JP6790363B2 - Supply device, image formation system, object inspection system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a supply device, an image forming system, and an object inspection system.

In a supply device that supplies an image to be transported to an image forming system such as a copier or a printer, an inspection device, etc., the uppermost transported object among a plurality of mounted objects to be transported is sucked by an air suction type suction means. However, there is known a method of transporting in the feeding direction by a transporting means. For example, the separated wind is blown from the front end side of the transported object toward the rear end side, and the transported object is sucked and transported by a plurality of air adsorption type suction means arranged on the front end side and the rear end side of the transported object. (For example, Patent Document 1).

In the configuration of Patent Document 1, since the air suction type suction means is also arranged on the rear end side of the object to be transported, it is possible to suck the object to be transported in a wide range, but in the feeding direction. If the object to be transported and the suction means are in contact with each other during transportation, the load becomes a transport load, so there is room for improvement.
An object of the present invention is to provide a new supply device capable of reducing the transport load of an object to be transported.

The supply device according to the present invention is arranged above the object to be transported loaded on the mounting unit, and has a suction unit that sucks the object to be transported and a suction unit that sucks the object to be transported in the feeding direction. It is arranged between the transport means to be transported and the object to be transported loaded on the lower part of the suction unit and the mounting portion, and can contact the object to be transported sucked by the suction unit, and supplies the contacted object to be transported. A plurality of rotating bodies that can rotate in the direction of transport in the feeding direction are provided, and the suction unit includes a suction chamber portion, a suction blade that discharges air from the suction chamber portion, and a first driving means for rotationally driving the suction blade. It has a first suction means having the above, a rotating blade having a substrate and a plurality of wall portions rising from the substrate, and a second driving means for rotating the rotating blade, and the surface on which the wall portion stands is the uppermost. A second suction means for generating a vortex toward the object to be transported is provided, and the plurality of rotating bodies are formed by the uppermost object to be transported and the second suction means loaded on the mounting portion. With respect to the separation means that blows the separation wind toward the end located on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the object to be transported, which is arranged between them and loaded on the mounting unit, and the object to be transported loaded on the mounting unit. It is provided with a side air nozzle that blows air from a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction, and at least one of the plurality of rotating bodies has a larger diameter than the other rotating bodies .

According to the present invention, a friction suppressing member is arranged between the suction unit that sucks the object to be transported and the object to be transported loaded on the mounting unit, and the object to be transported that is sucked by the suction unit rubs. Since it is attracted to the restraining member, it is possible to provide a new supply device capable of reducing the transport load when transported by the transport means.

The figure which shows typically the structure of the supply apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view explaining the structure of the mounting part. The perspective view explaining one form of the 1st suction means and the transport means which constitute a suction part. The schematic diagram explaining another form of the first suction means. The perspective view which shows one form of the separation means. The perspective view explaining one form of the 2nd suction means constituting the suction part. (A) is a schematic diagram for explaining the air flow due to the operation of the first suction means, and (b) is a flow velocity diagram showing the analysis result of the air flow due to the operation of the first suction means. (A) is a schematic diagram for explaining a vortex wind which is an air flow due to the operation of the second suction means, and (b) is a flow velocity diagram showing an analysis result of the air flow due to the operation of the second suction means. The block diagram explaining the structure of the control system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The operation timing chart of each part in the supply apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. The flowchart which shows one mode of control of the supply apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A) to (c) are schematic views showing the operation and process from the separation of the first piece to be transported to the transfer by the supply device according to the first embodiment. (A) to (c) are schematic views showing the operation and process from the separation of the second object to be transported to the adsorption by the supply device according to the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining one Embodiment of the friction suppressing member composed of a plurality of rotating bodies which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention, (a) is the figure which shows the state before operation of the 2nd suction means, (b). Is a diagram showing a state after the operation of the second suction means. (A) is a plan view for explaining the arrangement and configuration of the friction suppressing member according to the first embodiment, and (b) is a plan view showing another arrangement and configuration of the friction suppressing member made of a rotating body. (A) is a diagram for explaining a problem when the friction suppressing member is not provided, and (b) is a diagram assuming a problem in the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining the deformation example of a plurality of rotating bodies which make up a friction suppression member, (a) is a plan view explaining arrangement and composition of a friction suppression member, (b) is a friction suppression member on the feeding direction side. Enlarged view seen from. The schematic diagram explaining the structure of the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. The perspective view explaining the arrangement and structure of the friction suppressing member which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. The figure which looked at the arrangement and composition of the friction suppression member which concerns on 2nd Embodiment from the suction surface side. (A) is a figure explaining the action of the friction suppressing member which concerns on 2nd Embodiment at the time of sucking the conveyed object. (A) is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the main part of the third embodiment, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the state of the transported object when it is fed in the feeding direction in the suction state. (A) is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of a modified example of the third embodiment, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the state of the object to be transported when the object is fed in the feeding direction in the suction state. (A) is a diagram assuming a problem due to the arrangement of the suction portion and the friction suppressing member, and (b) is an enlarged view assuming a problem between the second suction means and the friction suppressing member. The figure which shows typically one form of the image formation system which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention. (A) to (c) are diagrams schematically showing one form of a transported object inspection system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. (A) to (d) are schematic views showing an operation and a process from separation to transfer of a supply device provided with one suction means. (A) to (d) are schematic views showing an operation and a process from separation to transfer of a supply device provided with a plurality of first suction means.

Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the embodiment, those having the same function and configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description will be omitted as appropriate. Drawings may be partially omitted to aid in understanding some configurations.
In the conventional supply device, when the object to be transported is adsorbed and conveyed by a plurality of air adsorption type suction means, the separated wind blown from the separation means is waited for to escape to the rear end side of the object to be conveyed and then conveyed. Had started. This is because if the transported object is transported before the separation of the transported object is completed, the transported object will be transported due to friction between the transported objects that have not been completely separated. However, waiting for the separated air to pass through the rear end of the object to be transported is expected to lead to a delay in supply and hinder the improvement of efficiency. Further, when the object to be transported and the suction means are in contact with each other during transportation in the feeding direction, a transport load may be applied, and if the object to be transported is easily deformed, the suction means is excessive. Will be sucked into.
Therefore, the supply device according to the present embodiment is arranged above the object to be transported loaded on the mounting unit, and supplies the suction unit that sucks the object to be transported and the object to be transported that is sucked by the suction unit. It is provided with a transport means for transporting in the feed direction and a friction suppressing member arranged between the suction portion and the object to be transported loaded on the mounting portion.
In this way, when the friction suppressing member is arranged between the suction part that sucks the object to be transported and the object to be transported loaded on the mounting portion, the object to be transported sucked by the suction unit is attracted to the friction suppressing member. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the transport load when the transport is carried out by the transport means.

