JPH09301595A - Sheet body recovery device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To recover a sheet body rapidly and positively by rotating a spiral contact part to shift the sheet body passing a conveying face, almost vertically to the conveying face, and storing the shifted sheet body in a storage means. SOLUTION: A shifting means shifts a sheet body 4 passing a conveying face, almost vertically to the conveying face by rotating a spiral contact part. That is, a coil member 51 and a support member 51-1 are provided, and the coil member 51 is arranged in such a way that the winding center is almost vertical to the conveying face so as to shift the sheet body 4 passing the conveying face, almost vertically from the conveying face by one rotation around the winding center as a rotation axis. The sheet body 4 shifted by the shifting means is stored in a storage means 60 provided with a tray 61 for storing a large number of sheet bodies 4 in a stack, with a recovery port 62 formed at one end of the tray 61.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to cards, forms,
Related to a sheet-shaped body collecting device used for an inspection device or the like for inspecting the appearance of a printed pattern or a processing state of a sheet-shaped object such as mail (hereinafter referred to as a sheet-shaped body) Is.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a conventional inspection apparatus, for example, there is known an apparatus that determines whether a printed pattern is good or bad based on image data of a sheet-shaped body. In order to efficiently inspect a large number of sheet-like bodies, this inspection apparatus is provided with a sheet-like body transferring means, supplies the accumulated sheet-like bodies to the imaging region one by one, and then, in a stationary state or a transfer state, An image of the sheet-shaped body is captured.

[0003]

However, the above-described conventional inspection apparatus can inspect only one side of the sheet-like body by one transfer. Therefore, in the case of inspecting both sides, the sheet-like body is set in the feeding device, after inspecting one side, the sheet-like body that has been inspected on one side is set again in the feeding means by changing the inspection surface, I had to inspect the other side.

That is, the conventional inspection apparatus performs the double-sided inspection by passing the sheet-shaped body twice, and the inspection requires twice the time, and the inspection is stopped during the transshipment. As a result, the inspection efficiency was extremely poor. Further, since the sheet-shaped bodies are reloaded into the supply means, the work load on the operator is large.

To solve this problem, the applicant has
An inspection device that can inspect both sides of a sheet-shaped or card-shaped printed matter with one transfer has already been proposed. This inspection apparatus can perform inspection at high speed without reloading the sheet-shaped bodies.

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet-shaped body collecting apparatus capable of quickly and reliably collecting the sheet-shaped body, corresponding to the above-described inspection apparatus and the like.

[0007]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 is a sheet for collecting sheet-like bodies one by one from a conveying means for conveying the sheet-like bodies along a conveying surface. In the apparatus for recovering a sheet, the sheet-like body passing through the transport surface is shifted in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport surface by rotating the spiral contact portion, and the sheet shifted by the shift means. And a housing means for housing the sheet.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the sheet-shaped member collecting apparatus according to the first aspect, the shift means is arranged such that the winding center is substantially perpendicular to the conveying surface, and the winding center is rotated. A coil-shaped member that shifts the sheet-shaped body that passes through the transport surface in a substantially vertical direction from the transport surface by rotating once as an axis, and the coil-shaped member intermittently rotates one rotation according to a recovery instruction signal. And an intermittent rotation mechanism.

[0009] The invention of claim 3 is claim 1 or claim 2.
In the sheet-shaped body collecting device described in the paragraph 1, a plurality of the accommodating means can be removably arranged on the rotation orbit of the rotary frame member, and the accommodating means is sequentially recovered from the recovery position according to the rotation operation of the rotary frame member. It is characterized in that a rotation recovery means is provided.

[0010]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an inspection device in which a sheet-shaped object recovery device according to this embodiment is used, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the inspection device in FIG.

The recovery device of this embodiment is, for example, an ID
The supply target is plastic cards such as (Identification) cards, blanks such as cartons, forms, sheets such as vouchers and securities, and mail such as direct mail. The sheet-like body 4 has printing and other processing applied to the first printing surface and the second printing surface.

The feeder 1 is a device for stacking the sheet-like bodies 4 in an upright state and supplying them one by one.
Are supplied to the first transfer means 2.

The first transfer means 2 is a means for transferring the sheet-like body 4 by means of two belts 3a and 3b which are arranged in parallel vertically and which travel at a constant speed. The first transfer means 2 includes a belt 3 so that the first printing surface is exposed.
The second printing surface is held by a and 3b. These belts 3a and 3b are provided with through holes having a predetermined diameter at predetermined intervals, and are vacuum-sucked by a vacuum chamber (not shown) provided on the back side of the belts 3a and 3b so that the belts 3a and 3b are separated from each other. A vacuum portion is formed, and the sheet-like body 4 is adsorbed and held by the difference between the atmospheric pressure and the vacuum chamber.

