JP2008198081A - Counting device and counting method for stacked sheet material - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a counting device and a counting method for stacked sheet materials that can count in contact with only the wall surface of the stacked sheet materials in view of a risk of damaging the sheet materials if a member of the counting device or the like contacts the sheet materials in counting the number of stacked sheet materials. <P>SOLUTION: A CCD camera 5 and a marking device 6 are provided liftably along the side face of a stacked body S of flat paper P. A side face image is acquired by the CCD camera 5, and the image data is sent out to a control device 7. The control device 7 clarifies the boundary of the flat paper P by carrying out image processing such as binarization based on the image data, and displays the processed image on a display device 7a. The number of sheets of flat paper P is counted based the processed image, and indexes are given to the side face of the stacked body S by the marking device 6 for every predetermined number of sheets. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a laminated sheet material counting apparatus and counting method for counting the number of flat sheet materials such as paper in a laminated state, for example, in addition to the sheet material laminate wall surface. Relates to a sheet material counting apparatus and counting method capable of non-contact counting.

  In a paper machine used in the papermaking process, a paper layer is formed while dewatering the supplied papermaking raw material at the wire part, and water is squeezed from the paper layer formed at the press part and squeezed to form wet paper Is dried with a dryer part, and after adjusting the paper thickness with the calendar part and imparting smoothness, the reel part is wound around a reel to produce a winding. The manufactured winding has a large width, and in recent years, in particular, there is a tendency to become larger in order to improve productivity. On the other hand, consumers such as newspaper companies, printing companies, and packaging material companies do not have machinery that handles wide and large-diameter windings, and even paper mills handle wide windings. Hateful. For this reason, in a paper mill, a take-up taken up by a machine reel of a paper machine is processed into a take-up with an appropriate width and diameter according to the machine capability of a printing machine etc. owned by a consumer, It is cut into flat paper of the size and shipped.

  In order to process into flat paper, the paper wound by the paper machine is applied to a winder, and the paper wound into a suitable width is supplied to the cutter device. In the cutter device, paper sheets that have been rewound from a plurality of webs are overlapped and cut into flat paper of a desired size by using a slitter knife and a cutter. The cut flat paper is stacked by a layboy provided after the cutter device, and is supplied to the packaging device when a desired number of sheets are stacked. At this time, the operator who performs the packaging takes out a predetermined number of packaging units, that is, a packaging ream, from the piles of the laminated flat paper and sends them to the packaging device. For this reason, the cutter device is generally equipped with a device that counts the number of cut flat paper sheets with respect to the piles of flat paper sheets laminated by layboys and attaches an index for each packaging ream. However, if there is a sheet containing a defective part such as a hole or dirt on a pile of flat paper laminated by a cutter device, in order to remove the sheet containing the defective part while reloading the stacked body of sheets, Due to this transshipment and extraction work, the indices for each of the reams attached by the cutter device are scattered. In this way, when ream wrapping is applied to a pile of plain paper that does not have the correct indicator for each packaging ream or is not attached for any reason, In order to count the number of sheets and attach an index for each ream, this stacked sheet material counting device is used.

  As this type of sheet material counting apparatus, Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet counter apparatus. This sheet counter device is a sheet counter device that counts the number of paper piles while holding the corners of the paper piles from the top while turning the sheets one by one with a suction blade and wiper pins. A clamping device that pressurizes the vicinity of the corner of the paper from above, the clamping device includes a rotary cylinder, and a pressure roller that presses the tip of the paper mountain corner is connected by the rotational force of the rotary cylinder. Is equipped with an air inlet that pressurizes the rotary vane in the forward rotation direction and an air inlet that pressurizes the rotary vane in the reverse rotation direction, and the air is introduced into the air cylinder and the rotary cylinder via the pressure regulating valve. It is a thing.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a sheet separating device for a sheet counting device, a horizontally extending blade having a leading edge and a trailing edge for insertion into a stack of sheets, and the blade having a trailing edge. Means for rotating the blade between a position inclined downward and a horizontal posture, suction means provided on the upper side of the blade for bringing the corner of the sheet into close contact with the upper side of the blade, A wiper pin extending in parallel and moving the wiper pin in a track around the blade from the trailing edge to the leading edge on the upper surface of the blade and along the lower side of the blade, and is brought into close contact with the upper surface of the blade by the suction means Means for transferring the corners of the sheet from the upper surface to the lower surface, the forward path of movement of the pins from the upper surface to the lower surface adjacent to the leading edge of the blade is Is approximately vertical, after which the pin moves approximately horizontally close to the underside of the blade while the blade remains substantially horizontal, after the blade has moved beyond its lower surface Inclined downward, and then the pin is configured to move over the upper side of the blade toward its front side when the blade returns to horizontal.

