JP2006008266A - Folding device and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a folding device capable of easily removing and cleaning a jammed continuous paper sheet and pieces thereof, paper dust, dust and refuse. <P>SOLUTION: The folding device comprises a continuous paper sheet conveying member, a swinger fin to swing the continuous paper sheet in a pendulum manner synchronously with a fold thereof with one end as a fulcrum while conveying the continuous paper sheet inside, and a table member to place the folded continuous paper sheet thereon. The swinger fin comprises a pair of conveying rollers to hold and convey the continuous paper sheet, and at least a pair of guide plates which face each other across a predetermined space to convey the continuous paper sheet through the space. One conveying roller of the pair of conveying rollers and one of at least the pair of guide plates are integrated with each other and opened or removed from the swinger fin. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a folding device that folds continuous paper in a zigzag shape along its folds.

In a printing apparatus such as a printer or a printing machine that prints on a continuous sheet in which a crease is provided in advance at a predetermined interval in the sheet conveyance direction, the printed continuous sheet is often folded again using a folding device. ing. In the present specification, the above-described predetermined interval is referred to as a top / bottom length.

  In particular, when the printing apparatus is an electrophotographic printer, the paper is often heated or pressurized in the fixing process, and the continuous paper expands or contracts due to this heating or pressurization, causing wrinkles or tension. Due to evaporation, the rigidity of the paper may increase. For this reason, it may be difficult to fold continuous paper, and such a folding device is often used.

  In general, a folding device includes a conveying member that conveys continuous paper, a swinger fin that conveys continuous paper into the inside thereof and swings in a pendulum manner in synchronization with the crease at one end thereof, and a fold of the continuous paper conveyed to the swinger fin. In many cases, it is composed of a paddle member that presses a portion, a table on which folded continuous paper is placed, a jam detection sensor that monitors the continuous paper being folded on the table and detects a folded jam. The folding jam here refers to a state in which a continuous sheet is folded or bent at a portion other than a fold provided in advance, or a state in which a folding failure occurs in a part of a fold called a so-called tenting.

  In many cases, the paddle member is composed of a pair of paddle units, and the distance between the paddle members can be changed according to the vertical length of the continuous paper.

  In addition, various data necessary for a folding operation such as a vertical length and a printing speed are communicated between the folding apparatus and a printing apparatus such as a printer or a printing machine using an appropriate communication means.

JP 2003-246550 A

  In recent years, with the diversification of continuous paper as a recording medium, printing has been increasing on continuous paper that is thinner than before. Such thin continuous paper has a large degree of expansion and contraction due to heating and pressurization in the fixing process described above, and often causes wrinkles and tensions, so that the above-described folding jam may occur more easily. . The term “thin” as used herein refers to a sheet thinner than 64 g / m2 in terms of paper basis weight.

  Further, when the printer or the printing apparatus has a fixing process using a flash fixing method, more folding jams may occur due to the following reasons. In the flash fixing method, the portion of the printed continuous paper where the toner is placed absorbs more flash energy than the portion where there is no toner. In contrast, uneven stretching, wrinkles, and tension may occur.

  In a conventional folding device, when a folding jam occurs, continuous paper and its fragments remain in the swinger fin, and in order to remove these from the swinger fin, a hand or a finger is placed in the narrow swinger fin. It was necessary to remove it. In recent years, so-called label paper, tack paper, etc., often printed on continuous paper in the form of adhesive applied to the back and affixed to release paper, is folded with these label paper, tack paper, etc. When the jam occurs, the peeled label or the like sticks inside the swinger fin, and it may be extremely difficult to remove them.

  In addition, paper dust, dust, dust, etc. may stick to the inside of the swinger fin over a long period of use, but it was necessary to disassemble and remove and clean the swinger fin each time it was removed and cleaned. .

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the swinger fin is opposed to one transport roller of a pair of transport rollers provided for sandwiching and transporting the continuous paper at a predetermined interval so that the continuous paper passes through the space. Folding that can easily remove and clean jammed continuous paper and its fragments and paper dust, dust, dust, etc. by making it possible to open or remove it from the swinger fin as one piece with the guide plate being conveyed To provide an apparatus.

  In general, a conveyance roller pair for conveying a sheet of continuous paper or the like is driven by a suitable drive source only on one side of the conveyance roller (referred to as a so-called drive roller), and the other conveyance roller (driven roller). In many cases, the drive roller is urged by a suitable urging member such as a spring member, and is brought into pressure contact with the drive roller via a continuous sheet or the like. Also in the folding device in the prior art, the pair of conveying rollers in the swinger fin has a structure in which only one of the conveying rollers is driven. However, as described above, the swinger fin swings around its end. In other words, the acceleration is always accelerated and decelerated in the swinging direction, and due to the inertia due to this acceleration, the driven roller is separated from the driving roller, or the pressure contact force to the driving roller is weakened so that the driven roller does not rotate. As a result, the conveyance of continuous paper becomes unstable, which may cause folding jams.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a folding device that does not cause the folding jam and does not become unstable by driving both of the pair of conveying rollers that convey and discharge the continuous paper. There is to do.

