Control system and control program

Abstract

To enable a stack of paper sheets to be taken out from a wrapper without the need for a skilled worker. [Solution] The control system 1 performs a first process of controlling the side 4S of the wrapper 4 to be opened along its contour, and a second process of causing an arm 2 to grasp the stack of paper 14A exposed from the opened wrapper and remove the stack of paper 14A from the wrapper 4, on the topmost wrapper 4 of the stacked wrappers 4, and then sequentially performs the first and second processes on the next wrapper 4 below the topmost wrapper 4.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a method for handling a stack of flexible substrates by means of a gripper, the gripper being arranged on a robot arm and having lower fingers and corresponding upper fingers, the method including the steps of inserting the lower fingers below a bottom substrate of the stack resting on a base and the upper fingers above a top substrate of the stack, and gripping the stack by clamping the stack between the lower fingers and the upper fingers, while lifting the entire stack into a suspended state by first lifting the front of the stack by means of the gripper, and then tilting the gripper in the same direction as the front of the stack, A method is disclosed that includes the steps of lifting the gripper until it faces vertically downwards, transferring the stack by means of the gripper in a suspended state to a support, facing the stack downwards by means of the gripper at the support so that the rear of the stack opposite the front of the stack is in contact with the support, and finally arranging all the stacks with the bottom substrate facing up on a support by facing the gripper further downwards while positioning the stack horizontally in a bottom-to-top substrate direction before removing the gripper from the stack. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2017-519648 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In humid regions such as Asia, it is common practice to distribute paper wrapped in wrapping paper in order to reduce the impact of humidity on the paper.

[0005] Therefore, when placing paper in a printing machine, etc., a process of removing the paper bundle from the wrapping paper is required. However, because paper is more likely to bend than plastic plates, etc., and there is also a risk of damaging the paper inside when opening the wrapping paper, the paper bundle has traditionally been removed by skilled workers.

[0006] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a control system and a control program that enable paper stacks to be removed without the need for a skilled worker. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The control system of the first aspect includes a processor, and the processor performs a first process on a first wrapping paper that is the topmost wrapping paper among wrapping papers stacked while wrapping the bundle of papers, and controls a cutting device that cuts the paper to move along the contour of the paper to open it, and a second process on an arm that grips objects to grasp the bundle of papers exposed from the wrapping paper opened by the cutting device and remove the bundle of papers from the wrapping paper.The processor then performs the first process and the second process on a second wrapping paper that is below the first wrapping paper.

[0008] The control system of the second aspect is the control system of the first aspect, in which the processor performs the first process and the second process on the second wrapping paper, and then determines whether or not there is a third wrapping paper stacked below the second wrapping paper, and if it determines that there is no third wrapping paper, stops the first process and the second process.

[0009] The control system of the third aspect is the control system of the first aspect, in which the processor performs the first process and the second process on the second wrapping paper, and then determines whether or not there is a third wrapping paper stacked below the second wrapping paper, and if it determines that there is the third wrapping paper, performs the first process and the second process on the third wrapping paper.

[0010] In the control system of the fourth aspect, in the control system of the second aspect, the processor acquires the height of the arm or the cutting device, and if the acquired height of the arm or the cutting device is below a predetermined height, determines that the third wrapping paper is absent.

[0011] A control system according to a fifth aspect is the control system according to the third aspect, in which the processor acquires the height of the arm or the cutting device, and determines that the third wrapping paper is present if the acquired height of the arm or cutting device is not below a predetermined height.

[0012] A control system according to a sixth aspect is a control system according to the fourth or fifth aspect, in which the processor acquires the height of a platform on which the wrapping paper is placed, and the predetermined height is set based on the acquired height of the platform.

[0013] A seventh aspect of the control system is the control system according to the second aspect, wherein the processor determines that the third wrapping paper is absent when a platform for loading the wrapping paper is detected by a sensor.

[0014] A control system according to an eighth aspect is the control system according to the third aspect, wherein the processor determines that the third wrapping paper is present when a platform for loading the wrapping paper is not detected by a sensor.

[0015] A control system according to a ninth aspect is a control system according to the seventh or eighth aspect, in which the platform is given preset identification information, and the processor detects the platform by having the sensor read the identification information.

[0016] A control system according to a tenth aspect is the control system according to the second aspect, wherein the processor determines that the third wrapping paper is not present when the sensor does not identify the side of the third wrapping paper.

[0017] A control system according to an eleventh aspect is the control system according to the third aspect, wherein the processor determines that the third wrapping paper is present when the sensor identifies the side of the third wrapping paper.

[0018] A control system according to a twelfth aspect is the control system according to the first aspect, wherein the cutting device is attached to the arm.

[0019] A control system according to a thirteenth aspect is a control system according to the first or twelfth aspect, in which the processor uses a three-dimensional sensor that measures the shape of an object to detect three-dimensional coordinate values ​​representing the position and shape of the wrapping paper, as well as the inclination of the wrapping paper relative to a reference line, and uses the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper to identify the side of the wrapping paper, which is the surface of the wrapping paper that intersects with the image forming surface of the paper wrapped in the wrapping paper.

[0020] A control system according to a 14th aspect is the control system according to the 13th aspect, in which the processor controls the arm to come into contact with the side of the wrapping paper to be opened before opening the side of the wrapping paper, moves the wrapping paper in a direction intersecting the direction along the side of the wrapping paper, and uses the 3D sensor to detect the 3D coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper after movement to identify the location of the side of the wrapping paper.

[0021] A control system according to a 15th aspect is the control system according to the 14th aspect, in which the processor acquires attribute values ​​representing the attributes of the paper wrapped in the wrapping paper, and uses the acquired attribute values ​​of the paper to set the magnitude of the force used by the arm to move the wrapping paper in a direction intersecting the direction along the side of the wrapping paper.

[0022] A control system according to a 16th aspect is the control system according to the 13th aspect, wherein the processor controls the arm so that the cutting device opens an area above the center of the side of the wrapper and below the top end of the side of the wrapper.

[0023] A control system according to a seventeenth aspect is the control system according to the sixteenth aspect, wherein the processor controls the arm to remove the piece of opened wrapper that is resting on top of the stack of paper after the side of the wrapper has been opened, and to remove the other piece of opened wrapper that remains after the stack of paper has been removed from the wrapper.

[0024] In the control system of the 18th aspect, in the control system of the 17th aspect, the processor controls the arm to contact the sheets of paper and adjust the position of the sheets so that the position of the outline of each sheet of paper exposed from the wrapping paper when viewed from above the image forming surface of the paper falls within a predetermined range before the arm grasps the stack of sheets of paper exposed from the wrapping paper.

[0025] A control system according to a 19th aspect is the control system according to the 13th aspect, in which the processor detects the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper using the three-dimensional sensor, which is fixed and whose relative position to the wrapping paper does not change.

[0026] The control program of the 20th aspect is a program that causes a computer to perform a first process of controlling a cutting device that cuts paper to move along the contour of the paper to open the side of the wrapping paper identified by a sensor, and a second process of causing an arm that grips objects to grasp the bundle of paper exposed from the wrapping paper opened by the cutting device and remove the bundle of paper from the wrapping paper, on a first wrapping paper that is the topmost of the wrapping papers stacked while wrapping the bundle of paper, and then performing the first process and the second process on a second wrapping paper that is below the first wrapping paper. [Effects of the Invention]

[0027] According to the first and twentieth aspects, it is possible to provide a control system and a control program that enable a stack of paper to be taken out without the need for a skilled worker.

[0028] According to the second aspect, there is an effect that the first process and the second process can be stopped depending on the loading status of the wrapping paper.

[0029] According to the third aspect, there is an effect that the first process and the second process can be continued depending on the loading status of the wrapping paper.

[0030] According to the fourth aspect, it is possible to detect the presence of wrapping paper depending on the height of the arm or the cutting device.

[0031] According to the fifth aspect, there is an effect that it is possible to detect the absence of wrapping paper depending on the height of the arm or the cutting device.

[0032] According to the sixth aspect, even if the height of the platform changes, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of wrapping paper according to the height of the arm or cutting device.

[0033] According to the seventh aspect, it is possible to detect the absence of wrapping paper from the detection result of the table.

[0034] According to the eighth aspect, it is possible to detect the presence of wrapping paper from the detection result of the table.

[0035] According to the ninth aspect, there is an effect that the platform can be detected with higher accuracy compared to when the platform is detected from the shape of the platform.

[0036] According to the tenth aspect, it is possible to detect the absence of wrapping paper from the result of identifying the side surface of the wrapping paper.

[0037] According to the eleventh aspect, it is possible to detect the presence of wrapping paper from the result of identifying the side surface of the wrapping paper.

[0038] According to the twelfth aspect, there is an effect that the wrapping paper can be opened without gripping the cutting device with an arm.

[0039] According to the thirteenth aspect, there is an effect that the side surface of the wrapping paper can be identified from the three-dimensional shape of the wrapping paper.

