Control system and control program

Abstract

To count the number of sheets in a paper stack which is being pressed without jeopardizing an arm from gripping the paper stack.SOLUTION: A control device 10 includes a CPU 21. The CPU 21 acquires the paper size of a paper stack, and before the number of sheets in the paper stack is counted using a counter, it is controlled such that each of the multiple pressing parts moves to two adjacent sides of the paper stack, excluding the side on which the counter is placed, according to the size of the paper, and each of the multiple pressing parts presses the two adjacent sides while the counter is counting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control system and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a paper flow prevention device for the discharge section of a sheet-fed printing press that is provided in the discharge section of the sheet-fed printing press and prevents paper from flowing sideways in the direction of transport of books stacked on a lifting pile. This paper flow prevention device is provided with a paper pressing member that regulates the side of books on the lifting pile that are in the lowered position during plate setting work. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-139606 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Incidentally, a robot arm (hereinafter referred to as "arm") is sometimes used to transport a stack of sheets to a post-processing device. In this case, since it is difficult to transport the entire stack of sheets at once, a certain number of sheets are counted before being gripped by the arm.

[0005] A disk-type counter is used to count the number of sheets in a stack of paper, and the disk is rotated and slid between the sheets to count each sheet.

[0006] When counting paper at a certain speed, the friction between the disk and the paper can pull the paper, causing the stack of paper to collapse. A simple solution to prevent the paper from being pulled is to surround the sides of the counter with walls, except for the side where the counter is in contact. However, surrounding the sides with walls can sometimes interfere with the arm's grip on the stack of paper.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide a control system and a control program that can count the number of sheets in a stack of paper while holding the stack of paper without interfering with the arm's gripping action of the stack of paper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the control system of the first aspect includes a processor, which acquires the size of the paper in a paper stack, which is a stack of paper, and before counting the number of sheets in the paper stack using a counter, moves each of a plurality of pressing units to each of two adjacent sides of the paper stack, excluding the side on which the counter is placed, according to the size of the paper, and controls each of the plurality of pressing units to press each of the two adjacent sides while the counter is counting.

[0009] In addition, a control system according to a second aspect is the control system according to the first aspect, wherein the processor further acquires at least one of the thickness and type of paper of the paper stack, and changes the position of the side that each of the multiple pressing units presses according to at least one of the thickness and type of paper.

[0010] In addition, the control system of the third aspect is the control system of the second aspect, wherein the distance between the pressing portion and the counter when the paper in the paper stack is a first paper is shorter than the distance between the pressing portion and the counter when the paper is a second paper that is thicker than the first paper.

[0011] In addition, a control system according to a fourth aspect is the control system according to the first aspect, wherein the processor further controls a pressure member other than the plurality of pressure members to press the top surface of the stack of paper while the counter is counting.

[0012] In addition, a control system according to a fifth aspect is the control system according to the fourth aspect, wherein the processor further acquires at least one of the thickness and type of paper of the paper stack, and changes the position of the upper surface pressed by the other pressing unit according to at least one of the thickness and type of paper.

[0013] In addition, the control system of the sixth aspect is the control system of the fifth aspect, wherein the distance between the other pressing portion and the counter when the paper in the paper stack is a first paper is shorter than the distance between the other pressing portion and the counter when the paper is a second paper that is thicker than the first paper.

[0014] A seventh aspect of the control system is the control system according to the first aspect, wherein at least one of the plurality of pressing parts presses down on a side surface position where the distance between the pressing part and the counter is shortest.

[0015] In addition, the control system of the eighth aspect is the control system of the first aspect, and further includes a trained model generated by machine learning learning data in which attribute information including paper size, number of sheets, paper type, and thickness is used as explanatory variables and the position of the side pressed by each of the multiple pressing units is used as a target variable, and the processor inputs attribute information about the paper in the paper stack into the trained model and obtains the position of the side pressed by each of the multiple pressing units from the trained model.

[0016] Furthermore, a control system according to a ninth aspect is a control system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, wherein the plurality of pressing sections are a plurality of arms capable of gripping the paper sheets of the paper stack, and the processor controls the plurality of arms to grip the predetermined number of paper sheets after counting a predetermined number of paper sheets with the counter while pressing the two adjacent sides with the plurality of arms.

[0017] In addition, a control system according to a tenth aspect is the control system according to the ninth aspect, in which the processor counts all the sheets of paper in the stack of paper using the counter, and then moves the counter away from the position where it is resting so as not to interfere with setting a new stack of paper.

[0018] In addition, a control system according to an eleventh aspect is the control system according to the ninth aspect, wherein the counter is a disk rotation type counter in which a disk rotates in a direction along the edge of the paper in the paper stack, and the processor changes the side that each of the multiple arms presses depending on the direction of rotation of the disk.

[0019] In addition, a control system according to a twelfth aspect is the control system according to the eleventh aspect, wherein one of the plurality of arms presses the side of the stack of paper to the right of the counter when viewed from above when the rotation direction of the disk is clockwise, and presses the side of the stack of paper to the left of the counter when viewed from above when the rotation direction of the disk is counterclockwise.

[0020] In order to achieve the above object, the control program of the thirteenth aspect causes a computer to execute a process of obtaining the size of the paper in a paper stack, which is a stack of paper, and before counting the number of sheets in the paper stack using a counter, moving each of a plurality of pressing units to each of two adjacent sides of the paper stack excluding the side on which the counter is placed, based on the size of the paper, and controlling each of the plurality of pressing units to press each of the two adjacent sides while the counter is counting. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the first and thirteenth aspects, it is possible to have an effect that the number of sheets in the paper stack can be counted while pressing the paper stack without interfering with the operation of the arm gripping the paper stack.