(First Embodiment)
The configuration of the supply device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the supply device 100 includes a loading unit 110 on which a sheet-shaped object to be transported 101 is loaded, a suction unit 10, a transporting means 130, a blowing unit 150 as a separating means, and a friction suppressing member. The 50 and the control unit 200 shown in FIG. 9 are provided in the housing. The suction unit 10 includes a first suction means 120 and a second suction means 140.
The first suction means 120 constituting the suction unit 10 generates a negative pressure in the suction chamber 121 to suck the uppermost object to be transported 101A. The second suction means 140 constituting the suction unit 10 sucks the uppermost object to be transported 101A by a vortex wind. Conveying means 130 is for conveying the conveying object 101A of the uppermost sucked by the suction unit 10 is conveyed to the sheet feeding direction indicated by the arrow A, to a different system which is located in the feeding direction A. That is, in the supply device 100 according to the present embodiment, the suction unit 10 is composed of two different types of suction means. The first suction means 120 is arranged on the downstream side in the feeding direction, and the second suction means 140 is arranged on the upstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the first suction means 120.
The mounting unit 110 is for loading a plurality of objects to be transported 101. As shown in FIG. 2, the mounting portion 110 includes an elevating tray 111 that elevates and elevates by an elevating mechanism according to the number of loaded sheets (remaining amount), and the uppermost object to be transported 101A is maintained at a constant height. It is configured to be. The mounting portion 110 abuts the ends of the pair of side fences 112 and 112 and the transported object 101 whose width direction W is variable according to the size of the transported object 101 in the width direction indicated by the arrow W. The abutting member 113 for aligning the tip positions is provided. The width direction W is a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction A.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first suction means 120 includes a suction chamber 121, a suction duct 122, a suction blade 123, and a first drive means 124. The first suction means 120 is arranged above the object to be transported 101 loaded on the mounting portion 110. The first suction means 120 is an air suction method (hereinafter, referred to as “chamber method”) in which a negative pressure is generated in the suction chamber 121 by driving the first drive means 124 and rotating the suction blade 123. is there. The first suction means 120 sucks the uppermost object to be transported 101A of the loaded object to be transported 101 by the generated negative pressure.
The suction chamber 121 is installed inside the transport means 130 so that the opening 121b formed in the bottom portion 121a of the suction chamber 121 communicates with the space below through a large number of small diameter holes 131a formed in the transport means 130. It is formed. In the suction chamber 121, a hole 121c formed on one side of the width direction W is connected to the suction blade 123 and the first driving means 124 via a suction duct 122.

In the first suction means 120, by rotating the suction blade 123 by the first drive means 124, air is sucked from below the transport means 130, and the sucked air is sucked into the suction chamber 121, the suction duct 122, and the suction blade 123. , Is discharged to the outside of the first suction means 120 by the first driving means 124. In the figure, reference numeral aw indicates an air flow (suctioned air) generated by the operation of the first suction means 120.
The first suction means 120 is provided with an electric shutter mechanism 126 that opens and closes the suction duct 122 or the suction chamber 121. The shutter mechanism 126 is opened and closed by the shutter drive unit 171. In the first suction means 120, when the first drive means 124 is in the operating state (driving state), the shutter drive unit 171 is operated, so that the suction force due to the air flow aw is applied to the object to be transported 101A (the tip end portion 101Aa side). Acts on. Of course, the suction force may be applied to the object to be transported 101A by turning on / off the first driving means 124 without providing the shutter mechanism 126 or the shutter driving unit 171. However, the suction blade 123 starts rotating, and the suction blade 123 starts rotating. There is a time lag before the suction force (negative pressure) for sucking the object to be transported 101A is generated. Therefore, it is preferable that the first driving means 124 is turned on / off by the shutter driving unit 171 while being driven to adjust the timing at which the suction force acts, in order to cope with high speed.

The first suction means 120 is not limited to the ones of FIGS. 1 and 3, and may have another form. For example, the first suction means 120A shown in FIG. 4 has a configuration in which the suction duct 122 is not provided with respect to the first suction means 120 shown in FIG. In the case of the first suction means 120A, by rotating the suction blade 123 by the first drive means 124, air is sucked from below the suction blade 123 in FIG. 4, and discharged upward in FIG. 4, and the suction chamber 121. A negative pressure can be generated inside to suck the object to be transported 101A (the tip end portion 101Aa side).

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport means 130 includes a transport belt 131 that sucks and transports the object to be transported 101A by a suction force that is a negative pressure generated by the first suction means 120, and a belt that rotates the transport belt 131. It includes a belt drive motor 132 and the like as a drive source. A large number of small-diameter holes 131a are formed in the transport belt 131 so that the air flow aw generated by the first suction means 120 can pass through. The transport belt 131 is stretched and supported by at least two rollers 133 and 134, and one roller is rotationally driven by the belt drive motor 132 to rotate and travel in the clockwise direction in FIGS. 1 and 3. .. In the present embodiment, the roller 133 is rotationally driven by the belt drive motor 132.
The transport means 130 sucks the uppermost object to be transported 101A sucked upward by the first suction means 120 on the suction surface 131A of the transport belt 131 facing the object to be transported 101A, and the belt drive motor 132 is driven ( By being operated), the object to be transported 101A adsorbed on the suction surface 131A is transported in the feeding direction A in a state of being sucked.