[0040] According to the fourteenth aspect, there is an advantage that the accuracy of identifying the side surface of the wrapping paper can be improved compared to when the wrapping paper is not moved.

[0041] According to the fifteenth aspect, it is possible to obtain an effect that the force for moving the wrapping paper can be controlled in accordance with the attributes of the paper wrapped in the wrapping paper.

[0042] According to the sixteenth aspect, an effect is achieved in that the bundle of papers can be more easily gripped by the arm than when opening the side of the wrapping paper from the center downward.

[0043] According to the seventeenth aspect, the effect is that the bundle of paper sheets can be more easily gripped compared to when the bundle of paper sheets is gripped by the arm without removing the fragments of wrapping paper.

[0044] According to the eighteenth aspect, there is an effect that the arm can more easily grip the stack of paper sheets compared to when the positions of the paper sheets are not adjusted.

[0045] According to the nineteenth aspect, there is an advantage that the time required to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper can be reduced compared to when the three-dimensional sensor is attached to an arm. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0046] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control system. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the inclination of a sweep. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a gripper. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control device. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a wrap loaded on a loading platform. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a main part of an electrical system in the control device. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a paper handling process. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of movement of a sweep by an arm. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a movement trajectory of a knife. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a position where a side of a wrap is opened using a knife. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the state of a stack of sheets after the top cover wrap has been removed. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a gripper is about to grip a stack of sheets. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which a stack of sheets is gripped by a gripper. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0047] 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.

[0048] <System configuration> 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control system 1 that handles, for example, paper 14 used for printing. The control system 1 includes an arm 2 that grips an object with a gripper 8 attached to the tip, and a control device 10 that controls the arm 2.

[0049] The paper 14 used for printing is transported wrapped in wrapping paper 4 to prevent quality deterioration due to moisture. Therefore, at least one stack of paper 14 still wrapped in wrapping paper 4 is also loaded on the loading tray 3 installed within the working range of the arm 2. In this case, the stack of paper 14 is loaded on the loading tray 3 in an arrangement such that the image forming surface of the paper 14 faces the loading surface of the loading tray 3. The number of stacks of paper 14 wrapped in wrapping paper 4 loaded on the loading tray 3 is not fixed and may change. As an example, assume that three or more stacks of paper 14 wrapped in wrapping paper 4 are loaded on the loading tray 3.

[0050] Hereinafter, by convention, the wrapping paper 4 that wraps the stack of sheets of paper 14 will be referred to as a "wrap 4." There are no restrictions on the shape of the sheets of paper 14 handled by the control system 1, but as an example, the sheets of paper 14 will be cut into rectangular shapes. Therefore, the shape of the wrap 4 that wraps the stack of sheets of paper 14 will be a rectangular parallelepiped. Also, to make it easier to stack the stack of sheets of paper 14 wrapped in the wrap 4, the shape of the loading surface of the loading tray 3 will also be rectangular. Because the stack of sheets of paper 14 is made up of multiple sheets of paper 14, hereinafter the stack of sheets of paper 14 will be referred to as a "sheet stack 14A." It is loaded on the loading tray 3.

[0051] The control device 10 controls the arm 2 to open the wrap 4 that encases the stack of paper sheets 14A loaded on the loading tray 3 with a knife 8B (see FIG. 3), and the gripper 8 grips the stack of paper sheets 14A exposed from the wrap 4 by opening the wrap 4, thereby removing the stack of paper sheets 14A from the wrap 4. The stack of paper sheets 14A removed from the wrap 4 is moved to the jogger 5 by the arm 2. The knife 8B is an example of a cutting device attached to the arm 2.

[0052] The jogger 5 is a device that aligns the stack of sheets 14A so that the outlines of the sheets 14 are aligned before performing any work processes using the sheets 14. Work processes using the sheets 14 include, for example, printing, collating, and binding.

[0053] A support 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 7.

[0054] The 3D sensor 6 measures the position in three-dimensional space of the wrap 4 that wraps the paper stack 14A loaded on the loading tray 3. The 3D sensor 6 is an example of a three-dimensional sensor. Note that instead of the 3D sensor 6, for example, a combination of multiple 2D sensors that can measure the position in three-dimensional space is also an example of a three-dimensional sensor. Furthermore, for example, a stereo camera may be used as the 3D sensor 6. In this way, a sensor other than the 3D sensor 6 that can obtain measurement results equivalent to those obtained by the 3D sensor 6 is also included in the category of three-dimensional sensors.

[0055] The position of the sweep 4 in the three-dimensional space is represented by the coordinate values ​​of three-dimensional coordinates set in the three-dimensional space (hereinafter referred to as "three-dimensional coordinate values") and the tilt of the sweep 4.

[0056] In the control system 1, a predetermined position in three-dimensional space is set as the origin of the three-dimensional coordinates. As an example, in this embodiment, any one vertex on the loading surface of the loading platform 3 is set as the origin of the three-dimensional coordinates. In this case, the long side direction of the loading platform 3 when viewed from a position opposite the loading surface of the loading platform 3 is set as the X-axis. The short side direction of the loading platform 3 is set as the Y-axis, and the vertical direction is set as the Z-axis. The loading surface of the loading platform 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 lap 4. In this embodiment, the loading surface of the loading platform 3 is arranged horizontally along the floor.

[0057] The 3D sensor 6 detects three-dimensional coordinate values ​​at each point on the swamp 4 by measuring the distance to each point on the swamp 4. Note that detecting three-dimensional coordinate values ​​at each point on the swamp 4 also means detecting the shape of the swamp 4. The 3D sensor 6 may be any of various 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.

[0058] The 3D sensor 6 also detects the inclination of the wrap 4 using the detected three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the wrap 4. The inclination of the wrap 4 refers to the inclination of the wrap 4 with respect to a predetermined reference line in three-dimensional space.

[0059] For example, if the reference line is the X-axis, the inclination of the one-piece bag 4 is represented by the angle θ. The angle θ is the angle between the X-axis in the XY plane and the long side of the one-piece bag 4 loaded on the loading platform 3. In other words, the inclination of the one-piece bag 4 is also a measure of the loading state of the one-piece bag 4 on the loading platform 3. For example, the inclination of the one-piece bag 4 indicates how far the one-piece bag 4 is loaded along the side of the loading platform 3.

[0060] The above-described method of expressing the tilt of the wiper 4 is an example. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the reference line may be the long side of another wiper 4 located below the wiper 4 whose tilt is being detected. Also, the angle θ formed between the long sides of adjacent wipers 4 on the XY plane may be used as the tilt of the wiper 4.

[0061] In FIG. 1 , the 3D sensor 6 is attached to the support 7. However, the location of the 3D sensor 6 is not limited thereto. The 3D sensor 6 may be located, for example, above the image-forming surface of the paper 14 wrapped in the wrap 4. Specifically, the 3D sensor 6 may be located in a position where the entire wrap 4 can be viewed from the Z-axis direction, such as above the wrap 4, and where the relative position with respect to the wrap 4 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. The 3D sensor 6 may also be attached to the arm 2. In this case, however, to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrap 4, the 3D sensor 6 is moved along the shape of the wrap 4 to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrap 4. Alternatively, the 3D sensor 6 is moved to a position where the entire wrap 4 can be seen, and the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrap 4 are detected.

[0062] Furthermore, because the arm 2 moves, the position of the arm 2 must also be taken into consideration in order to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrap 4. For these reasons, it may take more time to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrap 4 than when the 3D sensor 6 is attached to a location that does not change position, such as a support 7 or the ceiling of a room.

[0063] Although FIG. 1 shows an example of a control system 1 having two arms 2, there is no restriction on the number of arms 2. The number of arms 2 in the control system 1 may be one, or three or more. However, when there is one arm 2, the stack of paper-sheets 14A is gripped by one gripper 8. Therefore, it is more difficult to move the stack of paper-sheets 14A than when the stack of paper-sheets 14A is gripped by multiple grippers 8. For the above reasons, it is preferable to have multiple arms 2. Furthermore, 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.

[0064] <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 two claws 9 that grip an object under control of, for example, a control device 10, a knife 8B that opens the wrapper 4, and a suction part 8A that sucks up pieces of the opened wrapper 4.

[0065] One of the two claws 9, claw 9A, is a circular claw 9 with a circular tip. To make it easier to grip the paper-sheet stack 14A, an elastic body, such as rubber, is attached to claw 9A on its contact surface with the paper-sheet stack 14A. The other of the two claws 9, claw 9B, has a flat, spatula-shaped contact surface with the paper-sheet stack 14A to make it easier to support the paper-sheet stack 14A from below. Because claw 9B is spatula-shaped, it is easier than claw 9A to insert it into, for example, gaps between sheets 14 or gaps between an opened wrapper 4 and the paper-sheet stack 14A. An elastic body is also attached to the contact surface of claw 9B with the paper-sheet stack 14A. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between claw 9A and claw 9B, they will be referred to as "claw 9."