[0022] According to the second aspect, compared to when the same position on the side is pressed regardless of the thickness and type of paper, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting.

[0023] According to the third aspect, compared to when the distance between the pressing portion and the counter is the same regardless of the thickness of the paper, the effect is that the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting.

[0024] According to the fourth aspect, compared to when only the sides of the paper stack are pressed, there is an effect that the paper can be made less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting.

[0025] According to the fifth aspect, compared to when the same position on the top surface is pressed regardless of the thickness and type of paper, there is an advantage that the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting.

[0026] According to the sixth aspect, compared to when the distance between the counter and another pressing portion is the same regardless of the thickness of the paper, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting.

[0027] According to the seventh aspect, compared to when the distance between the pressing portion and the counter is not set to the shortest distance, there is an effect that the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting.

[0028] According to the eighth aspect, there is an effect that the paper can be made less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting using the trained model.

[0029] According to the ninth aspect, there is an effect that the sides of the paper stack can be pressed using a plurality of arms, and a predetermined number of paper sheets can be gripped using the same plurality of arms.

[0030] According to the tenth aspect, there is an effect that the counter does not get in the way when a new stack of paper is set.

[0031] According to the eleventh aspect, compared to when the same side surface is pressed regardless of the direction of rotation of the disk, the effect is that the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting.

[0032] The twelfth aspect has the advantage that the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting, compared to when the same side is pressed regardless of whether the disk is rotating clockwise or counterclockwise. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a control system for handling a stack of paper sheets as seen obliquely. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a control system as viewed from above. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a gripper attached to the tip of an arm. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a main part of a counter. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a main part of an electrical system in a control device configured using a computer; [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of a control device. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data table. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a trained model. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the flow of a paper transport process by a control program according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a perspective view showing an example of how two adjacent side surfaces of a stack of paper sheets are pressed down using a gripper provided at the tip of an arm. FIG. [Figure 11A]10 is a top view schematically showing an example of how two adjacent side surfaces of a stack of paper sheets are pressed down using a gripper provided at the tip of an arm. FIG. [Figure 11B] 10 is a top view schematically showing an example of how two adjacent side surfaces of a stack of paper sheets are pressed down using a gripper provided at the tip of an arm. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a top view schematically showing another example of how two adjacent side surfaces of a stack of paper-sheets are pressed down using a gripper provided at the tip of an arm. FIG. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of a state in which a stack of paper sheets is about to be gripped by the claws of a gripper; [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example in which a stack of sheets is gripped by a gripper. [Figure 15] 10 is a top view schematically illustrating an example of a state in which the counter is retracted when a new stack of sheets is set. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] Hereinafter, the disclosed embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the same components and processes are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the drawings, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0035] <System configuration> Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a control system 1 handling a stack of paper sheets 14, as viewed obliquely. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a top view of the control system 1. The control system 1 includes an arm 2 that grips an object with a gripper 8 attached to the tip thereof, a counter 4 that counts the number of paper sheets 14A in the stack of paper sheets 14, and a control device 10 that controls the arm 2 and the counter 4.

[0036] A loading tray 3 is installed within the working range of the arm 2, and a stack of sheets 14 is loaded on the loading tray 3. There are no restrictions on the shape of the sheets 14A handled by the control system 1, but as an example, the sheets 14A are cut sheets that have been cut into a rectangle. The stack of sheets 14 is made up of a plurality of sheets 14A. In this case, to make it easier to load the stack of sheets 14, the loading surface of the loading tray 3 is also rectangular. The stack of sheets 14 is, for example, a stack of sheets 14A after printing has been performed, and is loaded on the loading tray 3 with the printed side of the sheets 14A facing up.

[0037] The control device 10 controls the counter 4 and the arm 2, so that the counter 4 counts a predetermined number of sheets 14A in the stack of sheets 14 loaded on the loading tray 3, and the counted number of sheets 14A are gripped by the gripper 8 and moved by the arm 2 to, for example, a jogger 5.

[0038] Counter 4 is a device that counts the number of sheets of paper 14A in paper-sheet stack 14. Counter 4 has a disk drive mechanism 43 and a disk 44 at the tip of an arm 42 that extends horizontally from the top of a support base 41. The installation location of counter 4 is not particularly limited as long as it is a place where the number of sheets of paper 14A in paper-sheet stack 14 can be counted. The main configuration of counter 4 is shown in Figure 4, which will be described later.

[0039] The jogger 5 is a device that aligns the stack of sheets 14 so that the contours of the sheets 14A are aligned before post-processing steps using the sheets 14A, such as collating and binding, are performed.

[0040] A support post 7 is attached to a base 16 to which the arm 2 is attached, and a 3D sensor 6 is attached to the tip of the support post 7. The base 16 can be installed, for example, around the loading platform 3. The installation location of the base 16 is not particularly limited as long as it is a place where the paper transport process by the arm 2 can be performed. In addition, the arm 2 can move freely around the loading platform 3.

[0041] The 3D sensor 6 is an example of a three-dimensional sensor that measures the position in three-dimensional space of the paper stack 14 loaded on the loading tray 3. The position of the paper stack 14 in three-dimensional space is represented by coordinate values ​​of three-dimensional coordinates set in the three-dimensional space (hereinafter referred to as "three-dimensional coordinate values").

