JP6042147B2 - Paper sheet stacking device - Google Patents

Description

  Embodiments described herein relate generally to a paper sheet stacking apparatus that transports and stacks paper sheets.

  Conventionally, it is desired to improve the processing performance of the paper sheet stacking apparatus. In order to improve the processing performance of the paper sheet stacking device, the impeller system and the roller brake system (technology that stops the transport of paper sheets by applying a brake to the paper sheets immediately before stacking) A wide variety of technologies are used. Among them, when braking is applied to paper sheets just before stacking, the processing performance, particularly the number of stacked sheets per hour, is not improved, and improvement is desired.

Japanese Patent No. 3368351

  The technology to brake paper sheets just before stacking is a technology that brakes with a roller just before stacking and decelerates or stops the paper sheets. When decelerating or stopping the paper, in order to avoid a collision with the subsequent paper sheet, the paper sheet conveyance interval (hereinafter referred to as the pitch) must be taken longer, and the processing performance (the number of accumulated sheets per hour) is more than now. ) Was difficult to improve.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a paper sheet stacking apparatus capable of improving the processing performance.

The paper sheet stacking apparatus of the embodiment includes a rear end detection unit, a first transport unit, a second transport unit, and a stack unit. The trailing edge detection unit detects the trailing edge of the paper sheet conveyed from the upstream at the first conveyance speed. The first transport unit changes the trajectory of the paper sheet by pushing the surface of the rear end of the paper sheet detected by the rear end detection unit in the thickness direction of the paper sheet. The second transport unit is sandwiched between the first transport unit and the rear end of the paper sheet whose trajectory has been changed by being pushed by the first transport unit. The second transport unit is slower than the first transport speed. The sheet is decelerated to the second conveyance speed, and the paper sheet is released by being separated from the first conveyance unit and sent out. The stacking unit stacks the paper sheets sent out by the second transport unit. The second transport unit is a roller that is installed at a position lower than the trajectory of the paper sheet and rotates at a peripheral speed lower than the first transport speed. The first transport unit is a plate-like structure that can sandwich and release paper sheets with the second transport unit.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the form processing apparatus of 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the control system of a form processing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure of 1st Embodiment (stacking mechanism part). It is a figure which shows the operation | movement (relationship between the speed of a form, and time) of a stacking mechanism part. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of a stacking mechanism part. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of a stacking mechanism part. It is a figure which shows the structure of 2nd Embodiment (other examples of a stacking mechanism part). It is a figure which shows the structure of 3rd Embodiment (other examples of a stacking mechanism part). It is a figure which shows operation | movement of a stacking mechanism part. It is a figure which shows the structure of the control system of 4th Embodiment. It is a side view which shows the structure of 4th Embodiment (stacking mechanism part). It is a front view which shows the structure of 4th Embodiment (stacking mechanism part). It is a figure which shows the operation | movement (Relationship between the speed of a form, and time) of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of 4th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of 4th Embodiment. It is a timing chart showing the operation of the gate triggered by the detection of the trailing edge of the form. It is a figure which shows the structure of the control system of 5th Embodiment. It is a front view which shows the structure of 5th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the skew correction operation | movement of a form. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of 5th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of 5th Embodiment. It is a front view which shows the structure of 6th Embodiment (stacking mechanism part). It is a figure which shows operation | movement of 6th Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the other example of the mechanism which drives a gate.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a form processing apparatus which is an embodiment of the paper sheet stacking apparatus of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the form processing apparatus of this embodiment includes a form-movable optical character reading apparatus 1 (hereinafter referred to as “OCR apparatus body 1”) and a communication cable connected to the OCR apparatus body 1. It comprises a control host 100 as a connected host computer.

  The OCR apparatus main body 1 includes an operation unit 2, a controller 3, a form adding mechanism 6, a paper sheet conveyance unit 7, a conveyance path 8, an optical reading unit 9, an accumulation mechanism unit 20, and the like provided on the front surface of the apparatus main body.

  The operation unit 2 is provided with buttons for instructing to start and stop the processing of the form and for canceling the error. Each button is connected to the controller 3, and when each button is operated, the controller 3 receives an instruction from the user, and controls each unit according to the received instruction.

  The form adding mechanism 6 is provided at the form taking-in port of the OCR apparatus main body 1. In the form adding mechanism 6, the forms P taken into the apparatus are stacked and mounted in an obliquely addable state. Since the position of the form P changes during conveyance, it is expressed as forms Pa, Pb, Pc,... The paper sheet transport unit 7 transports the form at a constant transport speed (first transport speed).

  The optical reading unit 9 is provided in the conveyance path 8 downstream of the paper sheet conveyance unit 7. The optical reading unit 9 is an image reading unit that reads an image from a form P conveyed on the conveyance path 8, and is, for example, a contact type CCD line sensor (contact sensor). The controller 3 will be described in the description of the control system in FIG.

  The stacking mechanism unit 20 includes a form sensor S, transport rollers 10 and 11, a stepped cam 23 as a first transport unit, a driven roller 26 as a second transport unit, guides 24 and 29, and the like. A stage preceding the stacking mechanism 20 is referred to as upstream.