JP2001-126047 JP 58-139931 A

  In both the sheet counter device disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the sheet separating device disclosed in Patent Document 2, sheets are counted by contacting the flat paper on which wiper pins are laminated and operating while curving the corners of the flat paper. Therefore, there is a risk that the flat paper may be damaged by the wiper pins. Further, unless the piles of laminated flat papers are pressed, the piles of paper are displaced or the papers are violated by the operation of the wiper pins, so that reliable counting cannot be performed. For this reason, the paper pile is pressed from above, but if the pressing force and the operating force of the wiper pin are not balanced due to the operation of the wiper pin, an unreasonable force is applied to the flat paper. There is a risk that it will be added and damaged. In addition, the pressing force needs to be adjusted according to the basis weight and type of the paper, but this adjustment work becomes complicated, and there is a possibility of miscounting when adjustment is poor.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a laminated sheet material counting apparatus and counting method that can count the number of sheets without providing a member that contacts other than the wall surface of the laminated body on which the sheet materials are laminated. The purpose is that.

  As a technical means for achieving the above object, the laminated sheet material counting apparatus according to the present invention counts a desired number of sheets from a laminated body of laminated sheet materials, and provides an index for each counted number of sheets. In the sheet material counting apparatus for attaching, a support frame that can be moved up and down along the side surface of the laminated body, and an image of the side surface is taken along the side surface of the laminated body by being supported by the support frame. An image providing means for attaching an index to a desired position of the photographing means and the laminated body, an image processing means for processing a laminated body side image photographed by the photographing means to identify a specific boundary of the sheet material, and the image processing A counting means for counting the number of sheet materials based on the image processed by the means, and the index giving means assigns an index for each desired number of sheet materials counted by the counting means. There.

  When the laminated body side image photographed by the photographing means is binarized, for example, the laminated state of the sheet material is marked as black and white stripes. Thereby, the boundary of a sheet material can be identified, and the number of sheet materials can be counted by counting the number of sheets. For this reason, a side image of the laminate is acquired while moving the photographing means along the laminate of the sheet material, and the number of sheet materials is counted based on the processed image obtained by processing the image. If an index is added by the index providing means for each number of packaging reames, the operator can take out a predetermined number of packaging reames by separating the laminate from the laminate with this index as a target.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a counting apparatus for stacked sheet materials, wherein a plurality of continuous frames are joined as necessary to the images photographed by the photographing means, and the joined images are processed to obtain a desired number of sheets. It is characterized by counting.

  Since the thickness of the sheet material is quality controlled within the range of the standard established at the time of sheet manufacture, the approximate thickness of the sheet material is known in advance. Since a certain sheet material is crushed, the thickness is reduced, or when the laminated body is reloaded, the thickness may not be constant. For this reason, a laminated body side image is acquired about the part which can be considered as substantially the same thickness. At this time, for example, when the angle of view of the photographing unit is small, image processing is performed by sequentially joining a plurality of consecutive frames, and the desired number of images is counted. That is, when the angle of view for shooting is smaller than the number of wrapping reames, the joining of frames and the counting process of the number of sheets are sequentially repeated until the number of wrapping reames is reached.

  In the counting device for stacked sheet materials according to the invention of claim 3, the specific boundary of the sheet material is defined as a boundary for each unit number of sheets cut at a time by the cutter device, and between adjacent specific boundaries. From the values measured at multiple locations and the approximate thickness of the sheet material that forms the laminate, calculate the approximate thickness of the counting target part of the measurement sheet material, and use this measurement sheet material thickness to obtain the desired number of sheets. Or, instead of counting the number of sheets, a thickness corresponding to a desired number of sheets is calculated based on the measured sheet material thickness, and an index is assigned to each desired number of sheets.

  Although it is possible to count the number of sheets one by one with the boundary between the sheet materials as a specific boundary, there is a possibility that the time required for the counting process may become long. In addition, since the sheet material is appropriately overlapped and cut in the cutter device, the boundary between the simultaneously cut sheet materials tends to be unclear, which may cause a counting error. On the other hand, the boundary between sheet materials that are not simultaneously cut tends to be clear. In addition, since the quality of the sheet material is controlled within the range of the standard established at the time of sheet production, the approximate thickness of the sheet material is known, and the number of units cut at a time by the cutter device is also known. From the distance between the specific boundaries, the approximate thickness of the sheet material, and the number of sheet materials existing within the specific boundary, even in the case of being crushed in a stacked state, for example, Accurate thickness can be calculated. Since the thickness of this sheet material is an actual value, the desired number of sheets is counted from this sheet material thickness. In addition, since the actual actual thickness of the sheet material is calculated, if a practically acceptable number of sheets error accuracy can be ensured, instead of counting the predetermined number of packaging units, the measured sheet material thickness and the predetermined number of packaging units The thickness corresponding to the product of can be used as a packaging unit.

