JP2000061404A - Paper sheets separating mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To early and surely decide whether postal items stagnate or not and to improve the separation quantities of the postal items per working time by providing separation outputs with a plurality of optical sensors for monitoring the presence or absence of the passage of the postal items and subjecting the light shielding state of the optical sensor groups to monitor and control by plural ways of monitor systems. SOLUTION: Bundles 30 of the postal items set at a supply table 14 are pressed to separating belts 11 by means of folk belts 12 and chains 13. When the detecting levers 23 shield the light of the optical sensors 4 and are darkened, the folk belts 12 and chains 13 stop. In an ordinary case, the postal items 31 to be separated next are attracted to the separating belts 11 and are delivered toward rollers 15. When all of the respective optical sensors 1 to 3 are darkened by arrival of the front ends of the postal items 31 at the optical sensors 3, the separating belts 11 stop. In succession, the postal items 31 are further delivered to transporting paths 16. When the optical sensors 1 are lighted by arrival of the rear ends of the postal items 31 at the optical sensors 1, the separating belts 11 are again started to begin to deliver the postal items 31.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for handling paper sheets such as a mail sorting unit, and more particularly to a technique for separating paper sheets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional technique, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-31793 is known.
There is a mail sorting / collecting device having a paper sheet separating mechanism as described in 3. In the paper sheet separation mechanism of such a device, separated mail may stay at the separation outlet for some reason. If the presence of paper sheets is still detected for a time or longer, it is determined that the paper sheets are retained.

[0003]

When the number of optical sensors is singular, the trailing edge of the separated mail also pulls out the leading edge of the next mail at the same time for some reason, leading to the leading edge of the next mail. When the optical sensor is blocked by a little bit from the end of the feeding table and the optical sensor is shielded from light, the separated optical mail does not actually stay but the optical sensor keeps detecting the presence of paper for a certain time or longer. As a result, the whole separation mechanism is stopped, the mail items retained by the staff are removed, and the separation mechanism is activated again, which sometimes causes a decrease in separation efficiency and operability.

Even when a plurality of optical sensors are provided in the traveling direction of the mail, it is determined that there is a sheet when only one of them is shielded from light, and it is determined that there is no sheet when all of the light is released. The problem is not solved if it is a monitoring control method that does not, and it is judged that there is a paper sheet simply when all the light is shielded and if there is no paper sheet if any of the light is released, If there is an object that stays without blocking the optical sensor, all the optical sensors will not be shielded from light and can be detected as staying only after the postal matter collides and the postal article becomes jammed and damaged. There may be cases. Further, when two pieces of postal matter pass through the optical sensor group at intervals shorter than the pitch in the traveling direction of the optical sensor group, it should be correctly determined that there is postal matter → no postal matter → postal matter. After the light blocking of the optical sensor that is the most upstream at the trailing edge of the preceding mail item is released and before the light blocking of the second optical sensor from the upstream is released, the leading edge of the subsequent mail blocks the optical sensor that is the most upstream. At this time, all the optical sensors are shielded from light and it is determined that there is a paper sheet, so the presence of a paper sheet is additionally detected. As a result, there is mail → no mail → mail → no mail → mail In some cases, it may be determined that there is a postal interval and the postal interval may be wider than the target interval.

The separating mechanism of the mail sorting / collecting device separates the mail at a minimum interval that can be processed on the downstream side of the device at the smallest interval possible, and the separation mechanism stop time for abnormality detection is as short as possible. Then, it is required to separate as many mail items as possible per operating time, and an object of the present invention is to improve the amount of mail separation per operating time.

[0006]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the problems,
By providing a plurality of optical sensors in the traveling direction of the postal matter at the separation outlet to monitor the presence or absence of passage of the postal matter, and performing monitoring control of the light-shielding state of the optical sensor group by a plurality of monitoring methods,
The mail that has been accumulated by the staff by stopping the separation mechanism as a whole to prevent the false detection of the accumulation of mail even if it is not accumulated To improve the operability by avoiding restarting the separation mechanism again, and if there is stagnation, stop only the minimum necessary part of the mechanism early to prevent damage to mail and improve reliability, When not staying, the postal interval is prevented from becoming wider than the target interval and the separation efficiency is improved.

Further, when an abnormality is detected, the trouble handling information and the recovery key for clearly distinguishing the part to be stopped are displayed on the guidance panel, and the operator can be restarted only by pressing the recovery key after the staff treatment, thereby improving the operability of the staff.

[0008]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a mail separating mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part.