[0042] In the control system 1, a predetermined position in three-dimensional space is set as the origin of the three-dimensional coordinate system. As an example, in this embodiment, one of the vertices on the loading surface of the loading tray 3 is set as the origin of the three-dimensional coordinate system. In this case, the long side direction of the loading tray 3 when viewed from a position opposite the loading surface of the loading tray 3 is set as the X-axis, the short side direction of the loading tray 3 is set as the Y-axis, and the vertical direction is set as the Z-axis. The loading surface of the loading tray 3 does not necessarily have to be arranged horizontally along the floor; for example, it may be arranged at an angle to the floor so that the arm 2 can easily grasp the paper stack 14. However, in this embodiment, the loading surface of the loading tray 3 is assumed to be arranged horizontally along the floor.

[0043] The 3D sensor 6 detects three-dimensional coordinate values ​​at each point on the paper-sheet stack 14 by measuring the distance to each point on the paper-sheet stack 14. Note that detecting three-dimensional coordinate values ​​at each point on the paper-sheet stack 14 also means detecting the shape of the paper-sheet stack 14. The 3D sensor 6 may be any of a variety of sensors capable of measuring the distance to an object, such as a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), a TOF (Time-of-Flight) sensor, or a stereo camera.

[0044] 1, the 3D sensor 6 is attached to the support 7, but the 3D sensor 6 may be located, for example, above the printed surface of the paper 14A of the paper stack 14, i.e., above the paper stack 14, in any position where the entire paper stack 14 can be viewed from the Z-axis direction and where the relative position with respect to the paper stack 14 does not change. As an example, the 3D sensor 6 may be attached to the ceiling of the room in which the arm 2 is installed. Note that the 3D sensor 6 may also be attached to the arm 2. In this case, to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the paper stack 14, the 3D sensor 6 is moved along the shape of the paper stack 14, or the 3D sensor 6 is moved to a position where the entire paper stack 14 can be seen, and the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the paper stack 14 are detected.

[0045] 1 and 2 show an example of a control system 1 having two arms 2, but there is no restriction on the number of arms 2. The number of arms 2 in the control system 1 may be any number, and may be three or more. However, as the number of arms 2 increases, the cost of the control system 1 increases and the control becomes more complex, so it is preferable that the number of arms 2 is two.

[0046] <Gripper structure> 3 is a diagram showing an example of a gripper 8 attached to the tip of the arm 2. The gripper 8 includes, for example, two claws 9 that grip an object under control of a control device 10.

[0047] One of the two claws 9, claw 9A, is a circular claw 9 with a circular tip, and an elastic body such as rubber is attached to the contact surface with the predetermined number of sheets 14A to make it easier to grip the predetermined number of sheets 14A of the stack of sheets 14. The other of the two claws 9, claw 9B, has a flat, spatula-shaped contact surface with the predetermined number of sheets 14A to make it easier to support the predetermined number of sheets 14A from below. Because claw 9B is spatula-shaped, it is easier to insert, for example, into the gap between sheets 14A than claw 9A. An elastic body is also attached to the contact surface of claw 9B with the predetermined number of sheets 14A. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between claw 9A and claw 9B, they will be referred to as "claw 9."

[0048] <Counter structure> 4 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of the counter 4. As described above, the counter 4 is provided with the disk 44.

[0049] Counter 4 is, for example, a disk rotation type counter in which disk 44 rotates in a direction along the side of sheets 14A of paper-sheet bundle 14. Counter 4 can count sheets 14A one by one by sliding disk 44 between sheets 14A while rotating it relative to side surface 14S of paper-sheet bundle 14.

[0050] <Control device configuration> FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of an electrical system in the control device 10 configured using a computer.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 5, the control device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 22, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 23, an input / output interface (I / O) 24, a memory unit 25, a communication unit 26, and a connection unit 27.

[0052] The CPU 21, ROM 22, RAM 23, and I / O 24 are connected to each other via a bus. Functional units including a storage unit 25, a communication unit 26, and a connection unit 27 are connected to the I / O 24. These functional units can communicate with the CPU 21 via the I / O 24.

[0053] The control unit is configured with the CPU 21, ROM 22, RAM 23, and I / O 24. The control unit may be configured as a sub-control unit that controls part of the operation of the control device 10, or may be configured as part of the main control unit that controls the overall operation of the control device 10. For example, an integrated circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration) or an IC (Integrated Circuit) chip set is used for part or all of the blocks of the control unit. Individual circuits may be used for each of the above blocks, or a circuit in which some or all of the blocks are integrated may be used. The above blocks may be provided integrally, or some of the blocks may be provided separately. Furthermore, part of each of the above blocks may be provided separately. The integration of the control unit is not limited to LSI, and a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor may also be used.

[0054] For example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like is used as the storage unit 25. A control program 25A according to this embodiment is stored in the storage unit 25. Note that this control program 25A may be stored in the ROM 22.

[0055] The control program 25A may be pre-installed in the control device 10, for example. The control program 25A may be realized by storing it in a non-volatile storage medium or distributing it via a network and installing it appropriately in the control device 10. Examples of non-volatile storage media include a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a magneto-optical disk, a HDD, a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), a flash memory, a memory card, etc.

[0056] The communication unit 26 is connected to a network such as the Internet, a local area network (LAN), or a wide area network (WAN), and is capable of communicating with a print management device, which is a host device, via the network.

[0057] The connection unit 27 is connected to each of the 3D sensor 6, the arm 2, and the counter 4, and connects each of the 3D sensor 6, the arm 2, and the counter 4 to the CPU 21 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0058] However, as described above, when counting paper sheets 14A at a certain speed, friction between disk 44 and paper sheets 14A may pull on paper sheets 14A, causing the stack of paper sheets 14 to collapse. A simple measure to prevent paper sheets 14A from being pulled on is to surround side surfaces 14S other than the side surface 14S that contacts counter 4 with a wall. However, surrounding side surfaces 14S with a wall may interfere with the operation of arm 2 to grip paper sheet stack 14.

