Book turning machine, book turning machine control method, and book turning machine control program

Abstract

Providing technology that increases the likelihood of each page being turned. [Solution] A book turner comprises a setting table on which a book is placed, a pickup arm supported by the setting table and having an attachment part that is attached to the pages of the book, and a control unit that controls the operation of the pickup arm, wherein the control unit attaches the attachment part to the surface of the page of the book placed on the setting table in a double-page spread state, moves the attachment part to a first position within the trajectory of the page when the page is turned, and operates the pickup arm to return the attachment part to a second position between the first position and the surface of the page.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a book turning machine, a control method for a book turning machine, and a control program for a book turning machine. Regarding the machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there are known book turners that lift and turn the pages of a book that is open. Examples of such book turners include a technology in which a roller comes into contact with the page and rotates it (Patent Documents 1 and 2), and a technology in which an adhesive roller is attached to the page and lifts it (Patent Documents 3 and 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 13393 / 1983 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-47198 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-11893 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 1-271296 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional technology, multiple pages could be turned at the same time. In other words, when a page was lifted, the next page would stick to the page that was lifted, and multiple pages could be lifted at the same time. In this case, pages could not be turned one by one. The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to increase the likelihood that a page will be turned over one by one. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In one embodiment, a book turning machine includes a mounting table on which a book is placed, a pickup arm supported by the mounting table and having an attachment part attached to a page of the book, and a control unit that controls the operation of the pickup arm, wherein the control unit attaches the attachment part to the surface of the page of the book placed on the mounting table in a double-page spread state, moves the attachment part to a first position within the trajectory of the page when the page is turned, and operates the pickup arm to return the attachment part to a second position between the first position and the surface of the page.

[0006] That is, when the attachment part is attached to the surface of a page and the pickup arm is operated to move the attachment part to a first position within the page's trajectory when the page is turned, the attached page is lifted. The pickup arm is then operated to return the attachment part to a second position. Therefore, even if multiple pages are lifted together when the page is lifted, the movement of the attachment part to the second position causes pages other than the page attached to the attachment part to be shaken off. This increases the likelihood that the page will be turned over one by one. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a front view of the book turner as seen from a direction perpendicular to the installation table. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a rear view of the book turner with the installation table support removed. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the support unit, the pickup arm, the turning arm, and the pressing arm. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a front view of the book turner when the installation table is in the second state. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a control system of the book turner. [Figure 8]10 is a flowchart of a page-turning control process. [Figure 9] 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining the initial position. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operation in the page-turning control process. [Figure 11] 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining the operation in the page-turning control process. [Figure 12] 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining the operation in the page-turning control process. [Figure 13] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining the operation in the page-turning control process. [Figure 14] 14A and 14B are diagrams for explaining the operation in the page-turning control process. [Figure 15] 15A and 15B are diagrams for explaining the operation in the page-turning control process. [Figure 16] 16A and 16B are diagrams for explaining the positional relationship between the turning arm and the pressing arm. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Here, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order. (1) Book turner configuration: (2) Control system configuration: (3) Turning control processing: (4) Other embodiments:

[0009] (1) Book turner configuration: 1 to 5 are diagrams showing the configuration of book turner 10. FIG. 1 is a front view of book turner 10 as seen from a direction perpendicular to the installation surface of installation stand 30, which will be described later. FIGS. 2 and 3 are perspective views of book turner 10. FIG. 4 is a rear view of book turner 10 with installation stand support section 20, which will be described later, removed. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing support unit 40, pickup arm 50, turning arm 60, and presser arm 70, which will be described later. In this specification, up, down, left, right, front, and back are defined based on the viewpoint of the user using book turner 10. Up, down, left, and right are shown in FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0010] The book turner 10 includes a mounting table support 20, a mounting table 30, a support unit 40, a pickup arm 50, a turning arm 60, and a presser arm 70. The mounting table support 20 is a member that supports the book turner 10, and the mounting table support 20 is a member that holds the mounting table 30 in a predetermined direction. In this embodiment, the predetermined direction is adjustable by the mounting table support 20. The mounting table support 20 may have any configuration as long as it can support the mounting table 30. In this embodiment, the mounting table support 20 includes a receiving portion 20a on which the lower edge of the mounting table 30 is placed. In addition, the rear surface of the mounting table 30 includes a screw hole into which a screw 30k (see FIG. 4) can be inserted. In this embodiment, the mounting table support 20 is configured to be attached to the rear surface of the mounting table 30 with the screw 30k while the lower edge of the mounting table 30 is placed on the receiving portion 20a.

[0011] The installation stand 30 is a member on which a book is placed. In this embodiment, the installation stand 30 is a substantially rectangular plate-like member. The widest surface of the plate-like member is the surface on which the book is placed, and the installation stand 30 is supported by the installation stand support part 20 so that the surface faces the user of the book turner 10.

[0012] The setting table 30 may be equipped with various components for setting a book, as long as it is capable of setting a book on it. In this embodiment, it is equipped with a plurality of positioning portions 30a to 30d and a clip 30e. The positioning portion 30a is a substantially rectangular member, and is attached to the upper edge of the setting table 30 with a screw. That is, the upper edge of the book in an open state can be positioned by abutting the upper edge of the book against the lower edge of the positioning portion 30a.

[0013] Positioning portion 30b is a member attached to the corner of installation table 30 and is roughly L-shaped. That is, positioning portion 30b is shaped by joining members of a certain width at right angles. Right-angle portion 30b1 formed by positioning portion 30b is the portion against which the upper right corner of the book abuts. The side of positioning portion 30b extending leftward from right-angle portion 30b1 exists on the extension line of the bottom side of positioning portion 30b to the right, and the upper part of the book is positioned by positioning portions 30a and 30b.

