US-12617646-B2 - Stacking apparatus, stacking method, and stacking system

US12617646B2US 12617646 B2US12617646 B2US 12617646B2US-12617646-B2

Abstract

A stacking apparatus according to an embodiment includes a stacking table, a first guide member, a second guide member, and a vibrator. The stacking table includes a stacking surface on which sheets are sequentially stacked. The first guide member is provided to stand on the stacking table. The first guide member restricts position of edges in a first width direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking table. The second guide member is provided to stand on the stacking table. The second guide member restricts position of edges in a second width direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking table. The second width direction intersects with the first width direction. The vibrator applies micro-vibration to at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member.

Inventors

Yuko Kobayashi
Misato Ishikawa
Takamitsu Sunaoshi

Assignees

KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA

Dates

Publication Date: 20260505
Application Date: 20230224
Priority Date: 20220711

Claims (15)

1 . A stacking apparatus comprising: a stacking table including a stacking surface on which sheets are sequentially stacked; a first guide member provided to stand on a first side of the stacking table, the first guide member restricting position of edges in a first width direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking table; a second guide member provided to stand on a second side of the stacking table, the second guide member restricting position of edges in a second width direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking table, the second width direction intersecting with the first width direction; and a vibrator provided at an upper portion of at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member in a direction in which the sheets are stacked and configured to apply micro-vibration to at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member, wherein a surface on an upper edge side of each of the first guide member and the second guide member in the direction in which the sheets are stacked is positioned on an equal level to or on an upper side than an uppermost surface of a pile of the sheets stacked in the direction in which the sheets are stacked; and a surface on a bottom edge side of each of the first guide member and the second guide member in the direction in which the sheets are stacked is positioned on an equal level to or on a lower side than a bottom surface of the pile of the sheets stacked in the direction in which the sheets are stacked.
2 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the vibrator is configured to start applying the micro-vibration before stacking of the sheets on the stacking table is started, and keep applying the micro-vibration during a period in which the sheets are being stacked on the stacking table.
3 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide member includes a pair of third guide members disposed with a distance from each other in the first width direction, and the second guide member includes a pair of fourth guide members disposed with a distance from each other in the second width direction.
4 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a facing distance between at least one pair out of the pair of third guide members and the pair of fourth guide members is set to a first distance, the first distance being in a range: equal to or more than a maximum width of a pile of the sheets stacked on the stacking table in a direction in which the corresponding one pair out of the pair of third guide members and the pair of fourth guide members face each other, and equal to or less than an added width that is a maximum permissible error added to the maximum width.
5 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein a facing distance between at least one pair out of the pair of third guide members and the pair of fourth guide members in a range from the stacking table to a first height is set to the first distance, the first height being equal to or more than a height of a pile of the sheets stacked to a maximum level, and a facing distance between at least one pair out of the pair of third guide members and the pair of fourth guide members increases in a direction from the first height toward the second height, in a range from the first height to a second height in the direction moving away from the stacking table.
6 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the vibrator is configured to apply micro-vibration to at least one of the pair of third guide members and/or at least one of the pair of fourth guide members.
7 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the pair of third guide members and/or at least one of the pair of fourth guide members are disposed to be separated into a plurality of separate members in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the sheets are stacked, in such a manner that at least part of the facing surface facing the sheets stacked on the stacking table is opened.
8 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein, in the plurality of separate members making up at least one of the pair of third guide members and/or at least one of the pair of fourth guide members, the opening on the facing surface facing the sheets stacked on the stacking table is provided at a position corresponding to a center between vertex of a corresponding side of a rectangular principal surface of the sheet, and the separate members are disposed at positions nearer to the respective vertex than to the center.
9 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of separate members making up each one of at least one of the pair of third guide members and the pair of fourth guide members are connected through a rear surface of the stacking surface or a side surface of the stacking table.
10 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the plurality of separate members making up each of at least one of the pair of third guide members and the pair of fourth guide members are molded integrally with the stacking table and are connected through the stacking table.
11 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet includes a pair of separators and a thin-film sheet member interposed between the pair of separators, part of one end of the sheet member provides a tab protruding out from the pair of separators and exposed to outside, part of each of the pair of separators has a protrusion, the part being part of a portion corresponding to the tab, the protrusion protruding in a direction in which the tab protrudes in a manner covering an area including an end of the tab, the end being an end on a side of a main part of the sheet member, and the protrusions of the pair of respective separators have respective ends bonded to each other, the ends being ends in a direction intersecting with the direction in which the tab protrudes.
