Patent Publication Number: US-7591462-B2

Title: Media transfer method and apparatus for automatic media dispenser

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   The present application claims, under 35 U.S.C. § 119, the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. P03-097706 filed Dec. 26, 2003, the entire contents of which are herein fully incorporated by reference. 
   1. Field of the invention 
   The present invention relates to a media dispenser. More particularly, the present invention relates to a media transfer method and apparatus, which enables media to be separated, sheet by sheet, and discharged with a uniform transfer interval from a media cassette of the media dispenser. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   In the present specification, the term “media” refers to sheet materials, such as bank notes, checks, tickets, certificates, etc. The term “media dispenser” refers to an apparatus which automatically supplies such media according to a customer&#39;s demand. 
     FIG. 1  shows a media cassette and a construction for drawing media out of the media cassette, which are employed in a related art media dispenser. A media cassette  1 , shown in  FIG. 1 , is installed in the automatic media dispenser. The media cassette  1  may be either integrated with or separately formed from the automatic media dispenser. 
   Media m are arranged and stacked in the media cassette  1 . In the media cassette  1 , the media m are pushed toward a discharge port by a push plate  3 , so that they are located in tight contact with each other. The push plate  3  is supported by a spring  5  so as to push the media. The spring  5  provides an elastic force which enables the push plate  3  to push the media. 
   Each sheet of the media, pushed toward the discharge port by the push plate  3 , comes into tight contact with a pickup roller  7  before passing through the discharge port. The pickup roller  7  is located at one end of the media cassette  1 , comes into contact with and separates each sheet of the media from the stack, and then moves the separated sheet out of the media cassette  1 . The pickup roller  7  may be formed either integrally with the media cassette  1 , or separately from the media cassette  1  in the automatic media dispenser. 
   A feed roller  9  and a contra-roller  10  are disposed close to, and opposed to, each other, so as to promote separation of each sheet of the media from another sheet and transfer the separated sheet. That is, the media are separated and transferred one sheet at a time by the feed roller  9  and the contra-roller  10 , while each sheet passes through a gap between the feed roller  9  and the contra-roller  10  rotating in the same direction. 
   Each sheet of the media, after having passed through the gap between the feed roller  9  and the contra-roller  10 , is further transferred by another feed roller or a belt of a delivery module (not shown). 
   However, the aforementioned related art has the following problems. 
   In general, one revolution of the pickup roller  7  separates one sheet of the media and transfers the separated sheet into the gap between the feed roller  9  and the contra-roller  10 . However, the related art media dispenser may be used for dispensing media of various sizes. Therefore, when the related art media dispenser employs a pickup roller  7  having a fixed size, intervals between transferred sheets of media may be different according to the sizes of the media. 
   For example, some media may have a size, such as a width, which allows too small an interval between adjacent sheets of the media being transferred. In an extreme case, the media may be overlapped, as in a chain, without an interval between them when transferred. In other words, the related art media dispenser provides non-uniform quality in dispensing media, which changes according to the size of the media. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   Accordingly, the present invention is conceived to solve one or more of the aforementioned drawbacks of the related art. An object of the present invention is to provide a media transfer method and apparatus, which enable media to be separated and discharged out of a media cassette of a media dispenser with a uniform transfer interval. 
   It is another object of the present invention to provide a media transfer method and apparatus, which enable media of various sizes to be smoothly transferred in a media dispenser regardless of the media size. 
   According to an aspect of the present invention for achieving the objects, there is provided a media transfer apparatus for an automatic media dispenser, comprising: a pickup roller in contact with media waiting to be discharged, so as to separate and transfer the media sheet by sheet. A main feed roller and a delivery roller transfer a separated sheet of the media to a media transfer route. A sensor detects a front end of the separated sheet having passed through a juncture between the main feed roller and the delivery roller. When the sensor detects the front end of the separated sheet, a power supplied to the pickup roller is stopped, and the separated sheet continues to be transferred by the driving force of the main feed roller and the delivery roller. 
   The media transfer apparatus may further comprise a feed roller and a contra-roller in contact with, or adjacent to, each other, which are disposed at a portion of the media transfer route between the pickup roller and the main feed roller. The feed roller and contra-roller rotate in a same direction, so as to prevent more than one sheet of the media from being simultaneously transferred. 
   The feed roller is mounted on a rotation shaft by means of a one-way bearing, so that the feed roller experiences idle rotation without receiving power when the sensor detects the front end of the separated sheet. The idle rotation of the feed roller allows continued transfer of the media. 
   The contra-roller is driven by a driving force supplied to the contra-roller from a driving source, even when the feed roller experiences idle rotation. 
   A distance between the pickup roller and the main feed roller is smaller than a dimension (e.g., width dimension) of each sheet of the media in a direction in which the media are transferred. 
   The main feed roller rotates at a speed at least three times faster than a rotation speed of the pickup roller. 
   The main feed roller and the delivery roller are in contact with each other by an engagement force at least three times greater than an engagement force between the pickup roller and the media waiting to be discharged. 