As shown in FIG. 1, the blower portion 150 is the uppermost end side of the transported object at the timing when the uppermost transported object 101A in the mounting portion 110 is sucked by the first suction means 120. An air flow fw that serves as a separation wind is blown out to the tip portion (hereinafter referred to as “tip portion”) 101Aa side of the object to be transported 101A in the feeding direction. The blower unit 150 blows the air flow fw toward the tip end portion 101Aa side of the uppermost object to be transported 101A to create an air flow fw between the object to be transported 101A and the object to be transported 101 located below the object 101A. It is introduced and floated toward the transport means 130. Reference numeral 101Ab indicates an upstream end portion (hereinafter referred to as "rear end portion") in the feeding direction of the object to be transported 101A.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the blower unit 150 is a blower fan 151 that is rotationally driven by a fan drive motor 155 as a drive unit, a blower duct 152 at one end 152a that communicates with the blower fan 151, and a blower duct 152. It is provided with a blower nozzle 153 or the like communicated with the other end 152b. The blower unit 150 takes in outside air from the opening 151A of the blower fan 151 by rotationally driving the blower fan 151, and ejects it as an air flow fw from the blower nozzle 153 via the blower duct 152. Then, the air flow fw is sprayed on the tip 101Aa side of the uppermost object to be transported 101A (and the object to be transported 101 overlapping below it), so that the positive pressure of the air flow fw causes the uppermost object to be transported 101A. The 101A is separated from the lower object to be transported 101 and rises upward. The first suction means 120 is arranged above the object to be transported 101A, and suction is performed by the first suction means 120, so that the uppermost object to be transported 101A is the suction surface of the transfer belt 131 of the transfer means 130. Adsorption will be promoted toward 131A.

As shown in FIG. 1, the blower unit 150 is provided with an electric shutter mechanism 156 that opens and closes the blower duct 152 or the blower nozzle 153. The shutter mechanism 156 is opened and closed by the fan shutter drive unit 172. The blower unit 150 is configured such that the air flow fw is blown out from the blower nozzle 153 by turning on / off the fan shutter drive unit 172 while the fan drive motor 155 is in the operating state (driving state). .. Of course, the air flow fw may be blown to the tip 101Aa side of the object to be transported 101A by turning on / off the fan drive motor 155 without providing the shutter mechanism 156 or the fan shutter drive unit 172, but the blower fan 151 There is a time lag between the start of rotation and the generation of the air flow rate required to separate the transported object 101A. Therefore, it is preferable to adjust the timing at which the air flow fw is blown out by opening and closing the shutter mechanism 156 by the fan shutter drive unit 172.
That is, the blower portion 150 is arranged on the side of the first suction means 120, and blows out the air flow fw which is a separation wind toward the end portion (tip portion 101Ab) of the objects to be transported 101, 101A before suction. Is.

The second suction means 140 has a rotary blade 143, a second drive means 141 as a drive means for rotationally driving the rotary blade 143, and a housing 142 that covers the outer periphery of the rotary blade 143. As shown in FIG. 6, the housing 142 is an opening portion 142A is formed on the hand. The rotary blade 143 is formed by radially arranging a flat substrate 1431 and a plurality of rib-shaped blades 1432 as a plurality of wall portions on one surface 1431a of the substrate 1431.
In the second suction means 140, the blades 1432 of the rotary blades 143 are arranged so as to face the direction of the object to be transported 101, which is the object to be sucked, as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment , the opening 142A is arranged so as to face the uppermost conveyed object 101A of the conveyed object 101 arranged on the mounting portion 110 from above.
When the rotary blade 143 is rotated by the drive of the second drive means 141, the second suction means 140 generates a vortex wind bw, and the negative pressure generated near the central portion 143a of the rotary blade 143 causes the suction target direction. It is a suction means of a vortex suction method (hereinafter, referred to as "tornado method") that sucks the object to be transported 101A located in. In the present embodiment, the second suction means 140 is provided with the housing 142, but the vortex wind bw is generated even in the configuration without the housing 142 provided on the outer periphery of the rotary blade 143. Therefore, the second suction means 140 may be configured without the housing 142.
Further, a second shutter driving unit such that the shutter mechanism opening and closing driving it to open and close the opening 142A of the housings 142 to the second suction means 140 is provided, so as to open and close the shutter mechanism while rotating the rotating vane 143 Then, the timing at which the vortex wind bw acts on the object to be transported 101A may be adjusted.

7, with reference to FIG. 8, a description is given of the flow of air by the first suction means 120 and the second suction means 140.
First suction means 120, as shown in FIG. 7 (a), negative pressure is generated in Aspirate chamber 121 by suction blades 123 is driven to rotate, a large number of conveyor belt 131 the air below the conveying means 130 The air flow (suctioned air) aw is generated by sucking from the small diameter hole 131a of the above, and the suction force is given to the uppermost object to be transported 101A. However, the first suction means 120 for sucking the air from the small diameter hole 131a of the conveying belt 131 of the conveyance means 130, so to suck ambient air of the small-diameter hole 131a from the entire inter-empty, the conveyed at a distance apart The suction force exerted on the object 101 becomes weak.
That is, in the configuration of the chamber type suction means that generates a negative pressure in the suction chamber 121 by discharging the sucked air in multiple directions, the force for sucking the suction target at a distant position is weak. Therefore, when the uppermost object to be transported 101A, which is the object to be sucked, is lifted by the air flow fw blown from the blower unit 150 in order to separate the object to be transported 101, the first suction means 120 is at the uppermost position . Since the distance to the object to be transported 101A is shortened, suction becomes easier. That is, the first suction means 120 can suck the suction target object located at a relatively distant place by assisting the air flow fw from the blower unit 150. FIG. 7B is a diagram showing a flow velocity line of the air flow a when a model of the first suction means 120 is created by computer software and the created model is analyzed by analysis simulation software. As shown in this flow velocity diagram, it can be seen that in the first suction means 120, which is a chamber type suction means, the flow velocity line is wide and is sucked into the suction chamber 121 from the entire space.

