JP2018095382A - Sheet storage apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet storage apparatus capable of reducing an adhesion amount of dust or the like on stored sheets.SOLUTION: The sheet storage apparatus according to the present invention has a storage unit in which a plurality of sheets are stored in an internal space while arranged with a gap in the thickness direction of the sheets, and a conveying unit for executing taking-out operation which takes out a sheet stored in the storage unit. In the taking-out operation, the conveying unit moves the sheet held by the holding unit along the plane of the maximum surface, thereby taking out the sheet from the storage unit. The storage unit includes: a first opening formed at the side through which the holding unit and the sheet pass at the time of the taking-out operation; a second opening formed to face the first opening with the sheet interposed therebetween; and air blowing unit which flows a gas to the internal space of the storage unit from either the first opening or the second opening toward the other direction respectively. The air blowing unit has a charge removing portion for neutralizing the gas to form a charge removed gas and flows the charge removed gas into the internal space of the storage unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet storage device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a sheet storage device having a storage unit for storing sheets and a take-out unit for taking out a sheet from the storage unit.

  Some image forming apparatuses have a scanner for reading an image formed on a document or the like. In a manufacturing process of an image forming apparatus having a scanner, a reading process may be performed in order to adjust an image reading accuracy by the scanner. Specifically, in the reading process, the scanner is caused to read a predetermined image formed on the sheet-like reference document. In addition, a plurality of reference originals on which different images are formed may be used.

  In the reading process, the sheet includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of different reference documents, and an extraction unit that sequentially extracts the reference documents one by one from the storage unit and moves the extracted reference documents to the scanner. A storage device may be used.

  As a prior art related to such a sheet storage device, for example, Patent Document 1 can be cited. Patent Document 1 includes an article storage shelf that can store a plurality of flat-shaped articles, and an article transfer device that moves a moving space in front of the article storage shelf while taking the articles into and out of the article storage shelf. Goods storage facilities are described. Further, in the article storage facility of Patent Document 1, the purification air is caused to flow downward to suppress the dust from floating from the floor surface, and the dust is prevented from adhering to the article.

JP 2008-7226 A

  By the way, the sheet storage device (article storage facility) as in the above-described prior art can suppress the adhesion of dust and the like to a sheet (flat article). For this reason, although the adhesion of dust or the like to the sheet can be suppressed, the dust once adhered to the sheet cannot be appropriately removed from the sheet. For this reason, since dust and the like adhering to the stored sheet gradually increase, the amount of dust and the like adhering to the sheet cannot always be reduced.

  The present invention has been made for the purpose of solving the problems of the prior art described above. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet storage device that can reduce the amount of dust and the like attached to the stored sheet.

  In order to solve this problem, the sheet storage device of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores a plurality of sheets in a space in the thickness direction and stores them in an internal space, and a take-out unit that takes out the sheets stored in the storage unit. A sheet storage device that performs an operation and transports a taken-out sheet to a position outside the internal space of the storage unit, and the transport unit includes a holding unit that holds the sheet. The sheet held by the holding part is taken out from the storage part by moving along the surface of the maximum surface, which is the surface having the largest area. A first opening formed at a position where the sheet passes, a second opening formed opposite to the first opening and the sheet, and a first opening and a second opening in the internal space of the storage unit. One of the openings A blower that allows gas to flow from one side to the other, and the blower has a static elimination unit that neutralizes the gas and removes the gas, and causes the static elimination unit to flow into the internal space of the storage unit. A sheet storage device characterized by the above.

  In the sheet storage device of the present invention, the static eliminator can be caused to flow in the internal space of the storage portion by the blower. In addition, the static eliminating body can flow along the maximum surface of the sheet. As a result, it is possible to remove and remove the stored sheet and the dust adhering to the sheet. Therefore, the amount of dust or the like attached to the stored sheet can be reduced.

  Further, in the sheet storage device described above, the air blowing unit is provided on the second opening side when viewed from the sheet stored in the storage unit, and when the extraction operation is performed, the extraction operation is not performed. It is preferable that the wind speed of the static eliminating body flowing in the internal space of the storage portion is made slower than when it is not performed. This is because dust or the like discharged from the internal space of the storage unit can be prevented from adhering to the transport unit that performs the take-out operation.

  Further, in the sheet storage device described above, the air blowing unit is provided on the first opening side when viewed from the sheet stored in the storage unit, and the air opening is opened at the first opening. A blower moving unit that moves between the open position and a closed position in which the first opening is closed by the blower than the open position. It is preferable to let the air blower take the closed position when the air blower takes the open position and the air blower does not take the open position. This is because dust or the like discharged from the internal space of the storage unit can be prevented from adhering to the conveyance unit that performs the extraction operation, and the sheet extraction operation by the conveyance unit can be performed without any trouble.

  In the sheet storage device described above, the storage unit includes a wall member facing the first opening and the sheet, and a plurality of through holes are formed in the wall member. Preferably, the wall surface member is a member that is separate from the main body of the storage portion, so that it can be removed from the main body of the storage portion. Dust or the like may adhere to the wall surface member located downstream in the direction of static electricity removal. This is because the wall member to which dust or the like is attached can be removed to facilitate cleaning.

  In the sheet storage device described above, the storage unit stores the sheet with the maximum surface intersecting the horizontal plane, and the first opening is formed upward and the second opening is formed downward. It may be a thing.

  In the sheet storage device described above, the conveyance unit slides the sheet taken out from the storage unit along the in-plane of the mating surface while aligning the maximum surface with the mating surface provided outside the storage unit. After that, it is preferable to store in the storage unit. This is because even if the sheet is charged by rubbing against the mating surface and dust or the like is likely to adhere to the sheet due to static electricity, the dust or the like can be appropriately removed from the sheet stored in the storage unit thereafter.

  In the sheet storage device described above, it is preferable that the storage unit stores the sheet with the surface of the maximum surface that meets the mating surface facing downward. This is because dust or the like hardly accumulates on the surface of the sheet that meets the mating surface.

  In the sheet storage device described above, it is preferable that the sheet is composed of paper and a high-rigidity plate made of a material having conductivity and higher rigidity than paper in the thickness direction. This is because the conveyance by the conveyance unit can be easily performed and the formation of wrinkles or the like on the paper can be suppressed. Furthermore, because the high-rigidity plate is conductive, charging of the sheet is suppressed, the amount of dust and the like attached to the sheet can be suppressed, and the adhesion between the dust and the sheet can be reduced.

  Further, in the sheet storage device described above, the transport unit includes a suction unit that sucks air from the suction port in the holding unit, and sucks the suction unit on the maximum surface of the sheet. The sheet is preferably retained. This is because generation of dust or the like from the holding portion can be suppressed while making the holding portion and the sheet small.

  In the sheet storage device described above, it is preferable that the storage unit stores the sheet in a state where the maximum surface intersects the vertical direction, and has a lifting unit that moves in the vertical direction. . This is because a small and inexpensive conveyance unit can be used and the sheet conveyance time by the conveyance unit can be shortened.

  According to the present invention, there is provided a sheet storage device that can reduce the amount of dust and the like attached to a stored sheet.

