CN115996882A

CN115996882A - Paper sheet taking-out method and paper sheet taking-out processing system

Info

Publication number: CN115996882A
Application number: CN202180045560.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 上沟顺亮; 上田贵司
Original assignee: Japan Cash Machine Co Ltd
Current assignee: Japan Cash Machine Co Ltd
Priority date: 2020-09-24
Filing date: 2021-05-12
Publication date: 2023-04-21
Also published as: JP7132989B2; WO2022064758A1; JP2022053078A; CA3188698A1; US20230365366A1

Abstract

The invention provides a paper taking-out method, which can take out paper sheets (such as partition cards) stored in a paper storage container one by one with high precision at low cost. In this paper taking-out method, by blowing air from the lateral direction or the lower side of the paper in the developed state, the state in which the upper surface of the paper floats is formed. In this state, the upper surface of the sheet is sucked by the suction mechanism (1), so that the sheet can be taken out with high accuracy.

Description

Paper sheet taking-out method and paper sheet taking-out processing system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a technique for taking out sheets from a container in which the sheets are stored.

Background

For example, a banknote handling system has been developed for collecting banknotes stored in cashboxes removably mounted on game machines or the like in a casino, and confirming whether sales per cashbox are identical to the total amount of banknotes actually collected from the cashboxes.

In a banknote handling system, banknote counting processing is not performed continuously as banknote counting processing is performed for each banknote bundle recovered from a cash box, and the efficiency is low. In the banknote handling system, therefore, batches (banknote bundles) (for example, batches Batch1 to Batch N of fig. 39) are created by collecting (stacking) banknote bundles (for example, banknote bundles Bills (CB 1) to Bills (CBN), N: natural number, CBk: kth (1+.ltoreq.n) banknote bundles) and banknote bundles Bills (CBk): banknote bundles recovered from kth banknote boxes) collected from a plurality of banknote cassettes (for example, batch1 to Batch N of fig. 39), and Batch bundles (for example, batch batch_g1 of fig. 39) are created by collecting the batches, and banknote counting processing is performed on the Batch bundles by an automatic banknote counter (sorter). Accordingly, in the banknote handling system, since banknote counting processing can be continuously performed without stopping the automatic banknote counter (sorter), banknote counting processing can be efficiently performed. At this time, an automatic banknote counter (sorter) inserts separator cards (for example, separator cards sep_card1 to sep_cardn in fig. 39) into banknote bundles taken out from the respective banknote cassettes to generate batches (banknote bundles) (for example, batches Batch1 to Batch n in fig. 39) so that the total amount of banknotes stored in each banknote cassette can be obtained (for example, see patent document 1). On the separator, for example, a bar code is printed, and an automatic banknote counter (sorter) can determine the separator by reading the bar code. The banknote handling system identifies the banknote deposit boxes by reading information given to each tag (e.g., RF tag) such as the banknote deposit boxes, acquires information identifying the separator card inserted into the bundle of banknotes taken out from the banknote deposit boxes (e.g., information identified by a bar code printed on the surface of the separator card), and generates data correlating the information identifying the banknote deposit boxes with the information identifying the separator card. In the banknote handling system, an automatic banknote counter (sorter) can recognize that the banknote bundle separated by the separator is a banknote bundle collected from the banknote collection box associated with the separator, and can acquire the sum of the amounts collected from the banknote collection box, based on the data relating to the banknote collection box information and the information relating to the separator.

In this way, in the banknote handling system, by using the separator, it is possible to achieve continuous banknote counting processing and to obtain the total amount of the banknote bundles collected from the respective deposit boxes.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2001-67522

Disclosure of Invention

Technical problem to be solved by the invention

In order to perform the above-described processing, the banknote handling system needs to insert the separator sheet by sheet into the banknote bundle collected from the hopper. In order to achieve this, it is conceivable to take out the separator from a container in which a plurality of separators are stored, for example, one by one, and insert the taken-out separator into a bundle of banknotes collected from the collection box (for example, place the separator on the bundle of banknotes collected from the collection box). That is, it is conceivable to use a sheet feeding device that extracts the partition cards one by one from a container in which a plurality of partition cards are housed.

However, in order to take out the separator from the container storing a plurality of separators one by one, such a paper feeding device requires a complicated feeding mechanism (for example, a feeding mechanism for taking out the paper one by one), and a sensor or the like for detecting whether or not the fed separator is repeated. Therefore, if the sheet feeding device as described above is used, the separator is taken out one by one from the container in which the plurality of separators are housed, and the taken-out separator is inserted into the banknote bundle recovered from the hopper, the cost becomes high.

In addition, it is also conceivable to manually take out the separator from the container storing a plurality of separators one by one and insert the taken-out separator into the banknote bundle collected from the hopper, but this also requires labor and increases the cost.

Therefore, a technique capable of reliably taking out sheets (e.g., separator cards) one by one with a simple mechanism is demanded.

In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to realize a sheet taking-out method and a sheet taking-out processing system capable of taking out sheets (for example, partition cards) stored in a sheet storage container sheet by sheet with high accuracy at low cost.

Means for solving the problems

In order to solve the above-described problems, a first invention is a paper taking-out method of blowing air from a lateral direction or a lower side of a paper in an expanded state, and sucking an upper surface of the paper by an adsorption mechanism to take out the paper.

In this paper take-out method, by blowing air from the lateral direction or the lower side of the paper in the developed state, the upper surface of the paper becomes a floating state. In this state, by sucking the upper surface of the sheet by the suction mechanism, the sheet can be taken out with high precision (for example, high precision sheet by sheet).

The second invention is a paper taking-out method including: a first step of blowing air from a lateral direction or a lower side of the sheet in a state where the sheet is spread and at least a part of the end portion is sandwiched, and a second step of sucking a portion of the upper surface of the sheet, which is floated by blowing air from the lateral direction of the sheet, by using a suction mechanism, thereby taking out the sheet.

In this paper sheet taking-out method, by blowing air from the lateral direction or the lower side of the paper sheet in the expanded state, the upper surface of the paper sheet (or the uppermost paper sheet of the bundle of paper sheets) of at least a part of the clamped end portion becomes in a floating state. In this state, by sucking the upper surface of the sheet by the suction mechanism, the sheet can be taken out with high precision (for example, high precision sheet by sheet).

In the third aspect of the invention, in the second aspect, the suction mechanism is lowered from above the upper surface of the sheet, and the sheet is taken out by raising the suction mechanism after the sheet is sucked.

In this way, in the paper sheet taking-out method, the suction mechanism is lowered and raised, so that the paper sheet can be taken out with high accuracy.

In the fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, when the pressure in the adsorption mechanism is lower than a predetermined value or when the amount of decrease in the pressure in the adsorption mechanism is greater than a predetermined value, the lowering of the adsorption mechanism is stopped and the adsorption mechanism is raised.

In this way, in the sheet take-out processing method, by monitoring the pressure in the suction mechanism, it is possible to easily and accurately detect whether or not the sheet is in the sucked state. As a result, the process of taking out the paper can be performed with high accuracy.

In the paper sheet take-out processing method, the lowering of the suction mechanism may be stopped and the suction mechanism may be raised when the decrease in pressure in the suction mechanism is greater than a predetermined value.

In the fifth aspect of the invention, in the second step, the tip of the suction mechanism is lowered only to a position higher than the upper surface of the sheet.

In this way, in the sheet taking-out processing method, the suction mechanism is not excessively lowered, and as a result, the sheet can be taken out at high speed.

A sixth aspect of the present invention is a paper sheet removal processing system that performs a paper sheet removal process, including: a paper storage container for storing paper; a pump for making air flow into the paper storage container; and an adsorption mechanism.

The paper storage container is provided with:

a bottom;

a sheet mounting table for mounting a sheet;

an elastic member disposed between the bottom portion and the sheet mounting table for urging the sheet mounting table upward;

a holding member for holding the paper placed on the paper placement table together with the paper placement table;

The side wall portion is disposed so as to surround the sheet mounting table, and is provided with a hole for flowing air from the outside to the vicinity of the height substantially equal to the height of the surface of the uppermost sheet when the sheet is mounted on the sheet mounting table.

When air is introduced into the paper storage container by the pump, the suction mechanism moves downward from above the paper placed on the paper placement table, and then moves upward after sucking the paper, thereby removing the paper from the paper storage container.

In this paper sheet taking-out processing system, air can be blown from the lateral direction or the lower side of the paper sheet placed on the paper sheet placement table of the paper sheet storage container, and the upper surface of the paper sheet placed on the paper sheet placement table is in a floating state, and in this state, the upper surface of the paper sheet is attracted by the attraction mechanism, whereby the paper sheet can be taken out with high precision (for example, with high precision one by one).