The sheet-like body 4 is transferred in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1 while being held by suction by the first transfer means 2, and reaches the portion of the inspection hole 12 provided in the first transfer means 2. To do. The transmission light source 11 is for emitting illumination light for transmission imaging, and is provided on one side of the inspection hole 12. The transmission camera 10 is used to obtain imaging data for inspecting the shape and position of a hole or the like.
It is provided on the other side of 2. When the sheet-shaped member 4 reaches the position of the inspection hole 12, the sheet-shaped member 4 is illuminated from behind by the transmissive light source 11, and therefore, if there is a hole or the like at a portion that transmits light, such as a hole at a specific position. The light transmitted through the hole is captured by the transmission camera 10.

After passing through the inspection hole 12 provided in the first transfer unit 2, the front surface camera 8 takes an image of the exposed surface (first printing surface) of the sheet-shaped member 4. The front surface camera 8 is for obtaining image pickup data for inspecting a print pattern or the like on the first print surface of the sheet-like body 4 (4c). The inspection target may be, for example, a magnetic stripe, a sequence number, a zip code, or an OCR character, in addition to the printed pattern.

After being imaged by the front camera 8, the sheet-shaped member 4 is held by the second transfer means 5 in turn.
The second transfer means 5 holds the first printing surface by the belts 3c and 3d so that the second printing surface of the sheet-like body 4 is exposed. The second transfer means 5 is the first transfer means 2
It has the same structure as.

After the holding of the sheet-shaped member 4 (4d) is changed by the second transfer means 2, the exposed surface (second printed surface) is imaged by the backside camera 9. The backside camera 9 is for obtaining image pickup data for inspecting a printed pattern or the like on the second surface of the sheet-shaped body 4.

Here, when the transfer speed of the sheet-like body 4 transferred by the first transfer means 2 or the second transfer means 5 is high, the above-mentioned transmission image is transmitted so that the captured image does not flow. Camera 10, front-side camera 8, back-side camera 9
It is preferable to provide a shutter mechanism on the. As the shutter mechanism, a mechanical shutter, an electronic shutter in a solid-state imaging device, a pseudo shutter by flash light emission, or the like can be used.

The operation panel 13 is provided with an input portion related to operations input by an operator such as start / stop of operation and setting of operating state, and a display portion showing the set state and operating state. Reference image monitor 14 and inspection image monitor 15
Is for the operator to monitor the status of the inspection.

Here, the reference image monitor 14 and the inspection image monitor 15 can be provided for each of the three cameras 10, 8 and 9 described above. It is also possible to display only the selected cameras 10, 8 and 9 by switching the display. In the latter case, the contents of the defect can be easily grasped by displaying the cameras 10, 8 and 9 that have detected the defect most recently.

After the exposed surface (second printed surface) of the sheet-shaped body 4 is imaged by the backside camera 9, the quality determination process is performed. The quality determination processing is based on the imaged data from the transparent camera 10, the front-side camera 8, and the back-side camera 9 described above.
6 (see FIG. 2).

The non-defective product stacker 6 is for accumulating the sheet-like members 4 determined to be good, and the defective product stacker 7 is provided.
Is for accumulating the sheet-like bodies 4 determined to be defective. Here, in the defective product stacker 7, all the sheet-like bodies 4 determined to be defective are accumulated. However, the defective product stacker 7 can also be selected according to the contents of the defect.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the configuration and operation of the control unit of the inspection apparatus will be described. Reflection light sources 22a, 2
2b is a light source used for illuminating the front camera 8 and the rear camera 9, respectively. Image processing means 23
Includes an image input control means 25 and a quality determination means 26. The transfer control means 24 includes a detection timing signal generation means 27 and a recovery control means 28.

The actuator 29 is a general term for the first and second transfer means 2, 5, the non-defective product stacker 6, the defective product stacker 7 and other drive parts. Sensor 30
Is a general term for the first and second transfer means 2 and 5, and a portion for detecting the transfer state of the sheet-like body 4 to be transferred, and the sensor detection signal is output to the transfer control means 24. It

Next, the operation of the control unit and the configuration of each unit will be described in detail. The detection timing signal generation means 27 generates a detection timing signal, which is the timing at which the transparent camera 10, the front camera 8, and the rear camera 9 image the sheet-shaped body 4, based on the sensor detection signal from the sensor 30. The detection timing signal is
It is output to the image input control means 25.