  Further, the conventional folding apparatus has a structure having a pair of conveying rollers only at the tip of the swinger fin. However, with this structure, there are cases where continuous paper cannot be stably conveyed at an accurate speed in the swinger fins.

  The object of the invention described in claim 3 of the present invention is to provide a pair at the tip of the swinger fin and a middle part between the fulcrum and the tip in order to stably convey the continuous paper in the swinger fin at an accurate speed. Another object of the present invention is to provide a folding device in which another pair or a plurality of pairs of conveying rollers are arranged.

  Further, in the conventional folding device, the continuous paper is charged with static electricity due to friction or the like while the continuous paper is being transported in the folding device. In some cases, folding jam occurs in the swinger fins or on the table on which the folded continuous sheets are stacked due to the impediment to conveyance.

  Therefore, as an object in claim 4 of the present invention, in order to prevent the continuous paper from being charged due to friction or the like, the transport roller, the front guide plate, the table, and the like that are in contact with the continuous paper are interposed via the folding device main body. It is another object of the present invention to provide a folding device that is grounded and grounded.

  Further, the conventional folding apparatus is configured to be stacked on the table member by pressing the folds of the continuous paper conveyed to the swinger fins and being folded on the table member with the blade member of the paddle member. However, in the prior art, the blade member of the paddle member always rotates at a constant speed regardless of the timing of the crease, so that not only the crease but also the non-crease portion of the continuous paper is pressed by the wing member. On the contrary, this sometimes caused paper jams and poor folding.

Similarly, as an object in claim 6 of the present invention, the folds are pressed by rotating the blades provided in the paddle member at a timing when a predetermined amount of the folds of the continuous paper is conveyed from the tip of the swinger fins. An object of the present invention is to provide a folding device according to claim 5.
Accordingly, as an object of the present invention, the blade member provided in the paddle member is driven to rotate in synchronization with the fold timing of the continuous paper, thereby pressing only the crease of the paper and placing the continuous paper on the table. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 is provided.

  In general, it can be said that it is ideal to have a swinging motion of a natural rigid pendulum, that is, a sinusoidal velocity curve, on a member that swings with one end as a fulcrum, such as the swinger fin 2. However, in order to realize the sinusoidal speed curve mechanically, a cam and a link mechanism are necessary, and even the structure is complicated, and the rocking speed and rocking speed are further adjusted according to the paper top length and paper transport speed. If the width is changed, a more complicated adjustment mechanism is required.

  On the other hand, if a pulse motor is used as the drive motor, a pseudo sinusoidal curve can be obtained relatively easily by appropriately controlling the frequency of the drive pulse and the number of applied pulses. However, even in this case, it is necessary to hold the frequency and the number of applied pulses as a table by the number of combinations of the vertical length and the conveyance speed that change the rocking speed and the rocking width according to the paper vertical length and the conveyance speed. Comes out.

  On the other hand, there are cases where simple trapezoidal speed control is performed by giving up a sinusoidal velocity curve. In this case, the maximum oscillation speed is changed when the paper top / bottom length changes because the slope during acceleration and deceleration in the trapezoidal speed control is constant. The swinging time at the time changes, and swinging of the swinger fins becomes unnatural, which hinders good paper folding.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the swinger fin is driven by a pulse motor without requiring a complicated drive mechanism, and the swinger is swung in a pseudo sine wave state, and a paper capable of being controlled. The object is to provide a folding device.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, in the present invention, a folding device that folds a continuous sheet, in which folds are provided in advance at predetermined intervals, in a zigzag manner along the fold line, the folding device includes a conveying member for the continuous sheet. And a swinger fin that swings in a pendulum manner in synchronism with the crease while conveying the continuous paper into the inside thereof, and a table member on which the folded continuous paper is placed, The swinger fin includes a pair of conveyance rollers for nipping and conveying the continuous paper, and at least a pair of guide plates that are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap and the continuous paper is conveyed, and is located on one side of the continuous paper. One conveying roller of the pair of conveying rollers and one of the at least one pair of guide plates are integrated and released or removed from the swinger fins. Folding and characterized in that capability ones device is provided.

Moreover, in the preferable embodiment of this invention, both the conveyance rollers which comprise the said conveyance roller pair are driven, The folding apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned is provided.
In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a folding apparatus characterized in that the swinger fin has the pair of conveying rollers at a tip portion thereof and between the tip portion and the fulcrum.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a folding device in which the pair of conveying rollers, the guide plate, and the table member are grounded via a folding device main body.

  In another embodiment of the present invention, the folding device further includes a paddle member that presses a fold portion of the continuous speed paper conveyed to the swinger fin, and the paddle member is substantially parallel to the fold. There is provided a folding device having a blade member rotatable around a rotation axis, the blade member being driven to rotate in synchronization with the timing of the fold, and pressing the fold.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a folding device in which the blade member presses the crease at a timing when the crease of the continuous paper protrudes a certain amount from the tip of the swinger fin. The

  Further, in another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a folding device that folds a continuous paper having creases provided at predetermined intervals in a zigzag shape along the fold, and the folding device is a conveying member for the continuous paper. And a swinger fin that swings in a pendulum manner in synchronism with the crease while conveying the continuous paper into the inside thereof, and a table member on which the folded continuous paper is placed, The swinger fin is driven by a pulse motor, and its swing speed is controlled stepwise, the number of drive pulses in each step is determined according to the top and bottom length of the continuous paper, and the maximum swing speed of the swinger fin And a pulse frequency at each stage is determined in accordance with a conveying speed of the continuous paper.

