EP1637343A1 - Process for binding a sheet block in a cover and binding device to execute the process - Google Patents

Abstract

In a process to bind a sheaf of documents within a single cover (20), the documents are placed with front and rear covers into a hot press with a fusion-glue spine, where they are heated and pressed. The heat applied causes permanent deformation of the cover transition line with the spine. Also claimed is a commensurate binding press.

Description

The invention relates to a method for incorporating a stack of sheets in a cover having a Einbandrücken with an existing on the inside of the adhesive strip, wherein the sheet stack is inserted into the cover so that the end face comes into contact with the adhesive strip, after which the cover with the Sheet stack pressed together by means of a pressing device and in this state an adhesive bond between the spine back and stack of sheets is made. The invention further relates to a binding device for binding a stack of sheets in a cover with a binding back and an adhesive strip present on its inside, the binding device having a pressing device for compressing the cover and the stack of sheets.

For some time now, it has been known to produce company brochures, balance sheets, marketing documents or the like by incorporating the sheet stack reproducing the contents into a cover consisting of a spine and adjoining cover. For this purpose points the cover back on the inside of an adhesive strip of hot melt adhesive. For binding, the combination of sheet stack and cover is set in a trained as an office device binding device and the Einbandrükken heated so much that the hot melt adhesive strips plasticized and the adjacent end edges of the sheet stack sink into the hot melt adhesive strip. After removing the combination, the hot melt adhesive strip will cool and thereby form a firm bond between the sheet stack and the cover.

Such covers are known for example from US 3,437,506, DE-PS-25 28 225, US 4,244,069, U 4,289,330, EP 0 140 197 B1 and GB 2 186 526 A. Binding devices suitable for incorporation can be found in DE-AS-22 56 259, US-RE.28,758, US 3,973,787, US 4,129,471, US 4,141,100, DE 38 05 996 C2 and EP 0 581 394 B1. All binding devices are designed so that the combination of sheet stack and cover are inserted into an upwardly open Einstellschacht such that the outside of the cover back shows down. The binding back is placed on a bottom of the adjusting shaft heating plate and heated by this.

So that the combination maintains its vertical position, the binding device has a pressing device which compresses the combination and holds it in the upright position. The pressing device is usually designed so that of the setting shaft limiting side walls at least one is displaceably guided relative to the other, so that the width of the Einstellschachtes changed and the combination between the two side walls can be kept pressed.

In the method according to US 3,973,787 bindings are used in which the binding back and also the adhesive strip are wider than the adjoining end face of the designated sheet stack. For binding, the combination of sheet stack and cover is inserted into the adjustment shaft of a binding device, in which both side walls are movable relative to each other for the purpose of abutment against the outsides of the cover lids. At the lower ends of the side walls near the heating plate in each case a roller is arranged, which are suspended resiliently on the side walls. When the combination is being pressed, these rollers first come into abutment against the outer sides of the cover lids, thus ensuring that the outer sides of the lane stack are in good contact with the adhesive strip. The cover is pressed against the outer sides of the sheet stack. Only then do the side walls of the adjustment shaft attach to the outsides of the cover lids.

The known binding methods, which are carried out using the binders and binders mentioned in the documents, have the disadvantage that the adhesive bond is not as strong as is required, at least for higher demands. Because these procedures produce brochures that are common Representative character, it is essential that the leaflets do not fall apart even after repeated use.

To solve this problem is proposed by the older German patent application 103 21 419.4 or the corresponding European patent application 04 009 053.2 proposed that the pressing device for compressing the sheet stack during pressing a line pressure either directly on the stack of sheets or from the outside on the cover and exercises This results in a fanning out of the cover back opposite end face of the sheet stack is achieved. In contrast to the previously known method (US Pat. No. 4,141,100), a fanning out of the sheet stack is achieved here by means of a line pressure exerted by the pressing device either directly on the sheet stack or on the combination of sheet stack and binding. By correspondingly strong line pressure exerting such a fanning can be effected that a plasticized by heat or a pressure-sensitive adhesive strip penetrates into the interstices between the individual sheets and in this way a hitherto unknown strength of the connection between binder spine and stack of sheets is obtained. The fanning by appropriate adjustment of the line pressure can be designed so that the width of the end face of the sheet stack is greater than the thickness of the sheet stack in the non-compressed area, ie in the area which - Seen from the back of the binding - beyond the line pressure application lies.