The image input control means 25 causes the transmissive light source 11 and the reflective light sources 22a and 22b to instantaneously emit light at respective timings based on the detection timing signal from the detection timing signal generation means 27, and the transmissive camera 10, This is means for inputting image pickup signals from each of the front camera 8 and the rear camera 9, digitizing the image pickup signals, and converting the image pickup signals into image data.

The image input control means 25 picks up an image of the non-defective sheet-form body 4 which has been previously confirmed to be non-defective by visual inspection or the like, and registers the image data as reference image data in the reference image memory. This registration completes the preparation for automatic inspection. The image input control means 25 records the captured detected image data in the detected image memory based on each detection timing signal. The reference image data and the detected image data are the reference image monitor 14 and the inspection image monitor 1.
5 are displayed respectively.

The pass / fail judgment means 26 compares the difference between the reference image data and the detected image data described above, and if the difference is acceptable, generates a good judgment signal. , A defect determination signal is generated, and each determination signal is output to the recovery control unit 28.

The recovery control means 28 is means for generating a recovery instruction signal when a good / defective determination signal is input based on the determination signal from the quality determination means 26, and the recovery instruction signal is an actuator. 29 (specifically, a motor 55 described later). When the collecting instruction signal is input, the non-defective product stacker 6 and the defective product stacker 7 collect the sheet-like bodies 4 inside by a collecting device described later. By repeating the above-described operation in response to the detection timing signal, a predetermined number of sheet-shaped bodies are collected as good or defective (defective selection). When the transfer control means 24 receives a good / defective determination signal, the transfer control means 24 counts the number of non-defective sheet-like members and the number of defective sheet-like members and displays them on the operation panel 13.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are views showing an embodiment of a sheet-shaped body recovery apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a sectional view,
FIG. 4 is a perspective view. This recovery device can be used for both the non-defective product stacker 6 and the defective product stacker 7 described above. Here, the stacker (non-defective product stacker 6) arranged at the end of the second transfer means 5 is taken as an example. explain. Further, it is assumed that the feed roller 3f is arranged at the end of the second transfer means 5. This recovery device has shift means 5
0, a storage means 60, and a rotation recovery means 70.

The shift means 50 is means for shifting the sheet-like body 4 passing through the transport surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the transport surface by rotating the spiral contact portion. Shift means 5
0 includes, for example, a coil-shaped member 51 and a support member 51-1. The coil-shaped member 51 is arranged so that the winding center is substantially perpendicular to the conveyance surface, and when the coil-shaped member 51 makes one rotation with the winding center as the rotation axis, the sheet-like body 4 passing through the conveyance surface is substantially removed from the conveyance surface. It is a spring-shaped member that shifts in the vertical direction.

The coil-shaped member 51 is provided on one end side of the shaft 52, and the shaft 52 is rotatably supported by a bearing 52a. This shaft 52 has a pulley 52
b is attached and the drive belt 53 is hung. The support member 51-1 is provided so as to penetrate through the coil-shaped member 51, and the sheet-shaped body 4 passes through the upper surface thereof.

The intermittent rotation mechanism 54 is a mechanism for intermittently rotating the coiled member 51 one revolution in response to a recovery instruction signal from the recovery control means 28, and includes a motor 55, a reduction gear mechanism 56, and a clutch / brake mechanism. 57 and pulley 5
8 and a drive belt 53 is hung on the pulley 58.

A stopper sensor 59 is provided on the other end of the shaft 52. The stopper sensor 59 is the shaft 5
The motor 55 of the intermittent rotation mechanism 54 detects one rotation of 2
It is for outputting a stop signal to the rotation shield plate 5
9a, a light projector 59b, a light receiver 59c and the like.

The accommodating means 60 is for accommodating the sheet-like body 4 shifted by the shift means 50,
A tray 61 for accommodating a large number of sheet-shaped members 4 is provided, and a recovery port 62 is formed at one end of the tray 61. The tray 61 is provided with a pressing plate 63 that presses the sheet-shaped body 4 housed on the other end side of the recovery port 62.
The holding plate 63 slides backward with an appropriate resistance. Further, a spring 64 is provided behind the pressing plate 63. The spring 64 is a cushioning member that prevents a gap from occurring when the pressing plate 63 slides largely due to a sudden press.