  Further, the laminated sheet material counting apparatus according to the invention of claim 4 is characterized in that the specific boundary of the sheet material is set to an arbitrary number of sheets.

  It is desirable to be as simple as possible to count the number of packaging reames, but it must be accurate. For this reason, since the accuracy can be improved by setting the specific boundary to a small number, the simplicity and accuracy can be ensured.

  In the laminated sheet material counting device according to the invention of claim 5, the index providing means supports the writing means for attaching an index to a desired position of the laminated sheet material wall surface, and the writing means. A support, a support block for supporting the support so that the writing means can move forward with respect to the wall surface of the sheet material, and advancing and retracting the support block with respect to the wall surface of the sheet material; Driving means for moving the writing means to the sheet material wall surface by its own weight, and the support body is positioned at a writing position on the sheet material wall surface.

  In order for the support to advance by its own weight, the support is guided in an inclined state with respect to the support block, and the writing means abuts against the sheet material wall surface by the advance of the support block, It is in a state where an index can be attached. In this state, when the support block is moved in the horizontal direction, an index is given. When the support block is retracted, the writing means is separated from the wall surface of the sheet material, and the index cannot be attached thereafter. As the writing means, an aqueous ballpoint pen or the like can be used. Further, an air cylinder, an electric motor or the like can be used as the driving means.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for counting laminated sheet materials, wherein a desired number of sheets is counted from a laminated body of laminated sheet materials, and an index is assigned to each counted number. In the sheet material counting method, the side surface is photographed while being moved along the side surface of the laminated body, the photographed image is processed to identify a specific boundary of the sheet material, and the sheet material is identified from the identified boundary. The number of sheets is counted, and an index is assigned to each desired number.

  An image obtained by photographing the side surface of the laminate is binarized, for example, to clarify the boundary of the sheet material, and the number of sheet materials is counted from the image. Then, when the desired number of sheets is counted, an index is attached to the corresponding position on the wall surface of the laminate with, for example, marker ink.

  Further, in the counting method of the laminated sheet material according to the invention of claim 7, the image obtained by photographing the side surface is desired by sequentially joining a plurality of continuous frames as necessary, and processing the joined images. It is characterized by counting the number of sheets.

  When the desired number of sheet materials is not captured by a single shot image, a plurality of shots are taken and consecutive frames are sequentially joined. In the case where the number of images to be counted is larger than the size of the field angle of shooting, continuous frames are sequentially joined until the desired number of images is reached.

  In the method for counting stacked sheet materials according to the invention of claim 8, the specific boundary of the sheet material is defined as a boundary for each unit number of sheets cut at a time by the cutter device, and between adjacent specific boundaries. Calculate the almost exact thickness of the part to be counted of the measurement sheet material from the values measured at multiple locations and the approximate thickness of the sheet material forming the laminate, and count the desired number of sheets from this measurement sheet material thickness It is characterized by that.

  Compared with the case where the boundary between the sheet materials is identified, the boundary between the sheet materials cut simultaneously by the cutter device shows a clearer boundary. Moreover, since the sheet material is quality controlled within the range of the standard established at the time of manufacturing the sheet, the approximate thickness of the sheet material is known, and the number of sheet materials that are simultaneously cut by the cutter device is also known. The sheet material thickness can be calculated from the distance between the boundaries. That is, since the thickness of the sheet material is indefinite in the stacked state, in order to accurately count the number of sheets, the accurate thickness in the stacked state of the counting target portion is calculated and counted based on this. It is what I did.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a counting method for stacked sheet materials, wherein the specific boundary of the sheet materials is set to an arbitrary number.

  According to the laminated sheet material counting apparatus according to the present invention or the counting method according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the number of sheets can be counted without touching other than the wall surface of the laminated sheet material. There is no letting or bending.

