JP7399721B2 - counting machine - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a counter.

A counter is known that scans a bundle of a plurality of objects to be counted along the stacking direction with an optical sensor and counts the number of objects to be counted based on the output signal of the optical sensor (for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 4774576

For example, when the object to be counted is an item that is folded so that the printed side is on the front side, such as a medical certificate, the printed portion may be placed on the scanned side. The location of the printed area on the surface to be scanned depends on a case-by-case basis, and conditions such as the color and pattern of the surface to be scanned may differ depending on the scanning position. If the scanning conditions differ, counting may become unstable and counting accuracy may decrease.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a counter that can perform stable counting regardless of the properties of the scanned surface of the object to be counted.

A counting machine according to one aspect of an embodiment of the present invention includes a mounting table having a mounting surface on which a bundle of a plurality of objects to be counted is placed, and a plurality of objects to be counted that are placed on the mounting surface. a detection unit that scans a scanned surface, which is a stacked surface of objects, in the stacking direction of the object to be counted, and outputs a signal corresponding to the unevenness of the scanned surface along the stacking direction; A counting section that counts the number of objects to be counted based on an output signal waveform, and a scanning position of the detection section on the scanned surface of the plurality of objects to be counted that are placed on the placement surface, a jig capable of adjusting the position of the object to be counted in the orthogonal direction so that the object can be set at any position in the orthogonal direction; the number of objects to be counted counted by the counting section; A display screen that displays the output signal waveform of the detection unit, and whether or not the scanning position of the detection unit among the scanned surfaces of the plurality of objects to be counted can be stably counted based on the output signal waveform. a determination unit that determines whether the
The determination result of the determination unit is displayed on the display screen .

With this configuration, even if there is a printed part on the scanned surface of the counting object, the position of the jig can be adjusted so that the scanning position of the scanned surface of the counting object is not the printed part but the plain part. , changes in color and brightness can be reduced over the entire scanning position by the detection unit. As a result, the influence of the brightness of the scanned surface can be reduced on the measurement signal of the detection unit used for counting, and the counting accuracy of the counting machine can be improved. Stable counting is possible regardless of the properties.

In addition, the configuration includes a display screen that displays the number of objects to be counted counted by the counting section and the output signal waveform of the detection section , so that the counting results and output signal waveform can be immediately presented to the user, increasing convenience. You can improve.

In addition, it is equipped with a determination unit that determines whether or not the scanning position of the detection unit among the scanned surfaces of multiple objects to be counted can be stably counted based on the output signal waveform, and the determination result of the determination unit is displayed on the display screen. With the configuration that displays , it is possible to automatically determine whether or not stable counting is possible, thereby further improving the counting accuracy of the counting machine while reducing the burden on the operator.

Further, in the counter according to one aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the determination unit determines that counting is unstable at the scanning position when the amplitude of the output signal waveform is smaller than a predetermined reference value.

With this configuration, it is possible to accurately determine whether the scanning position of the detection unit is in a printed portion of the scanned surface and the counting becomes unstable.

Further, in the counting machine according to one aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, when there is a relatively large part in the period of the output signal waveform, there is a mixture of objects thicker than usual among the plurality of objects to be counted. The display device includes a thickness detection section that determines whether the thickness is high, and displays the detection result of the thickness detection section on the display screen.

With this configuration, it is possible to accurately detect an error in which a bundle of objects to be counted includes objects that are thicker than usual.

Moreover, in the counter according to one aspect of the embodiment of the present invention, the detection section is an optical sensor. Alternatively, the detection section is a displacement meter. Thereby, the unevenness of the scanned surface of the object to be counted can be detected with high accuracy.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a counter that can perform stable counting regardless of the properties of the scanned surface of the object to be counted.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a counter according to an embodiment. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of the counter shown in FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a bundle of prescription slips, which is an example of objects to be counted. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an installation state when scanning a printed portion of the object to be counted illustrated in FIG. 3; It is an example of an output signal waveform of an optical sensor when a printed part is set as a scanning position. 6 is an enlarged view of the output signal waveform shown in FIG. 5. FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an installation state when scanning a plain portion of the object to be counted illustrated in FIG. 3; It is an example of an output signal waveform of an optical sensor when a plain area is set as a scanning position. 9 is an enlarged view of the output signal waveform shown in FIG. 8. FIG. It is a functional block diagram of a control device. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the counting process of the counter based on embodiment. It is a figure explaining thickness detection mode.