[0066] In addition to opening the wrapper 4, the knife 8B is also used to slide into the gap between the opened wrapper 4 and the paper-sheet stack 14A to lift up the paper-sheet stack 14A, creating a space between the wrapper 4 and the paper-sheet stack 14A. In this way, the knife 8B is also used to create a space between the wrapper 4 and the paper-sheet stack 14A that makes it easier to insert the claw 9B.

[0067] The suction portion 8A adsorbs the pieces of the wipe 4, for example, by using the force of sucking air from an air intake port. There are no restrictions on the adsorption structure of the suction portion 8A, and for example, an adhesive gel sheet may be used to adsorb the pieces of the wipe 4. It should be noted that the gripper 8 does not necessarily have to be equipped with the suction portion 8A. In this case, the gripper 8 may adsorb the pieces of the wipe 4 by gripping a member corresponding to the suction portion 8A with the claws 9 of the gripper 8.

[0068] <Controller functional configuration> 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 10. The control device 10 includes functional units of a position detection unit 11, a side surface identification unit 12, and a control unit 13.

[0069] The position detection unit 11 uses the 3D sensor 6 to detect three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclinations that represent the position and shape of the wrap 4 and the paper-sheet bundle 14A wrapped in the wrap 4.

[0070] The side surface identification unit 12 identifies the location of the side surface 4S of the wrap 4 using the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and the inclination detected by the position detection unit 11. The side surface 4S of the wrap 4 is the surface of the rectangular parallelepiped wrap 4 that intersects with the image forming surface of each paper 14 wrapped in the wrap 4.

[0071] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the wipes 4 loaded on the loading tray 3. In FIG. 5, the shaded surfaces along the Z-axis direction, i.e., the surfaces of the wipe 4 along the XZ and YZ planes, correspond to the side surfaces 4S of the wipe 4. The surfaces of the wipe 4 facing the image-forming surface of the paper 14 wrapped in each wipe 4 are referred to as the "top surface 4T of the wipe 4" and the "bottom surface 4U of the wipe 4," respectively. The top surface 4T of the wipe 4 is the upper surface of the wipe 4 along the XY plane. The bottom surface 4U of the wipe 4 is the lower surface of the wipe 4 along the XY plane.

[0072] The control unit 13 opens the wrapper 4 by controlling the arm 2 so that the knife 8B of the gripper 8 moves along the side 4S of the wrapper 4 identified by the side surface identification unit 12 along the outline of the paper 14 wrapped in the wrapper 4. The control unit 13 also controls the arm 2 to grip the stack of paper 14A exposed from the wrapper 4 whose side 4S has been opened by the knife 8B of the gripper 8, and remove the stack of paper 14A from the wrapper 4.

[0073] <Configuration of a control device using a computer> The control device 10 that performs such processing is configured using a computer 20. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the main parts of an electrical system in the control device 10 configured using the computer 20.

[0074] The computer 20 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 21, which is an example of a processor that performs processing for each functional unit shown in Fig. 4 provided in the control device 10, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 22 used as a temporary work area for the CPU 21, a nonvolatile memory 23, and an input / output interface (I / O) 24. The CPU 21, RAM 22, nonvolatile memory 23, and I / O 24 are connected to each other via a bus 25.

[0075] The nonvolatile memory 23 is an example of a storage device that maintains stored information even if the power supplied to the nonvolatile memory 23 is cut off. The nonvolatile memory 23 may be, for example, a semiconductor memory, or a hard disk. The nonvolatile memory 23 stores, for example, a control program that causes the computer 20 to function as the control device 10.

[0076] The nonvolatile memory 23 does not necessarily have to be built into the computer 20. The nonvolatile memory 23 may be a portable storage device that can be attached to and detached from the computer 20, such as a memory card.

[0077] The I / O 24 is connected to the 3D sensor 6 and the arm 2, but the devices connected to the I / O 24 are not limited to these. For example, other devices such as a communication device that communicates with external devices via a communication line such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network) may be connected to the I / O 24.

[0078] <Control system action> Next, the operation of the control system 1 for taking out the paper stack 14A from the wrapper 4 using the arm 2 will be described.

[0079] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of paper-sheet handling processing executed by CPU 21 of control device 10 when an instruction to remove paper-sheet stack 14A is received from the user.

[0080] A control program that defines the paper sorting process is stored in advance, for example, in nonvolatile memory 23 of control device 10. CPU 21 of control device 10 reads the control program from nonvolatile memory 23 and executes the paper sorting process. It is assumed that multiple paper stacks 14A wrapped in wrappers 4 are stacked on stacking tray 3.

[0081] First, in step S10, the CPU 21 controls the 3D sensor 6 to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapper 4 wrapping the paper stack 14A stacked on top of the stacking tray 3. Hereinafter, the wrapper 4 refers to the wrapper 4 wrapping the paper stack 14A stacked on top of the stacking tray 3. The wrapper 4 wrapping the paper stack 14A stacked on top of the stacking tray 3 is an example of a wrapper 4 to be opened by the control system 1, and is also an example of a first wrapping paper. The three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapper 4 are referred to as "work information."

[0082] In step S20, the CPU 21 recognizes the position and shape of the wrap 4 using the work information of the wrap 4 acquired in step S10. The CPU 21 identifies the location of the side surface 4S of the wrap 4 from the recognized position and shape of the wrap 4. The CPU 21 may identify the location of the side surface 4S of the wrap 4 using a visible camera. The CPU 21 may also identify the location of the side surface 4S of the wrap 4 by combining the 3D sensor 6 and the visible camera.

[0083] In step S30, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 so that the claws 9 of the gripper 8 come into contact with the side surface 4S of the wipe 4. The CPU 21 also controls the arm 2 so that the wipe 4 is pushed out horizontally in a direction intersecting with the direction along the side surface 4S of the wipe 4. The direction intersecting with the direction along the side surface 4S of the wipe 4 is a direction along the XY plane. The side surface 4S of the wipe 4 that the claws 9 come into contact with may be the side surface 4S that includes the long side of the wipe 4. The side surface 4S of the wipe 4 that the claws 9 come into contact with may be the side surface 4S that includes the short side of the wipe 4.

[0084] The CPU 21 may control the pushing out of the sweep 4 by a plurality of arms 2. However, pushing out the sweep 4 by one arm 2 can shorten the time required to control the arm 2 that moves the sweep 4.

[0085] As a result, one end of the wrap 4 is arranged offset in the X-axis or Y-axis direction from another wrap 4 located below it.

[0086] 8 is a diagram showing how the wrapper 4 is moved by the arm 2. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the wrapper 4 is moved along the X-axis direction by pushing out the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4, including the short side. The CPU 21 shifts the position of the wrapper 4 relative to the wrapper 4 below, thereby creating a space in front of the bottom surface 4U of the wrapper 4 that the claw 9B can fit into. This makes it easier for the claw 9 of the gripper 8 to grip the stack of paper-sheets 14A wrapped in the wrapper 4.

[0087] In controlling the pushing out of the wipe 4, if the amount of deviation along the movement direction of the wipe 4 from the side surface 4S of the wipe 4 to the side surface 4S of the lower wipe 4 is too short, it becomes difficult for the claws 9 of the gripper 8 to grip the stack of paper-sheets 14A. The amount of deviation along the movement direction of the wipe 4 from the side surface 4S of the wipe 4 to the side surface 4S of the lower wipe 4 is referred to as the "movement distance D of the wipe 4." Therefore, it is preferable that the CPU 21 control the arm 2 to push out the wipe 4 with a force such that the movement distance D of the wipe 4 is equal to or greater than a predetermined specified distance that makes it easy to grip the stack of paper-sheets 14A.

[0088] Therefore, the CPU 21 acquires attribute values ​​that represent the attributes of the paper 14 wrapped in the wrap 4. The CPU 21 uses the acquired attribute values ​​to set the magnitude of the force that the arm 2 applies to push out the wrap 4. The attributes of the paper 14 are items that represent the characteristics of the paper 14, and the attribute values ​​are values ​​of the items that represent the characteristics of the paper 14.

[0089] The paper sheets 14 have various attributes such as the size of the paper sheets 14, for example, A1 and A2, the number of sheets of paper sheets 14 constituting the bundle of paper sheets 14A wrapped in the wrap 4 (referred to as the "number of sheets contained"), ream weight, basis weight, thickness, and moisture content. On the other hand, the magnitude of the force pushing out the wrap 4 is affected by the weight of the bundle of paper sheets 14A wrapped in the wrap 4. Therefore, the CPU 21 acquires the attribute values ​​necessary to calculate the weight of the bundle of paper sheets 14A wrapped in the wrap 4. Specifically, the CPU 21 acquires the ream weight or basis weight of the paper sheets 14, the size of the paper sheets 14, and the number of sheets of paper sheets 14 contained in the wrap 4, and calculates the weight of the bundle of paper sheets 14A wrapped in the wrap 4.

