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US 7,694,957 B2Granted
Separation and extraction device
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorsHideki Nukada, Yuko Kobayashi, Kiminori Toya
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a device that separates a sheet and extracts the sheet from a stack of the sheets, the stack of sheets is placed on a sheet feeding unit. A vibrator is in contact with the top surface of the stack at a spot to vibrate the sheets at a high frequency. The high-frequency vibration reduces the adhesion and frictional force among the sheets. A sheet extraction mechanism conveys each sheet.
Claims15
A separation and extraction device, comprising:
- a supporting unit configured to support a stack of sheets;
- a vibrator configured to apply a spot vibration on the sheet surface of the stack, the vibrator including a vibrating member generating a high frequency vibration having a frequency which is not smaller than 10 kHz and an ultrasonic horn coupled to the vibrating member and amplifying the high frequency vibration thereof, the ultrasonic horn having a leading end which is in spot-contact with a uppermost sheet of the stack to apply the high frequency vibration on the sheet surface of the stack from the ultrasonic horn to separate the sheets of the stack;
- a sheet extraction mechanism configured to extract a sheet or sheets from the sheet surface of the stack and convey the sheet or sheets sequentially;
- a separating mechanism configured to separate one sheet from the other sheet or sheets and convey the one sheet;
- and
- a holding mechanism configured to hold the vibrator so that the vibrator can be moved in the direction substantially orthogonal to the surface of the sheets, the holding mechanism contacting the vibrator with the surface of the sheets under a predetermined contact force.
3 more elements
A method of separating a sheet from a stack of sheets to extraction the sheet from the stack, comprising:
- supporting a stack of sheets;
- applying a spot vibration on a sheet surface of the stack from a vibrator which includes a vibrating member generating a high frequency vibration having a frequency which is not smaller than 10 kHz and an ultrasonic horn coupled to the vibrating member and amplifying the high frequency vibration, the ultrasonic horn having a leading end which is in spot-contact with a uppermost sheet of the stack to apply the high frequency vibration on the sheet surface of the stack from the ultrasonic horn to separate the sheets of the stack;
- extracting a sheet or sheets from the sheet surface of the stack and conveying the sheet or sheets sequentially;
- and
- separating one of the sheet or sheets from the other sheet or sheets and convey the one of the sheet,
- wherein the step of extracting includes sucking the sheet or sheets of the stack by a vacuum suction force to extract the sheet or sheets.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.