Shredder

Abstract

To solve the problem that when full state detection is detected based on bulkiness of a shredded waste, a compressed state of the shredded waste stored in a shredded waste storage box varies.SOLUTION: A shredder includes: a shredding unit that shreds paper into a plurality of paper pieces; a storage unit that stores the plurality of paper pieces; a bulkiness measuring unit that detects bulkiness of the plurality of paper pieces stored in the storage unit; and a weight measuring unit that detects weight of the plurality of paper pieces stored in the storage unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a shredder.

Background Art

[0002] A shredder having a shredded waste full detection means is known. The shredder described in Patent Document 1 includes a shredding mechanism unit, a shredded waste storage box, and a shredded waste detection device. The shredding mechanism unit shreds the supplied paper. The shredded waste storage box stores the waste shredded by the shredding mechanism unit. The shredded waste detection device is provided near the upper opening surface of the shredded waste storage box. The shredded waste detection device is composed of an optical sensor. The shredded waste detection device detects that the shredded waste storage box is full due to shredded waste. The shredded waste detection device detects the height of the shredded waste stored in the shredded waste storage box. The height varies depending on the compression state of the shredded waste.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] When the full detection is detected by the height of the shredded waste, the compression state of the shredded waste stored in the shredded waste storage box will vary.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The shredder of the present disclosure includes a crushing unit that crushes paper into a plurality of pieces of paper, a storage unit that stores the plurality of pieces of paper, a height measurement unit that detects the height of the plurality of pieces of paper stored in the storage unit, and a weight measurement unit that detects the weight of the plurality of pieces of paper stored in the storage unit.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] FIG. 1 shows the external configuration of the crushing device 10. FIG. 1 shows the crushing device 10 in a perspective view. The crushing device 10 generates pieces of paper by crushing paper such as waste paper. The pieces of paper are used as raw materials for a sheet manufacturing device that regenerates the pieces of paper. The crushing device 10 corresponds to an example of a shredder. The crushing device 10 includes an outer housing 11, an opening / closing door 13, a paper supply port 15, and a display unit 17.

[0008] A plurality of figures including Figure 1 show an XYZ coordinate system. The Z-axis is an axis perpendicular to the installation surface of the crushing device 10. The +Z direction is the direction upward from the installation surface. The -Z direction is the direction from above toward the installation surface. The X-axis is an axis parallel to the installation surface. The X-axis is the axis connecting the front and the back. The front of the crushing device 10 is the surface facing the user when the user is facing the display unit 17. The back is the surface facing the front. The +X direction is the direction from the back to the front of the crushing device 10. The -X direction is the direction from the front to the back. The Y-axis is an axis parallel to the installation surface. The Y-axis is perpendicular to the X-axis. The +Y direction is the direction from left to right of the crushing device 10 in a plan view from the front. The -Y direction is the direction from right to left of the crushing device 10 in a plan view from the front.

[0009] The exterior housing 11 is an exterior that covers each unit of the crushing device 10. The exterior housing 11 is provided with an opening / closing door 13, a paper supply port 15, and a display unit 17. The exterior housing 11 shown in Figure 1 is rectangular parallelepiped, but is not limited thereto. The shape of the exterior housing 11 is set as appropriate.

[0010] The opening / closing door 13 is provided on the exterior housing 11. The opening / closing door 13 is configured to be openable and closable. The opening / closing door 13 rotates about a rotation axis along the Z-axis. The opening / closing door 13 is opened and closed by the user. When the user opens the opening / closing door 13, each unit arranged inside the exterior housing 11 becomes accessible to the user.

[0011] The paper supply port 15 is an opening into which paper such as waste paper is inserted. The paper supply port 15 is provided on the +Z-direction surface of the exterior housing 11. The paper is supplied to a crushing unit 21 described later through the paper supply port 15. The paper supply port 15 is configured to be able to supply a plurality of sheets of paper together.

[0012] The display unit 17 displays various types of information. As an example, the display unit 17 displays error information such as full or over-temperature rise. The display unit 17 may display the processing amount of paper processed by the crushing device 10. The display unit 17 is composed of a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL (electro-luminescence) panel, etc.

