DE3503519A1 - Device for comminuting information carriers, in particular also ink ribbon cartridges - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for comminuting information carriers, in particular also ink ribbon cartridges, the direction of rotation of whose rotating cutting mechanism, which has toothed cutting faces, can be switched over, the cutting mechanism being driven alternately for a limited time in the forwards direction and for a likewise limited, usually shorter time, in the reverse direction. The device produces small particles with a high security level.

Description

Device for shredding information carriers,

in particular also of ribbon cassettes The invention relates to a Device for shredding information carriers, including in particular ink ribbon cassettes with a rotating cutting unit with toothed cutting surfaces.

Ribbon cartridges often contain tape material on which the written Text is legible. These are so-called correctable and plastic carbon ribbons, which consist of a film provided with a layer of color.

In the area of each type stop, these ribbons completely removes the paint from the film, i.e.

every new type stop must hit an unused part of the tape. As a result, every type of stop is on the belts that run through the machine only once visible and the written text can be read. That means that such Ribbon cassettes, if there is a desire to keep the information content secret or even secrecy regulations must be observed, must be destroyed.

However, the destruction of ribbon cartridges presents difficulties since normal document shredders, such as those found in the office, are usually are unable to grasp the plastic housing of the ribbon cassette and destroy. Also the inputting of unwound loose ink ribbons into such Equipment does not bring the desired effect, as the ink ribbons are around the knife rollers wrap, thereby jamming the devices without breaking the ligaments in enough small particles are cut up. In larger companies and authorities There is often the possibility of the ribbon cassettes in central, high-performance To give file shredding facilities. Here, however, the risk remains that on cassettes are stolen on the way into the system.

In the utility model 83 06 473 there is already a device for shredding ribbon cartridges in the office. The device contains several cutting dies that penetrate and shred the ribbon cassette. This However, the apparatus has the disadvantage that the ribbon particles are still so large are that the requirements for data protection are basically not met. Of the The diameter of the cutting punch, which determines the particle size, cannot go that far be reduced so that the degree of comminution meets the requirements.

The invention is based on the object of providing an inexpensive one that is suitable for the office To create device with the information carrier, in particular also ribbon cassettes and their ribbons, as far as can be shredded that a secure data protection given is.

This object is achieved in that the cutting device in the direction of rotation can be switched and that the cutting unit alternates for a limited time (e.g. 0.8 Seconds) in forward motion and for an equally limited, usually shorter one Time (zTB.

0.6 seconds) is driven in reverse, whereby the reverse begins before the respective front section of the information carrier. the cutting unit completely happened.

The further embodiment of the invention is to the subclaims remove.

The advantages that can be achieved with the invention are, in particular, that due to the constant change of direction of rotation of the cutting unit by means of two toothed knife rollers the ribbon is cut into very small particles. the The ribbon cassette is gripped by the teeth of the knife rollers and drawn in, the material is then transported back before it has completely passed the cutting unit and then shredded again between the knife rollers.

This process is repeated several times.

Another advantage results from the fact that the cutting mechanism can optionally also be driven in normal, uninterrupted forward motion, a universal device is created that can also be used to destroy, for example Written material is suitable. In this case the device works with the speed of a normal document shredder.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and is described in more detail below.

With 1 is a device for shredding information carriers, in particular also referred to by ribbon cassettes. In a housing 2 of the device 1 is a Cutting unit consisting of two knife rollers 3 and 4 arranged. The knife rollers 3 and 4 are provided with teeth 5 and 6. Above the cutting unit is a vertical feed chute 7 arranged for ink ribbon cassettes to be shredded. Above a feed opening 8 with a contact surface 9 is also the input of Written material in the cutting unit possible. There is a collecting container below the cutting unit 10 arranged for the material shredded by the knife rollers 3 and 4.