The disclosed in German Patent Application 103 21 419.4 device has been improved in the meantime by a further invention, which is the subject of the also not previously published German patent application 10 2004 037 806.1 or European patent application 04 009 053.2. In this binding device, the combination of cover and stack of sheets is set obliquely from above into a Einstellschacht with the cover back down and placed on a plate. The plate is movably guided in the direction of the end face of the sheet stack from a starting position. After clamping the combination of cover and stack of sheets and thus during the exercise of the line pressure, the plate is moved in the direction of the end side of the sheet stack and thereby pressed the spine back with the adhesive strip to the stack of sheets.

WO 01/62512 A2 discloses a binding device in which a combination of sheet stack and cover with the back of the cover is inserted at the bottom into a setting shaft and then fixed above the back of the cover by means of clamping strips (compare the exemplary embodiments according to Figures 15E and 15F) and the description on page 13, line 6 to page 14, line 6). This should make it possible to use adhesive strips which are wider than the thickness of the sheet stack. This in turn is supposed to better wetting the outer Create pages of the sheet stack and also give space for the inflow of excess adhesive. The CH 364 242 and the CH 333 541 disclose binding devices with terminal strips, which fix the cover above the cover back by pinching.

In order for the sheet stack and binding to form a compact and durable unit after incorporation, it is necessary that the spine width be closely matched to the thickness of the sheet stack. This, in turn, makes it necessary to have a large number of covers with different cover heel widths available for sheet sets of different thicknesses. This is costly for the manufacturer of covers and cumbersome for the user and - because of the number of bindings - space consuming. In addition, there is the danger that a particular sheet stack is assigned a mismatched cover and it comes to faulty bindings.

The invention has for its object to provide a method that significantly reduces the cost of holding covers of different cover spine width. Another object is to design a device suitable for this purpose.

The first object is achieved in that the pressing device compresses the cover in such a way and thereby heated so that the cover is permanently deformed. The basic idea of the invention is thus to increase the binding by the action of pressure and heat deform that he - starting from the back cover - adapts to the thickness of the sheet stack to be incorporated. In this way, bindings can be used for a particular stack of sheets, the Einbandrücken is much wider than the sheet stack to be incorporated, so that sheet stack can be connected within a much larger Dikkenbereichs. In relation to a specific thickness range, this results in a significantly smaller number of covers with different cover back widths, ie with a considerably smaller number of different covers, the relevant thickness spectrum is completely covered. For the manufacturer, this results in larger quantities, while the user only has to acquire a few different binding spine in order to cover the thickness spectrum of sheet stacks that accumulates in each case. Overall, this results in both the manufacturer and trade as well as the users significant benefits. In addition, the risk of incorrect connections is significantly reduced.

In an embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the pressing device exerts a line pressure on both sides of the binding parallel to and at a distance from the binding spine and the cover is heated via the line pressure, the heating preferably taking place exclusively via the line pressure application. It has proven to be advantageous that the cover is applied at a distance of 0.5 to 2 cm from the back cover with the line pressure, and expediently by belonging to the pressing device, protruding pressing strips.

According to a further feature of the invention it is proposed that the binding back and the end face of the sheet stack are pressed against each other in the manufacture of the adhesive bond with an additionally applied compressive force. As a result, the adhesive strip is pressed against the stack of sheets, whereby the adhesive passes between the leaves of the sheet stack. The compressive force should be applied to the back of the cover from the outside. This can be done over a wide area, for example by moving a plate in the direction of the end face of the stack of sheets while the binding is clamped. Alternatively, it is possible to apply the pressure force linearly progressively, for example by a roller or the like.

The inventive method is particularly suitable for covers in which an adhesive strip of a pressure-sensitive adhesive or a hot melt adhesive is used. In the latter case, it is more convenient to heat the hot melt adhesive to plasticizing temperature by heating the above-described plate through the spine. Thus, the plate has a dual function in terms of pressure on the one hand and heating on the other. Preferably, an adhesive strip should be used whose width is at least 1.2 times the thickness of the sheet stack in the unmolded state to ensure that the outer leaves of the leaf stack are also involved.

It is understood that it is also in the above-described method is advantageous if the sheet stack is fanned by the compression so that the width of the end face of the sheet stack is greater than the thickness of the sheet stack in the non-compressed area. This is effected in particular by the line pressure application already described above.