In another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a printing system having at least an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image on continuous paper and each of the folding devices.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a printing system is provided in which the image forming apparatus has a heat fixing device.

  In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a printing system wherein the heat fixing device is of a flash fixing system.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a printing system, wherein the continuous paper is a continuous paper having a basis weight of 64 g / square meter or less.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a printing system characterized in that the continuous paper is label paper or tack paper.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a folding device that does not force a user to perform a troublesome releasing operation or the like in the case of troubles such as poor folding of continuous paper, or part of continuous paper peeled off and stuck to a swinger fin. can do.

  Further, according to the inventions of claims 2, 3, and 4 of the present invention, various continuous sheets from thin paper to thick paper are conveyed with an optimal conveying force, and the continuous sheet is prevented from being charged unnecessarily. It is possible to provide a folding device that prevents troubles such as jams and does not require the user to perform jam processing.

  Furthermore, according to the inventions of claims 5 to 6 of the present invention, the continuous paper conveyed from the swinger is received by the crease, and only the crease portion is pressed and folded. It is possible to provide a folding device capable of beautifully folding a continuous sheet.

  Furthermore, according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a folding device that can perform a simple folding operation and an optimum folding operation without using a complicated mechanism and control method.

  Embodiment examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a side sectional view of a folding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a continuous paper P is folded, S is a folding device, and 1 is a pin tractor as a conveying member for conveying the continuous paper P. The continuous paper P is conveyed at a constant speed in the direction of arrow A in the figure. Reference numeral 2 denotes a swinger fin, which is swung by a driving mechanism (not shown) with the rocking shaft l shown in FIG. 1 as a fulcrum while conveying the continuous paper P therein. That is, at the timing when the fold fold of the continuous paper P comes near the tip of the swinger fin 2, it is at the position of FIG. 2A, and conversely, at the timing when the valley fold fold comes near the tip of the swinger fin, FIG. It swings to the position shown, and this operation is repeated to convey the continuous paper P while folding it on the table following the original folding direction.

  Reference numeral 3 denotes an intermediate conveyance roller pair that conveys the continuous paper P at the intermediate portion of the swinger fin 2 and includes conveyance rollers 3a and 3b. Reference numeral 4 denotes a pair of transport rollers that transport the continuous paper P at the tip of the swinger fin 2 and includes transport rollers 4a and 4b. The transport roller 3b and the transport roller 4b are connected to a driving motor (not shown) by a timing belt (not shown) and are driven to rotate. The conveyance speed of the continuous paper P by the intermediate conveyance roller pair 3 is 3% faster than that of the pin tractor 1, and the conveyance speed of the continuous paper P by the conveyance roller pair 4 is higher than that by the intermediate conveyance roller pair 3. Further, the speed is set to 3% faster, and the continuous paper P can be conveyed in the swinger fin 2 without sagging.

  The conveying roller 3a is urged in the direction of the conveying roller 3b by a spring member (not shown), presses against the conveying roller 3b through the continuous paper P, and is conveyed by the gears 14a and 14b as schematically shown in FIG. Driving force is received from the 3b side. For this reason, even if the conveying roller 3a receives acceleration during the swinging motion of the swinger fin 2 and the conveying roller 3a is separated from the conveying roller 3b or the compressive force is weakened, the gears 14a and 14b are disengaged. Unless otherwise, the conveyance roller 3a can obtain driving torque from the conveyance roller 3b, and the rotation does not become unstable, and therefore the conveyance of continuous paper does not become unstable.

  Similarly, the conveying roller 4a is also urged toward the conveying roller 4b by a spring member (not shown), presses against the conveying roller 4b via the continuous paper P, and receives driving force from the conveying roller 4b by the gears 15a and 15b. . For this reason, even if the conveying roller 4a receives acceleration in the swinging operation of the swinger fin 2 and the conveying roller 4a is separated from the conveying roller 4b or the compressive force is weakened, the gears 15a and 15b are disengaged. As long as it is not, the conveying roller 4a can obtain driving torque from the conveying roller 3b, and its rotation does not become unstable, and therefore conveyance of continuous paper does not become unstable.

  In this embodiment, the conveying rollers 3a and 4a obtain driving torque from the opposite conveying rollers 3b and 4b by the gears 14a and 14b and the gears 15a and 15b. You may make it receive torque directly from drive sources, such as a motor, by suitable torque transmission means, such as a row | line | column, a timing belt, and a pulley.