  The stepped cam 23 is a rotating body having a continuous portion in which the distance from the rotation center to the outer peripheral portion continuously increases (changes) from a predetermined distance, and a discontinuous portion that returns to the predetermined distance at a certain time. It is. The driven roller 26 rotates (follows) according to the rotation of the stepped cam 23 in contact therewith. That is, the driven roller 26 is a structure that is driven by an outer peripheral surface being pushed by a stepped cam 23 that is a rotating body.

  The stacker unit 21 is a stacking unit that stacks the forms P sent out at a low speed by the stepped cam 23 and the driven roller 26. The guide 24 guides the side edge of the conveyed form P, and aligns the extreme inclination of the form P. The guides 29 are arranged at predetermined intervals so as to guide the form P above and below the conveyance path of the form P, and form the conveyance path 8. This guide 29 prevents the trajectory of the tip of the form P from changing.

  The control host 100 is a computer on which an OCR application software program is installed. That is, the control host 100 activates the OCR application software program and gives an instruction to the OCR apparatus main body 1 to manage the recognition result of the image of the form P read by the OCR apparatus main body 1 for each form P.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a control system of the OCR apparatus main body 1. The control system of the OCR apparatus main body 1 includes a controller 3 as a control unit, a drive unit 12 that drives the conveyance roller 10, a drive unit 13 that drives the stepped cam 23, a form sensor S, an operation unit 2, and an optical reading unit 9. Etc.

  The controller 3 has a CPU 4, a memory 5 and an interface 33.

  The memory 5 stores a conveyance control program. The CPU 4 performs conveyance control and tilt (skew) control of the form P in accordance with the conveyance control program in the memory 5.

  An internal bus from each part in the apparatus is connected to the interface 33. Each unit includes the optical reading unit 9, the operation unit 2, the drive units 12 and 13 including the motor, the belt, and the gear, the form sensor S, and the like.

  The form sensor S is an optical sensor such as an infrared sensor in which light emitting units and light receiving units arranged in a scattered manner along the conveyance path 8 are arranged across the conveyance path 8 in the vertical direction.

  Specifically, each form sensor S detects a form P conveyed on the conveyance path, and notifies the controller 3 of “light” and “dark” states as notification signals. The form sensor S notifies the controller 3 of a “bright” signal when the light emitted from the light emitting part is received by the light receiving part, and a “dark” signal when the light is blocked by the conveyed form P. To be notified.

  The form sensor S and the controller 3 of the stacking mechanism unit 20 are rear end detection units that detect the rear end part of the form P. The rear end of the form P is detected when the form sensor S changes from “dark” to “bright”. In FIG. 1, it is provided upstream of the transport rollers 10 and 11, but may be provided downstream.

  When it is detected from the notification signal from the form sensor S that the controller 3 has reached the position, the controller 3 controls the driving of the transport roller 10 and the stepped cam 23.

  The drive unit 12 is controlled by the controller 3 to drive the transport roller 10. The conveyance roller 11 is provided to face the conveyance roller 10, and a conveyance path 8 is formed between them. The conveyance roller 11 and the conveyance roller 10 hold (pinch) the form P and convey it at a constant speed (first conveyance speed). The drive unit 13 is controlled by the controller 3 to rotationally drive the stepped cam 23.

  In the OCR apparatus body 1, the controller 3 controls each drive unit, each mechanism, a relay, and the like based on an instruction from the control host 100 to process the form P. It is also possible for the controller 3 to mount the OCR application software program and perform the above-described image recognition processing without connecting the control host 100.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the stacking mechanism unit 20 includes a form sensor S, a stepped cam 23 supported by a rotating shaft 22, a driven roller 26, guides 24 and 29, and the like.

  The guide 24 is installed at a position (position shifted downward from the transport track X1) lower than the height of the interval between the upper and lower guides 29 (see the transport path 8 in FIG. 1).

  The driven roller 26 is supported by the rotating shaft 27 so as to face the stepped cam 23 via the conveyance path 8. The rotary shaft 27 is supported by the OCR device main body 1 so as to be movable in the direction of arrow B (vertical direction), and is always urged upward by a spring 25 (biasing means). A stopper (not shown) is provided so that the outer peripheral surface of the driven roller 26 does not move upward beyond the position of the conveyance path 8.

  The form sensor S is a detection unit that detects the rear end of the form P that has been transported on the transport path 8 from the upstream at the first transport speed.

  The stepped cam 23 is a cam whose turning radius continuously increases from small to large and changes suddenly from maximum to minimum at the stepped portion. The stepped cam 23 rotates and pushes the rear end surface of the form P detected by the form sensor S in the thickness direction of the form P (in the direction of the down arrow of the arrow B). The transport track X1 is changed to a lower track (position) X2. Note that the thickness direction of the form P can also be referred to as a direction orthogonal to the paper surface of the form P.