[0014] Positioning part 30c is a rectangular prism-shaped member extending perpendicular to the installation surface of installation stand 30, and is attached with screws to a position along the right side of installation stand 30. Each side of the rectangle of positioning part 30c is parallel to the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the installation stand. Furthermore, the left side of the rectangle of positioning part 30a is on the extension line of the side extending downward from right-angle portion 30b1 of positioning part 30b. In other words, in this embodiment, the right side of the book is positioned by positioning parts 30b and 30c.

[0015] The positioning portion 30d is a rectangular prism-shaped member extending perpendicular to the installation surface of the installation base 30 and is attached to the lower part of the installation base 30 with a screw. In this embodiment, the screw inserted into the positioning portion 30d from the back surface of the installation base 30 is a screw that can be turned by hand, and an elongated hole 30f is formed in the installation base 30 between the body of the positioning portion 30d and the screw. The elongated hole 30f is a long hole that extends vertically at the lower part of the installation base 30 and penetrates the installation base 30. The width of the elongated hole 30f in the left-right direction is slightly larger than the width of the screw inserted into the positioning portion 30d. Therefore, the positioning portion 30d can be attached to the installation base 30 with a screw, and the installation position of the positioning portion 30d can be adjusted vertically along the elongated hole 30f.

[0016] Each side of the rectangle of the positioning part 30d is parallel to the top, bottom, left, and right sides of the installation stand. The position of the positioning part 30d is determined so that the upper side of the rectangle of the positioning part 30a contacts the bottom side of the book. This configuration allows various books of different sizes in the vertical direction to be attached to the installation stand 30.

[0017] In this embodiment, the film is attached to the installation base 30 via the positioning portions 30c and 30d. Specifically, the film 30j is attached to the top surface (user-facing surface) of each of the positioning portions 30c and 30d. The film 30j is a thin, rectangular, flexible plate-like member. The film 30j is placed on the trajectory of the pages to be turned in the book placed on the installation base 30. Therefore, when a page is turned, the film 30j comes into contact with the right and bottom edges of the page, and even if multiple pages are stuck together, the pages are separated by the film 30j. This reduces the possibility of multiple pages being turned together.

[0018] Clip 30e is attached to the top of installation stand 30. Clip 30e is rotatable around a predetermined axis and includes a member biased in one direction by a spring. In other words, the book is fixed to installation stand 30 by clamping the cover of the book with this member at the top edge of the book.

[0019] In this embodiment, the installation base 30 can be used after being rotated 180°. Here, the state shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 is referred to as a first state. A state in which the installation base 30 in the first state is rotated 180° about a rotation axis perpendicular to the installation surface is referred to as a second state. In this embodiment, the screw holes for attaching the clip 30e and the positioning portions 30a to 30d and the elongated hole 30f are formed in positions that are line-symmetrical with respect to a line that passes through the center of the installation base 30 and extends in the left-right direction. For example, the elongated hole 30g is located in a position that is line-symmetrical with respect to the elongated hole 30f, and the screw hole 30h is located in a position that is line-symmetrical with respect to the screw hole into which the screw 30i is inserted.

[0020] With the above configuration, in the first state, the positioning members 30a to 30c position the upper right corner of the book relative to the placement table 30, and the book can be placed on the placement table 30. Therefore, the first state can be used as a state in which a book is placed so that the right page can be turned to continue reading. Meanwhile, because the clip 30e and the screw holes and elongated hole 30f for attaching the positioning members 30a to 30c are positioned in line symmetry, the left and right screw holes are reversed in the second state. For example, the screw hole 30h for attaching the positioning member 30b for positioning the corner is positioned on the left side of the placement table 30 in the second state.

[0021] FIG. 6 is a front view of the book turner 10 when the installation table 30 is in the second state. As shown in FIG. 6, when the installation table 30 is in the second state, the position of the positioning unit 30a is along the top edge, which is the same position as in the first state. The positioning unit 30b is attached to the upper left corner of the installation table 30, with its front and back facing inverse to the orientation in the first state. The positioning unit 30c is attached along the left edge of the installation table 30, and the positioning unit 30d is attached to the elongated hole 30g. With the above configuration, the book can be installed on the installation table 30 with the top edge and left edge aligned. The second state can be used as a state in which a book is installed to be read by turning the left page. As described above, in this embodiment, by rotating the installation table 30 180°, the book turner 10 can be used with either a left- or right-opening book installed on the installation table 30.

[0022] The support unit 40 is a member attached to the installation stand 30, and the pickup arm 50, the turning arm 60, and the pressing arm 70 are attached to the support unit 40. As shown in Fig. 5, the support unit 40 is formed with an attachment portion 40a, a slide support portion 40b, and a rotation support portion 40c from bottom to top.

[0023] The mounting portion 40a is a plate-shaped portion having a screw hole formed therethrough in the thickness direction of the plate. The support unit 40 is fastened to the rear surface of the installation base 30 by a screw inserted into the screw hole (see FIG. 4).

[0024] The slide support portion 40b is a portion that slidably supports the turning arm 60 and the presser arm 70. The slide support portion 40b is divided into two portions with different depths in the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down and left-to-right directions, and each portion has the same depth and a constant length in the up-down direction, forming flat surfaces 40b1 and 40b2 that extend in the left-to-right direction. In this embodiment, the flat surface 40b1 is deeper than the flat surface 40b2. Furthermore, a long hole 40b3 extending in the left-to-right direction is formed in the flat surface 40b1 (see FIGS. 4 and 5).

[0025] The turning arm 60 and the pressing arm 70 are attached to the sliding portion 41. The sliding portion 41 is a member whose cross section in a direction parallel to the up-down, down-down, left-right directions has rounded corners and extends in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down, down-down, left-right directions. The bottom surface of the sliding portion 41 forms two flat surfaces positioned at different positions in the front-rear direction, and each flat surface is configured to abut against the flat surfaces 40b1 and 40b2. In other words, the bottom surface of the sliding portion 41 has a step formed along the step formed by the flat surfaces 40b1 and 40b2.