[0090] Furthermore, the magnitude of the force pushing out the wipe 4 is affected by the coefficient of friction of the surface of the wipe 4. Therefore, the CPU 21 acquires the material of the wipe 4. The CPU 21 sets the magnitude of the force pushing out the wipe 4 by the arm 2, taking into account the coefficient of friction of the wipe 4 obtained from the material. Materials of the wipe 4 include, for example, kraft paper and coated paper. Kraft paper is also classified into unbleached kraft paper and bleached kraft paper. The coefficient of friction may differ between recycled paper and non-recycled paper. Therefore, the CPU 21 may acquire whether the wipe 4 is recycled paper as an attribute value of the wipe 4.

[0091] The attribute values ​​of the wipe 4 are stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory 23 by the user who performs the paper sorting process before performing the paper sorting process, and the CPU 21 acquires them from the nonvolatile memory 23. However, the method of acquiring the attribute values ​​of the wipe 4 is not limited to this. For example, some wipes 4 may have a label attached thereto on which the attribute values ​​of the wipe 4 are written. In such a case, the CPU 21 may, for example, control a visible light camera (not shown) to be gripped by the claws 9 of the gripper 8 to capture an image of the attribute values ​​of the wipe 4 written on the label, and acquire the attribute values ​​of the wipe 4 by performing a known character recognition process on the captured image. Naturally, a visible light camera may be attached to the gripper 8 in advance.

[0092] Furthermore, if the attribute value of the wrap 4 written on the label is displayed by a barcode, the CPU 21 may obtain the attribute value of the wrap 4 by controlling the claws 9 of the gripper 8 to grip a barcode reader (not shown) and read the barcode written on the label. Naturally, the barcode reader may be attached to the gripper 8 in advance.

[0093] 7, an example has been described in which the arm 2 is controlled to push the wrapper 4 horizontally along the XY plane. However, in this case, it is sufficient that the position of the wrapper 4 is shifted relative to the wrapper 4 below. Therefore, the CPU 21 may control the arm 2 to grip the wrapper 4 with the claws 9 and pull the wrapper 4 horizontally along the XY plane.

[0094] Since the position of the wrap 4 has been shifted in step S30, the work information of the wrap 4 differs from the work information acquired in step S10. Therefore, in step S40, the CPU 21 controls the 3D sensor 6 to acquire the work information of the wrap 4. The CPU 21 uses the acquired work information to re-recognize the position and shape of the wrap 4. This identifies the location of the shifted side surface 4S of the wrap 4.

[0095] In step S50, the CPU 21 determines whether the distance D traveled by the moved wiper 4 is equal to or greater than a specified distance. If the distance D traveled by the wiper 4 is less than the specified distance, the process proceeds to step S20. After the process proceeds, the CPU 21 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S20 to S50. That is, the CPU 21 identifies the location of the side surface 4S of the moved wiper 4 again. Then, the CPU 21 executes the processes of steps S30 and S40 until it is determined in the determination process of step S50 that the distance D traveled by the wiper 4 is equal to or greater than the specified distance.

[0096] If it is determined in the determination process of step S50 that the moving distance D of the sweep 4 is equal to or greater than the specified distance, the process proceeds to step S60.

[0097] In step S60, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to move the knife 8B of the gripper 8 along the contour of the paper 14 to a position facing the side 4S of the wrap 4. This causes the side 4S of the wrap 4 to be opened. The processing of step S60 is an example of a first processing according to the technique of the present disclosure.

[0098] There are some wraps 4 that are difficult to open because they bend when a blade is pressed against them. In this case, it is preferable to use an ultrasonic cutter as the knife 8B of the gripper 8 so that the wrap 4 can be easily opened. However, a simple knife that does not generate vibrations from a vibrator, such as an ultrasonic cutter, may also be used as the knife 8B.

[0099] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the movement trajectory of the knife 8B of the gripper 8, which is moved under the control of the arm 2, when the top surface 4T of the wipe 4 is viewed from above the wipe 4 in the Z-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 9, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to move each of the knives 8B of the gripper 8 to a position on the side 4S of the wipe 4 that faces each other across the wipe 4. The CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to bring the knife 8B of each gripper 8 into contact with the side 4S of the wipe 4. While each knife 8B remains in contact with the side 4S of the wipe 4, the CPU 21 moves the knife 8B along the contour of the paper-sheet 14 at a position opposite the side 4S of the wipe 4. Specifically, the CPU 21 moves each knife 8B halfway around in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. This separates the wipe 4 that has been wrapping the stack of paper-sheets 14A into two pieces, an upper piece and an lower piece of wipe 4.

[0100] It is sufficient that the stack of paper-sheets 14A is exposed from the wipe 4 to the extent that the claws 9 of the gripper 8 can grip the stack of paper-sheets 14A. Therefore, the CPU 21 does not necessarily have to open the entire side 4S of the wipe 4 to separate the wipe 4 into two upper and lower wipe 4 pieces. The entire circumference of the side 4S of the wipe 4 refers to a path along all of the side 4S of the wipe 4. The CPU 21 may, for example, open the side 4S of the wipe 4 along the outline of three sides. However, it is not preferable to open the side 4S of the wipe 4 along the outline of two or fewer sides of the wipe 4. In this case, if the gripper 8 is moved upward along the Z axis while gripping the stack of paper-sheets 14A, the stack of paper-sheets 14A may get caught on the wipe 4. Therefore, the gripper 8 may not be able to remove the stack of paper-sheets 14A from the wipe 4. Therefore, it is preferable to open the side 4S of the wipe 4 along the outline of three or more sides with the knife 8B of the gripper 8.

[0101] Naturally, the CPU 21 may open the side 4S of the paper 14 by moving the knife 8B of the gripper 8 attached to one arm 2 or three or more arms 2 along the contour of the paper 14. When there is one arm 2, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 so that the knife 8B of the gripper 8 moves once around the side 4S of the paper 4 along the contour. For example, when there are three arms 2, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 so that the knife 8B of the gripper 8 on each arm 2 moves one-third of the way around the side 4S of the paper 4 along the contour without overlapping.

[0102] In addition, instead of the knife 8B of the gripper 8, a cutting device such as a cutter (not shown) may be gripped by the claws 9 of the gripper 8, and the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 may be opened using the gripped cutting device. The knife 8B and the cutting device gripped by the claws 9 of the gripper 8 are an example of a cutting device attached to the arm 2. The CPU 21 may also control a separate cutting device (not shown) that is not attached to the arm 2 to open the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4. A separate cutting device that is not attached to the arm 2 is a cutting device that can open the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 without the CPU 21 controlling the position of the arm 2 to open the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4. When the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 is opened using a separate cutting device, the CPU 21 controls the separate cutting device. In the technology disclosed herein, an example is described in which the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 is opened using the knife 8B of the gripper 8.

[0103] When opening the side 4S of the wrapper 4 in this manner, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 so that the knife 8B of the gripper 8 opens the area above the center of the side 4S of the wrapper 4 and below the top end of the side 4S of the wrapper 4.

[0104] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the opening position of the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 by the knife 8B of the gripper 8. The side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 shown in Fig. 10 is a diagram of the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 along the XZ plane, viewed along the Y axis from a position opposite the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4.

[0105] For example, suppose that side 4S of wipe 4 is opened at the position of line L1, which represents the bottom end of side 4S of wipe 4. In this case, in order for gripper 8 to grip stack of paper-sheets 14A, one of claws 9 is inserted into the gap between paper 14 located at the bottom end of stack of paper-sheets 14A and the piece of wipe 4 underneath. Specifically, it is preferable to insert spatula-shaped claw 9B, which is easier to insert into the gap than claw 9A, into the gap.

[0106] However, to insert the claw 9B into the gap, the CPU 21 is required to control the position of the claw 9B with an accuracy of less than a micron. Let us assume that the CPU 21 can control the position of the claw 9B with an accuracy of less than a micron. However, the claw 9B has a certain thickness. Therefore, it is difficult to insert the claw 9B into the gap between the paper 14 located at the bottom of the paper stack 14A and the piece of paper 4 underneath.

[0107] Therefore, at least the portion above line L1 is opened so that the piece of paper (hereinafter referred to as the "piece") that made up side 4S of wipe 4 remains on the lower fragment of wipe 4. If a piece remains on the lower fragment of wipe 4, claw 9B can be used to hold down the piece from above and guide claw 9B to the inside of the piece, and using the piece as a guide, claw 9B can be inserted into the gap between paper 14 located at the bottom of paper stack 14A and the piece of wipe 4 below it.

[0108] However, if the width of the scrap of the lower piece of wipe 4 is short, it becomes difficult to hold down the scrap with the claw 9B. Therefore, in Figure 10, the part above line L2, which represents the center of the side 4S of the wipe 4, is opened. In this case, the width of the scrap of the lower piece of wipe 4 is made to exceed half the width of the side 4S of the wipe 4 in the Z-axis direction. In this way, it becomes easier to hold down the scrap with the claw 9B than when the side 4S of the wipe 4 is opened from line L1 to line L2. Therefore, it becomes easier to guide the claw 9B inside the scrap.