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same components in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals as much as possible, and redundant description will be omitted.

Note that in the following description, the x direction, y direction, and z direction are directions perpendicular to each other. The x and y directions are horizontal, and the z direction is vertical. The x direction is the scanning direction of the optical sensor 4. The y direction is the direction in which the horizontal jig 10 moves.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a counter 1 according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of the counter 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a bundle of invoices, which is an example of the object to be counted 20. As shown in FIG.

The counting machine 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is a device for counting a plurality of counting objects 20 (hereinafter, "multiple counting objects 20" will also simply be referred to as "counting objects 20"). be. The object to be counted 20 is, for example, a bundle of stacked folded items created by folding paper sheets, such as the efficacy slip shown in FIG. 3 . Further, the counting object 20 is stacked such that its main surfaces face each other along the stacking direction (scanning direction), and this stacked surface is used as the scanned surface 21 scanned by the optical sensor 4.

The counter 1 includes a mounting table 2 and an operation section 3. The mounting table 2 has a mounting surface 2A on which the object to be counted 20 is mounted. The operation section 3 is a section for inputting operation commands for the counting operation of the counter 1, displaying counting results, and the like. The mounting table 2 and the operation unit 3 are arranged in parallel in the x direction, for example.

The upper surface of the mounting table 2 on the positive z-direction side is used as a mounting surface 2A on which the object to be counted 20 is placed. The mounting surface 2A is provided with a slit 8 extending along the x direction at a predetermined position in the y direction.

An optical sensor 4 (detection section) is housed inside the mounting table 2 . The optical sensor 4 is installed movably along the slit 8 by a moving mechanism 12 such as a rail extending in the x direction. The optical sensor 4 has a light source 41 and a light receiving section 42, and the light emitted from the light source 41 passes through the slit 8 and is applied to the scanned surface 21 of the object to be counted 20 placed on the mounting surface 2A. The light receiving section 42 receives the reflected light. The optical sensor 4 scans the surface to be scanned 21 of the object to be counted 20 in the stacking direction (x direction) of the object to be counted 20, and generates a signal corresponding to the unevenness (brightness and darkness) of the surface to be scanned 21 along the stacking direction. Output. The optical sensor 4 can accurately detect irregularities on the scanned surface 21 of the object to be counted 20. The operation of the optical sensor 4 is controlled by a control device 5 provided inside the counter 1. The control device 5 receives the measurement signal from the optical sensor 4 and performs signal processing to create an output signal.

The plurality of objects to be counted 20 are placed on the placement surface 2A so that the x direction, which is the direction in which the slits 8 extend, is the stacking direction. A pair of stoppers 9 are installed on the mounting surface 2A, which are movable along the extending direction of the slit 8 and can hold the object to be counted 20 from both sides in the x direction.

Furthermore, a horizontal jig 10 extending along the direction in which the slit 8 extends is provided on the mounting surface 2A. The horizontal jig 10 has an abutting surface 10b facing in the positive y direction and perpendicular to the mounting surface 2A. The positions of the plurality of counting objects 20 in the y direction are aligned by abutting against this abutment surface 10b from the positive y direction side. The mounting surface 2A is preferably an inclined surface with the positive y direction facing upward and the negative y direction facing downward. If the placement surface 2A is an inclined surface, when the objects 20 to be counted are placed on the placement surface 2A, each object to be counted will naturally abut against the lower abutment surface 10b due to the action of gravity. Position alignment in the y direction can be easily performed.

The pair of stoppers 9 are slidably attached along the abutment surface 10b of the horizontal jig 10, and can be positioned at any position in the x direction by fixing to the horizontal jig 10 with screws 9a. It is now possible to do so.