  In this example, the position where the step portion of the stepped cam 23 abuts on the driven roller 26 is the lowermost portion, and when the stepped cam 23 rotates in this direction from the position of the arrow A, the driven roller 26 biases the spring 25. And then stops at the position of the transport track X1 by the stopper. At this position, an empty form P can pass between the driven roller 26 and the stepped cam 23.

  The direction of the downward arrow of the arrow B is a direction in which the rear end surface of the form Pa is gripped and pushed downward as the stepped cam 23 rotates in the arrow A direction.

  The driven roller 26 has a stepped cam 23 at the rear end of the form P whose track has been changed by being pushed by the stepped cam 23 while the form P is passing through the space formed between the driven roller 26 and the stepped cam 23. The stepped cam is decelerated to a second conveying speed (rotational speed of the stepped cam 23: angular speed) lower than the upstream conveying speed (first conveying speed) The form P is released by being separated from the sheet 23 and sent to the stacker unit 21. Each of the above parts is controlled by the controller 3. Before the form P is pushed down and decelerated, the stepped cam 23 rotates at a speed in the vicinity of the first conveyance speed and grips the front end of the form P, thereby stabilizing the conveyance of the form P. You may let them.

The operation of the form processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.
In the case of this form processing apparatus, when the user operates the button of the operation unit 2 to start form processing, the controller 3 receives this instruction and controls the paper sheet transport unit 7 to add the form addition mechanism 6. The forms P set in are sequentially taken into the paper sheet transport unit 7 and the transport operation is started.

  At the start of the operation, the controller 3 sets the step of the stepped cam 23 to a vertical state (position in FIG. 3), creates a paper passing gap, and allows the form P to be held.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the stepped cam 23 makes one rotation (1 cycle) at the cam peripheral speed C2 while one form P passes (conveys), and the form P1 is pushed down during this time, and the form P1 trajectory. The rear end of the form P is sandwiched between the driven roller 26 and the driven roller 26 while changing the speed, and is sent out.

  Specifically, the stepped cam 23 and the follower roller 26 are provided with a stepped cam shown in FIG. 5 on the surface of the form Pb that has been transported on the transport path X1 near the maximum speed (transport speed C0) on the transport path 8. Is held at the position 23 (the position rotated to the arrow A1), and the form P is pushed downward by the change of the rotation radius accompanying the rotation of the stepped cam 23, and the form P trajectory is shifted downward while the form P is displaced downward. The conveyance speed (paper speed C1) is reduced. The peripheral speed C2 of the stepped cam 23 when gripping the form P may be made equal to the transport speed C0, which can widen the transport interval (pitch) between the forms.

  When the stepped cam 23 rotates to the position shown in FIG. 6 (the position indicated by the arrow A2), the radius of the stepped cam 23 increases, and the position of the rear end of the gripped form Pb is the lowest position. (Position X2). The stepped cam circumferential speed C1 is minimized and the deceleration of the form Pb is completed.

  The deceleration may be performed only in the vicinity of the state of FIG. 6, and in that case, it is not necessary to hold the form Pb before that. At this position, the form Pc following the form Pb is on the transport path X1, and the height of the form Pb is shifted from the rear end of the form Pb. Even if it does not collide. Immediately thereafter, the form Pb is gripped off (canceled release) and sent to the stacker unit 21 at the cam peripheral speed C1 when the grip is turned off.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the form Pb is decelerated while forcibly moving down the track of the end, and is naturally dropped and accumulated in the stacker unit 21. The conveyance interval (pitch) between the forms can be narrowed without interfering with the leading end of the form Pc, and the speed of the stacking process can be increased. Further, by pinching the rear end of the form P, it is difficult for the form P to bend. As a result, it is possible to improve the processing performance (the number of sheets accumulated per time) of the form processing apparatus.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment (another example of the stacking mechanism unit 20) will be described with reference to FIG.
The second embodiment is an example in which the spring 25 of the first embodiment is a movable portion 30 (a mechanism that mechanically raises and lowers the driven roller 26 within a certain range).

  As shown in FIG. 7, a driven roller 26 and a rotating roller 31 are rotatably fixed to the movable portion 30 via a spring (not shown) having a narrow movable range. Further, the rotary roller 31 has a stepped cam 32 connected to the shaft thereof via a spring 25a. The step of the stepped cam 32 in the direction of the arrow C in FIG. It is energized to move by that amount.

  That is, the rotating roller 31 moves up and down in accordance with the rotation of the stepped cam 32, and the movable portion 30 including the driven roller 26 also moves up and down accordingly. The stepped cam 32 is provided so as to perform the same operation in synchronization with the stepped cam 23. When the stepped cam 32 rotates in the direction of arrow A, the rotary roller 31 rises in the direction of arrow C, and the entire movable portion 30 rises. Thereby, the driven roller 26 follows the stepped cam 23 without depending on the spring force.

  By configuring in this way, a failure caused by the driven operation of the stepped cam 23 and the driven roller 26 (a balance between the followability and the grip force in the case of only the spring 25 of the first embodiment is a pinpoint. And spring deterioration is greatly affected).