On the other hand, in the second suction means 140, as shown in FIG. 8A, the rotating wing 143 having the wing 1432 arranged radially rotates to cause a spiral air flow below the rotating wing 143. A whirlwind bw is generated. Therefore, a negative pressure is generated in the central portion 1433 of the rotary blade 143 corresponding to the central portion of the vortex wind bw, and the uppermost object to be transported 101A is sucked. Since this vortex bw is mainly generated directly under the wing 1432, it is possible to apply a suction force to the suction target object (the object to be transported 101A) relatively far from the rotary wing 143, and the suction force is applied from the first suction means 120. It is possible to suck an object to be sucked (object 101A) at a distance of a distance without being assisted by the air flow fw from the blower unit 150. FIG. 8B is a diagram showing a flow velocity line of the vortex wind bw (air flow) when a model of the second suction means 140 is created by computer software and the created model is analyzed by analysis simulation software. .. As shown in this flow velocity diagram, in the second suction means 140, which is a tornado type suction means, the flow velocity line has a high density in the space below the rotary blade 143, and a vortex bw is formed and sucked. You can see that.

As shown in FIG. 2, one of the side fences 112 and 112 (the back side in the drawing) is provided with a side air nozzle 180 that blows out side air. This side air is blown out from one of the width directions W of the transported objects 101 through the side air nozzle 180 in order to prevent the loaded objects 101 to be in close contact with each other one by one. The side air nozzle 180 is a blowing means for sabaki. A side blower device 190 (see FIG. 9) that generates an air flow is connected to the side air nozzle 180, and the air flow generated by the side blower device 190 is supplied via a duct or the like.

Next, the configuration and operation timing of the control system by the control unit 200 of the first embodiment will be described.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of the control unit 200 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 10 shows an operation timing chart of the configuration of the supply device 100. In FIG. 9, the control unit 200 is composed of a computer including a CPU 201, a RAM 202, a ROM 203, and a timer 204.
A transport detection sensor 158 that detects the transport state of the object to be transported 101 and a supply start switch 159 that inputs a supply start signal are connected to the input side of the control unit 200 via a signal line. The transport detection sensor 158 is arranged on the downstream side of the first suction means, and is composed of a sensor that optically detects the object to be transported 101A.
On the output side of the control unit 200, a first drive means 124, a belt drive motor 132, a second drive means 141, a fan drive motor 155, a shutter drive unit 171 and a fan shutter drive unit 172, and a side blower device 190 provide signal lines. Connected via. The operations of the first drive means 124, the belt drive motor 132, the second drive means 141, the fan drive motor 155, the shutter drive unit 171 and the fan shutter drive unit 172, and the side blower device 190 are stored in the ROM of the control unit 20. On / off control is performed according to the operating timing.
FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of suction transfer control by the control unit 200 of the supply device 100 according to the first embodiment, and FIGS. 12 (a) to 12 (c) and 13 (a) to 13 (c) show the present embodiment. The operation and process from separation to transfer by the supply device 10 according to the embodiment are shown. Note that FIGS. 13 (a) to 13 (c) show the operation performed after the operation of FIG. 12 (c).

When the supply start switch 159 is operated and the supply start signal is input in step ST1 of FIG. 11, the control unit 200 operates the first drive means 124 and the fan drive motor 155 in step ST2, and proceeds to step ST3. ..
The control unit 200 operates the side blower device 190, the shutter drive unit 171 and the fan shutter drive unit 172 in step ST3, and also operates the second drive means 141. Then, as shown in FIG. 12A, the air flow fw is blown from the blower nozzle 153 of the blower unit 150 to the tip end side of the object to be transported 101, and the side end of the object to be transported 101 is blown from the side air nozzle 180. Side air is blown to. Further, an air flow aw is generated in the first suction means 120, and a vortex wind b is generated in the second suction means 140, and a suction force due to a negative pressure is generated in each of them.
In the present embodiment, the shutter drive unit 171 and the second drive unit 141 of the first drive unit 124 are operated at the same time as shown in FIG. 10, but before the shutter drive unit 171 is operated. The second drive means 141 may be operated to rotate the rotary blade 143 to suck the rear end portion 101Ab side of the object to be transported 101A.

When the second driving means 141 is activated, the second suction means 140 generates a stronger suction force than the first suction means 120. Further, the second suction means 140 is arranged on the upstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the first suction means 120. Therefore, the suction force of the second suction means 140 acts on the rear end 101Ab side of the uppermost object to be transported 101A in the mounting portion 110, and as shown in FIG. 12B, the object to be transported 101A The rear end 101Ab side rises. As shown in FIG. 12 (c), the suction force of the first suction means 120, the air flow fw blown from the blower 150 toward the tip 101Aa side, and the side, as well as the floating of the rear end portion 101Ab side. An air flow is blown from the air nozzle 180. As a result, the tip portion 101Ab and the side portion of the transported object 101 float and are attracted to the suction surface 131A of the transport belt 131, and the uppermost transported object 101A and the transported object 101 located below are separated. To. At this time, since the rear end portion 101Ab side of the object to be transported 101A is sucked by the second suction means 140, the air flow path R through which the air flow fw blown from the blower portion 150 passes is the uppermost cover. because it is formed between the conveyed object 101 is located in the transported material 101A and lower, there is no need to wait until it reaches the rear portion 101Ab side, it is possible to shorten the separation time. Since the first object to be transported (the first object to be transported 101A) can stand by in an adsorbed state and does not contribute much to productivity, the first object to be transported 101A is the first. The suction means 120 may be used for suction first.

