This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-235001, filed on Nov. 13, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a sheet processing apparatus.
Conventionally a sheet processing apparatus which is provided with a shift sensor to detect a sheet on a conveying path of a sheet is known. This sheet processing apparatus determines whether or not a sheet can be stacked, based on the detection of the sheet by the shift sensor. When determining that the sheet cannot be stacked, the sheet processing apparatus switches a gate on the conveying path to an ejection section.
The detection accuracy of the shift sensor might drop owing to the cutting or break of a sheet during conveyance, the winding-up of a cut piece, or the like. For this reason, when sheets are counted in accordance with the detection result of the shift sensor, counting of the sheets with a high accuracy might become difficult.
A sheet processing apparatus of the present embodiment has an inspection section to inspect a sheet, a cutting section to cut the sheet in accordance with a result of the inspection by the inspection section, a shape sensor arranged between the inspection section and the cutting section, to detect a shape of the sheet which has entered the cutting section, and a detecting section to detect the number of the sheets which have entered the cutting section, based on the shape of the sheet detected by the shape sensor.
Hereinafter, sheet processing apparatuses of embodiments will be described with reference to the appended drawings.
As shown in
In addition, the sheet processing apparatus 10 is provided with a system control device 15, a display device 16, an input device (not shown). The system control device 15 is communicably connected to the respective modules 11-14, and integrally controls the respective modules 11-14. The display device 16 accepts various operation inputs by an operator, and displays various operation guides, various information and so on, to the operator. The display device 16 is provided with a touch panel, for example, to detect an input to a button, when an operator contacts the button displayed on the screen and so on. The input device is a key board, for example.
Hereinafter, the cutting module 14 will be described. The cutting module 14 is provided with a module controller 20, and the cutting section 21. The module controller 20 is connected to the system control device 15, and the module controller 20 controls the whole cutting module 14. The cutting section 21 cuts a bank note, to invalidate the bank note.
In addition, as shown in
In addition, the bank note other than the cutting target is a normal bank note which is determined as reusable, for example. Although the bank note that is the cutting target is a normal bank note, for example, it is a bank note determined as non-reusable for the reason of the dirt, damage, or the like.
In addition, as shown in
The first shift sensor 31 is provided with a light emitting part 31a and a light receiving part 31b which are arranged opposite to each other through the conveying path 22. The second shift sensor 32 is provided with a light emitting part 32a and a light receiving part 32b which are arranged opposite to each other through the second conveying path 23. The third shift sensor 33 is provided with a light emitting part 33a and a light receiving part 33b which are arranged opposite to each other through the second conveying path 23. The fourth shift sensor 34 is provided with a light emitting part 34a and a light receiving part 34b which are arranged opposite to each other through the second conveying path 23. The fifth shift sensor 35 is provided with a light emitting part 35a and a light receiving part 35b which are arranged opposite to each other through the first conveying path 22.
An irradiation light outputted from the light emitting part 31a is received by the light receiving part 31b in a state in which a shield is not present, and is temporarily shielded by a bank note which is conveyed on the first conveying path 22. An irradiation light outputted from the light emitting part 32a is received by the light receiving part 32b in a state in which a shield is not present, and is temporarily shielded by the bank note which is conveyed on the second conveying path 23. An irradiation light outputted from the light emitting part 33a is received by the light receiving part 33b in a state in which a shield is not present, and is temporarily shielded by the bank note which is conveyed on the second conveying path 23. An irradiation light outputted from the light emitting part 34a is received by the light receiving part 34b in a state in which a shield is not present, and is temporarily shielded by the bank note which is conveyed on the second conveying path 23. An irradiation light outputted from the light emitting part 35a is received by the light receiving part 35b in a state in which a shield is not present, and is temporarily shielded by the bank note which is conveyed on the first conveying path 22.
Each of the shift sensors 31-35 outputs a detection signal, and while each of the light receiving parts 31b-35b receives the irradiation light, the detection signal becomes an OFF signal (a low level portion of the detection signal), and while the irradiation light to each of the light receiving parts 31b-35b is shielded, the detection signal becomes an ON signal (a high level portion of the detection signal). For example, a bank note is conveyed on the first conveying path 22 and on the second conveying path 23 to the inlet port of the cutting section 21.