The seventh aspect of the invention is the sixth aspect of the invention, and further comprises a pressure detecting unit that detects the pressure inside the adsorption mechanism.

When the pressure detection unit detects that the pressure in the suction unit is lower than a predetermined value, the suction unit moves upward to take out the sheet from the sheet storage container.

In this way, in the sheet taking-out processing system, by monitoring the pressure in the suction mechanism, it is possible to easily and accurately detect whether or not the sheet is in the sucked state. As a result, the process of taking out the paper can be performed with high accuracy.

In the sheet taking-out processing system, the lowering of the suction mechanism may be stopped and the suction mechanism may be raised when the decrease in pressure in the suction mechanism is greater than a predetermined value.

Effects of the invention

According to the present invention, a sheet taking-out method and a sheet taking-out processing system for taking out sheets (for example, partition cards) stored in a sheet storage container sheet by sheet with high accuracy at low cost can be realized.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sheet taking-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of the sheet taking-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the suction mechanism 1 and the paper storage container 100 of the paper take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the suction mechanism 1 of the sheet removal processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 5 is a view (perspective view) showing an external appearance of the paper sheet storage container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 6 isbase:Sub>A plan view (upper view) andbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A) of the sheet container 100 of the sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment (lower view).

Fig. 7 is a view (perspective view) showing an external appearance of the paper sheet storage container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the paper sheet container 100 of the paper sheet removal processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and is a view showing the rotation axis of the front panel 106.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the paper sheet container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining a rotation operation (opening/closing operation) of the front panel 106.

Fig. 10 isbase:Sub>A diagram for explaining the positional relationship of the holes of the paper sheet storage container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and is an enlarged view ofbase:Sub>A part of the cross-sectional view taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A in fig. 6.

Fig. 11 is a top view (upper view) and an external view (perspective view) (lower view) of the paper sheet container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and schematically illustrates the flow path of air flowing into the paper sheet container 100.

Fig. 12 is a view (perspective view) showing an external appearance of the paper storage container 100 of the paper take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and is a view for explaining the placement of paper on the paper table 103.

Fig. 13 isbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6 of the paper storage container 100 of the paper take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and isbase:Sub>A diagram for explaining the placement of paper on the paper stage 103.

Fig. 14 is a plan view of the paper sheet container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining the restriction of the air flow path.

Fig. 15 isbase:Sub>A diagram showingbase:Sub>A top view of the sheet container 100 of the sheet removal processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment andbase:Sub>A part ofbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A in fig. 6 in an enlarged manner, and isbase:Sub>A diagram for explaining the structure of the first shutter portion 105base:Sub>A and the second shutter portion 105 b.

Fig. 16 is an enlarged view ofbase:Sub>A part ofbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view of the sheet container 100 of the sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment taken along the linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A in fig. 6, and isbase:Sub>A diagram for explaining the structure of the first shutter portion 105base:Sub>A and the second shutter portion 105 b.

Fig. 17 is an enlarged perspective view of a part of the paper sheet storage container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining the configuration of the first shutter portion 105a and the second shutter portion 105 b.

Fig. 18 is a view (perspective view) showing an external appearance of the front panel portion 106 of the paper sheet storage container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 19 is a flowchart of a process performed by the sheet taking-out processing system 1000.

Fig. 20 is a flowchart of a process performed by the sheet taking-out processing system 1000.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view of the paper storage container 100, and is a diagram for explaining an operation when inserting the bundle g_sep_cards of paper.

Fig. 22 is an enlarged view ofbase:Sub>A part of the cross-sectional view of the sheet container 100 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A in fig. 6, and isbase:Sub>A diagram for explaining an operation when inserting the bundle g_sep_cards of sheets.

Fig. 23 is an enlarged view ofbase:Sub>A part of the cross-sectional view of the sheet container 100 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6, and isbase:Sub>A diagram for explaining an operation when inserting the bundle g_sep_cards of sheets.

Fig. 24 is a diagram showing an external appearance of the sheet container 100 in a state where the bundle g_sep_cards of sheets is inserted.

Fig. 25 is a diagram showing an external appearance of the sheet take-out processing system 1000 of the sheet storage container 100 including the bundle g_sep_cards in which sheets are inserted.

Fig. 26 is a diagram schematically showing the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b of the suction mechanism 1, and a bundle of sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 of the sheet storage container 100, and is a diagram for explaining the sheet take-out process.

Fig. 27 is a diagram schematically showing the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b of the suction mechanism 1, and a bundle of sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 of the sheet storage container 100, and is a diagram for explaining the sheet take-out process.

Fig. 28 is a diagram schematically showing the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b of the suction mechanism 1, and a bundle of sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 of the sheet storage container 100, and is a diagram for explaining the sheet take-out process.

Fig. 29 is a diagram schematically showing the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b of the suction mechanism 1, and a bundle of sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 of the sheet storage container 100, and is a diagram for explaining the sheet take-out process.

Fig. 30 is a diagram schematically showing the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b of the suction mechanism 1, and a bundle of sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 of the sheet storage container 100, and is a diagram for explaining the sheet take-out process.

Fig. 31 is a diagram schematically showing the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b of the suction mechanism 1, and a bundle of sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 of the sheet storage container 100, and is a diagram for explaining the sheet take-out process.

Fig. 32 is a diagram schematically showing the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b of the suction mechanism 1, and a bundle of sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 of the sheet storage container 100, and is a diagram for explaining the sheet take-out process.

Fig. 33 isbase:Sub>A diagram showingbase:Sub>A top view (upper view) of the paper storage container 100 andbase:Sub>A part of the cross-sectional view of the paper storage container 100 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6 in an enlarged manner, and isbase:Sub>A diagram for explainingbase:Sub>A paper take-out process.

Fig. 34 is an enlarged view ofbase:Sub>A part of the cross-sectional view of the paper storage container 100 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6, and isbase:Sub>A view for explaining the paper take-out process.

Fig. 35 is an enlarged view ofbase:Sub>A part of the cross-sectional view of the paper storage container 100 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6, and isbase:Sub>A view for explaining the paper take-out process.

Fig. 36 is a perspective view of the paper container 100, and is a view for explaining fixing members dev_fixa and dev_fixb for stably fixing a pipe for flowing air into the paper container 100.

Fig. 37 is a view (perspective view) showing an external appearance of the paper storage container 100A.

Fig. 38 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement of the paper storage container 100 and the paper storage container 100A.

Fig. 39 is a view for explaining a banknote bundle, a separator, a batch, and a batch bundle.

Detailed Description

First embodiment

The first embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<1.1: structure of paper sheet removal processing System

Fig. 6 isbase:Sub>A plan view (upper view) andbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view (cross-sectional view taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A) (lower view) of the sheet container 100 of the sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment.

Fig. 12 is a view (perspective view) showing an external appearance of the paper storage container 100 of the paper take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and is a view for explaining the placement of paper on the paper stage 103.

Fig. 13 isbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6 of the paper storage container 100 of the paper take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and isbase:Sub>A diagram for explaining the placement of paper on the paper table 103.

Fig. 17 is a perspective view of a part of the paper sheet storage container 100 of the paper sheet take-out processing system 1000 according to the first embodiment, and is a diagram for explaining the structure of the first shutter portion 105a and the second shutter portion 105 b.

As shown in fig. 1 to 18, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis are set.

The paper taking-out processing system 1000 is used for processing of taking out sheets of paper (for example, separation cards sep_card1 to sep_cardn of fig. 39)) one by one in the paper storage container 100 used when creating a batch (bundle of banknotes) by stacking (stacking) bundles of banknotes collected from a plurality of banknote cassettes in a banknote processing system.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the sheet removal processing system 1000 includes: the paper suction unit 1, the moving unit Rbt for moving the paper suction unit 1, the suction Pump1, the suction unit 1, the pressure detecting unit 2, the data reading unit l_scan1, the air delivery Pump2, the control unit CPU1, the communication interface IF1, and the paper storage container 100 are used for sucking and taking out the paper.

The suction Pump1 is connected to the suction mechanism 1 (via a tube, for example), and is a Pump for sucking. The adsorption Pump1 is connected to the pressure detection unit 2. The Pump1 for adsorption is connected to the control unit CPU1, and operates in accordance with a command from the control unit CPU 1.

The suction mechanism 1 is a mechanism for sucking paper or the like. As shown in fig. 1, 3, and 4, the suction mechanism 1 includes a first suction unit 11a, a second suction unit 11b, and first and second flat members plt1, plt2 for holding the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11 b.

