EP1288148B1 - Methode und Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Blättern nach einer Kante - Google Patents

Methode und Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Blättern nach einer Kante Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1288148B1
EP1288148B1 EP20010000417 EP01000417A EP1288148B1 EP 1288148 B1 EP1288148 B1 EP 1288148B1 EP 20010000417 EP20010000417 EP 20010000417 EP 01000417 A EP01000417 A EP 01000417A EP 1288148 B1 EP1288148 B1 EP 1288148B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
sheet
supporting
alignment
image
stop
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP20010000417
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1288148A1 (de
Inventor
Paul Leys
Kris Bruyndonckx
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Agfa Gevaert NV
Agfa Gevaert AG
Original Assignee
Agfa Gevaert NV
Agfa Gevaert AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Agfa Gevaert NV, Agfa Gevaert AG filed Critical Agfa Gevaert NV
Priority to DE2001609604 priority Critical patent/DE60109604T2/de
Priority to EP20010000417 priority patent/EP1288148B1/de
Priority to US10/219,001 priority patent/US6666451B2/en
Priority to JP2002248518A priority patent/JP2003118884A/ja
Publication of EP1288148A1 publication Critical patent/EP1288148A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1288148B1 publication Critical patent/EP1288148B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H1/00—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated
    • B65H1/02—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated adapted to support articles on edge
    • B65H1/025—Supports or magazines for piles from which articles are to be separated adapted to support articles on edge with controlled positively-acting mechanical devices for advancing the pile to present the articles to the separating device
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H9/00—Registering, e.g. orientating, articles; Devices therefor
    • B65H9/002—Registering, e.g. orientating, articles; Devices therefor changing orientation of sheet by only controlling movement of the forwarding means, i.e. without the use of stop or register wall
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H9/00—Registering, e.g. orientating, articles; Devices therefor
    • B65H9/10—Pusher and like movable registers; Pusher or gripper devices which move articles into registered position
    • B65H9/103—Pusher and like movable registers; Pusher or gripper devices which move articles into registered position acting by friction or suction on the article for pushing or pulling it into registered position, e.g. against a stop
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/30—Orientation, displacement, position of the handled material
    • B65H2301/32—Orientation of handled material
    • B65H2301/321—Standing on edge
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/30—Orientation, displacement, position of the handled material
    • B65H2301/33—Modifying, selecting, changing orientation
    • B65H2301/331—Skewing, correcting skew, i.e. changing slightly orientation of material