A supply table 14 on which a bundle 30 of separated mail items is placed and a separation belt 11 are provided on the end side of the supply table. A fork belt 12 that conveys a bundle 30 of postal matters placed on the supply table 14 on the upper portion and conveys it in a direction of pressing it against the separation belt 11, and a fork belt 12 that has a shaft 18 that supports the upper portion of the bundle 30 of postal matters. The chain 13 that presses the separation belt 11 while supporting the upper part of the bundle 30 of mails in conjunction with each other, the fork belt 12 and the chain 1
There are three drive source fork motors 8. The separation belt 11 is arranged so as to be in surface contact with the conveyed bundle of mail items 30, and an intake port 22 connected to the vacuum pump 6 for sucking air is arranged on the opposite side of the bundle of mail items 30. , The separating belt 11 for adsorbing the mail 31 to be separated next
There is a hole in it. There is a detection lever 23 that shields the optical sensor 4 from light when the bundle 30 of mail is pressed against the separation belt 11 and releases the light from the optical sensor 4 when the pressure is no longer pressed. Separation belt 11
There is a separation motor 7 for driving the paper, a pair of rollers 15 for nipping and conveying the postal matter 31 and a biting motor 9 as a drive source for the same are provided downstream of the separation belt 11, and a pair of belts is provided further downstream thereof. Similarly, the conveyance path 16 for nipping and conveying the postal matter 31 and the conveyance motor 1 as the drive source thereof
There is 0. There are optical sensors 1, 2, and 3 from the upstream side that become dark when the passage of the postal matter 31 is detected between the end of the supply table 14 and the roller 15. Guidance panel 40
A start switch 24 of a device (not shown) and a controller 19 (not shown) are provided.

Next, the separating operation will be described with reference to FIG. 1, the control diagram shown in FIG. 3 and the mail separating operation explanatory diagram shown in FIG.

When the start switch 24 is pressed (10
1) The intake port 22, the roller 15, and the conveyance path 16 are activated (1
02), the fork belt 12 and the chain 13 are activated (1
03), an instruction to start supply is issued (150), and the separation belt 11 is activated (111). The control of the fork belt 12 and the chain 13 thereafter is performed by a staff member in the supply stand 14
The bundle of postal items 30 set in the fork belt 12
When the detection lever 23 is pressed against the separation belt 11 by the chain 13 and becomes dark by blocking the optical sensor 4 (104), the fork belt 12 and the chain 13 are stopped (105), and some pieces of mail are separated and mailed. Bunch of things 3
There is a gap between 0 and the separation belt 11, and the detection lever 2
When 3 turns off the light blocking of the optical sensor 4 and becomes a light (1
06) The fork belt 12 and the chain 13 are activated again (103), and the routine for pressing the bundle 30 of mail items against the separation belt 11 is repeated.

In the usual case, the separation belt 11 is controlled by the fork belt 12 and the chain 13.
Of the bundle 30 of the postal matter pressed against the first postal item 1, the postal item 31 to be separated next is attracted to the separation belt 11 and the roller 1
5 (FIG. 4 (a)), the tip of the mail piece 31 reaches the optical sensor 3 (FIG. 4 (b)), and the optical sensors 1, 2 and 3 are all dark (112). ) (13
1), the separation belt 11 is stopped (113). Here, the optical sensor 3 is arranged at a position where it becomes dark when the tip of the postal matter 31 reaches a position where the tip of the postal matter 31 is caught in the roller 15. The mail 31 is conveyed by the nip force of the rollers 15 to the conveyance path 1
6 and the separating belt 11 is stopped during this period, so that the next postal matter 32 remains stopped (FIG. 4).
(C)). The postal matter 31 is further sent to the conveyance path 16, and the rear end of the postal matter 31 reaches the optical sensor 1 (see FIG.
(D)), when the optical sensor 1 is turned on (11
4) Activate the separation belt 11 again (111) Mail 32
Is repeated in the direction of the roller 15. Here, as shown in FIG. 4 (e), the optical sensor 1 detects that the postal matter 3 has a constant speed when the separation belt 11 has started at a start time c required for starting the separation motor 7 and the postal matter 32 has a constant speed.
The rear end of the postal matter 1 and the front end of the postal matter 32 are arranged such that a sufficient space can be secured between the rear end of the postal matter 1 and the rear end of the postal matter 31 so as to be changed to a light. Further, the optical sensor 2 is arranged so that the pitches of the optical sensors 1 and 2 and the pitches of 2 and 3 are the same y in order to simplify the description. (If the pitches are different, the longer one may be set to y.) In this way, the bundle 30 of postal matter is sequentially separated one by one. In the state of FIG. After starting (111), the rear end of the postal matter 31 separated as shown in FIG. 5 (a) also pulls out the front end of the next postal matter 32 at the same time for some reason, so that the front end of the postal matter 32 is fed. Even if the optical sensor 1 is slightly projected from the end of 12 to shield the optical sensor 1, the optical sensors 1, 2,
After all 3 become dark (112) and (131) the separation belt 11 is stopped (113), the optical sensor 2 becomes light (114) as shown in FIG.
1 is activated, the separation operation can be continued again without stopping the (111) separation mechanism as a whole (FIG. 5).
(D)).