Furthermore, a pair of vertical jigs 11 extending along the y direction are provided on both sides of the horizontal jig 10 in the x direction. The horizontal jig 10 has both ends attached to a pair of vertical jigs 11 so as to be slidable in the y direction, and can be moved to any position in the y direction by fixing to the vertical jigs 11 with screws 10a. It is possible to position it.

The operation unit 3 includes a touch panel 6 and a start button 7. The start button 7 is an input device for inputting a trigger to start a counting operation. The touch panel 6 serves as both a display device and an input device, and allows various settings related to counting operations to be input by touching the screen with a fingertip or the like, and also displays various information such as counting results. Note that the function of the start button 7 may be included in the touch panel 6.

The control device 5 controls the entire operation of the counter 1. The control device 5 is communicably electrically connected to the optical sensor 4 and controls scanning of the object to be counted 20 by the optical sensor 4 . The control device 5 is also communicably electrically connected to the touch panel 6 and the start button 7, receives inputs for various settings for the counting operation, and outputs various information for the counting operation.

In the present embodiment, the object to be counted 20 is a bundle of folded items created by folding paper sheets, such as the efficacy note shown in FIG. 3, for example. In the case of such a folded object, for example, when the object is folded in two, the mountain-folded portion is considered to be placed so as to serve as the scanned surface 21 used for counting. Even in cases where the number of folds is three or more, such as a three-fold fold or a three-fold outer fold, the mountain fold portion is similarly included in the scanned surface 21. Then, as illustrated in FIG. 3, when the paper is folded so that the printed side becomes the front side, the printed portion 22 and the plain portion 23 coexist on the scanned surface 21. Since the measurement signal of the optical sensor 4 corresponds to the brightness of the scanned surface 21, the waveform of the output signal of the scanned surface 21 obtained from the optical sensor 4 depends on whether the scanning position is the printed area 22 or the plain area 23. However, there is a possibility that there will be a difference in the accuracy of the counting process performed based on this waveform. The tendency of the measurement signal of the optical sensor 4 will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 4 to 9.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an installation state when scanning the printed portion 22 of the counting object 20 illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 4, the object to be counted 20 is held between both sides in the x direction by a pair of stoppers 9, and the printed portion 22 is placed on the slit 8 depending on the position of the horizontal jig 10 in the y direction. is set up.

FIG. 5 is an example of the output signal waveform G1 of the optical sensor 4 when the printed portion 22 is set as the scanning position. FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of the output signal waveform G1 shown in FIG. In general, the output signal waveform of the optical sensor 4 has a larger amplitude as the scanning position on the scanned surface 21 approaches white and the reflectance of light increases. For example, as the scanning position on the scanned surface 21 approaches black and the reflectance increases, The smaller the value, the smaller the amplitude tends to be. Furthermore, since the accuracy of the folding position of a bill of lading has not been high in the past, the position and width of the printed portion 22 appearing on the scanned surface 21 often differ even if the printed content is the same. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the output signal waveform G1 of the printed portion 22 has an overall small amplitude and variations. In the counting process, the number of peak values of the output signal waveform of the optical sensor 4 is generally output as the number of sheets, so if there is variation in the amplitude as in the output signal waveform G1, there is a risk that the counting accuracy will decrease.

On the other hand, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an installation state when scanning the plain portion 23 of the counting object 20 illustrated in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 7, the object to be counted 20 is held between a pair of stoppers 9 from both sides in the x direction. Further, the y-direction position of the horizontal jig 10 is moved and fixed in the positive y-direction side compared to the arrangement shown in FIG. 8.

FIG. 8 is an example of the output signal waveform G2 of the optical sensor 4 when the plain portion 23 is set as the scanning position. FIG. 9 is an enlarged view of the output signal waveform G2 shown in FIG. 8. When the scanning position is the plain portion 23 of the scanned surface 21, there is little change in color or brightness over the entire scanning position. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the output signal waveform G2 of the plain portion 23 has a large overall amplitude and is uniform with little variation. By using a uniform waveform with a large amplitude like the output signal waveform G2, high counting accuracy can be achieved.

