Binding member removal apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967493-B2
Application number	US-201916419362-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2019
Priority date	Dec 19, 2016
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A binding member removal apparatus includes a removal unit that removes a binding member that binds a bound medium from the bound medium, an image capturing unit that captures an image in which a portion of the bound medium appears, a driving unit that moves the removal unit, and a control unit that controls the driving unit such that the removal unit is disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the binding member, on the basis of the image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A binding member removal apparatus comprising:
a remover configured to remove a binding member that binds a bound medium from the bound medium;
an image capturer configured to capture an image in which a portion of the bound medium appears;
a driver configured to move the remover; and
a controller configured to control the driver such that the remover is disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the binding member, on the basis of the image, wherein
the remover includes:
a first supporter;
a second supporter configured to be supported by the first supporter so as to be able to rotate about a rotation axis that is parallel to a normal direction of the bound medium;
a removal claw configured to be supported by the second supporter so as to be able to move; and
a removal claw driver configured to drive the removal claw with respect to the second supporter, and

the image capturer is fixed to the second supporter.

2. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the image capturer is supported by the remover.

3. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the image capturer is fixed to the remover.

4. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a detector configured to detect a binding region of the bound medium in which the bound medium is bound with the binding member; and
a conveyor configured to convey the bound medium, wherein
the controller controls the conveyor such that the binding region is disposed in a predetermined region with respect to the image capturer before the image of the bound medium is captured.

5. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller controls the conveyor such that the binding member is disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the remover, on the basis of the image.

6. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the controller controls the image capturer such that a post-removal image in which the bound medium appears is captured after the remover removes the binding member from the bound medium.

7. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 6 , further comprising:
a stacker; and
a sorting unit that sorts sorter configured to sort a plurality of bound media that are conveyed from the detecting unit detector to the remover by the conveyor into first media and a second media, and holds the bound media in a sorted manner on the stacker, wherein
the controller
determines whether the binding member is successfully removed on the basis of the image and the post-removal image, and
controls the sorter such that the bound medium is sorted into the first medium when it is determined that the binding member is successfully removed, and such that the bound medium is sorted into the second medium when it is determined that the binding member is not successfully removed.

8. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the controller
controls the image capturer such that a post-rotation image in which the binding member appears is captured after the second supporter rotates with respect to the first supporter, and
controls the driver such that the second supporter is disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the first supporter, on the basis of the post-rotation image.

9. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller controls the removal claw driver such that the removal claw is inserted in a gap between the bound medium and the binding member by an insertion amount that is calculated based on the image.

10. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein
the controller
controls the image capturer such that a post-insertion image in which the bound medium appears is captured after the removal claw is inserted in the gap between the bound medium and the binding member, and
controls the removal claw driver such that the removal claw is inserted in the gap between the bound medium and the binding member by a different insertion amount that is calculated based on the post-insertion image.

11. The binding member removal apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller determines whether the binding member is removable on the basis of the image, and controls the remover such that the binding member is removed from the bound medium when it is determined that the binding member is removable, and such that the bound medium is not removed from the bound medium when it is determined that the binding member is not removable.

12. A binding member removal apparatus comprising:
a remover configured to remove a binding member that binds a bound medium from the bound medium;
an image capturer configured to capture an image in which a portion of the bound medium appears;
a driver configured to move the remover;
a controller configured to control the driver such that the remover is disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the binding member, on the basis of the image,
a detector configured to detect a binding region of the bound medium in which the bound medium is bound with the binding member; and
a conveyor configured to convey the bound medium, wherein
the controller controls the conveyor such that the binding region is disposed in a predetermined region with respect to the image capturer before the image of the bound medium is captured, and
the controller controls the image capturer such that a post-removal image in which the bound medium appears is captured after the remover removes the binding member from the bound medium.

Assignees

• Pfu Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuda Yuki
• Okano Shigeharu
• Shimura Haruka

Classifications

• B25C11/00 Primary

  Nail, spike, and staple extractors (incorporated in hammers B25D1/00) · CPC title

• B07C5/3422

  using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras · CPC title