SEPARATION AND EXTRACTION DEVICE

Abstract

In a device that separates a sheet and extracts the sheet from a stack of the sheets, the stack of sheets is placed on a sheet feeding unit. A vibrator is contact with the top surface of the stack at a spot to vibrate the sheets at a high frequency. The high-frequency vibration reduces the adhesion and frictional force among the sheets. A sheet extraction mechanism conveys each sheet.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing a separation and extraction device according to an embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing a sheet separation and extraction operation of the separation and extraction device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing a vibrating member of a vibrator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a side view schematically showing an ultrasonic horn of the vibrator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a variation of the ultrasonic horn shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing another variation of the ultrasonic horn shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the pressing force of the vibrator shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 and the amount of friction among the sheets;

FIG. 8 is a front view schematically showing a separation and extraction device according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing the separation and extraction device shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a front view schematically showing a separation and extraction device according to a third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a side view of the separation and extraction device shown in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a side view schematically showing a variation of the separation and extraction device shown in FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 13 is a side view schematically showing a variation of the separation and extraction device shown in FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 14 is a side view schematically showing a variation of the separation and extraction device shown in FIGS. 10 and 11;

FIG. 15 is a side view schematically showing a variation of an ultrasonic horn in the separation and extraction device shown in FIGS. 8 to 14;

FIG. 16 is a side view schematically showing another variation of the separation and extraction device shown in FIGS. 8 and 9;

FIG. 17 is a side view schematically showing a separation and extraction device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 18 is a front view of the separation and extraction device shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a side view schematically showing a sheet separation and extraction operation of the separation and extraction device shown in FIGS. 17 and 18;

FIG. 20 is a front view schematically showing a separation and extraction device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 21 is a front view schematically showing a sheet separation and extraction operation of the separation and extraction device shown in FIG. 20; and

FIGS. 22 and 23 are side views schematically showing a sheet separation and extraction operation of the separation and extraction device shown in FIG. 21.

Claims

1. A separation and extraction device comprising: a supporting unit configured to support a stack of sheets;a vibrator which is in contact with a sheet surface of the stack, configured to apply a spot vibration on the sheet surface of the stack at high frequency to separate the sheets of the stack;a sheet extraction mechanism configured to extract a sheet or sheets from the sheet surface of the stack and convey the sheet or sheets sequentially; anda separating mechanism configured to separate one sheet from the other sheet or sheets and convey the one sheet.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the sheet extraction mechanism includes a feeding mechanism configured to feed the sheet by a frictional force applied between the sheet surface of the stack and the feeding mechanism.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator comes into contact with the surface of the sheets under a predetermined contact force to vibrate the sheets in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the sheets.

4. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a holding mechanism configured to hold the vibrator so that the vibrator can be moved in the direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the sheets, the holding mechanism contacting the vibrator with the surface of the sheets under the predetermined contact force.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator is vibrated at a vibration frequency of at least 10 KHz.

6. The device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator is contacted with the sheets under a contact force of at least 200 gf and at most 1 kgf.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the extraction mechanism includes a suction mechanism configured to suck the sheet or sheets of the stack by a vacuum suction force to extract the sheet or sheets.

8. The device according to claim 6, wherein the suction mechanism has a suction portion which sucks the sheets, the vibrator has a leading end which is placed closer to the sheet surface of the stack than the suction portion, and the vibrator and the suction mechanism are arranged so that a difference of 0.1 to 5 mm is set between the leading end and the suction portion.

9. The device according to claim 7, wherein the suction portion sequentially comes into contact with the sheet surface of the stack to extract the sheet, and the leading end of the vibrator comes into contact with the sheet surface of the stack before the suction portion is operated.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein the vibrator is inclined in a direction in which the sheet is extracted.

11. A method of separating a sheet from a stack of sheets to extraction the sheet from the stack, comprising: supporting a stack of sheets;applying a spot vibration on a sheet surface of the stack at high frequency to separate the sheet or sheets of the stack;extracting a sheet or sheets from the sheet surface of the stack and conveying the sheet or sheets sequentially;separating one of the sheet or sheets from the other sheet or sheets and convey the one of the sheet.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the sheet extracting includes a feeding the sheet by a frictional force.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the applying the spot vibrating includes applying a predetermined contact force to the surface of the sheets and vibrating the sheets in a direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the sheets.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the vibration has a vibration frequency of at least 10 KHz.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein the vibration is applied to the sheets under a contact force of at least 200 gf and at most 1 kgf.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein the extracting includes sucking the sheet or sheets of the stack by a vacuum suction force to extract the sheet or sheets.

17. The method to claim 16, wherein the vibration is applied to the stack in a direction inclined to the sheet surface.