As shown in fig. 4, the first suction portion 11a has a pipe connection portion 11a1, a coupling portion 11a2, and a corrugated liner portion 11a3. The first adsorbing portion 11a has a hollow structure, and is connected to the adsorbing Pump1 via a pipe, for example, and is suctioned by the adsorbing Pump1, thereby adsorbing, for example, paper.

The pipe connection portion 11a1 is a hollow member, and is a member for connecting a pipe for connection to the Pump1 for adsorption. The first adsorption unit 11a is connected to the adsorption Pump1 via a pipe connected to the pipe connection unit 11a 1.

The connecting portion 11a2 is a hollow member, and connects the pipe connecting portion 11a1 and the corrugated liner portion 11a 3. As shown in fig. 4, the connecting portion 11a2 is provided so as to penetrate a hole provided in the first flat plate member plt1, and is fixed to the first flat plate member plt1 by two screws so as to sandwich the first flat plate member plt 1.

The corrugated spacer portion 11a3 is a hollow member, and is connected to the connecting portion 11a 2. The corrugated pad portion 11a3 has a corrugated structure and is formed to be stretchable and contractible.

The second suction portion 11b has the same structure as the first suction portion 11a, and includes a pipe connection portion 11b1, a connection portion 11b2, and a corrugated liner portion 11b3, as shown in fig. 4. The second adsorbing portion 11b has a hollow structure, and is connected to the adsorbing Pump1 via a pipe, for example, and is suctioned by the adsorbing Pump1, thereby adsorbing, for example, paper.

The pipe connection portion 11b1 is a hollow member, and is a member for connecting a pipe for connection to the Pump1 for adsorption. The second adsorption unit 11b is connected to the adsorption Pump1 via a pipe connected to the pipe connection unit 11b 1.

The connecting portion 11b2 is a hollow member, and connects the pipe connecting portion 11b1 and the corrugated liner portion 11b 3. As shown in fig. 4, the connecting portion 11b2 is provided so as to penetrate a hole provided in the first flat plate member plt1, and is fixed to the first flat plate member plt1 by two screws so as to sandwich the first flat plate member plt 1.

The corrugated spacer portion 11b3 is a hollow member, and is connected to the connecting portion 11b 2. The corrugated pad portion 11b3 has a corrugated structure and is formed to be stretchable and contractible.

The first flat plate member plt1 is a member for fixing the first suction portion 11a and the second suction portion 11b, and penetrates the first suction portion 11a and the second suction portion 11b and is fixed by screws. As shown in fig. 3, the first flat plate member plt1 is connected to the second flat plate member plt2 via spacers sp1 and sp 2.

As shown in fig. 3, the second plate member plt2 is connected to the suction mechanism moving rotary shaft rot_ax1_ Rbt1 of the moving mechanism Rbt1 via the connection member bx 1. As shown in fig. 3, the positioning members gd1, gd2 are connected to the second plate member plt 2. As shown in fig. 3, the second flat plate member plt2 is connected to the first flat plate member plt1 via spacers sp1 and sp 2. Thus, by moving the adsorbing mechanism moving rotary shaft rot_ax1_ Rbt1 of the moving mechanism Rbt1 in the up-down direction dir1_up_down (z-axis direction) shown in fig. 3, the adsorbing mechanism 1 can be moved in the up-down direction (z-axis direction). Further, by rotating the adsorbing mechanism moving rotation shaft rot_ax1_ Rbt1 of the moving mechanism Rbt1 in the rotation direction dir1_rot (rotation direction in which the adsorbing mechanism moving rotation shaft rot_ax1_ Rbt1 is the rotation shaft) shown in fig. 3, the adsorbing mechanism 1 can be rotated around the rotation direction dir1_rot.

The moving mechanism Rbt is a mechanism for moving the suction mechanism 1 to a predetermined position, and is realized by using an articulated arm or the like, for example. As shown in fig. 2, the moving mechanism Rbt1 is connected to the control unit CPU1, and moves the adsorbing mechanism 1 to a predetermined position based on an instruction from the control unit CPU1.

The pressure detecting unit 2 detects the pressure of the space to be suctioned by the suction Pump1 (the suction Pump1, a tube connecting the suction Pump1 to the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b, and a space formed by hollow portions of the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11 b). The pressure detecting unit 2 also transmits data on the detected pressure to the control unit CPU1.

The data reading unit l_scan1 is a device for reading a bar code or the like printed on a sheet (for example, a separator card), and is realized by a scanning device of a laser scanning system, for example. The data reading unit l_scan1 is connected to the control unit CPU1, and operates in accordance with an instruction from the control unit CPU1.

The air-sending Pump2 is connected to the paper storage container 100 (via a pipe, for example) and sends air. The air delivery Pump2 is connected to the control unit CPU1 and operates in accordance with a command from the control unit CPU1.

The control unit CPU1 is a functional unit for controlling each functional unit of the sheet taking-out processing system 1000, and is implemented using CPU, ROM, RAM or the like, for example. The control unit CPU1 is connected to the communication interface IF, and can perform data communication with the outside via the communication interface IF.

The communication interface IF1 is an interface for communicating data with the outside of the sheet take-out processing system 1000. The communication interface IF1 is connected to the control unit CPU1, and transmits data from the control unit CPU1 to the outside and/or transmits data received from the outside to the control unit CPU1.

As shown in fig. 5, the paper storage container 100 includes: a bottom 101, a side wall 102, a sheet mounting table 103, a first flow path regulating portion 104a (flow path regulating member), a second flow path regulating portion 104b (flow path regulating member), a first shutter portion 105a (sandwiching member), a second shutter portion 105b (sandwiching member), and a front panel portion 106 provided to be openable and closable.

As shown in fig. 6, the paper storage container 100 includes an elastic member Spr1 disposed between the bottom 101 and the paper table 103.

The bottom 101 is, for example, a rectangular flat plate-like member, and is a member for supporting the side wall 102 while being capable of setting the paper storage container 100 on a flat floor or a table. In addition, the bottom 101 is a member for supporting the elastic member Spr1 on the upper surface thereof. The bottom 101, together with the side wall 102 and the front panel 106 (the front panel 106 in the closed state), ensures a space for accommodating the sheet in a state of being placed on the sheet placement table 103.

The side wall 102 is formed of, for example, a rectangular flat plate-like member. The side wall portion 102 includes a first side wall portion 102a, a second side wall portion 102b, and a third side wall portion 102c. As shown in fig. 5, the side wall portions 102 (the first side wall portion 102a, the second side wall portion 102b, and the third side wall portion 102 c) are provided so as to extend in the vertical direction (the positive z-axis direction of fig. 5) at the peripheral edge portion of the bottom portion 101. Thus, the side wall 102, together with the bottom 101 and the front panel 106 (the front panel 106 in the closed state), ensures a space for accommodating the sheet in a state of being placed on the sheet placement table 103. As shown in fig. 8, the first side wall portion 102a includes a rotation shaft support portion 102a1 for supporting the rotation shaft rot_ax_106 for rotating and opening the front panel portion 106, and the second side wall portion 102b includes a rotation shaft support portion 102b1 for supporting the rotation shaft rot_ax_106 for rotating and opening the front panel portion 106. Thus, as shown in fig. 9, the front panel 106 can be provided rotatably about the rotation axis rot_ax_106, and the front panel can be provided to be openable and closable. When the front panel 106 is in the closed state, the closed state of the front panel 106 can be maintained by a predetermined lock mechanism. For example, the magnets and the metal plates respectively provided at the corresponding positions of the side wall 102 and the front panel 106 are attracted to maintain the state where the front panel is in contact with the side wall 102 (the state where the metal plates are attracted by the magnets), thereby bringing the front panel 106 into a closed state.

As shown in fig. 5, 6, and 7, the side wall 102 has a hole near the upper portion for allowing air to flow from the outside to the inside of the paper storage container 100. Specifically, as shown in fig. 5, 6, and 7, the second side wall portion 102b has three holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), and Hole3 (102 b) near its upper portion, and the third side wall portion 102c has one Hole1 (102 c) near its upper portion.

As shown in fig. 10, three holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), and Hole3 (102 b) each have a cylindrical shape, and are formed in the second side wall portion 102b so that the z-coordinate value z_center, which is the height of the center thereof, is substantially the same. As shown in fig. 10, the positions (z coordinate value z_center) of the center axes of the three holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), and Hole3 (102 b) are formed to be substantially the same (substantially the same height) as the position of the upper surface of the sheet mounting table 103 in a state where the sheet is not mounted on the sheet mounting table 103.