After the suction of the object to be transported 101 is started, the control unit 200 operates the belt drive motor 132 in step ST4. This timing is the start of feeding the highest-ranked object 101A (first sheet). When the belt drive motor 132 is operated, as shown in FIGS. 12 (c) and 13 (a), the transport belt 131 rotates in the clockwise direction, and the object to be transported 101A sucked on the suction surface 131A is moved. It is fed toward the feeding direction A, and the tip portion 101Aa is delivered to the transport roller pair 102 arranged on the downstream side in the feeding direction from the first suction means 120. At this time, the second suction means 140 is always in operation without stopping the suction, and as shown in FIG. 13 (b), the rear end portion 101Ab of the first piece to be transported 101A sucks the second suction means 140. Immediately after passing (the transport detection sensor 158 is turned on and a certain period of time has passed), the rear end portion 101Ab side of the second uppermost object to be transported 101A is sucked.
That is, the control unit 200 determines whether or not the transport detection sensor 158 is on in step ST5. Here, if it is turned on, after a certain period of time has elapsed, it is assumed that the first sheet to be transported 101A has been normally fed, and the process proceeds to steps ST6 and ST7.
The control unit 200 stops the operation of the shutter drive unit 171 of the first suction means 120 in step ST6, stops the operation of the belt drive motor 132 in step ST7, and turns off the transport detection sensor 158 in step ST8. Judge whether or not. If the transport detection sensor 158 is off in step ST8, the control unit 200 proceeds to step ST9. That is, between steps ST5 and ST8, the position of the rear end 101Ab of the first piece to be transported 101A is detected, and before the rear end 101Ab passes through the suction chamber 121 (the transport detection sensor 158 is turned on). After that, the operation of the shutter drive unit 171 of the first suction means 120 is stopped, the shutter mechanism 126 is closed, and the suction is stopped. This is to prevent the second object to be transported 101A from being sucked and transported at the same time.

Further, the control unit 200 determines in step ST8 whether or not the rear end portion Ab of the first piece to be transported 101A has passed through the transport means 130, and if the transport detection sensor 158 is off, 1 It is determined that the rear end portion Ab of the first object to be transported 101A has passed through the transport means 130, and the process proceeds to step ST9.
The control unit 200 operates the shutter drive unit 171 of the first suction means 120 in step ST9. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13 (c), the first suction means 120 restarts the suction of the object to be transported 101A on the tip end portion 101Aa side.

By repeating such an operation, the productivity can be further improved as compared with the conventional configuration without causing the carry-out.
The resumption of suction by the first suction means 120 does not start the operation of the first drive means 124, but drives the shutter drive unit 171 to open the shutter mechanism 126 to apply the suction force to the object to be transported 101A. There is. This is because if it is attempted to control all the start and stop of suction by the presence or absence of operation of the first driving means 124, it takes time for the suction blade 123 to rotate and generate a predetermined negative pressure. Therefore, when sucking the first object to be transported 101A after the supply start signal is input, the first driving means 124 is operated to apply the suction force, but after the first driving means 124 is operated, the shutter is operated. It is preferable to stop and restart the suction force by opening and closing the mechanism 126.

FIG. 27 includes the first suction means 120, the transport means 130, and the blower portion 150 in the present embodiment, and the first suction means 120 and the transport means 130 are arranged above the tip portion 101Aa side of the object to be transported 101 and are lower. This is one of the conventional configurations provided with a suction means for separating the object to be transported 101. In the case of this configuration, as shown in FIGS. 27 (a) and 27 (b), the object to be transported is subjected to the suction force generated by the first suction means 120 while blowing the air flow fw for separation from the blower portion 150. The tip portion 101Aa of 101A is sucked. Therefore, if the transport means 130 is operated before the air flow fw reaches the rear end portion 101Ab of the transported object 101A and the separation is completely completed, the lower transported object 101 is transported by the transported means 130. As the transported object 101A moves, a moving transport occurs. Therefore, in order to prevent the transport, the transport means 130 is operated until the air flow fw reaches the rear end 101Ab of the object to be transported 101A and the separation is completely completed as shown in FIG. 27 (c). As shown in FIG. 27 (d), the transported object 101A could not be fed, and there was room for improvement in terms of productivity.
Comparing such a configuration with the configuration of the first embodiment, in the first embodiment, the rear end portion 101Ab side of the object to be transported 101A is sucked by the second suction means 140 having a strong suction force in advance. Therefore, the air flow path R is formed, and the separation of the rear end portion 101Ab side is completed before the air flow fw from the blower portion 150 reaches the rear end portion 101Ab. Therefore, the transport means 130 can be operated quickly, the suction performance can be improved, the separation time can be shortened, and the productivity can be improved.

As shown in FIGS. 28 (a) to 28 (d), Patent Document 1 also arranges suction means above the front end and the rear end of the object to be transported so as to suck the object to be transported. However, since these suction means are chamber type suction means (corresponding to the first suction means 120) in the present embodiment, it is difficult to suck the uppermost object to be transported 101A from a distant position, and the uppermost suction means. it is difficult to float before the tip portion 101Aa side rear portion 101Ab of the transported object 101A.
In contrast, in the supply apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment, among the plurality of suction means, the second DOO Runedo scheme to suction means 140 be located on the rear end portion 101Ab side side of the uppermost transported object 101A Since the suction means of the above is used, the rear end 101Ab of the uppermost object to be transported 101A can be sucked from a distant position, and the time required for separation can be shortened while improving the suction performance, due to insufficient separation. take to prevent feed can be improved productivity.

Next, the friction suppressing member 50 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the friction suppressing member 50 according to the first embodiment is the uppermost one loaded on the second suction means 140 and the mounting portion 110 constituting the suction portion 10. It is arranged between the object to be transported 101A. More specifically, the friction suppressing member 50 is arranged between the lower portions 142a and 142b of the housing 142, which is the lower portion of the second suction means 140, and the rear end portion 101Ab of the object to be transported 101A. In the present embodiment, the friction suppressing member 50 is formed by a plurality of rotating bodies 51. The rotating body 51 is composed of a plurality of cylindrical rollers (rollers) rotatably supported by the support shaft 52. As shown in FIG. 15, both ends of the support shaft 52 are supported by frames 53 and 54 attached to the second suction means 140. The support shaft 52 may be directly attached to the housing 142 of the second suction means 140 instead of the frames 53 and 54, or may be attached to the housing of the supply device 100 or the like to be attached to the second suction means 140 and the uppermost portion. It may be arranged between the rear end portion 101Ab of the object to be transported 101A.