The rotation recovery means 70 comprises a rotary frame 71 having four arms. The rotary frame 71 is provided with a pedestal 72 on which the tray 61 is detachably mounted at the tip of the arm. The pedestal 72 is connected by a link mechanism that keeps the pedestal 72 substantially horizontal when the rotary frame 71 rotates (direction of arrow A). The rotating frame 71 is the rotating frame 7.
According to the rotation operation of 2, the recovery position is sequentially recovered.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view for explaining the operation of the sheet-shaped body collecting apparatus according to this embodiment. Sheet 4
Is sent to the feed roller 3f of the second transfer means 5,
It is assumed that the sheet moves from the rear side of the sheet of FIG. 9A to the front side and tries to pass the position of the coil-shaped member 51. At this time, when the intermittent rotation mechanism 54 is driven by the recovery instruction signal and the coil-shaped member 51 starts rotating (direction of arrow B), as shown in FIG. The spiral contact portion 51a moves to the left, and the sheet-like body 4 is shifted to the left while being supported by the supporting member 51-1.

When the coil-shaped member 51 makes one rotation, the stopper sensor 59 outputs a detection signal, the intermittent rotation mechanism 54 stops, and as shown in FIG. 5C, the sheet-shaped member 4 is further moved to the left side. Move and stop. The coil-shaped member 51 is
Since the left side portion is tightly wound, the sheet-like body 4 is
It is held so as to be sandwiched and is moved to the left by one pitch for each rotation. That is, since the coiled member 51 has a wide pitch on the right side and greatly moves by one rotation,
It does not interfere with the subsequent sheet-shaped body 4. In addition, the pitch becomes narrower toward the left side, and the tray 61
Are pushed in and aligned.

When the sheet-shaped member 4 is fed to the end of the coil-shaped member 51, the sheet-shaped member 4 is accommodated inside the recovery opening 62 of the tray 61. At this time, the sheet-like body 4 is held by the pressing plate 6
It is held by 3 so that it can be stored in an aligned state. When the sheet-shaped member 4 is accommodated until the tray 61 is full, a sensor (not shown) outputs and the rotary frame 7
1 rotates 45 degrees and the next tray 61 is set at the recovery position. Here, if the operator removes the full tray 61 and replaces the empty tray 61, the collecting operation will not stop.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and various modifications and changes can be made, which are also within the scope of the present invention. Although the example of the collection device for the non-defective product stacker 6 has been described, the same applies to the defective product stacker 7. Further, the shift means has been described as an example of the coil-shaped member, but may be a cam-shaped or screw-shaped member as long as it has a spiral contact portion.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The sheet-shaped body can be collected from the transfer means at high speed and reliably.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of an inspection device in which a sheet-shaped object recovery device according to the present embodiment is used.

2 is a block diagram showing a control unit of the inspection apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of a sheet-shaped body recovery device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a sheet-shaped member recovery device according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the sheet-shaped object recovery device of the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Feeder 2 First Transfer Means 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d Belts 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d Sheet-like Material 5 Second Transfer Means 6 Good Stacker 7 Defective Stacker 8 Front Camera 9 Back Camera 10 Transparent Camera 11 Light source for transmission 12 Inspection hole 13 Operation panel 14 Monitor for reference image 15 Monitor for inspection image 22a, 22b Light source for reflection 23 Image processing means 24 Transfer control means 25 Image input control means 26 Pass / fail judgment processing means 27 Detection timing signal generation Means 28 Recovery control control means 29 Actuator 30 Sensor 50 Recovery means 60 Housing means 70 Rotation recovery means

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A sheet-shaped body collecting apparatus for collecting the sheet-shaped bodies one by one from a transfer means for transporting the sheet-shaped bodies along a conveyance surface, wherein a sheet-shaped body passing through the conveyance surface is spirally wound. A sheet-like body, comprising: shift means for rotating the sheet-like contact portion so as to shift the sheet-like body in a direction substantially perpendicular to its conveying surface; and containing means for containing the sheet-like body shifted by the shift means. Recovery device. 2. The sheet-shaped member recovery device according to claim 1, wherein the shift means is arranged such that a winding center is substantially perpendicular to the transport surface.
A coil-shaped member that shifts the sheet-shaped body passing through the conveyance surface in a substantially vertical direction from the conveyance surface by rotating the coil-shaped member once around the winding center, and intermittently discontinues the coil-shaped member according to a recovery instruction signal. To 1
An apparatus for collecting a sheet-like body, comprising: an intermittent rotation mechanism for rotating the sheet-like body. 3. The sheet-shaped body recovery device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the accommodating means can be removably arranged on a rotation track of a rotary frame member, and the rotary operation of the rotary frame member. In accordance with the above, a sheet-shaped member supplying device is provided with a rotation recovery means for sequentially recovering the accommodating means from the recovery position.