The Hole1 (102 c) has a cylindrical shape, the height (z coordinate value z_center) of which is substantially the same as the height (substantially the same z coordinate value) of the Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b) and Hole3 (102 b), and a cross section orthogonal to the central axis is formed in the third side wall portion 102c so as to be substantially the same as the cross section orthogonal to the central axes of the Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b) and Hole3 (102 b). The Hole1 (102 c) is formed so that the position (z coordinate value z_center) of the center axis thereof is substantially the same (substantially the same height) as the position of the upper surface of the sheet mounting table 103 in a state where the sheet is not mounted on the sheet mounting table 103.

The first flow path regulating portion 104a and the second flow path regulating portion 104b are provided on the sheet mounting table 103 such that the position (z-coordinate value) of the upper surface of the second flow path regulating portion 104b in a state where the sheet is not mounted on the sheet mounting table 103 is substantially the same as the position (z-coordinate value) of the upper surface of the first flow path regulating portion 104 a.

As shown in fig. 11, for example, pipes (e.g., pipes Pipe1 to Pipe4 in fig. 11) for allowing air (e.g., air flow) to flow into the paper storage container 100 are connected to the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) of the side wall portion 102. Air from the Pipe (e.g., pipes Pipe1 to Pipe4 of fig. 11) flows into the paper storage container 100 through the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) of the side wall portion 102. As shown in fig. 11, for example, the tubes (e.g., tubes Pipe1 to Pipe4 in fig. 11) for flowing into the paper storage container 100 may be branched by a distributor Pdist1, and the branched tubes Pipe1 to Pipe4 may be connected to holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) of the side wall 102, respectively. And, in addition, the processing unit, pipe0 is connected to air delivery Pump2 and is connected to air the delivery Pump2 may supply air to the Pipe 0.

As shown in fig. 15, the first side wall portion 102a includes rotation shaft support portions 102a2 and 102a3, and the rotation shaft support portions 102a2 and 102a3 are configured to support a rotation shaft rot_ax_105a for rotatably supporting the first shutter portion 105a.

As shown in fig. 15, the second side wall portion 102b includes rotation shaft support portions 102b2 and 102b3, and the rotation shaft support portions 102b2 and 102b3 are configured to support a rotation shaft rot_ax_105a for rotatably supporting the first shutter portion 105a.

For example, as shown in fig. 12 and 13, the sheet mounting table 103 is a table for mounting sheets (for example, partition cards) in a stacked state (sheet-spread state). The sheet mounting table 103 is capable of mounting sheets in a stacked state, and has a shape substantially equal to or substantially similar to the sheet to be mounted and a size substantially equal to or larger than the sheet. The sheet mounting table 103 is disposed in a space defined by the bottom 101, the side wall 102, and the front panel 106 (the front panel 106 in the closed state). As shown in the lower view of fig. 6, the lower surface of the sheet mount 103 has one end connected to the other end of the elastic member Spr1 provided at the bottom 101. The sheet mount 103 is biased upward (in the z-axis positive direction) by the elastic member Spr1, and thereby the sheet mount 103 can hold an object (for example, a sheet) mounted on the sheet mount 103 together with the first barrier portion 105a and the second barrier portion 105b (for example, refer to fig. 12 and 13).

As shown in fig. 14, the sheet mounting table 103 is provided with a first flow path restricting portion 104a and a second flow path restricting portion 104b on a surface on which the sheets are mounted.

As shown in fig. 5 to 14, the first flow path regulating portion 104a is an elongated flat plate-shaped member provided on the upper surface of the sheet mounting table 103. The first flow path restricting portion 104a is a member for restricting the flow direction of air (for example, air flow) flowing into the paper storage container 100 from the outside through the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) of the side wall portion 102.

As shown in fig. 5 to 14, the second flow path regulating portion 104b is an elongated flat plate-shaped member provided on the upper surface of the sheet mounting table 103. The second flow path restricting portion 104b is a member for restricting the flow direction of air (for example, air flow) flowing into the paper storage container 100 from the outside through the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) of the side wall portion 102.

It is preferable that the first flow path limiting portion 104a and the second flow path limiting portion 104b be disposed at positions where the flow rate to the vicinity of the center of the upper surface of the paper sheet mounting table 103 increases when air is flowed into the paper sheet storage container 100 from the outside. For example, as shown in fig. 14, in the case where the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) of the side wall portion 102 are arranged, it is preferable to provide the first flow path regulating portion 104a so that the position of the first flow path regulating portion 104a is located closer to the front panel portion 106 than the position of the Hole1 (102 b) in the x-axis direction. In the above case, the second flow path limiting portion 104b is preferably provided so that the position of the second flow path limiting portion 104b is closer to the first side wall portion 102a than the position of the Hole1 (102 c) in the y-axis direction.

By disposing the first flow path limiting portion 104a and the second flow path limiting portion 104b in this manner, even when there are one to several sheets of paper remaining on the paper stage 103, the sheets of paper can be reliably taken out one by one from the paper storage container 100. When one to several sheets of paper are left on the paper table 103, the flow rate of air flowing into the paper storage container 100 increases near the center of the lower surface of the remaining one to several sheets of paper placed on the paper table 103 by the first flow path limiting portion 104a and the second flow path limiting portion 104 b. Therefore, the vicinity of the center of the remaining one or more sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 is lifted.

In this state, the paper is sucked by the suction mechanism 1, for example, and can be taken out one by one from the paper storage container 100.

That is, in the sheet storage container 100, as described above, by disposing the first flow path restriction portion 104a and the second flow path restriction portion 104b, even when there are one to several sheets of paper left on the sheet mount 103, the sheets of paper can be reliably taken out one by one.

As shown in fig. 15, the first barrier portion 105a has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and is disposed along the inner wall of the first side wall portion 102a at the upper end portion of the first side wall portion 102 a. As shown in fig. 15 and 16, the first shutter portion 105a is provided to be rotatable about a rotation axis rot_ax_105a supported by the rotation axis supporting portions 102a2 and 102a3 of the first side wall portion 102 a. A coil spring (not shown), for example, is provided on the first shutter portion 105a or the rotation shaft rot_ax_105a, and when a force is applied to the rotation direction DirA of fig. 16 by the coil spring, an elastic force is generated in a direction that repels the force (a direction opposite to the rotation direction DirA). Thus, when the first shutter portion 105a is released after the force is applied to the rotation direction DirA, the state B1 of fig. 16 is returned. As shown in fig. 16, by the surface 105a_s1 of the first shutter portion 105a abutting against the surface 102a_s1 of the first side wall portion 102a, the rotation of the first shutter portion 105a (rotation due to the elastic force of the coil spring) is restricted, and the first shutter portion 105a is maintained in the state B1.

As shown in fig. 17, the first shutter portion 105a has a locking protrusion 1051a, and the locking protrusion 1051a is configured to lock the first shutter portion 105a from rotating in a state where the front panel portion 106 is closed.

As shown in fig. 15, the second barrier portion 105b has a substantially rectangular shape in plan view, and is disposed along the inner wall of the second side wall portion 102b at the upper end portion of the second side wall portion 102 b. As shown in fig. 15 and 16, the second shutter portion 105b is provided so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis rot_ax_105b supported by the rotation axis supporting portions 102b2 and 102b3 of the second side wall portion 102 b. A coil spring (not shown), for example, is provided on the second shutter portion 105b or the rotation shaft rot_ax_105b, and when a force is applied to the rotation direction DirB of fig. 16 by the coil spring, an elastic force is generated in a direction that repels the force (a direction opposite to the rotation direction DirB). Thus, when the second shutter portion 105B is released after the force is applied to the rotation direction DirB, the state B1 of fig. 16 is returned. As shown in fig. 16, the surface 105b_s1 of the second shutter portion 105B abuts against the surface 102b_s1 of the second side wall portion 102B, whereby the rotation of the second shutter portion 105B (rotation due to the elastic force of the coil spring) is restricted, and the second shutter portion 105B is maintained in the state B1.

As shown in fig. 17, the second shutter portion 105b includes a locking protrusion 1051b, and the locking protrusion 1051b is configured to lock the second shutter portion 105b from rotating in a state where the front panel portion 106 is closed.

As shown in fig. 18, the front panel 106 includes: a rotation shaft holding portion 1062 provided in a state of penetrating the rotation shaft; a locking recess 1061a for locking the first shutter portion 105a from rotating in a state where the front panel portion 106 is closed; the locking recess 1061b is configured to lock the second shutter portion 105b from rotating in a state where the front panel portion 106 is closed.

The locking concave portion 1061a is provided at a position where the locking protruding portion 1051a of the first shutter portion 105a is accommodated in a state where the front panel portion 106 is closed.

The locking concave portion 1061b is provided at a position where the locking protruding portion 1051b of the second shutter portion 105b is accommodated in a state where the front panel portion 106 is closed.

The elastic member fixing portion 107 is provided on the bottom 101, and is a member for supporting the elastic member Spr1 on the upper surface thereof.