   The pickup roller is mounted on a rotation shaft by means of a one-way bearing, and the pickup roller experiences idle rotation without receiving power when the sensor detects the front end of the separated sheet. The idle rotation of the pickup roller allows continued transfer of the media. 
   A distance from a contact point between the main feed roller and the delivery roller to a contact point between the pickup roller and the media corresponds to (e.g., is approximately equal to or slightly less than) a dimension (e.g., width dimension) of a sheet of media with a smallest size to be dispense, taken in a direction in which the media is to be transferred. 
   According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a media transfer method for an automatic media dispenser, the method comprising the steps of: separating media waiting to be discharged from a media cassette of the automatic media dispenser by means of a pickup roller sheet by sheet; detecting by means of a sensor a front end of the separated sheet having passed through a juncture between the main feed roller and the delivery roller, stopping operation of the pickup roller when the sensor detects the front end of the separated sheet; and transferring the separated sheet by means of a main feed roller and a delivery roller. 
   The pickup roller can be operated again after the separated sheet passes a gap between the main feed roller and the delivery roller. 
   A first feed roller and a contra-roller can be disposed at a portion of a media transfer route, between the pickup roller and the main feed roller. The first feed roller and contra-roller are in contact with, or adjacent to, each other, and rotate in a same direction, so as to prevent more than one sheet of the media from being simultaneously transferred. 
   Power, supplied to the feed roller, is stopped and the feed roller experiences idle rotation, when the sensor detects the front end of the separated sheet. 
   The contra-roller continues to rotate and prevents a double sheet from being transferred along the media transfer route even when the feed roller experiences idle rotation. 
   Power supplied to the pickup roller is stopped and the pickup roller experiences idle rotation, when the sensor detects the front end of the separated sheet. 
   The main feed roller rotates at a speed at least three times faster than a rotation speed of the pickup roller. 
   The main feed roller and the delivery roller are in contact with each other by an engagement force at least three times greater than an engagement force between the pickup roller and the media waiting to be discharged. 
   According to the present invention, media having various sizes can be filled in and dispensed from one automatic media dispenser without any structural changes in the design or construction of the automatic media dispenser. Further, according to the present invention, each sheet of the media can be separated and discharged from a media cassette in a more smooth and exact manner. 
   These and other objects of the present application will become more readily apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic sectional view of a media cassette and a construction for drawing media out of the media cassette of an automatic media dispenser, in accordance with the related art; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of a media transfer apparatus for an automatic media dispenser, according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 3  is a schematic side view for describing an operation of the media transfer apparatus shown in  FIG. 2 ; and 
       FIG. 4  is a flow chart of a media transfer method for an automatic media dispenser, according to the present invention. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a media transfer method and apparatus for an automatic media dispenser according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 2  is a schematic side view of a media transfer apparatus for an automatic media dispenser, according to the present invention. As shown, a media cassette  20  provided in an automatic media dispenser has a storage space  21  formed therein, for containing media to be dispensed. The media cassette  20  may be either formed integrally with the media dispenser or detachably connected to the automatic media dispenser. The media cassette  20  has a discharge port  22  formed at one side thereof, through which the media m are discharged. 
   In the media cassette  20 , the media m are pushed toward the discharge port  22  by a push plate  25 . In the present embodiment, the push plate  25  has an inclined front surface, so that the media are pushed by the push plate  25 , while being inclined at a predetermined angle. The media m, pushed by the push plate  25 , are supported in an inclined manner by an inclined guide member  27 , formed at a portion of the dispenser adjacent to the discharge port  22 . The inclined guide member  27  has an opening, formed at a middle portion thereof, which allows a pickup roller  30  to be inserted through the inclined guide member  27 . The opening is larger than the pickup roller  30  so as to prevent the pickup roller  30  from interfering with the inclined guide member  27 . 
   The pickup roller  30  enters the discharge port  22  in such a manner that a portion of the pickup roller  30  is inserted in the media cassette  20 . The pickup roller  30  rotates while being in direct contact with the media m in the media cassette  20 , so as to discharge the media m, sheet by sheet, through the discharge port  22 . The pickup roller  30  is mounted on a rotation shaft by means of a one-way bearing. The rotation shaft of the pickup roller  30  may be supported by a separate bracket, and this bracket can be rotated about another shaft by an elastic force of an elastic member. This arrangement causes the pickup roller  30  to come into tight contact with the media m. 
   A first feed roller  32  is disposed after, or downstream of, the pickup roller  30 . The first feed roller  32  is mounted to its rotation shaft by means of a one-way bearing. The first feed roller  32  and the pickup roller  30  may be rotated either by the same driving force from the same driving source, or by driving forces from driving sources different from each other. 
   A contra-roller  33  is disposed facing to and possibly in contact with the feed roller  32 , so as to allow the media m to pass through a second gap or juncture between the first feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33 . The contra-roller  33  rotates in the same direction as that in which the first feed roller  32  rotates, so as to prevent more than one sheet of the media from simultaneously passing through the second gap or juncture between the first feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33 . It is preferred that the first feed roller  32  has a surface having a frictional force larger than that of the surface of the contra-roller  33 . 