  Further, according to the counting device for the laminated sheet material according to the invention of claim 2 or the counting method according to the invention of claim 7, it is necessary for one shooting because of the relationship between the shooting angle of view and the desired number of sheets. Even when the number of sheets cannot be counted, the necessary number of sheets can be reliably counted by joining a plurality of frames. For example, when counting the number of frames for each frame without joining a plurality of frames and transferring the number of frames between frames using absolute coordinates on the apparatus, the camera and the support frame for raising and lowering the camera have rattling and shaking. There is a possibility that the coordinate position between frames is shifted. However, by combining two images that overlap part of the images by checking the matching of the images, correcting the deviation of the absolute coordinates between frames on the image, and passing the number data between frames , Can prevent mistakes in counting the number of sheets. Further, it is not necessary to make the device an earthquake-resistant structure in order to ensure counting accuracy, and the device can be simplified.

  According to the laminated sheet material counting apparatus according to the invention of claim 3 or the counting method according to the invention of claim 8, the cutter apparatus superimposes a plurality of sheets rewound from a plurality of rolls. Therefore, the boundary between the sheet materials within the unit number of sheets that has been simultaneously cut tends to be unclear, but the boundary between unit numbers with different cutting processes becomes clear. For this reason, the specific boundary at the time of image processing is defined as the boundary for each unit number of sheets, and the sheet material is quality controlled within the standard defined at the time of sheet manufacture, so the approximate thickness of the sheet material is known. Since the unit number of sheets to be cut by the cutter device is also known according to the processing of the cutter device, an accurate sheet material thickness can be calculated from the distance between the boundaries for each unit number of sheets. Therefore, even when the sheet material thickness is changed due to lamination, the counting accuracy can be increased by measuring the local sheet material thickness for each portion that can be regarded as having substantially the same thickness.

  Further, according to the laminated sheet counting device according to the invention of claim 4 or the counting method according to the invention of claim 9, it is simple to ensure accuracy by setting the specific boundary appropriately. Count processing can be performed quickly with simple processing.

  Hereinafter, the laminated sheet material counting apparatus and counting method according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the illustrated preferred embodiments.

  FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a laminated sheet material counting apparatus 1 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, flat paper is illustrated as a sheet material, and is cut into a predetermined size by a cutter device (not shown) to form a laminated body S which is provided to the counting device 1. The counting device 1 includes a guide pole 2 that is arranged along the side surface of the stacked body S with the vertical direction as a longitudinal direction, and a support base 4 that can be guided up and down by the guide pole 2. The support frame 4 is provided with a CCD camera 5 as an imaging unit and a marking device 6 as an index applying unit for applying an index by applying ink to the side surface of the laminate S. The support frame 4 is also provided with a guide roll 3. The support frame 4 is guided by the guide roll and moves back and forth with respect to the side surface of the stacked body S, and the CCD camera 5, the marking device 6, and the stacked body S Keep the distance constant.

  Information is exchanged between the CCD camera 5 and the marking device 6 with a control device 7 such as a personal computer. The control device 7 also controls the operation of a lifting mechanism (not shown) that lifts and lowers the support frame 4 on which the CCD camera 5 and the marking device 6 are mounted. In this control device 7, the image of the side surface of the laminate S taken by the CCD camera 5 is joined, or binarization or the like is performed to clarify the boundary between the flat sheets constituting the laminate S. Image processing means is provided. Further, a counting means for measuring the thickness of the laminated flat paper based on the processed image or counting the number of the flat paper is provided, and every predetermined number of sheets or a predetermined interval counted by the counting means. Then, a command signal for attaching an index is sent to the marking device 6. The control device 7 is connected to a display device 7a such as a monitor for displaying an image of the CCD camera 5 and an input device 7b such as a keyboard. Note that an output unit such as a printing unit is connected as necessary.

  The operation of the laminated sheet material counting apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention configured as described above will be described, and the counting method according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the procedure of the counting method according to the first embodiment. Prior to performing the counting process, the support frame 4 is raised so that the CCD camera 5 is positioned facing the uppermost end (or any height position) of the stacked body S. Necessary setting values (paper thickness measurement setting parameters) are input from the input device 7b (step 301). The CCD camera 5 images the side surface of the laminate S and sends the image data to the control device 7 (step 302). Next, the CCD camera 5 is moved down to take a picture at a position partially overlapping with the previously taken picture and send the image data to the control device 7. At this time, the CCD camera 5 acquires image data while being lowered with respect to the guide pole 2. If the CCD camera 5 is lowered to the photographing end position set by the paper thickness measurement setting parameter, the acquired image data is joined to generate an image of the side surface of the laminate S (step 303).

