Sheet takeout and separation device and sheet processing apparatus

Abstract

A sheet takeout and separation device has a takeout section, a sending section, a separation portion. The takeout section takes out a sheet. The sending section sends out the sheet taken out by the takeout section. The separation portion is provided so as to come in contact with the sheets taken out in an overlapping state by the takeout section, and separates the sheets one by one. In addition, the separation portion has a separation portion main body and a cover. The separation portion main body elastically deforms in accordance with a thickness of the sheet. The cover is provided on the separation portion main body so as to come in contact with the sheet. And, on a surface of the cover, a surface roughening treatment for enhancing a friction coefficient of the relevant surface is performed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A sheet takeout and separation device, comprising:
 a takeout section to take out a sheet;   a sending section to send out the sheet taken out by the takeout section; and   a separation portion which is provided so as to come in contact with the sheets taken out in an overlapping state by the takeout section, and separates the relevant sheets one by one;   wherein the separation portion includes   a separation portion main body which elastically deforms in accordance with a thickness of the sheet, and   a cover which is provided on the separation portion main body so as to come in contact with the sheet,   wherein a roughening treatment has been applied on a surface of the cover.   
     
     
         2 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a suction hole for sucking the sheet provided in a contact surface of the separation portion to contact with the sheet, and the surface roughening treatment is performed on the cover so as to surround at least a periphery of the suction hole. 
     
     
         3 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of suction holes aligned perpendicular to a conveying direction of the sheet for sucking the sheet provided in a contact surface of the separation portion to contact with the sheet, and the surface roughening treatment is performed on the cover so as to surround at least a periphery of the suction holes. 
     
     
         4 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 3 , wherein the separation portion faces the sending section via a gap, at a downstream side in a sheet sending direction in the sending section. 
     
     
         5 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to  claim 4 , wherein the separation portion main body is in the form of an arc surface at an entering side of the sheet. 
     
     
         6 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to  claim 5 , wherein when it is assumed that a radius of curvature of the arc surface is R, a wall thickness of the cover is t, a maximum thickness of the sheet is Hmax, and the gap is S,
 the radius of curvature R is set so as to satisfy
     R ≧( H max− S )×2− t.  
 
   
     
     
         7 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to  claim 5 , wherein the separation portion further has a support plate fitted on the separation portion main body at the entering side of the sheet, and the cover is fitted on the support plate. 
     
     
         8 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to  claim 2 , wherein the sending section has a suction hole for sucking the sheet, and a suction force of the suction hole of the sending section is larger than a suction force of the suction hole of the separation portion. 
     
     
         9 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to  claim 3 , wherein the sending section has a belt formed with the suction hole of the sending section. 
     
     
         10 . The sheet takeout and separation device according to  claim 4 , wherein the separation portion is provided so as to come in contact with the sheet located at an opposite side of the sending section, out of the sheets taken out in an overlapping state by the takeout section. 
     
     
         11 . A sheet processing apparatus, comprising:
 the sheet takeout and separation device according to any one of  claim 1  to  claim 10 ; and   a sorting processing section to perform sorting processing of the sheet sent out by the sending section.