[0059] For this reason, the control device 10 according to this embodiment acquires the size of the sheets 14A in the paper-sheet stack 14, and before using the counter 4 to count the number of sheets 14A in the paper-sheet stack 14, moves each of the multiple pressing units to each of two adjacent sides 14S of the multiple side surfaces 14S of the paper-sheet stack 14, excluding the side surface 14S against which the counter 4 abuts, in accordance with the size of the sheets 14A, and controls each of the multiple pressing units to press each of the two adjacent side surfaces 14S while the counter 4 is counting. Note that in this embodiment, a case is shown in which the arm 2 is used as an example of a pressing unit, but this is not limited to the arm 2, and for example, a pressing unit separate from the arm 2 may be provided.

[0060] The CPU 21 of the control device 10 according to this embodiment writes a control program 25A stored in the storage unit 25 into the RAM 23 and executes the program, thereby functioning as each unit shown in FIG.

[0061] 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 10. The CPU 21 of the control device 10 according to this embodiment functions as an attribute acquisition unit 21A, a position detection unit 21B, a side surface identification unit 21C, a counter control unit 21D, and an arm control unit 21E.

[0062] The attribute acquisition unit 21A acquires attribute information about the paper stack 14. The attribute information includes the size, number of sheets, paper type, and thickness of the paper sheets 14A. The size is the size of the paper sheets 14A and is expressed as, for example, A4, A3, B5, B4, etc. The number of sheets is the number of paper sheets 14A that the gripper 8 grips at one time and is expressed as, for example, 50 sheets, 100 sheets, 150 sheets, 200 sheets, etc. The paper type is the type of the paper sheets 14A and is expressed as, for example, plain paper, high-quality paper, coated paper, etc. The thickness is the thickness of the paper sheets 14A and is expressed as, for example, basis weight or grammage. The attribute information may be acquired, for example, by user input from a print management device, which is a higher-level device, or may be acquired from code information attached to any of the paper sheets 14A in the paper stack 14. The code information may be, for example, a QR (Quick Response: registered trademark) code or a barcode. The size of the paper 14A may also be acquired from the 3D sensor 6, for example.

[0063] The position detection unit 21B uses the 3D sensor 6 to detect three-dimensional coordinate values ​​that represent the position and shape of the paper-sheet stack 14.

[0064] Side surface identification unit 21C uses the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​detected by position detection unit 21B to identify the location of side surface 14S of paper-sheet bundle 14. Side surface 14S of paper-sheet bundle 14 refers to a surface of rectangular parallelepiped-shaped paper-sheet bundle 14 that intersects with the printed surface of each paper sheet 14A.

[0065] Counter control unit 21D controls the operation of counter 4. Counter control unit 21D controls counter 4 so that disk 44 is rotated and slid between sheets of paper 14A, and counts a predetermined number of sheets of paper 14A in stack of paper-sheets 14 one by one. The "predetermined number" is specified by the attribute information.

[0066] Arm control unit 21E controls the operation of arm 2. Before counting the number of paper-sheets 14A in paper-sheet stack 14 using counter 4, arm control unit 21E moves each of the multiple arms 2 to each of two adjacent side surfaces 14S of multiple side surfaces 14S of paper-sheet stack 14, excluding side surface 14S against which counter 4 abuts, in accordance with the size of paper-sheets 14A. Then, arm control unit 21E controls each of the multiple arms 2 to press each of the two adjacent side surfaces 14S while counter 4 is counting.

[0067] 7 is a diagram showing an example of the data table 251. For example, the data table 251 is stored in the storage unit 25. The data table 251 defines the correspondence between the attribute information of the paper sheet 14A and the positions of the side surface 14S pressed by the multiple arms 2. The arm control unit 21E refers to the data table 251 based on the attribute information of the paper sheet 14A acquired by the attribute acquisition unit 21A, and acquires the positions of the side surface 14S pressed by the multiple arms 2.

[0068] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the trained model 252. The memory unit 25 may store the trained model 252 instead of the data table 251. The trained model 252 is a trained model generated by machine learning learning data in which attribute information including the size, number of sheets, paper type, and thickness of the paper 14A is used as an explanatory variable, and the position of the side surface 14S pressed by each of the multiple arms 2 is used as a target variable. For example, a neural network is used as the trained model 252, but other learning models may also be used.

[0069] In this case, the arm control unit 21E inputs attribute information about the paper sheets 14A of the paper-sheet stack 14 into the trained model 252, and acquires from the trained model 252 the positions of the side surfaces 14S that are pressed by each of the multiple arms 2.

[0070] Furthermore, arm control unit 21E controls multiple arms 2 so that, after counting a predetermined number of sheets of paper 14A with counter 4 while pressing two adjacent side surfaces 14S with multiple arms 2, the multiple arms 2 grip a predetermined number of sheets of paper 14A. Here, depending on the installation location of counter 4, it may interfere with the gripping operation of arm 2. In this case, counter control unit 21D may retract counter 4 (i.e., disk 44) from side surface 14S against which it is resting so as not to interfere with the gripping operation of multiple arms 2 after counter 4 counts a predetermined number of sheets of paper 14A.

[0071] In addition, after the counter 4 has counted all the sheets of paper in the paper stack 14, the counter control unit 21D may move the counter 4 (i.e., the disk 44) away from the position where it is placed so as not to interfere with setting a new paper stack.