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a method and a device for aligning sheets. More specifically the invention relates to a method and a device for aligning thermal-sensitive sheets to be used in a thermal printer.
  • Thermal imaging or thermography is a recording process wherein images are generated by the use of thermal energy.
  • thermography three approaches are known:
  • Thermographic materials of type 1 can be rendered photothermographic by incorporating a photosensitive agent which after exposure to UV, visible or IR light, e.g. by means of a laser, is capable of catalyzing or participating in a thermographic process bringing about changes in color or optical density.
  • Common thermal printers that do no use a laser light source comprise a rotatable drum and an elongate thermal head which is spring-biased towards the drum to firmly line-wise contact a heat-sensitive material which is passed between the head and the drum.
  • the thermal head includes a plurality of heating elements. The image-wise heating of a sheet is performed on a line by line basis, with the heating elements geometrically juxtaposed along each other in a bead like row running parallel to the axis of the drum. Each of these elements is capable of being energized by heating pulses, the energy of which is controlled in accordance with the required density of the corresponding picture element.
  • the sheet is advanced between the head and the drum by frictional contact of its rear side with the drum.
  • Patent application EP-A-0 846 565 discloses such a thermal printer having a thermal head.
  • Fig. 1 shows two sheets 10 that bear images that are printed by a thermal printer having a thermal head.
  • the image areas E are substantially black and the margins A, B, C and D are transparent. The image cannot be printed on the sheet up to the edge since otherwise the thermal sensitive layer of the sheet would be squeezed at the edge due to the pressure between head and drum, which would soil the thermal head and the transport rollers.
  • the images are viewed on a light box for diagnosis.
  • the images can be positioned so that the transparent margins B are outside of the illuminated area while black screens can be moved in the light box, like curtains, so that they cover the margins C and D.
  • black screens can be moved in the light box, like curtains, so that they cover the margins C and D.
  • a transparent area between the two image areas E remains.
  • Fig. 1 shows two mammographic images.
  • mammography it is customary to view the images of the right and of the left breast on a light box, positioned with respect to each other as shown in Fig. 1 (reference sign 15 in Fig. 1 indicates the contours of the breasts).
  • Both sheets 10 are pushed against each other so that no space is left between them (for clarity, in Fig. 1 an open space is shown between the sheets 10).
  • a transparent area of twice margin A remains between the images.
  • such mammographic images did not have a transparent margin, because they were made e.g. by a conventional AgX apparatus or in a photothermographic printer wherein the laser can expose the sheet up to its edges.
  • Patent application EP-A-0 296 816 discloses a sheet registration apparatus that includes two edge stops for aligning a corner of a sheet; another discussed embodiment includes a single edge stop.
  • Patent US-A-5 700 002 discloses a sheet processing apparatus that has at least one sheet receiving tray for accommodating sheets, and an aligning device that presses end surfaces of the sheets accommodated in the tray to align the sheets; the sheets are aligned on two edges.
  • a sheet 10 having a straight edge 11, as shown in Fig. 1, is accurately aligned in accordance with the invention.
  • An image can then be printed on the sheet leaving only a small margin A, of e.g. 1.1 mm, between the image area E and the straight edge 11.
  • a transparent area of twice such a small margin A, between two image areas E, is not disturbing when viewed on a light box.
  • the margin A has a nearly constant width so that there is no risk of the image area E coming too close to the sheet edge 11, which would result in soiling the thermal head as mentioned above.
  • One margin, margin A in Fig. 1 has a small width; the other margins, margins B, C and D in Fig. 1, may have a larger width.
  • the straight edge 11 of sheet 10 is aligned with respect to an alignment axis 25 that is perpendicular to the axis 45 of the drum of the thermal printer.
  • Sheet 10 as shown in Fig. 1 may be a rectangular sheet having the standard dimensions of 10" x 12".
  • the image is then printed line-wise with the image lines perpendicular to edge 11, i.e. parallel to edge 12.
  • edge 12 is the short, 10"
  • sheet edge and edge 11 is the long, 12", sheet edge.
  • Fig. 2 shows a first embodiment of a device according to the present invention.
  • a sheet 10 which may be fed from a sheet tray in a thermal printer, is dropped onto two supporting stops 27 and 28.
  • the sheet is now in a first, non-aligned position, which is shown in Fig. 2.
  • To accurately align sheet 10 it is moved from this first non-aligned position to a second aligned position (not shown) wherein the straight edge 11 of sheet 10 contacts two alignment stops 21, 22.