  The generated side image is subjected to image processing by the control device 7 and binarized, for example, so that the flat paper can be identified (step 304). Next, the distance C is calculated from the product of the initial set paper thickness and the number of steps n among the set values input in step 301 (step 305). This step number n is a numerical value that is appropriately larger than the number of flat sheets that are simultaneously cut and superimposed in the cutter device (the number of cutter cuts), for example, a value obtained by adding 1 to the number of cutter cuts. That is, a value that is slightly larger than the height distance C of the flat paper superimposed by the number of cutter cuts is obtained from the product of the initially set paper thickness and the number of steps n. Of the boundary lines detected up to this distance C with the measurement start position as a base point, only the most obvious boundary line is extracted as a specific boundary (step 306). This is because the cut line is easily crushed at the boundary between flat papers that are cut simultaneously by the cutter device, and the boundary line tends to become unclear, whereas the different cutter cuts become clear at the adjacent boundary. This is because the clear boundary line is selectively and efficiently detected to improve the reliability of the subsequent processing. Then, a mark line is added to the side image of the laminate S displayed on the display device 7a with the distance C as a reference (step 307).

  FIG. 2 shows a side image on the display device 7b that has been binarized in step 304, and exemplifies the number of cutter incisions as four. As shown in the figure, four flat sheets P are laminated to form a cutter cut, and the boundary between the four flat sheets P to be cut simultaneously is indicated by a broken line, and the boundary between the cutter cuts is indicated by a solid line. The boundary indicated by the solid line is the specific boundary and becomes the mark line M attached in step 307. The mark line M is added by extracting only one boundary line that appears most clearly in the range of the position from the measurement start point to the distance C as a specific boundary line. As a new starting point, specific boundary lines are sequentially extracted and mark lines M are sequentially added. The step number n is set to a value larger than the number of cutter incisions for the following reason. The initial paper thickness set in step 301 is a median value based on quality standards when paper is manufactured on a paper machine, and when the number of steps n is equal to the number of cutters This is because when the actual paper thickness is larger than the standard median value, there is a possibility that the specific boundary does not exist in the distance range calculated from the number of steps.

  The distance between the mark lines M attached at step 307 is measured (step 308). The most stable numerical value is selected from the measurement results, and the number of sheets is calculated by rounding off the quotient obtained by dividing this by the initial set paper thickness (step 309). FIG. 5 is a diagram showing measurement results, in which the distance data between the measured mark lines M are rearranged and plotted in ascending order of values. The horizontal axis shows the number of the data counted in ascending order, the vertical axis shows the distance, the distance between the mark lines M in the plot of *, immediately before each distance data rearranged with ● The amount of displacement with the data is shown. In this figure, the displacement amount is 0 between the 33rd data and the 48th data rearranged in ascending order, and the distance between the mark lines M is about 404 μm, indicating the most stable numerical value. Select the distance and divide by the default paper thickness. Further, the measured paper thickness is calculated by dividing the distance (about 404 μm) of the most stable mark line M by the calculated number (step 310). In addition, since the actual paper thickness is different between the upper part and the lower part of the laminate S, the processing from step 302 to step 312 is performed at several places at different height positions of the laminate S, so that substantially the same paper thickness is obtained. It is preferable to measure the actual paper thickness for each possible height position range.

  By the way, as described above (paragraph number [0003]), this counting device is not used for a cutter cutting mountain in which a specific boundary line appears regularly for each number of sheets simultaneously cut by the cutter device, but the defective portion is not used. Reloading the cutter cutting pile to remove the defective paper sheet, and removing the defective paper sheet, the overlapping of the paper is divided in a set of paper sheets cut at the same time, and the specific boundary line is partially It is mainly used for transshipment mountains that appear irregularly. At this time, the irregular portion between the specific boundary lines is plotted on the edge side of the graph as irregular data in the graph of FIG. 5, and is excluded when extracting the distance of the most stable mark line M. The paper thickness can be measured with high accuracy even for transshipment piles.