[0013] Figure 2 shows the external configuration of the crushing device 10. Figure 2 shows the crushing device 10 in a plan view from the +Z direction. On the +Z direction surface of the crushing device 10, the display unit 17 and the operation buttons 19 are arranged. The crushing device 10 shown in Figure 2 includes a plurality of operation buttons 19.

[0014] The operation buttons 19 are operated by the user. The plurality of operation buttons 19 includes a power button for operating the power supply of the crushing device 10. The plurality of operation buttons 19 may include a rotation direction instruction button for rotating the crushing unit 21 forward or backward. The plurality of operation buttons 19 may include a stop instruction button for stopping the crushing unit 21. The crushing device 10 shown in Figure 2 includes a plurality of operation buttons 19, but is not limited thereto. The crushing device 10 may include one operation button 19.

[0015] Figure 3 shows the schematic configuration of the crushing device 10. Figure 3 shows the crushing device 10 in a plan view from the +X direction. Figure 3 shows the crushing device 10 with the opening / closing door 13 closed.

[0016] When the opening / closing door 13 is closed, the user cannot access each unit housed inside the outer housing 11. When the opening / closing door 13 is closed, the crushing device 10 can crush paper. The crushing device 10 may include an opening / closing sensor for detecting the opening and closing of the opening / closing door 13. The crushing device 10 can detect the opening and closing of the opening / closing door 13 based on the output result of the opening / closing sensor.

[0017] FIG. 4 shows a schematic configuration of the crushing device 10. FIG. 4 shows the crushing device 10 in a plan view from the +X direction. FIG. 4 shows the crushing device 10 with the opening / closing door 13 opened. FIG. 4 shows each unit housed inside the exterior housing 11. The exterior housing 11 houses a crushing unit 21, a storage box 23, a leveling member 25, an optical sensor 27, and a weight sensor 29.

[0018] The crushing unit 21 crushes paper into a plurality of pieces of paper. The crushing unit 21 has a plurality of cutters and a crushing unit drive mechanism 31 and the like described later. The plurality of cutters are not shown. As an example, the crushing unit 21 has a pair of cylindrical cutters. Each of the pair of cylindrical cutters has a blade formed on its outer peripheral surface. The blades formed on the outer peripheral surfaces of the respective cylindrical cutters mesh with each other and rotate. The pair of cylindrical cutters rotate by the crushing unit drive mechanism 31. The paper introduced from the paper supply port 15 is crushed by the pair of cylindrical cutters. The crushing unit 21 may have a cross cutter that cuts in a direction intersecting the rotation axis of the cylindrical cutter. The configuration of the crushing unit 21 is not limited as long as it is configured to crush paper. The configuration of the crushing unit 21 can be set as appropriate. The crushing unit 21 corresponds to an example of a crushing portion.

[0019] The crushing unit 21 has a crushing unit opening 21a. The crushing unit 21 discharges the pieces of paper from the crushing unit opening 21a. The crushing unit opening 21a will be described later. The pieces of paper fall in the -Z direction from the crushing unit opening 21a.

[0020] The storage box 23 stores a plurality of pieces of paper generated by the crushing unit 21 crushing paper. The storage box 23 is composed of a hollow container. The storage box 23 is disposed at the -Z direction position of the crushing unit 21 inside the exterior housing 11. The storage box 23 can be accessed by the user when the opening / closing door 13 is opened. The storage box 23 is configured to be removable from the exterior housing 11 by the user. The storage box 23 corresponds to an example of a storage portion.

[0021] The leveling member 25 levels the upper surfaces of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. The leveling member 25 is disposed at the -Z direction position of the crushing unit 21. The leveling member 25 is driven by a leveling member drive mechanism 33 described later. The crushing device 10 shown in FIG. 4 includes the leveling member 25, but is not limited thereto. The crushing device 10 may or may not include the leveling member 25. It is preferable that the crushing device 10 includes the leveling member 25. By providing the leveling member 25, the volume of the storage box 23 is effectively utilized.

[0022] The optical sensor 27 detects the height of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. The optical sensor 27 shown in FIG. 4 is disposed at the +Z direction position of the storage box 23. The optical sensor 27 is configured as a reflection type sensor as an example. The reflection type sensor detects the reflected light of the emitted light. The reflection type sensor detects the height of a plurality of pieces of paper by detecting the upper surface position along the Z axis of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. By the optical sensor 27 detecting the height of a plurality of pieces of paper, the crushing device 10 can detect whether the storage box 23 is full or not. The optical sensor 27 is not limited to the reflection type sensor. The optical sensor 27 may be configured as a transmission type sensor. The arrangement of the optical sensor 27 is not limited to the +Z direction position of the storage box 23. The optical sensor 27 is not limited in the arrangement position as long as it can detect the height of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. The optical sensor 27 corresponds to an example of the height measurement unit.

