EP3352140A1 - Guide for strip-shaped connected printproducts - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a tube for the guidance of strip-shaped contiguous printed products, which tube is formed from interconnected, juxtaposed and relatively movable hollow body-shaped individual members which form a matched to the dimensions of the printed products guide channel and seen in the intended direction guide having an inlet end and an outlet end , wherein the inner contour of the inlet end is formed widened with respect to the inner contour of the outlet end.

Description

The present invention relates to a tube for the guidance of strip-shaped contiguous printed products.

Such printed products are used, for example, as tickets for events, public transport, parking garages and the like. Devices for guiding tickets are known in the art. The task of guiding such tickets is, inter alia, to guide the strip-like contiguous tickets from two juxtaposed stores into two feed slots of a processing unit arranged one behind the other. At least one of the two ticket strips must be offset transversely to its longitudinal orientation by about one strip width, which is very difficult due to the stiffness of a paper strip against lateral bending. For example, from the EP 2 763 104 B1 a system for collecting tickets from two ticket containers is known. According to this prior art ticket strips are guided by differently positioned guide slots in the region of two successively arranged feed slots. Other devices for printing and outputting tickets are known, for example from the US 2012/043375 A1 , of the US 2010/044425 A1 such as US 2004/043813 A1 or US 2006/293783 A1 ,

In practice, a prior art is known in which a ticket strip is guided laterally displaced around a cylinder in order to be able to advance two different ticket strips side by side in this way.

Such strip-shaped contiguous printed products usually have separation points at which the width of the strip is suddenly reduced in size, and are stacked for storage in ticket containers lying one above the other (so-called Leporello folding) or they are stored on rolls. Depending on the size of the ticket container results in the Leporello folding a folding kink all 1 to n tickets. The kinks and separation points are predetermined kinks, so ticket strips are particularly sensitive at this point.

Solutions for the flexible adaptation of ticket guides to the structural conditions in output devices, such. Ticket machines, parking garage entrances, parking machines or hand selling facilities are not known. However, the output devices always offer different space or storage areas for supplies and ticket guides, so that adaptation options are sought.

Based on the above-described prior art, the present invention seeks to provide a guide of strip-shaped contiguous printed products, which allows flexible adaptation to the structural conditions, without fostering disturbances by tilting or tapping printed products.

For technical solution to this problem is proposed by the invention, a pipe for the guidance of strip-shaped contiguous printed products with the features of claim 1. Further advantages and features emerge from the dependent claims.

According to the invention, it is provided to construct the tube from individual members which can be connected to one another. Each individual member is hollow body-shaped, and interconnected, interconnected individual members are movable relative to each other, i. rotatable, pivotable and the like. The individual members form by juxtaposition of the hollow areas a guide channel for the strip-shaped contiguous printed products. Each individual member is designed so that it has an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inner contour of the inlet end opposite the inner contour of the outlet end is formed widened. The entrance end is that opening of a single member according to the invention, through which the strip-shaped contiguous printed product moves into the single member as intended. The outlet end is that opening of a single member according to the invention, through which the strip-shaped contiguous printed product is intended to move out of the individual member.

By this embodiment of the invention interconnected individual members can be moved relative to each other, wherein the clear opening at the outlet end of a single member always leads into the clear opening at the inlet end of the subsequent single member that the guide channel is not by housing edges of the subsequent single member is blocked. In this way it is ensured that the guide channel in the transition region between two individual members is always free and continuous, so that there is no possibility for snagging or tapping carried strip-shaped printed products. A subsequent single member is the one which is arranged in the intended direction of movement of the strip-shaped contiguous printed product after an at least first individual member.

Advantageously, the passage opening of a single member is funnel-shaped. As a result, the expansion at the inlet end opposite the outlet end is realized.

Interconnected individual members are rotatable about at least one axis relative to each other; In a preferred embodiment, interconnected individual members are rotatable relative to each other about at least two mutually perpendicular axes. The rotational movement of two interconnected individual members about the axis in the longitudinal direction of the guide channel is limited according to an advantageous proposal of the invention such that the clear outlet opening of the first individual member is projected onto the clear inlet opening of the subsequent individual member. Thus, the free passage area at the entrance of the subsequent individual member is at least equal in area and of the same contour as the passage area at the outlet of the first individual member. This ensures that the guide channel formed by a plurality of individual members has no contour changes at which the strip-shaped contiguous printed product could get caught by the guide channel during proper movement.

In order to limit the rotational movement of two interconnected individual members about the axis in the longitudinal direction of the guide channel, at least one limiting element for limiting the mobility of two individual members is provided relative to each other according to an advantageous proposal of the invention. Limiting elements may be stop elements and cooperating web / groove elements, cam recesses, stop pins and the like.