  If the measured paper thickness is calculated in step 310, it is verified whether or not the measured paper thickness is an appropriate value for counting the number of the flat sheets P (step 311). This verification is performed by comparing the initial paper thickness value set in step 301 with the measured paper thickness calculated by the processing in step 310 and determining whether or not the difference is within an allowable error. (Step 312). If the measured paper thickness is not within the allowable error (step 312 / N), the process returns to step 301 and the processing up to step 311 is repeated. At this time, the measurement condition is reset using the measurement paper thickness calculated in step 310 previously as the initial paper thickness set in step 301. This is because the initially set initial paper thickness is an approximate value, and the measured paper thickness measured in the stacked state can be determined as the actual paper thickness. If the measured paper thickness is within an allowable error (step 312 / Y), the distance of the packaging reamer is calculated from the product of the measured paper thickness and the number of units to be packaged, and the control is performed based on the calculated value. The device 7 sends a movement amount and a marking command to the marking device 6. The marking device 6 stops after moving the commanded movement amount based on this command, and applies ink or the like to the side surface of the laminate S at the position to perform marking (step 313). The flat paper P existing between the marked positions becomes a packaging ream. The paper at the bottom of the laminate S is crushed and the paper thickness is reduced, and the paper at the top becomes thicker because the air trapped during lamination is not completely removed. The distance of the packaging reaming calculated from the product of the measured paper thickness and the number of units to be wrapped is recalculated by replacing the paper thickness with the paper thickness value corresponding to the measured position as needed. It is preferable to correct according to the height position of the laminate. Moreover, it is preferable to perform marking while moving from the lower part of the laminated body S toward the upper part. This is because the stacked body S is placed on a pallet, and when marking is performed from the upper part to the lower part, when the marking device 6 is positioned from the lowermost part to the lower part, a marker pen for applying ink or the like is placed on the pallet. This is because the pen tip may be damaged by rubbing.

  When marking is completed, the laminate S is transported to a flat packaging device, and the operator can separate the laminate S from the laminate S using the marked position as an index. Further, the flat paper P can be taken out from the laminate S, and this may be provided to a packaging device. In addition to the index of packaging ream classification, this method can be used in a packaging form (bare packaging) in which a stack of thousands to tens of thousands of flat paper is laminated on a pallet. It is also effective for the purpose of drawing a reference line for every predetermined number of sides of the sheet.

  In the above-described method, the number of paper sheets is not actually counted, and marking is performed at a distance calculated from the product of the measured paper thickness and the unit number of sheets to be packaged. Even if the measurement paper thickness is corrected, there may be a case where a practical number permissible error accuracy cannot be ensured depending on the state of the paper to be measured. Then, as a method for solving this problem, a second embodiment of the weighing method according to the present invention will be described based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In this method, marking is performed while actually counting the number of sheets on the photographed image. Prior to the counting process, the support frame 4 is raised so that the CCD camera 5 faces the uppermost end of the laminate S. Set to position. A necessary set value (count parameter) is input from the input device 7b (step 401). Next, the measurement paper thickness is measured by the same processing procedure as the processing from step 302 to step 312 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 (step 402). Since the actual paper thickness may be different between the lower part and the upper part of the laminated body S, the paper thickness measurement is performed at several places at different height positions of the laminated body S, and the measured paper thickness is used as a parameter in subsequent processing. When substituting, it is preferable to substitute a measurement paper thickness in the vicinity corresponding to the processing position as appropriate. Next, in the display image at that time taken by the CCD camera 5 on the display device 7a, for example, an index is given to the side surface of the laminate S by the marking device 6 at the position indicated by the identified mark. This index is set as the counting start point (step 403).

  Next, two frames of the portion including the counting start point and the portion continuing to the portion are photographed by the CCD camera 5 to obtain image data (step 404), and the images of the two frames are joined (step 404). 405). The joined image is binarized (step 406) to facilitate identification of the border of the flat paper P. Next, a boundary line is detected (step 407).

The boundary detected in step 407 is a specific boundary and corresponds to the step number k set as one of the count parameters in step 401. The number of steps k is used to set the number of boundaries near the specific boundary. For example, about every five lines or about ten lines, one of the k lines is the specific boundary. In step 401, the search range m is set as one of the count parameters, and this specific boundary is set as
Search start position = Measurement paper thickness x (km) (1)
Search end position = Thickness of measurement paper x (k + m) (2)
Is extracted as a boundary closest to the theoretical value within the search range obtained from. That is, if k = 10 and m = 3, first, paper boundary line candidates are extracted from the image binarized in step 406, and counted from the coordinates that are the counting start point (previous specific boundary). Measured paper thickness x 7 times coordinate value measured paper thickness x 8 times coordinate value measured paper thickness x 9 times coordinate value measured paper thickness x 10 times coordinate value measured paper thickness x 11 times coordinate value measured paper thickness x Calculate the absolute value of the error between the seven theoretical boundary coordinate values of 12 times the coordinate value measured paper thickness x 13 times the coordinate value and the coordinate value of the boundary candidate closest to each coordinate value. Then, only one boundary line with the smallest error is detected as a specific boundary. Note that the measured paper thickness is the paper thickness obtained in step 401.
In addition, the boundary between flat papers that are simultaneously cut by the cutter device tends to obscure the boundary line due to crushing at the time of cutting, and the boundary adjacent to different cutter cuts is clear, so the unclear boundary line is In order not to detect as a specific boundary, a fixed detection criterion is set for a boundary candidate detected as a specific boundary, and only a clear boundary line that satisfies the detection criterion is detected. This improves the reliability of subsequent processing.