The rotating body 51 is configured by mounting a plurality of rollers (rollers) at intervals S1 from each other in the width direction W of one support shaft 52. A plurality of rotating bodies 51 configured by mounting a plurality of rollers (rollers) on one support shaft 52 are arranged in the feeding direction A at intervals S2. As shown in FIG. 14B, the air flow bW (vortex wind) generated by the operation of the second suction means 140 passes through the rotating bodies 51 to form the interval S1 and the interval S2. This is to enable the surface 51a of the rotating body 51 to attract the rear end portion 101Ab of the object to be transported 101A.
That is, the plurality of rotating bodies 51 are arranged so that the lowermost position X of the roller surface 51a, which is the contact portion with the object to be transported 101A, is located closer to the mounting portion 110 than the lower portion of the second suction means 140. ing.

In this way, when the friction suppressing member 50 (plurality of rotating bodies 51) is arranged between the lower portions 142a and 142b of the housing 142 of the second suction means 140 and the rear end portion 101Ab of the object to be transported 101A, FIG. As shown in b), when the second suction means 140 operates to generate an air flow bW (vortex wind) and the rear end portion 101Ab side of the object to be transported 101A rises, it is attracted to the surface 51a of the rotating body 51. To. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16A, the rear end 101Ab side of the surfaced object 101A and the lower parts 142a and 142b of the housing 142 (the lower part of the second suction means 140) do not come into contact with each other.
As a result, even when the object to be transported 101A is transported in the feeding direction A by the transporting means 130, as shown in FIG. 14B, it does not slide into the lower portions 142a and 142b, and the frictional resistance is suppressed. It is possible to reduce the transport resistance and prevent the object to be transported 101A from being damaged. When the transport resistance is suppressed, it is possible to prevent non-feeding of the object to be transported 101A and an increase in the required transport force. Further, since the contact between the rotating rotary blade 143 and the rear end portion 101Ab side of the object to be transported 101A can be avoided by the friction suppressing member 50 (plurality of rotating bodies 51), the object to be transported 101A due to entrainment can be avoided. Damage can also be prevented.
Since the interval S1 and the interval S2 are formed between the rotating bodies 51, the air flow bW (vortex wind) of the second suction means 140 can pass through the interval S1 and the interval S2, and the second suction means. The reduction of the suction force acting on the rear end portion 101Ab by the means 140 can be minimized. Therefore, the rear end portion 101Ab side of the transported object 101A can be stably levitated, and the lower end portion 101A can be reliably separated from the transported object 101.

In the present embodiment, the friction suppressing member 50 is composed of a rotating body 51 in which a plurality of rollers are rotatably supported by the support shaft 52, so that the object to be transported 101A is attracted to each rotating body 51. When it is conveyed in the feeding direction A by the conveying means 130, it rotates in a driven manner. Therefore, the transport resistance can be further suppressed. In particular, since the second suction means 140 has a stronger suction force than the first suction means 120, friction when the transported object 101A is transported even when the transported object 101A is strongly sucked by the second suction means 140. Suppressing the resistance leads to suppressing the transport load, and it is possible to prevent non-feeding and an increase in the required transport force.

In the first embodiment, since the plurality of rotating bodies 51 are arranged directly under the second suction means 140, the air flow bW (vortex wind) passes through as compared with the case where the plurality of rotating bodies 51 are not arranged. The area that can be formed is reduced, and the suction power may be reduced. As a measure to prevent this, it is conceivable to widen the distance S2 between the rotating bodies 51, but if the distance S2 between the rotating bodies 51 is widened, as shown in FIG. 16B, the rotating body 51 and the rotating body 51 It is assumed that the rear end portion 101Ab side of the transported object 101A enters the interval S2, resulting in damage to the transported object 101A.
Therefore, as a form of arranging the plurality of rotating bodies 51, as shown in FIG. 15B, the rollers of the adjacent rotating bodies 51 are alternately shifted in the width direction W to be arranged in a staggered manner. It is possible to prevent the transported object 101A from entering the gap between the rotating bodies 51 adjacent to each other while ensuring the suction force, and it is possible to prevent damage to the transported object 101A.

The shape of each roller (roller) provided on the rotating body 51 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B, for example, a plurality of rollers (rollers) provided in the circumferential direction of the surface 51Aa. The rotating body 51A may have a slit 510 formed in an uneven shape (comb shape). By forming the surface 51Aa in an uneven shape (comb shape) in this way, it is possible to secure a region through which the air flow bW (vortex wind) passes even when the arrangement density of the rotating body 51A is high, and the suction force is reduced. Can be prevented.

(Second Embodiment)
In the supply device 100A according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 18, 19, 20, and 21, the housing 142 in which the rotating body 51 constituting the friction suppressing member 50 is located on the downstream side in the feeding direction. The lower portion 142a on the tip end portion 143d side and the lower portion 142b on the rear end portion 143d side of the housing 142 located on the upstream side in the feeding direction are also rotatably arranged. Of the plurality of rotating bodies 51, the lowest position X that comes into contact with the rear end portion 101Ab is set to be the surface 51a of the rotating body 51. Further, the lowest position X is mounted on the housing 142 so as to have the same height as the suction surface 131A of the transport means 130.
Depending on the arrangement of the first suction means 120 and the second suction means 140, as shown in FIGS. 24A and 24B, even if the friction suppressing member 50 composed of a plurality of rotating bodies 51 is provided, the surface rises. It may be assumed that the rear end 101Ab side of the transported object 101A and the lower parts 142a and 142b of the housing 142 (lower part of the second suction means 140) and their edges come into contact with each other.
That is, as shown in FIG. 24, between the suction surface 131A of the transport means 130 arranged on the first suction means 120 side and the lowest position X of the rotating body 51 arranged below the second suction means 140. It is assumed that there is a height difference D. In this case, the rear end portion 101Ab of the object to be transported 101A that is attracted (contacted) to the surfaces 51a of the plurality of rotating bodies 51 at the lowest position X is shown in FIG. 24A immediately after suction by the second suction means 140. As shown, it is separated from the lower portion 142a of the housing 142. However, when the object to be transported 101A is attracted to the suction surface 131A of the transport belt 131 by the first suction means 120 and is transported by the transport means 130, the height difference D partially causes the lower portion 142a of the housing 142 and its edge. It is assumed that the rear end portion 101Ab is in contact with the sliding contact.