[0026] Furthermore, a screw hole is formed in the bottom surface of the slide portion 41 at a position corresponding to the elongated hole 40b3. Therefore, the slide portion 41 can be attached to the slide support portion 40b by inserting a screw into the elongated hole 40b3 from the back side of the slide support portion 40b and then inserting the screw into the screw hole in the bottom surface of the slide portion 41. Then, by loosening the screw, the slide portion 41 can be moved left and right along the elongated hole 40b3.

[0027] The top surface (the surface opposite the bottom surface) of the slide section 41 rotatably supports the turning arm 60 and the pressure arm 70. In this embodiment, a servo motor is housed in the slide section 41. The turning arm 60 and the pressure arm 70 are rotatably supported on a rotation axis oriented parallel to the front-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down and left-right directions, and are rotationally driven by the servo motor. The front-rear direction can also be said to be the direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the installation stand 30. With the above configuration, by sliding the slide section 41, the left-right positions of the turning arm 60 and the pressure arm 70 can be changed to suit the size of the book, etc.

[0028] The rotation support portion 40c is a portion that rotatably supports the pickup arm 50. A servo motor is housed inside the rotation support portion 40c. The pickup arm 50 is rotatably supported about a rotation axis that is oriented parallel to the vertical direction, and is rotationally driven by the servo motor. As described above, in this embodiment, the pickup arm 50, the turning arm 60, and the presser arm 70 are supported by the support unit 40. However, since the support unit 40 is supported by the installation base 30, it can be said that the pickup arm 50, the turning arm 60, and the presser arm 70 are supported by the installation base 30 via the support unit 40.

[0029] Pickup arm 50 is rotatably supported by rotation support part 40c, extends in a radial direction that is perpendicular to the rotation axis, bends at a predetermined position, and extends toward installation stand 30. The length of the tip of pickup arm 50 is adjusted so that it reaches the installation surface of installation stand 30, that is, so that it reaches the surface of the pages of a book placed in an open state on installation stand 30. In this embodiment, an attachment part 50a that is attached to the page of a book is rotatably attached to the tip of pickup arm 50.

[0030] Specifically, the affixing part 50a is a cylindrical member that can be inserted into a columnar portion formed at the tip of the pickup arm 50. The tip of the pickup arm 50 is also formed with a protrusion that engages with the affixing part 50a to prevent the affixing part 50a from falling off the pickup arm 50. However, the affixing part 50a can be removed and replaced by applying a force to the affixing part 50a.

[0031] The cylindrical portion constituting the tip of the pickup arm 50 has its cylindrical axis oriented in a direction parallel to the vertical direction. Therefore, the attachment part 50a is attached to the pickup arm 50 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the vertical direction. The surface of the attachment part 50a is adhesive. The attachment part 50a may be made adhesive in various ways. In this embodiment, the surface of the attachment part 50a is configured to be adhesive by wrapping double-sided tape around the attachment part 50a.

[0032] The turning arm 60 is rotatably supported on the installation base 30 and has a turning portion 61 extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. Specifically, the turning arm 60 has a first circular portion 62 that is circular with the rotation axis of the turning arm 60 as its center, and the turning portion 61 is a portion formed by extending radially outward from the first circular portion 62. The turning portion 61 is a portion that applies force to the pages of the book to turn the book. In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the turning arm 60 is parallel to the front-to-rear direction, i.e., perpendicular to the installation surface.

[0033] The presser arm 70 is rotatably supported on the installation base 30 and has a presser portion 71 extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. Specifically, the presser arm 70 has a second circular portion 72 that is circular with the rotation axis of the presser arm 70 as its center, and the presser portion 71 is a portion formed by extending radially outward from the second circular portion 72. The presser portion 71 is a portion that prevents a turned page from returning to its original state. In this embodiment, the rotation axis of the turning arm 70 is parallel to the front-to-rear direction, i.e., perpendicular to the installation surface.

[0034] In this embodiment, the second circular portion 72 of the pressing arm 70 has a larger diameter than the first circular portion 62 of the turning arm 60, and when viewed from the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the installation surface, the second circular portion 72 and the first circular portion 62 overlap. In this configuration, even if a finger is placed around the rotation axis of the turning arm 60 and the pressing arm 70, the finger is unlikely to be pinched between the arms.

[0035] (2) Control system configuration: Next, the configuration of the control system of book turner 10 will be described. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control system of book turner 10. In Fig. 7, the exchange of signals is indicated by solid arrows, and the exchange of forces is indicated by dashed arrows. Book turner 10 is equipped with control unit 11, servo motors 12a to 12c, and instruction switch 13.

[0036] The instruction switch 13 is a device for generating a trigger that operates the pickup arm 50, the turning arm 60, and the presser arm 70. The instruction switch 13 can be realized by any type of switch as long as it can generate a trigger in response to the user's intention. In this embodiment, the instruction switch 13 includes a push button, and when the user presses the push button, a signal indicating that the push button has been pressed is output to the control unit 11.

[0037] Servo motors 12a to 12c are connected to pickup arm 50, turning arm 60, and presser arm 70, respectively. In this embodiment, servo motors 12a to 12c are motors that rotate rotors to specified angles. That is, servo motor 12a can set the rotation angle of pickup arm 50 to any angle. Servo motor 12b can set the rotation angle of turning arm 60 to any angle. Servo motor 12c can set the rotation angle of presser arm 70 to any angle.

[0038] The control unit 11 includes a circuit for executing a predetermined program. The configuration of the control unit 11 is not limited, but may be configured, for example, by a processor, ROM, RAM, etc. When power is supplied to the book turner 10, the control unit 11 executes the predetermined program and starts the turning control process.