[0072] <Control system action> Next, the operation of the control system 1 that presses the side surface 14S of the paper stack 14 using the arm 2 while the counter 4 is counting will be described.

[0073] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the paper transport process by the control program 25A according to this embodiment.

[0074] When the CPU 21 of the control device 10 receives an instruction to execute the paper transport process from the user, it executes the paper transport process by reading the control program 25A from the storage unit 25 or the ROM 22. It is assumed that a stack of paper sheets 14 is loaded on the loading tray 3.

[0075] First, in step S101, the CPU 21 acquires attribute information of the paper sheet 14A. As described above, the attribute information of the paper sheet 14A is acquired, for example, from a print management device, which is a higher-level device.

[0076] In step S102, the CPU 21 uses the 3D sensor 6 to acquire three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the paper-sheet stack 14 made up of a plurality of paper sheets 14A.

[0077] In step S103, CPU 21 identifies the location of side surface 14S of bundle of paper-sheets 14 based on the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​acquired in step S102.

[0078] In step S104, based on the attribute information acquired in step S101, the CPU 21 moves each of the multiple arms 2 to each of two adjacent side surfaces 14S of the multiple side surfaces 14S of the paper-sheet stack 14, excluding the side surface 14S against which the counter 4 is to be placed. The positions of the two adjacent side surfaces 14S are identified using, for example, the data table 251 shown in FIG. 7 or the trained model 252 shown in FIG. 8 described above.

[0079] In step S105, the CPU 21 controls each of the plurality of arms 2 to press each of two adjacent side surfaces 14S.

[0080] 10 to 12, a specific description will be given of a configuration in which two adjacent side surfaces 14S are pressed by a plurality of arms 2. Note that in Figs. 10 to 12, only the main parts of each component are shown in a simplified manner.

[0081] Fig. 10 is a perspective view that schematically shows an example of how two adjacent side surfaces 14S of paper-sheet stack 14 are pressed down using gripper 8 provided at the tip of arm 2. The example in Fig. 10 shows how each of two adjacent side surfaces 14S of paper-sheet stack 14 is pressed down by the back surfaces of claws 9B of gripper 8. Note that, hereinafter, the top surface of paper-sheet stack 14 will be referred to as "top surface 14U."

[0082] 11A and 11B are top views schematically showing an example of how two adjacent side surfaces 14S of a stack of paper-sheets 14 are held down using a gripper 8 provided at the tip of an arm 2. The examples in Figs. 11A and 11B show the stack of paper-sheets 14 as seen from above. The arrow on the disk 44 indicates the direction of rotation.

[0083] Here, arm control unit 21E changes the side surface 14S that each of the plurality of grippers 8 presses, depending on the rotation direction of disk 44. Specifically, when the rotation direction of disk 44 is clockwise, one of the plurality of grippers 8 presses the side surface 14S to the right of disk 44 when viewed from above, as shown in Fig. 11A, and when the rotation direction of disk 44 is counterclockwise, one of the plurality of grippers 8 presses the side surface 14S to the left of disk 44 when viewed from above, as shown in Fig. 11B. In other words, when the rotation direction of disk 44 is clockwise, paper-sheet 14A is pulled to the right, so the side surface 14S to the right of disk 44 is pressed, and when the rotation direction of disk 44 is counterclockwise, so the paper-sheet 14A is pulled to the left, so the side surface 14S to the left of disk 44 is pressed.

[0084] Furthermore, when the arm control unit 21E acquires at least one of the thickness and paper type of the sheets 14A of the paper-sheet stack 14, the arm control unit 21E may change the position of the side surface 14S pressed by each of the multiple grippers 8 according to at least one of the thickness and paper type of the sheets 14A. Specifically, when the sheets 14A of the paper-sheet stack 14 are the first sheets 14A, the distance Ls between the center of the gripper 8 and the center of rotation of the disk 44 is shorter than the distance Ls between the center of the gripper 8 and the center of rotation of the disk 44 when the sheets 14A of the paper-sheet stack 14 are the second sheets 14A. The thickness of the second sheet 14A is greater (thicker) than the thickness of the first sheet 14A. Note that the distance Ls is an example of the distance between the arm 2 and the counter 4. The first sheet 14A and the second sheet 14A may be of different paper types. The first sheet 14A may be, for example, plain paper or high-quality paper, and the second sheet 14A may be, for example, coated paper or thick paper. The first sheet 14A and the second sheet 14A may be of different thicknesses and paper types.

[0085] It is desirable to shorten the distance Ls because the thinner the thickness of the paper 14A, the more easily the paper is pulled by the rotation of the disk 44. Also, if the paper 14A is plain paper or high-quality paper, it is more likely to be pulled by the rotation of the disk 44, so it is desirable to shorten the distance Ls.

[0086] Furthermore, at least one of the grippers 8 may press the side surface 14S at a position where the distance Ls between the center of the gripper 8 and the rotation center of the disk 44 is the shortest. By pressing the side surface 14S where the distance Ls is the shortest, it becomes possible to make it more difficult for the paper sheet 14A to be pulled by the rotation of the disk 44 compared to when the distance Ls is not the shortest distance.

[0087] Fig. 12 is a top view schematically showing another example of how two adjacent side surfaces 14S of a paper-sheet stack 14 are held down using a gripper 8 provided at the tip of an arm 2. The example in Fig. 12 shows the paper-sheet stack 14 as viewed from above.