  Thus, according to the second embodiment, in addition to the effects of the first embodiment, the follow-up performance of the driven roller 26 can be improved.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment (another example of the stacking mechanism unit 20) will be described with reference to FIGS. The third embodiment is an example in which the positions (vertical relationship) of the driven roller 26 and the movable portion 30 of the second embodiment with the stepped cam 23, the stepped cam 32, and the rotating roller 31 (see FIG. 7) are reversed. It is.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the third embodiment is formed between the guide 29 and the driven roller 26 and the movable portion 30 as the first transport unit disposed on the top of the transport path 8 formed by the guide 29. A stepped cam 23, a stepped cam 32, and a rotating roller 31 as a second conveying unit disposed in the lower portion of the conveying path.

  The driven roller 26 changes the trajectory of the form P by pushing the rear end surface of the form P detected by the form sensor S in the thickness direction of the form P.

  The stepped cam 23 decelerates the form P to the rotational speed (second transport speed) of the stepped cam 23 while holding the rear end of the form P whose track has been changed by the driven roller 26 with the driven roller 26. Then send it out.

  In the case of the third embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the form Pa conveyed from the conveyance direction is gripped by the stepped cam 23 and the driven roller 26. At this time, the peripheral speed of the stepped cam 23 is close to the maximum speed, preferably equivalent to the upstream conveying speed, and the upper part of the step where the radius of the stepped cam 23 is large is opposed to the driven roller 26.

  In the state before FIG. 8, the driven roller 26 and the stepped cam 23 are separated from each other, and the movable portion 30 is moved upward so that the form Pb can pass without contacting both.

  Similar to the second embodiment, the movable portion 30 includes a rotary roller 31 fixed to the movable portion 30 and a stepped cam 32 connected to the rotary roller 31 via a spring 25a. Operates up and down within the range of the step height. And according to it, the movable part 30 including the driven roller 26 also moves up and down.

  From this state, the stepped cam 23 and the driven roller 26 decrease in speed as they rotate, and in a state where they rotate to the arrow A2 in FIG. 9, they are decelerated to a speed much smaller than the conveyance speed. At this time, the portion having a small radius of the stepped cam 23 is opposed to the driven roller 26.

When the sheet Pa is further rotated from this state, the form Pa naturally falls on the stacker unit 21 at a speed much lower than the above-described conveyance speed.
As described above, according to the third embodiment, the first form Pa is decelerated and naturally dropped while being forced to move downward along the track of the end thereof, and is accumulated in the stacker unit 21. For this reason, the leading end of the form Pb conveyed next to the form Pa does not interfere with the rear end of the form Pa. Therefore, the pitch between forms can be narrowed and the accumulation processing speed can be increased.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment (another example of the stacking mechanism unit 20) will be described with reference to FIGS. The fourth embodiment is an example in which the stepped cam 23 of the first embodiment is used as a gate. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 1st Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the form processing apparatus according to the fourth embodiment includes gates 41 and 42, a rotating roller 26 a, and drive units 13 and 14.

  The gates 41 and 42 are rod-like or plate-like structures that can be pressed and separated as the rotary shaft 43 rotates (arrow A). The gates 41 and 42 are supported by the rotation shaft 43. The rotary shaft 43 is rotationally driven in the direction of arrow A by the drive unit 14. The drive unit 14 is a drive source that rotates the rotating shaft 43 that supports the gates 41 and 42.

  The gate 41 is disposed above the rotating roller 26a so as to face the rotating roller 26a. A face G that abuts on the form P is provided at the end 44 of the gate 41. This surface G has a sufficient width (distance W between L1 and L2 in FIG. 15) before and after the rotation center of the rotating roller 26a in the transport direction. The gate 41 sandwiches and opens the form P by the surface G of the end portion 44 and the rotating roller 26a.

  The gates 42 are arranged in a nested state (alternately arranged) without directly contacting the rotating roller 26a. Therefore, the end 42a of the gate 42 and the rotating roller 26a do not come into contact (contact). The gate 42 is disposed so as to push the surface of the form P deeper than the radius of the rotating roller 26a (up to the position of the symbol Q in FIG. 12).

  The gates 41 and 42, the drive unit 14, and the rotating shaft 43 are collectively referred to as a gate mechanism. The gate mechanism changes the trajectory of the form P by pushing the rear end surface of the form P detected by the form sensor S in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the form P. In this example, the gate 41 and the gate 42 are disposed, but only one of them may be provided.

  When the gate 41 and the gate 42 are used together as in this example, the gate 42 may be arranged so as not to push the form P up to the position of the symbol Q shown in FIG.

  The rotating roller 26a is disposed at a position where the outer peripheral surface comes to a position X2 that is lowered from the position of the transport track X1. The rotating roller 26a is rotated by the driving unit 13 at a peripheral speed much smaller than the upstream conveying speed. That is, the rotating roller 26a is a roller for decelerating. The drive unit 13 is a drive source that rotates the rotating roller 26a.

