Material supply device

Abstract

The present invention provides an article supply device capable of suitably detecting thin plate-shaped articles even when an attachment is installed inside the storage compartment. [Solution] The article supply device 3 comprises a storage section 40 capable of accommodating multiple stacked thin plate-shaped articles 2, a supply section 50 that supplies the thin plate-shaped articles 2 stored in the storage section 40 to the outside of the storage section 40, a first article detection section 61 and a second article detection section 62 located in different places within the storage section 40 for detecting the thin plate-shaped articles 2, and a control section 70 that controls the supply section 50. The control section 70 controls the supply section 50 based on the detection result of the second article detection section 62 when the attachment 4 is installed inside the storage section 40.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article supply device that supplies sheet-like articles such as paper and envelopes.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an image forming apparatus that feeds paper from another paper feed cassette when a jam occurs in a paper feed cassette and paper feeding becomes impossible.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In such an image forming apparatus, a paper detection sensor detects paper accommodated in a paper feed cassette. Here, when a sheet-like article having a partially different thickness, such as an envelope, is fed from the paper feed cassette instead of paper, an attachment corresponding to the partial thickness difference is arranged in the paper feed cassette. In this case, the paper detection sensor arranged on the bottom surface of the paper feed cassette may detect the attachment and may not be able to accurately detect the sheet-like article.

[0005] In view of the above points, the present invention has been made, and an object thereof is to provide an article supply device capable of suitably detecting a sheet-like article even when an attachment is attached in a storage portion.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention for solving the above problems has the following configuration. 1. An article supply device comprising: a storage section capable of accommodating a plurality of stacked thin plate-shaped articles; a supply section for supplying the thin plate-shaped articles stored in the storage section to the outside of the storage section; two or more article detection sections arranged in different locations in the storage section for detecting the thin plate-shaped articles; and a control section that controls the supply section based on the detection results of the article detection sections, wherein the control section controls the supply section based on the detection result of a predetermined article detection section among the detection results of the two or more article detection sections when an attachment is installed in the storage section. 2. The article supply device according to paragraph 1, wherein the control unit controls the supply unit based on a preset detection result of one of the article detection units when the detection results of two or more of the article detection units are different. 3. The article supply device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit can switch between two or more article detection units to control the supply unit. 4. The article supply device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment can be mounted so as to cover one of the article detection units, and the control unit controls the supply unit based on the detection result of the other article detection unit when the attachment is mounted in the storage unit. 5. The article supply device according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment detection unit for detecting the attachment attached to the storage unit, wherein the control unit controls the supply unit based on a predetermined detection result of one of the two or more article detection units when the attachment is detected by the attachment detection unit. 6. The article supply device according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of sets of storage units, a supply unit, and two or more article detection units, wherein the control unit switches the control target from the supply unit corresponding to one storage unit to the supply unit corresponding to another storage unit when the detection result of the article detection unit located in one of the storage units indicates that there is no thin plate-shaped article in that storage unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, thin plate-shaped articles can be suitably detected even when an attachment is installed inside the storage section. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side view showing an image forming apparatus equipped with an article supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a schematic perspective view showing an article supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an article supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a schematic block diagram showing an article supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an article feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which a relatively large number of thin plate-shaped articles are supported by an attachment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an article feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention, illustrating a state in which a relatively large number of thin plate-shaped articles are supported by an attachment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. In the reference drawings, "front and rear" indicates the feeding direction of the thin plate-like article, with the downstream side being the front and the upstream side being the rear. Also, "left and right" indicates the width direction of the thin plate-like article, with directions perpendicular to the feeding direction and the vertical direction, respectively.

[0010] <Image forming apparatus> As shown in Figure 1, the image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an article supply device 3 for supplying thin plate-shaped articles 2. Examples of such an image forming apparatus 1 include photocopiers, printers, facsimile machines, printing presses, and multifunction devices. The following explanation will describe an example where the image forming apparatus 1 equipped with the article supply device 3 is applied to a photocopier.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an image forming apparatus main body 10, an image reading apparatus 20, an automatic document feeder 30, and an article supply apparatus 3.