When the reception of the irradiation light by each of the light receiving parts 31b-35b is interrupted, each of the shift sensors 31-35 outputs the ON signal, at each of times t1a-t4a shown in
Each of the shift sensors 31-35 is connected to the module controller 20, and the detection signal (the ON signal and the OFF signal) outputted from each of the shift sensors 31-35 is inputted to the module controller 20. By this means, the module controller 20 detects whether or not the bank note has passed through the optical axis of each of the shift sensors 31-35 at a proper timing. The system control device 15 connected to the module controller 20 counts the bank note which is being conveyed on the first conveying path 22, and the bank note which enters the cutting section 21 from the second conveying path 23, based on the detection of passing timings of the bank note by the module controller 20.
In this embodiment, the system control device 15 is a detecting section of the number of conveyed sheets to detect the number of sheets which are conveyed on the conveying route from the inspection/counting module 12 to the cutting section 21. In addition, the module controller 20 has a storage section 20a to store the detection signals outputted from the respective shift sensor 31-35, and the module controller 20 stores the convey history of the bank note in the storage section 20a.
In addition, the module controller 20 grasps a time required for the bank note to pass through the optical axis of each of the shift sensors 31-35, in accordance with a previously known conveying speed of the bank note. That is, the module controller 20 grasps a duration time when the ON signal is outputted from each of the shift sensors 31-35, such as a period from each of the times t1a-t4a to each of the times t1b-t4b as shown in
In addition, the module controller 20 grasps a time required for the bank note to pass through each of the spaces between the shift sensors 31-34, in accordance with the previously known conveying speed of the bank note. That is, the module controller 20 grasps a duration time till the ON signal is outputted from each of the shift sensors 32-34 at the downstream side, after the ON signal from each of the shift sensors 31-33 of the upstream side changes to the OFF signal, such as a period from each of the times t1b-t3b to each of the times t2a-t4a, as shown in
By this means, the module controller 20 can determine whether or not the passing timing (that is, the convey history of the bank note) of the bank note at the install position of each of the shift sensors 31-35 is proper. In this embodiment, the module controller 20 is a passing timing determination section to determine whether or not the passing timings of the bank note which are detected by a plurality of the sensors are proper. In addition, when detecting that the passing timing of the bank note is not proper, such as the output of the second shift sensor 32 shown in
In addition, the system control device 15 connected to the module controller 20 acquires the data of the convey history of the bank note which is stored in the storage section 20a by the module controller 20, and can display a timing chart as shown in
In addition, as shown in
The array-shaped optical sensor 36 is provided with a plurality of light emitting parts 36a and a plurality of light receiving parts 36b which are respectively arranged at the both sides of the bank note, along the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the bank note which is conveyed on the second conveying path 23. The array-shaped optical sensor 36 composes a line-shaped sensor, for example.
The plurality of light emitting parts 36a and the plurality of light receiving parts 36b are respectively arranged over areas longer than a width of the bank note which is conveyed on the second conveying path 23. The plurality of light emitting parts 36a are provided at one surface side of the faces of the second conveying path 23, and the plurality of light receiving parts 36b are provided at the other surface side of the faces of the second conveying path 23. A pair of the light emitting part 36a and the light receiving part 36b which face each other is used as one sensor channel C. For example, as shown in
The array-shaped optical sensor 36 is connected to the module controller 20, and information regarding the presence or absence of reception of the irradiation light in each of the sensor channels C is inputted to the module controller 20. By this means, the module controller 20 detects the shape and size of the bank note B which has passed through the array-shaped optical sensor 36, and counts the bank note which enters the cutting section 21 from the second conveying path 23, in accordance with this detection result. In this embodiment, the module controller 20 is a detecting section of the number of cut sheets which detects the number of the bank notes (sheets) which have entered the cutting section 21, based on the shape detected by the shape sensor. In addition when the light emitting part 36a is a linear light source, one light emitting part 36a may be provided in common to a plurality of the light receiving parts 36b.
In addition, the image data shown in
For example, first when the reception of the irradiation lights by the receiving parts 36b is interrupted in the sensor channels C of at least a prescribed number, out of the plurality of sensor channels C, the module controller 20 detects that the front end of the bank note in the conveying direction has passed through the array-shaped optical sensor 36.
Next, the module controller 20 stores the presence or absence of the reception of the irradiation lights in the plurality of sensor channels C as the time series data in the storage section 20a, each time the bank note is conveyed by a prescribed distance shorter than its own length, after this detection. Furthermore, the module controller 20 arrays the time series data of the plurality of sensor channels C, along the conveying direction of the bank note, for example, to thereby create the image data. And in the created image data, if the detected size of the bank note B (that is, an area of a region where the black circle marks indicating the light non-receiving state of the respective sensor channels C are present) is not less than a prescribed size, the module controller 20 detects that one bank note has passed through the array-shaped optical sensor 36 and has entered the cutting section 21.