The elastic member Spr1 is disposed between the upper surface of the bottom 101 and the lower surface of the sheet mounting table 103, and is a member for urging the sheet mounting table 103 upward (in the positive z-axis direction). The elastic member Spr1 is realized by, for example, a spring. The elastic member Spr1 may be a member other than a spring as long as it generates an elastic force.

< 1.2: action of paper sheet taking-out processing system

The operation of the sheet removal processing system 1000 configured as described above will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 19 and 20 are flowcharts of the processing performed by the sheet take-out processing system 1000.

Fig. 22 and 23 are enlarged views showingbase:Sub>A part of the cross-sectional view of the paper storage container 100 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6, and are views for explaining the operation when inserting the bundle g_sep_cards of paper.

Fig. 25 is a diagram showing an external appearance of the sheet take-out processing system 1000 including the sheet storage container 100 in a state where the bundle g_sep_cards of sheets is inserted.

Fig. 26 to 32 are diagrams schematically showing the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b of the suction mechanism 1 and bundles of sheets placed on the sheet placement table 103 of the sheet storage container 100, and are diagrams for explaining the sheet take-out process.

Fig. 33 is an enlarged top view (upper view) of the paper storage container 100 andbase:Sub>A part ofbase:Sub>A cross-sectional view of the paper storage container 100 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6, and isbase:Sub>A diagram for explainingbase:Sub>A paper take-out process.

Fig. 34 and 35 are enlarged views ofbase:Sub>A part of the cross-sectional view of the paper storage container 100 taken along linebase:Sub>A-base:Sub>A of fig. 6, and are views for explaining the paper taking-out and inserting process.

The operation of the sheet take-out processing system 1000 will be described below based on the flowcharts of fig. 19 and 20.

(step S1):

in step S1, an insertion process of a sheet (bundle of sheets) into the sheet storage container 100 is performed.

First, in the paper storage container 100, the front panel 106 is rotated in a direction opposite to the arrow shown in fig. 9, for example, and the front panel 106 is opened. In this state, the locking protruding portion 1051a of the first shutter portion 105a and the locking protruding portion 1051b of the second shutter portion 105b are in an open state, and as a result, the first shutter portion 105a and the second shutter portion 105b are in a state (non-locking state) rotatable about the rotation axes rot_ax_105a and rot_ax_105b, respectively.

In this state (unlocked state), sheets are inserted into the sheet storage container 100 and stored in the sheet storage container 100. Specifically, as shown in fig. 21, in a state where the front panel portion 106 is opened and the first shutter portion 105a and the second shutter portion 105b are rotatable, the first shutter portion 105a and the second shutter portion 105b are pressed from above, and the first shutter portion 105a and the second shutter portion 105b are rotated in a downward direction, whereby the bundle of sheets (sheet bundle g_sep_cards) is placed on the sheet placing table 103. This case is shown in fig. 22 and 23.

As shown in fig. 22, when the sheet bundle g_sep_cards is lowered downward from above the non-lock state sheet storage container 100 (state C1 of fig. 22), the end of the sheet located at the lowermost portion is brought into contact with the first barrier portion 105a and the second barrier portion 105b, and a force is applied downward, whereby the first barrier portion 105a and the second barrier portion 105b are rotated about the rotation axes rot_ax_105a and rot_ax_105b in the directions of rotation DirA and DirB of fig. 22, respectively (state C2 of fig. 22). Further, by lowering the sheet bundle g_sep_cards, the sheet bundle g_sep_cards can be placed on the sheet placing table 103 (state C3 of fig. 22). The lower surface of the sheet at the final portion of the sheet bundle g_sep_cards is brought into contact with the upper surfaces of the first flow path regulating portion 104a and the second flow path regulating portion 104b having substantially the same height (substantially the same z-coordinate value), and the sheet bundle g_sep_cards is placed in a state substantially parallel to the upper surface of the sheet placement table 103.

When the force applied from the final lower surface of the sheet bundle g_sep_cards is released, the first barrier portion 105a and the second barrier portion 105b are rotated in directions DirA ', dirB' shown in fig. 23 by the elastic force of the coil springs provided on the first barrier portion 105a and the second barrier portion 105b (state C4 of fig. 23).

The upper surface of the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle g_sep_cards is in contact with the lower surfaces of the first barrier portion 105a and the second barrier portion 105b, and the lower surface of the lowermost sheet of the sheet bundle g_sep_cards is biased upward by the elastic member Spr1 via the sheet mounting table 103, the first flow path regulating portion 104a, and the second flow path regulating portion 104 b. Thereby, the sheet bundle g_sep_cards is held between the lower surface of the first barrier portion 105a and the second barrier portion 105b and the sheet mount 103 (state C5 of fig. 21 and 23).

Next, in the sheet storage container 100, in the state C5 of fig. 21 and 23, the front panel 106 is rotated, for example, by an arrow shown in the right view of fig. 5 and 21, and the front panel 106 is closed. As a result, the locking protruding portions 1051a and 1051b of the first and

second barrier portions

105a and 105b are respectively accommodated in the locking

concave portions

1061a and 1061b of the front panel portion 106, and as a result, the first and

second barrier portions

105a and 105b are respectively in a state (locked state) in which they cannot rotate about the rotation axes rot_ax_105a and rot_ax_105b (state C6 of fig. 24). The lock state may also be detected by a detection sensor (not shown). In this case, a detection sensor may be mounted on the front panel 6 side. This prevents forgetting to close the front panel 6.

(step S2):

in step S2, a process of flowing air into the paper storage container 100 is performed.

Specifically, the control unit CPU1 operates the air-sending Pump2, and causes air to flow into the paper storage container 100 from the air-sending Pump2 through the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) in the side wall portion 102 of the paper storage container 100.

(step S3):

in step S3, the control unit CPU1 instructs the suction Pump1 to start the suction operation. The suction Pump1 starts suction operation in accordance with an instruction (command) from the control unit CPU 1.

(step S4):

in step S4, a sheet take-out process is performed.

(step S401):

in step S401, the control unit CPU1 transmits a control signal for moving the suction mechanism 1 upward in the place where the paper storage container 100 is provided to the movement mechanism Rbt. The movement mechanism Rbt moves the suction mechanism 1 upward in a place where the paper storage container 100 is provided, in response to a control signal (command) from the control unit CPU 1. It is assumed that the control unit CPU1 has information on a place where the paper storage container 100 is provided. As shown in fig. 25, the suction mechanism 1 may be moved to a predetermined position based on the positional relationship between the positioning members gd1, gd2 and the paper storage container 100. In fig. 25, when the positioning members gd1, gd2 are in contact with the first side wall 102a of the paper storage container 100, the first suction portion 11a and the second suction portion 11b are set to be located above the substantially central position of the uppermost paper sheet stored in the paper storage container 100. Thereby, the movement control of the suction mechanism 1 is smoothly performed.

(step S402):

in step S402, a process of lowering the suction mechanism 1 is performed. When the control unit CPU1 completes the movement process in step S401, and recognizes that the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b are located above the substantially central position of the uppermost sheet stored in the sheet storage container 100, a control signal for executing the process of lowering the suction unit 1 is transmitted to the movement unit Rbt.

The movement mechanism Rbt lowers the suction mechanism 1 in response to a control signal (command) from the control unit CPU1 (state α1 in fig. 26).

(steps S403, S404):

in step S403, the control unit CPU1 determines whether or not the vertical position (height (z coordinate value)) of the suction mechanism 1 is equal to or lower than the predetermined value pos_lowest in order to detect whether or not the suction mechanism 1 has fallen to the predetermined position pos_lowest (1) and proceeds to step S404 when the vertical position of the suction mechanism 1 is equal to or lower than the predetermined value pos_lowest (2) and proceeds to step S405 when the vertical position of the suction mechanism 1 is equal to or lower than the predetermined value pos_lowest.

If the vertical position (height (z coordinate value)) of the suction means 1 is determined by the upper end portion (lower end portion of the connecting portion 11a 2) of the corrugated portion of the corrugated pad portions 11a3, 11b3 (the position (z coordinate value)) indicated by pos_z in fig. 4, 32, the value pos_lowest is set to be an example, and the value pos_lowest is set to be, for example, the value of the suction means 11a3, 11b3 when the sheet is sucked on the surface of the uppermost sheet of the sheet storage container 100 in a flat state and the corrugated portion is contracted most, the upper end portion (lower end portion of the connecting portion 11a 2) of the corrugated portion of the corrugated pad portions 11a3, 11b3 (the position (z coordinate value)) indicated by pos_z in fig. 4, 32, and the position (height (z coordinate value) (refer to the state α0 in fig. 32) of fig. 4, and the value pos_lowest) are set to be an example, and the value pos_lowest may be set to be, for example, when the value pos_lowest is set to be the value of the suction means 11a and the value of the suction means 11a, for example, and the position of the suction means 11b is connected to the position of the first suction means 11b (position of the first suction means) and the position of the first suction means (position 1) (position of the suction means 1) and the position of the suction means before the suction means is compared with the vertical position of the first suction means (position of the first suction means).