[0012] The image forming apparatus main body 10 includes, for example, a storage unit 11, a supply unit 12, an image forming unit 13, and a discharge unit 14. The storage unit 11 stores a bundle of articles 2 in which a plurality of sheet-like articles 2 are stacked. The supply unit 12 takes out the sheet-like article 2 stored in the storage unit 11 from the storage unit 11 and conveys it to the image forming unit 13.

[0013] The image forming unit 13 is a part that forms an image on the sheet-like article 2 conveyed from the supply unit 12 based on the image signal transmitted from the image reading apparatus 20. As the image forming method in this image forming unit 13, for example, an electrophotographic method, an inkjet method, etc. can be adopted. As an example, when the image forming unit 313 is an electrophotographic method, the image forming unit 13 includes a toner image forming unit, an intermediate transfer belt, a fixing unit, etc., and forms a toner image on one main surface of the sheet-like article 2. Also, when the image forming unit 13 is an inkjet method, the image forming unit 13 includes an inkjet head and forms an ink image on one main surface of the sheet-like article 2.

[0014] The discharge unit 14 discharges the sheet-like article 2 on which an image has been formed in the image forming unit 13 to the outside of the image forming apparatus main body 10.

[0015] The image reading apparatus 20 optically reads an image from a document conveyed from the automatic document feeder 30, processes the read image signal, and transmits it to the image forming unit 13.

[0016] The automatic document feeder 30 includes a document table and conveys the document placed on the document table to the image reading apparatus 20.

[0017] <Article Supply Apparatus> The article supply device 3 is connected to the main body 10 of the image forming apparatus and supplies the thin plate-like article 2 to the main body 10 of the image forming apparatus. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the article supply device 3 according to the embodiment of the present invention blows air onto the thin plate-like articles 2 stacked in the vertical direction to lift and separate the thin plate-like articles 2, and conveys the separated thin plate-like articles 2 to the outside for supply, which is an air separation type. The article supply device 3 includes a plurality of sets, in this embodiment, three sets, of a combination of a storage unit 40, a supply unit 50, a first article detection unit 61, a second article detection unit 62, and an attachment detection unit 63. Further, the article supply device 3 includes a control unit 70 that controls the plurality of supply units 12 and an operation unit 8o. The control unit ۷۰ and the operation unit ۸۰ may be common to the entire image forming apparatus ۱.

[0018] <Storage unit> The storage unit 40 is a tray that stores a bundle of articles 2 in which a plurality of thin plate-like articles 2 are stacked. The storage unit 40 includes a bottom wall portion 41, a front wall portion 42, a lifting plate portion 43, and a position regulating portion 44.

[0019] ≪Bottom wall portion≫ The bottom wall portion 41 extends in the horizontal direction, that is, in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, and constitutes the floor surface of the storage unit 11.

[0020] ≪Front wall portion≫ The front wall portion 42 extends upward from the front end portion of the bottom wall portion 41. The front wall portion 42 is a position regulating portion that regulates the position of the front end portion of the thin plate-like article 2 provided on the lifting plate portion 43, that is, the position that regulates the forward movement of the thin plate-like article 2.

[0021] ≪Lifting plate portion≫ The lifting plate portion 43 is provided above the bottom wall portion 41, extends in the horizontal direction, and is a plate-shaped metal member configured to be movable in the vertical direction. The lifting plate portion 43 is formed with holes, cutouts, etc. for allowing the movement of the position regulating portion 44 and the first floating portion 51. In FIG. 2, the shape of the lifting plate portion 43 is simplified.

[0022] ≪Position regulating portion≫ The position regulating section 44 is provided above the bottom wall section 41 so as to protrude upward from the lifting plate section 43, and regulates the position of the rear end of the thin plate-shaped article 2 provided on the lifting plate section 43, i.e., the rearward movement of the thin plate-shaped article 2. The position regulating section 44 is configured to be manually movable in the front-rear direction relative to the bottom wall section 41, and can accommodate thin plate-shaped articles 2 of various sizes.

[0023] <Supply section> The supply unit 50 is operated by a control signal from the control unit 70 and supplies the thin plate-shaped articles 2 housed in the housing unit 40 to the outside of the housing unit 40. The supply unit 50 comprises a pair of left and right first floating parts 51, a second floating part 52, and a feeding unit 53.