It is a front view of the sheet storage device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a top view of the sheet storage device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a right view of the sheet storage device concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the detail of a holding | maintenance part. It is a figure which shows the inside of the sheet | seat storage part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining an operation when aligning a sheet with a reading surface of a scanner unit. It is a figure for demonstrating operation | movement at the time of making the sheet | seat match | combined with the reading surface of the scanner part contact the reference | standard surface of a scanner part. It is a front view of the sheet storage part concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a right view of the sheet | seat storage part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a front view of the sheet storage part concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is a top view of the sheet storage part concerning a 3rd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the inside of the sheet | seat storage part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a front view of the sheet storage part concerning a 4th embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments embodying the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[First Embodiment]
1, 2 and 3 show a schematic configuration of the sheet storage device 1 of the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a front view of the sheet storage device 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the sheet storage device 1. FIG. 3 is a right side view of the sheet storage device 1.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the sheet storage device 1 includes a placement unit 10, a conveyance unit 20, and a sheet storage unit 200. The sheet storage device 1 of this embodiment is used for inspection, correction, and the like of the scanner unit 40 placed on the placement unit 10. After that, the scanner unit 40 is assembled in a multifunction machine as a final product, and the multifunction machine is for reading an image to be copied formed on a document or the like.

  The scanner unit 40 according to the present embodiment has a reading surface 41 as shown in FIG. The reading surface 41 is a surface for reading an image formed on a document or the like placed on the user. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the reading surface 41 is provided with a short direction reference surface 45 and a long direction reference surface 46. Both the short-direction reference surface 45 and the longitudinal-direction reference surface 46 protrude from the reading surface 41 and are provided along two sides where one end of the reading surface 41 intersects.

  The short-direction reference surface 45 and the longitudinal-direction reference surface 46 are arranged such that when the user places a document to be read on the reading surface 41, the side surface of the document or the like is brought into contact with the reading surface 41. It is a surface for enabling proper placement on top. Further, inside the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40, a reading device for reading an image on the surface is incorporated.

  The scanner unit 40 according to this embodiment is capable of reading an image for an A3 size object at the maximum. For this reason, the reading surface 41 is slightly larger than the A3 size. Specifically, the reading surface 41 has a short side extending in the short direction of the A3 size slightly larger than 297 mm and a long side extending in the long direction of the A3 size slightly larger than 420 mm.

  In the inspection using the sheet storage device 1, for example, the scanner unit 40 placed on the placement unit 10 reads an image prepared in advance, and the scanner unit 40 is based on the read result. Inspect whether the product is defective or not. In the correction using the sheet storage device 1, the scanner unit 40 placed on the placement unit 10 reads an image prepared in advance, and based on the read result, the scanner unit 40 reads the image. Correct the light intensity and sensor sensitivity.

  As an image to be read by the scanner unit 40, an image formed on the sheet 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 200 is used. Therefore, in the sheet storage device 1 according to the present embodiment, when the image is read by the scanner unit 40, the sheet 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 200 is read by the conveyance unit 20 by the reading surface of the scanner unit 40. 41.

  As described above, the mounting unit 10 is a table for mounting the scanner unit 40 on the mounting surface 11 which is the upper surface thereof. The placement unit 10 may be provided with a mechanism for fixing the scanner unit 40 placed on the placement surface 11.

  The transport unit 20 includes a robot 30 and a holding unit 100 fixed to the flange 31 at the arm tip of the robot 30. The robot 30 of this embodiment is a 6-axis robot having 6 motors as drive axes. The holding unit 100 includes a plate-like base portion 101 and a suction portion 140 provided on one surface of the base portion 101. A fixing portion 102 for fixing the base 101 to the flange 31 of the robot 30 is provided on the robot 30 side of the base 101.

  The sheet storage unit 200 has a box shape as a whole for storing the sheet 50. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet storage unit 200 is provided with an opening 210 on the side of the conveyance unit 20, and the portion other than the opening 210 is surrounded by a wall surface. Thus, an internal space 201 is formed inside the sheet storage unit 200.

  A plurality of sheets 50 are stored in the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200. The sheet 50 is a plate-like member as a whole in which a reference document is attached to one side of a base material. The reference document is of A3 size, and is, for example, a print sheet on which an image with a uniform density called a so-called solid image is formed on one side. Further, in this embodiment, images of different densities are formed on the entire surface of the reference documents of the plurality of sheets 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 200.

  The plurality of sheets 50 are stored in the internal space 201 side by side with a gap in the thickness direction. In the present embodiment, the plurality of sheets 50 are all stored in the internal space 201 with the maximum surface having the largest area being horizontal.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of through holes 206 are formed in the side wall 205 facing the opening 210 and the sheet 50. Although only a part of the through hole 206 is shown in FIG. 3, the through hole 206 is actually formed in the entire side wall 205. As such a side wall 205, for example, a punching metal can be used. Due to the through hole 206, an opening connected to the internal space 201 is formed in the side wall 205. The opening of the side wall 205 is formed at a position sandwiching the opening 210 and the sheet 50.

  The sheet storage unit 200 is provided with an ionizer 290. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ionizer 290 is disposed outside the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200 so as to face the side wall 205.

  The ionizer 290 includes a fan 291 and a charge removal unit 292. The fan 291 can generate an airflow by rotating blades. Moreover, the fan 291 of this embodiment can adjust the wind speed of the airflow to be generated by adjusting the rotation speed. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the fan 291 can generate an airflow toward the side wall 205 of the sheet storage unit 200. The neutralization unit 292 can neutralize the surrounding gas molecules that are charged positively or negatively and can be used as a neutralizer. As the static elimination unit 292, for example, a configuration using corona discharge or ionizing radiation can be used.

  Thereby, the ionizer 290 can flow static elimination air toward the side wall 205 of the sheet storage unit 200. Further, as described above, a plurality of through holes 206 are formed in the side wall 205. For this reason, the air flow of the static elimination air generated by the ionizer 290 passes through the through hole 206 of the side wall 205 and flows into the internal space 201. Further, the static elimination air that has flowed into the internal space 201 passes through the internal space 201 and is discharged from the opening 210 to the outside of the internal space 201. As a result, in the internal space 201, the static elimination air flows along the maximum surface having the largest area of the sheet 50.

  Then, the sheet storage device 1 causes the scanner unit 40 to sequentially read images formed on the reference document of the plurality of sheets 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 200. Specifically, first, the transport unit 20 inserts the holding unit 100 into the internal space 201 and holds one of the plurality of sheets 50 by suction using the suction unit 140. Next, the conveyance unit 20 aligns the held reference document of the sheet 50 with the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40. Subsequently, after the reading of the reference document by the scanner unit 40 is completed, the transport unit 20 stores the held document in the sheet storage unit 200. By repeating these procedures and performing the number of times corresponding to the number of sheets 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 200, the sheet storage device 1 sequentially scans the plurality of sheets 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 200. Let the part 40 read.

