Patent Publication Number: US-2005127591-A1

Title: Apparatus and method for processing a sheet material

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
      This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-417598, filed Dec. 16, 2003, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.  
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for processing a sheet material which allow a sheet which is discharged based on, for example, a result of checking to be stacked on a discharge stacking section.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      This kind of sheet material processing apparatus is known, for example, in JPN PAT APPLN KOKAI PUBLICATION No. 2003-216999. In this sheet material processing apparatus, a sheet is picked up from a pick-up section and, for example, conveyed to a checking section where checking is made to see whether or not it is rejected. The sheet, if being found “not fit”, is rejected and rejected sheet is discharged on a first discharge stacking section.  
      If, on the other hand, the sheet is found to be normal, it is sorted by kind and stacked onto a “normal processing” stacking section. Where a predetermined number of normal sheets are stacked on the normal processing stacking section, a subsequent sheet and sheets are stacked onto a second discharge stacking section.  
      In the prior art disclosed, it is necessary to provide first and second discharge stacking sections and it is also necessary to manually collect those stacked sheets on these discharge stacking sections. Therefore, such manual collection operations are cumbersome and time-consuming.  
      Further, even if an automatic discharge sheet collection operation is adopted, it takes a longer operation time and requires more complex mechanism because a plurality of (two) discharge collection sections are involved.  
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      One aspect of the present invention has been achieved with the above situations in view and the object of the present invention is to provide a sheet material processing apparatus and method which can stack those sheets which are discharged in a plurality of directions onto a single discharge stacking section.  
      In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing a sheet material which comprises a pick-up device configured to pick up a sheet; a conveying device configured to allow the sheet which is picked up by the pick-up device to be conveyed along a conveying path; a first processing device configured to process the sheet which is conveyed by the conveying device; a first sorting device configured to allow the sheet which is processed by the first processing device to be sorted in first and second directions based on processing information of the first processing device; a second processing device configured to process the sheet which is sorted by the first sorting device in the first direction; a first conveying path configured to allow the sheet which is sorted by the first sorting device in the second direction to be conveyed; a second sorting device configured to allow the sheet which is processed by the second processing device to be sorted in a third or a fourth direction based on the processing information of the second processing device; a stacking section configured to allow the sheet which is sorted by the second sorting device in the third direction to be stacked thereon; a second conveying path configured to allow the sheet which is sorted by the second sorting device in the fourth direction to be conveyed; a meeting site where the first and second conveying paths meet; and a discharge stacking section configured to allow the sheet which is conveyed along the first or the second conveying path and passed through the meeting site to be stacked thereon.  
      In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing a sheet material which comprises a pick-up device configured to pick up a sheet; a conveying device configured to allow the sheet which is picked up by the pick-up device to be conveyed along a conveying path, a first processing device configured to process the sheet which is conveyed by the conveying device; a first sorting device configured to allow the sheet which is processed by the first processing device to be sorted in first and second directions based on processing information of the first processing device; a second processing device configured to process the sheet which is sorted by the first sorting device in the first direction; a first conveying path configured to allow the sheet which is sorted by the first sorting device in the second direction to be conveyed; a second sorting device configured to allow the sheet which is processed by the second processing device to be sorted in a third or a fourth direction based on processing information of the second processing device; a stacking section configured to allow the sheet which is sorted by the second sorting device in the third direction to be stacked thereon; a second conveying path configured to allow the sheet which is sorted by the second sorting device in the fourth direction to be conveyed; a meeting site where the first and second conveying paths meet; and a discharge stacking section configured to allow the sheet which is conveyed along the first or the second conveying path and passed through the meeting site to be stacked thereon, wherein, with L1 indicating a path length extending from the first sorting device through the first sorting device and further through the second sorting device to the meeting site and L2 indicating a path length of the first conveying path, a relation of L1=m×P+α and L2=n×P×α is established, provided that P: a conveying distance; α: a constant distance, and m, n: integers.  