  FIG. 8 shows a state where the swinger fin 2 is opened and removed. The swinger fin 2 is roughly composed of a swinger fin base 2a and a swinger fin guide 2b. The swinger fin guide 2b is detachably fixed to the swinger fin 2a by a swinger fin guide fixing member 2c. Can be disassembled into two units with the conveying path of the continuous paper P as a boundary. That is, the swinger fin guide 2b, the transport roller 3a, and the transport roller 4a are integrated and can be opened and removed from the swinger fin base 2b. Thus, by making the swinger fin 2 openable and disassembling, it is possible to easily remove and clean jammed continuous paper and fragments thereof, paper dust, dust, dust, and the like.

  Reference numeral 16 in FIG. 1 denotes a ground member that electrically connects the swinger fin 2 to the main body of the folding device 2, and a metal wire is used. The swinger fin base 2a, the swinger fin guide 2b, and the bearings (not shown) that support the swinger fins 2 are made of metal. However, by attaching the grounding member 16, the folding device main body hair can be removed more actively. It has a configuration. The table member 5 may be grounded with the same configuration.

  The swinging motion of the swinger fins is slow in the vicinity of both ends of the swinging operation (FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (c)), and it is ideal that the swinger fin is operated at the maximum swinging speed at the center. This maximum swing speed is determined according to the transport speed of the continuous paper P. That is, it is ideal that the tangential speed at the tip of the swinger fin at the maximum swing speed is approximately the same as the transport speed of the continuous paper P. If it is slower than that, the continuous paper will sag in the swinger fin, or conversely, if it is too fast, The continuous sheet that is being folded is pulled by the swinging motion of the swinger fin, and the folding operation is hindered.

9 to 11 show speed curves of the drive pulse motor of the swinger fin 2 in this embodiment. In this embodiment, by using the pulse motor and skillfully controlling the frequency of the drive pulse and the number of applied pulses, the top length and the conveyance speed can be achieved with a simple mechanism and without requiring various tables. It is possible to obtain an optimal pseudo sine wave curve according to the above. FIG. 9 shows a case where the transport speed is 423.3 mm / s and the top / bottom length is 177.8 mm, FIG. 10 shows a case where the transport speed is 423.3 mm / s and the top / bottom length is 355.6 mm, and FIG. In this case, the top and bottom length is 177.8 mm. 9 to 11, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the pulse frequency of the drive motor, that is, the swing speed of the swinger fin 2. The swing speed is controlled stepwise as shown in each figure. In FIGS. 9 and 11, since the paper transport speed is the same, the maximum swing speed is the same, and the number of drive pulses at each speed stage is the top and bottom of the paper. It has been changed according to the length. This is shown in FIG. 12 and FIG. It can be seen that the number of drive pulses at each stage is changed by changing the top and bottom length parameter in FIGS. 12 and 13.

  On the other hand, the comparison between FIG. 9 and FIG. 12 is the case where the sheet top length is the same and the sheet conveyance speed is different. In this case, since the top and bottom length is the same, the number of drive pulses in each stage is the same, and it can be seen that the pulse frequency and the maximum swing speed are changed according to the transport speed.

  Reference numeral 5 denotes a table on which the folded continuous paper P is placed. The table 5 is automatically lowered according to the amount of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5 by a lowering mechanism (not shown). Reference numeral 5a denotes a handle for pulling out the table 5 in the paper take-out direction, and the table 5 can be drawn in the direction of the handle 5a by a slide mechanism (not shown).

  Reference numerals 6 and 7 denote a pair of paddle units constituting a paddle member. The paddle unit 6 includes a paddle rotation shaft 6a, a paddle plate 6b as a blade member attached to the paddle rotation shaft 6a, and a paddle unit 7 includes a paddle rotation shaft 7a and a paddle plate 7b as a blade member attached to the paddle rotation shaft 7a. Consists of. As the paddle plates 6b and 7b, rubber plates or the like having appropriate elasticity are used, and they are arranged at a pitch of 180 degrees around the paddle rotation axis. The paddle rotation shafts 6a and 7a are each driven to rotate in the directions of arrows B and C in the drawing by a drive mechanism (not shown), and the paddle plates 6b and 7b press the fold portion of the continuous paper P every half rotation operation. It has become. The paddle plates 6b and 7b are synchronized with the timing of the fold, that is, the swinging motion of the swinger fin, so that the fold of the continuous paper P protrudes from the tip of the swinger fin 2 by a certain amount. Rotated and driven.