  Next, the holding unit 100 of the transport unit 20 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of the holding unit 100 when viewed from the direction of the arrow A shown in FIG. The base 101 of the holding unit 100 according to this embodiment includes a fixed portion 102 and a first tip portion 103 and a second tip portion 104 that extend from the fixed portion 102 in the same direction. Therefore, the base 101 shown in FIG. 4 has an inverted “U” shape as a whole.

  A pipe 111 is connected to the upper portion of the base 101 in FIG. The pipe 111 can be formed of a resin tube or a joint. A flow path 110 is formed inside the base 101. A part of the flow path 110 is connected to the pipe 111. In addition, the flow path 110 branches into two on the opposite side to the connection point to the pipe 111, one of the branches extends into the first tip portion 103, and the other extends into the second tip portion 104. ing. In addition, the pipe 111 is connected to the vacuum generator on the opposite side of the connecting portion with the base 101.

  Further, the suction unit 140 of the holding unit 100 according to the present embodiment includes four suction pads: a first suction pad 141, a second suction pad 142, a third suction pad 143, and a fourth suction pad 144. Among these, the first suction pad 141 and the second suction pad 142 are provided at the first tip portion 103. The third suction pad 143 and the fourth suction pad 144 are provided at the second tip portion 104.

  Both the suction hole 145 of the first suction pad 141 and the suction hole 146 of the second suction pad 142 are connected to the flow path 110 inside the first tip portion 103. The suction hole 147 of the third suction pad 143 and the suction hole 148 of the fourth suction pad 144 are both connected to the flow path 110 inside the second tip portion 104. Accordingly, the first suction pad 141, the second suction pad 142, the third suction pad 143, and the fourth suction pad 144 all suck air from the suction holes when suction is performed on the flow path 110. Thus, an adsorption force can be generated. Thereby, the holding | maintenance part 100 of this form can switch the adsorption | suction part 140 with an adsorption state or a non-adsorption state.

  Next, the sheet storage unit 200 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a view of the inside of the sheet storage unit 200 when viewed from the opening 210 side. FIG. 5 shows only the inside of the opening 210. FIG. 5 also shows the holding unit 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the sheet storage unit 200 of the present embodiment stores five sheets 50.

  The sheet 50 has a first surface 51 located at one end in the thickness direction and a second surface 52 that is the back surface of the first surface 51. As described above, the sheet 50 has a configuration in which a reference document is attached to a base material. The sheet 50 has a second surface 52 constituted by a reference document. And the base material comprises the 1st surface 51 side rather than the reference | standard original. The first surface 51 of the sheet 50 is an adsorption surface that is adsorbed by the adsorption unit 140 of the holding unit 100.

  In the present embodiment, with respect to the sheet 50, the vertical direction in FIG. 5 is the width direction, and the depth direction is the longitudinal direction. FIG. 5 shows the side surfaces 53 and 55 in the width direction of the sheet 50. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5, the sheet 50 has convex portions 54 and 56 protruding in the width direction from the side surfaces 53 and 55. Further, in the sheet 50 of the present embodiment, both the convex portions 54 and 56 are provided not on the second surface 52 side but on the first surface 51 side. The convex portions 54 and 56 constitute a convex portion pair 57. In addition, both the convex part pairs 57 are provided on the base material of the sheet 50. Further, both end surfaces in the longitudinal direction of the sheet 50 of the present embodiment are not provided with protrusions or the like.

  Further, the sheet storage unit 200 includes rail members 221 and 223 protruding from the side wall surfaces on the side wall surfaces facing the side surfaces 53 and 55 of the stored sheet 50, respectively. The rail member 221 and the rail member 223 constitute a pair of rail members 220 that are opposed to each other, and five rail member pairs 220 are provided side by side in the thickness direction of the seat 50 in the sheet storage unit 200. ing.

  In addition, in the sheet storage unit 200, the rail member pair 220 is fixed so that the longitudinal direction of the upper surfaces 222 and 224 intersects the vertical direction. Specifically, in the sheet storage unit 200 of this embodiment, the rail member pair 220 is provided with the longitudinal directions of the upper surfaces 222 and 224 aligned with the horizontal direction.

  Each of the five sheets 50 is stored in the sheet storage unit 200 by being hooked on the upper surfaces 222 and 224 of the rail member pair 220 with the protruding portion pair 57 being different. The sheet 50 can be taken out from the sheet storage portion 200 by pulling the convex portion pair 57 horizontally along the upper surfaces 222 and 224 of the rail member pair 220. Further, the taken-out sheet 50 can be stored in the sheet storage unit 200 by inserting the convex portion pair 57 in the horizontal direction along the upper surfaces 222 and 224 of the rail member pair 220. When the sheet 50 is taken out and stored, it is preferable to move the sheet 50 in a state where a gap is formed between the convex portion pair 57 and the upper surfaces 222 and 224 of the rail member pair 220. This is because it is possible to prevent the convex portion pair 57 and the rail member pair 220 from being scraped and scraped to generate shavings.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 5, all the five sheets 50 are stored in the sheet storage unit 200 with the first surface 51 facing the same side. Specifically, all of the five sheets 50 are stored with the first surface 51 facing upward. As a result, the two adjacent sheets 50 are stored in the sheet storage unit 200 with the first surface 51 and the second surface 52 facing each other. FIG. 5 shows the thickness H of the holding unit 100. The thickness H of the holding unit 100 is a total value of the thickness of the base 101 of the holding unit 100 and the height of the suction unit 140.

  When taking out the sheet 50, the transport unit 20 of this embodiment inserts the holding unit 100 into the gap above the sheet 50 to be taken out. This is because the first surface 51 on the upper side of the sheet 50 is an adsorption surface that is adsorbed by the adsorption unit 140. FIG. 5 shows a gap on the upper side of the sheet 50 in the internal space 201, that is, the size G1 of the insertion gap into which the holding unit 100 is inserted. That is, the plurality of sheets 50 are accommodated in the internal space 201 while providing an insertion gap having a size G1.

  The size G1 of the insertion gap is naturally larger than the thickness H of the holding part 100. FIG. 5 shows a gap size HG1 on the suction portion 140 side of the holding portion 100 inserted into the insertion gap and a gap size HG2 on the base 101 side. FIG. 5 shows the thickness S of the sheet 50. The thickness S of the sheet 50 is a total value of the thickness S1 of the convex pair 57 and the distance S2 from the second surface 52 of the convex pair 57.

  Further, FIG. 5 shows the size Y of the gap between the lower inner wall surface of the sheet storage portion 200 and the sheet 50 stored at the lowermost position. The gap indicated by the size Y is a non-insertion gap in which the holding unit 100 does not enter. Therefore, the size Y of the non-insertion gap is narrower than the size H of the insertion gap of the holding unit 100 in this embodiment. This is because the sheet storage unit 200 can be made smaller accordingly.