Then, the measurement start point is set as the first specific boundary, and the number of the flat sheets P included from the first specific boundary to the second specific boundary is counted (step 408). This count is
Number of sheets = distance from the first specific boundary to the second specific boundary / measurement paper thickness (3)
The value is calculated by rounding off. At this time, assuming that the thickness of the flat paper between the specific boundaries is uniform, the vertical coordinates of the calculated boundaries are calculated and stored in the storage device of the control device 7.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the number counted in step 408 has reached the number of packaging reams (step 409). If not, one portion of the continuous portion of the image previously captured by the CCD camera 5 is captured for one frame (step 410), and the process returns to step 405. Then, the image data of the immediately preceding frame continuous to the additionally shot frame and the image data captured in step 410 are image-joined (step 405), and the specific boundary included in the image of the immediately preceding frame is newly added. As a specific boundary, the processes from step 406 to 408 are performed, and the number of sheets included in the additionally photographed image is counted.

  If it is determined in step 409 that the number of packages has been reached, a command for attaching an index to the marking device 6 is sent from the control device 7, and this is based on the vertical coordinate calculated in step 408. An index is attached to the position of the number of sheets (step 411). Then, it is determined whether or not an index is attached to the entire area of the laminate S, that is, whether or not the counting process of the flat sheet S is completed for the laminate S (step 412). / N), the process returns to step 404 and the process up to step 411 is repeated, and when the process has been completed (step 412 / Y), the process of attaching the index for the laminate S is terminated, and the next The laminated body S is carried in.

  In the embodiments described above, the specific boundary is detected and the number of sheets of the flat paper P is counted based on the specific boundary. However, the side image of the stacked body S is processed to clarify the boundary. Therefore, the flat paper P included in the laminate S can be counted one by one. However, when counting one sheet at a time, it takes a considerable amount of time, and the boundaries between the flat sheets that are simultaneously cut by the cutter device are crushed at the time of cutting, and the boundary lines tend to be unclear. Therefore, there is a case where the detection of the boundary is erroneous, and in addition to the time taken for the counting operation, the counting is also inaccurate. For this reason, as in the paper thickness measurement process in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, by setting a specific boundary and counting the number of sheets based on the specific boundary, the time required for the counting operation is shortened and the counting accuracy is increased. Can be raised.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic structure of the marking device 6. A writing instrument 41 as a writing means such as a water-based ballpoint pen is detachably held by a slider 42 as a support. The slider 42 is supported by the support block 43 so as to be slidable in the axial direction of the writing instrument 41. By this sliding, the writing instrument 41 advances and retreats with respect to the wall surface of the sheet material, and an index is provided on the wall surface of the sheet material at the advanced position. Can be attached. Further, the slider 42 is advanced and retracted by its own weight. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, the sliding direction of the slider 42 is inclined so that the writing instrument 41 side is in the lower position. A weight 44 is detachably attached to the slider 42. The support block 43 can be moved in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the writing instrument 41, that is, substantially in the horizontal direction by a driving means (not shown), and a straight line serving as an index is formed on the wall surface of the sheet material by the movement in the direction perpendicular to the axis. It is supposed to be attached.

  The pen used depends on the paper quality and thickness of the laminate S. For example, for A2 coated paper, a gel ink type water-based ballpoint pen with a pen tip thickness of about 0.2 to 0.5 mm is used. It is difficult to blur and has excellent drawing aptitude. Since the thickness of the paper is generally about 0.1 mm, ink is applied to a plurality of sheets with this pen tip, but a certain degree of thickness provides better mark visibility, and ink is applied. Reams can be classified by determining criteria such as the boundary between the bottommost paper and the paper not coated with ink as the ream break. The slider 42 moves freely back and forth with respect to the laminated body S to adjust the writing pressure to a constant level, and the writing pressure is adjusted by changing the weight of the weight 44 attached to the slider 42. Since the marking device 6 has a simple structure and is lightweight, the load applied to the guide pole 2 can be reduced, and the device can be simplified.

  FIG. 8 shows how the CCD camera 5 is held. The CCD camera 5 is a monochrome camera and captures an image in an area of 768 pixels vertically and 1024 pixels horizontally. Since the target image is captured by the surface rather than the line, the image is not deformed due to the feed accuracy error of the guide pole 2. In addition, an LED light source 51 is arranged in a ring around the CCD camera 5 to make the contour of the subject stand out and make it difficult to create unnecessary shadows. The camera lens 5a uses a lens that can secure a deep depth of field even during close-up photography, has no image distortion, and has excellent image joining properties. It is hard to blur. The CCD camera 5 is fixed to the side of the marking device 6 on the support frame 4 and is arranged so that the marking line drawn by the marking device 6 enters the field of view.