In step S404, the vertical position (height (z-axis coordinate value) of the suction mechanism 1 is equal to or lower than the predetermined value pos_low, and it is determined that the suction mechanism 1 is lowered to an abnormally low position, and error processing is performed.

(step S405, step S406):

in step S405, a determination process is performed as to whether or not the pressure in the adsorption mechanism 1 is lower than a predetermined threshold value Th 1.

Specifically, the pressure detecting unit 2 detects the pressure of the space to be suctioned by the suction Pump1 (the suction Pump1, the pipe connecting the suction Pump1 to the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11b, and the space formed by the hollow structure portions of the first suction unit 11a and the second suction unit 11 b). Then, the pressure detecting unit 2 transmits the data of the detected pressure to the control unit CPU1. Then, the control unit CPU1 performs a determination process as to whether or not the value of the pressure detected by the pressure detecting unit 2 is lower than a predetermined threshold Th 1.

When it is determined that the pressure in the suction means 1 is not a value lower than the predetermined threshold Th1, the process returns to step S402, and the lowering process of the suction means 1 is continued (state α2 in fig. 27, state α3 in fig. 28, and state α4 in fig. 29). The threshold Th1 may be set to a value sufficient to distinguish between the suctioned state and the non-suctioned state based on the pressure when the suction mechanism 1 suctions an object (e.g., paper) (suctioned state) and the pressure when the suction mechanism does not suctions the object (e.g., paper) (non-suctioned state).

On the other hand, when it is determined that the pressure in the suction mechanism 1 is lower than the predetermined threshold Th1, the suction mechanism 1 sucks the sheet, and as a result, it can be determined that the pressure in the suction mechanism 1 is reduced (state α5 in fig. 30), and therefore the control unit CPU1 instructs the movement mechanism Rbt1 to perform a process of stopping the lowering process of the suction mechanism 1 and raising the suction mechanism 1. The movement mechanism Rbt performs a process (step S406) of stopping the lowering process of the suction mechanism 1 and raising the suction mechanism 1 in response to an instruction from the control unit CPU1 (state α6 of fig. 31).

(step S407):

in step S407, the control section CPU1 issues an instruction to the data reading section l_scan1 to read a bar code or the like printed on the surface of the sheet (for example, a separator card) being suctioned by the suction mechanism 1. The data reading section l_scan1 reads a bar code or the like printed on the surface of the paper (for example, a separator card) being sucked by the suction mechanism 1 in accordance with an instruction from the control section CPU1, and sends the read data to the control section CPU1.

(step S408):

in step S408, the control unit CPU1 determines whether or not the data read by the data reading unit l_scan1 is normal data. Then, if it is determined that the data read by the data reading unit l_scan1 is not normal data, the process proceeds to step S409, whereas if it is determined that the data read by the data reading unit l_scan1 is normal data, the process proceeds to step S410.

(step S409):

in step S409, a rejection process is performed. Since the data read by the data reading unit l_scan1 is not normal data, the sheet (for example, a separator) being sucked by the suction mechanism 1 is not normal, and thus, for example, a process (discard process) of moving the sheet to a discard box is performed. Specifically, the control unit CPU1 instructs the moving mechanism Rbt to move the paper (for example, a separator) sucked by the suction mechanism 1 to, for example, a reject box. The moving mechanism Rbt moves the paper sheet sucked by the suction mechanism 1 onto the disposal box in response to an instruction from the control unit CPU1, then lowers the suction mechanism 1, and further releases the paper sheet sucked by the suction mechanism 1 (for example, releases the suction state of the suction mechanism 1 and releases the paper sheet by temporarily stopping the suction mechanism 1 from sucking air from the outside). Thereby, the paper sheet being suctioned by the suction mechanism 1 is put into the disposal box. When the reject process of step S409 ends, the process proceeds to step S5, and when paper remains in the paper storage container 100 (yes in step S5), the process of step S4 is executed.

(steps S410, S411):

in step S410, the sheet being suctioned by the suction mechanism 1 is moved to a predetermined location. Since the data read by the data reading unit l_scan1 is normal, the sheet (for example, a separator) being sucked by the suction mechanism 1 is a normal sheet, and thus, for example, a process of inserting the sheet into a transport device (transport device with a banknote bundle storage box) in which the banknote bundle collected from the collection box is stored is performed.

Specifically, the control unit CPU1 instructs the movement mechanism Rbt to move the paper sheets (for example, separator cards) sucked by the suction mechanism 1 to a conveyance device (conveyance device with a banknote bundle storage box) in which the banknote bundle collected from the hopper is stored. The moving mechanism Rbt moves the paper sheets sucked by the suction mechanism 1 to a box (container) of the banknote bundle of the storage and transportation device in accordance with an instruction from the control unit CPU1, then lowers the suction mechanism 1, and releases the paper sheets sucked by the suction mechanism 1 (for example, releases the suction state of the suction mechanism 1 by temporarily stopping the suction mechanism 1 from sucking air from the outside and releases the paper sheets) (step S411). Thus, the paper sheet sucked by the suction mechanism 1 is put into a conveying device (conveying device with banknote bundle storage box). That is, in the conveyance device (conveyance device with banknote bundle storage box), one sheet (for example, a separator) taken out from the sheet storage container 100 is placed on the banknote bundle collected from the hopper (the Batch1 of fig. 39 is created).

In this case, the control unit CPU1 acquires data obtained by associating information of a banknote bundle stored in a transport device (transport device with a banknote bundle storage box) with information (data read by the data reading unit l_scan 1) specifying a sheet (for example, a separator) placed on the banknote bundle, and stores and manages the data. Then, the control unit CPU1 transmits the data (associated data) to, for example, an automatic banknote counter (sorter) via the communication interface IF 1. The automatic banknote counter (sorter) can recognize that the banknote bundle separated by the separator (the paper taken out from the paper storage container 100) is a banknote bundle collected from the collection box associated with the separator, based on the data obtained by associating the collection box information with the information for identifying the separator, and can acquire the sum of the amounts collected from the collection boxes.

As described above, in the sheet taking-out processing system 1000, the sheet taking-out processing is performed.

(step S5):

in step S5, it is determined whether or not there is a sheet remaining in the sheet storage container 100, and if the result of the determination is that there is a sheet remaining in the sheet storage container 100, the process returns to step S4, and if there is no sheet remaining in the sheet storage container 100, the process proceeds to step S6.

In the determination process of whether or not there is a sheet remaining in the sheet storage container 100, for example, it may be determined that there is no sheet remaining in the sheet storage container 100 by the data reading unit l_scan1 generating a reading error, or a seal in which a special bar code (a bar code indicating a sheet that is not placed) is printed on the sheet mounting table 103 of the sheet storage container 100 may be added, and when the data of the special bar code is read by the data reading unit l_scan1, it may be determined that there is no sheet remaining in the sheet storage container 100.

(step S6):

in step S6, the operation of the adsorption Pump1 is stopped.

(step S7):

in step S7, the operation of the air-sending Pump2 is stopped, and the process of flowing air into the paper storage container 100 is stopped.

As described above, in the sheet taking-out processing system 1000, the sheets stored in the sheet storage container 100 are taken out one by one from the sheet storage container 100, and are put into, for example, a banknote bundle placement and conveyance device collected for each hopper. The timing at which the operation start and/or the operation stop of the adsorption Pump1 are executed is not limited to the case of the flowchart of fig. 19. For example, the start and/or stop of the operation of the suction Pump1 may be performed during the sheet taking-out process (step S4). For example, the operation of the suction Pump1 may be started at an arbitrary timing before the execution of step S403, and the operation of the suction Pump1 may be stopped at an arbitrary timing after step S405.

Here, details of the process of taking out sheets stored in the sheet storage container 100 from the sheet storage container 100 one by one in the sheet take-out processing system 1000 will be described with reference to fig. 33 to 35.

After the paper storage container 100 is set to the locked state, air (for example, air flow) is caused to flow from, for example, the air-sending Pump2 into the paper storage container 100 through the pipes Pipe1 to Pipe4 and the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and the Hole1 (102 c) of the third side wall portion 102c of the paper storage container 100 (state D1 in fig. 33 and 34).

As shown in fig. 14, the first flow path limiting portion 104a and the second flow path limiting portion 104b are arranged so that when air flows into the paper storage container 100 from the outside, the flow rate to the vicinity of the center of the upper surface of the paper mounting table 103 increases.