  When the conveyance unit 20 takes out the sheet 50, the holding unit 100 is in a state where the suction unit 140 is directed to the first surface 51 side in the insertion gap on the upper side of the sheet 50 to be taken out, that is, the first surface 51 side. To enter. Next, the conveyance unit 20 brings the suction unit 140 of the holding unit 100 into contact with the first surface 51 of the sheet 50. That is, the holding unit 100 is moved toward the sheet 50 by the gap size HG1 on the suction unit 140 side. Subsequently, the suction unit 140 is set in the suction state, and the first surface 51 of the sheet 50 is sucked by the suction unit 140. As a result, the sheet 50 is held. Note that the suction portion 140 of the holding portion 100 may be brought into contact with the first surface 51 of the sheet 50 after the suction portion 140 is brought into the suction state. Then, the conveyance unit 20 takes out the sheet 50 held by the holding unit 100 by the suction of the first surface 51 from the sheet storage unit 200.

  The conveyance unit 20 moves the sheet 50 taken out from the sheet storage unit 200 to above the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40 as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. At this time, the second surface 52 on which the reference document 61 of the sheet 50 is attached is made to face the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40. Further, the position of the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 at the time of facing is shown by a thick two-dot chain line in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the conveyance unit 20 causes the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 to face the vicinity of the center of the reading surface 41. That is, when viewed from the plane, the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 is separated from the short-direction reference surface 45 and the long-direction reference surface 46 of the scanner unit 40. In this state, as indicated by an arrow in FIG. 6, the sheet 50 is lowered and the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 is aligned with the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40.

  As described above, the convex portion 56 is provided on the side surface 53 that is one end surface in the width direction of the sheet 50. In addition, the convex part 56 is provided in the base material 60 which comprises the 1st surface 51 side, as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the distance S <b> 2 from the second surface 52 of the convex portion 56 is longer than the height D of the short-direction reference surface 45 of the scanner unit 40. Therefore, the convex part 56 does not interfere with the scanner part 40.

  In addition, the conveyance unit 20 in which the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 is aligned with the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40 continues to move the sheet 50 into the short-direction reference surface 45 and the longitudinal direction as indicated by arrows in FIG. Slide in a direction approaching the reference plane 46. The sheet 50 is slid while the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 is aligned with the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40. Accordingly, the side surfaces of the sheet 50 facing the short direction reference surface 45 and the long direction reference surface 46 of the scanner unit 40 are brought into contact with the short direction reference surface 45 and the long direction reference surface 46, respectively. Also at this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the convex portion 56 of the sheet 50 does not interfere with the scanner portion 40. This is because the distance S2 of the convex portion 56 from the second surface 52 is longer than the height D of the short direction reference surface 45 of the scanner portion 40 as described above. Even if the side surface of the sheet 50 is brought into contact with the longitudinal reference surface 46, the sheet 50 does not interfere with the scanner unit 40. This is because no projection or the like is provided on the side surface of the sheet 50 that contacts the longitudinal reference surface 46.

  Then, the reading of the reference document 61 of the sheet 50 by the scanner unit 40 is performed in a state where the side surface of the sheet 50 is in contact with the short-side reference surface 45 and the long-side reference surface 46 of the scanner unit 40. After the reading by the scanner unit 40 is completed, the conveyance unit 20 stores the sheet 50 that has been read into the sheet storage unit 200 and takes out the next sheet 50. Note that the holding unit 100 may hold the sheet 50 while the scanner unit 40 is reading the reference document 61. Alternatively, the holding unit 100 may release the holding of the sheet 50 while the scanner unit 40 is reading the reference document 61. In this case, the holding unit 100 may hold the sheet 50 again after the reading of the reference document 61 by the scanner unit 40 is completed.

  Here, the sheet storage unit 200 according to the present embodiment includes the ionizer 290 that flows static electricity to the internal space 201 as described above. Further, the ionizer 290 flows static elimination air from the through hole 206 of the side wall 205 in the internal space 201 toward the opening 210 provided opposite to the through hole 206 with the sheet 50 interposed therebetween. Thereby, the ionizer 290 allows the static elimination air to flow along the first surface 51 and the second surface 52 which are the maximum surfaces of the sheet 50.

  Therefore, even if dust or the like enters the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200, the dust or the like in the internal space 201 is discharged from the opening 210 due to static electricity that flows from the side wall 205 toward the opening 210. For this reason, dust or the like is prevented from staying in the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200.

  Further, in the present embodiment, static elimination air is caused to flow along the first surface 51 and the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 in the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200. Therefore, even if the sheet 50 or dust is charged and the dust or the like adheres to the first surface 51 or the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 due to static electricity, the dust or the like is transferred to the sheet. 50 can be appropriately removed from above. This is because the charge potential of the sheet 50 and dust can be made close to 0 V by the static elimination air, so that the adhesive force due to static electricity can be weakened. This is because dust and the like can be blown away by the static elimination air flowing along the first surface 51 and the second surface 52 in a state where the adhesion force of dust and the like to the sheet 50 is weakened. Thereby, in the sheet storage apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the amount of adhesion of dust or the like to the sheet 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 200 can be reduced.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, the scanner unit 40 can accurately read the image of the sheet 50. If dust or the like adheres to the second surface 52 of the sheet 50, the scanner unit 40 may not be able to read the dust properly due to the dust or the like. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 can be maintained in a state where no dust or the like is attached. Thereby, in this embodiment, the inspection and correction of the scanner unit 40 using the sheet storage device 1 can be performed accurately.

  In addition, the fan 291 of the ionizer 290 may reduce the rotation speed when the conveying unit 20 performs the take-out operation of taking out the sheet 50 stored in the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200. preferable. The air discharged from the opening 210 of the sheet storage unit 200 may contain dust or the like that has entered the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200.

  In addition, during the take-out operation, the conveyance unit 20 stores the sheet more than when the sheet 50 is placed on the scanner unit 40 or waiting at an intermediate position as shown in FIG. Air that is discharged from the opening 210 of the portion 200 is easily blown. This is because the holding unit 100 is inserted into the insertion gap of the sheet storage unit 200 in the take-out operation.

  That is, when dust or the like is discharged from the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200 while the transport unit 20 is performing the take-out operation, the dust or the like may adhere to the transport unit 20. In particular, when dust or the like discharged from the internal space 201 adheres to the holding unit 100, the attached dust or the like may move from the holding unit 100 and adhere to the sheet 50 when the sheet 50 is held. There is.

  Therefore, during the take-out operation, the rotation speed of the fan 291 is slowed down, and the wind speed of the generated airflow is slowed down, so that the dust discharged from the internal space 201 is prevented from adhering to the transport unit 20. be able to. As a result, it is possible to further suppress dust and the like from adhering to the second surface 52 of the sheet 50.

  Further, when the storing operation for storing the once taken out sheet 50 in the sheet storing unit 200 is performed again as in the present embodiment, it is preferable to reduce the rotational speed of the fan 291 during the storing operation. . Specifically, in this embodiment, it is preferable that the rotational speed of the fan 291 is made slower during the take-out operation and the storage operation of the transport unit 20 than when both the take-out operation and the storage operation are not performed. More specifically, for example, it is conceivable to stop the rotation of the fan 291 during the take-out operation and the storage operation of the transport unit 20.

  The effect of the present invention is particularly exhibited in the present embodiment in which the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 is slid along the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40. That is, in this embodiment, when the scanner unit 40 reads the image of the sheet 50, the side surface of the sheet 50 is short while the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 is brought into contact with the reading surface 41 of the scanner unit 40. The sliding movement is performed until it comes into contact with the direction reference surface 45 and the longitudinal direction reference surface 46.

