an electric current value required for an electromagnet in the pressure compensating device based on the current thickness H 0  of the stack of banknotes and the pressure loss value Y 3 , and controlling the electromagnet to output a corresponding pressing compensating force; and 
         [0055]    Step 5: repeating steps 2 to 4 in cycles, and maintaining the normal pressure value generating the frictional force for separating banknotes during banknotes separating process at an optimum level around the preset normal pressure value. 
         [0056]    Because of the arrangement of the pressure compensating device, the frictional force for separating banknotes is constant, therefore a banknotes separating performance of the banknote separating device is more stable. 
         [0057]    Furthermore, the pressure compensating device can employ a magnet instead of the electromagnet, in the manner using the magnet, the pressure loss value is only relevant to the thickness of the whole stack of banknotes to be separated, the relationship thereof is as follow: Y 3 =k 2 H, in which H is the thickness of the whole stack of banknotes to be separated, and k 2  is a proportional constant between the distance H and the magnetic attractive force. 
         [0058]    The above-described embodiments are only preferred embodiments of the present application. It should be noted that, for the person skilled in the art, many modifications and improvements may be made to the present application without departing from the principle of the present application, and these modifications and improvements are also deemed to fall into the protection scope of the present application.