[0109] However, if the width of the scrap of the lower piece of wipe 4 becomes too long, even if the scrap is pressed down with claw 9B, the tension of wipe 4 may prevent the stack of paper-sheets 14A from being exposed up to the position of line L1. Therefore, it becomes difficult to insert claw 9B into the gap between the paper 14 located at the bottom end of stack of paper-sheets 14A and the piece of wipe 4 underneath.

[0110] For the above reasons, it is preferable to open the area up to a predetermined line L3 above line L2 representing the center of side 4S of wrap 4 and below line L4 representing the top end of side 4S of wrap 4.

[0111] For ease of explanation, the lower fragment of the wipe 4 opened in step S60 will be referred to as "lower lid wipe 4A." Additionally, the upper fragment of the wipe 4 opened in step S60 will be referred to as "upper lid wipe 4B."

[0112] After the side 4S of the wrapper 4 is opened, in step S70 of FIG. 7, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to suck and remove the upper cover wrapper 4B of the wrapper 4 separated into two pieces, upper and lower, by the suction part 8A.

[0113] 11 is a diagram showing an example of the state of the paper-sheet stack 14A when the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 along the XZ plane and the side surface 14S of the paper-sheet stack 14A are viewed along the Y axis from a position opposite the side surface 4S and the side surface 14S after the top cover wrapper 4B is removed. As shown in FIG. 11, the top of the paper-sheet stack 14A is exposed, and the bottom cover wrapper 4A remains below the paper-sheet stack 14A.

[0114] In step S60, it may happen that the side surface 4S of the wiper 4 cannot be completely opened, and the lower cover wiper 4A and the upper cover wiper 4B remain partially connected. In this state, suppose that the upper cover wiper 4B is sucked by the suction part 8A, and the arm 2 is moved to throw the upper cover wiper 4B in a trash can. In this case, the upper cover wiper 4B may come off the suction part 8A while the arm 2 is moving, and the upper cover wiper 4B may not be removed.

[0115] Therefore, in step S80, the CPU 21 determines whether removal of the top cover wiper 4B is complete. Specifically, when the suction unit 8A is suctioning the top cover wiper 4B, the motor that generates the suction force is under more strain than when nothing is suctioned to the suction unit 8A. Therefore, for example, if the load generated when suctioning the top cover wiper 4B continues to be applied to the motor from the time the suction unit 8A suctions the top cover wiper 4B until it is discarded in a trash can, it can be determined that removal of the top cover wiper 4B is complete. The CPU 21 may also use the 3D sensor 6 to determine whether removal of the top cover wiper 4B is complete.

[0116] If removal of the top cover wrap 4B is not complete, the process proceeds to step S60 after acquiring work information of the wrap 4 using the 3D sensor 6. In this case, the CPU 21 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S60 to S80 until it is determined in the determination process of step S80 that removal of the top cover wrap 4B is complete. As a result, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to re-open the portion of the side surface 4S of the wrap 4 that was not completely opened.

[0117] On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S80 that the removal of the top cover wrap 4B has been completed, the process proceeds to step S90.

[0118] As the top cover wrap 4B is removed, it may come into contact with the stack of sheets 14A that was previously wrapped in the wrap 4. In this case, the position of at least one or more sheets 14 that make up the stack of sheets 14A is shifted horizontally along the XY plane relative to the other sheets 14. If a sheet 14 is shifted horizontally relative to the other sheets 14, it may be more difficult for the claws 9 of the gripper 8 to grip the stack of sheets 14A than if the side surfaces 14S of the stack of sheets 14A were aligned flush.

[0119] Therefore, in step S90, CPU 21 controls arm 2 so that spatula-shaped claw 9B of gripper 8 comes into contact with side surface 14S of stack of sheets 14A. CPU 21 uses claw 9B to flatten side surface 14S of stack of sheets 14A, aligning side surface 14S of stack of sheets 14A flush. "Side surface 14S of stack of sheets 14A being flat" refers to a state in which, when stack of sheets 14A is viewed in the Z-axis direction from above the exposed image-forming surfaces of sheets 14, the position of the outline of each sheet 14 constituting stack of sheets 14A is within a predetermined range.

[0120] In step S100, the CPU 21 controls the 3D sensor 6 to obtain work information of the paper-sheet stack 14A after the side surface 14S has been adjusted to be flush.

[0121] In step S110, the CPU 21 recognizes the position and shape of the paper-sheet stack 14A using the work information of the paper-sheet stack 14A acquired in step S100. The CPU 21 controls the arm 2 based on the recognized position and shape of the paper-sheet stack 14A, and grips the paper-sheet stack 14A exposed from the wrapper 4 with the claws 9 of the gripper 8. When gripping the paper-sheet stack 14A with the claws 9 of the gripper 8, the CPU 21 determines the position at which to grip the paper-sheet stack 14A depending on the work content. For example, the CPU 21 preferably grips a corner of the paper-sheet stack 14A, taking into account the balance of the paper-sheet stack 14A when moving the paper-sheet stack 14A. However, when performing work such as flipping the paper-sheet stack 14A, it is better to grip, for example, near the center of a side of the paper-sheet stack 14A.

[0122] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing how the claw 9 of the gripper 8 is about to grip the stack of paper-sheets 14A. As already explained, Fig. 12 shows how the claw 9B is being pressed down from above the scrap of bottom cover wrap 4A and is about to guide the claw 9B inside the scrap.

[0123] After gripping the stack of paper-sheets 14A with one arm 2, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to lift the gripped stack of paper-sheets 14A. The CPU 21 controls the other arm 2 so that the distance between claw 9A and claw 9B of the other arm 2 is longer than the thickness of the stack of paper-sheets 14A. Furthermore, the CPU 21 controls the other arm 2 so that claw 9B is located below claw 9A. The CPU 21 controls the other arm 2 to insert claw 9B of the other arm 2 into the gap between the stack of paper-sheets 14A and the bottom cover wrapper 4A. In this state, the CPU 21 moves claws 9A and 9B of the other arm 2 along the contour of the paper-sheets 14A. The CPU 21 controls the arm 2 so that the other arm 2 grips the corner of the stack of paper-sheets 14A diagonally from the point gripped by the one arm 2. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of gripping the stack of paper-sheets 14A by the gripper 8. The processing of step S120 is an example of a second processing according to the technique of the present disclosure.

[0124] 7, the CPU 21 determines whether the gripper 8 of each arm 2 has gripped the paper-sheet stack 14A. If the gripper 8 has not gripped the paper-sheet stack 14A, the CPU 21 acquires work information of the paper-sheet stack 14A using the 3D sensor 6 and proceeds to step S90. In this case, the CPU 21 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S90 to S120 until it is determined in the determination process of step S120 that the claw 9 of each gripper 8 has gripped the paper-sheet stack 14A. As a result, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to organize the paper-sheet stack 14A and grip the paper-sheet stack 14A.

[0125] On the other hand, if it is determined in the determination process of step S120 that the claws 9 of the grippers 8 have gripped the paper-sheet stack 14A, the process proceeds to step S130.

[0126] The sheets 14 constituting the sheet stack 14A may be attracted to adjacent sheets 14 due to static electricity or friction between the sheets 14.

[0127] Therefore, in step S130, the CPU 21 blows air onto the stack of paper-sheets 14A from an exhaust port (not shown) provided in the gripper 8 to make it easier to separate each of the paper-sheets 14 one by one. Using ionized air rather than air to blow air onto the stack of paper-sheets 14A makes it easier to remove static electricity generated on the paper-sheets 14, improving the degree to which the paper-sheets 14 are separated from each other.

[0128] In step S140, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to move the stack of paper-sheets 14A gripped by the claws 9 of the gripper 8 to the jogger 5.

[0129] In step S150, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to suck and remove the bottom cover wipe 4A remaining after the paper stack 14A has been taken out by the suction portion 8A.

[0130] In step S160, the CPU 21 determines whether removal of the bottom cover wipe 4A has been completed. If removal of the bottom cover wipe 4A has not been completed, the CPU 21 acquires work information of the bottom cover wipe 4A using the 3D sensor 6 and proceeds to step S150. In this case, the CPU 21 repeatedly executes the processes of steps S150 and S160 until it is determined in the determination process of step S160 that removal of the bottom cover wipe 4A has been completed. As a result, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to remove the bottom cover wipe 4A.

[0131] If it is determined in the determination process of step S160 that the removal of the bottom cover wiper 4A is complete, this means that the removal of the paper stack 14A from the wiper 4 is complete. Therefore, the process proceeds to step S170.

[0132] In step S170, the CPU 21 determines whether a next wrapper 4 containing another bundle of paper-sheets 14A is present below the bundle of paper-sheets 14A from which the wrapper 4 has been opened. If a next wrapper 4 is present, the process proceeds to step S10. The next wrapper 4 stacked adjacent to and below the bundle of paper-sheets 14A from which the wrapper 4 has been opened is an example of a second wrapper in the example of the present disclosure. The CPU 21 then executes the process from step S10 onwards for the next wrapper 4. As a result, the CPU 21 continues the process of opening the new wrapper 4 and removing the bundle of paper-sheets 14A from the wrapper 4. In this case, the CPU 21 further determines in step S170 whether a next wrapper 4 is present stacked below the second wrapper. The next wrapper 4 stacked below the second wrapper is an example of a third wrapper in the example of the present disclosure.