  Here, the reading surface 41 is made of glass, and the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 is made of a reference document 61 (paper). Therefore, by rubbing these, in this embodiment, the reference document 61 of the sheet 50 is easily charged. That is, in this embodiment, a situation in which dust or the like adheres to the second surface 52 of the sheet 50 due to static electricity is likely to occur.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, in the internal space 201 of the sheet storage unit 200, by removing charge air along the second surface 52 of the sheet 50, the reference document 61 of the charged sheet 50 is discharged, Dust and the like adhering to the two surfaces 52 due to static electricity can be appropriately removed. That is, while the sheet 50 is used in a situation where dust or the like due to static electricity is likely to be generated, the sheet 50 can be in a state where dust or the like is not attached when the scanner unit 40 reads.

  In the present embodiment, the material of the base material 60 of the sheet 50 is preferably higher in rigidity than the reference document 61 and has conductivity. This is because the sheet 50 can be easily conveyed by the conveying unit 20 by using a material having a high rigidity for the substrate 60. In addition, it is possible to appropriately suppress the occurrence of wrinkles and the like in the reference document 61 that is paper.

  Further, for example, when a non-conductive resin is used as the base material 60, the sheet 50 is more easily charged than when a conductive material is used. That is, the amount of dust or the like attached to the sheet 50 increases, and the adhesive force to the sheet 50 due to static electricity becomes strong. This is because by using a non-conductive material as the base material 60, charging of the base material 60 can be suppressed, and adhesion of dust or the like to the sheet 50 can be reduced. An example of the material having higher rigidity than the reference document 61 and having conductivity is aluminum.

  Further, the transport unit 20 of the sheet storage device 1 according to the present embodiment includes a suction unit 140 in the holding unit 100. And the sheet | seat 50 is hold | maintained by making the adsorption | suction part 140 adsorb | suck to the 1st surface 51 of the sheet | seat 50. FIG. In this embodiment, by holding the sheet 50 by the suction of the suction unit 140 in this manner, generation of dust and the like can be reduced, and the sheet 50 and the holding unit 100 can be made small.

  For example, unlike the present embodiment, when a gripping part that holds a sheet by physical gripping or the like is employed, the gripping part needs to be equipped with a mechanical mechanism or the like for gripping. In such a physically gripping machine configuration, there are generally more sliding portions than in the configuration using vacuum suction as in the present embodiment. Therefore, dust and the like accompanying sliding are likely to be generated. Further, in general, a mechanical configuration that physically grips is larger than a configuration using vacuum suction as in the present embodiment. In addition, it is necessary to provide a portion to be gripped by the grip portion as the sheet. For this reason, when a gripping part that holds a sheet by physical gripping or the like is employed, the sheet and the gripping part become large, and the sheet storage device becomes large as a whole.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, the holding unit 100 holds the first surface 51 of the sheet 50 by suction. In other words, there are no sliding parts and the generation of dust and the like is reduced. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the holding unit 100 holds the sheet 50 to be read by the scanner unit 40 by vacuum suction of the first surface 51, there is no need to provide a portion to be held by the sheet 50. Further, since the holding unit 100 does not need to be equipped with a mechanical mechanism for gripping, the holding unit 100 can be thin and small.

  In the sheet storage unit 200 of this embodiment, all the sheets 50 are stored with the first surface 51 facing upward. That is, the sheet storage unit 200 of the present embodiment stores the second surface 52 on which an image read by the scanner unit 40 is formed facing downward. Thereby, the sheet storage unit 200 of the present embodiment can store the sheet 50 in a state where dust or the like is not easily accumulated on the second surface 52 thereof.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described. The sheet storage device of this embodiment is different in the arrangement position of the ionizer. In other words, in the first embodiment, the ionizer is disposed on the rear side of the sheet storage unit as viewed from the conveyance unit. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the ionizer is disposed on the front side of the sheet storage unit as viewed from the conveyance unit. That is, the ionizer is arranged on the side where the sheet is taken out by the conveyance unit.

  Also in the sheet storage device 1 of the present embodiment, the placement unit 10 and the conveyance unit 20 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Further, the scanner unit 40 mounted on the mounting unit 10 is the same as that in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the sheet storage unit 300 (see FIG. 8) is different from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 8 shows a front view of the sheet storage unit 300 of the present embodiment. Also in this embodiment, the sheets 50 stored in the internal space 301 of the sheet storage unit 300, the number of sheets 50 stored, and the like are the same as in the first embodiment. Also in this embodiment, the plurality of sheets 50 are all stored in the internal space 301 with the maximum surface having the largest area being horizontal.

  The sheet storage unit 300 is also provided with an ionizer 390. The ionizer 390 of this embodiment is also composed of a fan 391 and a charge removal unit 392. The ionizer 390 can also flow static electricity from the outside of the internal space 301 of the sheet storage unit 300 toward the internal space 301.

  However, as shown in FIG. 8, the ionizer 390 of this embodiment is disposed so as to face the opening 310 of the sheet storage unit 300 on the conveying unit 20 side. That is, the ionizer 390 can flow static elimination air toward the opening 310 of the sheet storage unit 300.

  In this embodiment, the static elimination air that has been flowed toward the opening 310 by the ionizer 390 passes through the inside of the opening 310 and flows into the internal space 301. Further, the static elimination air that has flowed into the internal space 301 passes through the internal space 301 and reaches the side wall 305 on the opposite side of the opening 310. Also in this embodiment, a plurality of through holes 306 are formed in the side wall 305. Although only a part of the through hole 306 is shown in FIG. 8, the through hole 306 is formed in the side wall 305 as a whole. For this reason, the static elimination air that has passed through the internal space 301 is discharged from the through hole 306 of the side wall 305 to the outside of the internal space 301. Thereby, also in the present embodiment, the static elimination air flows along the maximum surface having the largest area of the sheet 50.

  Therefore, also in this embodiment, the dust and the like entering the internal space 301 can be appropriately discharged to the outside of the internal space 301 by the static elimination air. Furthermore, even if there is dust or the like adhering to the sheet 50 due to static electricity, the dust or the like can be appropriately removed from the sheet 50. In the present embodiment, dust discharged from the internal space 301 is on the side opposite to the transport unit 20 side. Therefore, in this embodiment, dust or the like does not adhere to the conveyance unit 20 due to the airflow of static elimination air.

  Further, in this embodiment, the ionizer 390 is disposed on the opening 310 side of the sheet storage unit 300 so as to close the opening 310 of the sheet storage unit 300. Therefore, as it is, the holding unit 100 of the transport unit 20 cannot be moved into the internal space 301 of the sheet storage unit 300, and the sheet 50 cannot be taken out or stored.

  Therefore, the ionizer 390 of this embodiment can operate up to a position where the opening 310 of the sheet storage unit 300 is opened. FIG. 9 shows a right side view of the sheet storage unit 300. As shown in FIG. 9, the ionizer 390 of this embodiment is provided with an opening driving unit 370 and an opening guide unit 380.