  That is, the rotating roller 26a holds the rear end of the form P that has been pushed by the gates 41 and 42 between the gates 41 and 42, and the form P is transported from the upstream (first transport speed). After the speed is reduced to a low speed (second transport speed), the form P is opened and sent to the stacker unit 21.

  The guide 29 aligns the side end of the form P. The guide 29 is for preventing the trajectories of the leading ends of the forms Pa and Pb from changing.

Next, the operation of the fourth embodiment will be described.
In this case, the rotating roller 26a whose peripheral speed is much smaller than the conveying speed, the gate 41 that can be pressed against the rotating roller 26a, and the gate 42 that can sandwich the forms Pa and Pb between the rotating roller 26a, The forms Pa and Pb conveyed from the conveying direction are sequentially held and released for conveyance.

  The force with which the gate 41 is pressed against the rotating roller 26a (the rotational force of the rotating shaft 43) can be managed by the torque of an actuator (not shown) that performs the rotating operation, but each gate 41 is spring-loaded (not shown). Then, the pressing force of the gate 41 may be controlled by the force of the spring by being fixed to the rotating shaft 43.

  By doing in this way, even with one actuator, each gate 41 can be pressed evenly against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roller 26a. The gate 42 may have the same configuration, and in that case, a stopper (not shown) that stops at the position of the symbol Q is provided.

  In addition, the height (position X2) of the portion where the surface G of the front end portion 44 of the gate 41 contacts the rotation roller 26a is set to be lower than the height of the track X1 along which the form P is conveyed.

Here, the operation of the fourth embodiment (the stacking mechanism unit 20 including the rotation shaft 43) will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 13, the gate 41 presses (grips on) and separates (grips off) the rotating roller 26a only once (one cycle) while one form P passes (conveys). Further, the gate 42 moves to the position of the symbol Q, sandwiches the form P together with the rotating roller 26a (grip on), and separates (grip off) (1 cycle).

  During the period in which the form P is pressed (gripped) (deceleration period), the conveyance speed of the form P is decelerated and matches the peripheral speed of the rotating roller 26a. The rotation roller 26a may be rotated at a constant rotation speed, or the rotation may be controlled so as to decelerate during the gripping period.

  When the gates 41 and 42 push the form P and sandwich the form P with the rotating roller 26a (the gate 42 is sandwiched), the trajectory of the form P is also changed downward.

  As shown in FIG. 14, after the rear end of the form Pa is detected by the form sensor S (not shown), the form Pa is conveyed to the positions of the gates 41 and 42 from the conveyance direction by the conveyance rollers 10 and 11. In this case, the gates 41 and 42 are separated (opened) from the rotation roller 26a and above the transport track X1, the leading edge of the form Pa passes through the position of the gates 41 and 42, and the trailing edge of the form Pa is When reaching the position of the gates 41 and 42, the gates 41 and 42 are pushed to the position X2 as shown in FIG.

  As a result, the rear end of the form Pa is sandwiched (gripped) by the gates 41 and 42 and the rotating roller 26a (the gate 42 is sandwiched). The opening / closing timing of the gates 41 and 42 is obtained from the distance from the position of the form sensor S to the gates 41 and 42 and the conveyance speed.

Here, the operation of the gate will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.
As shown in the figure, when the time T0 has elapsed after the trailing edge of the form P is detected, the controller 3 outputs a gate gripping direction operation start signal, and when the time T2 has elapsed since then, the gate gripping is performed. A release operation start signal is output.

  Further, the controller 3 applies the gate operating voltage V1 to the drive unit 14 that drives the gate 41 (42) based on the gate gripping direction operation start signal, and when a certain time T1 has passed since then, the gate operating voltage V1 is set to the gate position holding voltage V2 (V1> V2).

  Then, in synchronization with the gate grip release operation start signal, the gate position holding voltage V2 is set to a negative voltage -V1 (operating in the direction opposite to V1), and the gate is opened. After that, when the predetermined time T1 has elapsed, the negative voltage −V2 is set and the detection of the next form is awaited.

  At this time, the rear end portion of the form Pa is forcibly pushed from above by the gates 41 and 42 and the trajectory is moved downward, while being decelerated to the angular velocity (rotating speed) of the rotating roller 26a. When the form Pa is released from gripping, it is naturally dropped and accumulated on the stacker unit 21. For this reason, it does not interfere with the leading end of the form Pb that is subsequently conveyed.

  Thus, according to the fourth embodiment, the rear end of the form P is detected by the form sensor S, and the gates 41 and 42 are lowered when the form P passes between the gates 41 and 42 and the rotating roller 26a. Then, while changing the trajectory of the form Pa, the gates 41 and 42 and the rotating roller 26a sandwich the rear end of the form Pa and decelerate, and then the form Pa is released, so that the decelerated form Pa falls on the stacker unit 21. Therefore, the leading edge of the form Pb that is subsequently conveyed and the trailing edge of the form Pa do not interfere with each other, so that the pitch between forms can be narrowed and the accumulation processing speed can be increased.