In this way, in this embodiment, the y-direction position of the horizontal jig 10 is adjusted, and the scanning position of the scanned surface 21 of the object to be counted 20 is set not to the printed portion 22 as shown in FIG. 4 but as shown in FIG. By providing such a plain portion 23, changes in color and brightness can be reduced over the entire scanning position by the optical sensor 4. This makes it possible to reduce the influence of the brightness of the scanned surface 21 on the measurement signal of the optical sensor 4 used for counting, and improve the counting accuracy of the counter 1. As a result, the counter 1 of this embodiment , stable counting is possible regardless of the properties of the scanned surface 21 of the object 20 to be counted. In this embodiment, the horizontal jig 10 and the vertical jig 11 are used to detect the scanning position of the detection unit (optical sensor 4) on the scanned surface 21 of the plurality of objects to be counted 20 placed on the placement surface 2A. , a jig capable of adjusting the position of the counting object 20 in the orthogonal direction so that it can be set at any position in the direction (y direction) orthogonal to the stacking direction of the counting object 20.

The determination of the relationship between the scanning position of the scanned surface 21 of the object to be counted 20 and the counting accuracy may be automatically performed by the counter 1 based on the output signal waveform of the optical sensor 4, or for example, the output signal waveform may be determined by displaying the output signal waveform on a touch panel. 6 and presented to the user, and the user may make a decision by looking at the presented waveform. In this embodiment, a mode in which the counter 1 automatically determines that the count is unstable and warns the user will be exemplified below.

FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of the control device 5. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the control device 5 includes a scan control section 51, a signal processing section 52, a countability determination section 53 (determination section), a counting control section 54 (counting section), and a display control section 55. Equipped with

The scan control unit 51 controls the operations of the optical sensor 4 and the moving mechanism 12 to control the scanning process of the scanned surface 21 of the object to be counted 20 placed on the placement surface 2A. The scanning control unit 51 executes scanning when the start button 7 is pressed based on various scanning conditions set via the touch panel 6.

The signal processing unit 52 performs various signal processing on the measurement signal of the optical sensor 4 to create an output signal waveform. The signal processing unit 52 can perform various processes such as A/D conversion, high-pass filtering, band-pass filtering, and amplification on the measurement signal, for example. The output signal waveform output by the signal processing section 52 is, for example, the output signal waveform G1 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, and the output signal waveform G2 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9.

The counting capability determining unit 53 determines whether counting processing based on the output signal waveform created by the signal processing unit 52 is possible. The counting possibility determining unit 53 determines that stable counting is possible in the case of a waveform whose amplitude is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, such as the output signal waveform G2 shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, for example. On the other hand, in the case of a waveform whose amplitude is less than a predetermined reference value and has many variations, such as the output signal waveform G1 shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. This is an output signal waveform that is not suitable for counting because of its reduced accuracy, and it can be determined that it is not possible to perform counting processing using this waveform.

The counting control section 54 performs counting processing based on the output signal waveform created by the signal processing section 52. The counting control section 54 can, for example, count the number of peaks of the output signal waveform and output it as the number of objects to be counted.

The display control section 55 displays the counting results of the counting control section 54 and the output signal waveform created by the signal processing section 52 on the touch panel 6. Further, the display control section 55 can also display on the touch panel 6 that the output signal waveform results in unstable counting when the counting possibility determining section 53 determines that counting is not possible.

The control device 5 is physically configured as a computer system including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), a communication module, an auxiliary storage device, and the like. can do. Each function of the control device 5 shown in FIG. 10 operates various hardware under the control of the CPU by loading predetermined computer software into the CPU, RAM, etc., and reads and writes data in the RAM. This is achieved by doing the following.

The control device 5 may be a circuit configured with an analog circuit, a digital circuit, or a mixed analog/digital circuit. Further, a control circuit that controls each function of the control device 5 may be provided. Each circuit may be implemented using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the counting process of the counter 1 according to the embodiment.