  • sheet 10 contacts the alignment stops 21, 22 in points Q 1 and Q 2 . These two points define an alignment axis 25.
  • sheet 10 is thus aligned with its straight edge 11 with respect to alignment axis 25.
  • sheet 10 In order to obtain an accurately defined position of the aligned sheet 10, only one of the two supporting stops 27, 28 supports sheet 10 in its second aligned position.
  • sheet 10 contacts in its second aligned position the first and second alignment stops 21, 22 and the first supporting stop 27; it does not contact the second supporting stop 28.
  • sheet 10 makes contact with contact element 34 which pushes sheet 10 against the alignment stops 21, 22.
  • Sheet 10 as shown in Fig. 2 is rectangular.
  • alignment axis 25 is vertical.
  • the first supporting stop 27 is positioned higher than the second supporting stop 28, i.e. y 27 > y 28 wherein y 27 and y 28 are the coordinates with respect to vertical axis y of respectively the first alignment stop 27 and the second alignment stop 28. In this way, when sheet 10 contacts the alignment stops 21 and 22, it does not contact the second supporting stop 28.
  • the first supporting stop 27, which supports sheet 10 in its second aligned position is nearer the alignment axis 25 than the second supporting stop 28, i.e. in Fig. 2 distance d 27 ⁇ d 28 . In this way, the second aligned position is more stable than if d 27 > d 28 .
  • Fig. 3 shows another embodiment in accordance with the invention. Contrary to the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, in the embodiment of Fig. 3 the supporting stops 27 and 28 each contact a different edge of sheet 10 in its first non-aligned position: the first supporting stop 27 contacts edge 14 while the second supporting stop 28 contacts edge 13.
  • Sheet 10 is moved to its second aligned position by moving means 30.
  • moving means 30 is shown schematically in Fig. 2; it comprises an electromagnet 31, a resilient element 32 such as a spring, a lever 33 that can pivot around point P and a contact element 34 on lever 33.
  • electromagnet 31 is energized and pulls lever 33, and contact element 34 on lever 33, in the direction of arrow R.
  • Contact element 34 contacts edge 13 of sheet 10 and pushes sheet 10 against alignment stops 21 and 22.
  • Lever 33 is used to increase the stroke of electromagnet 31.
  • An advantage of resilient element 32 is that a given force is applied to edge 13 without enforcing edge 13 to move over a fixed displacement, which would be the case if the resilient element 32 would be omitted.
  • sheet 10 is given a slight touch.
  • This touch may be given by moving means 30.
  • the purpose of this touch is to obtain a good first non-aligned position of sheet 10, since dropping sheet 10 may e.g. have caused the sheet to be not well supported by the supporting stops 27, 28.
  • touching the sheet is accomplished by shortly energizing the electromagnet 31 just before the electromagnet 31 is energized again to move the sheet.
  • the complete cycle of touching and moving sheet 10 may be quite short, e.g. less than 1 second.
  • At least one of the alignment stops 21, 22 is adjustable.
  • alignment stop 21 is adjustable.
  • Point Q 1 is the contact point of alignment stop 21 with sheet 10 in its second aligned position. By rotating alignment stop 21 around its pivot point 24, contact point Q 1 moves towards or away from pivot point 24, since arc 23 on which Q 1 is located is positioned eccentrically with respect to pivot point 24.
  • first and second alignment stops 21, 22 are both part of a single element that contacts sheet 10 in its second aligned position by means of these first and second alignment stops 21, 22.
  • Advantages of a device in accordance with the invention are that it is simple and inexpensive, yet it allows accurate sheet alignment.
  • an image may be printed on the sheet in a thermal printer having a thermal head. It is preferred, as shown in Fig. 2, that the drum axis 45 of the thermal printer is perpendicular to the alignment axis 25.
  • Printing may proceed as follows. The aligned sheet is seized by a transport mechanism in the thermal printer - the transport system may include the thermal head and the drum. Moving means 30 is now switched off; i.e. in the embodiment of Fig. 2 electromagnet 31 is de-energized so that contact element 34 is withdrawn from sheet 10. The image is printed line-wise, while sheet 10 is advanced between the thermal head and the drum. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the image lines are parallel to edge 12 of sheet 10 (after alignment). The image is printed with a small and nearly constant margin that is adjacent to straight edge 11.
  • y represents a vertical axis
  • the alignment axis 25 is vertical and the drum axis 45 is horizontal.
  • a special test image may be written, preferably in the factory during production of the thermal printer. Using measurements of this test image, the alignment device is then adjusted, e.g. by adjusting alignment stop 21 in Fig. 2. In this way, the small margin of the sheet - i.e. margin A in Fig. 1 - will have a nearly constant width. To set the magnitude of the margin width, the position of the thermal head along its axis may be adjusted (the axis of the thermal head is parallel to the drum axis 45).
  • An aligning device as shown in Fig. 2 is used with the following coordinates with respect to axis y:

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Registering Or Overturning Sheets (AREA)
  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Handling Of Sheets (AREA)
  • Discharge By Other Means (AREA)

Claims (9)

  1. Eine Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Bogen (10), wobei der Bogen (10) eine rechte Kante (11) aufweist und die Vorrichtung folgende Elemente umfasst :
    zwei Ausrichtanschläge (21, 22), die eine Ausrichtungsachse (25) definieren,
    einen ersten (27) und einen zweiten (28) Stützanschlag, durch die der Bogen (10) an zumindest einer Kante (13, 14) in einer ersten, nicht ausgerichteten Position des Bogens (10) der Schwerkraft entgegen unterstützt wird,
    ein mit einem Kontaktelement (34) versehenes Verschiebungsmittel (30), das den Bogen (10) von seiner ersten, nicht ausgerichteten Position zu einer zweiten, ausgerichteten Position verschiebt,
    wobei die rechte Kante (11) des Bogens (10) in der zweiten, ausgerichteten Position durch das Kontaktelement (34) gegen die zwei Ausrichtanschläge (21, 22) gedrückt wird,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der erste Stützanschlag (27) an einer Höhenkoordinate (y27), bezogen auf die vertikale Achse (y), angeordnet ist, die zur Höhenkoordinate (Y28) des zweiten Stützanschlags (28), bezogen auf die vertikale Achse (y), unterschiedlich ist, so dass der Bogen in seiner zweiten, ausgerichteten Position nur durch den ersten Stützanschlag (27) und nicht durch den zweiten Stützanschlag (28) unterstützt wird.
  2. Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Abstand (d27) zwischen dem ersten Stützanschlag (27) und der Ausrichtungsachse (25) kleiner ist als der Abstand zwischen dem zweiten Stützanschlag (28) und der Ausrichtungsachse (25).
  3. Vorrichtung nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass zumindest einer (21) der zwei Ausrichtanschläge (21, 22) einstellbar ist.
  4. Vorrichtung nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Verschiebungsmittel (30) ein biegsames Element (32) umfasst.
  5. Ein Thermodrucker mit einer Vorrichtung nach einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche.
  6. Thermodrucker nach Anspruch 5, der ferner folgende Elemente umfasst :
    einen Thermokopf zum zeilenweisen Drucken eines Bildes auf dem Bogen (10) und
    eine Trommel, durch die der Bogen (10) am Thermokopf vorbeigefördert wird,
    dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Trommel eine senkrecht auf die Ausrichtungsachse (25) verlaufende Trommelachse (45) aufweist.
  7. Ein der Reihe nach durch die folgenden Schritte gekennzeichnetes Verfahren zum Ausrichten eines Bogens (10) unter Verwendung der Vorrichtung nach einem der Ansprüche 1 bis 4 :
    a. schwerkraftgemäßes Herunterfallen des Bogens (10),
    b. Unterstützen des Bogens (10) durch den ersten (27) und zweiten (28) Stützanschlag,
    d. Verschieben der rechten Kante (11) des Bogens (10) zu den zwei Ausrichtanschlägen (21, 22) und
    e. Drücken der rechten Kante (11) des Bogens (10) gegen die zwei Ausrichtanschläge (21, 22), wobei der Bogen nur durch den ersten Stützanschlag (27) und nicht durch den zweiten Stützanschlag (28) unterstützt wird.
  8. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, das ferner folgenden Schritt umfasst:
    c. leichtes Berühren des Bogens (10),
    wobei Schritt (c) an Schritt (b) anschließt und Schritt (d) vorangeht.
  9. Ein durch die folgenden Schritte gekennzeichnetes Verfahren zum Drucken eines Bildes auf einem Bogen (10) in einem Thermodrucker unter Verwendung der Vorrichtung nach Anspruch 6 :
    Ausrichten des Bogens (10) nach Anspruch 7 oder Anspruch 8,
    Ergreifen des Bogens (10) durch einen Transportmechanismus,
    Entfernen des Kontaktelements (34) vom Bogen (10) und
    bildmäßiges Erwärmen des Thermokopfes, um das Bild auf dem Bogen (10) zu schreiben.
EP20010000417 2001-09-03 2001-09-03 Methode und Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Blättern nach einer Kante Expired - Lifetime EP1288148B1 (de)

Priority Applications (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE2001609604 DE60109604T2 (de) 2001-09-03 2001-09-03 Methode und Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Blättern nach einer Kante
EP20010000417 EP1288148B1 (de) 2001-09-03 2001-09-03 Methode und Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Blättern nach einer Kante
US10/219,001 US6666451B2 (en) 2001-09-03 2002-08-14 Method and device for aligning sheets
JP2002248518A JP2003118884A (ja) 2001-09-03 2002-08-28 シートを整合する方法とデバイス

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP20010000417 EP1288148B1 (de) 2001-09-03 2001-09-03 Methode und Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Blättern nach einer Kante

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP1288148A1 EP1288148A1 (de) 2003-03-05
EP1288148B1 true EP1288148B1 (de) 2005-03-23

Family

ID=8176060

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP20010000417 Expired - Lifetime EP1288148B1 (de) 2001-09-03 2001-09-03 Methode und Vorrichtung zum Ausrichten von Blättern nach einer Kante

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP1288148B1 (de)
JP (1) JP2003118884A (de)
DE (1) DE60109604T2 (de)

Family Cites Families (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DD141149A1 (de) * 1979-02-19 1980-04-16 Guenter Weisbach Anschlag zum ausrichten von bogen
GB2154518B (en) * 1984-02-10 1988-02-24 Bates W & A Ltd Sheet material e g in tyre manufacture
GB8715014D0 (en) * 1987-06-26 1987-08-05 Xerox Corp Sheet registration apparatus
US4997323A (en) * 1989-06-22 1991-03-05 Armstrong World Industries, Inc. Edge finished resilient tile, method and apparatus
JP2966243B2 (ja) * 1992-07-31 1999-10-25 キヤノン株式会社 シート材給送装置及び画像形成装置
JP3105412B2 (ja) * 1994-11-11 2000-10-30 キヤノン株式会社 シート後処理装置及びこれを備える画像形成装置
GB2307679B (en) * 1995-11-30 1999-10-06 Heidelberger Druckmasch Ag Apparatus for forming a sheet pile e.g. in a delivery of a sheet-fed printing machine
DE69616570T2 (de) * 1996-11-28 2002-06-27 Agfa Gevaert Nv Thermodrucker mit Blattandruckmittel
DE19822307B4 (de) * 1997-07-12 2008-12-24 Heidelberger Druckmaschinen Ag Verfahren zum paßgerechten Ausrichten von Bogen

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE60109604T2 (de) 2006-02-02
JP2003118884A (ja) 2003-04-23
EP1288148A1 (de) 2003-03-05
DE60109604D1 (de) 2005-04-28

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