In addition, when the reception of the irradiation lights by the receiving parts 36b in the sensor channels C of at least a prescribed number, out of the plurality of sensor channels C is resumed, the module controller 20 detects that the back end of the bank note in the conveying direction has passed through the array-shaped optical sensor 36. And the module controller 20 stores the created image data in the storage section 20a. That is, the module controller 20 stores the shape detected by the shape sensor in the storage section 20a.
In addition, the system control device 15 connected to the module controller 20 acquires the image data stored in the storage section 20a of the module controller 20, and can display the image data as shown in
As described above, the system control device 15 counts the bank note which has entered the cutting section 21, based on the detection of the bank note by each of the shift sensors 31-34. In addition, as described above, the module controller 20 counts the bank note which has entered the cutting section 21 by the shape and size of the bank note, based on the detection of the bank note by the array-shaped optical sensor 36. The system control device 15 and the module controller 20 determine whether or not the respective count values coincide with each other.
In this embodiment, the system control device 15 and the module controller 20 respectively correspond to determination sections which determine whether or not the number of the sheets detected by the detecting section of the number of conveyed sheets, and the number of the sheets detected by the detecting section of the number of cut sheets coincide with each other. For example, each of the system control device 15 and the module controller 20 notifies the other party of the own count value.
When this determination result is “YES”, that is, when the number of the sheets detected by the detecting section of the number of conveyed sheets and the number of the sheets detected by the detecting section of the number of cut sheets coincide with each other, the system control device 15 and the module controller 20 continue the operation of the cutting module 14 and the operation of the sheet processing apparatus 10. When the determination result is “YES”, the system control device 15 and/or the module controller 20 assumes that the respective count values of the system control device 15 and the module controller 20 are normal.
On the other hand, when this determination result is “NO”, that is, when the number of the sheets detected by the detecting section of the number of conveyed sheets and the number of the sheets detected by the detecting section of the number of cut sheets do not coincide with each other, the system control device 15 and the module controller 20 stop the operation of the sheet processing apparatus 10 and the operation of the cutting module 14. That is, in this embodiment, the system control device 15 and the module controller 20 are control sections which stop the processing of the sheet, when it is determined by the determination sections that the number of the sheets detected by the detecting section of the number of conveyed sheets, and the number of the sheets detected by the detecting section of the number of cut sheets do not coincide with each other. The processing of the sheet to be stopped is the processing by the cutting module 14, for example, and specifically is the processing by the cutting section 21. When the determination result is “NO”, any of the count values of the system control device 15 and the module controller 20 is assumed to be abnormal.
In addition, the module controller 20 can display the image data which was stored in the past on the display device 16, and an operator can retroactively confirm the number of the bank notes which entered the cutting section 21, based on the information of the shape and size of the bank note. The display device 16 is a display section.
For example, when an abnormality is found in the convey history of the bank note, such as the detection signal of the second shift sensor 32 shown in
In the embodiment, each of the module controller 20 and the system control device 15 is realized by a computer having a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM and so on to store a program in which predetermined functions are described, for example. The CPU executes the program stored in the ROM, to realize the above-described prescribed function of the module controller 20 or the system control device 15.
As described above, according to the sheet processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, since the number of the bank notes which entered the cutting section 21 is counted, by the shape and size of the bank note, based on the detection of the bank note by the array-shaped optical sensor 36, the counting accuracy can be improved. In addition, when an abnormality such as a conveyance jam occurs in the cutting section 21, for example, and even when an abnormality in the count value occurs, an operator can retroactively confirm the number of the bank notes which entered the cutting section 21, based on the image data which was stored in the storage section 20a in the past by the module controller 20. Furthermore, even when various abnormalities occur, the data of the convey history and the image data of the bank note which have been stored in the storage section 20a by the module controller 20 are displayed on the screen of the display device 16, and thereby it becomes possible for an operator to perform counting decision with a high accuracy.
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the inventions.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the cutting module may be provided with another sensor capable of detecting the shape and size of a bank note, such as a camera, in place of the array-shaped optical sensor 36.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2013-235001 | Nov 2013 | JP | national |