[0039] Although details will be described later, in the page-turning control process, the control unit 11 monitors a signal input from the instruction switch 13. When a signal is input (i.e., when a trigger occurs), the control unit 11 controls the servo motors 12a to 12c to operate the pickup arm 50, the page-turning arm 60, and the presser arm 70 in a predetermined sequence, thereby turning the page.

[0040] (3) Turning control processing: FIG. 8 is a flowchart of the page-turning control process. Before the page-turning control process is started, a book is placed on the placement table 30. Here, it is assumed that in the first state, the right page is turned to the left. When the user operates the instruction switch 13 to generate a trigger, the control unit 11 operates the arms to move the pasting unit 50a, the page-turning unit 61, and the pressing unit 71 to their initial positions (step S100). The rotation angles of the pickup arm 50, the page-turning arm 60, and the pressing arm 70 at their initial positions are predetermined. The control unit 11 controls the servo motors 12a to 12c to operate the pickup arm 50, the page-turning arm 60, and the pressing arm 70 so that the rotation angles correspond to the initial positions.

[0041] 9A and 9B are diagrams for explaining the initial position. Fig. 9A is a diagram schematically showing the installation stand 30, pickup arm 50, pasting unit 50a, turning arm 60, pressing arm 70, and page P of the book when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the installation stand 30. Fig. 9B is a diagram schematically showing the installation stand 30, pasting unit 50a, turning arm 60, pressing arm 70, and page P of the book when viewed from above in a direction parallel to the installation stand 30.

[0042] In the initial position of the pickup arm 50, the pasting portion 50a is located near the setting table 30 but is not attached to the page P. The distance between the page P and the pasting portion 50a may be set arbitrarily.

[0043] In the initial position of the turning arm 60, the turning unit 61 is disposed within the return trajectory of the turned page P when it returns. Specifically, in the example shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the page P to be turned is on the right side of the book, so the turned pages accumulate on the left side of the book. When a turned page returns, the page returns from left to right. In this embodiment, the turning unit 61 is disposed before halfway along the return trajectory of the turned page when it returns, that is, on the left side of the book. Therefore, even if a page has already been turned and a returning force is applied to that page, the turning unit 61 restricts that page, preventing it from returning to the right side.

[0044] The return trajectory when a page goes back and the trajectory when a page is turned are located in the same space, but the direction in which the page moves is different. For example, if the trajectory when a page is turned exists in the space through which the page passes when turning from right to left and is oriented from right to left, the return trajectory when a page goes back exists in the space through which the page passes when turning from left to right and is oriented from left to right.

[0045] In the initial position of the presser arm 70, the presser unit 71 is retracted from the return trajectory of the returning page. Specifically, in the example shown in Figures 9A and 9B, the presser unit 71 is disposed above the setting table 30 and does not interfere with the return trajectory of the returning page.

[0046] Next, the control unit 11 operates the presser arm 70 to move the presser portion 71 to the restriction position (step S105). The rotation angle of the presser arm 70 at the restriction position is determined in advance. The control unit 11 controls the servo motor 12c to operate the presser arm 70 so as to have a rotation angle corresponding to the restriction position.

[0047] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the operations in steps S105 to S115. FIGS. 10A and 10B are schematic views of the setting table 30 and the like viewed from the same direction as FIGS. 9A and 9B (the same applies to FIGS. 11 to 15). The restraining position is located within the return trajectory of the turned page P. That is, the pressing portion 71 of the pressing arm 70 is positioned within the return trajectory of the turned page P. Specifically, the pressing portion 71 is positioned before halfway along the return trajectory of the turned page P, that is, on the left side of the book when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the setting table 30. Therefore, even if a page has already been turned and a returning force acts on the page, the pressing portion 71 restrains the page, preventing it from returning to the right side.

[0048] In this embodiment, the direction of the pressing portion 71 in the restricting position is closer to the up-down direction than the direction of the turning portion 61 in the initial position. Also, the pressing portion 71 is longer than the turning portion 61. Therefore, when the pressing portion 71 is in the restricting position, it is possible to more reliably prevent the pages from turning back than when the turning portion 61 is in the initial position.

[0049] Next, the control unit 11 operates the turning arm 60 to retract the turning unit 61 (step S110). The control unit 11 controls the servo motor 12b to operate the turning arm 60 so that the turning unit 61 rotates at a rotation angle that does not interfere with the return trajectory when the page is returned or the trajectory when the page is turned. In the example shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the turning arm 60 is rotated so that the extension direction of the turning unit 61 faces the left and right directions. When the turning unit 61 is retracted in this manner, the turning unit 61 does not interfere with the movement of the page when the page is turned. Note that in this embodiment, the pressing unit 71 is first placed in the restricting position in step S105, and then the turning unit 61 is retracted in step S110. Therefore, even if the turning unit 61 is retracted, the pressing unit 71 restricts the return of the page beforehand, thereby preventing the page from being turned back.

[0050] Next, the control unit 11 operates the pickup arm 50 to attach the pasting unit 50a to the page P (step S115). That is, the servo motor 12a is controlled to operate the pickup arm 50 so as to rotate the pickup arm 50 to an angle at which the pasting unit 50a comes into contact with the page P. In the example shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the pickup arm 50 is rotated so that the pasting unit 50a approaches the page P from a position away from the page P and is pressed against the page P. When the pasting unit 50a comes into contact with the page P in this way, the page P is stuck to the pasting unit 50a.

[0051] Next, the control unit 11 operates the pickup arm 50 to move the pasting unit 50a to the first position (step S120). The rotation angle of the pickup arm 50 at the first position is predetermined. The control unit 11 controls the servo motor 12a to operate the pickup arm 50 so as to achieve a rotation angle corresponding to the first position. FIGS. 11A and 11B are diagrams for explaining the operation at step S120. The first position is a position within the trajectory of the page when the page P is turned. That is, the pasting unit 50a of the pickup arm 50 is positioned within the trajectory along which the page P moves as it is turned.