   Here, the rotation of the first feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33  in the same direction signifies, for example, counterclockwise rotation of both the first feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33  in a view from one side of them toward their rotation centers, as shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 . The rotation of the first feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33  in the same direction, as described above, causes the media to be pushed in opposite directions at the point at which the first feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33  are adjacent or in contact with each other, thereby preventing more than one sheet of the media m from simultaneously passing through the second gap or juncture between the first feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33 . 
   A main feed roller  40  and a delivery roller  42  are disposed after, or downstream of, the first feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33  and are in contact with each other. The main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42  are designed to rotate at a speed three or four times faster than a rotation speed of the pickup roller  30 . Further, it is preferred that the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42  are in contact with each other by an engagement force at least three times greater than an engagement force between the pickup roller  30  and a sheet of media waiting to be discharged. 
   A sensor  50  is disposed at a portion directly after, or downstream of, the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42 , in a route along which the sheet of media is transferred. The sensor  50  detects a front end of the sheet of the media, transferred through a first gap or juncture between the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42 . The sensor  50  provides a signal used for stopping the driving force supplied to the pickup roller  30 , when the sensor  50  detects the sheet of the media exiting from the first gap or juncture between the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42 . 
   It is preferred that the distance from a contact point between the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42  to a contact point between the pickup roller  30  and the media m corresponds to a dimension of a medium m with a smallest size, taken in the direction in which the medium is transferred. More specifically, the distances described above should be designed to have values which allow the pickup roller  30  to be in contact with a sheet of the media m when a front end of the sheet is detected by the sensor  50 . Reference numeral  41 , not described above, designates a belt for transferring the media. 
   Hereinafter, the operation of the media transfer apparatus of the automatic media dispenser, according to the present invention, will be described in detail. First, when the automatic media dispenser is operated, the pickup roller  30  rotates. Of course, the feed roller  32 , the contra-roller  33 , the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42  also rotate. By the rotation of the pickup roller  30 , the media m in the media cassette  20  are separated and discharged through the discharge port  22  sheet by sheet. Each sheet of the media m, having been discharged out of the discharge port  22 , is transferred to the second gap or juncture between the feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33 . 
   As shown in  FIG. 3 , the feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33  rotate in the same direction. Therefore, if two sheets of the media m are simultaneously transferred into the gap or juncture between the feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33 , only one sheet is allowed to pass through the second gap or juncture between the feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33  toward the first juncture between the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42 . This is because, between the feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33 , force is applied to a bottom sheet of two sheets in a direction toward the main feed roller  40 , while force is applied to a top sheet of two sheets in a direction toward the discharge port  22 . 
   The sheet of the media m, having been discharged out of the second gap or juncture between the feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33 , is fed into the first juncture between the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42 , more specifically, between the delivery roller  42  and the belt  41  wound on the main feed roller  40 . As a sheet of the media m passes through the gap between the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42 , the sensor  50  detects a front end of the sheet. When the front end of a sheet is detected, a rear end of the sheet is still in contact with the pickup roller  30 . 
   When the front end of the sheet is detected by the sensor  50 , the sensor  50  generates a signal which is used to stop the driving force supplied to the pickup roller  30  and the feed roller  32 . As a result, neither the pickup roller  30 , nor the feed roller  32 , receives a driving force. However, since both the pickup roller  30  and the feed roller  32  have rotation shafts with one-way bearings, they experience idle rotation due to the transfer of the media m. 
   The main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42  rotate at a speed three or four times faster than a rotation speed of the feed roller  32  and are in contact with each other with an engagement force three times larger than an engagement force between the pickup roller  30  and the media m. Therefore, each sheet of the media m is moved rapidly along a transfer route in a delivery module, after the sheet is introduced into the juncture between the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42 . The contra-roller  33  is continuously rotated by a driving force, so as to prevent another sheet of the media m from being simultaneously transferred out of the media cassette  20 . 
   When each sheet of the media m has completely passed through the juncture between the main feed roller  40  and the delivery roller  42 , the sensor  50  or another sensor detects such a passage and signals that power for rotating the pickup roller  30  and the feed roller  32  may be supplied again, should another sheet of media need to be discharged. 
   Thereafter, a next sheet of the media m, waiting to be discharged is separated from the other sheets of media and is transferred to the second gap or juncture between the feed roller  32  and the contra-roller  33  by the pickup roller  30 . Then, the operation as described above is repeated, so as to allow a desired number of sheets of the media m to be discharged out of the media cassette  20 . 
   According to the present invention, as described in detail above, the following advantages can be obtained. Media having various sizes can be filled in and dispensed from one automatic media dispenser without any change in the design or construction of the automatic media dispenser. Therefore, the present invention allows one automatic media dispenser to dispense different sizes of media. 
   Further, the present invention allows each sheet of media to be transferred after a previous sheet is completely separated and discharged from a media cassette. Therefore, according to the present invention, each sheet of media can be separated and discharged from a media cassette in a more smooth and exact manner. 
   The scope of the present invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiments but defined by the appended claims. It will be apparent that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and changes within the scope of the invention defined by the claims.