The second part of the object is achieved in that the pressing means comprises heaters for heating the cover on both sides, preferably in such a way that two relative to each other and against each other movable pressing bars are provided which are attached to holding elements such that they have a gegeüber the holding elements projecting position also hold when pressing the cover and which are heated by the heater. Due to the linear heating of the moisture content in the cover is locally reduced and thereby achieved a permanent shaping in the sense that the cover cover then lie flat against the two flat sides of the sheet stack, regardless of the width of the cover spine.

According to a further feature of the invention it is provided that the binding device has a Einstellschacht with Einstellöffnung, which is bounded on the inside by a support for the binding spine, wherein the pressing bars are arranged at a distance of 0.5 to 3 cm for support. In this way, the cover is wider than the sheet stack only in the immediately adjacent area to the binding spine.

It is further provided according to the invention that the binding device has a pressure device for the pressing of the cover back on the sheet stack in its compression. The pressing device may for example be a can be applied against the outside of the cover back press punches, which in turn is designed either as a roll over the cover spine press roll or as on the cover back surface aufdrückbare press plate. The latter is then movable between a starting position and an offset in the direction of a setting opening for setting a cover pressing position, preferably displaceable perpendicular to its pressing surface.

The insertion opening is - as is known - expediently open to the side, obliquely or vertically upwards. The pressure plate should be reciprocated via a drive motor between the starting position and the pressing position. If the connection between cover and stack of sheets is to be stopped by means of a hotmelt adhesive, it is advantageous if the press plate is simultaneously provided with a heating device for plasticizing the adhesive strip.

There is the possibility that both pressing bars are guided in such a manner that they can be moved relative to one another when the sheet stack is being pressed. A simpler solution, however, is that the one pressing bar device fixed and the other pressing bar is slidably mounted in the direction of a pressing bar and away from this again. In this case, the movable pressing bar should be driven by a drive motor, for example an electric motor.

It is understood that the binding device comprises a control device, via which the drive motor for the pressure plate and the drive motor for the pressing bar or the pressing bars are controllable such that after setting the combination of cover and stack of sheets first the pressing bar (s) moved together and then the press plate is placed in the pressed position. In this way, it is ensured that the combination of cover and stack of sheets is first fixed after setting in the setting shaft before the press plate is brought into the pressing position.

Figur 1

die erfindungsgemäße Bindevorrichtung in einer perspektivischen Ansicht;

Figur 2

einen vertikalen Querschnitt durch die Bindevorrichtung gemäß Figur 1;

Figur 3

die stirnseitige Ansicht eines Einbands mit Blattstapel vor dem Bindevorgang und

Figur 4

die Ansicht gemäß Figur 3 beim Bindevorgang.

In the drawing, the invention with reference to an embodiment is illustrated in more detail. Show it:

FIG. 1

the binding device according to the invention in a perspective view;

FIG. 2

a vertical cross section through the binding device according to Figure 1;

FIG. 3

the frontal view of a cover with stack of sheets before the binding process and

FIG. 4

the view of Figure 3 during the binding process.

The binding device 1 shown in the figures comprises a housing 2 which is formed from a lower, in elevation rectangular bracket 3 and two side plates 4, 5, which are perpendicular to the two short end sides of the bracket 3 and therefore parallel to each other. The side plates 4, 5 are rigidly connected to the console 3, for example by screwing or welding.

Hiss the two side plates 4, 5 extends a pressure plate 6, which is held in a holder 7, which is guided laterally. The holder 7 is seated on the free end of a spindle drive 8, which is connected to an electric motor 9. The electric motor 9 is seated in a recess 10 of the console 3 and is held there firmly. Via the spindle drive 8, the pressure plate 6 between a starting position (shown here) and a raised pressing position according to the double arrow A reciprocated, i. perpendicular to its pressing surface 11. This is slightly inclined with respect to the vertical.

Above the pressing plate 6, a rod 12 is arranged, which extends parallel to the pressing plate 6 and between the two side plates 4, 5 is firmly clamped. The rod 12 forms a cross-sectionally triangular pressing bar 13, which extends along the rod 12 above and parallel to the pressing plate 6. Opposite the rod 12, a Preßschlitten 14 is provided, the rod 12 opposite end side also forms a pressing bar 15. Both pressing strips 13, 15 extend over the entire length of the pressing plate 6 and lie in a plane which extends parallel to the pressing surface 11 of the pressing plate 6. In this plane and the Preßschlitten 14 is guided according to the double arrow B movable. The pressing bars 13, 15 are each provided with an electrical resistance heating, which extend over the entire length of the pressing bars 13, 15.