[0024] ≪First floating part≫ The first floating section 51 is provided above the bottom wall section 41 so as to protrude upward from the lifting plate section 43, and is a fan that blows air from the side onto the uppermost thin plate-shaped article 2 among the thin plate-shaped articles 2 provided on the lifting plate section 43, thereby causing the thin plate-shaped article 2 to float. The first floating section 51 is configured to be manually movable left and right relative to the bottom wall section 41, and can accommodate thin plate-shaped articles 2 of various sizes. The housing section in which the fans are housed in the pair of left and right first floating sections 51 also functions as a position restricting section that restricts the position of the widthwise end of the thin plate-shaped article 2 provided on the lifting plate section 43, that is, restricts the movement of the thin plate-shaped article 2 in the widthwise direction.

[0025] ≪Second floating section≫ The second levitation section 52 is a fan that blows air from the front onto the uppermost thin plate-shaped article 2 among the thin plate-shaped articles 2 provided on the lifting plate section 43, thereby causing the thin plate-shaped article 2 to levitate.

[0026] ≪Feeding section≫ The feeding unit 53 is located above the front wall 42 and transports the thin plate-shaped article 2, which has been lifted by the first floating section 51 and the second floating section 52, by suction with air, to the outside of the storage section 11, i.e., to the front. The feeding unit 53 comprises a drive roller 53a and a driven roller 53b, a suction belt 53c which is an endless belt with multiple holes that is wound around the drive roller 53a and the driven roller 53b, and a suction section 53d provided on the inner circumference of the suction belt 213.

[0027] <First object detection unit> The first item detection unit 61 is located within the storage unit 11, specifically in the lifting plate section 43 at the bottom of the storage unit 11 in this embodiment. The first item detection unit 61 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a thin plate-shaped item 2 located above the first item detection unit 61 and outputs the detection result to the control unit 70. An infrared sensor or the like is preferably used as the first item detection unit 61. The first item detection unit 61 is located in a position corresponding to the attachment 4 described later, that is, in a position that is affected by the detection of the thin plate-shaped item 2 by the attachment 4.

[0028] <Second item detection unit> The second item detection unit 62 is located in a different position from the first item detection unit 61 within the storage unit 11, and in this embodiment, it is located at the top of the storage unit 11. The second item detection unit 62 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a thin plate-shaped item 2 located below it and outputs the detection result to the control unit 70. An infrared sensor or the like can be suitably used as the second item detection unit 62. The second item detection unit 62 is located in a position that is not affected by the detection of the thin plate-shaped item 2 by the attachment 4, for example, between the left and right pair of suction belts 53c.

[0029] <Attachment detection unit> The attachment detection unit 63 is located within the housing unit 11. The attachment detection unit 63 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of the attachment 4 shown in Figure 1, which is provided within the housing unit 11, and outputs the detection result to the control unit 70. In this embodiment, the attachment detection unit 63 is a reader that reads the RFID tags 5 shown in Figures 5 and 6, which are placed on the attachment 4.

[0030] <Attachment> Now, let's describe attachment 4. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, attachment 4 is provided on the lifting plate section 43 when thin plate-shaped articles 2A with partially different thicknesses, such as envelopes, are supplied by the article supply device 3. It is used to support a bundle of articles, which is a stack of multiple thin plate-shaped articles 2A. In other words, attachment 4 is a functional expansion kit that enables the supply of thin plate-shaped articles 2A with partially different thicknesses.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, in a stack of stacked thin plate-like articles 2A, the portion where the thin parts 2X overlap is placed and supported on a first support portion that constitutes the rear of the attachment 4. In addition, in a stack of stacked thin plate-like articles 2A, the portion where the thick parts 2Y overlap is placed and supported on a second support portion that constitutes the front of the attachment 4. Here, the second support portion descends against the biasing force of the adjustment portion due to the weight of the thick parts 2Y.