      In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing a sheet material comprising a step of picking up a sheet; a step of conveying the picked-up sheet along a conveying path; a step of processing the conveyed sheet by a first processing device; a step of sorting the sheet which is processed by the first processing device by the first sorting device in first and second directions based on the processing information of the first processing device; a step of processing the sheet which is sorted by the first sorting device in the first direction by a second processing device; a step of conveying the sheet which is sorted by the first sorting device in the second direction by the first conveying path; a step of sorting the sheet which is processed by the second processing device by a second sorting device in a third or a fourth direction based on the processing information of the second processing device; a step of stacking the sheet which is sorted by the second sorting device in the third direction onto a stacking section; a step of conveying the sheet which is sorted by the second sorting device in the fourth direction by a second conveying path; a step of meeting the first and second conveying paths at a meeting site; and a step of stacking the sheet which is conveyed along the first or the second conveying path and passed through the meeting site onto a discharge stacking section.  
      Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
      The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
       FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view showing a sheet material processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention;  
       FIG. 2  is a front view showing a sheet meeting site in the sheet material processing device;  
       FIG. 3  is a plan view showing the sheet meeting site;  
       FIG. 4  is a side view showing the sheet meeting site; and  
       FIG. 5  is a front view showing a sheet meeting site according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
      The embodiments of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the drawing.  
       FIG. 1  is a diagrammatic view showing a sheet material processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.  
      In  FIG. 1 , reference numeral  1  shows a loading section for receiving sheets S in a stacked state and, at the loading section  1 , a pick-up roller  1   a  is provided, as a pick-up device, to sequentially separate and pick up the sheet from a top surface side on a one-by-one basis.  
      A conveying roller pair  2  is provided as a conveying device to allow the sheet which is picked up by the pick-up roller  1   a  to be conveyed along a conveying path  3 . At the conveying path  3 , a checking section  4  is provided as a first processing device to check whether or not the sheets S are conveyed, for example, in a partially/wholly overlapped state.  
      At the sheet conveying side of the checking section  4 , a first sorting device  6  is provided as a first sorting device to allow any overlapped sheets to be separated in a first direction and in a second direction. The sheet separated in the first direction (an arrow a direction) is conveyed along a conveying path  3  while, on the other hand, the sheet separated in a second direction (an arrow b direction) is conveyed along a first “discharge” conveying path  8  as a first conveying path.  
      In the conveying path  3 , a processing section  10  is provided as a second processing device to check whether the sheet is fit or unfit. On the sheet conveying side of the processing section  10 , a second sorting device comprising second sorting sections  12  and  13  is provided for allowing the sheet to be sorted in a third direction and in a fourth direction. In the third direction. (an arrow C direction) sorted by the second sorting sections  12  and  13 , stacking sections  15 ,  16  are arranged to allow the fit sheet to be stacked thereon.  
      In the fourth direction (an arrow d direction) sorted by the second sorting section  13 , a second “discharge” conveying path  18  is provided as a second conveying path. The second “discharge” conveying path  18  and first “discharge” conveying path  8  meet at a meeting site  19 . On the sheet conveying side of the meeting site  19 , a stacking unit  20  is provided as a single “discharge” stacking unit  20 .  
      If the conveying path length extending from the first sorting section  6  through the processing section  10  and then through the second sorting sections  12 ,  13  to the meeting site  19  is given by L1 and the conveying path length of the first “discharge” conveying path  8  extending from the first sorting section  6  to the meeting site  19  is given by L2, the sheet conveying path is so designed as to satisfy a relation 
 