When you press a switch, not shown in the drawing of Device 1, the knife rollers 3 and 4 are driven in the direction of the arrows 11. If via a preselection switch, also not shown in the drawing the operating mode "ribbon cassette" has been selected, the knife rollers 3 rotate and 4 for 0.8 seconds with an ink ribbon cassette inserted into the feed slot 7 detected by the toothings 5 and 6 of the knife rollers 3 and 4 and into the cutting unit is withdrawn. A time switch element known per se then triggers a reversal of the direction of rotation of the knife rollers 3 and 4. The knife rollers then rotate for a time of 0.6 Seconds in the direction of the dashed arrows 12. The already in the Material drawn in from the cutting unit is transported back until another, likewise The time switch (not shown) again reverses the direction of rotation after 0.6 seconds the knife rollers 3 and 4 triggers.

The ribbon cassette is drawn in again and the material is also drawn in crushed. Since the advance of the knife rollers 3 and 4 is each greater than that Return, the ribbon cassette is gradually completely into the cutting unit drawn in and crushed. Because of the multiple running back and forth of the material small particles with a high level of security arise. In particular it is also ensures that the strip material, since it is shredded prematurely, cannot wrap around the knife rollers 3 and 4.

If the operating mode is selected using the preselection switch located on the device "Written material" has been preselected, an uninterrupted message is displayed when the on / off switch is pressed Forward movement of the knife rollers 3 and 4 in the direction of the arrows 11 triggered. While Ribbon cassettes are fed via the feed chute 7, written material is preferred via the feed opening 8, to which the contact surface 9 is assigned, supplied. That Documentation is captured by the knife rollers 3 and 4 and during the passage crushed. The device now works at the usual speed for document shredders. The resulting material particles are indeed larger than those in the "ribbon cassette" operating mode generated particles, but still correspond to those in practice in the Usually sufficient security requirements. Will provide optimal shredding of If you want written records, you have the option of using the "Ribbon cassette" mode to choose.

The times for the forward and backward running of the cutting unit are of course only to be understood as exemplary information. The times can in practice may differ and must depend on the respective circumstances to get voted. In this way, the times are shorter with a fast-running cutting unit and with a slow-moving one, the times should be longer. According to the invention it is fundamentally important that the reverse run is always shorter than the forward run. The smaller the time difference between running forwards and running backwards is, the material is crushed the finer, while at the same time the working speed of the device is reduced.

The control of the reversal of the direction of rotation of the cutting unit is expedient , as described, controlled via time switches. However, it is under certain Conditions, for example, also possible, the time of the forward run depends on the load to be controlled, i.e. each time a certain current strength is reached in the stator winding of the drive motor to trigger the reverse run. This type of control comes in particular then into consideration if only roughly the same size ribbon cassettes are shredded should be.

It can be advantageous if the device has a setting option for the current-dependent time of the reversal of the direction of rotation of the cutting unit is provided is.

Claims (5)

Patent or protection claims 1. Device for shredding information carriers, especially of ribbon cassettes, with a rotating cutting unit with toothed Cutting surfaces, denoting that the cutting unit is switchable in the direction of rotation and that the cutting device alternately for a limited Time (e.g. 0.8 seconds) in forward motion and for an equally limited, in is usually driven in reverse for a shorter time (e.g. 0.6 seconds), whereby the reverse movement begins before the respective front section of the information carrier completely passed the cutting unit. 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that both the forward run as well as the reverse movement of the cutting unit, which is controlled by two knife rollers (3 and 4) is formed, are controlled via timing elements. 3. Apparatus according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that optionally the cutting unit can also be driven in normal, uninterrupted forward motion can. 4. Apparatus according to claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in that on the device (1) a feed shaft (7) for ribbon cassettes and a feed opening (8) are arranged for documents to be destroyed. 5. Device according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4, characterized in that that the feed shaft (7) for ribbon cassettes vertically above the cutting unit is arranged and that the feed opening (8) for the documents its lateral Feed allows.