[0133] On the other hand, suppose that the determination process in step S170 determines that there is no next wrapper 4. In this case, the CPU 21 has removed the bundles of paper-sheets 14A from all the wrappers 4 that enclose the respective bundles of paper-sheets 14A stacked on the stacking tray 3. Therefore, the CPU 21 ends the paper-sheet handling process shown in Fig. 7 and stops the operation of opening the wrappers 4 and removing the bundles of paper-sheets 14A.

[0134] That is, the CPU 21 performs a process of opening the side of each of the wrappers 4 stacked on the stacking table 3 along the contour of the paper 14 and removing the paper stack 14A from the opened wrapper 4, starting from the top of the stacked wrappers 4.

[0135] The determination of whether or not the next packet 4 exists below the bundle of paper 14A from which the packet 4 has been opened can be realized by several methods.

[0136] For example, when the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 is opened by the processing of step S60, the CPU 21 moves the arm 2 to a position where the knife 8B of the gripper 8 faces the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4. In this case, the CPU 21 calculates the distance from the floor surface to the gripper 8 in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the height of the arm 2. The height of the arm 2 is obtained from the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the floor surface in three-dimensional space measured using the 3D sensor 6, for example, and the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the gripper 8 in three-dimensional space calculated from the movement amount of the arm 2. Obtaining the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the loading platform 3 is equivalent to obtaining the height of the loading platform 3 from the floor surface, for example.

[0137] The distance from the floor surface to the gripper 8 is the distance from the floor surface to a predetermined point on the gripper 8. For example, the distance from the floor surface to the claw 9A or claw 9B of the gripper 8 is an example of the distance from the floor surface to the gripper 8.

[0138] The CPU 21 may determine that the next sweep 4 does not exist if the height of the arm 2 calculated in the processing of step S60 falls below a predetermined lower limit. On the other hand, the CPU 21 may determine that the next sweep 4 exists if the height of the arm 2 calculated in the processing of step S60 does not fall below the predetermined lower limit. Note that the height of the arm 2 falling below the predetermined lower limit refers to the height of the arm 2 being below the predetermined lower limit. Also, the height of the arm 2 not falling below the predetermined lower limit refers to the height of the arm 2 being equal to or higher than the predetermined lower limit.

[0139] The predetermined lower limit is a value set based on the height of the loading platform 3. The height of the loading platform 3 is the height from the floor to the loading surface of the loading platform 3. The height of the loading platform 3 is obtained by acquiring three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the loading platform 3 measured using, for example, the 3D sensor 6. Naturally, the CPU 21 may use the height of the loading platform 3 set in advance by the user without measuring the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the loading platform 3 using the 3D sensor 6.

[0140] The predetermined lower limit is set to, for example, a height obtained by adding a value preset by the user to the height of the loading platform 3. The value preset by the user is, for example, the height of the arm 2 from the loading surface of the loading platform 3 when opening the side surface 4S of the bottommost wrapper loaded on the loading surface of the loading platform 3. The CPU 21 may also set the height of the loading platform 3 to the predetermined lower limit.

[0141] In the above description, the presence or absence of the next wipe 4 is determined by comparing the height of the arm 2 with a predetermined lower limit. However, the CPU 21 may compare the height of the knife 8B with a predetermined lower limit instead of the height of the arm 2. The height of the knife 8B is the height from the floor to the knife 8B. When opening the side surface 4S of the wipe 4 with a cutting device such as a cutter gripped by the claws 9 of the gripper 8, the height of the gripped cutting device can be compared with the predetermined lower limit instead of the height of the knife 8B.

[0142] As another example of a method for determining whether the next wrap 4 exists, the CPU 21 may use the result of identifying the side surface 4S of the wrap 4 by at least one of the 3D sensor 6 and the visible camera.

[0143] In the paper separation process, the CPU 21 identifies the position of the side 4S of the wipe 4 in order to open the side 4S of the wipe 4. In this case, if no wipes 4 are loaded on the stacking tray 3, the CPU 21 cannot identify the side 4S of the wipe 4. Therefore, if the side 4S of the wipe 4 cannot be identified, the CPU 21 may determine that the next wipe 4 does not exist.

[0144] On the other hand, when the side surface 4S of the wrap 4 is identified, the CPU 21 may determine that the next wrap 4 exists.

[0145] Furthermore, after the removal of the lower cover wipe 4A is completed by the processing of step S150, the CPU 21 may measure the three-dimensional shape of the area where the paper stack 14A moved to the jogger 5 was stacked, using the 3D sensor 6. If the next wipe 4 exists on the stacking tray 3, the next wipe 4 is detected. In other words, if the stacking tray 3 is not detected, the CPU 21 may determine that the next wipe 4 exists on the stacking tray 3.

[0146] On the other hand, the loading platform 3 is detected if the next wet pad 4 does not exist on the loading platform 3. That is, when the loading platform 3 is detected, the CPU 21 may determine that the next wet pad 4 does not exist on the loading platform 3.

[0147] The 3D sensor 6 used to detect the loading platform 3 may be either a 3D sensor 6 shared with the 3D sensor 6 that detects the three-dimensional shape of the lap 4, or a dedicated 3D sensor 6 that detects only the three-dimensional shape of the loading platform 3.

[0148] It is also possible to display identification information at the position of the loading platform 3 on which the one-piece 4 is loaded, and determine whether the loading platform 3 has been detected based on whether the identification information can be read. If the next one-piece 4 is present on the loading platform 3, the identification information will be obscured by the next one-piece 4 and will not be readable. Therefore, if the identification information cannot be read, this means that the next one-piece 4 is present on the loading platform 3. On the other hand, if the identification information can be read, this means that the next one-piece 4 is not present on the loading platform 3. It is also possible to use an image such as a two-dimensional code as the identification information, but it may also be text. A visible light camera, for example, is used to read the identification information.

[0149] Furthermore, after the removal of the bottom cover wipe 4A is completed by the processing of step S150, the CPU 21 may photograph the loading platform 3 with the visible camera. If no wipe 4 is loaded on the loading platform 3, the captured image will not include the wipe 4, and only the loading platform 3 will be visible. Therefore, if the image captured by the visible camera does not include the wipe 4, the CPU 21 may determine that the next wipe 4 does not exist. In this case, the CPU 21 grasps the visible camera with the claws 9 of the gripper 8 and photographs the loading platform 3. The CPU 21 may photograph the loading platform 3 with the visible camera that is attached to the gripper 8 in advance.

[0150] In the control system 1 of the present disclosure, the loading tray 3 does not move in the Z-axis direction, and the height of the loading surface of the loading tray 3 is fixed. However, the loading tray 3 may move in the Z-axis direction, and the height of the loading surface of the loading tray 3 may change. In this case, the CPU 21 stores in the RAM 22 the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​of the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 identified by the processing of the first step S20 of the paper separation processing. The CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to move the gripper 8 to the position of the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 represented by the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​stored in the RAM 22 when performing the processing of steps S30, S60, S90, and S110. In other words, the CPU 21 moves the gripper 8 to the same height each time the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 is opened or the stack of paper-sheets 14A is removed from the wrapper 4. The height below the side surface 4S of the wrapper 4 represented by the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​stored in the RAM 22 is referred to as the "upper limit height."

[0151] On the other hand, if the CPU 21 determines in the determination process of step S170 that the next wipe 4 exists, it moves the stacking table 3 upward. Specifically, the CPU 21 moves the stacking table 3 upward by the length of one wipe 4 in the Z-axis direction, i.e., the thickness of the wipe 4. This allows the CPU 21 to remove the paper-sheet stack 14A from the top wipe 4 stacked on the stacking table 3, even if the height of the gripper 8 is set to the same every time. In this case, in the determination process of step S170, the CPU 21 may determine that the next wipe 4 does not exist if the height of the stacking surface of the stacking table 3 reaches the upper limit height. This is because the fact that the height of the stacking surface of the stacking table 3 has reached the upper limit height means that the paper-sheet separation process has been performed on the last wipe 4 stacked on the stacking table 3.

[0152] <Modification 1 of Paper Separation Processing> In the paper separation process shown in Fig. 7, the wrap 4 is pushed out by the process of step S30 to make it easier for the claws 9 of the gripper 8 to grip the paper stack 14A wrapped in the wrap 4. However, the CPU 21 does not necessarily have to control the arm 2 to push out the wrap 4. That is, after the CPU 21 identifies the location of the side surface 4S of the wrap 4 by the process of step S20 in Fig. 7, the CPU 21 may proceed to step S60 and control the arm 2 to open the side surface 4S of the wrap 4.

[0153] In this case, since the wrap 4 is not pushed out, it is more difficult for the claws 9 of the gripper 8 to grip the paper-sheet stack 14A wrapped in the wrap 4 than when the wrap 4 is pushed out. Therefore, when gripping the paper-sheet stack 14A by the processing of step S110, it is preferable that the CPU 21 also use an image captured by a visible camera.