In step S01, the object to be counted 20 is held between a pair of stoppers 9 on the mounting surface 2A, and is placed so that the surface to be scanned 21 faces the slit 8.

In step S02, when the start button 7 is pressed, the control device 5 starts counting processing.

In step S03, the scan control unit 51 of the control device 5 controls the optical sensor 4 to scan the object to be counted 20. The optical sensor 4 outputs the measured signal to the control device 5.

In step S04, the signal processing unit 52 of the control device 5 performs appropriate signal processing on the signal measured by the optical sensor 4 to generate an output signal.

In step S05, the counting possibility determining unit 53 of the control device 5 determines whether the counting process can be performed based on the waveform of the output signal generated in step S04. The counting possibility determining unit 53 determines whether the output signal waveform is stable or unstable, based on the amplitude of the output signal waveform, for example, as described above. For example, when the amplitude is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the counting is stable, and when the amplitude is less than or equal to the reference value, it is determined that the counting is unstable. Also, when the amplitude deviation is within a predetermined reference value, it is determined that there is little amplitude variation and counting is stable, and when the amplitude deviation is greater than the predetermined reference value, there is a large amplitude variation and counting is unstable. It is determined that The amplitude reference value for distinguishing between stable and unstable counting may be set in advance according to the type, material, surface quality, etc. of the object to be counted, or may be set by the user as appropriate via the touch panel 6. It may be a configuration that can be changed.

In step S06, it is determined whether the counting process is stable based on the determination result in step S05.

In step S06, as a result of the determination in step S05, if the output signal waveform is stable and stable counting is possible (Yes in step S06), the process proceeds to step S07, and the counting control unit 54 of the control device 5 , a counting process is performed using the output signals.

In step S08, the result of the counting performed in step S06 is displayed on the touch panel 6 by the display control unit 55 of the control device 5. When the process of step S08 is completed, this control flow ends.

On the other hand, in step S06, if the output signal waveform is unstable as a result of the determination in step S05 and stable counting is impossible (No in step S06), the process proceeds to step S09, and the display control of the control device 5 is performed. The unit 55 displays a warning on the touch panel 6 that the count is unstable.

In step S10, in response to the warning in step S09, the y-direction position of the horizontal jig 10 is adjusted so that the scanning position is on the plain portion 23 of the scanned surface 21, as shown in FIG. The scanning position is changed. When the scanning position change in step S10 is completed, the process returns to step S02, the start button 7 is pressed again, and the counting process is restarted.

In this embodiment, the counter 1 adjusts the scanning position of the optical sensor 4 on the scanned surface 21 of the plurality of objects 20 to be counted placed on the mounting surface 2A in the stacking direction of the objects 20 to be counted. A horizontal jig 10 and a vertical jig 11 are provided as jigs that can adjust the position of the object to be counted 20 in the orthogonal direction so that it can be set at any position in the direction (y direction) orthogonal to the object. With this configuration, even if there is a printed portion 22 on the scanned surface 21 of the counting object 20, the scanning position of the scanned surface 21 of the counting object 20 can be changed by adjusting the y-direction position of the horizontal jig 10. By providing the plain portion 23 instead of the portion 22, changes in color and brightness can be reduced over the entire scanning position by the optical sensor 4. As a result, it is possible to reduce the influence of the brightness of the scanned surface 21 on the measurement signal of the optical sensor 4 used for counting, and improve the counting accuracy of the counter 1. As a result, the counter 1 can Stable counting is possible regardless of the properties of the scanned surface 21.

The counter 1 of this embodiment also includes a touch panel 6 as a display screen that displays the number of objects to be counted 20 counted by the counting control section 54 of the control device 5. With this configuration, the counting results can be immediately presented to the user, improving convenience. Further, it is preferable that the touch panel 6 also displays the output signal waveform of the optical sensor 4. Thereby, not only the counting possibility determining unit 53 but also the user can determine whether or not counting is possible based on the output signal waveform.