  The form processing apparatus of the fourth embodiment may include a plurality of form sensors S1 and S2 for detecting the inclination (skew) of the form P. On the other hand, the deviation (slide distance δ) is detected by a sensor (not shown) provided in the conveyance path 8 separately from the form sensors S1 and S2.

  Any of the sensors can be provided in the middle of conveyance and stored in the memory 5 as prior information. Further, by processing the image captured by the optical reading unit 9 described above, it is possible to estimate and calculate the skew and slide.

  The form sensors S1 and S2 are installed side by side in a direction crossing the transport path 8 formed by the guide 29.

  Based on the time difference between the notification signals of the form sensors S1 and S2 installed in the direction crossing the transport path 8 and the preset transport speed of the form P, the controller 3 tilts the form P with respect to the transport direction ( (Skew) amount is calculated.

Hereinafter, an operation method that does not increase the skew in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
In this case, the controller 3 detects the rear end of the form P from the detection signal when the form is detected by the form sensors S1 and S2 (step S101).

  The controller 3 obtains the skew angle θ from the difference between the detection times of the form sensors S1 and S2. Further, a deviation (slide distance δ) is detected by a slide detection sensor (not shown) provided separately from the form sensors S1 and S2.

  Then, the controller 3 calculates “final line”, “gate gripping operation start line”, and “gate avoidance operation start line” from the skew angle θ and the slide distance δ (step S102).

  The final line is a virtual line on the form in which the skew increase due to the deceleration does not occur if the deceleration is completed before this line. Alternatively, it is a position where a deceleration force can be applied to the form P on which all the gates are conveyed.

  The gate gripping operation start line is a virtual line on the form, and when this line reaches a position where the gate can apply a deceleration force to the conveyed form (hereinafter referred to as a deceleration position). If the operation is started, the position where the deceleration can be surely ended before the final line reaches the deceleration position. The gate avoidance operation start line is a virtual line on the form, and is a position where the line does not interfere with the leading end of the succeeding form if the line is decelerated after reaching the deceleration position.

  The controller 3 detects the time T0 (sk) from when the rear end of the form P is detected until the gate gripping operation start line of the form P is conveyed to the deceleration position, and after the rear end of the form P is detected. Then, the time T0 (g) required until the gate avoidance operation start line of the form P is conveyed to the deceleration position is calculated (step S103).

  Subsequently, the controller 3 takes the time T0 (sk) required for the gate gripping operation start line of the form P to be transported to the deceleration position and the time T0 required for the gate avoidance operation start line of the form P to be transported to the deceleration position. (G) is compared (step S104), and if T0 (sk) ≦ T0 (g), the operation is performed after T0 (g), and even if the deceleration is not sufficient, the gate is operated until the final line to decelerate. Exit.

  In other words, the time T0 from the detection of the trailing edge of the form P to the start of the gate operation is T0 = T0 (g) (step S105). On the other hand, if T0 (sk)> T0 (g), the gate is operated before T0 (sk), and the speed can be reduced to a predetermined speed. T0 = T0 (sk) is satisfied (step S106).

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment (another example of the stacking mechanism unit 20) will be described with reference to FIGS. The fifth embodiment is an example in which the positioning operation is simultaneously performed in addition to the deceleration operation of the fourth embodiment. In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 4th Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

  As shown in FIGS. 18 to 20, the form processing apparatus according to the fifth embodiment includes a gate 41a operated by the drive unit 14a and a gate 41b operated by the drive unit 14b operated independently of the drive unit 14a. And a plurality of form sensors S1, S2 for detecting the inclination (skew) of the form P. In addition, a slide detection sensor (not shown) is provided on the conveyance path, and a deviation (slide distance) with respect to the conveyance direction of the form P is detected.

  The form sensors S1 and S2 are installed side by side in a direction crossing the transport path 8 formed by the guide 29.

  Based on the time difference between the notification signals of the form sensors S1 and S2 installed in the direction crossing the transport path 8 and the preset transport speed of the form P, the controller 3 tilts the form P with respect to the transport direction ( (Skew) amount is calculated.

  Further, the controller 3 calculates (approximate) the amount of deviation (slide) of the form P that occurs when the skew is actually corrected from the amount of inclination (skew) of the form P. The amount of deviation (slide) is calculated using parameters such as the time for which the gates 41a and 41b press the form P, the conveyance speed of the form P, the friction coefficient of the form P surface, and the like during skew correction.

  Then, the controller 3 changes the pressing time of the rear end of the form P at the left and right gates 41a and 41b according to the calculated inclination (skew) amount of the form P and the deviation (slide) amount at the time of skew correction. Thus, as shown in FIG. 20, the form P is rotated in the direction of arrow A while being conveyed, and the inclination (skew) of the form P is aligned (corrected).