[0088] As shown in FIG. 12, the arm control unit 21E may control a pressure unit 17 (hereinafter referred to as an "upper surface pressure unit 17") separate from the multiple grippers 8 to press down on the upper surface 14U of the paper-sheet stack 14 while the counter 4 is counting. The number of upper surface pressure units 17 is not limited to one, and multiple units may be used. By pressing down on the upper surface 14U in addition to the adjacent side surfaces 14S of the paper-sheet stack 14, it becomes possible to make it less likely that the paper-sheets 14A will be pulled by the rotation of the disk 44 compared to when only the adjacent side surfaces 14S of the paper-sheet stack 14 are pressed down.

[0089] Furthermore, when the arm control unit 21E acquires at least one of the thickness and paper type of the sheets 14A of the paper-sheet stack 14, the arm control unit 21E may change the position of the upper surface 14U pressed by the upper surface holding unit 17 according to at least one of the thickness and paper type of the sheets 14A. Specifically, when the sheets 14A of the paper-sheet stack 14 are the first sheets 14A, the distance Lu between the center of the upper surface holding unit 17 and the center of rotation of the disk 44 is shorter than the distance Lu between the center of the upper surface holding unit 17 and the center of rotation of the disk 44 when the sheets 14A of the paper-sheet stack 14 are the second sheets 14A. As described above, the thickness of the second sheets 14A is greater (thicker) than the thickness of the first sheets 14A. Note that the distance Lu is an example of the distance between the upper surface holding unit 17 and the counter 4. Furthermore, the first and second sheets 14A may be different paper types. The first sheet 14A may be, for example, plain paper or high-quality paper, and the second sheet 14A may be, for example, coated paper or cardboard. Furthermore, the first sheet 14A and the second sheet 14A may be different in both thickness and paper type.

[0090] It is desirable to shorten the distance Lu because the thinner the thickness of the paper 14A, the more easily the paper is pulled by the rotation of the disk 44. Also, if the paper 14A is plain paper or high-quality paper, it is desirable to shorten the distance Lu because the paper 14A is more easily pulled by the rotation of the disk 44.

[0091] Next, in step S106, CPU 21 counts a predetermined number of sheets 14A in stack of sheets 14 using counter 4. Counting by counter 4 is performed, for example, in a state in which each of the multiple arms 2 presses down on each of two adjacent side surfaces 14S as shown in FIG. 11A above, or, for example, in a state in which each of the multiple arms 2 presses down on each of two adjacent side surfaces 14S and upper surface presser 17 presses down on upper surface 14U as shown in FIG. 12 above.

[0092] In step S107, the CPU 21 determines whether or not a predetermined number of sheets has been counted by the counter 4. If it is determined that the predetermined number of sheets has been counted by the counter 4 (in the case of a positive determination), the process proceeds to step S108, and if it is determined that the predetermined number of sheets has not been counted by the counter 4 (in the case of a negative determination), the process returns to step S106 and repeats the process.

[0093] In step S108, the CPU 21 controls the gripper 8 to grip the number of sheets 14A counted in step S107 and transport them to the jogger 5. Here, the counted number of sheets 14A are referred to as a "sheet stack 14B."

[0094] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a state in which the claws 9 of the gripper 8 are about to grip the paper-sheet stack 14B. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example in which the gripper 8 has gripped the paper-sheet stack 14B.

[0095] As shown in Fig. 13, after one arm 2 grips paper-sheet stack 14B, arm control unit 21E controls arm 2 to lift the gripped paper-sheet stack 14B. With the distance between claw 9A and claw 9B of the other arm 2 wider than the thickness of paper-sheet stack 14B, arm control unit 21E controls the other arm 2 so that claw 9B is below claw 9A, and inserts claw 9B of the other arm 2 into the gap created between paper-sheet stack 14B and the remaining paper-sheets 14A. In this state, arm control unit 21E moves claw 9A and claw 9B of the other arm 2 along the contour of paper-sheet stack 14B, and controls arm 2 so that the other arm 2 grips the corner of paper-sheet stack 14B diagonally from the point gripped by one arm 2, as shown in Fig. 14.

[0096] In step S109, CPU 21 determines whether or not all sheets 14A of sheet bundle 14 have been transported. If it is determined that all sheets 14A of sheet bundle 14 have been transported (if the determination is positive), the process proceeds to step S110, and if it is determined that all sheets 14A of sheet bundle 14 have not been transported (if the determination is negative), the process returns to step S104 and repeats the process.

[0097] In step S110, after the CPU 21 has counted all the sheets of paper in the paper stack 14 using the counter 4, it moves the counter 4 (i.e., the disk 44) away from the position where it is in contact so as not to interfere with the setting of a new paper stack. Here, the new paper stack is referred to as a "new paper stack 14N."

[0098] 15 is a top view that schematically shows an example of how the counter 4 is retracted when a new stack of paper-sheets 14N is set. As shown in Fig. 15, depending on the installation location of the counter 4, the counter 4 may get in the way when setting the new stack of paper-sheets 14N. For this reason, the disk 44 is retracted from the position where it is in contact so that it does not get in the way when setting the new stack of paper-sheets 14N.

[0099] In step S111, the CPU 21 determines whether the end timing has arrived, for example, because there is no new paper stack 14N, etc. If it is determined that the end timing has not arrived (in the case of a negative determination), the process proceeds to step S112, and if it is determined that the end timing has arrived (in the case of a positive determination), the paper transport process by this control program 25A is terminated.

[0100] In step S112, when the CPU 21 detects that a new stack of paper-sheets 14N has been set at a predetermined position, the process returns to step S101 and the process is repeated.