The counting machine 1 of the present embodiment also determines whether the scanning position of the optical sensor 4 among the scanned surfaces 21 of the plurality of objects 20 can be counted stably based on the output signal waveform of the optical sensor 4. The control device 5 includes a countability determination unit 53 of the control device 5 that determines the countability determination unit 53. The determination result of the countability determining section 53 is displayed on the touch panel 6. With this configuration, it is possible to automatically determine whether or not stable counting is possible, so that the counting accuracy of the counter 1 can be further improved while reducing the burden on the operator.

Further, in the counter 1 of the present embodiment, the counting possibility determining unit 53 determines that when the amplitude of the output signal waveform of the optical sensor 4 tends to be smaller than a predetermined reference value, counting is not possible at the scanning position where this signal is measured. It is judged that it becomes unstable. Since the amplitude of the output signal waveform of the optical sensor 4 has a strong correlation with the brightness and darkness of the surface to be scanned, by making a determination based on the amplitude, the scanning position of the optical sensor 4 becomes the printed part 22 of the surface to be scanned 21 and the counting is performed. It is possible to accurately determine whether instability has occurred.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the thickness detection mode. The control device 5 of the counter 1 according to the present embodiment may be configured to execute a thickness detection mode for detecting the thickness of each object to be counted 20, in addition to the above-mentioned countability determination function. 12(a) is an example of the output signal waveform G3 of the optical sensor 4, and FIG. 12(b) is an example of the detection result screen displayed on the touch panel 6.

When the object to be counted 20 is a folded item such as a prescription, it is usually stacked one by one, but there are cases where items thicker than usual are mixed in the bundle, such as two parts folded together. be. Since such a bundle is an obvious error target, it is preferred that the counter 1 be able to detect this error target.

For example, in the output signal waveform G3 shown in FIG. 12(a), since the thickness of each part of an object to be counted with a normal thickness is approximately equal, the distance between the peaks of the output signal waveform G3 is also approximately constant. On the other hand, in the portion A corresponding to the object to be counted that is thicker than normal, the inter-peak distance is larger than that in other normal portions. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when executing the thickness detection mode, the control device 5 monitors the peak-to-peak distance of the output signal waveform G3 of the optical sensor 4 and detects the point A that deviates from the predetermined range. It is possible to detect the presence of thicker objects to be counted. Thereby, it is possible to accurately detect an error in which a bundle of objects 20 to be counted includes objects that are thicker than usual.

In such a thickness detection mode, the control device 5 of the counter 1 according to the present embodiment detects a plurality of objects to be counted 20 when there is a relatively large portion A in the period of the output signal waveform G3. It can also be expressed as having a thickness detection section that determines that there is a thicker than normal substance mixed therein.

As an example of the display screen of the detection results in the thickness detection mode, for example, as shown in FIG. 12(b), there is a configuration in which the detection results are displayed as a bar display B on the touch panel 6. The length of the bar display B corresponds to the position of each of the plurality of counting objects 20 along the scanning direction (x direction). When detecting a location A where the distance between peaks is larger than the others, the location where an abnormality has occurred in the counting object 20 can be notified by highlighting the portion B1 that corresponds to the scanning direction position of the location A by changing the color, etc. .

The present embodiment has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Design changes made by those skilled in the art as appropriate to these specific examples are also included within the scope of the present disclosure as long as they have the characteristics of the present disclosure. The elements included in each of the specific examples described above, their arrangement, conditions, shapes, etc. are not limited to those illustrated, and can be changed as appropriate. The elements included in each of the specific examples described above can be appropriately combined as long as no technical contradiction occurs.

In the above embodiment, the configuration is illustrated in which the control device 5 determines whether or not the count is stable based on the output signal waveforms G1 and G2 of the optical sensor 4, but the control device 5 does not determine whether or not the count is stable. A configuration in which the user of the counter 1 makes the determination may also be used. In this case, for example, the output signal waveforms G1 and G2 of the optical sensor 4 are displayed on the touch panel 6, and the user determines whether the waveforms are stable or unstable by looking at these waveforms.