[0023] The weight sensor 29 detects the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. The weight sensor 29 is configured as a load cell as an example. The weight sensor 29 measures the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 by measuring the weight of the storage box 23. By the weight sensor 29 detecting the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper, the crushing device 10 can detect whether the storage box 23 is full or not. The weight sensor 29 is disposed at the -Z direction position of the storage box 23. The weight sensor 29 corresponds to an example of the weight measurement unit.

[0024] The crushing device 10 can crush a predetermined number of sheets of paper together. When the number of sheets of paper crushed by the crushing device 10 at one time increases, the bulk density of the plurality of pieces of paper discharged from the crushing unit 21 increases. The compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 varies depending on the number of sheets of paper that the user inserts into the paper supply port 15 at one time.

[0025] The user can take out the storage box 23 from the outer housing 11. The user can perform a compression operation on the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. When the user performs a compression operation on the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23, the compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper varies.

[0026] The crushing device 10 includes an optical sensor 27 and a weight sensor 29. When the bulk density of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 is low, the crushing device 10 detects that the storage box 23 is full based on the height detected by the optical sensor 27. When the bulk density of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 is high, the crushing device 10 detects that the storage box 23 is full based on the weight detected by the weight sensor 29. By using the optical sensor 27 and the weight sensor 29, the crushing device 10 can suppress the variation in the compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 within a predetermined range.

[0027] The crushing device 10 includes a crushing unit 21 that crushes paper into a plurality of pieces of paper, a storage box 23 that stores the plurality of pieces of paper, an optical sensor 27 that detects the height of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23, and a weight sensor 29 that detects the weight of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. When it is detected that the storage box 23 is full by the optical sensor 27 and the weight sensor 29, the crushing device 10 can suppress the variation in the compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23.

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of the crushing device 10. FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of the crushing device 10 as viewed from the +X direction and the -Z direction. FIG. 5 shows the crushing device 10 with the opening / closing door 13 open. FIG. 5 shows a state in which the storage box 23 is removed. FIG. 5 shows the crushing device 10 in such a way that the -Z direction surface of the crushing unit 21 is visible. On the -Z direction surface of the crushing unit 21, a crushing unit opening 21a, a leveling member 25, and an optical sensor 27 are arranged.

[0029] The crushing unit opening 21a discharges pieces of paper from the crushing unit 21. The crushing unit opening 21a is formed as a part of the -Z direction surface of the crushing unit 21. The pieces of paper discharged from the crushing unit opening 21a freely fall into the storage box 23. The amount of pieces of paper falling directly below the crushing unit opening 21a is larger than the amount of pieces of paper falling at a position different from directly below the crushing unit opening 21a. The height of the pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 varies depending on the positional relationship with the crushing unit opening 21a. When the height of the pieces of paper varies, the volume of the storage box 23 is not effectively utilized.

[0030] The leveling member 25 reduces the variation in the height of the pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. As an example, the leveling member 25 is composed of a ring member and a plurality of shafts that support the ring member as shown in FIG. 5. The leveling member 25 reduces the variation in the height of the pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 by rotating at a predetermined speed.

[0031] FIG. 6 shows a block configuration of the crushing device 10. The crushing device 10 includes a display unit 17, an operation button 19, an optical sensor 27, a weight sensor 29, a crushing unit drive mechanism 31, a leveling member drive mechanism 33, a control unit 40, a storage unit 50, and a communication unit 60.

[0032] The display unit 17 displays various information based on the control of the control unit 40. The display unit 17 displays information based on the height detection data detected by the optical sensor 27 and the weight detection data detected by the weight sensor 29.

[0033] The operation button 19 outputs various operation signals. When the user operates the operation button 19, the operation button 19 outputs an operation signal to the control unit 40. The control unit 40 controls the display unit 17 and the like based on the operation signal. When the operation button 19 is a power button, the power button outputs a power-on signal and a power-off signal. When the control unit 40 receives the power-on signal, it starts various controls. When the control unit 40 receives the power-off signal, it stops each unit.