[0032] In this state, the thicker portion 2Y of the bottommost thin plate-like article 2A is lower than the thinner portion 2X. Also, the thicker portion 2Y of the topmost thin plate-like article 2A is at approximately the same height as the thinner portion 2X. In other words, in the topmost thin plate-like article 2A, the thin portion 2X and the thicker portion 2Y are positioned within a predetermined range in the vertical direction, i.e., approximately horizontally. That is, when supported by the attachment 4, the height difference between the thin portion 2X and the thicker portion 2Y of the topmost thin plate-like article 2A in the bundle of articles is smaller than the height difference between the thin portion 2X and the thicker portion 2Y of the bottommost thin plate-like article 2A in the bundle of articles.

[0033] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, when the thin plate-shaped article 2A at the top of the bundle of articles is supplied to the outside and the bundle of articles becomes thinner, the control unit 70 raises the lifting plate section 43. Also, the second support section rises due to the biasing force of the adjustment section as the bundle of articles becomes lighter. As a result, the gap between the thin plate-shaped article 2A at the very top of the bundle of articles and the feeding section 53 is maintained at a predetermined value.

[0034] In such an attachment 4, a recess 4a, which serves as a positioning portion, formed on the lower surface of the attachment 4, fits together with a protrusion 43a, which serves as a positioning portion, formed on the upper surface of the lifting plate portion 43. That is, the attachment 4 is positioned relative to the lifting plate portion 43 by the fitting of these positioning portions. Note that the shape of the positioning portion is not limited to the one described above, and a configuration in which the protrusion on the attachment 4 side and the recess on the lifting plate portion 43 side fit together may also be used.

[0035] Furthermore, the first item detection unit 61 is located on the protrusion 43a. However, when the attachment 4 is in place, the first item detection unit 61 cannot detect the thin plate-shaped item 2A and instead detects the attachment 4.

[0036] ≪Control Unit≫ As shown in Figure 4, the control unit 70 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read-Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), input / output circuits, etc. When the first item detection unit 61 detects a thin plate-shaped item 2, the control unit 70 raises the lifting plate section 43 by controlling a motor or other mechanism (not shown). Here, the control unit 70 can determine that the thin plate-shaped item 2 has been detected if the object detected by the first item detection unit 61 is within a predetermined distance from the first item detection unit 61. Similarly, the control unit 70 can determine that the thin plate-shaped item 2 has been detected if the object detected by the second item detection unit 62 is within a predetermined distance from the second item detection unit 62. Furthermore, when the second item detection unit 62 detects a thin plate-shaped item 2, the control unit 70 sets the lifting plate section 43, i.e., the uppermost thin plate-shaped item 2, to a desired height by stopping a mechanism (not shown). Here, the gap between the lower surface of the supply section 53, i.e., the suction belt 53c, and the uppermost thin plate-shaped article 2 is set to a predetermined value. In this state, the first floating section 51 and the second floating section 52 are configured to blow air onto the uppermost thin plate-shaped article 2. The suction belt 53c is also positioned a predetermined height above the uppermost thin plate-shaped article 2.

[0037] Next, the control unit 70 controls the first floating section 51 and the second floating section 52 to make the uppermost thin plate-shaped article 2 float. The control unit 70 also controls the suction section 53d to suck up the floated thin plate-shaped article 2 and attach it to the suction belt 53c with air, and controls the motor for rotating the drive roller 53a to transport the thin plate-shaped article 2 attached to the suction belt 53c and supply it to the outside of the article supply device 3.

[0038] <Operation section> The operation unit 80 is composed of a touch panel or the like, and outputs the user's operation results to the control unit 70.

[0039] <Method for switching the item detection unit based on the presence or absence of attachments, etc.> If the attachment 4 is not installed in the storage section 40, the control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 corresponding to the storage section 40 based on the detection results of both the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62 corresponding to the storage section 40. More specifically, the control unit 70 supplies the thin plate-shaped article 2 to the outside by activating the supply unit 50 when the thin plate-shaped article 2 is detected by both the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62.

[0040] Alternatively, if the attachment 4 is not installed in the storage section 40, the control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 corresponding to the storage section 40 based on the detection result of the first item detection unit 61 corresponding to the storage section 40. More specifically, the control unit 70 supplies the thin plate-shaped article 2 to the outside by activating the supply unit 50 when the thin plate-shaped article 2 is detected by the first item detection unit 61. In other words, if the attachment 4 is installed in the storage section 40, the control unit 70 does not use the detection result of the second item detection unit 62.