In the above embodiment, the optical sensor 4 is used as an element for scanning the scanned surface 21 of the object to be counted 20, but any detection unit that can output a signal corresponding to the unevenness of the scanned surface 21 may be used. Instead, for example, a displacement meter (laser displacement meter, ultrasonic displacement meter, etc.) that outputs a signal corresponding to the distance to the scanned surface 21 may be used. The displacement meter can also accurately detect irregularities on the scanned surface 21 of the object to be counted 20.

In the above embodiment, a folded item such as a prescription is given as an example of the plurality of objects 20 to be counted, but the objects 20 to be counted include empty envelopes, sealed envelopes, boxed medicine boxes, government postcards, and crimped Postcards, securities paper such as bills, checks, and gift certificates, paper cards such as game cards and trading cards, CD/DVD jackets, prepaid cards, and plastic cards may also be used.

In the above embodiment, a configuration is illustrated in which the optical sensor 4 scans a plurality of objects 20 to be counted from below, but this configuration is adopted because the surface to be scanned 21 of the objects 20 to be counted is a surface facing downward. This is because the surface to be scanned 21 abuts against the mounting surface 2A, making it easier to align them. The scanning position of the optical sensor 4 is not limited to the position below the object to be counted 20, but may be configured to scan the object to be counted 20 from the bottom (y-negative direction) side of the paper surface of FIG. 1, for example. In this case, the surface to be scanned 21 of the object to be counted 20 is a side surface facing the negative y direction, and the surface to be scanned 21 abuts against the abutment surface 10b of the horizontal jig 10, making it easy to align the object as in the embodiment. .

In the embodiment described above, the horizontal jig 10 was manually adjusted in the y direction on the mounting surface 2A, but a configuration in which the horizontal jig 10 can be automatically adjusted in the y direction using, for example, a motor may also be used. In this case, for example, the scanning position of the object to be counted 20 in the y direction may be automatically adjusted by automatically adjusting the horizontal jig 10 while scanning, and counting may be performed automatically at a position where the scanning output is stable. Further, in the above embodiment, a counting method is shown in which the optical sensor 4 is scanned with respect to the counting object 20 fixed on the mounting surface 2A, but the optical sensor 4 is fixed and the counting object 20 is placed on the mounting surface 2A. The mounting surface 2A may be configured to be scanned by relatively moving in the x direction.

1 Counter 2 Placement stand 2A Placement surface 4 Optical sensor (detection unit)
5 Control device (counting section, judgment section, thickness detection section)
6 Touch panel (display screen)
10 Horizontal jig (jig)
20 Counting object

Claims (5)

a mounting table having a mounting surface on which a bundle of a plurality of objects to be counted is placed;
The surface to be scanned, which is a stacked surface of the plurality of objects to be counted, placed on the placement surface, is scanned in the stacking direction of the objects to be counted, and the unevenness of the surface to be scanned is determined along the stacking direction. a detection unit that outputs a signal corresponding to the
a counting unit that counts the number of objects to be counted based on the output signal waveform of the detection unit;
The object to be counted is configured such that the scanning position of the detection unit on the surface to be scanned of the plurality of objects to be counted placed on the placement surface can be set to any position in the direction orthogonal to the stacking direction. a jig capable of adjusting the position of the object in the orthogonal direction;
a display screen that displays the number of objects to be counted counted by the counting unit and the output signal waveform of the detection unit;
a determination unit that determines, based on the output signal waveform, whether or not the scanning position of the detection unit among the scanned surfaces of the plurality of objects to be counted can be stably counted;
Equipped with
displaying the determination result of the determination unit on the display screen;
Counting machine. The determining unit determines that counting is unstable at the scanning position when the amplitude of the output signal waveform is smaller than a predetermined reference value.
The counting machine according to claim 1 . comprising a thickness detection unit that determines that, when there is a relatively large part in the period of the output signal waveform, there is a mixture of objects thicker than usual among the plurality of objects to be counted;
displaying the detection results of the thickness detection unit on the display screen;
The counting machine according to claim 1 or 2 . the detection unit is a light sensor;
The counting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . the detection unit is a displacement meter;
The counting machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3 .

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