[0052] Specifically, the pasting unit 50a is positioned before halfway along the path along which the page to be turned moves, that is, on the right side of the book when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the installation stand 30. In this embodiment, it is sufficient if the page that was lifted up together with the page P can be shaken off by returning the pasting unit 50a after the first position. In this respect, the first position is not limited, but can be, for example, a position about 1 / 4 of the way along the path along which the page to be turned moves (a position at a rotation angle of about 45° from the installation stand 30 with the center of the book as the rotation center in FIG. 11B ).

[0053] Next, the control unit 11 operates the pickup arm 50 to move the application unit 50a to the second position (step S125). The rotation angle of the pickup arm 50 at the second position is predetermined. The control unit 11 controls the servo motor 12a to operate the pickup arm 50 so as to achieve a rotation angle corresponding to the second position. The second position is a position between the first position and the position to which the application unit 50a was moved in step S115. In other words, the application unit 50a of the pickup arm 50 is returned to the second position.

[0054] In this embodiment, the second position is a position approximately midway between the first position and the surface of a page accumulated in the book. Moving the pasting unit 50a to the second position corresponds to returning the pasting unit 50a, which has moved to the first position, to the second position. When this operation is performed, even if pages other than page P stuck to the pasting unit 50a are lifted up along with page P during the process of moving the pasting unit 50a to the first position in step S120, the pages can be shaken off by the operation of step S125. That is, pages other than page P stuck to the pasting unit 50a can be shaken off. FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining step S125. In FIG. 11B, pages other than page P are lifted up along with page P, but in FIG. 12B, the pages are shaken off, and only page P stuck to the pasting unit 50a is lifted up.

[0055] Next, the control unit 11 operates the pickup arm 50 to move the pasting unit 50a toward the first position (step S130). This movement may be in the first position direction. That is, by moving the pasting unit 50a again toward the first position after returning it in step S125, a force that lifts the page P stuck to the pasting unit 50a toward the first position acts, and a force that moves the other pages not stuck to the pasting unit 50a toward the second position acts. As a result, pages other than the page P stuck to the pasting unit 50a can be more reliably shaken off.

[0056] In step S130, it is sufficient to move the pasting unit 50a toward the first position, and the destination position may or may not coincide with the first position. In this embodiment, it is assumed that the destination position in step S130 is the first position. Therefore, in step S130, the control unit 11 controls the servo motor 12a to operate the pickup arm 50 so as to achieve a rotation angle corresponding to the first position. FIGS. 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining the operation in step S130. When step S130 is performed, one page P is stuck to the pasting unit 50a and is raised, as shown in FIG. 13B.

[0057] As described above, in this embodiment, pages other than page P stuck to the pasting portion 50a are shaken off by at least one of the operations in steps S125 and S130. In this process, the turning portion 61 is retracted outside the trajectory of page P, and therefore does not interfere with the movement of the pages.

[0058] In step S130, the pickup arm 50 operates to move the pasting unit 50a, which is in the second position, in a direction toward the first position, and then the control unit 11 operates the turning arm 60 to insert the turning unit 61 behind the page P, turn the page P, and return it to the initial position (step S135). That is, in this embodiment, by rotating the turning unit 61 from the retracted state as shown in Fig. 13A toward the initial position, the insertion of the turning unit 61 behind the page P, the turning operation of the page P, and the return operation to the initial position are performed in a series of operations.

[0059] To this end, in step S135, the control unit 11 controls the servo motor 12a to operate the pickup arm 50 so as to rotate at an angle corresponding to the initial position. FIGS. 14A and 14B are diagrams for explaining the process of the operation in step S135. When step S135 is performed, as shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B, the turning unit 61 is inserted behind the page P lifted by the pasting unit 50a. The page P is turned by the rotation of the turning unit 61, but because the pasting unit 50a is rotatable, as the page P is turned from right to left by the turning unit 61, the pasting unit 50a rotates, and the pasted page P is easily peeled off.

[0060] In this embodiment, when the turning unit 61 is inserted behind the page P, the control unit 11 operates the pickup arm 50 to move the pasting unit 50a toward the second position and return it to the initial position at the same time as the turning unit 61 turns the page P (step S140). That is, when the pasting unit 50a is moved toward the second position, a force from the left side to the right can be applied to the page P being turned from right to left by the turning unit 61. Furthermore, because the pasting unit 50a is rotatable, the movement of the pasting unit 50a toward the second position promotes the peeling of the page P from the pasting unit 50a.

[0061] The movement may be toward the second position. That is, it is sufficient if the peeling of the page P stuck to the pasting unit 50a is facilitated by returning the pasting unit 50a in the direction opposite to the turning direction of the page P. The destination position of the pasting unit 50a when moving toward the second position may or may not coincide with the second position. In this embodiment, the destination position in step S140 is assumed to be the second position. Therefore, in step S140, the control unit 11 controls the servo motor 12a to operate the pickup arm 50 so as to achieve a rotation angle corresponding to the second position. FIGS. 14A and 14B show the initial state of the movement of the pasting unit 50a in step S140, and FIGS. 15A and 15B show the final state of the movement of the pasting unit 50a in step S140. Note that in step S140, the rotation speed of the pickup arm 50 is preferably slower than in other operations. A slower rotation speed can reduce the possibility of damaging the book compared to a faster rotation speed.

[0062] Next, the control unit 11 operates the presser arm 70 to move the presser unit 71 to the initial position (step S145). That is, the control unit 11 controls the servo motor 12c to operate the presser arm 70 so as to achieve a rotation angle corresponding to the initial position. FIGS. 15A and 15B show a state in which the presser unit 71 has been moved to the initial position by step S145. Note that step S145 is executed in synchronization with the operation of the turning unit 61 by step S135. That is, in the process of the turning unit 61 returning to the initial position by the processing of step S135, if the turning unit 61 reaches the return trajectory along which the page P returns, the turning unit 61 prevents the page P from returning. In this state, step S145 is executed, and the pressing unit 71 moves to the initial position, whereby the pressing unit 71 retreats from the return trajectory along which the page returns.

