JPH0642618U - Envelope opening device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] The present invention, in an envelope opening device configured to open an envelope by feeding air, can quickly switch between feeding and blocking of air to the envelope. An object of the present invention is to provide an envelope opening device that can be constructed at low cost. According to the present invention, an air flow is generated by a fan 14 which is rotated by driving a motor 13, and the air flow generated by the air flow generating means is changed by an air flow switching plate 15 to an opening portion of an envelope E. The motor is always driven by switching between the direction toward Ea and the direction other than the opening Ea.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an envelope opening device that opens an opening of an envelope by air pressure in an automatic envelope sealing device or the like that automatically inserts an enclosed material into an envelope and seals it.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 As a device for enclosing a large amount of letters and the like, an automatic envelope enclosing device as shown in Fig. 4 is currently known. In the figure, a plurality of empty envelopes E are stacked in the envelope storage device 1, and the envelopes sequentially taken out from here are moved downward by a transport mechanism 2 including a plurality of rollers R1 to R6. To the gripper G which moves along a predetermined circulation path and is sandwiched one by one. After that, the gripper G holding the envelope E sequentially moves from the receiving position P0 to P1, P2, P3, and inserts the enclosed material L into the envelope E in the meantime.

That is, at the position P1, the flap E1 of the envelope E is opened, at the position P2, the enclosure L is inserted into the envelope E, and at the position P3, the envelope E in which the enclosure L is inserted is moved to a sealing mechanism (not shown). The flap E1 is subjected to moistening and bending treatments and then sealed.

By the way, in the envelope enclosing device as described above, in order to smoothly insert the enclosed material L into the envelope E fed to the position P3, the opening Ea of the envelope E is opened at the time of insertion. I need to put it. For this reason, conventionally, as shown in FIG. 5, a method is generally adopted in which the guide plate B is inserted into the envelope opening Ea to open the envelope E and smoothly insert the enclosed material L 1. However, when this method is adopted, in order to avoid interference between the guide plate B and the envelope opening Ea, the envelope opening Ea may be opened in advance even before the inserting operation of the guide plate B. Desirably, an envelope opening device as shown in FIG. 6 has been conventionally used to do this.

This envelope opening device adjusts the air sent from an air supply source such as a compressor 1 to a predetermined pressure by a regulator 2 and then supplies the air to a nozzle 4 via a solenoid valve 3. The air is ejected from the nozzle 4 toward the opening Ea of the envelope E. When the envelope opening Ea is opened, the solenoid valve 3 is opened to eject the air from the nozzle 4. The envelope E is sent into the envelope E, and the envelope opening Ea is opened by the wind pressure. By thus opening the envelope opening Ea, the guide plate B smoothly enters the envelope E without contacting the envelope opening Ea. When inserting the enclosed material L, the electromagnetic valve 3 is closed to stop the ejection of air. As a result, the enclosure L moves smoothly without being obstructed by the air flow and is inserted into the envelope E.

[0006]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 As described above, in the conventional envelope opening device, since the compressor 1 is used as a supply source of air to the envelope E, the solenoid valve 3 is used to control the supply and cutoff of the air from the nozzle 4. Is required, and the regulator 2 is also required to obtain proper air pressure. Since these air parts 3 and 2 are generally expensive, there is a problem that a conventional device using them is also considerably expensive.

Therefore, it has been conventionally proposed to install a fan rotated by a motor in the vicinity of the position P2, and control the driving and stopping of the motor to supply and stop air to and from the envelope. Has been done. According to this, the device can be composed of an inexpensive motor and a fan, so that the cost can be significantly reduced.

However, in this device, even if the driving of the motor is stopped to stop the blowing operation, the rotation of the fan does not immediately stop due to inertial force, and there is a delay in the start of the next enclosed material insertion operation. However, there was a new problem that the operating time of the entire device increased significantly.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. In an envelope opening device that opens an envelope by feeding air, the air is fed to the envelope. An object of the present invention is to provide an envelope opening device that can switch the interruption quickly and can be configured at low cost.

[0010]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 This invention is directed to an air flow generating means for generating an air flow by a fan driven by a motor, a direction in which the air flow generated by the air flow generating means is directed to the opening of the envelope, and a portion other than the opening. An air flow switching plate for switching the air flow switching direction and a drive means for driving the air flow switching plate are provided, and the motor is always driven.

[0011]

[Action]

 In this invention, the fan constantly sends out air by continuously driving the motor, and the direction thereof is controlled by the air flow switching plate. That is, when the guide plate is inserted into the envelope, the airflow switching plate directs the direction of the airflow toward the opening of the envelope, thereby opening the opening. When inserting the inclusion, the air flow switching plate switches the air flow to a position other than the opening of the envelope so that the air flow does not interfere with the insertion of the inclusion. In this way, by switching the direction of the air flow, it is possible to instantaneously switch between air supply and shutoff to the envelope.

