Sheet feeding or delivering – Feeding – Separators
Reexamination Certificate
2001-04-03
2004-03-09
Walsh, Donald P. (Department: 3653)
Sheet feeding or delivering
Feeding
Separators
C271S031100, C271S106000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06702275
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper-leaves separating/supplying method and apparatus suitable for use in a paper-leaves division system and properly employable in separating a plurality of paper leaves such as mail, deposited together in a bundle, to convey them one by one to a partitioning section.
2) Description of the Related Art
In the recent years, a mail division apparatus, which includes a recognizing function for reading a bar-code attached to mail or a character recognizing function for reading destination information such as a postal code to divide the mail automatically on the basis of these destination information, has been put in practical use. Such a paper-leaves division apparatus, which is made to handle mail or the like (which will be referred to hereinafter to “paper leaves (sheets)”), has been required to meet requirements such as space-saving, labor-saving, cost reduction and fast operation (speed-up). A means to realize the fast operation of these requirements has been required to eliminate the occurrence of troubles such as overlap transportation in the middle of the conveyance and further to accomplish the conveyance and the partitioning operation promptly and accurately.
In general, such a type of paper-leaves division apparatus is designed to separate a plurality of paper leaves to be divided, deposited together in a bundle in a stand-up condition, from each other in a separating/supplying section and subsequently send them successively toward the downstream side. Accordingly, if the separating/supplying section cannot achieve the separation of the paper leaves properly and promptly, then this has great influence on the subsequent reading of the address information and the accuracy and speed of the partitioning operation. In addition, the proper and prompt separation in the separating/supplying section provides an effect to enhance the handling ability of a large number of paper leaves. Accordingly, for achieving the fast separation of the paper leaves, a simple-structure paper-leaves arrival detecting means is provided at a paper-leaves feeding (transferring) position to detect the arrival of the paper leaves.
Meanwhile, the fast and continuous conveyance of a large quantity of paper leaves may cause slight operational discordance in the paper-leaves conveyance path to develop instability factors so that the interval between one paper leaf and the subsequent another paper leaf lengthens and shortens, thus leading to the occurrence of overlap transportation so that difficulty is experienced in correctly conducting the partitioning operation of the paper leaves to be done after the conveyance. One of the instability factors is that, in a case in which paper leaves are fed in a collectively set condition and in a stand-up condition, if a paper leaf (which will be referred to hereinafter as a “succeeding paper leaf”) traveling afterward falls down to lean against a paper leaf (which will be referred to hereinafter as a “preceding paper leaf”) running ahead of the succeeding paper leaf, the weight of the succeeding paper leaf is placed on the preceding paper leaf, thus generating a contact pressure between the preceding paper leaf and the succeeding paper leaf. In addition, this contact pressure develops a load at the feed of the preceding paper leaf to hinder the smooth feeding operation, or the succeeding paper leaf is dragged by the preceding paper leaf to fall into an irregular condition so that the further feeding of the succeeding paper leaf can be conducted in an unstable state. Still additionally, the sucking paper leaf is dragged by the preceding paper leaf to be sent in a state where two pieces overlap with each other, that is, the so-called overlap transportation occurs. Accordingly, in order to solve these problems, there is a need to reduce the contact pressure between the preceding paper leaf and the succeeding paper leaf by as much as possible in feeding (letting out) the preceding paper leaf.
Furthermore, a key to fast and continuous conveyance of a large quantity of paper leaves is that the system accurately recognizes the arrival of paper leaves at a separating/feeding belt surface and appropriately feeds the paper leaves successively or continuously. A conventional mechanical paper-leaves arrival detecting means is placed immediately before the separation/supply section and is designed to make a decision on the arrival in a manner that a paper leaf is brought into point (or line) contact with the paper-leaves arrival detecting means. In addition, this paper-leaves arrival detecting means can fail to detect the arrival of the paper leaves depending upon situations such as the weight, thickness, surface roughness or supplying posture of the paper leaves, which interferes with the prompt separation/supply. In this respect, the conventional paper-leaves arrival detecting means does not fulfill its purpose sufficiently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been developed with a view to eliminating these problems, and it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a paper-leaves separating/supplying method and apparatus, capable of, in feeding paper leaves, reducing the contact pressure occurring between the preceding paper leaf and the succeeding paper leaf to certainly feed the paper leaves one by one for accomplishing the conveyance of the paper leaves with high accuracy without exerting adverse influence on the succeeding paper leaf, such as overlap transportation.
Another object of the invention is to a paper-leaves separating/supplying method and apparatus capable of precisely detecting the paper leaves conveyed up to a paper-leaves feeding position to successively feed the paper leaves with accuracy.
A further object of the present invention is to accurately accomplish the conveyance of paper leaves without troubles such as overlap transportation.
For these purposes, in accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper-leaves separating/supplying method comprising the steps of placing a belt surface of a separating/supplying belt in a state substantially perpendicular to a conveying direction of a plurality of paper leaves set together and conveyed in a stand-up condition or in a state inclined toward the paper leaves conveyed, taking up the paper leaves, conveyed up to a position at which the paper leaves come into contact with the belt surface, by vacuum suction on the belt surface side so that the paper leaf adheres onto the belt surface, and feeding the one paper leaf taken up toward the downstream side in accordance with the rotary motion of the separating/supplying belt.
Thus, the preceding paper leaf coming previously into contact with the belt surface is attracted and held on the separating/supplying belt in a state parallel with or inclined toward the succeeding paper leaf, and then fed in accordance with the rotary motion of the separating/supplying belt. Accordingly, the weight of the succeeding paper leaf hardly fall on the preceding paper leaf when the preceding paper leaf is fed to the downstream side, thus minimizing the contact pressure between the preceding paper leaf and the succeeding paper leaf to achieve smooth feeding thereof. In addition, it is possible to prevent the succeeding paper leaf from being dragged by the preceding paper leaf to be disarranged in posture, which assures that the paper leaves are conveyed with accuracy without the occurrence of troubles.
Furthermore, in accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper-leaves separating/supplying apparatus comprising a rotary separating/supplying belt, vacuum suction means for taking up a plurality of paper leaves, set together and conveyed in a stand-up condition, through the use of vacuum suction so that they are attached onto a belt surface of the separating/supplying belt, and separating/supplying means for feeding the paper leaves, attached onto the belt surface by the vacuum suction, one by one to the dow
Nakamoto Akihiko
Niiyama Yuichi
Shibata Nobuo
Shimasaki Akira
Miller Jonathan R
Walsh Donald P.
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