[0154] For example, CPU 21 photographs side surface 14S of stack of paper-sheets 14A with a visible camera and recognizes the positions of stack of paper-sheets 14A and bottom lid wiper 4A by performing known image recognition such as edge detection. While recognizing the positions of stack of paper-sheets 14A and bottom lid wiper 4A in chronological order, CPU 21 presses down on the edge of bottom lid wiper 4A with claw 9B and guides claw 9B to the inside of the edge.

[0155] In this way, when the wrapper 4 is not pushed out, the CPU 21 controls the arm 2 to grip the paper-sheet bundle 14A using the work information of the paper-sheet bundle 14A and an image of the side surface 14S of the paper-sheet bundle 14A.

[0156] <Modification 2 of Paper Separation Processing> 7, the process of opening the wrappers 4 stacked on the stacking tray 3 and removing the sheet bundle 14A from the wrappers 4 is executed in order starting from the top wrapper 4. However, the CPU 21 may be configured to remove the sheet bundle 14A in order starting from the top wrapper 4 after opening all the wrappers 4 stacked on the stacking tray 3.

[0157] For example, the CPU 21 acquires work information of all the packages 4 loaded on the loading platform 3 by the processing of step S10 in Fig. 7. Instead of opening the packages 4 in the processing of step S60, the CPU 21 opens all the packages 4 immediately after the processing of step S20.

[0158] When all the wrappers 4 are opened and the gripper 8 pushes out the stack of paper-sheets 14A, the bottom cover wrapper 4A and the top cover wrapper 4B are also pushed out together. In this case, the top cover wrapper 4B that was wrapping another stack of paper-sheets 14A below the pushed-out stack of paper-sheets 14A may be pulled out by the pushing of the upper stack of paper-sheets 14A due to frictional force. In some cases, the bottom cover wrapper 4A of the pushed-out stack of paper-sheets 14A may not move together with the stack of paper-sheets 14A.

[0159] 7, if all the wipes 4 are opened immediately after the processing of step S20, it is preferable that the CPU 21 not perform the processing of steps S30 to S50 related to the pushing out of the wipes 4. In other words, if all the wipes 4 are opened immediately after the processing of step S20, it is preferable that the CPU 21 proceeds to step S70. In this case, if it is determined in the determination processing of step S80 that the removal of the top cover wipe 4B is not complete, the CPU 21 proceeds to step S70.

[0160] Even if the position of at least one of the upper cover wiper 4B and the lower cover wiper 4A shifts relative to the paper-sheet stack 14A due to the pushing out of the paper-sheet stack 14A, the paper-sheet stack 14A can still be gripped by the gripper 8. Therefore, the CPU 21 may open all the wipes 4 immediately after processing step S20, and then proceed directly to step S30 to continue the process of pushing out the wipes 4.

[0161] While one form of the control system 1 that handles paper 14 has been described above using the embodiment, the disclosed form of the control system 1 is merely an example. The form of the control system 1 is not limited to the scope described in the embodiment. Various modifications or improvements can be made to the embodiment without departing from the gist of this disclosure. Forms with such modifications or improvements are also included in the technical scope of the disclosure.

[0162] For example, the internal processing order in the paper handling process shown in FIG. 7 may be changed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

[0163] In the above embodiment, as an example, the paper handling process shown in Fig. 7 is implemented by software processing. However, the same process as the flow chart of the paper handling process may be implemented by hardware. In this case, the processing speed can be increased compared to when the paper handling process is implemented by software processing.

[0164] 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.).

[0165] 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.

[0166] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control program is stored in the nonvolatile memory 23. However, the storage destination of the control program is not limited to the nonvolatile memory 23. The control program of the present disclosure can also be provided in a form recorded on a storage medium readable by the computer 20.

[0167] Furthermore, although the "system" in this embodiment has been described as being configured by a single device as an example, it may be configured by a plurality of devices.

[0168] For example, the control program may be provided in a form recorded on an optical disk such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory), or a Blu-ray disc. The control program may also be provided in a form recorded on a portable semiconductor memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or a memory card. Non-volatile memory 23, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a Blu-ray disc, a USB, or a memory card are examples of non-transitory storage media.

[0169] Furthermore, the control system 1 may download a control program from an external device connected to a communication line via a communication device. The control system 1 stores the downloaded control program in the nonvolatile memory 23 of the control device 10. In this case, the CPU 21 of the control device 10 reads the control program downloaded from the external device from the nonvolatile memory 23 and executes the paper handling process. The present disclosure can also be applied to programs and program products.

[0170] The following are additional notes related to this embodiment.

[0171] (((1))) a processor; The processor: A first process controls a cutting device that cuts the paper so that the side of the wrapper identified by the sensor moves along the contour of the paper to open it; a second process of gripping the bundle of paper sheets exposed from the wrapping paper opened by the cutting device with an arm that grips an object and removing the bundle of paper sheets from the wrapping paper; After performing the process on the first wrapping paper, which is the topmost wrapping paper among the wrapping papers stacked in a state of wrapping the bundle of paper, The first process and the second process are performed on a second wrapper that is located underneath the first wrapper. Control system.

[0172] (((2))) The processor: After performing the first process and the second process on the second wrapping paper, determining whether or not there is a third wrapping paper stacked below the second wrapping paper; When it is determined that the third wrapping paper is not present, the first process and the second process are stopped. The control system according to (((1))).

[0173] (((3))) The processor: After performing the first process and the second process on the second wrapping paper, determining whether or not there is a third wrapping paper stacked below the second wrapping paper; When it is determined that the third wrapping paper is present, the first process and the second process are performed on the third wrapping paper. The control system according to (((1))).

[0174] (((4))) The processor: Obtaining the height of the arm or the cutting device; When the acquired height of the arm or the cutting device is lower than a predetermined height, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is not present. The control system according to (((2))).

[0175] (((5))) The processor: Obtaining the height of the arm or the cutting device; If the acquired height of the arm or cutting device is not below a predetermined height, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is present. The control system according to (((3))).

[0176] (((6))) The processor: The height of the platform on which the wrapping paper is loaded is obtained; The predetermined height is set based on the acquired height of the platform. The control system according to (((4))) or (((5))).

[0177] (((7))) The processor: When the sensor detects a platform on which the wrapping paper is loaded, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is not present. The control system according to (((2))).

[0178] (((8))) The processor: If the sensor does not detect a platform for loading the wrapping paper, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is present. The control system according to (((3))).

[0179] (((9))) The platform is provided with preset identification information, The processor: The sensor detects the platform by reading the identification information. The control system according to (((7))) or (((8))).

[0180] (((10))) The processor: If the sensor does not identify the side of the third wrapping paper, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is not present. The control system according to (((2))).

[0181] (((11))) The processor: When the side of the third wrapping paper is identified by the sensor, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is present. The control system according to (((3))).

[0182] (((12))) The cutting device is attached to the arm. A control system according to any one of (((1))) to (((11))).

[0183] (((13))) The processor: Using a three-dimensional sensor that measures the shape of an object, three-dimensional coordinate values ​​that represent the position and shape of the wrapping paper, as well as the inclination of the wrapping paper relative to a reference line are detected; Using the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper, a side of the wrapping paper, which is a surface of the wrapping paper that intersects with an image forming surface of the paper wrapped in the wrapping paper, is identified. A control system according to any one of (((1))) to (((12))).

[0184] (((14))) The processor: Before opening the side of the wrapping paper, the arm is controlled to come into contact with the side of the wrapping paper to be opened, and the wrapping paper is moved in a direction intersecting with a direction along the side of the wrapping paper; The three-dimensional sensor is used to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper after it has been moved, thereby identifying the location of the side of the wrapping paper. The control system according to (((13))).

[0185] (((15))) The processor: An attribute value representing an attribute of the paper wrapped in the wrapping paper is acquired, and the acquired attribute value of the paper is used to set the magnitude of the force that moves the wrapping paper by the arm in a direction intersecting with a direction along the side of the wrapping paper. The control system according to (((14))).

[0186] (((16))) The processor: The arm is controlled so that the cutting device opens an area above the center of the side of the wrapping paper and below the upper end of the side of the wrapping paper. A control system according to any one of (((1))) to (((13))).

[0187] (((17))) The processor: After the side of the wrapper is opened, the arm is controlled to remove the piece of the opened wrapper that is resting on the stack of sheets and to remove the other piece of the opened wrapper that remains after the stack of sheets is removed from the wrapper. The control system according to (((16))).

[0188] (((18))) The processor: Before the bundle of sheets exposed from the wrapping paper is gripped by the arm, the arm is brought into contact with the sheets and the positions of the sheets are adjusted so that the positions of the outlines of the sheets exposed from the wrapping paper when viewed from above the image forming surface of the sheets are within a predetermined range. A control system according to any one of (((1))) to (((17))).