  According to the laminated sheet material counting apparatus and counting method according to the present invention, it is possible to count without contacting various members or devices other than the wall surface of the laminated sheet material, so that the sheet material is damaged. Therefore, quick counting can be performed, which contributes to the improvement of sheet material productivity.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the counting apparatus of the laminated | stacked sheet | seat material which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which shows a part of laminated body which should be counted, and is a figure which shows the state which displayed the image data acquired by the imaging | photography means on the display apparatus of the control apparatus. It is a flowchart explaining the procedure by the counting method of the laminated | stacked sheet | seat material which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining the procedure by the counting method of the laminated | stacked sheet | seat material which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a graph which shows the data which measured paper thickness. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of the marking apparatus suitable for applying to the counting device which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic side view which shows the attachment state of the marking apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the general attachment state of the imaging | photography means suitable for applying to the counting device which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Counting device 2 Guide pole 3 Guide roll 4 Support stand 5 CCD camera (photographing means)
5a Lens 6 Marking device 7 Control device
7a Monitor (display device)
7b Keyboard (input device)
S Laminate M Marking line P Flat paper (sheet material)
41 Writing instruments (writing means)
42 Slider (support)
43 Support block
44 spindles
51 LED light source

Claims (9)

In the sheet material counting device for counting the desired number of sheets from the laminated body of the laminated sheet material and attaching an index for each counted number of sheets,
A support frame that can be raised and lowered along the side surface of the laminate;
An imaging unit that captures an image of the side surface along the side surface of the laminated body supported by the support frame, and an index providing unit that attaches an index to a desired position of the laminated body,
Image processing means for processing the laminate side image photographed by the photographing means to identify a specific boundary of the sheet material;
A counting means for counting the number of sheet materials based on the image processed by the image processing means;
An apparatus for counting stacked sheet materials, wherein an index is assigned by the index providing means for each desired number of sheet materials counted by the counting means.   The laminated sheet material according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of continuous frames are joined as necessary to the images photographed by the photographing unit, and the joined images are processed to count a desired number of sheets. Counting device. The specific boundary of the sheet material is defined as a boundary for each unit sheet cut by the cutter device at once, and a value obtained by measuring the distance between adjacent specific boundaries at a plurality of locations and a general sheet material forming the laminate. From the thickness, calculate the almost exact thickness of the counting target part of the measurement sheet material,
Count the desired number of sheets using this measurement sheet material thickness,
Or, instead of counting the number of sheets, calculate the thickness corresponding to the desired number of sheets based on the thickness of the measurement sheet material,
The laminated sheet material counting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an index is attached to each desired number of sheets.   The laminated sheet material counting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific boundary of the sheet material is set to an arbitrary number of sheets. The index giving means is
Writing means for attaching an index to a desired position on the laminated sheet material wall surface;
A support for supporting the writing means;
A support block for supporting the support so that the writing means can move forward with respect to the wall surface of the sheet material;
Driving means for moving the support block forward and backward with respect to the wall surface of the sheet material and moving the support block in a substantially horizontal direction along the side surface of the sheet material
The laminated body according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the supporting body moves forward with respect to the sheet material wall surface by its own weight and is positioned at a writing position on the sheet material wall surface. Sheet material counting device. In the counting method of the laminated sheet material for counting the desired number of sheets from the laminated body of the laminated sheet material, and attaching an index for each counted number of sheets,
Shoot the side surface while moving along the side surface of the laminate,
Processing the captured image to identify specific boundaries of the sheet material;
Count the number of sheets from the identified boundary,
A method of counting stacked sheet materials, characterized by attaching an index to each desired number of sheets.   7. The stacked image according to claim 6, wherein the images obtained by photographing the side surfaces are sequentially joined together as necessary, and the joined images are processed to count a desired number of images. Sheet material counting method. The specific boundary of the sheet material is a boundary for each unit number of sheets that are cut at a time by the cutter device,
From the measured value of the distance between the adjacent specific boundaries at multiple locations and the approximate thickness of the sheet material forming the laminate, calculate the almost exact thickness of the counting target part of the measurement sheet material, and from this measured sheet material thickness The method for counting stacked sheet materials according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a desired number of sheets is counted.   8. The method for counting stacked sheet materials according to claim 6, wherein the specific boundary of the sheet materials is set to an arbitrary number of sheets.

Images