[0012]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. Here, an envelope opening / closing device applied to the automatic envelope sealing device described in the above-mentioned prior art will be described as an example. In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes an envelope support base for supporting the envelope E conveyed to the position P2 by the gripper (see FIG. 4). Reference numeral 12 denotes an enclosure support provided at the rear end of the envelope support. The enclosure L placed on the enclosure support 12 is moved forward by an enclosure insertion device (not shown). It is supposed to be sent out.

Further, 13 is a motor supported above the rear end portion of the enclosure support 12 by a predetermined mounting member. Reference numeral 14 is a fan fixed to the rotary shaft 13a of the motor 13, and the fan 14 feeds air substantially vertically toward the front end portion of the inclusion support base 12 by a predetermined rotation of the motor 13. It is like this. The motor 13 and the fan 14 constitute an air flow generating means.

Reference numeral 15 is an air flow switching plate provided between the fan 14 and the enclosure support 12, and the air flow switching plate 15 is a rotary shaft 16 rotatably supported by a predetermined support. It is fixed to. The rotary shaft 16 is rotated by a predetermined angle by a solenoid (not shown) as a driving means, and the rotation of the rotary shaft 16 causes the air flow switching plate 15 to move. The feeding position shown in Fig. 2 is rotated to the shut-off position shown in Fig. 2.

Next, the operation will be described based on the above configuration. When the envelope enclosing device is powered on, at the same time, the motor 13 of the envelope opening device is also driven, and the air feeding operation by the fan 14 is started. Then, this air feeding operation is continuously performed until the power of the envelope enclosing device is turned off. Further, when the power is turned on, the air flow switching plate 15 is held in a position directly facing the fan 14 as shown in FIG. The air is guided horizontally.

Here, when the envelope E is conveyed to the position P2 by the gripper G as shown in FIG. 4, a solenoid (not shown) is actuated, and the rotary shaft 16 moves counterclockwise in the figure. The airflow switching plate 15 rotates and is held at a position (see FIG. 2) that intersects the air feeding direction of the fan 14 at an acute angle. As a result, the air from the fan 14 is guided to the envelope opening Ea, and the opening Ea opens due to the wind pressure (see FIG. 2). Since the guide plate B is inserted in this opening state, the operation is extremely smooth.

In this way, when the guide plate B enters the envelope E, a solenoid (not shown) is actuated to rotate the rotary shaft 16 in the clockwise direction in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the fan 14 is held at a position facing the fan 14. For this reason, the direction of the air flow sent from the fan 14 is switched to the horizontal direction by the air flow switching plate 15, and the supply to the envelope E is blocked.

As described above, in this embodiment, since the air flow switching plate 15 can be switched to switch the air supply to and the air from the envelope E instantaneously, the enclosed material is immediately inserted after the guide plate has entered. The insertion operation of can be started. Therefore, the operation time of the entire device is significantly shortened as compared with the conventional device which has to wait for the insertion operation of the inclusions until the rotation operation of the fan is stopped.

In the above embodiment, the air flow switching plate 15 is moved from the position directly facing the fan 14 to the position intersecting with the acute angle, but other positions may be set depending on the mounting position of the fan 14. The air flow switching plate 15 and the fan 14 can be attached at appropriate positions as required.

[0020]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, since the envelope opening device according to the present invention is composed of the fan rotated by the motor and the air flow switching plate that switches the air sent from the fan, it is a conventional device using air parts. Compared with the cost reduction, the air flow switching plate can instantly switch between air supply and shutoff for the envelope. Therefore, according to the envelope opening device of the present invention, a series of operation times in the automatic envelope sealing device can be significantly shortened as compared with the device using the conventional fan.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an initial state in an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which the air flow switching plate has rotated from the state of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the air flow switching plate has rotated from the state of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the outline of a conventional automatic envelope sealing device.

5 is an explanatory side view showing an operation of inserting an enclosed material at a position P2 shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory side view schematically showing a conventional envelope opening device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 13 Motor 14 Fan 15 Airflow switching plate E Envelope Ea Envelope opening

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An envelope opening device configured to open an envelope opening by feeding air to envelopes sequentially supplied to a fixed position, wherein a fan is driven by a motor to generate an air flow. Air flow switching means for switching the air flow generation means to be generated and the air flow generated by the air flow generation means to a direction toward the opening of the envelope held in a fixed position and a direction other than the opening. An envelope opening device comprising a plate and a drive means for driving the air flow switching plate, wherein the motor is continuously driven during an operation of supplying the envelope to a fixed position.