  3 is a paddle interval changing knob 8 for changing the interval between the paddle units 6 and 7. By rotating the paddle interval changing knob 8, the interval between the paddle units 6 and 7 is folded by an interlocking mechanism (not shown). It can be changed and adjusted according to the vertical length of continuous paper. A potentiometer, which is a paddle unit interval detecting member, is connected to the paddle interval changing knob 8 coaxially, and a structure for calculating the interval between the paddle units 6 and 7 from the rotation angle of the paddle interval changing knob detected by the potentiometer. It has become.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes a jam detection sensor for detecting skew and meandering of the continuous paper P conveyed by the pin tractor 1, and a reflected light type optical sensor is used. Reference numerals 102a, 102b, and 102c denote buffer sensors that detect slack in the continuous paper P discharged from a printing apparatus such as a printer. These are reflected light optical sensors that output an analog voltage corresponding to the distance of the detected object from the sensor. 103a and 103b are paper surface sensors for monitoring the upper surface of the continuous paper P stacked on the table 5 and maintaining the relative distance between the front end of the swinger fin 2 and the upper surface of the continuous paper P substantially constant. This is an optical sensor.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing the swing of the swinger fin 2 and shows the swing position of the swinger fin 2 when a continuous sheet having the maximum vertical length that can be folded by the folding device S of the present embodiment is folded. 2A shows the stop position when the swinger fin 2 swings to the maximum on the operation panel 11 side, and FIG. 2B shows the position where the swinger fin 2 is substantially vertical. Is called the home position or home position. FIG. 2C is a diagram showing a stop position when the swinger fin 2 swings to the maximum in the direction opposite to that in FIG. The swinger fin 2 swings approximately symmetrically with the position in FIG. 2B as the center. As a matter of course, when folding a continuous sheet having a top length shorter than the maximum top length, the swing of the swinger fin 2 is the top length. At the same time, the swinging operation is performed at a swinging angle smaller than those in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (c). Note that the rotational speed and rotational timing of a paddle unit, which will be described later, are also rotationally driven at optimum values according to the top and bottom length.

  In FIG. 3, 10 is a cover, and 11 is an operation panel for displaying and operating the state of the folding device S.

  Next, operation | movement of the folding apparatus S is demonstrated sequentially according to the operation order. First, the autoload operation will be described. When the leading end of the continuous paper P is set on the pin tractor 1 and the auto load button 4b of the operation panel 11 shown in FIG. 4 is pressed in this state, an auto load operation is executed.

  In the autoloading operation, the swinger fin 2 first stops at the position shown in FIG. 2A regardless of the vertical length of the continuous paper P to be folded. At this position, the bending angle of the continuous paper P when it enters the swinger fin 2 is minimum, and the leading edge of the continuous paper P is smoothly between the swinger fin base 2a of the swinger fin 2 and the swinger fin guide 2b. It is suitable to be inserted into. If the swinger fin 2 can swing further to the operation panel side 11 side than FIG. 2A, the swinger fin 2 may be fixed at that position to perform the autoloading operation.

  Next, the intermediate conveyance roller pair 3, the conveyance roller pair 4, and the pin tractor 1 are driven, and the leading edge of the continuous paper P conveys the continuous paper P to an optimum position for so-called folding start, that is, a so-called standby position. The standby position of the continuous paper P is a position where the leading edge of the continuous paper P protrudes from the leading edge of the swinger fin 2 by a certain distance, in this embodiment, 50.8 mm (2 inches). This distance may be changed according to conditions such as the type and thickness of the continuous paper P to be folded.

  Subsequently, the swinger fin 2, the table 5, and the paddle members 6 and 7 are set at the standby position.

  The swinger fin 2 once swings and stops at the home position shown in FIG. Thereafter, if the first fold of the continuous paper P is a valley fold, it is swung and stopped as a standby position at the position shown in FIG. The standby position is determined in advance for each top and bottom length of the continuous paper P, and is stored in the nonvolatile memory as a top and bottom length table. Further, these optimum positions may be changed according to the type of paper, and a plurality of top and bottom length tables corresponding to the paper type may be created.

  Designation of the folding direction of the first fold of the continuous paper P is performed by the folding direction setting button 11c of the operation panel 11 shown in FIG. The folding direction may be specified before the leading edge of the continuous paper P is set on the pin tractor 1.

  The procedure for moving the table 5 to the standby position is as follows. When at least one of the paper surface sensors 103a and 103b detects the upper surface of the table 5 or the upper surface of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5, both paper surface sensors are placed on the upper surface of the table 5 or on the table 5. The lowering mechanism (not shown) is actuated to lower the table 5 and stop until the position (standby position) where the upper surface of the folded continuous paper P is not detected.

The standby position of the paddle members 6 and 7 is a position where the paddle plates 6b and 7b are parallel to the table 5, and the rotary shafts 6b and 7b are driven and stopped so as to be in this position. The rotary shafts 6b and 7b are each driven by a pulse motor (not shown), and the paddle members 6 and 7 are set at a predetermined standby position by driving the pulse motor with a predetermined number of pulses.
Next, the vertical length of the continuous paper P is set. Information related to the top length of the continuous paper includes a top length input value input by the operator from the top length setting button 11e of the operation panel 11, a top length communication value acquired by communication from a printing device such as a printer, and paddle interval detection. There are three types of information on the detection value of the paddle interval by the sensor. In this embodiment, the operator can select which of the three set values has priority from three modes.

  First, the first mode is a mode in which priority is given to the top and bottom communication value obtained by communication from a printing apparatus such as a printer. In a printing apparatus such as a printer, printing is usually performed for each top and bottom length, and the data to be printed and the operation of the printer are usually controlled in units of top and bottom length. If the vertical length setting value of the folding device is always set to the vertical length of the continuous paper printed by the printer, there is an advantage that the operator can save the trouble of inputting and setting the vertical length to the folding device each time. . In this mode, the top / bottom length input from the operation panel 11 of the folding apparatus may be ignored or the input itself may be disabled. If the vertical communication value and the paddle interval detection value are different, a warning is displayed on the operation panel, and the folding operation is performed unless the operator sets the paddle unit interval to be equal to the vertical communication value. The start may not be permitted.