The heights (z coordinate value z_center) of the central axes of the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) formed in the side wall portion 102 are substantially the same as the positions of the upper surface of the sheet mounting table 103 in a state where the sheet is not mounted on the sheet mounting table 103 (substantially the same height).

Therefore, in the sheet storage container 100, when air (e.g., air flow) is caused to flow from the outside into the inside of the sheet storage container 100 through the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) of the third side wall portion 102c of the second side wall portion 102b of the sheet storage container 100, the vicinity of the center of the upper surface of the uppermost sheet of the sheet mounting table 103 is lifted.

Further, the sheet in a state in which the vicinity of the center of the upper surface is lifted is sucked by the suction mechanism 1 of the moving mechanism Rbt (for example, a robot arm or the like), and the uppermost sheet can be easily taken out from the sheet storage container 100 by lifting the sheet upward in the sucked state.

This will be described with reference to fig. 33 to 35.

In the sheet storage container 100, when air (for example, air flow) is caused to flow from the outside into the inside of the sheet storage container 100 through the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) of the third side wall portion 102c of the sheet storage container 100, the heights (z coordinate values) of the central axes of the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) are substantially the same as the position (z coordinate value) of the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle g_sep_cams placed on the sheet placement table 103, so that air is blown from the lateral direction (from the horizontal direction) to the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle g_sep_cams. As shown in fig. 34, when air is blown from the lateral direction (horizontal direction) to the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle g_sep_cards placed on the sheet placement table 103, the air entering the lower surface of the uppermost sheet is concentrated near the center, and the upper surface of the uppermost sheet is lifted upward (state D2 in fig. 34), while the sheet bundle g_sep_cards placed on the sheet placement table 103 is sandwiched between the first barrier portion 105a and the second barrier portion 105b and the sheet placement table 103.

In this state, the sheet in a state in which the vicinity of the center of the upper surface is lifted is sucked by the suction mechanism 1 of the moving mechanism Rbt, and the uppermost sheet is lifted upward in the sucked state, whereby the uppermost sheet can be easily taken out from the sheet storage container 100 (state D3 of fig. 34). Further, since the air is flowed into the paper storage container 100 as described above and the central portion of the uppermost paper is lifted, the paper can be reliably taken out one by performing the processing as described above.

After the uppermost sheet of the sheet mounting table 103 is taken out, the uppermost next sheet is uppermost, and the position (z-coordinate value (height) of the uppermost sheet is substantially the same as the heights (z-coordinate value) of the central axes of the holes Hole1 (102 b), hole2 (102 b), hole3 (102 b), and Hole1 (102 c) (state D1).

When the last sheet of paper is placed on the paper placement table 103, as shown in fig. 35, the flow rate of air flowing into the paper storage container 100 increases near the center of the lower surface of the last sheet of paper due to the first and second flow

path restricting portions

104a and 104 b. Therefore, the last sheet is also lifted up near the center (state D5).

In this state, as described above, the last sheet in the state in which the vicinity of the center of the upper surface is lifted is sucked by the suction mechanism 1 of the moving mechanism Rbt, and the last sheet is lifted upward in the sucked state, whereby the last sheet can be reliably taken out from the sheet storage container 100.

As described above, in the sheet storage container 100, the sheet stacking table 103 is biased upward by the elastic member Spr1 so that the position (height) of the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle placed on the sheet stacking table 103 becomes substantially the same as the position (height) of the hole through which the air flows, and the sheet bundle is sandwiched between the first shutter portion 105a and the second shutter portion 105b, which are locked in rotation. In this state, in the sheet storage container 100, air is blown from the lateral direction (horizontal direction) toward the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle placed on the sheet placement table 103, whereby the uppermost sheet can be lifted up near the center thereof, and the sheets near the uppermost portion can be separated (a gap is formed) by the air. In this state, the uppermost sheet is sucked near the center of the uppermost sheet and lifted upward, so that the uppermost sheet can be easily and reliably taken out from the sheet storage container 100.

That is, in the paper storage container 100, the paper (for example, the partition card) can be taken out one by one with high precision by a simple mechanism.

As described above, in the sheet taking-out processing system 1000, the sheet storage container 100 having a simple mechanism is used, and sheets stored in the sheet storage container 100 can be taken out one by one with high accuracy. Further, in the sheet taking-out processing system 1000, since the sheet taking-out processing can be performed using the sheet storage container 100 of a simple mechanism, it is possible to realize at low cost.

In the paper taking-out processing system 1000, by executing the above-described processing, the conveyance device (the conveyance device with the banknote bundle storage box) is set to a state in which one piece of paper (for example, a separator) taken out from the paper storage container 100 is placed on the banknote bundle collected from the hopper, and the batch of fig. 39 can be created. This operation is repeatedly performed, and for example, a batch bundle shown in fig. 39 can be created by summarizing (e.g., stacking) created batches (batches) in a storage device (not shown). Then, the generated Batch bundle (Batch bundle batch_g1 of fig. 39) is conveyed to an automatic banknote counter (sorter), and an automatic banknote counting process can be efficiently performed on the Batch bundle by the automatic banknote counter (sorter). That is, since the automatic banknote counter (sorter) receives information of the collection boxes in which the banknote bundles of each batch are collected from the sheet take-out processing system 1000, the barcode of the separator at the head of each batch is read, and by referring to the information of the separator received from the sheet take-out processing system 1000 and the information of the collection boxes associated therewith, banknote counting processing can be performed for each batch (each collection box).

Other embodiments

In the above embodiment, the case where one sheet container 100 is included in the sheet taking-out processing system 1000 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and two or more sheet containers 100 may be provided in the sheet taking-out processing system 1000. In this case, in the sheet take-out processing system 1000, a plurality of types of sheets (for example, partition cards) can be processed. Alternatively, the same type of sheets (separator) may be stored in a plurality of sheet storage containers, and the sheets stored in succession may be taken out from one sheet storage container, and when there is no sheet stored, the sheets stored in succession may be taken out from another sheet storage container. In this way, even when the empty paper sheet storage container is replenished, the paper sheet can be taken out of the other paper sheet storage container, and thus the paper sheet taking-out process of the paper sheet taking-out processing system 1000 can be continuously performed without stopping the paper sheet taking-out process.

In the above embodiment, the case where the bar code is printed on the paper has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other codes, numerals, symbols, patterns, and the like may be attached to the surface of the paper. In this case, the sheet take-out processing system 1000 may be realized by replacing the data reading device capable of acquiring data from the display on the surface of the sheet with the data reading unit l_scan 1.

In the above embodiment, the case where the suction mechanism is raised when the pressure in the suction mechanism is lower than the predetermined value Th1 (see step S405 in fig. 20) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in the sheet taking-out processing system 1000, when the decrease in pressure in the suction mechanism is larger than a predetermined value (the "predetermined value" may be set to a value that allows the suction state and the non-suction state of the suction mechanism to be distinguished), the suction mechanism may be stopped from being lowered and lifted.

In the above embodiment, the description has been made of the case where four holes are provided in the side wall portion 102 of the paper storage container 100, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the number of holes (air inlets) provided in the side wall portion 102 of the paper storage container 100 may be other (or may be one). For example, in the paper storage container 100, at least two of the first side wall portion 102a, the second side wall portion 102b, the third side wall portion 102c, and the front panel portion 106 (corresponding to four sides in plan view) may be provided with one or more holes (in plan view, at least two sides corresponding to four sides may be provided with one or more holes).

The shape of the hole of the side wall 102 may be other shapes (for example, a cross section orthogonal to the central axis is a shape other than a circle (for example, a rectangle, an ellipse)).

In the above embodiment, the case where the hole of the side wall 102 is provided (the height (z coordinate value) is the height at which air can be blown from the lateral direction to the uppermost sheet of the sheet mounting table 103 (the height substantially equal to the uppermost sheet of the sheet mounting table 103) has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the hole may be provided in the side wall 102 so that the hole of the side wall 102 is provided (the height (z coordinate value) is a position lower than the uppermost sheet of the sheet mounting table 103 (for example, the position of the central axis of the hole is a position lower than the uppermost sheet of the sheet mounting table 103).

As shown in fig. 36, fixing members dev_fix a and dev_fix b for stably fixing pipes (e.g., pipes Pipe1 to Pipe4 in fig. 36) for allowing air (e.g., air flow) to flow into the paper storage container 100 may be provided in the paper storage container 100.

As shown in fig. 36, the fixing member dev_fixa (102 b) is provided to the second side wall portion 102b, guides the distal ends of the tubes Pipe1 to Pipe3 to the hole provided to the second side wall portion 102b, and is connected to the fixing member dev_fixb (102 b) for bundling the tubes Pipe1 to Pipe 3.

