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Unstacker device for unstacking flat articles, with detection of their traces

  • US 8,764,009 B2
  • Filed: 07/05/2010
  • Issued: 07/01/2014
  • Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. An unstacker device (1;

  • 100) for unstacking flat articles, said unstacker device comprising;

    a magazine (3;

    103) in which the flat articles (2;

    102) to be unstacked are disposed on edge and in a stack facing an unstacking plate (4;

    104) and against a jogging edge (5;

    105), the unstacking plate (4;

    104) being arranged to separate a first article (2A) of the stack from the other articles (2, 102) of the stack and to drive it in a certain unstacking direction (A;

    C) that is substantially perpendicular to the jogging edge (5;

    105);

    a conveyor (7;

    109) suitable for conveying the unstacked articles in series and on edge, the conveyor having an inlet (7A;

    109A) disposed downstream from the jogging edge (5;

    105) relative to the unstacking direction (A;

    C); and

    retaining means (8;

    111) disposed substantially between the jogging edge (5;

    105) and the inlet of the conveyor (7A;

    109A) and that are actuated to exert a retaining force on a face of an article (2A, 2B) moving in the unstacking direction (A;

    C) between the jogging edge (5;

    105) and the inlet of the conveyor (7A;

    109A), which retaining force opposes movement of said article in the unstacking direction (A;

    C), said unstacker device being characterized in that it further comprises a detector device (9, 10;

    110, 112) suitable for sensing the trace of each unstacked article moving between the jogging edge (5;

    105) and the inlet of the conveyor (7A;

    109A) and for analyzing said trace so as to detect the presence of a plurality of articles moving together, and, on the basis of such detection, so as to actuate said retaining means (8;

    111) for the purpose of separating the articles that are moving together and comprising a linear array camera (9, 110) extending transversely to said unstacking direction under the path of the unstacked objects between the jogging edge (5;

    105) and the inlet of the conveyor (7A;

    109A) so as to form an image of the trace of each unstacked article, and a data-processing unit (10;

    112) that is arranged so that, when the presence of at least two articles that have been unstacked together is detected, it determines which of the two articles is ahead of the other one in said unstacking direction (A;

    C), and, on the basis of this determination, it actuates the retaining means (8;

    111), wherein the data-processing unit (10;

    112) is arranged to detect the presence of a staple on a mailpiece on the basis of the image, this detection serving to adjust the retaining force exerted by the retaining means.

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