[0101] According to this embodiment, the number of sheets in a paper stack can be counted while pressing two adjacent sides of the paper stack with multiple arms. This eliminates the need to surround the sides of the paper stack with walls, and does not impede the arms' gripping action.

[0102] While one form of the control system 1 for handling paper has been described above using the embodiment, the disclosed form of the control system 1 is merely an example, and the form of the control system 1 is not limited to the scope described in the embodiment. Various changes or improvements can be made to the embodiment without departing from the gist of the present disclosure, and forms incorporating such changes or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the disclosure.

[0103] For example, the internal processing order in the paper transport process shown in FIG. 9 may be changed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0104] In the above embodiment, as an example, the paper transport process shown in Fig. 9 is implemented by software processing. However, the same process as the flowchart of the paper transport process may be implemented by hardware. In this case, the processing speed can be increased compared to when the paper transport process is implemented by software processing.

[0105] In the above embodiment, the term "processor" refers to a processor in a broad sense, including a general-purpose processor (e.g., CPU 21) and a dedicated processor (e.g., GPU: Graphics Processing Unit, ASIC: Application Specific Integrated Circuit, FPGA: Field Programmable Gate Array, programmable logic device, etc.).

[0106] Furthermore, the operations of the processors in the above embodiments may not only be performed by a single processor, but may also be performed by multiple processors located at physically separate locations working together. Furthermore, the order of the operations of the processors is not limited to the order described in the above embodiments, and may be changed as appropriate.

[0107] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control program 25A is stored in the storage unit 25 or the ROM 22. However, the storage destination of the control program 25A is not limited to the storage unit 25 or the ROM 22. The control program 25A of the present disclosure can also be provided in a form stored in a computer-readable storage medium.

[0108] For example, the control program 25A may be provided in a form stored on an optical disk such as a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or a Blu-ray disc. The control program 25A may also be provided in a form stored on a portable semiconductor memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a memory card. These CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray disc, USB, and memory card are examples of non-transitory storage media.

[0109] Furthermore, the control system 1 may download the control program 25A from an external device connected to the communication line via the communication device, and store the downloaded control program 25A in the storage unit 25 or ROM 22 of the control device 10. In this case, the CPU 21 of the control device 10 reads the control program 25A downloaded from the external device from the storage unit 25 or ROM 22 and executes the paper conveying process. The present disclosure may be applied to programs and program products.

[0110] The following supplementary notes are provided regarding the above-described embodiments.

[0111] (Addendum) (((1))) a processor; The processor: Get the paper size of the paper stack, which is a stack of paper, Before counting the number of sheets of paper in the paper stack using a counter, each of a plurality of pressing units is moved to each of two adjacent sides of a plurality of sides of the paper stack excluding the side on which the counter is placed, according to the size of the paper; While the counter is counting, each of the plurality of pressing portions is controlled to press each of the two adjacent side surfaces. Control system. (((2))) The processor further acquires at least one of a thickness and a paper type of the paper sheets of the paper stack; changing the position of the side surface pressed by each of the plurality of pressing units in accordance with at least one of the thickness and the type of the paper; The control system according to (((1))). (((3))) a distance between the pressing unit and the counter when the paper sheets of the paper stack are first paper sheets is shorter than a distance between the pressing unit and the counter when the paper sheets of the paper stack are second paper sheets having a thickness greater than that of the first paper sheets; The control system according to (((2))). (((4))) the processor further controls a pressing unit other than the plurality of pressing units to press the top surface of the stack of paper while the counter is counting. A control system according to any one of (((1))) to (((3))). (((5))) The processor further acquires at least one of a thickness and a paper type of the paper sheets of the paper stack; changing a position of the upper surface pressed by the other pressing unit according to at least one of the thickness and the type of the paper; The control system according to (((4))). (((6))) a distance between the another pressing portion and the counter when the paper in the paper stack is a first paper, the distance being shorter than a distance between the another pressing portion and the counter when the paper in the paper stack is a second paper having a thickness greater than that of the first paper; The control system according to (((5))). (((7))) At least one of the plurality of pressing portions presses a side surface position where the distance between the pressing portion and the counter is shortest. A control system according to any one of (((1))) to (((6))). (((8))) The apparatus further includes a trained model generated by machine learning learning data in which attribute information including the size, number of sheets, paper type, and thickness of paper is used as explanatory variables, and the position of the side surface pressed by each of the plurality of pressing units is used as a target variable, The processor inputs attribute information about the sheets of the paper stack into the trained model, and acquires, from the trained model, the positions of the sides pressed by each of the plurality of pressing units. A control system according to any one of (((1))) to (((7))). (((9))) the plurality of pressing portions are a plurality of arms capable of gripping the sheets of the sheet stack, the processor counts a predetermined number of sheets of paper using the counter while pressing the two adjacent sides with the plurality of arms, and then controls the plurality of arms to grip the predetermined number of sheets of paper. A control system according to any one of (((1))) to (((8))). (((10))) After counting all the sheets of the paper stack with the counter, the processor moves the counter away from the position where the counter is in contact so as not to interfere with setting a new paper stack. The control system according to (((9))). (((11))) the counter is a disk rotation type counter in which a disk rotates in a direction along a side of the paper sheets of the paper stack, the processor changes the side surface pressed by each of the plurality of arms according to the rotation direction of the disk. The control system according to (((9))) or (((10))). (((12))) When the rotation direction of the disk is clockwise, one of the plurality of arms presses a side surface of the paper stack to the right of the counter when viewed from above, and when the rotation direction of the disk is counterclockwise, presses a side surface of the paper stack to the left of the counter when viewed from above. The control system according to (((11))). (((13))) Get the paper size of the paper stack, which is a stack of paper, Before counting the number of sheets of paper in the paper stack using a counter, each of a plurality of pressing units is moved to each of two adjacent sides of a plurality of sides of the paper stack excluding the side on which the counter is placed, based on the size of the paper; a process of controlling each of the plurality of pressing portions to press each of the two adjacent side surfaces while the counter is counting, A control program for a computer to execute.