[0034] The optical sensor 27 executes a height detection operation based on the control of the control unit 40. The optical sensor 27 outputs height detection data to the control unit 40. The height detection data is, for example, a height detection flag indicating that the stack height of a plurality of pieces of paper has reached a predetermined reference stack height. The height detection flag indicates that the storage box 23 is full. The optical sensor 27 outputs the height detection flag while the stack height of the plurality of pieces of paper reaches the reference stack height. When the optical sensor 27 detects that the stack height of the plurality of pieces of paper is lower than the reference stack height after outputting the height detection flag, it stops outputting the height detection flag. The height detection data may be height value data indicating the stack height of the plurality of pieces of paper. The height detection data corresponds to an example of the stack height detection result.

[0035] The weight sensor 29 executes a weight detection operation based on the control of the control unit 40. The weight sensor 29 outputs weight detection data to the control unit 40. The weight detection data is, for example, a weight detection flag indicating that the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper has reached a predetermined reference weight. The weight detection flag indicates that the storage box 23 is full. The weight sensor 29 outputs the weight detection flag while the weight of the plurality of pieces of paper reaches the reference weight. When the weight sensor 29 detects that the weight of the plurality of pieces of paper is lower than the reference weight after outputting the weight detection flag, it stops outputting the weight detection flag. The weight detection data may be weight value data indicating the weight of the plurality of pieces of paper. The weight detection data corresponds to an example of the weight detection result.

[0036] Based on the reference height and reference weight, the compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 is adjusted within a predetermined range. The plurality of pieces of paper are used as raw materials for the sheet manufacturing apparatus. When the compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper fluctuates, the thickness of the sheet generated by the sheet manufacturing apparatus, the density per unit area, etc. fluctuate. When the compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper fluctuates, the quality of the sheet manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus fluctuates. By using the plurality of pieces of paper generated by the crushing apparatus 10 provided with the optical sensor 27 and the weight sensor 29 as raw materials for the sheet manufacturing apparatus, the quality of the sheet generated by the sheet manufacturing apparatus is stabilized. The crushing apparatus 10 can provide raw materials for manufacturing a sheet with stable quality.

[0037] The crushing unit drive mechanism 31 drives the crushing unit 21. The crushing unit drive mechanism 31 drives the crushing unit 21 based on the control of the control unit 40. The crushing unit drive mechanism 31 has a crushing motor and a crushing motor drive transmission mechanism. The crushing motor generates a crushing driving force for driving a cutter such as a cylindrical cutter. The crushing motor drive transmission mechanism transmits the crushing driving force generated by the crushing motor to the cutter.

[0038] The leveling member drive mechanism 33 drives the leveling member 25. The leveling member drive mechanism 33 drives the leveling member 25 based on the control of the control unit 40. The leveling member drive mechanism 33 has a rotation motor and a rotation motor drive transmission mechanism. The rotation motor generates a rotation driving force for rotationally driving the leveling member 25. The rotation motor drive transmission mechanism transmits the rotation driving force generated by the rotation motor to the leveling member 25.

[0039] The control unit 40 is a controller that controls the crushing device 10. The control unit 40 is, for example, a processor having a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The control unit 40 is composed of one or more processors. The control unit 40 operates as various functional units by executing a control program. The control unit 40 functions as an operation control unit 41, a display control unit 43, and a communication control unit 45 by executing a control program. The control unit 40 may function as a functional unit other than the operation control unit 41, the display control unit 43, and the communication control unit 45 by executing a control program.

[0040] The operation control unit 41 controls the operations of the crushing unit 21, the leveling member 25, the optical sensor 27, and the weight sensor 29. The operation control unit 41 controls the operation timing, stop timing, etc. of each of the crushing unit 21, the leveling member 25, the optical sensor 27, and the weight sensor 29. The operation control unit 41 receives the height detection data output from the optical sensor 27 and the weight detection data output from the weight sensor 29. The operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full based on the height detection data and the weight detection data. The operation control unit 41 corresponds to an example of a control unit.