[0063] As described above, in this embodiment, the presser unit 71 is placed in the restricting position in step S105. The presser unit 71 is maintained in the restricting position until the turning unit 61 is returned to the initial position in step S135 and the return of the page P can be prevented. Therefore, in this embodiment, the presser unit 71 is placed within the return trajectory of the turned page as it returns during the process in which the pickup arm 50 moves the pasting unit 50a from the surface of the page to the second position, the process in which the pasting unit 50a returns to the initial position to which it has been further moved, and the process in which the turning arm 60 rotates the turning unit 61 in the direction in which the page P is turned.

[0064] As a result, it is possible to prevent the turned page P from returning. When a page is turned by the turning unit 61, the pressing unit 71 operates the pressing arm so as to retract the pressing arm so as to be outside the return trajectory when the page returns, but in this state, the turning unit 61 is present within the return trajectory, so it is possible to prevent the page P from returning. By the above processing, the turning of one page is controlled.

[0065] In this embodiment, the distance between the presser arm 70 and the installation surface of the installation stand 30 is greater than the distance between the turner arm 60 and the installation surface, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. Therefore, the presser arm 70 is installed at a position farther from the book installed on the installation stand 30 than the turner arm 60. The presser arm 70 is used to prevent the turned page from returning by arranging the presser portion 71 on the return trajectory along which the turned page returns.

[0066] Turned pages accumulate in a bent state, i.e., with some of the pages floating, and the more pages that are turned, the more likely they are to return to their original position. Furthermore, the higher the height of the floating pages, the more likely they are to return to their original position. Furthermore, during the process of turning a page, the retaining member 71 is retracted to the left side in the left-right direction, i.e., toward the area where the turned pages are accumulated (see, for example, FIG. 9A). Therefore, if the height of the floating pages increases, even if the retaining arm 70 operates to prevent the pages from returning with the retaining member 71, there is a possibility that the pages will return to their original position due to the rotation of the retaining member 71.

[0067] 16A is a diagram showing the setting table 30, page P, pressure arm 70, and pressure unit 71 extracted from the example shown in FIG. 15B. However, in this example, the turned page P is significantly bent. It is also assumed that the pressure arm 70 is positioned closer to the setting table 30 than the pressure arm 70 according to the present embodiment. In this way, if the pressure arm 70 is closer to the setting table 30, when the turned page P is significantly bent, the pressure arm 70 may rotate and return the page P to its original position.

[0068] Meanwhile, the turning unit 61 is retracted to the right side in the left-right direction, i.e., to the side of the area where the pages to be turned are accumulated, during the process of the pasting unit 50a shaking off the pages (see, for example, FIG. 10A). Therefore, even if the turned page is bent and floating, the turning unit 61 does not promote the page to return. FIG. 16B shows the state after the turning unit 61 has performed the turning operation in the example shown in FIG. 16A. The turning unit 61 turns the page P by rotating from right to left (clockwise as shown in FIG. 15A), so the turning unit 61 pushes the surface of the page P. Therefore, the operation of the turning unit 61 does not promote the page to return.

[0069] Therefore, in this embodiment, the distance between the presser arm 70 and the installation surface is made larger than the distance between the turner arm 60 and the installation surface, and the presser arm 70 is positioned farther from the book placed on the installation table 30 than the turner arm 60. With this configuration, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the presser unit 71 will turn back the page, compared to a configuration in which the presser arm 70 is closer to the installation surface.

[0070] The above page-turning control process is a process in which pages accumulated on the right side are turned over and the turned pages are accumulated on the left side, i.e., a process in the first state. In this embodiment, it is also possible to rotate the installation table 30 to the second state and perform a process in which pages accumulated on the left side are turned over and the turned pages are accumulated on the right side. This process can be achieved by making the rotation angles of the pickup arm 50, the page-turning arm 60, and the presser arm 70 symmetrical relative to the first state. For example, as shown in FIG. 9A , the rotation angles when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the installation table 30 are reversed left to right with respect to a line extending vertically through the rotation axes of the pickup arm 50, the page-turning arm 60, and the presser arm 70. 9B, even in a direction parallel to the installation table 30 and when the installation table 30 is viewed from below upward, the rotation angle of each arm is a rotation angle that is left-right reversed with respect to a line extending in a direction perpendicular to the installation surface and passing through the rotation axes of the pickup arm 50, the turning arm 60, and the presser arm 70. The processing order other than the rotation angle may be the same as the processing order shown in FIG.

[0071] In this embodiment, the rotation axes of the pickup arm 50, the turner arm 60, and the presser arm 70 lie on a straight line when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the installation surface of the installation table 30, as shown in FIG. 9A. In FIG. 9A, this straight line L is indicated by a dashed line. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to achieve control between the first state and the second state simply by reversing the rotation angle of each arm relative to the straight line L. This makes it very easy to achieve control in response to changes in the state of the installation table 30.

[0072] (4) Other embodiments: The above embodiment is one example for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments are also possible. For example, the book turner 10 may be realized by connecting a unit including the control unit 11 to the support unit 40 so as to enable wired or wireless communication. Furthermore, although the flowchart shown in Figure 8 describes the operation of each arm, the operations of each arm may be performed at times that overlap each other.

[0073] Also, a configuration in which some of the flowcharts are omitted may be adopted. For example, if a page can be turned by moving the turning unit 61 to the back of a page that is attached to the pasting unit 50a and lifted up, and operating the turning arm 60 to rotate the turning unit 61 in the direction in which the page is turned, the movement of the pasting unit 50a toward the second position in step S140 may be omitted.