  The opening drive unit 370 includes a main body unit 371 and a movable unit 372. The main body portion 371 can move the movable portion 372. Examples of the drive mechanism of the main body 371 include a cylinder that operates by air pressure or hydraulic pressure, a linear motion unit that rotates a ball screw by an electric motor, and the like. Further, the main body 371 of the opening drive unit 370 of the present embodiment is fixed to the bracket 375 with the moving direction of the movable unit 372 aligned with the vertical direction.

  The open guide part 380 is constituted by a guide rail 381 and a movable part 382. The movable portion 382 can move along the guide rail 381. Further, the guide rail 381 is fixed to the bracket 385 so that the moving direction of the movable portion 382 matches the moving direction of the movable portion 372 of the opening drive portion 370, that is, the vertical direction.

  Therefore, the ionizer 390 of this embodiment can be moved between the closed position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 9 and the open position indicated by the two-dot chain line by the opening drive unit 370. In the closed position, the ionizer 390 faces the opening 310 of the sheet storage unit 300, so that the ionizer 390 can flow static elimination air into the internal space 301.

  In the closed position, the ionizer 390 faces the opening 310 of the sheet storage unit 300, so that the opening 310 is closed rather than the open position. On the other hand, in the open position, the ionizer 390 moves upward from the opening 310 of the sheet storage unit 300. Thereby, in the open position, the opening 310 of the sheet storage unit 300 is opened.

  In this embodiment, the opening drive unit 370 causes the ionizer 390 to take the open position when the transport unit 20 performs the take-out operation or the storage operation. On the other hand, the opening drive unit 370 causes the ionizer 390 to take the closed position when the ionizer 390 does not take the opening position. Specifically, the opening drive unit 370 causes the ionizer 390 to take the closed position when the transport unit 20 is not performing either the take-out operation or the storage operation.

  In the closed position, the ionizer 390 flows static elimination air into the internal space 301 of the sheet storage unit 300. Thereby, also in this embodiment, the adhesion amount of dust or the like to the sheet 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 300 can be reduced.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the sheet storage device of this embodiment, the orientations of the sheets stored in the sheet storage unit are different. That is, in the above-described embodiment, all of the plurality of sheets are stored in the sheet storage portion in a horizontal state with the maximum surface thereof being horizontal. On the other hand, in this embodiment, all of the plurality of sheets are stored in the sheet storage unit in a vertically oriented state in which the maximum surface intersects perpendicularly with the horizontal plane.

  Also in the sheet storage device 1 of the present embodiment, the placement unit 10 and the conveyance unit 20 are the same as the above-described embodiments. Further, the scanner unit 40 mounted on the mounting unit 10 is the same as the above-described embodiment. In this embodiment, the sheet storage unit 400 (see FIG. 10) is different from the above embodiment.

  FIG. 10 shows a front view of the sheet storage unit 400 of the present embodiment. Also in this embodiment, the sheets 50 stored in the internal space 401 of the sheet storage section 400, the number of sheets 50 stored, and the like are the same as in the above-described embodiment. Also in this embodiment, the plurality of sheets 50 are stored in the internal space 401 of the sheet storage unit 400 side by side with a gap in the thickness direction.

  However, in the sheet storage unit 400 of this embodiment, all of the plurality of sheets 50 are stored in the internal space 401 so that the largest surface having the largest area intersects the horizontal plane perpendicularly. In addition, the sheet storage unit 400 of this embodiment has an opening 410 formed above it.

  In the sheet storage unit 400, a bottom plate 405 is provided below the opening 410 and the sheet 50 across the sheet 50. The bottom plate 405 is inserted into grooves 407 and 408 formed in the sheet storage unit 400. Thereby, in the sheet storage unit 400 of this embodiment, the bottom plate 405 can be removed from the main body of the sheet storage unit 400. Specifically, the bottom plate 405 can be removed by pulling out from the main body of the sheet storage unit 400 in the horizontal direction.

  A plurality of through holes 406 are formed in the bottom plate 405 of the sheet storage unit 400. Although only a part of the through hole 406 is shown in FIG. 10, the through hole 406 is actually formed in the entire bottom plate 405.

  The sheet storage unit 400 is also provided with an ionizer 490. The ionizer 490 of this embodiment is also composed of a fan 491 and a charge removal unit 492. The ionizer 490 can also flow static electricity from the outside of the internal space 401 of the sheet storage unit 400 toward the internal space 401.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the ionizer 490 of the present embodiment is disposed so as to face the opening 410 of the sheet storage unit 400. That is, the ionizer 490 can flow static elimination air toward the opening 410 of the sheet storage unit 400.

  Then, the static elimination air flowed toward the opening 410 by the ionizer 490 passes through the inside of the opening 410 and flows into the internal space 401. Further, the static elimination air that has flowed into the internal space 401 passes through the internal space 401 and reaches the bottom plate 405 on the opposite side of the opening 410. Therefore, the static elimination air that has passed through the internal space 401 is discharged from the through hole 406 of the bottom plate 405 to the outside of the internal space 401. Thereby, also in the present embodiment, the static elimination air flows along the maximum surface having the largest area of the sheet 50.

  Therefore, also in this embodiment, dust or the like that has entered the internal space 401 can be appropriately discharged to the outside of the internal space 401 by the static elimination air. Furthermore, even if there is dust or the like adhering to the sheet 50 due to static electricity, the dust or the like can be appropriately removed from the sheet 50. Further, in this embodiment, dust or the like discharged from the internal space 401 is below the sheet storage unit 400, and the conveyance unit 20 does not exist there. Therefore, in this embodiment, dust or the like does not adhere to the conveyance unit 20 due to the airflow of static elimination air.

  In this embodiment, the ionizer 490 is disposed on the opening 410 side of the sheet storage unit 400 so as to close the opening 410 of the sheet storage unit 400. Therefore, as it is, the holding unit 100 of the transport unit 20 cannot be moved into the internal space 401 of the sheet storage unit 400, and the sheet 50 cannot be taken out or stored.

  Therefore, the ionizer 490 of this embodiment can operate to a position where the opening 410 of the sheet storage unit 400 is opened. FIG. 11 shows a plane of the sheet storage unit 300. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, the ionizer 490 of the present embodiment is provided with an opening drive unit 470 and an opening guide unit 480.

  The opening drive unit 470 and the opening guide unit 480 are the same as those in the second embodiment. And the main-body part 471 of the open drive part 470 of this form is being fixed to the bracket 475 by making the moving direction of the movable part 472 into a horizontal direction. Further, the guide rail 481 of the opening guide portion 480 is fixed to the bracket 485 so that the moving direction of the movable portion 482 matches the moving direction of the movable portion 472 of the opening drive portion 470, that is, the horizontal direction.

  Therefore, the ionizer 490 of this embodiment can be moved between the closed position indicated by the solid line in FIG. 11 and the open position indicated by the two-dot chain line by the opening drive unit 470. At the closed position, the ionizer 490 faces the opening 410 of the sheet storage unit 400, so that the ionizer 490 can flow static elimination air into the internal space 401.