[0041] The operation control unit 41 controls the operation of the crushing unit 21 by driving the crushing unit drive mechanism 31. The operation control unit 41 receives a height detection flag which is an example of the height detection data and a weight detection flag which is an example of the weight detection data. The operation control unit 41 controls the operation of the crushing unit 21 based on the height detection flag and the weight detection flag. The operation control unit 41 receives at least one of the height detection flag and the weight detection flag when the crushing unit 21 is performing a crushing operation. When the operation control unit 41 receives at least one of the height detection flag and the weight detection flag, it determines that the storage box 23 is full. The operation control unit 41 stops the crushing operation by the crushing unit 21. The operation control unit 41 does not operate the crushing unit 21 until the output of the height detection flag and the weight detection flag stops.

[0042] When the crushing unit 21 is stopped, the operation control unit 41 may receive the weight detection data. When the operation control unit 41 receives a weight detection flag, which is an example of the weight detection data, it determines that the storage box 23 is full. The operation control unit 41 does not operate the crushing unit 21 until the output of the weight detection flag stops.

[0043] The operation control unit 41 may receive the height value data at a predetermined time interval. The height value data is an example of the height detection data. The operation control unit 41 compares the height value data with a height threshold value. The height threshold value is a predetermined value. The height threshold value is stored in the storage unit 50 in advance. When the height value data is higher than the height threshold value, the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full. When the height value data is lower than the height threshold value, the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is not full.

[0044] The operation control unit 41 may receive the weight value data at a predetermined time interval. The weight value data is an example of the weight detection data. The operation control unit 41 compares the weight value data with a weight threshold value. The weight threshold value is a predetermined value. The weight threshold value is stored in the storage unit 50 in advance. When the weight value data is greater than the weight threshold value, the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full. When the weight value data is less than the weight threshold value, the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is not full.

[0045] The operation control unit 41 determines whether the storage box 23 is full based on at least one of the height value data and the weight value data. When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is not full while the crushing unit 21 is performing a crushing operation, it continues the crushing operation of the crushing unit 21. When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full while the crushing unit 21 is performing a crushing operation, it stops the crushing operation of the crushing unit 21. The operation control unit 41 does not operate the crushing unit 21 until it determines that the storage box 23 is not full.

[0046] When the crushing unit 21 is stopped, the operation control unit 41 may receive weight value data, which is an example of weight detection data. When the operation control unit 41 receives the weight value data, it determines whether the storage box 23 is full. When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full, it does not operate the crushing unit 21.

[0047] The compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 is adjusted within a predetermined range by the height threshold value and the weight threshold value. The plurality of pieces of paper are used as raw materials for the sheet manufacturing apparatus. When the compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper fluctuates, the thickness of the sheet generated by the sheet manufacturing apparatus, the density per unit area, etc. fluctuate. When the compression state of the plurality of pieces of paper fluctuates, the quality of the sheet manufactured by the sheet manufacturing apparatus fluctuates. By the crushing device 10 including the optical sensor 27 and the weight sensor 29 generating a plurality of pieces of paper, the quality of the sheet generated using the plurality of pieces of paper as raw materials is stabilized. The crushing device 10 can generate raw materials for manufacturing a sheet with stable quality.

[0048] The operation control unit 41 controls the operation of the leveling member 25 by driving the leveling member drive mechanism 33. The operation control unit 41 may control the operation of the leveling member 25 based on the height detection data and the weight detection data. As an example, when the operation control unit 41 receives either the height detection flag or the weight detection flag, it stops the operation of the leveling member 25.

[0049] The operation control unit 41 controls the height detection operation by the optical sensor 27. When the crushing unit 21 is performing a crushing operation, the operation control unit 41 causes the optical sensor 27 to perform a height detection operation. The optical sensor 27 detects the bulk height of the plurality of pieces of paper. When the crushing unit 21 is not performing a crushing operation, the operation control unit 41 does not cause the optical sensor 27 to perform a height detection operation. The optical sensor 27 does not detect the bulk height of the plurality of pieces of paper.

[0050] The operation control unit 41 controls the weight detection operation by the weight sensor 29. When the crushing unit 21 is performing the crushing operation, the operation control unit 41 may or may not cause the weight sensor 29 to perform the weight detection operation. When the crushing unit 21 is performing the crushing operation, it is preferable that the operation control unit 41 does not cause the weight sensor 29 to perform the weight detection operation. When the crushing unit 21 performs the crushing operation, vibration occurs. Due to the vibration, the detection value of the weight sensor 29 may vary. When the crushing unit 21 is not performing the crushing operation, it is preferable that the operation control unit 41 causes the weight sensor 29 to perform the weight detection operation. The weight sensor 29 detects the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper.