  Next, the second mode is a mode in which the top / bottom length input value input from the operation panel 11 is prioritized. This mode is suitable for the following cases.

  As described above, in a printing apparatus such as a printer, printing is usually performed for each top and bottom length, but there are also printing forms called two-sided and multi-sided printing, in which two pages are printed per top and bottom. In such a case, although the top length of the continuous paper P is, for example, 244 mm (10 inches), the top length communication value acquired from the printer may be half that of 127 mm (5 inches). The command mode is inappropriate.

  In the operation panel mode, if the input value is different from the communication value or the detected value, a warning may be displayed on the operation panel in the same manner to prompt the operator to reconfirm the set value, or always input without warning. The value may be given the highest priority.

  The third mode is a paddle mode in which the paddle unit interval detection value has the highest priority. In this mode, since the paddle unit interval detection value has the highest priority, the correct folding operation can be performed if the paddle unit interval is set correctly together with the top and bottom length of the continuous paper P.

  These three modes can be selected from a mode selection screen displayed on the display panel 11m when the menu button 11h of the operation panel 11 is pressed. The printing mode used mainly and the paper used mainly. The operator can select and set appropriately according to the type. Note that, when communication with the printing apparatus 100 is not performed, either the second mode or the third mode is selected.

  When the autoloading operation is completed, the continuous paper P is in a U-shaped state between the printing apparatus 100 and the folding apparatus S as shown in FIG.

  Next, the folding operation will be described. The conveyance speed of the continuous paper P in the folding device S is set to be higher than the conveyance speed in the printing apparatus 100 such as a printer. When a folding operation (conveying operation of continuous paper by the folding device S) is started in a state where printing is performed by the printing apparatus 100 such as a printer, the sag of the continuous paper P is reduced, and conversely, the folding operation (by the folding device S) is performed. When the conveyance of continuous paper) stops, the amount of sag increases.

  The large amount of sag means that the distance between the lowest point of the sag of the continuous paper P and the floor surface F shown in FIG. 5 is small. On the contrary, when the sag is small, the lowest point of the sag of the continuous paper P And the state where the distance of the floor F is large. The buffer sensors 102a, 102b and 102c monitor the amount of sag. Which of the three buffer sensors is used can be appropriately selected on the operation panel 11 according to conditions such as the type of paper and the distance between the printing apparatus 100 and the folding apparatus S. Here, a case where the buffer sensor 102b is used will be described.

  As described above, the buffer sensor 102b is an optical sensor of reflected light type, and outputs an analog voltage corresponding to the distance from the object (here, continuous paper P). When the distance to the continuous paper P calculated from the analog voltage is predetermined and smaller than a predetermined value, in this case, 30 cm, that is, when the slack of the continuous paper P is large, a folding operation is performed, and the distance is larger than the predetermined value ( That is, when the slack is small, the folding operation is not performed, and the apparatus waits in the folding waiting state. In this way, the amount of sag is kept within a predetermined range, the re-lowering point of the sag of the continuous paper P is properly maintained, the continuous paper P is too slack and comes into contact with the floor surface, and the continuous paper P It is possible to prevent P from being pulled to the folding device S side and torn off.

  Next, the folding operation will be described based on the timing chart of FIG. First, in order to eliminate the slack of the continuous paper P from the pin tractor 1 to the tip of the swinger fin 2, the intermediate transport roller pair 3 and the transport roller pair 4 are moved for T1 time, in this case 0.5%, while the pin tractor 1 is stopped. Drive for seconds.

  Next, driving of the pin tractor 1 is started, and the continuous paper P is conveyed toward the table 5. The swinging of the swinger fin 2 is started at a timing (T2 time) when the leading edge of the continuous paper P becomes a certain distance from the leading edge of the swinger fin 2, here 60 mm. Here, the case where the swinger fin 2 is stopped at the standby position shown in FIG.

  The swinger fin 2 moves to the position shown in FIG. 2A while continuing to convey the continuous paper P onto the table 5, and temporarily stops. The swinger fin 2 stops toward a position shown in FIG. 2C after stopping for a time (T2 time) in which the fold at the rear end of the first page of the continuous paper P is a certain distance from the front end of the swinger fin 2, here 60 mm. Start rocking again. As described above, the swinger fin 2 is configured to convey the continuous paper P between the positions shown in FIGS. 2A and 2C while conveying the continuous paper P onto the table 5 by the intermediate conveyance roller pair 3 and the conveyance roller pair 4. Oscillation is repeated in synchronization with the crease.