12 . A stacking system comprising: the stacking apparatus according to claim 1 ; and a guiding apparatus including at least one conveyor that conveys sheets supplied from a supplying unit toward the stacking apparatus and configured to guide the sheets onto the stacking table of the stacking apparatus.
13 . The stacking system according to claim 12 , wherein the guiding apparatus includes an impeller and a restricting member that supply the sheets to the stacking table, the sheets having been conveyed from a conveying mechanism serving to convey the sheets, the impeller includes a plurality of vanes, and the impeller is configured to supply the sheets sequentially to the stacking table by collecting each of the conveyed sheets between the vanes, rotating the collected sheet while holding the collected sheet to carry the sheet up to a release position of the stacking table, causing the restricting member to release the sheet held between the vanes at the release position, and causing the sheet to fall toward the stacking table.
14 . The stacking system according to claim 12 , wherein the guiding apparatus includes a holding mechanism, the holding mechanism including a suction unit capable of switching between keeping a sheet suctioned and releasing the sheet from being suctioned and configured to stack the sheets sequentially to the stacking table by holding, with suction and by the suction unit, the sheet conveyed from the conveying mechanism, and releasing, by the suction unit, the held sheet at a release position of the stacking table.
15 . The stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the micro-vibration is vibration whose amplitude is ±10 μm or smaller and vibration frequency is 50 Hz or higher.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-111239, filed on Jul. 11, 2022; the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. FIELD Embodiments described herein relate generally to a stacking apparatus, a stacking method, and a stacking system. BACKGROUND Systems for stacking sheets, such as sheet electrodes, planographic printing plates, or recording paper sheets, have been known. For example, a structure including a system that sequentially stacks delivered sheets onto a stacking table, and guide members having inclined surfaces for guiding the sheets onto a collecting table has been disclosed. However, with such conventional technology, it has been sometimes difficult to stack a plurality of sheets in a precisely aligned manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating a structure of a stacking system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2A is a schematic of a sheet; FIG. 2B is a schematic of a sheet; FIG. 2C is a schematic of the sheet; FIG. 2D is a schematic of the sheet; FIG. 3 is a schematic of a structure of an impeller; FIG. 4A is a schematic of a stacking apparatus; FIG. 4B is a schematic of the stacking apparatus; FIG. 5A is a sectional view of a stacking apparatus; FIG. 5B is a sectional view of a stacking apparatus; FIG. 6 is a schematic of a stacking apparatus; FIG. 7A is a schematic of a stacking apparatus; FIG. 7B is a schematic of the stacking apparatus; and FIG. 8 is a schematic of a holding mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION A stacking apparatus according to an embodiment includes a stacking table, a first guide member, a second guide member, and a vibrator. The stacking table includes a stacking surface on which sheets are sequentially stacked. The first guide member is provided to stand on the stacking table. The first guide member restricts position of edges in a first width direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking table. The second guide member is provided to stand on the stacking table. The second guide member restricts position of edges in a second width direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking table. The second width direction intersects with the first width direction. The vibrator is configured to apply micro-vibration to at least one of the first guide member and the second guide member. A stacking apparatus, a stacking method, and a stacking system will now be explained in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic illustrating one example of a structure of a stacking system 1 according to this embodiment. The stacking system 1 is a system for laying and stacking a plurality of sheets 30 sequentially. The sheets 30 are thin film-like members that are to be stacked in the stacking system 1. Explained in this embodiment is an example in which the sheet 30 is a member that is to be used as an electrode. Moreover, explained in this embodiment is an example in which a principal surface of the sheet 30 has a quadrilateral shape, specifically, a rectangular shape. Furthermore, explained in this embodiment is an example in which a first sheet 31 and a second sheet 32 are used as the sheets 30. There is no limitation on the shape and the material of the sheets 30 as long as the sheets 30 are thin film-like members. Moreover, without limitation to the configuration for stacking two types of sheets 30, the stacking system 1 may also be an apparatus for stacking one type of sheets 30 or three or more types of sheets 30. FIGS. 2A to 2D are schematics of one example of the sheet 30. FIG. 2A is a schematic of one example of the first sheet 31. The first sheet 31 is a member that makes up an electrode to be housed inside a battery. In this embodiment, the first sheet 31 will be explained as a member serving as a negative electrode, as an example. The first sheet 31 has a rectangular principal surface. Specifically, the first sheet 31 has a quadrilateral principal surface. A tab TA is provided to a principal surface of the first sheet 31. The tab TA is an example of a tab T. The first sheet 31 that is an electrode is fabricated by applying coating of active material to a front surface and a rear surface of a thin aluminum foil sheet, for example. In the aluminum foil sheet serving as the first sheet 31, an area not provided with the coating of the active material, that is, a part protruding from the area provided with the coating of the active material serves as the tab TA. In other words, the tab TA forms part of the first sheet 31. The tab TA, for example, functions as a terminal to be connected to a member outside of the first sheet 31 that is an electrode. Explained in this embodiment is an example in which the tab TA is disposed at the center of one of four sides of the quadrilateral principal surface of the first sheet 31. FIG. 2B is a schematic of one example of the second sheet 32. FIG.