[0112] According to (((1))) and (((13))), it is possible to count the number of sheets in a stack of paper while holding the stack of paper, without interfering with the arm's gripping action of the stack of paper. According to (((2))), compared to pressing the same position on the side regardless of the thickness and type of paper, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting. According to (((3))), compared to when the distance between the pressing part and the counter is the same regardless of the thickness of the paper, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting. According to (((4))), compared to when only the sides of the paper stack are pressed, the paper can be made less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting. According to (((5))), compared to pressing the same position on the top surface regardless of the thickness and type of paper, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting. According to (((6))), compared to when the distance between the counter and another pressing part is the same regardless of the thickness of the paper, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting. According to (((7))), compared to when the distance between the pressing portion and the counter is not set to the shortest distance, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting. According to (((8))), the effect is that the paper can be made less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting using a trained model. According to (((9))), it is possible to use a plurality of arms to press the sides of the stack of paper sheets, and it is also possible to grip a predetermined number of paper sheets using the same plurality of arms. According to (((10))), the counter does not get in the way when a new stack of paper is set. According to (((11))), compared to when the same side is pressed regardless of the direction of rotation of the disk, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting. According to (((12))), compared to pressing the same side regardless of whether the disk is rotating clockwise or counterclockwise, the paper is less likely to be pulled while the counter is counting. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1. Control System 2 Arms 3 Loading platform 4 Counters 5 Joggers 6 3D sensors 7 pillars 8 Gripper 9, 9A, 9B claw 10 Control device 14 Paper stack 14A paper 14S Paper stack side 16 Pedestal 17 Upper surface holding part 21 CPU 22 ROM 23 RAM 24 I / O 25 Memory section 25A control program 26 Communications Department 27 Connection

Claims

1. a processor; The processor: Get the size of the paper in the paper stack, which is a stack of paper, Before counting the number of sheets of the paper stack using a counter, each of a plurality of pressing units is moved to each of two adjacent sides of a plurality of sides of the paper stack excluding the side on which the counter is placed, according to the size of the paper; While the counter is counting, the plurality of pressing portions are controlled to press the two adjacent side surfaces, respectively. Control system.

2. The processor further acquires at least one of a thickness and a paper type of the paper sheets of the paper stack; changing a position of a side surface pressed by each of the plurality of pressing units in accordance with at least one of a thickness and a type of the paper; The control system of claim 1 .

3. a distance between the pressing portion and the counter when the sheets of the paper stack are first sheets is shorter than a distance between the pressing portion and the counter when the sheets of the paper stack are second sheets having a thickness greater than that of the first sheets; The control system of claim 2 .

4. the processor further controls a pressing unit other than the plurality of pressing units to press the top surface of the stack of paper while the counter is counting. The control system of claim 1 .

5. The processor further acquires at least one of a thickness and a paper type of the paper sheets of the paper stack; changing a position of the upper surface pressed by the other pressing unit in accordance with at least one of the thickness and the type of the paper; The control system of claim 4.

6. a distance between the another pressing portion and the counter when the paper sheets of the paper stack are first paper sheets is shorter than a distance between the another pressing portion and the counter when the paper sheets of the paper stack are second paper sheets having a thickness greater than that of the first paper sheets; The control system of claim 5 .

7. At least one of the plurality of pressing portions presses a side surface position where the distance between the pressing portion and the counter is shortest. The control system of claim 1 .

8. The machine further includes a trained model generated by machine learning learning data in which attribute information including the size, number of sheets, paper type, and thickness of paper is used as explanatory variables, and the position of the side surface pressed by each of the plurality of pressing units is used as a target variable, The processor inputs attribute information about the sheets of the paper stack into the trained model, and acquires, from the trained model, the positions of the sides pressed by each of the plurality of pressing units. The control system of claim 1 .

9. the plurality of pressing portions are a plurality of arms capable of gripping the sheets of the sheet stack, the processor counts a predetermined number of sheets of paper using the counter while pressing the two adjacent sides with the arms, and then controls the arms to grip the predetermined number of sheets of paper. The control system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. After counting all the sheets of the paper stack with the counter, the processor moves the counter away from the position where the counter is in contact so as not to interfere with setting a new paper stack. The control system of claim 9.

11. the counter is a disk rotation type counter in which a disk rotates in a direction along a side of the paper sheets of the paper stack, the processor changes the side surface pressed by each of the plurality of arms according to the rotation direction of the disk. The control system of claim 9.

12. When the rotation direction of the disk is clockwise, one of the plurality of arms presses a side surface of the paper stack to the right of the counter when viewed from above, and when the rotation direction of the disk is counterclockwise, presses a side surface of the paper stack to the left of the counter when viewed from above. The control system of claim 11.

13. Get the size of the paper in the paper stack, which is a stack of paper, Before counting the number of sheets of paper in the paper stack using a counter, each of a plurality of pressing units is moved to each of two adjacent sides of a plurality of sides of the paper stack excluding the side on which the counter is placed, based on the size of the paper; a process of controlling each of the plurality of pressing portions to press each of the two adjacent side surfaces while the counter is counting, A control program for a computer to execute.

Images