MULTI-FEED DETECTION APPARATUS, SHEET CONVEYANCE APPARATUS, AND SHEET PROCESSING APPARATUS

• US 20140091516A1
• Filed: 12/04/2013
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Hi-Tech Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Hi-Tech Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: OKITSU, Katsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,931,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 271/262
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2404/611 arranged to form a channel
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/30 using acoustic or ultrasonic elements
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2553/82 with regard to the direction of transport of the handled material
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/1912 Banknotes, bills and cheques or the like
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 7/125 sensing the double feed or separation without contacting the articles

Abstract

A multi-feed detection apparatus may include an ultrasonic transmission unit, arranged on one side of a conveyance path configured to convey a sheet-like member, for transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward the conveyance path, an ultrasonic reception unit, arranged on the other side of the conveyance path, for receiving the ultrasonic wave from the ultrasonic transmission unit, and a multi-feed determination unit for determining, based on the reception result of the ultrasonic wave received by the ultrasonic reception unit, whether multi-feed of sheet-like members has occurred. The ultrasonic transmission surface of the ultrasonic transmission unit is inclined with respect to the conveyance path, and the ultrasonic reception surface of the ultrasonic reception unit is arranged to be almost parallel to the conveyance path.

Claims

1. A multi-feed detection apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic transmission unit, arranged on one side of a conveyance path configured to convey a sheet-like member, for transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward the conveyance path;

an ultrasonic reception unit, arranged on the other side of the conveyance path, for receiving the ultrasonic wave from said ultrasonic transmission unit; and

a multi-feed determination unit for determining, based on a reception result of the ultrasonic wave received by said ultrasonic reception unit, whether multi-feed of sheet-like members has occurred,

wherein an ultrasonic transmission surface of said ultrasonic transmission unit is inclined with respect to the conveyance path, and an ultrasonic reception surface of said ultrasonic reception unit is arranged to be substantially parallel to the conveyance path.

2. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic transmission unit includes a plurality of ultrasonic transmission unit arranged for said one ultrasonic reception unit.

3. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the ultrasonic transmission surface of said one ultrasonic transmission unit has a larger inclination angle with respect to the conveyance path, compared to the ultrasonic transmission surfaces of said remaining ultrasonic transmission unit.

4. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said ultrasonic transmission unit includes a plurality of ultrasonic transmission unit having different ultrasonic transmission frequencies, and

the ultrasonic transmission surface of said ultrasonic transmission unit having a high ultrasonic transmission frequency has a larger inclination angle with respect to the conveyance path, compared to the ultrasonic transmission surface of said ultrasonic transmission unit having a low ultrasonic transmission frequency.

5. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said respective ultrasonic transmission unit are arranged at different ultrasonic transmission angles with respect to said ultrasonic reception unit when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the ultrasonic reception surface of said one ultrasonic reception unit.

6. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said respective ultrasonic transmission unit are arranged with a positional relationship in which respective ultrasonic transmission directions to said one ultrasonic reception unit become perpendicular to each other.

7. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic transmission unit and said ultrasonic reception unit have different inclination angles with respect to the conveyance path.

8. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic reception unit is arranged to have an outer shape smaller than an outer shape of said ultrasonic transmission unit.

9. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic reception surface of said ultrasonic reception unit is smaller than the ultrasonic transmission surface of said ultrasonic transmission unit.

10. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the ultrasonic reception surface of said ultrasonic reception unit is smaller than the ultrasonic transmission surface of said ultrasonic transmission unit and is positioned in a region where the ultrasonic reception surface faces the ultrasonic transmission surface.

11. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the multi-feed detection apparatus includes a conveyance path forming plate configured to separate said ultrasonic transmission unit from the conveyance path and form at least part of the conveyance path, a through hole is formed at a portion of the conveyance path forming plate that faces said ultrasonic transmission unit, and an opening of the through hole is smaller than the ultrasonic transmission surface of said ultrasonic transmission unit.

12. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic reception unit includes a MEMS element which includes an ultrasonic receiving unit having the ultrasonic reception surface and a holding portion configured to hold the ultrasonic receiving unit, and is formed on a substrate.

13. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic transmission unit is arranged below the conveyance path, and said ultrasonic reception unit is arranged above the conveyance path to face said ultrasonic transmission unit.

14. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said ultrasonic reception unit is connected to signal amplification unit for amplifying a received reception signal, and said multi-feed determination unit determines, based on a signal waveform output from the signal amplification unit, whether multi-feed of sheet members has occurred.

15. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said ultrasonic transmission unit includes a plurality of ultrasonic transmission unit having different ultrasonic transmission frequencies, and

the multi-feed detection apparatus further comprises selection unit for selecting, from said plurality of ultrasonic generation unit, at least one ultrasonic generation unit for transmitting an ultrasonic wave.

16. The multi-feed detection apparatus according to claim 14, wherein

said ultrasonic transmission unit includes a plurality of ultrasonic transmission unit having different ultrasonic transmission frequencies, and

the signal amplification unit changes an amplification condition of the reception signal based on a frequency transmitted from at least one ultrasonic transmission unit among said plurality of ultrasonic transmission unit.

17. A multi-feed detection apparatus comprising:

an ultrasonic transmission unit, arranged on one side of a conveyance path configured to convey a sheet-like member, for transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward the conveyance path;

an ultrasonic reception unit, arranged on the other side of the conveyance path, for receiving the ultrasonic wave from said ultrasonic transmission unit; and

a multi-feed determination unit for determining, based on a reception result of the ultrasonic wave received by said ultrasonic reception unit, whether multi-feed of sheet-like members has occurred,

wherein said ultrasonic transmission unit and said ultrasonic reception unit have different inclination angles with respect to the conveyance path.

18. A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:

a multi-feed detection apparatus arranged in a conveyance apparatus main body configured to convey a sheet-like member along a conveyance path,

wherein said multi-feed detection apparatus comprising;

an ultrasonic transmission unit, arranged on one side of a conveyance path configured to convey a sheet-like member, for transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward the conveyance path;

an ultrasonic reception unit, arranged on the other side of the conveyance path, for receiving the ultrasonic wave from said ultrasonic transmission unit; and

a multi-feed determination unit for determining, based on a reception result of the ultrasonic wave received by said ultrasonic reception unit, whether multi-feed of sheet-like members has occurred,

wherein an ultrasonic transmission surface of said ultrasonic transmission unit is inclined with respect to the conveyance path, and an ultrasonic reception surface of said ultrasonic reception unit is arranged to be substantially parallel to the conveyance path.

19. A sheet processing apparatus comprising:

a sheet conveyance apparatus; and

a sheet processing unit configured to perform predetermined processing for a sheet-like member conveyed by said sheet conveyance apparatus,

wherein said sheet conveyance apparatus comprising;

a multi-feed detection apparatus arranged in a conveyance apparatus main body configured to convey a sheet-like member along a conveyance path,

wherein said multi-feed detection apparatus comprising;

an ultrasonic transmission unit, arranged on one side of a conveyance path configured to convey a sheet-like member, for transmitting an ultrasonic wave toward the conveyance path;

an ultrasonic reception unit, arranged on the other side of the conveyance path, for receiving the ultrasonic wave from said ultrasonic transmission unit; and

a multi-feed determination unit for determining, based on a reception result of the ultrasonic wave received by said ultrasonic reception unit, whether multi-feed of sheet-like members has occurred,

wherein an ultrasonic transmission surface of said ultrasonic transmission unit is inclined with respect to the conveyance path, and an ultrasonic reception surface of said ultrasonic reception unit is arranged to be substantially parallel to the conveyance path.