[0051] The display control unit 43 controls the display of the display unit 17. The display control unit 43 causes the display unit 17 to display various displays based on the height detection data detected by the optical sensor 27 or the weight detection data detected by the weight sensor 29. As an example, based on the height detection data, the display control unit 43 causes the display unit 17 to display information indicating that the storage box 23 is full. The display control unit 43 may cause the display unit 17 to display information indicating that the storage box 23 is full based on the weight detection data. The display control unit 43 may cause the display unit 17 to display error information or the like. The display control unit 43 may cause the display unit 17 to display information based on the data received via the communication unit 60.

[0052] The communication control unit 45 controls various communications by the communication unit 60. The communication control unit 45 transmits the weight detection data detected by the weight sensor 29 to an external device via the communication unit 60. The communication control unit 45 may transmit data based on the weight detection data detected by the weight sensor 29 to an external device via the communication unit 60. The data based on the weight detection data is data indicating that the storage box 23 is full, data regarding the number of times the storage box 23 has become full, and the like. The communication control unit 45 may transmit the height detection data detected by the optical sensor 27 or data based on the height detection data to an external device via the communication unit 60. The communication control unit 45 causes the communication unit 60 to receive various data transmitted from an external device. The communication control unit 45 causes the various data transmitted from the external device to be transmitted from the communication unit 60 to the operation control unit 41, the display control unit 43, and the like.

[0053] The memory unit 50 stores various programs, various data, and the like. The memory unit 50 stores a control program. The memory unit 50 may store a height threshold value and a weight threshold value. The memory unit 50 may store height detection data and weight detection data. The memory unit 50 is composed of a volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a non-volatile memory such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, and the like.

[0054] The communication unit 60 is an interface circuit that communicates and connects with an external device. The communication unit 60 connects to the external device by wire or wirelessly according to a predetermined communication protocol. The communication unit 60 includes a wired connector, a wireless communication port, and the like. The communication unit 60 is a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector, a LAN (Local Area Network) connector, or the like. The wireless communication port is a Wi-Fi communication port, a Bluetooth communication port, or the like. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are registered trademarks. The communication unit 60 receives various data from an external device. The communication unit 60 transmits the processing result of the crushing device 10 and the like to the external device.

[0055] Based on the height detection data detected by the optical sensor 27 and the weight detection data detected by the weight sensor 29, the crushing device 10 is provided with an operation control unit 41 that determines whether the storage box 23 is full. The crushing device 10 can determine whether the storage box 23 is full. The crushing device 10 can suppress variations in the compression state of a plurality of pieces of paper.

[0056] The operation control unit 41 controls the operations of the crushing unit 21, the optical sensor 27, and the weight sensor 29. The crushing device 10 can operate the crushing unit 21, the optical sensor 27, and the weight sensor 29 in association with each other.

[0057] When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full, it does not operate the crushing unit 21. The crushing device 10 can prevent the pieces of paper generated by the crushing unit 21 from overflowing from the storage box 23.

[0058] When the crushing unit 21 is operating, the operation control unit 41 causes the optical sensor 27 to detect the bulk height of a plurality of pieces of paper, and after the crushing unit 21 stops operating, causes the weight sensor 29 to detect the weight of the plurality of pieces of paper. The crushing device 10 can improve the measurement accuracy of the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper by detecting the weight of the plurality of pieces of paper when the crushing unit 21 is stopped. Also, since the optical sensor 27 detects the bulk height when the crushing unit 21 is operating, the crushing device 10 can detect whether the storage box 23 is full during operation.

[0059] FIG. 7 shows the operation flow of the crushing device 10. FIG. 7 shows an example of the operation flow of the crushing device 10 in a flowchart. In the operation flow shown in FIG. 7, when the crushing unit 21 performs a crushing operation, the optical sensor 27 and the weight sensor 29 perform detection operations. The operation flow corresponds to an example of a control method.

[0060] In step S101, the crushing device 10 receives a power input operation. The user performs an input operation on the power button included in the operation button 19. When the user performs an input operation on the power button, the crushing device 10 receives the power input operation. The crushing device 10 becomes capable of executing a crushing operation by the crushing unit 21.