[0041] When an attachment 4 is installed in the storage section 40, the control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 corresponding to the storage section 40 based on a predetermined detection result from among the detection results of a plurality of item detection units corresponding to the storage section 40, namely the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62 in this embodiment. Specifically, when an attachment 4 is installed in the storage section 40, the control unit 70 supplies the thin plate-shaped article 2 to the outside by activating the supply unit 50 when the thin plate-shaped article 2 is detected by the second item detection unit 62. In other words, when an attachment 4 is installed in the storage section 40, the control unit 70 does not use the detection result of the first item detection unit 61. This is because the attachment 4 is installed so as to cover the first item detection unit 61, and the first item detection unit 61 detects the attachment 4, making it impossible to detect the presence or absence of the thin plate-shaped article 2.

[0042] Furthermore, when the attachment 4 is detected by the attachment detection unit 63, the control unit 70 can control the supply unit 50 based on the detection result of the second item detection unit 62 without adopting the detection result of the first item detection unit 61.

[0043] Furthermore, if the detection results of the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62 corresponding to one storage unit 40 are different, the control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 corresponding to one storage unit 40 based on the preset detection result of the second item detection unit 62. This is a measure taken because if an attachment 4 is installed in the storage unit 40, the first item detection unit 61 will detect the attachment 4, and will not be able to detect that there is no thin plate-shaped item 2.

[0044] The control unit 70 switches the control target from the supply unit 50 corresponding to one storage unit 40 to the supply unit 50 corresponding to another storage unit 40 when the detection results of the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62, which are located in one storage unit 40, indicate that there are no thin plate-shaped articles 2 in that storage unit 40. Here, if the attachment 4 is not attached to one storage unit 40, the control unit 70 determines the presence or absence of thin plate-shaped articles 2 based on the detection results of both the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62. Also, if the attachment 4 is attached to one storage unit 40, the control unit 70 determines the presence or absence of thin plate-shaped articles 2 based on the detection result of the second item detection unit 62. Furthermore, the control unit 70 has the type of thin plate-shaped article 2, such as size, set for each storage unit 40 based on prior operation by the user on the operation unit 80. Here, the control unit 70 sets the ATS (Auto Tray Shift) function for multiple storage units 40, each containing thin plate-shaped articles 2 of the same type, based on prior operation by the user on the operation unit 80. Based on this ATS function setting, the control unit 70 can switch the controlled object.

[0045] Furthermore, if the detection results of the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62, which are located in the other storage unit 40, indicate that there are no thin plate-shaped articles 2 in the storage unit 40, the control unit 70 stops supplying the thin plate-shaped articles 2.

[0046] Furthermore, the control unit 70 can switch which of the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62 is used to control the supply unit 50, based on the user's operation of the operation unit 80. For example, if the user sets the switch to OFF, the control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 for all storage units 40 based on the detection results of both the first item detection unit 61 and the second item detection unit 62, and, if necessary, controls the supply unit 50 based on the detection result of the second item detection unit 62 as described above. If the user sets the switch to ON, the control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 for all storage units 40 based on the detection result of the second item detection unit 62. In other words, the control unit 70 does not use the detection result of the first item detection unit 61 from the beginning.

[0047] An article supply device 3 according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises a storage section 40 capable of accommodating a plurality of stacked thin plate-shaped articles 2, a supply section 50 that supplies the thin plate-shaped articles 2 stored in the storage section 40 to the outside of the storage section 40, two or more article detection sections arranged in different locations within the storage section 40 for detecting the thin plate-shaped articles 2, and a control unit 70 that controls the supply section 50 based on the detection results of the article detection sections. The control unit 70 controls the supply section 50 based on the detection result of a predetermined article detection section among the two or more article detection sections when an attachment 4 is installed in the storage section 40. Therefore, the article supply device 3 can suitably detect the thin plate-shaped article 2 and supply the thin plate-shaped article 2 even when the attachment 4 is installed in the storage section 40.