  In the closed position, the ionizer 490 faces the opening 410 of the sheet storage unit 400, so that the opening 410 is closed rather than the open position. On the other hand, in the open position, the ionizer 490 moves from the opening 410 of the sheet storage unit 400 to the side of the sheet storage unit 400. Thereby, in the open position, the opening 410 of the sheet storage unit 400 is opened.

  In this embodiment, the opening drive unit 470 causes the ionizer 490 to take the open position when the transport unit 20 performs the take-out operation or the storage operation. On the other hand, the opening drive unit 470 causes the ionizer 490 to take the closed position when the ionizer 490 does not take the opening position. Specifically, the opening drive unit 470 causes the ionizer 490 to take the closed position when the transport unit 20 is not performing either the take-out operation or the storage operation.

  In the closed position, the ionizer 490 flows static electricity into the internal space 401 of the sheet storage unit 400. Thereby, also in this embodiment, the amount of adhesion of dust and the like to the sheet 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 400 can be reduced.

  FIG. 12 is a view of the sheet storage portion 400 when viewed from the opening 410 side. FIG. 12 shows only the inside of the opening 410. FIG. 12 also shows the holding unit 100.

  The sheet storage unit 400 of the present embodiment includes rail members 421 and 423 on the side walls facing the side surfaces 53 and 55 of the stored sheet 50, respectively. A groove 422 is formed in the rail member 421, and a groove 424 is formed in the rail member 423. The rail member 421 and the rail member 423 constitute a pair of rail member 420 by opposing persons, and five rail member pairs 420 are provided in the sheet storage portion 400 and arranged in the thickness direction of the seat 50. ing.

  In addition, in the sheet storage unit 400, the rail member pair 420 is fixed so that the longitudinal direction of the grooves 422 and 424 intersects the horizontal plane. In the sheet storage unit 400 of this embodiment, the rail member pair 420 is provided with the longitudinal direction of the grooves 422 and 424 aligned with the vertical direction.

  Each of the five sheets 50 is accommodated in the sheet accommodating portion 400 by fitting the grooves 422 and 424 of the rail member pair 420 having different convex portions 57. The sheet 50 can be taken out from the sheet storage portion 400 by pulling the convex portion pair 57 along the grooves 422 and 424 of the rail member pair 420 in a direction against gravity. Further, the taken-out sheet 50 can be stored in the sheet storage portion 400 by inserting the convex portion pair 57 along the grooves 422 and 424 of the rail member pair 420 in the direction in which the weight acts.

  When taking out the sheet 50, the transport unit 20 of the present embodiment inserts the holding unit 100 into the insertion gap on the first surface 51 side of the sheet 50 with the suction unit 140 facing the sheet 50. FIG. 12 also shows the size G1 of the insertion gap and the thickness H of the holding portion 100. In addition, a gap size HG1 on the suction portion 140 side of the holding portion 100 inserted into the insertion gap and a gap size HG2 on the base portion 101 side are shown. Furthermore, the thickness S of the sheet 50, the thickness S1 of the convex portion pair 57, and the distance S2 from the second surface 52 of the convex portion pair 57 are also shown. In addition, the size Y of the non-insertion gap is also shown.

  Here, in this embodiment, the width of the grooves 422 and 424 of the rail member pair 420 is larger than the thickness S1 of the convex portion pair 57 of the sheet 50. This is to prevent the convex portion pair 57 of the sheet 50 from being rubbed strongly against the inner wall surfaces of the grooves 422 and 424. Thereby, the take-out operation or the storage operation can be performed smoothly. Further, when the rail member pair 420 and the convex portion pair 57 are rubbed strongly by the take-out operation or the storage operation, these members are scraped to generate shavings, and the shavings adhere to the sheet 50. There is a fear. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the amount of dust and the like attached to the sheet 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 400 can be further reduced by suppressing the generation of such scraps.

  In the sheet storage unit 400, as described above, the bottom plate 405 can be removed from the main body. The bottom plate 405 is located on the downstream side in the flow direction of the static elimination air in the internal space 401. For this reason, the dust etc. which could not pass through the through-hole 406 may adhere. In this embodiment, the bottom plate 405 can be removed, so that the bottom plate 405 can be easily cleaned.

  Further, the through hole 406 of the bottom plate 405 is preferably formed at a position corresponding to a gap between the plurality of sheets 50 stored in the sheet storage unit 400. Furthermore, the through hole 406 of the bottom plate 405 is also formed at a position corresponding to the gap between the sheet 50 positioned at the end of the sheets 50 stored side by side in the thickness direction and the inner wall surface of the sheet storage unit 400. Preferably it is. This is because dust and the like can be appropriately discharged from the internal space 401 of the sheet storage unit 400.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. The sheet storage device of this embodiment is basically the same as that of the first embodiment. However, this embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that a lift unit is provided in the sheet storage unit.

  Also in the sheet storage device 1 of the present embodiment, the placement unit 10 and the conveyance unit 20 are the same as those in the first embodiment. Further, the scanner unit 40 mounted on the mounting unit 10 is the same as that in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the sheet storage unit 500 (see FIG. 13) is different from the first embodiment.

  FIG. 13 shows a front view of the sheet storage unit 500 of the present embodiment. Also in this embodiment, the sheets 50 stored in the internal space 501 of the sheet storage section 500, the number of sheets 50 stored, and the like are the same as in the first embodiment. Also in this embodiment, the plurality of sheets 50 are all stored in the internal space 501 with the maximum surface having the largest area being horizontal.

  The sheet storage unit 500 is also provided with an ionizer 590. The ionizer 590 of this embodiment is also composed of a fan 591 and a charge removal unit 592. The ionizer 590 can also flow static electricity to the internal space 501 from the through hole 506 of the side wall 505 of the sheet storage unit 500 toward the opening 510.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the lower part of the sheet storage unit 500 of this embodiment is fixed to the upper surface of the lifting plate 520. In addition, a fixing portion 530 is provided below the elevating plate 520. Further, an elevating drive unit 540 and an elevating guide unit 550 are provided between the elevating plate 520 and the fixing unit 530.

  The elevating drive unit 540 includes a screw shaft 541, a nut 542, and a motor 543. The screw shaft 541 is connected to the motor 543 with the axial direction aligned with the vertical direction, and can be rotated by driving the motor 543. The nut 542 is fixed to the elevating plate 520 and can move along the screw shaft 541 by the rotation of the screw shaft 541 passing through the nut 542. The motor 543 is fixed to the fixed portion 530. As a result, the lifting plate 520 can move in the vertical direction as the motor 543 is driven.

  The elevating guide part 550 includes a guide rod 551, a rod fixing part 552, and a guide bush 553. The guide rod 551 is fixed to the fixing portion 530 by a rod fixing portion 552 with the axial direction aligned with the vertical direction. Further, the guide bush 553 is fixed to the elevating plate 520 and can move along the guide rod 551 penetrating therethrough. A plurality (for example, four) of the raising / lowering guide portions 550 are provided.