However, in the second embodiment, the rotating bodies 51 and 51 are also arranged in the lower portion 142a on the front end side and the lower portion 142b on the rear end side of the housing 142, so that the second suction means 140 is as shown in FIG. The rear end portion 101Ab side of the object to be transported 101A is lifted by the method, and even when the object is transported by the transporting means 130, contact or sliding contact with the lower portions 142a and 142b of the housing 142 can be prevented. As a result, the frictional resistance when transporting the object to be transported 101A is suppressed, the transport load is suppressed, and non-feeding and an increase in the required transport force can be further prevented.

(Third Embodiment)
In the second embodiment, the diameters of the plurality of rotating bodies 51 constituting the friction suppressing member 50 are the same, but the diameters of the plurality of rotating bodies 51 are not limited to the same diameter, and they are appropriately used. You may arrange it by setting the magnitude relation to the diameter. For example, in the third embodiment shown in FIGS. 22A and 22B, at least one of the plurality of rotating bodies 51 constituting the friction suppressing member 50 is larger than the other rotating bodies 51. It is the diameter. In the present embodiment, the large-diameter rotating body 51B is rotatably arranged in the lower portion 142b on the rear end portion 143d side of the housing 142 located on the upstream side in the feeding direction. That is, the rotating body 51B has a diameter larger than the diameter of the other rotating bodies 51. Further, in the present embodiment, the rotating body 51 is also rotatably arranged in the lower portion 142a on the front end portion 143c side of the housing 142 located on the downstream side in the feeding direction. Of the plurality of rotating bodies 51 and 51B, the lowest position X1 in contact with the rear end portion 101Ab is set to be the surface 51Ba of the rotating body 51B. Further, the diameter and position of the rotating body 51B are set so that the lowest position X1 has the same height as the suction surface 131A of the transport means 130. The lowest position X1 of the rotating body 51B is set to the same height as the suction surface 131A, and the lowermost position X2 of the other rotating body 51 is arranged so as to be located above the suction surface 131A.

With such a configuration, since the rotating bodies 51 and 52 are arranged in both the lower portion 142a on the front end side and the lower portion 142b on the rear end side of the housing 142, the suction means 140 is as shown in FIG. 22 (a). Even when the rear end portion 101Ab side of the object to be transported 101A is lifted, it is possible to prevent contact and sliding contact with the lower portions 142a and 142b of the housing 142. As a result, the frictional resistance when transporting the object to be transported 101A is suppressed, the transport load is suppressed, and non-feeding and an increase in the required transport force can be further prevented.
In the present embodiment, the diameter of the rotating body 51B arranged in the lower portion 142b on the rear end side is set to be larger than the diameter of the other rotating bodies 51, and the lowest position X1 is set to the same height as the suction surface 131A. .. Therefore, when the transported object 101A is transported in the feeding direction A by the transporting means 130 and tension is applied to the transported object 101A, as shown in FIG. 22B, the transported object 101A is transported from the rotating body 51. The rear end 101Ab side will float. Therefore, the frictional resistance of the object to be transported 101A can be further suppressed, and the transport load can be further reduced.

In the third embodiment, the lowest position X1 of the rotating body 51B is set to the same height as the suction surface 131A, and the lowermost position X2 of the other rotating body 51 is arranged so as to be located above the suction surface 131A. , The arrangement is not limited to this. For example, as shown in FIG. 23A, the lowest position X2 of the rotating body 51 is set to have the same height as the suction surface 131A, and the lowest position X1 of the rotating body 51B is set below the lowest position X2.
In this case, even when the rear end portion 101Ab side of the object to be transported 101A is lifted by the suction means 140, contact or sliding contact with the lower portions 142a and 142b of the housing 142 can be prevented. Further, when tension is applied to the object to be transported 101A by the transport in the feed direction A by the transport means 130, as shown in FIG. 23B, the rotating body 51 arranged in the lower portion 142a on the tip end side of the housing 142 The rear end portion 101Ab of the object to be transported 101A floats so as to straddle the rotating body 51B arranged on the rear end portion side. Therefore, the number of contacts between the rear end portion 101Ab of the object to be transported 101A and the rotating body 51 increases as compared with the case of FIG. 22B, but the number of contacts decreases as compared with the initial suction by the second suction means 140. Therefore, the frictional resistance can be further suppressed as compared with the first and second embodiments, and the transport load can be further reduced.

(Fourth Embodiment)
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 25, any of the supply devices 100 or 100A described in the first to second embodiments is applied to the image forming system. The image forming system 400 includes, for example, an image forming unit 401 that forms an image on, for example, paper P as an object to be transported, and, for example, a feeding device that feeds the paper P to the image forming unit. It has 100. As the image forming unit 401, a plurality of process cartridge units 412 provided with a drum-shaped image carrier 411 form an electrostatic latent image on the image carrier 411, respectively, and toner as a developing agent is applied to the electrostatic latent image. A well-known electrophotographic method in which the toner image is adhered and developed as a toner image, the developed toner image is transferred to the paper P by the transfer unit 413, and the toner image is fixed to the paper P by the fixing unit 414 and loaded on the discharge tray 415. It is an image forming part. The image forming unit 401 may be an inkjet type image forming unit that forms an image by ejecting ink from the ink head onto the paper P as an object to be conveyed, instead of using an electrophotographic method. Regardless of the type of image forming unit, the first suction means 120 and the second suction means 140 suck and convey the topmost sheet of paper P loaded on the mounting portion 110 from the supply device 100. As a result, the separability of the paper P can be ensured, paper jams and double feeds due to feeding can be prevented, and the separation time can be shortened. Since the separation time can be shortened, it is possible to shorten the printing time and support high-speed paper feeding, and it is possible to construct a highly productive image forming system 400 corresponding to a larger format.