[0074] The setting stand may be any stand on which a book can be placed, and there are no limitations on its size, shape, orientation, etc. In other words, it may be any stand on which a book whose pages will be turned can be placed. Various configurations may be provided, such as a configuration for positioning the book when it is placed, or a configuration for preventing the book from floating.

[0075] The pickup arm only needs to be supported by the installation base and have an attachment portion that can be attached to a page of a book. In other words, the pickup arm only needs to be supported by the installation base so that the attachment portion can be moved to a desired position. The manner in which the pickup arm is operably supported is not limited, and various modes are possible, such as a rotatable support configuration or a movably supported configuration. The pickup arm can be supported by the installation base in various modes, and the pickup arm may be supported directly or indirectly on the installation base. An example of the latter is a state in which a support unit is attached to the installation base and the pickup arm is supported by the support unit.

[0076] The attachment portion may be any portion that can be attached to the pages of a book, and attachment may be performed in various ways, such as by adhesion as in the above-described embodiment, or by suction. The form of the attachment portion is not limited to the form of the above-described embodiment, and may have various shapes. For example, the attachment portion may be configured to rotate freely in a polygonal cylindrical shape. Alternatively, the attachment portion may not rotate freely. For example, the attachment portion may be spherical, flat, or the like.

[0077] The control unit only needs to be able to control the operation of the pickup arm. That is, the control unit only needs to be able to control the operation of the pickup arm, move the pasting unit, and turn the pages. Also, if the book turner is equipped with a turning arm and a pressing arm, the control unit only needs to be able to control the operation of each of these arms.

[0078] When operating the pickup arm, the control unit moves at least the pasting unit to a first position and then to a second position, so that if there are pages that have been lifted up together, pages other than the page pasted on the pasting unit will fall off and only one page will be picked up.

[0079] The first position may be any position where the page is lifted before being shaken off, and may be within the trajectory of the page when it is turned over. In other words, it is sufficient if the page can be lifted without applying excessive load that would damage the page. In this sense, it is preferable that the trajectory of the attachment part between the state where the attachment part is attached to the surface of the page and the first position is also within the trajectory of the page when it is turned over, and that the trajectory does not apply excessive load.

[0080] The second position is a position that is returned in the opposite direction from the surface of the page toward the first position, and the second position is also located within the trajectory of the page when the page is turned. The first position and the second position may be set at various angles and heights. At least, by returning from the first position to the second position, pages stuck to the attachment portion will not be shaken off, but if there are pages that are not stuck, they will be shaken off. Of course, the speed and acceleration of movement from the first position to the second position may be adjusted to more reliably shake off the pages.

[0081] The turning arm only needs to be rotatably supported on the installation base and have a turning portion extending perpendicular to the rotation axis. That is, the turning arm only needs to rotate around the rotation axis to rotate the turning portion and turn the page picked up by the pickup arm with the turning portion. The turning operation by the turning arm only needs to be realized by the turning arm moving the turning portion on a rotational orbit as the turning arm rotates. In this sense, the rotation axis of the turning arm is not limited to being perpendicular to the installation surface of the installation base. That is, the rotation axis may be oriented in various directions as long as the page can be turned.

[0082] The turning part may extend in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, so that it can be inserted under the lifted page and turn the page by applying a force to the back of the page as the turning arm rotates. As long as this is the case, the shape, size, and length of the turning part are not limited.

[0083] With regard to the turning arm, the control unit may operate the turning arm to retract the turning unit out of the orbit during the process in which the pickup arm moves the attachment unit from the front surface of the page to the second position, move the turning unit to the back of the page that is attached and lifted up by the attachment unit, and further rotate the turning unit in the direction in which the page is turned. In other words, the turning unit is retracted out of the orbit of the page when the attachment unit is picking up or shaking off pages. When the page is shaken off and only one page is picked up, the page is attached to the attachment unit and floating, so the turning arm is rotated and moved to the back of the page. Further rotation of the turning unit in this state allows the page to be turned.

[0084] The control unit and the turning arm are configured to perform such a turning operation. Therefore, when the turning arm is rotated, the positional relationship between the pasting unit picking up the page, and the turning arm and turning unit is adjusted so that the turning unit can be inserted behind the floating page.

[0085] The presser arm may be rotatably supported on the installation table and have a presser portion extending perpendicular to the rotation axis. That is, the presser arm may rotate around the rotation axis to rotate the presser portion, and the presser portion may prevent the page turned by the turning arm from returning. The presser arm can hold the page (prevent the page from returning) by positioning the presser portion on the return trajectory of the page. In this sense, the rotation axis of the presser arm is not limited to being perpendicular to the installation table. That is, the rotation axis may be oriented in various directions as long as the page can be turned.

[0086] The pressing portion only needs to extend in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, be positioned on the return path of the turned page, and regulate the movement of the returning page. As long as this is the case, the shape, size, and length of the pressing portion are not limited.

[0087] With regard to the presser arm, the control unit must be able to position the presser arm within the return trajectory of the turned page when the page returns, during the process in which the pickup arm moves the attachment unit from the surface of the page to the second position and the process in which the turning arm rotates the turning unit in the direction the page is turned, and operate the presser arm to retract the presser arm from the return trajectory when the page is turned by the turning unit. In other words, when the attachment unit is picking up or shaking off a page, or when the turning unit is turning a page, the turning unit does not function as a member that prevents the page from returning. In this case, the presser arm must be positioned within the return trajectory to prevent the page from returning.