 L 1 =m×P+α 
 
 L 2 =n×P+α 
          (P: sheet pick-up distance; α: a given distance, m, n: integers)        

      By doing so, the sheet conveyed by the first “discharge” conveying path  8  and sheet conveyed by the second “discharge” conveying path  18  can have their leading edges substantially coincide with each other if these sheets meet at the meeting site  19 .  
       FIG. 2  shows a structure of the meeting site  19 .  
      As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a guide  22  is provided at the meeting site  19  to allow the sheet which is conveyed on the first and second “discharge” conveying paths  8 ,  18  to be guided therealong. The sheet passed through the meeting site  19  is conveyed past a conveying path  23  onto the stacking section  20  for discharge.  
      The first “discharge” conveying path  8  is so configured as to have a roller  8   a , a conveying belt  8   b  running on the roller  8   a , and a conveying belt  8   c  overlappingly running on the upper surface of the conveying belt  8   b . The second “discharge” conveying path  18  is so configured as to have a roller  18   a , a conveying belt  18   b  running on the roller  18   a , and a conveying belt  18   c  overlappingly running on the lower surface of the conveying belt  18   b . The conveying path  23  comprises the conveying belt  8   c  and conveying belt  18   c . The conveying belts  8   c ,  18   c  are wrapped around a fixed idle roller  24  such that these belts are downwardly bent with the fixed idle roller  24  as a fulcrum to impart a sandwiching force thereto.  
      The guide  22  is so formed as to bend a rectangular plate partway at an acute angle. One side section  22   a  of the guide  22  is provided opposite to the lower surface side of the conveying belt  8   c  in a manner to be spaced a predetermined distance, while, on the other hand, the other side section  22   b  of the guide  22  is provided opposite to the upper surface side of the conveying belt  18   c  in a manner to be spaced a predetermined distance.  
      An explanation will be made below about the processing operation of the sheet material processing apparatus.  
      When the pick-up roller  1   a  is rotated, the sheets S on the sheet loading section  1  are sequentially picked up, one by one, from their top side and sent out onto the conveying path  3 . The sheets S thus sent out, while being sandwiched between the paired rollers  2 , are conveyed at a constant speed to a checking section  4  where they are subjected to various processing, for example, they are checked whether or not they are conveyed in an overlapped state.  
      If, as a result of checking, the sheets are found as not being in the overlapped state, the respective sheet is sorted in the first direction as indicated by an arrow a in  FIG. 1 . If, on the other hand, the sheets are found as being in the overlapped state, the overlapped sheet is separated in the second direction as indicated by an arrow b in  FIG. 1 .  
      The sheet S sorted in the first direction as indicated by an arrow a is conveyed along the conveying path  3  to the processing section  10  where the content of the sheet is decided as being normal or not. The sheet S separated in the second direction as indicated by an arrow b is conveyed along the first “discharge” conveying path  8  to a meeting site  19 . At the meeting site  19 , the sheet is guided by the one side section  22   a  of the guide  22  as indicated by a solid arrow onto the conveying path  23  and further conveyed past the conveying path onto a “discharge” stacking section  20  where it is stacked.  
      The sheet S processed by the processing section  10  is conveyed therefrom and, based on the processing information of the processing section  10 , the sheet S thus conveyed is sorted by the operations of the second sorting sections  12  and  13  and conveyed in the third or fourth direction. That is, the normal sheet which is sorted by the second sorting sections  12 ,  13  in the third direction (arrow c direction) is stacked, as in a bundle unit, onto the normal sheet stacking sections  15 ,  16 . The sheet which is sorted in a fourth direction (arrow d direction) as being not normal is conveyed through the second “discharge” conveying path  18  to the meeting site  19 . At the meeting site  19 , the sheet is guided, by the other side section  22   b  of the guide  22 , as indicated by a broken arrow line onto the conveying path  23  and, along the conveying path  23 , onto the “discharge” stacking unit  20  where the sheet is stacked.  
      According to the present embodiment, as set out above, the first and second “discharge” conveying paths  8 ,  18  meet at the meeting site  19  and, therefore, the sheets discharged from the first and second “discharge” conveying paths  8  and  18  can be stacked onto a single “discharge” stacking unit ( 20 ). It is not necessary to provide individual corresponding stacking units and it is easier to collect the discharged sheets and to obtain a simple automatic unit.  
      With L1 indicating the conveying path length extending from the first sorting section  6  through the processing section  10  and then through the second sorting sections  12  and  13  to the meeting site  19  and L2 indicating the conveying path length of the first “discharge” conveying path  8  extending from the first sorting section  6  to the meeting site  19 , the relation is set to be L1=m×P+α and L2=n×p+α. As a result, when the sheet conveyed from the first “discharge” conveying path  8  and sheet conveyed from the second “discharge” conveying path  18  meet at the meeting site  19 , the leading edges of these sheets are made to substantially coincide with each other, so that it is possible to improve the stacking performance at the “discharge” stacking unit  20 .  
      Further, by freely varying the conveying path lengths L1 and L2, it is possible to intentionally change an overlapped state at a sheet meeting time.  
      Further, at the sheet meeting time, the conveying belt  8   c  can be freely set on the fixed idle roller  24  in accordance with the thickness of the sheet and it is possible to prevent jamming of sheets and their lodging.  
       FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of a meeting site  19 .  
      In this embodiment, a conveying belt  8   c  and conveying belt  18   c  are sandwiched between a fixed idle roller  24  and a pinch roller  25 . By doing so, a proper sandwiching can be provided without forcing the conveying belts  8   c  and  18   c  to be bent with the fixed idle roller  24  as a fulcrum. It is, therefore, possible to freely set the direction of a conveying path provided by the conveying belts  8   c  and  18   c.    
      Even in this embodiment, when a plurality of sheets meet at a meeting site  19 , the pinch roller  25  is retracted in accordance with the thickness of the sheet and it is of course possible to prevent jamming or lodging of sheets.  
      Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details and representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.