[0061] After receiving the power input operation, in step S103, the crushing device 10 drives the optical sensor 27 and the weight sensor 29. The operation control unit 41 causes the optical sensor 27 to execute a height detection operation. The optical sensor 27 starts detecting the bulk height of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the accommodation box 23. The operation control unit 41 causes the weight sensor 29 to execute a weight detection operation. The weight sensor 29 starts detecting the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the accommodation box 23.

[0062] After driving the optical sensor 27 and the weight sensor 29, in step S105, the crushing device 10 crushes paper with the crushing unit 21. When the user inserts paper through the paper supply port 15, the crushing unit 21 crushes the paper. The crushing unit 21 discharges a plurality of pieces of paper generated by crushing the paper from the crushing unit opening 21a. The discharged plurality of pieces of paper are accommodated in the accommodation box 23. The optical sensor 27 detects the bulk height of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the accommodation box 23. The optical sensor 27 outputs height detection data. The weight sensor 29 detects the weight of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the accommodation box 23. The weight sensor 29 outputs weight detection data.

[0063] When the crushing device 10 crushes paper with the crushing unit 21, at step S107, it detects whether the storage box 23 is full. The operation control unit 41 detects whether the storage box 23 is full based on the height detection data output from the optical sensor 27 and the weight detection data output from the weight sensor 29. When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full, the crushing device 10 proceeds to step S109 (step S107: YES). When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is not full, the crushing device 10 proceeds to step S111 (step S107: NO).

[0064] At step S109, the crushing device 10 notifies that it is full. The display control unit 43 transmits display data indicating that the storage box 23 is full to the display unit 17. The display unit 17 performs a display indicating that the storage box 23 is full based on the display data. The operation control unit 41 stops the crushing operation by the crushing unit 21. The crushing device 10 may transmit the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 to an external device via the communication unit 60. The crushing device 10 stops the crushing operation.

[0065] At step S111, the crushing device 10 determines whether the crushing operation has ended. As an example, the crushing device 10 determines whether paper is being supplied from the paper supply port 15 using a paper sensor (not shown). The paper sensor detects whether paper is being supplied to the paper supply port 15. The paper sensor is composed of a weight detection lever or the like that detects the presence or absence of paper. The crushing device 10 may detect whether paper is being supplied from the paper supply port 15 using a detection mechanism other than the paper sensor. The detection mechanism is set as appropriate. When the crushing device 10 detects that no paper is being supplied from the paper supply port 15, it determines that the crushing operation has ended. The crushing device 10 ends the crushing operation (step S111; YES). When the crushing device 10 detects that paper is being supplied from the paper supply port 15, it determines that the crushing operation has not ended. The crushing device 10 returns to step S105 (step S111; NO).

[0066] Figure 8 shows the operation flow of the crushing device 10. Figure 8 shows an example of the operation flow of the crushing device 10 in a flowchart. In the operation flow shown in Figure 8, when the crushing unit 21 performs a crushing operation, the optical sensor 27 performs a height detection operation. When the crushing unit 21 performs a crushing operation, the weight sensor 29 does not perform a weight detection operation. After the crushing unit 21 finishes the crushing operation, the weight sensor 29 performs a weight detection operation. After the crushing unit 21 finishes the crushing operation, the optical sensor 27 stops the height detection operation and does not perform the height detection operation. The operation flow corresponds to an example of the control method.

[0067] In step S201, the crushing device 10 receives a power input operation. The user performs an input operation on the power button included in the operation button 19. When the user performs an input operation on the power button, the crushing device 10 receives the power input operation. The crushing device 10 becomes in a state where it can execute the crushing operation by the crushing unit 21.

[0068] After receiving the power input operation, in step S203, the crushing device 10 drives the optical sensor 27. The crushing device 10 does not drive the weight sensor 29. The operation control unit 41 causes the optical sensor 27 to perform a height detection operation. The optical sensor 27 starts detecting the bulk height of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the accommodation box 23.