  The stop time T2 of the swinger fin 2 is the amount by which the leading edge or crease of the continuous paper P protrudes from the leading edge of the swinger fin 2, that is, the leading edge of the swinger fin 2 and the upper surface of the table 5 or the upper surface of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5. This is an important numerical value for realizing a good folding operation in the time for defining the positional relationship between and. The continuous paper P can be satisfactorily folded on the table 5 by appropriately setting the time T2, that is, the positional relationship. The stop time T2 of the swinger fin 2 is determined in advance for each top length of the continuous paper P. Thus, the table is stored in a non-volatile memory as a table for each top and bottom length. A plurality of top and bottom tables may be created and stored in accordance with the thickness and type of paper.

  The paddle rotating shaft 7a is moved in the direction of the arrow C in the figure after a predetermined T3 time from the driving start timing from the stop position of the swinger fin 2 shown in FIG. 2C to the position shown in FIG. Driven by rotation. As a result, the paddle plate 7b presses the leading edge or crease of the continuous paper P, and the continuous paper P is pulled by the movement of the swinger fin 2 from the stop position R to the stop position F by the frictional force between the continuous paper P and the paddle plate 7b. The leading edge or the crease of the continuous paper P is pressed from the upper surface while holding the sheet.

  Similarly, the paddle rotating shaft 6a is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow B in the figure after a predetermined T3 time from the driving start timing from the stop position of the swinger fin 2 shown in FIG. 2 (a) to the position shown in FIG. 2 (c). Driven once. As a result, the paddle plate 6b presses the leading edge or crease of the continuous paper P, and the continuous paper P is pulled by the movement of the swinger fin 2 from the stop position F to the stop position R by the frictional force between the continuous paper P and the paddle plate 6b. The leading edge or the crease of the continuous paper P is pressed from the upper surface while holding the sheet.

  As described above, the paddle rotating shafts 6a and 7a alternately repeat one rotation, while the paddle plates 6b and 7b press the front end or the vicinity of the folds of the continuous paper P placed on the table 5 from the upper surface, and the original creases The continuous paper P is reliably folded on the table 5 following the copying.

  The waiting time T3 of the paddle rotating shafts 6a and 7a is determined in advance for each top and bottom length of the continuous paper P, and stored in a non-volatile memory as a top and bottom length table. A plurality of top and bottom tables may be created and stored in accordance with the thickness and type of paper. Further, in this embodiment, the paddle rotation shafts 6a and 7a are driven by only one rotation, but may be driven by a plurality of rotations.

  If the height of the upper surface of the continuous paper P placed on the table 5 is increased by repeating the folding operation, the distance between the tip of the swinger fin 2 and the upper surface of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5 is narrowed, which is suitable for good folding. Therefore, if one or both of the paper surface sensors 103a and 103b detect the upper surface of the table 5 or the upper surface of the continuous paper P placed on the table 5 during the folding operation, a certain distance is maintained. For example, the table 5 is lowered by 5 mm, and the distance between the tip of the swinger fin 2 and the upper surface of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5 is maintained at a proper position for good folding.

Next, skew detection and meandering detection of the continuous paper P by the travel sensor 101 will be described.
The travel sensor 101 is disposed immediately below the feed hole so as to monitor the feed hole of the continuous paper P. Since the traveling sensor 101 is a reflected light optical sensor, as the continuous paper P travels, the traveling sensor 101 is periodically changed according to the conveyance speed of the continuous paper P and the interval between the feeding holes according to the passage of the feeding holes. Outputs an on / off signal. That is, an ON signal is output at the timing when the feed hole is directly above, and an OFF signal is output between the feed holes.

  The period of this on / off signal is monitored, and if it becomes impossible to detect a constant multiple of a period according to the conveyance speed of the continuous sheet P and the interval between the feed holes, for example, a period of 0.03 seconds, for example 0.06 seconds, continuous sheet It is determined that P starts to meander or skew from the pin tractor 1, and the folding operation is stopped. As a result, even if the continuous paper P is deviated from the pin tractor 1 and meandering or skewing occurs, it is possible to reduce the number of sheets damaged by the folding failure of the continuous paper P. In particular, in the case of the thin continuous paper P, for example, 34 kg / ream, since the degree of expansion / contraction due to heating or pressurization in the fixing process of the printer is large, it becomes easier to disengage from the pin tractor 1, so an early folding failure is detected. Therefore, the effect of reducing the number of damaged continuous sheets P due to poor folding is great.

  When the folding device S generates an error such as a folding failure and the folding operation cannot be continued and the folding operation is stopped, the printer communicates the fact that an error has occurred in the folding device S by the communication means described above. May be.

  When printing by the printing apparatus 100 is performed to the end of the continuous paper P and is discharged from the printing apparatus 100, the folding device S stops the folding operation when the end of the continuous paper P passes through the buffer sensor 102b. When the discharge button 11i on the operation panel 11 is pressed in this state, the discharge operation is performed. The remaining continuous paper P in the conveying path of the folding device S is folded to the end, and then the swinger fin 2 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 2C regardless of the top and bottom length of the paper, and the discharge operation is finished. By moving the swinger fin 2 to the position shown in FIG. 2C, the folded state of the continuous paper P can be confirmed without opening the cover 10 and moving the swinger fin 2, and the number of the continuous paper P placed thereon is small. For example, in the case of about 50 sheets, the table 5 can be easily taken out by simply opening the cover 10 without lowering the table 5.