[0048] The control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 based on the detection result of one of the item detection units, which is set in advance, when the detection results of two or more of the item detection units are different. Therefore, the article supply device 3 can suitably detect the thin plate-shaped article 2 and supply the thin plate-shaped article 2 even when the detection results of two or more article detection units differ due to the attachment 4 being installed in the storage unit 40.

[0049] The control unit 70 can switch between two or more item detection units to control the supply unit 50. Therefore, the article supply device 3 can, for example, select an article detection unit suitable for article detection based on the results of operation of the operation unit 80 by the user, and can suitably supply the thin plate-shaped article 2 based on the detection results of the selected article detection unit.

[0050] The attachment 4 can be mounted so as to cover one of the article detection units, and the control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 based on the detection result of the other article detection unit when the attachment 4 is mounted inside the storage unit 40. Therefore, the article supply device 3 can suitably supply the thin plate-shaped article 2 based on the detection results of the article detection units other than the article detection unit at the position where the attachment 4 is detected.

[0051] The article supply device 3 includes an attachment detection unit 63 that detects the attachment 4 attached to the storage unit 40, and the control unit 70 controls the supply unit 50 based on the detection result of a predetermined article detection unit from among the detection results of two or more article detection units when the attachment 4 is detected by the attachment detection unit 63. Therefore, the article supply device 3 can automatically detect the attachment 4 in the storage section 40 and suitably supply the thin plate-shaped article 2 based on the detection result of the article detection section, which is unaffected by the attachment 4.

[0052] The article supply device 3 comprises multiple sets of storage units 40, supply units 50, and two or more article detection units. The control unit 70 switches the control target from the supply unit 50 corresponding to one storage unit 40 to the supply unit 50 corresponding to another storage unit 40 when the detection result of the article detection unit located in one storage unit 40 indicates that there are no thin plate-shaped articles 2 in that storage unit 40. Therefore, the article supply device 3 can supply the thin plate-shaped articles 2 without interruption, and can also give the user time to replenish the thin plate-shaped articles 2.

[0053] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the article supply device 3 may be configured to have three or more article detection units corresponding to one storage unit 40. Alternatively, two or more attachments 4 corresponding to any of the three or more article detection units may be attached to the storage unit 40. In this case, the control unit 70 can adopt the detection results of article detection units other than those corresponding to the attachments 4 attached to the storage unit 40, based on the method described above. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0054] 2 Thin plate articles 3 Goods supply device 4 Attachments 40 Storage Units 50 Supply section 61 First object detection unit 62 Second item detection unit 63 Attachment detection unit 70 Control Unit

Claims

1. A storage section capable of accommodating multiple stacked thin plate-like articles, A supply unit for supplying the thin plate-shaped article contained within the storage unit to the outside of the storage unit, The storage section is arranged in different locations and includes two or more article detection units for detecting the thin plate-shaped article, A control unit that controls the supply unit based on the detection result of the item detection unit, Equipped with, The control unit controls the supply unit based on the detection result of a predetermined item detection unit among two or more item detection units when an attachment is installed in the storage unit. Goods supply device.

2. The control unit controls the supply unit based on the detection result of one of the item detection units, which is set in advance, when the detection results of two or more of the item detection units are different. The article supply device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit is capable of switching between two or more item detection units to control the supply unit. The article supply device according to claim 1.

4. The attachment can be mounted so as to cover one of the article detection units. The control unit controls the supply unit based on the detection result of the other item detection unit when an attachment is installed in the storage unit. The article supply device according to claim 1.

5. The device includes an attachment detection unit that detects the attachment mounted on the housing unit, When the attachment is detected by the attachment detection unit, the control unit controls the supply unit based on a predetermined detection result from among the detection results of two or more of the item detection units. The article supply device according to claim 1.

6. The system comprises multiple sets of the storage units, the supply units, and two or more of the article detection units, The control unit, when the detection result of the article detection unit located in one of the storage units indicates that there is no thin plate-shaped article in that storage unit, switches the control target from the supply unit corresponding to one of the storage units to the supply unit corresponding to another of the storage units. The article supply device according to claim 1.

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