Further, after the separation belt 11 is activated in the state of FIG. 4D, (111) the separated mail matter 31 as shown in FIG. 6A keeps the optical sensors 2 and 3 shielded for some reason. If it is stagnant, as shown in FIG. 6B, the next postal matter 32 further shields the optical sensor 1 and the optical sensors 1, 2, and 3 are all dark (112). Since the optical sensor 3 remains dark from the previous all dark to the present all dark, the determination is made from (131) to (132). Then, as shown in FIG. 6C, a certain time b
Since it is continuously all dark, it is judged to be a separation jam (123) and all stops (124). Further, when the fixed time b is b = (distance between optical sensor pitches y) / (conveyance speed of postal matter) (Equation 1), immediately after the front end of the postal matter 32 reaches the rear end position of the postal matter 31. Since it stops all, it can be prevented from being pushed and damaged.

After the separation belt 11 is activated in the state shown in FIG. 4A, (111) as shown in FIG.
When the front end of 1 has stagnated for some reason when the optical sensor 1 is shielded from light, or when the front end of the mail piece 31 shields the optical sensors 1 and 2 from light as shown in FIG. 7B. If it gets stagnant for some reason,
As shown in (c), the last piece of mail 31 is the mail 3
If the trailing edge of the mail 1 is stagnant for some reason while the optical sensors 2 and 3 are shielded from light, or if the mail piece 31 is the last one as shown in FIG. If the optical sensor 3 is blocked for some reason while being shielded from light, there is a light sensor among the optical sensors 1, 2 and 3 in the determination (112), and the determination is made in (121) and (122). Here, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, when the optical sensor 3 is a light, only the separation belt 11 is stopped (123, 128, 129), and the guidance panel 40 displays “Stop only separation belt, separation Please remove the accumulated postal matter on the belt and press the recovery key. "And a simplified diagram of the relevant part are displayed (130). When the staff member presses the recovery key after the procedure, the separation belt is restarted (14
0, 111). As shown in FIGS. 7C and 7D, when the optical sensor 3 is dark, all stop (123, 124, 12).
5) The guidance panel 40 displays a message "Stop the entire separation mechanism, remove the accumulated mail from the separation belt section to the roller section and press the restoration key." And a simplified diagram of the relevant section (126). When the staff member presses the recovery key after the procedure, the entire separation mechanism is restarted (127). Thus, when only the separation belt 11 needs to be stopped, the separation mechanism is not stopped and the entire separation mechanism is not stopped, and the part and treatment to be stopped are clearly displayed and can be restarted only by pressing the key on the same guidance panel 40. Therefore, recovery can be done quickly. It is possible to prevent damage to the mail 31 by setting the fixed time a to be shorter than the time in which the mail 31 is damaged due to retention in FIG.