  When there are many sheets of continuous paper P, the table lowering button 11h of the operation panel 11 is pressed to lower the table 5 to a height sufficient to take out the continuous paper P. Press the stop button 11g to stop the descent of the table 5. Next, the handle 5a is grasped, the table 5 is pulled out, and the continuous paper P folded on the table 5 is taken out. When the maximum number of continuous sheets P that can be placed on the table 5, for example, 3000 sheets, is placed, the weight of the continuous sheet P becomes a considerable weight, but the table 5 can be pulled out to make it relatively easy. The continuous paper P can be taken out.

It is a side view of the folding apparatus which is one embodiment by this invention. It is a figure which shows the rocking | fluctuation position of the swinger fin of the folding apparatus which is one real embodiment by this invention. 1 is an external perspective view of a folding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the operation panel of the folding apparatus which is one real embodiment by this invention. It is a figure which shows the connection of the folding apparatus which is one real embodiment by this invention, and a printing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the timing chart of the folding apparatus which is one real embodiment by this invention. It is a side view of the folding apparatus by a prior art. It is a figure which shows opening and removal of the swinger fin which is one embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram of the drive part of the conveyance roller of the swinger fin which is one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the drive speed curve of the swinger fin which is one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the drive speed curve of the swinger fin which is one embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the drive speed curve of the swinger fin which is one embodiment of this invention. It is a drive speed table of the swinger fin which is one embodiment of this invention. It is a drive speed table of the swinger fin which is one embodiment of this invention. It is a drive speed table of the swinger fin which is one embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 pin tractor 2 swinger fin 2a swinger fin base 2b swinger fin guide 3 intermediate transport roller pair 3a, 3b intermediate transport roller 4 transport roller pair 4a, 4b transport roller
5 Table 5a Handle 7 Paddle member 6a, 7a Paddle rotating shaft 6b, 7b Paddle plate 8 Paddle interval changing member 10 Cover 11 Operation panel 11a Start button 11b Auto load button 11c Folding direction setting button 11d Paper thickness setting button 11e Top length setting button 11f Clear button 11g Stop button 11h Descent button 11i Eject button 11j Initialization button 11k Menu button 11l Input button 11m Display panel 12 Communication means 13 Connection cable 14a, 14b Gear 15a, 15b Gear 16 Ground member 100 Printing device 101 Travel sensor 102a, 102b, 102c Buffer sensors 103a, 103b Paper surface sensors 104a, 104b Jam detection sensor 201 RFID writer 202 RFID reader 203 Bar code reader 204 Jet marker F Floor P Continuous paper S Folding device l Swing shaft

Claims (12)

  A folding device that folds a continuous sheet, in which folds are provided in advance at predetermined intervals, in a zigzag manner along the fold line, the folding device transporting the continuous sheet and the continuous sheet into the interior thereof A swing roller that swings in a pendulum manner in synchronism with the crease with one end as a fulcrum and a table member on which the folded continuous paper is placed, and the swinger fin sandwiches and conveys the continuous paper A pair of guide rollers that are opposed to each other with a predetermined gap and through which the continuous paper is conveyed, and that is located on one side of the continuous paper, One of a pair of guide plates is integrated and can be opened or removed from the swinger fin. .   The folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both of the conveying rollers constituting the conveying roller pair are driven. 3. The folding device according to claim 1, wherein the swinger fin includes the pair of conveying rollers at a tip portion thereof and an intermediate portion between the tip portion and the fulcrum.   The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveyance roller pair, the guide plate, and the table member are grounded via a folding device main body.   The folding device further includes a paddle member that presses a fold portion of the continuous speed paper conveyed to the swinger fin, and the paddle member includes a blade member that is rotatable about a rotation axis substantially parallel to the fold. The folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the blade member is rotationally driven in synchronization with the timing of the fold and presses the fold.   6. The folding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the blade member presses the crease at a timing when a crease of the continuous sheet protrudes from the tip of the swinger fin by a certain amount. A folding device that folds a continuous sheet, in which folds are provided in advance at predetermined intervals, in a zigzag manner along the fold line, the folding device transporting the continuous sheet and the continuous sheet into the interior thereof A swinger fin that swings in a pendulum shape in synchronism with the crease with one end as a fulcrum, and a table member on which the folded continuous paper is placed. The swinger fin is driven by a pulse motor, and its swing speed Are controlled stepwise, the number of drive pulses in each step is determined according to the top and bottom length of the continuous paper, and the maximum swing speed of the swinger fin and the pulse frequency in each step are conveyed in the continuous paper. A folding apparatus characterized by being determined according to speed. A printing system comprising at least an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image on continuous paper and the folding device according to claim 1.   The printing system according to claim 8, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a heat fixing device.   The printing system according to claim 9, wherein the heat fixing device is a flash fixing method.   11. The printing system according to claim 8, wherein the continuous paper is a continuous paper having a basis weight of 64 g / square meter or less. 12. The printing system according to claim 8, wherein the continuous paper is label paper or tack paper.

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