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 20A, when the trailing edge of the skewed form P is detected by the form sensors S1 and S2, the difference α between the detection timings of the two form sensors S1 and S2. Thus, the controller 3 calculates (detects) the skew state (referred to as skew angle θ or skew angle) of the form P.
In FIG. 20, (a) shows skew detection, (b) shows the start of skew correction, and (c) shows the end of skew correction. In FIG. 20, reference numerals δ0, δ1, δ, and the like indicate deviations (slides), and reference numeral CL indicates a center line for conveyance. The center line CL of this transfer is a central line between the gates 41a and 41b. The amount of deviation (slide) (δ0, δ) is the distance from the center line CL of the conveyance to the center of the form P (the intersection of the X marks on the form P). The gate line is a line indicating a position where the gates 41a and 41b are arranged. Note that the form sensors S1 and S2 in FIG. 20 may be provided on the gate lines, respectively.

  As shown in FIG. 20B, the controller 3 lowers the gate 41b first, holds the point Q1 on the form P with the rotating roller 26a, and performs a skew correction time corresponding to the skew angle θ. Transport as it is. Due to the sandwiching time in the vicinity of this point Q1 (because it is conveyed at a low speed, it is in the vicinity of Q1), the form P is rotated in the direction of arrow A around the position in the vicinity of the rear end Q1 while being decelerated, thereby correcting the skew. .

  Due to the skew correction by the rotation in the vicinity of the point Q1, a new deviation δ1 occurs in the form P as shown in FIG. Along with the deviation amount δ0 at the time of FIG. 20A, a slide of the deviation amount δ occurs. Accordingly, skew correction is performed so that both the skew amount and the slide amount are within the allowable values.

  After the skew of the form P is corrected, as shown in FIG. 20C, the controller 3 lowers the gate 41a to the point Q2 on the form P and holds it with the rotating roller 26a. As a result, the two gates The rear end of the form P is sandwiched between 41a and 41b, and the form P is further decelerated while maintaining the state where the form P is aligned.

  Hereinafter, the form conveyance operation (including the skew correction operation) of the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The controller 3 obtains the skew angle θ from the difference between the detection times of the form sensors S1 and S2, and obtains the skew angle θ, the time T11all required to correct the skew angle θ to zero, and the skew deviation distance δ1 caused by the correction of the skew angle θ. Then, a substantial slide distance value δ is calculated by adding the original slide distance δ0 (step S201).

For the slide distance (slide amount) calculated from the skew, a fixed value table is prepared in consideration of the pressing time of the gates 41a and 41b, the conveyance speed of the form P, and the friction of the form P surface, and is adjusted according to the parameters. It may be selected.
Subsequently, it is compared and determined whether or not the calculated slide distance δ is within the slide amount (system set value) allowed after skew correction, that is, at the time of accumulation (step S202).

  As a result of the comparison determination, if the slide δ is within the allowable value, the skew correction can be completed. Therefore, the time T11 used for correcting the skew by the gate is T11 = T11all (step S203).

  On the other hand, when the slide δ exceeds the allowable value, the time T11 used for correcting the skew by the gate is a time that satisfies T11 <T11all so that the slide δ is within the allowable value. That is, the time required for the skew correction until the allowable value is reached is calculated and becomes T11.

  The controller 3 detects the trailing edge of the form P from the detection signal when the form is detected by the form sensors S1 and S2 (step S205).

  Subsequently, as in the fourth embodiment, the controller 3 determines that the “final line”, “gate gripping start line”, “gate avoidance operation start line”, and the rear end of the form P are based on the skew angle θ and the slide distance δ. The time T0 (sk) required for the gate gripping operation start line corresponding to the form P after being detected to be conveyed to the deceleration position, the gate avoiding operation start line corresponding to the form P after the trailing end of the form P is detected Is calculated as a time T0 (g) required to be conveyed to the deceleration position (step S206).

Subsequently, the controller 3 calculates T0 (sk11) from the difference between T0 (sk) and the previously calculated T11. T0 (sk11) = T0 (sk) −T11 (step S207). Since T0 (sk11) is moved faster by the time T11 necessary to completely correct the skew, it becomes a value smaller than T0 (sk) by that amount. It should be noted that although deceleration occurs during the correction of the skew, the amount is processed as a margin. On the other hand, the value may be set to allow for deceleration during skew correction.
Then, the controller 3 first compares T0 (sk) and T0 (g) (step S208).

  If T0 (sk) <T0 (g) as a result of the comparison (No in step S208), the controller 3 sets T0 = T0 (g) and operates a plurality of gates (gates 41a and 41b) simultaneously (step S208). S209). This is because priority is given to avoiding interference with subsequent forms. Of course, both gates are retracted by the final line.

  On the other hand, as a result of the comparison, if T0 (sk) ≧ T0 (g) (Yes in step S208), that is, if the skew correction can be completely performed, the controller 3 continues to T0 (sk11) and T0 (g (Step S210).

  As a result of this comparison, if T0 (sk11) ≧ T0 (g) (No in step S210), that is, if T0 (sk) ≧ T0 (sk11) ≧ T0 (g), the controller 3 determines that T0 = T0 ( In step sk11), predetermined skew correction and deceleration operation are performed (step S211).

  In the skew correction operation, of the gate 41a or the gate 41b, the gate on the side to be decelerated first for skew correction is operated at T0, and the other is operated after T11. Of course, both gates are retracted by the final line.