  Therefore, the sheet storage unit 500 according to the present embodiment can adjust the height of the stored sheet 50 by the elevating drive unit 540. For this reason, for example, the sheet 50 taken out by the take-out operation of the transport unit 20 can be adjusted to the height of the scanner unit 40. Thereby, the position of the sheet 50 taken out from the sheet storage unit 500 can be brought close to the scanner unit 40. That is, the position of the sheet 50 to be taken out can be brought closer to the transported position as much as possible. Therefore, the conveyance time of the sheet 50 between the internal space 501 of the sheet storage unit 500 and the scanner unit 40 by the conveyance unit 20 can be shortened. Furthermore, the movable range of the conveyance unit 20 in the vertical direction can be reduced. Therefore, the conveyance part 20 needs only a small movable range. For this reason, for example, an inexpensive robot 30 of the transport unit 20 can be used.

  In the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the ionizer 590 is provided on the side wall 505 side of the sheet storage unit 500. However, the ionizer 590 may be provided on the opening 510 side of the sheet storage unit 500 as in the second embodiment.

  As described above in detail, the sheet storage apparatuses of the first to fourth embodiments have a sheet storage unit and a conveyance unit. In the internal space of the sheet storage unit, a plurality of sheets are stored side by side with a gap in the thickness direction. The transport unit 20 performs a take-out operation for taking out the sheet stored in the sheet storage unit, and transports the taken-out sheet to a scanner unit placed outside the internal space of the sheet storage unit. The conveying unit has a holding unit that holds the sheet, and in the take-out operation, the sheet held by the holding unit is taken out from the sheet storage unit by moving along the first surface and the second surface which are the maximum surfaces. . In the sheet storage portion, a first opening is formed at a location where the holding portion and the sheet pass during the take-out operation. Further, in the sheet storage portion, a second opening is formed by a through hole on a wall surface provided to face the first opening with the sheet interposed therebetween. Furthermore, an ionizer is provided in the sheet storage unit. The ionizer includes a static elimination unit that neutralizes air to remove static air, and a fan that generates a flow of static elimination air. The ionizer then flows static elimination air from one of the first opening and the second opening in the internal space of the sheet storage portion toward the other. Thereby, dust or the like attached to the sheet stored in the sheet storage unit can be removed. Therefore, a sheet storage device that can reduce the amount of dust and the like attached to the stored sheet is realized.

  In addition, said embodiment is only a mere illustration and does not limit this invention at all. Therefore, the present invention can naturally be improved and modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example applied to the sheet storage device used for the inspection and correction of the scanner unit has been described, but it can be used for other purposes as well.

  Further, for example, the number of sheets stored in the sheet storage unit and the number of suction pads provided in the holding unit in the above-described embodiment can be appropriately changed depending on the mode in which the sheet storage device is used. .

  Also, for example, in the above-described embodiment, as the sheet storage unit, the sheet is stored in a horizontal state with the maximum surface horizontal, and the sheet is stored in a vertical state in which the maximum surface intersects the horizontal plane vertically. It explains about. However, the sheet storage unit may store the sheet with its maximum surface inclined with respect to the horizontal plane.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the ionizer has been described as generating an air flow of static elimination air obtained by neutralizing air. However, the ionizer is not particularly limited as long as it can generate an air stream of a gas that has been neutralized, and for example, an ionizer that generates an air stream from which nitrogen gas has been eliminated may be used.

  Further, for example, in the first embodiment, the side wall of the sheet storage unit facing the ionizer is not necessarily required. That is, the sheet storage portion may have no wall surface that intersects with the flow direction of static elimination air generated by the ionizer, and may have large openings formed on both sides in the flow direction of static elimination air.

  Further, for example, in the second embodiment, the side wall formed with a plurality of through holes, which is located downstream of the sheet storage portion in the direction of the static electricity removal, is separate from the main body, like the bottom plate of the third embodiment. A side plate of the member may be used so that it can be removed. This is because the side plate can be removed by removing the side plate located downstream in the flow direction of the static elimination air, where dust and the like are likely to adhere.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sheet storage apparatus 10 Loading part 20 Conveyance part 30 Robot 40 Scanner part 41 Reading surface 50 Sheet 51 1st surface 52 2nd surface 100 Holding part 140 Adsorption part 200,300,400,500 Sheet storage part 290,390,490 , 590 Ionizer 291, 391, 491, 591 Fan 292, 392, 492, 592

Claims (10)

A storage section for storing a plurality of sheets in an internal space side by side with a gap in the thickness direction;
A sheet storage device that includes a transport unit that performs a take-out operation to take out the sheet stored in the storage unit, and transports the extracted sheet to a position outside the internal space of the storage unit;
The transport unit is
A holding portion for holding the sheet;
In the take-out operation, the sheet held by the holding part is taken out from the storage part by moving along the surface of the maximum surface which is the surface having the largest area,
The storage section is
A first opening formed at a location where the holding portion and the sheet pass during the take-out operation;
A second opening formed opposite to the first opening with the sheet interposed therebetween;
A blower for flowing gas from one of the first opening and the second opening to the other in the internal space of the housing;
The blowing section is
A sheet storage device comprising: a static elimination unit that neutralizes a gas to provide a static elimination body; and a flow of the static elimination body to the internal space of the storage unit. The sheet storage device according to claim 1,
The blowing section is
As viewed from the seat stored in the storage portion, provided on the second opening side,
When the take-out operation is performed, the sheet storage device is characterized in that the wind speed of the static elimination body flowing in the internal space of the storage unit is made slower than when the take-out operation is not performed. . The sheet storage device according to claim 1,
The blowing section is
As viewed from the seat stored in the storage portion, provided on the first opening side,
A blower moving section that moves the blower section between an open position where the first opening is opened and a closed position where the first opening is blocked by the blower section rather than the open position; ,
The air moving part is
When the take-out operation is being performed, let the air blower take the open position,
The sheet storage device according to claim 1, wherein when the air blowing unit does not take the open position, the air blowing unit takes the closing position. The sheet storage device according to claim 3,
The storage section is
A wall member facing the first opening and the sheet,
A plurality of through holes are formed in the wall surface member, and the second opening is formed by the through holes,
The wall member is
The sheet storage device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet storage device can be detached from the main body of the storage portion by being a separate member from the main body of the storage portion. In the sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The storage section is
Storing the sheet with the maximum surface intersecting the horizontal plane;
The sheet storage device according to claim 1, wherein the first opening is formed upward and the second opening is formed downward. In the sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The transport unit is
The sheet taken out from the storage unit is slid along the surface of the mating surface while aligning the maximum surface with the mating surface provided outside the storage unit, and then stored in the storage unit. A sheet storage device characterized by being a thing. The sheet storage device according to claim 6,
The storage section is
A sheet storage apparatus that stores the sheet with a surface of the maximum surface that meets the mating surface facing downward. In the sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The sheet is
A sheet storage device comprising a sheet and a high-rigidity plate made of a material having conductivity and higher rigidity than the paper in the thickness direction. In the sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The transport unit is
The holding part has an adsorbing part that adsorbs the target member by sucking air from the suction port,
A sheet storage device that holds the sheet by adsorbing the adsorbing portion to the maximum surface of the sheet. In the sheet storage device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The storage section is
The seat is stored in a state where the maximum surface intersects the vertical direction,
A sheet storage device having an elevating part that moves in a vertical direction.

Images