The Preßschlitten 14 sits on a Preßschlittenbasis 16, which is firmly clamped between the side plates 4, 5 and is bent at its rear end upwards. The press carriage 14 has at the bottom in the region of a recess of the Preßschlittenbasis 16 a rack (not visible), which meshes with a gear 17 which is rotatably mounted below the Preßschlittenbasis 16 about a parallel to the pressing bars 13, 15 extending axis. The gear 17 is connected via a gear not shown here with a drive motor 18 which is disposed between the side plates 4, 5 and supported on a corresponding, not shown in detail here carrier.

Figure 3 shows the front side a combination 19 of a cover 20 and a sheet stack 21 set therein, which is to be connected to the cover 20. The sheet stack 21 may have, for example, DIN A 4 format and consists of a plurality of congruent superimposed single sheets.

The cover 20 is composed of cover lids 22, 23, a binding back 24 connecting them at the bottom and a hot melt adhesive strip 25 applied to the inside of the cover back 24. In FIG. 3, the sheet stack 21 rests with its bottom end face on the hot melt adhesive strip 25. This is - like the Einbandrücken 24 - formed substantially wider than the thickness of the sheet stack 21st

As can be seen again from FIGS. 1 and 2, the pressing plate 6, the rod 12 and the press carriage 14 form an adjusting shaft 26, into which the cover 20 according to FIG. 3 can be inserted obliquely from above, with the sheet stack 21 inserted. This is done - as in the known in the art binding devices - in such a way that the combination 19 of cover 20 and sheet stack 21 is set with the Einbandrücken 24 at the bottom in the Einstellschacht 26 such that the binding back 24 flat against the pressing surface eleventh comes to the plant. After adjustment, the binding process is initiated by first actuating the drive motor 18. This can, for example, automatically by a light barrier, the insertion of the combination 19 from cover 20 and sheet stack 21 is crossed, or be effected by pressing an operating button. The drive motor 18 is set in such a rotational movement that the Preßschlitten 14 is moved in the direction of the rod 12. This has the consequence that the combination 19 of sheet stack 20 and cover 21 between the pressing bars 13, 15 is clamped about 8 mm above the pressing surface 11, and so strong that the sheet stack 21 is fanned on the opposite side of the adhesive strip, so that the sheet stack 21 at this end face has a greater width than above the pressing bars 13, 15, that is, where it is not pressed.

This situation can be seen schematically from FIG. It can be seen that the pressing bars 13, 15, the cover cover 22, 23 press against the sheet stack 21 and thereby the fanning of the individual sheets of the sheet stack 21 is effected. By heating the pressing bars 13, 14, the cover cover 22, 23 linearly and locally limited strongly heated, so that in the region of the pressing bars 13, 15 permanent folds arise, of which the cover cover 22, 23 parallel to the sheet stack and extend close to this, while they diverge below these folds.

After clamping the combination 19 of cover 20 and sheet stack 21 between the pressing bars 13, 15, the electric motor 9 is driven in such a way that the pressing plate 6 in the direction of the pressing bars 13, 15 raised becomes. As a result, the binding back 24 is pressed with the adhesive strip 25 firmly against the opposite end face of the sheet stack 21. The undersides of the rod 12 and the press slide 14 serve as a stop for the press plate. 6

The pressure plate 6 is provided with a heating device in the form of an electrical resistance heating, so that not only covers with a pressure-sensitive adhesive strip on the inside of the cover back, but also covers 20 can be used for the binding process, the Einbandrücken 24 are provided on the inside with a hot melt adhesive strip 25 , The control of the heater can be done in a conventional manner, i. When the binding device 1 is switched on, the heating device is also switched on. After sufficient heating of the cover back 24 and its pressing against the sheet stack 21 of the Preßschlitten 14 is moved back to its initial position shown, so that the combination 19 of cover 20 and sheet stack 21 are removed and can be parked on a cooling stand standing. At the same time, the heater in the press plate 6 is either switched off or switched to a stand-by mode, if several Einbindevorgänge to be performed in a row.