On the other hand, as a result of the comparison, if T0 (sk11) <T0 (g) (Yes in step S210), that is, if T0 (sk) ≧ T0 (g)> T0 (sk11), complete skew correction cannot be performed. .
Therefore, the controller 3 performs a deceleration operation after correcting the skew by T (sk) −T0 (g) (step S212).

  In the skew correction operation, of the gate 41a or the gate 41b, the gate to be decelerated is first operated at T0 = T0 (g) for skew correction, and the other is operated as T (sk) −T0 (g). Let's work later. Of course, both gates are retracted by the final line.

  As described above, according to the fifth embodiment, when the rear end of the form P is pushed by the gates 41a and 41b to decelerate, the form P is decelerated and the skew is corrected simultaneously by changing the pressing timing of the left and right gates. be able to.

(Sixth embodiment)
Next, a sixth embodiment (another example of the stacking mechanism unit 20) will be described with reference to FIGS. The sixth embodiment is a modification of the third embodiment (examples of FIGS. 8 and 9). In addition, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the same structure as 3rd Embodiment, and the description is abbreviate | omitted.

As shown in FIG. 22, the form processing apparatus of the sixth embodiment has a grip plate 61.
The grip plate 61 can be moved up and down by a movable portion 30 operable by an actuator or the like (not shown), and is a plate-like member instead of the rotating body (roller) of the third embodiment. . The grip plate 61 is fixed to the movable portion 30 via a spring, and the distance between the grip plate 61 and the movable portion is regulated by a stopper (not shown). The movable part 30 is controlled by the controller 3.

  In the case of this example, when the leading end of the form P enters the gripping plate 61, the controller 3 controls the movable unit 30 to raise the gripping plate 61, and the gripping plate 61 and the stepped cam 23 A gap is provided between the two. Thereby, the gripping plate 61 and the stepped cam 23 do not collide.

  Then, the gripping plate 61 is lowered simultaneously with the entrance of the front end of the form P, and as shown in FIG. 23, the form P is moved to the rear end position in accordance with the change of the diameter of the stepped cam 23 while the form P is passing. Decelerate while gripping (clamping).

  As described above, according to the sixth embodiment, the grip plate 61 that can be moved up and down by the movable portion 30 is provided, so that the rear end of the form P can be decelerated while being gripped (held) more stably. it can.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and the equivalents thereof.

  In the above embodiment, the gate 41 is directly connected to the drive unit 14 (see FIG. 12). In addition, as shown in FIG. 24, for example, the drive unit 14 is a rotary solenoid, and a timing pulley 62 and a timing belt 63 are provided thereto. The gate 41 may be driven by connecting to a timing pulley 64 provided on the rotary shaft 27 on the gate 41 side.

  Reference numeral 28 denotes a gate rotation fixing portion, and the gate 41 can rotate in one direction (for example, clockwise) to a predetermined position with a predetermined torque with respect to the rotating shaft 27. The one-turn gate fixing portion 28 compensates for manufacturing variations of the plurality of gates 41, and all the gates 41 can apply the same urging force to the form P. With this configuration, the width around the conveyance path 8 can be made compact (narrow).

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... OCR apparatus main body, 2 ... Operation part, 3 ... Controller, 5 ... Memory, 7 ... Paper sheet conveyance part, 8 ... Conveyance path, 9 ... Optical reading part, 10, 11 ... Conveyance roller, 12, 13, 14 , 14a, 14b ... driving unit, 20 ... stacking mechanism unit, 21 ... stacker unit, 22 ... rotating shaft, 23 ... stepped cam, 24, 29 ... guide, 25 ... spring, 26 ... driven roller, 26a ... rotating roller, 27 ... Rotating shaft, 30 ... Movable part, 41, 41b, 42 ... Gate, 41a ... End of gate, 43 ... Rotating shaft, 61 ... Holding plate, 62 ... Timing pulley, 63 ... Timing belt, 64 ... Timing pulley, 100 ... control host, P, Pa, Pb ... form, S, S1, S2 ... form sensor.

Claims (2)

A trailing edge detection unit for detecting a trailing edge of the paper sheet conveyed at a first conveyance speed from upstream;
A first transport unit that changes the trajectory of the paper sheet by pushing the surface of the rear edge of the paper sheet detected by the rear edge detection unit in the thickness direction of the paper sheet;
While the rear end of the paper sheet whose trajectory has been changed by being pushed by the first transport unit is held between the first transport unit, the paper sheet is moved at a speed lower than the first transport speed. A second transport unit that decelerates to a transport speed of 2 and releases the paper sheets by being separated from the first transport unit;
A stacking unit that stacks the paper sheets sent out by the second transport unit ;
The second transport unit is
A roller installed at a position lower than the trajectory of the paper sheet and rotating at a peripheral speed lower than the first transport speed;
The first transport unit is
A paper sheet stacking apparatus which is a plate-like structure capable of holding and releasing the paper sheets with the second transport unit . Said plate-like structure and the roller and the paper sheet storing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein arranged to sandwich the paper sheet in a nested state.

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