[0189] (((19))) The processor: The three-dimensional sensor is fixed and its relative position with respect to the wrapping paper does not change, and the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper are detected using the three-dimensional sensor. The control system according to any one of (((13))) to (((15))).

[0190] (((20))) On the computer, A first process controls a cutting device that cuts the paper so that the side of the wrapper identified by the sensor moves along the contour of the paper to open it; a second process of gripping the bundle of paper sheets exposed from the wrapping paper opened by the cutting device with an arm that grips an object and removing the bundle of paper sheets from the wrapping paper; After performing the process on the first wrapping paper, which is the topmost wrapping paper among the wrapping papers stacked in a state of wrapping the bundle of paper, a control program for executing a process of performing the first process and the second process on a second wrapping paper located underneath the first wrapping paper;

[0191] (((twenty one))) a processor; The processor: A first process controls a cutting device that cuts the paper so that the side of the wrapper identified by the sensor moves along the contour of the paper to open it; a second process of gripping the bundle of paper sheets exposed from the wrapping paper opened by the cutting device with an arm that grips an object and removing the bundle of paper sheets from the wrapping paper; After performing the process on the first wrapping paper, which is the topmost wrapping paper among the wrapping papers stacked in a state of wrapping the bundle of paper, The first process and the second process are performed on a second wrapper that is located underneath the first wrapper. Control device.

[0192] According to (((1))), (((20))), and (((21))), it is possible to provide a control system and a control program that enable the removal of stacks of paper without the need for a skilled worker.

[0193] According to (((2))), there is an effect that the first process and the second process can be stopped depending on the loading status of the wrapping paper.

[0194] According to (((3))), there is an effect that the first process and the second process can be continued depending on the loading status of the wrapping paper.

[0195] According to (((4))), it is possible to detect the presence of wrapping paper depending on the height of the arm or cutting device.

[0196] According to (((5))), it is possible to detect the absence of wrapping paper depending on the height of the arm or cutting device.

[0197] According to (((6))), even if the height of the platform changes, the presence or absence of wrapping paper can be detected according to the height of the arm or cutting device.

[0198] According to (((7))), it is possible to detect the absence of wrapping paper from the detection result of the base.

[0199] According to (((8))), it is possible to detect the presence of wrapping paper from the detection result of the platform.

[0200] According to (((9))), it is possible to detect the platform with higher accuracy compared to when the platform is detected from the shape of the platform.

[0201] According to (((10))), it is possible to detect the absence of wrapping paper from the result of identifying the side of the wrapping paper.

[0202] According to (((11))), it is possible to detect the presence of wrapping paper from the result of identifying the side of the wrapping paper.

[0203] According to (((12))), the effect is that the wrapping paper can be opened without gripping the cutting device with an arm.

[0204] According to (((13))), it is possible to identify the side of the wrapping paper from the three-dimensional shape of the wrapping paper.

[0205] According to (((14))), the accuracy of identifying the side surface of the wrapping paper can be improved compared to when the wrapping paper is not moved.

[0206] According to (((15))), it is possible to control the force that moves the wrapping paper in accordance with the attributes of the paper wrapped in the wrapping paper.

[0207] According to (((16))), the advantage is that the arm can more easily grip the stack of papers than opening the side of the wrapper from the center down.

[0208] According to (((17))), the advantage is that the stack of sheets of paper can be more easily gripped than when the stack of sheets of paper is gripped by an arm without removing the fragments of wrapping paper.

[0209] According to (((18))), the advantage is that the arm can more easily grip the stack of sheets of paper compared to when the positions of the sheets are not adjusted.

[0210] According to (((19))), the time required to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper can be reduced compared to when a three-dimensional sensor is attached to an arm. [Explanation of symbols]

[0211] 1. Control System 2 Arms 3 Loading platform 4. Wrapping paper 4A Lower Lid Wrap 4B Top lid wrap Underside of 4U wamp 4S Swamp Side 4T Top of Wamp 5 Joggers 6 3D sensors 7 pillars 8 Gripper 8A suction part 8B Knife 9(9A, 9B) Claw 10 Control device 11 Position detection unit 12 Side identification part 13 Control Unit 14 Paper 14A Paper stack 14S Paper stack side 16 Pedestal 20 Computer 21 CPU 22 RAM 23 Non-volatile memory 24 I / O 25 Bus D Travel distance L1~L4 lines

Claims

1. a processor; The processor: a first process for controlling a cutting device for cutting the paper so that the side of the wrapper identified by the sensor moves along the contour of the paper to open the wrapper; a second process of gripping the bundle of paper sheets exposed from the wrapping paper opened by the cutting device with an arm that grips an object and removing the bundle of paper sheets from the wrapping paper; After performing the above process on the first wrapping paper, which is the topmost wrapping paper among the wrapping papers that are stacked and that wrap the bundle of paper sheets, The first process and the second process are performed on a second wrapper that is located underneath the first wrapper. Control system.

2. The processor: After the first process and the second process are performed on the second wrapping paper, determining whether or not a third wrapping paper is stacked below the second wrapping paper; When it is determined that the third wrapping paper is not present, the first process and the second process are stopped. The control system of claim 1 .

3. The processor: After the first process and the second process are performed on the second wrapping paper, determining whether or not a third wrapping paper is stacked below the second wrapping paper; When it is determined that the third wrapping paper is present, the first process and the second process are executed on the third wrapping paper. The control system of claim 1 .

4. The processor: Obtaining the height of the arm or the cutting device; When the acquired height of the arm or the cutting device is lower than a predetermined height, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is not present. The control system of claim 2 .

5. The processor: Obtaining the height of the arm or the cutting device; If the acquired height of the arm or cutting device is not below a predetermined height, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is present. The control system of claim 3 .

6. The processor: The height of the platform on which the wrapping paper is loaded is obtained; The predetermined height is set based on the acquired height of the platform.

6. A control system according to claim 4 or claim 5.

7. The processor: When the sensor detects a table on which the wrapping paper is to be loaded, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is not present. The control system of claim 2 .

8. The processor: If the sensor does not detect the platform on which the wrapping paper is to be loaded, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is present. The control system of claim 3 .

9. The platform is provided with preset identification information, The processor: The sensor detects the platform by reading the identification information. A control system according to claim 7 or claim 8.

10. The processor: If the sensor does not identify the side of the third wrapping paper, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is not present. The control system of claim 2 .

11. The processor: When the side of the third wrapping paper is identified by the sensor, it is determined that the third wrapping paper is present. The control system of claim 3 .

12. The cutting device is attached to the arm. The control system of claim 1 .

13. The processor: Using a three-dimensional sensor that measures the shape of an object, three-dimensional coordinate values ​​that represent the position and shape of the wrapping paper, as well as an inclination of the wrapping paper relative to a reference line are detected; Using the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper, a side surface of the wrapping paper that intersects with an image forming surface of the paper wrapped in the wrapping paper is identified. A control system according to claim 1 or claim 12.

14. The processor: Before opening the side of the wrapping paper, the arm is controlled to come into contact with the side of the wrapping paper to be opened, and the wrapping paper is moved in a direction intersecting with a direction along the side of the wrapping paper; The three-dimensional sensor is used to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper after it has been moved, thereby identifying the location of the side of the wrapping paper.

14. The control system of claim 13.

15. The processor: An attribute value representing an attribute of the paper wrapped in the wrapping paper is acquired, and the acquired attribute value of the paper is used to set the magnitude of the force that moves the wrapping paper by the arm in a direction intersecting with a direction along the side of the wrapping paper.

15. The control system of claim 14.

16. The processor: The arm is controlled so that the cutting device opens an area above the center of the side of the wrapping paper and below the upper end of the side of the wrapping paper.

14. The control system of claim 13.

17. The processor: After the side of the wrapper is opened, the arm is controlled to remove the piece of the opened wrapper that is resting on the stack of sheets and to remove the other piece of the opened wrapper that remains after the stack of sheets is removed from the wrapper.

17. The control system of claim 16.

18. The processor: Before the bundle of sheets exposed from the wrapping paper is gripped by the arm, the arm is brought into contact with the sheets and the positions of the sheets are adjusted so that the positions of the outlines of the sheets exposed from the wrapping paper when viewed from above the image forming surface of the sheets are within a predetermined range.

18. The control system of claim 17.

19. The processor: The three-dimensional sensor, which is fixed and whose relative position with respect to the wrapping paper does not change, is used to detect the three-dimensional coordinate values ​​and inclination of the wrapping paper.

14. The control system of claim 13.

20. On the computer, a first process for controlling a cutting device for cutting the paper so that the side of the wrapper identified by the sensor moves along the contour of the paper to open the wrapper; a second process of gripping the bundle of paper sheets exposed from the wrapping paper opened by the cutting device with an arm that grips an object and removing the bundle of paper sheets from the wrapping paper; After performing the above process on the first wrapping paper, which is the topmost wrapping paper among the wrapping papers that are stacked and that wrap the bundle of paper sheets, a control program for executing a process of executing the first process and the second process on a second wrapping paper located underneath the first wrapping paper;

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