[0069] After driving the optical sensor 27, in step S205, the crushing device 10 crushes the paper with the crushing unit 21. When the user inserts paper through the paper supply port 15, the crushing unit 21 crushes the paper. The crushing unit 21 discharges a plurality of pieces of paper generated by crushing the paper from the crushing unit opening 21a. The discharged plurality of pieces of paper are accommodated in the accommodation box 23. The optical sensor 27 detects the bulk height of the plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the accommodation box 23. The optical sensor 27 outputs height detection data.

[0070] When the crushing unit 21 of the crushing device 10 is crushing paper, at step S207, it detects whether the storage box 23 is full. The operation control unit 41 detects whether the storage box 23 is full based on the height detection data output from the optical sensor 27. When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full, the crushing device 10 proceeds to step S209 (step S207: YES). When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is not full, the crushing device 10 proceeds to step S211 (step S207: NO).

[0071] At step S209, the crushing device 10 notifies that it is full. The display control unit 43 transmits display data indicating that the storage box 23 is full to the display unit 17. The display unit 17 performs a display indicating that the storage box 23 is full based on the display data. The operation control unit 41 stops the crushing operation by the crushing unit 21. The crushing device 10 stops the crushing operation.

[0072] At step S211, the crushing device 10 stops the crushing unit 21. When the supply of paper to the paper supply port 15 stops, the crushing device 10 ends the crushing operation. The operation control unit 41 stops the crushing unit 21. The operation control unit 41 stops the leveling member 25 simultaneously with the crushing unit 21. After the operation control unit 41 stops the crushing unit 21, it may stop the leveling member 25 after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0073] After the crushing unit 21 of the crushing device 10 stops, at step S213, it drives the weight sensor 29. The operation control unit 41 executes the weight detection operation by the weight sensor 29. The weight sensor 29 starts detecting the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. In a state where the crushing unit 21 has stopped, the weight sensor 29 detects the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23. The weight sensor 29 can detect the weight of a plurality of pieces of paper without being affected by the device vibration caused by the driving of the crushing unit 21 and the leveling member 25.

[0074] After driving the weight sensor 29, at step S215, the crushing device 10 detects whether the storage box 23 is full. The operation control unit 41 detects whether the storage box 23 is full based on the weight detection data output from the weight sensor 29. When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is full, the crushing device 10 proceeds to step S209 (step S215: YES). When the operation control unit 41 determines that the storage box 23 is not full, the operation ends (step S215: NO). The operation control unit 41 stops driving the weight sensor 29.

[0075] At step S209, the crushing device 10 notifies that it is full. The display control unit 43 transmits display data indicating that the storage box 23 is full to the display unit 17. The display unit 17 performs a display indicating that the storage box 23 is full based on the display data. The crushing device 10 may transmit the weights of a plurality of pieces of paper accommodated in the storage box 23 to an external device via the communication unit 60. The crushing device 10 continues to display that the storage box 23 is full until the power of the crushing device 10 is turned off by the user's operation on the power button.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0076] 10... Crushing device, 11... Outer housing, 13... Opening / closing door, 15... Paper supply port, 17... Display unit, 19... Operation button, 21... Crushing unit, 21a... Crushing unit opening, 23... Storage box, 25... Levelling member, 27... Optical sensor, 29... Weight sensor, 31... Crushing unit drive mechanism, 33... Levelling member drive mechanism, 40... Control unit, 41... Operation control unit, 43... Display control unit, 45... Communication control unit, 50... Memory unit, 60... Communication unit.

Claims

1. A shredding unit that shreds paper into a plurality of paper pieces, A storage unit that stores the plurality of paper pieces, A bulk measurement unit that detects the bulk height of the plurality of paper pieces stored in the storage unit, A weight measurement unit that detects the weight of the plurality of paper pieces stored in the storage unit, A shredder comprising the above.

2. Comprising a control unit that determines that the storage unit is full based on the bulk detection result detected by the bulk measurement unit and the weight detection result detected by the weight measurement unit, The shredder according to Claim 1.

3. The control unit controls the operations of the shredding unit, the bulk measurement unit, and the weight measurement unit, The shredder according to Claim 2.

4. When the control unit determines that the storage unit is full, the control unit does not operate the shredding unit, The shredder according to Claim 3.

5. The control unit, When the shredding unit is operating, causes the bulk measurement unit to detect the bulk height of the plurality of paper pieces, After the shredding unit stops operating, causes the weight measurement unit to detect the weight of the plurality of paper pieces, The shredder according to Claim 3.

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