After the separation belt 11 is activated in the state of FIG. 4 (a) (111), as shown in FIG. 8 (a), the optical sensors 1, 2, 3 are all shielded from light (112) (131) separation. By the time the belt 11 stops (113), the rear end of the separated mail piece 31 also pulls out the front end of the next mail piece 32 at the same time for some reason, and the front end of the mail piece 32 is slightly separated from the end of the supply base 12. In the case where the postal items 31 and 32 jump out and the optical sensor 1 becomes a light in the state of FIG. 8B (114) and the separation belt 11 is activated again (111), the postal items 31 and 32 are conveyed with a very short interval. There is. After that, as shown in FIG. 8C, when the tip of the postal matter 32 reaches the optical sensor 1, the optical sensors 1, 2, and 3 are all dark (112). Since 3 remains dark, (131) to (1
32). After that, the optical sensor 2 becomes a light when the postal matter 32 advances the distance x in FIG. 8D after the lapse of time t, but t = (distance x) / (conveyance speed of the postal matter) (Equation 2). And from y> x (equation 1) and (equation 2), b> t.
Before the elapse of a certain time b, the optical sensor 2 becomes a light in the state of FIG. 8D, so that the separating motor 11 does not stop and the mail items 31 and 32 are continuously conveyed, and (132)
To (112). Immediately after that, as shown in FIG. 8E, when the tip of the mail piece 32 reaches the optical sensor 2, the optical sensors 1, 2, and 3 are all dark again (11
2) Since the optical sensor 3 remains dark from the previous all dark to the current all dark, the determination is made from (131) to (132). After that, the postal matter 32 is shown in FIG.
Although the optical sensor 3 becomes a light when the distance x ′ in (d) is reached, t ′ = (distance x ′) / (conveyance speed of mail) (Equation 3), and y> x ′ (( Since b> t 'from the formula 1) and the formula 3), the optical sensor 3 becomes a light in the state of FIG. 8 (f) before the constant time b elapses, so that the separation motor 11 does not stop and the mail item continues. 31 and 32 are transported, and (13
The determination is made from 2) to (112). Immediately after that, when the tip of the postal matter 32 reaches the optical sensor 3 as shown in FIG. 8 (g), the optical sensors 1, 2, and 3 are all dark again (1
12) Since the optical sensor 3 remains light this time from the last dark to the last dark, (131) to (1
13), the separation belt is stopped, the state becomes the same as FIG. 4F after FIG. 4E in the normal case, and the subsequent routine returns to the normal case.

If the judgments of (131) and (132) are not made, immediately after the judgment of (112) to (113) in the state of FIG. 8 (b) and the separation belt 11 (111) is started, FIG. 8 (c).
It becomes all dark again in the state of, so from (112) to (11
3), the separation belt 11 is stopped during the start-up processing required for starting the separation motor 7,
In FIG. 9A, even if the optical sensor 2 becomes a light again and the separation belt 11 can be activated, the separation belt 11 cannot be activated.
In the case of (b), the interval between the mail pieces 31 and 32 is wider than the target interval, and the separation efficiency is reduced.

[0017]

As described above, the light-shielding state of the optical sensor group at the separation outlet can be controlled within a range of the minimum mail interval that can be processed on the downstream side of the apparatus by controlling the light-shielding state by a plurality of monitoring methods. Separation can be performed at as small an interval as possible, and the separation mechanism stop time for abnormality detection can be shortened as much as possible to improve the amount of mail separation per operating time. In addition, when an abnormality is detected, failure handling information and a recovery key that can clearly distinguish the part to be stopped are displayed on the guidance panel, and the operator can be restarted only by pressing the recovery key after the staff operation, so the operability of the staff is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a mail separating mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a main part of a mail separating mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a control diagram of a mail separating mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory view of a mail separating operation in the mail separating mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a mail separating operation in the mail separating mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a mail item separating operation in the mail item separating mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a mail separating operation in the mail separating mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a mail separating operation in the mail separating mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a mail piece separating operation in the mail piece separating mechanism according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 2, 3, 4 ... Optical sensor, 6 ... Vacuum pump, 7 ... Separation motor, 8 ... Fork motor, 9
... biting motor, 10 ... transport motor, 11 ...
..Separation belts, 12 ... Fork belts, 13 ...
・ Chain, 14 ... Supply table, 15 ... Roller, 1
6 ... Transport path, 18 ... Shaft, 22 ... Intake port, 23 ... Detection lever, 30 ... Bundle of mail items, 3
1, 32 ... Mail, 40 ... Guidance panel,
101-150 ... Control diagram

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Toshihiko Tajiri             1 Ikegami Stock Market, Haruoka Town, Owariasahi City, Aichi Prefecture             Hitachi, Ltd. Information Equipment Division F term (reference) 3F048 AA09 AB04 BA05 BB05 CC01                       DB03 EA02                 3F079 AA01 BA03 BA09 DA12 EA14                       EA19                 3F343 FA15 FA17 FB11 FC01 FC03                       GB02 GC04 JA31 JA37 KB20                       MA03 MA15 MA23 MA54 MB15