It is understood that the Einstellschacht 26 may be extended upwards, for example, by one of the rod 12 perpendicular to the pressing surface 11 high Support plate. In this way, it is not necessary that the combination 19 of cover 20 and sheet stack 21 is held until pinching by hand. In addition, it is avoided by such an extension of the adjusting shaft 26 that this combination falls out after retraction of the press carriage 14 to its original position from the binding device 1.

Claims (25)

A method of incorporating a stack of sheets (21) into a cover (20) having a spine (24) with an adhesive strip (25) disposed on the inside thereof, the sheet stack (21) being inserted into the cover (20) so that whose front side comes into contact with the adhesive strip (25), after which the cover (20) with the sheet stack (21) by means of a pressing device (12, 14) pressed together and in this state an adhesive bond between the spine (24) and sheet stack (21) is, characterized in that the pressing means (12, 14) compresses the cover (20) in such a way and heated in such a way that the cover (20) is permanently deformed. Method according to Claim 1, characterized in that the pressing device (12, 14) exerts a line pressure on both sides of the cover (20) parallel to and at a distance from the back cover (24) and the cover (20) is also heated via the line pressure. A method according to claim 2, characterized in that the cover (21) at a distance of 0.5 to 2 cm from the back cover (24) is subjected to line pressure. Method according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that line pressure is applied to the cover (20) by protruding pressing strips (13, 15) belonging to the pressing device (12, 14). Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the binder back (24) and the end face of the sheet stack (21) are pressed against each other in producing the adhesive bond with an additionally applied compressive force. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the compressive force is applied externally to the spine (24). A method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the compressive force is applied flat. A method according to claim 7, characterized in that the binding back (24) is pressed against the binding (20) clamped by movement of a plate (6) in the direction of the end face of the sheet stack (21). A method according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the compressive force is applied linearly progressively. Method according to one of Claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a binder spine (24) with an adhesive strip (25) made of hot-melt adhesive is used and this adhesive strip (25) is heated to a plasticizing temperature when the sheet stack (21) is compressed. Method according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that a spine back is used with an adhesive strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive and this adhesive strip is pressed against it with the stack of sheets pressed together. Method according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that an adhesive strip (25) is used whose width corresponds to at least 1.2 times the thickness of the sheet stack (21) in the unpressed state. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheet stack (21) is fanned by the compression such that the width of the end face of the sheet stack (21) is greater than the thickness of the sheet stack (21) in the non-compressed area. Binding device (1) for binding a stack of sheets (21) into a cover (20) with a spine (24) and an adhesive strip (25) present on its inside, wherein the binding device (1) comprises pressing means (12, 14) for compressing the cover Binding (20) and the sheet stack (21), characterized in that the pressing device (12, 14) has heating means for heating both sides of the cover (20). Binding device according to Claim 14, characterized in that the pressing device (12, 14) has two pressing strips (13, 15) which can be moved relative to one another and which are attached to retaining elements in such a way that they also have a position protruding from the retaining elements during the pressing of the binding (20) are held and which are heated by the heating device. Binding device according to claim 15, characterized in that the pressing strips (13, 15) are rigidly fastened to the holding elements. Binding device according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the binding device (1) has an adjustment shaft (26) with an adjustment opening, which is bounded on the inside by a support (11), wherein the pressing strips (13, 15) are spaced 0.5 are arranged to 3 cm to the support (11). Binding device according to one of claims 13 to 17, characterized in that the binding device (1) has a pressing device (6) for pressing the cover back (24) against the sheet stack (21) during its pressing. Binding device according to Claim 18, characterized in that the pressing device (6) has a pressing ram (11) which can be placed against the outside of the cover back (24). Binding device according to Claim 18, characterized in that the press ram is designed as a press roll which can be unrolled over the back of the cover. Binding device according to claim 19, characterized in that the press ram is designed as a press plate (6) which can be pressed flat on the cover strip (24) and which is movable between a starting position and a pressing position offset in the direction of an adjusting opening for setting a cover (20) , Binding device according to claim 21, characterized in that the pressing plate (6) is displaceably mounted perpendicular to its pressing surface (11). Binding device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that the insertion opening to the side, is open obliquely upwards or vertically upwards. Binding device according to one of Claims 21 to 23, characterized in that the pressing plate (6) can be moved back and forth between the starting position and the pressing position by means of a drive motor (9). Binding device according to one of Claims 21 to 24, characterized in that the pressing plate (6) is provided with a heating device for plasticizing the adhesive strip.

Images