(Fifth Embodiment)
In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 26, any of the supply devices 100 or 100A described in the first to second embodiments is applied to the object to be inspected system. The transported object inspection system 500 includes an inspection device 501 as an inspection section for inspecting e.g. prepreg sheet PS as an object to be conveyed, a feeder and a control unit 505 for feeding a prepreg sheet PS to the inspection device 501 , and a supply device 100 if example embodiment with the supply unit.
Transported object inspection system 500 includes a sheet conveying unit 502 for conveying the flop Ripuregushito PS beneath the inspection apparatus 501. The prepreg sheet PS separated and fed by the supply device 100 is moved below the inspection device 501 by the sheet transport means 502 as shown in FIG. 26 (a). Inspection apparatus 501, the scratches and the size of the surface of the prepreg sheet PS and line scan be one that detected as image information, and detects the surface state while transporting the prepreg sheet PS by the sheet conveying means 502 There is.
The object to be transported inspection system 500 includes a suction device 503 above the sheet transporting means 502 on the downstream side in the transporting direction of the inspection device 501. As shown in FIGS. 26 (b) and 26 (c), the suction device 503 sucks the prepreg sheet PS1 in which a surface defect has been detected by the inspection device 501. The object to be transported inspection system 500 includes a loading device 504 on the downstream side in the transport direction with respect to the sheet transport means 502. The loading device 504 discharges and loads the prepreg sheet PS that has no surface defects, that is, is not adsorbed by the suction device 503, among the prepreg sheet PS transported by the sheet transporting means 502.

As shown in FIG. 26A, the inspection device 501, the drive motor 506 as the drive source of the sheet transport means 502, and the suction drive source 507 of the suction device 503 are connected to the control unit 505 via a signal line. Has been done. The control unit 505 has a function of determining a non-defective product and a defective product from the image information transmitted from the inspection device 501. When the prepreg sheet PS detected by the inspection device 501 is a defective product (PS1), the control unit 505 operates the suction drive source 507 of the suction device 503 to act the suction force on the sheet transport means 502. Therefore, the prepreg sheet PS1 determined to be a defective product is removed from the sheet transporting means 502 by the suction device 503.
In this way, the separability of the prepreg sheet PS is ensured by sucking and transporting the uppermost prepreg sheet PS loaded by the first suction means 120 and the second suction means 140 from the supply device 100. This makes it possible to prevent jamming and double feeding of the prepreg sheet PS due to transport, and to shorten the separation time. Since the separation time can be shortened, the inspection time of the prepreg sheet PS can be shortened and high-speed transport can be supported, and a highly productive object inspection system 500 can be constructed.

Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and unless otherwise specified in the above description, the present invention is described in the scope of claims. Various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the invention.
For example, the object to be transported 101 according to the present embodiment is not limited to paper P as a sheet or a resin sheet material such as prepreg sheet PS, but may be recording paper, recording paper, film, cloth, or the like. Of course, it doesn't matter. Also in this embodiment, the object to be transported 101 includes all the objects to be transported in the form of sheets such as paper, recording medium, OHP, prepreg, and copper foil.

The effects described in the embodiments of the present invention merely list the most preferable effects arising from the present invention, and the effects according to the present invention are limited to those described in the embodiments of the present invention. is not.

10 Suction part 50 Friction suppression member 51, 51A Multiple rotating bodies 51Aa Surface (contact part with the object to be transported)
51B Friction suppression member (large diameter rotating body)
51a, 51Ba Contact portion with the transported object 100, 100A Supply device 101 Transported object 101A Uppermost transported object 101Aa End (tip) of the transported object
101Ab End of the object to be transported (rear end)
120 First suction means 121 Suction chamber part 123 Suction blade 124 First drive means 130 Transport means 140 Second suction means, suction means 141 Second drive means, drive means 142 Housing 142A Openings 142a, 142b Lower part of housing 143 Rotating blades 1431 Flat substrate 1431a Surface on which the wall part stands up 1432 Multiple wall parts 150 Separation means 160 Transportation means 200 Control part 400 Image formation system 401 Image formation part 500 Inspected object inspection system 501 Inspection part 510 Concavo-convex A feeding Direction fw Separation wind Bw Whirlwind P Object to be transported (paper)
PS Transported object (prepreg)
S1, S2 Gap W width direction

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-152023

Claims (7)

A suction unit that is placed above the object to be transported loaded on the mounting unit and sucks the object to be transported,
A transport means for transporting the object to be transported sucked by the suction unit in the feed direction, and
It is arranged between the lower part of the suction unit and the object to be transported loaded on the above-mentioned storage unit, and can contact the object to be transported sucked by the suction unit, and the contacted object to be transported is supplied. Equipped with a plurality of rotating bodies that can rotate in the direction of transport in the feeding direction,
The suction part is
A first suction means having a suction chamber portion, a suction blade for discharging air from the suction chamber portion, and a first drive means for rotationally driving the suction blade.
It has a substrate, a rotary blade having a plurality of wall portions erecting from the substrate, and a second driving means for rotating the rotary blade, and the surface on which the wall portion erects is on the uppermost object to be transported. Equipped with a second suction means that is directed to generate a vortex
The plurality of rotating bodies are arranged between the uppermost object to be transported and the second suction means loaded on the above-mentioned storage portion.
A separation means for blowing a separation wind toward an end portion of the object to be transported loaded on the above-mentioned storage portion located on the downstream side in the feed direction, and
It is provided with a side air nozzle that blows air from a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction to the object to be transported loaded on the above-mentioned storage portion .
A feeding device in which at least one of the plurality of rotating bodies has a larger diameter than the other rotating bodies . In the supply device according to claim 1,
The supply device is characterized in that the second suction means is arranged on the upstream side in the feeding direction with respect to the first suction means. In the supply device according to claim 1 or 2.
A supply device characterized in that the plurality of rotating bodies are arranged with a gap from each other in the feeding direction or the width direction orthogonal to the feeding direction. In the supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
At least one of the plurality of rotating bodies is characterized in that the contact portion with the object to be transported is arranged so as to be located closer to the previously described placement portion than the lower portion of the second suction means. Supply device. In the supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
A supply device characterized in that the surface of at least one of the plurality of rotating bodies is formed in an uneven shape . An image forming part that forms an image on the object to be transported,
The image forming unit is provided with a supply device for feeding the object to be transported.
An image forming system, characterized in that the supply device is the supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The inspection department that inspects the transported object and
The inspection unit is provided with a supply device for feeding the object to be transported.
The object to be inspected inspection system, wherein the supply device is the supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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