[0088] The control unit and the presser arm are configured to enable such a turning operation, and therefore the positions and sizes of the presser arm and the presser unit are adjusted so that the returning page can be restricted when the pasting unit is picking up or shaking off pages or when the turning unit is turning pages. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 10...book turner, 11...control unit, 12a to 12c...servo motor, 13...instruction switch, 20...installation table support part, 20a...receiving part, 30...installation table, 30a to 30d...positioning part, 30e...clip, 30f...oblong hole, 30g...oblong hole, 30h...screw hole, 30i...screw, 30j...film, 30k...screw, 40...support unit, 40a...mounting part, 40b...slide support part, 40b1...flat surface, 40b2...flat surface, 40b3...oblong hole, 40c...rotation support part, 41...slide part, 50...pickup arm, 50a...affixing part, 60...arm, 61...part, 62...first circular part, 70...holding arm, 71...holding part, 72...second circular part

Claims

1. a setting stand on which the book is placed; a pickup arm supported by the installation stand and having an attachment portion that is attached to a page of the book; a turning arm that is rotatably supported on the installation base and has a turning portion that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis; a pressing arm that is rotatably supported on the installation base and has a pressing portion that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis; a control unit that controls the operations of the pickup arm, the turning arm, and the pressing arm; Equipped with The control unit the adhesive portion is attached to a surface of the page of the book placed on the placement table in a double-open state; moving the attachment portion to a first position within a trajectory of the page as the page is turned; operating the pickup arm to return the applicator to a second position between the first position and the surface of the page; the pick-up arm moves the pasting unit from the surface of the page to the second position, the turning unit is retracted outside the track; moving the turning unit to the back of the page that is attached to the pasting unit and lifted up, and operating the turning arm to rotate the turning unit in a direction in which the page is turned; the pressing portion is disposed within a return trajectory of the turned page when the turned page returns during a process in which the pickup arm moves the pasting portion from the surface of the page to the second position and a process in which the turning arm rotates the turning portion in a direction in which the page is turned; When the page is turned by the turning unit, the pressing arm is operated to retract the pressing unit out of the return trajectory. Book turning machine.

2. The control unit After operating the pickup arm to move the attachment unit located at the second position in a direction toward the first position, operating the turning arm to move the turning portion to the back of the page; 2. The book turner according to claim 1.

3. The control unit In the process of the turning arm operating to rotate the turning unit in the direction in which the page is turned, operating the pickup arm to move the application unit in a direction toward the second position; 3. The book turner according to claim 2.

4. The control unit operating the pickup arm, the turning arm, and the presser arm in response to a trigger performed by a user; 2. The book turner according to claim 1.

5. the pickup arm is supported by the installation base so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the up-down direction of the book; the sticking unit is attached to the pickup arm so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to the up-down direction of the book, and has an adhesive surface; 2. The book turner according to claim 1.

6. a distance between the pressing arm and the installation surface of the book on the installation table is greater than a distance between the turning arm and the installation surface; 2. The book turner according to claim 1.

7. a support unit attached to the installation base, the pickup arm is supported relative to the support unit; The turning arm and the pressing arm are slidably supported on the support unit.

2. The book turner according to claim 1.

8. The device further includes a flexible film attached to the mounting base and disposed from outside the trajectory of the page when the page is turned to within the trajectory of the page when the page is turned.

2. The book turner according to claim 1.

9. the setting table has a setting surface for the book, and is used in a first state and a second state rotated by 180° about a rotation axis perpendicular to the setting surface, and the first state and the second state are different in the direction in which the pages of the book placed on the setting table are turned.

8. The book turner according to claim 7.

10. the turning arm has a first circular portion that is a circle centered on the rotation axis, and the turning portion is a portion formed by extending radially outward from the first circular portion, the pressing arm has a second circular portion that is a circle centered on the rotation axis, and the pressing portion is a portion formed by extending radially outward from the second circular portion, The second circular portion has a larger diameter than the first circular portion, and the second circular portion and the first circular portion overlap each other when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the installation surface.

7. The book turner according to claim 6.

11. a setting stand on which the book is placed; A control method for a book turner including a pickup arm supported on the installation base and having an attachment portion to be attached to a page of the book, a turn arm rotatably supported on the installation base and having a turn portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, and a presser arm rotatably supported on the installation base and having a presser portion extending in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis, the adhesive portion is attached to a surface of the page of the book placed on the placement table in a double-open state; moving the attachment portion to a first position within a trajectory of the page as the page is turned; operating the pickup arm to return the applicator to a second position between the first position and the surface of the page; the pick-up arm moves the pasting unit from the surface of the page to the second position, the turning unit is retracted outside the track; moving the turning unit to the back of the page that is attached to the pasting unit and lifted up, and operating the turning arm to rotate the turning unit in a direction in which the page is turned; the pressing portion is disposed within a return trajectory of the turned page when the turned page returns during a process in which the pickup arm moves the pasting portion from the surface of the page to the second position and a process in which the turning arm rotates the turning portion in a direction in which the page is turned; When the page is turned by the turning unit, the pressing arm is operated to retract the pressing unit out of the return trajectory. A method for controlling a book turner.

12. a setting stand on which the book is placed; a pickup arm supported by the installation stand and having an attachment portion that is attached to a page of the book; a turning arm that is rotatably supported on the installation base and has a turning portion that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis; a pressing arm that is rotatably supported on the installation base and has a pressing portion that extends in a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis; A control program for a book turner including a control unit that controls the operation of the pickup arm, the turn arm, and the press arm, The control unit the adhesive portion is attached to a surface of the page of the book placed on the placement table in a double-open state; moving the attachment portion to a first position within a trajectory of the page as the page is turned; operating the pickup arm to return the applicator to a second position between the first position and the surface of the page; the pick-up arm moves the pasting unit from the surface of the page to the second position, the turning unit is retracted outside the track; moving the turning unit to the back of the page that is attached to the pasting unit and lifted up, and operating the turning arm to rotate the turning unit in a direction in which the page is turned; the pressing portion is disposed within a return trajectory of the turned page when the turned page returns during a process in which the pickup arm moves the pasting portion from the surface of the page to the second position and a process in which the turning arm rotates the turning portion in a direction in which the page is turned; When the page is turned by the turning unit, the pressing arm is operated to retract the pressing unit out of the return trajectory. Control program for a book turner.

Images