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A supply table on which a bundle of separated paper sheets is placed,
An endless flat belt provided at the end of the supply table and having a hole or holes in the surface thereof, and a bundle of the paper sheets placed on the supply table are pressed so as to make surface contact with the endless flat belt. A pressing mechanism, a pressure detection unit that detects that the bundle of paper sheets is pressed against the endless flat belt, and the endless flat belt is provided on the opposite side of the pressed bundle of paper sheets from the endless flat belt. Intake means for sucking air through the hole of the flat belt, a pair of rollers provided downstream of the separation flat belt for nipping and conveying paper sheets, and a pair of rollers provided further downstream of the rollers for nipping and conveying paper sheets. A conveyance path, a plurality of passage detection means provided between the end of the supply base on the side of the endless flat belt and the roller in the traveling direction to detect the passage of paper sheets, and the endless flat belt. , The pressing mechanism, the intake Of the stack of the paper sheets, which comprises a stage, the rollers, a drive source for the transport path, and control means for controlling the operation of each drive source, is placed on the supply table and pressed by the pressing mechanism. The paper sheets closest to the endless flat belt are attracted to the endless flat belt by the suction means, and the endless flat belt is rotated to feed out the paper sheets in the roller direction to detect the plurality of passages. By repeating the routine of stopping the endless flat belt when all the means detect the presence of the paper sheet and rotating the endless flat belt again when any of the plurality of passage detecting means detects the absence of the paper sheet. , A bundle of paper sheets
In the paper sheet separating mechanism for separating the sheets one by one, when the plurality of passage detecting means all detect the existence of the paper sheets and try to stop the endless flat belt, the previous detection of all the paper sheets is detected. From the time until this time all the presence of paper sheets is detected, if the passage detection means arranged at the most downstream of the plurality of passage detection means continuously detects the presence of paper sheets, Delay the endless flat belt stop after a certain time,
When the plurality of passage detection means continuously detect the presence of paper sheets during the postponement time, the control means determines that the paper sheet is abnormal and stops the entire paper sheet separation mechanism. If any of the plurality of passage detection means detects the absence of paper sheets during the postponement time, the control means determines that the paper sheet conveyance interval is short but the paper sheet conveyance is normal and continues. Then, the endless flat belt is continuously rotated to return to the normal routine, and the paper sheet separating mechanism is characterized. 2. The paper sheet separating mechanism according to claim 1,
Except when the plurality of passage detecting means all detect the presence of paper sheets, and any of the plurality of passage detecting means not including the passage detecting means arranged at the most downstream side is continuously for a certain time. When the presence of paper sheets is detected by the control means, the control means determines that the endless flat belt portion is abnormal in conveying paper sheets, and stops only the endless flat belt. Except when the presence of paper sheets is detected, and one of the plurality of passage detection means including the passage detection means arranged at the most downstream detects the presence of paper sheets continuously for a certain period of time. In this case, the paper sheet separating mechanism is characterized in that the control means determines that the paper sheet is abnormally conveyed and stops the entire paper sheet separating mechanism. 3. The paper sheet separating mechanism according to claim 2,
Except for the case where all of the plurality of passage detecting means detect the presence of paper sheets, the information display means for displaying the failure treatment information of the apparatus is provided at the most downstream side of the plurality of passage detecting means. Any one that does not include the passage detection means arranged detects the presence of paper sheets continuously for a certain period of time, and the control means determines that the endless flat belt portion paper sheet conveyance is abnormal, and detects only the endless flat belt. When stopping, the failure display information and the simplified part are displayed on the information display means, and the plurality of passage detection means and all the plurality of passage detection means except the case where all the sheets are detected. One of the passage detection means including the passage detection means arranged at the most downstream side continuously detects the presence of the paper sheet for a certain period of time, and the control means determines that the paper sheet is abnormally conveyed, and the paper sheet is detected. Information display means when stopping the entire class separation mechanism The disorder treatment information sheet separation mechanism is characterized in that display a different disorder treatment information and simplified site with. 4. The paper sheet separating mechanism according to claim 3,
Except when the plurality of passage detecting means all detect the presence of paper sheets, and any of the plurality of passage detecting means not including the passage detecting means arranged at the most downstream side is continuously for a certain time. Then, the presence of the paper sheet is detected, and the control means determines that the endless flat belt portion is in the state of abnormal conveyance of the paper sheet, and stops only the endless flat belt, and the information display means displays the failure treatment information and simplification. Except for the case where the restart display of the endless flat belt is performed from the information display means and the plurality of passage detection means all detect the presence of paper sheets, One of the plurality of passage detecting means including the passage detecting means arranged at the most downstream detects the presence of paper sheets continuously for a certain period of time, and the control means determines that the paper sheet conveyance is abnormal. Information display by stopping the entire paper separation mechanism A paper sheet separating mechanism characterized in that, when displaying the trouble correcting information different from the trouble correcting information and a simplified portion in a step, a restart instruction of the paper sheet separating mechanism can be issued from the information displaying means. .