The fixing member dev_fixb (102 b) is a member for bundling the tubes Pipe1 to Pipe3, and is connected to the fixing member dev_fixa (102 b).

As shown in fig. 36, the fixing member dev_fix a (102 c) is provided to the third side wall portion 102c, guides the tip of the tube Pipe4 to a hole provided to the third side wall portion 102c, and is connected to the fixing member dev_fix b (102 c) for fixing the tube Pipe 4.

The fixing member dev_fixb (102 c) is a member for fixing the Pipe4, and is connected to the fixing member dev_fixa (102 c).

By providing such fixing members dev_fixa (102 b), dev_fixb (102 b), dev_fixa (102 c), and dev_fixb (102 c) in the paper container 100, pipes for allowing air (e.g., air flow) to flow into the paper container 100 can be stably arranged.

In the above embodiment, as shown in fig. 36, the case where the hole, the first flow path restriction portion 104a (flow path restriction member), and the second flow path restriction portion 104b (flow path restriction member) are arranged in the paper sheet container 100 has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the hole, the first flow path restriction portion 104a (flow path restriction member), and the second flow path restriction portion 104b (flow path restriction member) may be arranged in other configurations in the paper sheet container 100.

Fig. 37 shows an external appearance of the paper storage container 100A with the arrangement of the holes and the flow path restricting members changed. As shown in fig. 37, three holes may be provided in the second side wall 102a, one hole may be provided in the third side wall 102c, and further, as shown in fig. 37, the first flow path limiting portion 104a 'and the second flow path limiting portion 104b' may be provided.

Further, the paper storage container 100 and the paper storage container 100A having different arrangements of the holes and the flow path restricting members may be arranged as shown in fig. 38, for example, and a system (paper taking-out processing system) for taking out paper from the paper storage container 100 and the paper storage container 100A may be constructed. That is, in the sheet taking-out processing system 1000, a configuration may be adopted in which the sheet storage container 100 and the sheet storage container 100A having different arrangements of the holes and the flow path restricting members are included. In this case, air may be supplied from the air-sending Pump2 to the paper storage container 100 and the paper storage container 100A, or air may be supplied from the air-sending Pump2 to the paper storage container 100, an air-sending Pump different from the air-sending Pump2 may be added, and air may be supplied from the additional air-sending Pump to the paper storage container 100A.

In fig. 38, the sheet storage container 100A, and the disposal container bx_reject are shown on the table TB 1. The discard container bx_reject is a container for storing sheets, which is taken out of the sheet storage container 100A and is thrown into and discarded, when sheets stored in the sheet storage container 100 and/or the sheet storage container 100A are of an irregular use type (for example, irregular partition cards), for example.

In the above-described embodiment, although expressions such as "substantially the same", "substantially parallel", and the like are included, these expressions include errors, design errors, errors determined by resolution, and the like generated when control is performed so as to be "the same" or "parallel" as the target value (or design value), and include concepts in which a person skilled in the art determines that the range is "the same" or "parallel".

In the above embodiment, only the main components necessary for the above embodiment among the constituent components are simplified. Therefore, any component not explicitly shown in the above embodiment may be provided. In the above embodiments and drawings, the dimensions of the respective members do not necessarily faithfully represent actual dimensions, dimension ratios, and the like. Accordingly, the dimensions, the dimensional ratios, and the like can be changed within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention.

In the sheet taking-out processing system 1000 described in the above embodiment, each block (each functional unit) may be integrated on one chip by a semiconductor device such as an LSI, or may be partially or entirely integrated on one chip. The blocks (functional units) of the sheet taking-out processing system 1000 described in the above embodiment may be realized by a plurality of semiconductor devices such as LSIs.

Although LSI is used here, it is sometimes called IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI due to the difference in integration level.

The method of integrating the circuit is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. A reconfigurable processor which can be programmed FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) after LSI manufacture and which can reconfigure connection and setting of circuit cells inside the LSI can also be used.

In addition, part or all of the processing of each functional block in each of the above embodiments may be realized by a program. Part or all of the processing of each functional block in each of the above embodiments is performed by a Central Processing Unit (CPU) in a computer. Further, programs for performing the respective processes are stored in a storage device such as a hard disk or a ROM, and read out to the ROM or the RAM to be executed.

The processes of the above embodiments may be implemented by hardware or may be implemented in combination with software (including an OS (operating system), middleware, or a predetermined library), to define a custom appearance. Further, the present invention can be realized by a mixed processing of software and hardware.

In the case where each of the functional units of the above embodiments is implemented by software, each of the functional units may be implemented by software processing using, for example, a predetermined hardware configuration (for example, a hardware configuration in which a CPU (for example, GPU), a ROM, a RAM, an input unit, an output unit, a communication unit, a storage unit (for example, a storage unit implemented by HDD, SSD, or the like), a drive for external media, or the like is connected via a Bus).

In the case where each of the functional units of the above embodiments is implemented by software, the software may be implemented by using a single computer having the above hardware configuration, or may be implemented by a distributed process using a plurality of computers.

The execution order of the processing method in the above-described embodiment is not necessarily limited to the description of the above-described embodiment, and may be changed without departing from the gist of the invention. In the processing method according to the above embodiment, a part of the steps may be executed in parallel with other steps within a range not departing from the gist of the invention.

A computer program for causing a computer to execute the above-described method and a computer-readable recording medium recording the program are included in the scope of the present invention. Here, examples of the computer-readable recording medium include a floppy disk, a hard disk, a CD-ROM, MO, DVD, DVD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, a large-capacity DVD, a next-generation DVD, and a semiconductor memory.

The computer program is not limited to being recorded on the recording medium, and may be transmitted via an electric communication line, a wireless or wired communication line, a network typified by the internet, or the like.

The specific configuration of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Description of the reference numerals:

1000: paper take-out processing system

100. 100A: paper storage container

101: bottom part

102: side wall portion

103: paper carrying table

104a, 104a': first flow passage restriction portion (flow passage restriction member)

104b, 104b': second flow passage restriction portion (flow passage restriction member)

1051a, 51b: locking projection (locking mechanism)

1061a, 61b: concave for locking (locking mechanism)

Spr1: elastic component

1: adsorption mechanism

2: pressure detecting section

Pump: pumping air pump

Claims

1. A paper taking-out method is characterized in that,

air is blown from the lateral direction or the lower side of the sheet in the developed state, and the upper surface of the sheet is attracted by the suction mechanism to take out the sheet.

2. A paper take-out method, characterized by comprising:

a first step of blowing air from a lateral direction or a lower side of a sheet in a state in which the sheet is spread and at least a part of an end of the sheet is held; and

and a second step of sucking, by an adsorption mechanism, a portion of the upper surface of the sheet that is floated by blowing air from the lateral direction of the sheet, thereby taking out the sheet.

3. The paper sheet removing method according to claim 2, wherein in the second step, the suction mechanism is lowered from above the upper surface of the paper sheet, and after the paper sheet is sucked, the suction mechanism is raised, whereby the paper sheet is removed.

4. A sheet taking-out method according to claim 3, wherein when the pressure in the suction mechanism is lower than a predetermined value or when the amount of decrease in the pressure in the suction mechanism is greater than a predetermined value, the lowering of the suction mechanism is stopped and the suction mechanism is raised.

5. The paper taking-out method according to claim 3 or 4, wherein in the second step, the front end of the suction mechanism is lowered only to a position higher than the upper surface of the paper.

6. A paper sheet taking-out processing system for taking out paper sheets, comprising:

a paper storage container for storing paper;

a pump for making air flow into the paper storage container; and

an adsorption mechanism is arranged on the upper surface of the base plate,

the paper storage container is provided with:

a bottom;

a sheet mounting table for mounting a sheet;

an elastic member disposed between the bottom portion and the sheet mounting table, for urging the sheet mounting table upward;

a holding member for holding the sheet placed on the sheet placement table together with the sheet placement table; and

a side wall portion disposed so as to surround the sheet mounting table, the side wall portion being provided with a hole for flowing air from outside to a vicinity of a height substantially equal to a height of a surface of an uppermost sheet when the sheet is mounted on the sheet mounting table,

when air is flowed into the paper storage container by the pump, the suction mechanism moves downward from above the paper placed on the paper placement table, and moves upward after the paper is sucked, thereby taking out the paper from the paper storage container.

7. The paper sheet removal processing system according to claim 6, further comprising a pressure detecting section for detecting a pressure inside the suction mechanism,

the suction mechanism is configured to take out the sheet from the sheet storage container by moving upward when the pressure inside the suction mechanism is lower than a predetermined value by the pressure detection unit.