The translational mobility of interconnected individual elements may be limited or excluded.

Advantageously, the guide channel is formed as a flat rectangular channel, which is adapted to the dimensions of the printed products. Strip-shaped contiguous tickets, for example, define in cross-section a rectangle that must be formed at least by the guide channel.

For connecting the individual links connecting elements may be formed on the individual members, wherein the guide channel can penetrate through the connecting elements. In addition, however, the individual elements can also be strung, for example, on at least one connecting strand, a wire rope, a chain or the like. Combinations of corresponding connecting strands and connecting members is possible within the scope of the invention.

Advantageously, such a connection can be formed in that, for example, in the region of the outlet end of a single member, a spherical extension is formed, which can be fitted in a ball socket, which can be fitted at the inlet end of the respectively following individual member. In an advantageous manner, the guide channel extends through the spherical extension and through the ball socket.

The individual members are advantageously formed of plastic. However, they can also be wholly or partly made of other materials.

With the invention, a feasible with manageable economic effort solution for guiding strip-shaped printed products in output devices is provided, which is very flexible adaptable to the structural conditions of the respective devices and a guidance of the printed products around curves and turns allows by providing rotational degrees of freedom between the individual members ,

Fig. 1

eine perspektivische Ansicht für ein Ausführungsbeispiel für ein Einzelglied gemäß der Erfindung mit Sicht auf das Austrittsende;

Fig. 2

eine perspektivische Ansicht des Einzelgliedes gemäß Fig. 1 mit Sicht auf das Eintrittsende;

Fig. 3a

eine Draufsicht auf das Einzelglied gemäß Fig. 1 von oben;

Fig. 3b

eine Ansicht gemäß Fig. 1 mit Sicht auf das Eintrittsende;

Fig. 3c

eine Ansicht des Einzelgliedes gemäß Fig. 1 von unten; und

Fig. 4

eine perspektivische Ansicht eines Ausführungsbeispiels für ein erfindungsgemäßes Rohr gebildet aus Einzelgliedern gemäß Fig. 1.

Further advantages and features will become apparent from the following description with reference to FIGS. Showing:

Fig. 1

a perspective view of an embodiment of a single member according to the invention with a view of the outlet end;

Fig. 2

a perspective view of the single member according to Fig. 1 with view of the entrance end;

Fig. 3a

a plan view of the single member according to Fig. 1 from above;

Fig. 3b

a view according to Fig. 1 with view of the entrance end;

Fig. 3c

a view of the individual member according to Fig. 1 from underneath; and

Fig. 4

a perspective view of an embodiment of an inventive tube formed from individual members according to Fig. 1 ,

In the figures, the same elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

According to the figures, the single member 1 is formed from a hollow body 2. This has an outlet end 3 and an inlet end 4, which allow access to the guide channel 5 in the interior of the hollow body 2.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, a single member 1 has a connecting ball 6, which has a channel slot 7, so that the guide channel 5 is also passed through the connecting ball 6. At the entrance end 4 in turn a ball socket 8 is arranged, in which the connecting ball 6 can be used. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a dome 9 is designed for purely technical reasons, so that connecting ball 6 and ball socket 8 can be produced in a simple manner.

On each side a side cap 10 is arranged, which has a depression 11 in the region of the inlet end and a cam 12 in the region of the outlet end. Furthermore, a web 13 is formed on the connecting ball 6, while in turn on the ball socket 8, a groove 14 is arranged.

Furthermore, it is inventively possible that at least one of the side caps 10 is formed without cams and sink but has bore which extends from the region of the inlet end to the region of the outlet end and can be strung by means of several individual links to a connecting strand. This variant is not shown in the figures.

Fig. 4 shows that single links 1 are connected together, in which the respective connecting ball 6 in the ball socket 8, shown in the FIGS. 1 to 3 , is used.

Each individual member is rotatable in this way with respect to the leading and in any direction swiveled. Through the web 13 on the connecting ball 6 and the groove 14 on the ball socket 8, there is a limit to the relative rotatability of two connected individual members 1 to each other about the axis in the longitudinal direction of the guide channel. By arranged in the side caps 10 cam 12 and troughs 11 in turn results in a further restriction of the mobility of two individual members 1 relative to each other.

As Fig. 4 indicates, the outlet ends 3 in each position of two individual members 1 relative to the inlet ends 4 are oriented so that the guide channel 5 passes from a single member into the other, without being interrupted by an edge of the hollow body 2 of the subsequent single member 1. The inlet ends 4 are designed widened with respect to the outlet ends 3.

In this way, a tube 15 is provided, through which strip-shaped continuous printed products can be performed, although it has curvatures. The tube is arbitrarily flexible adaptable to the particular installation situation and beyond shortened or extendable by simply removing or applying individual members 1.

The described embodiments are illustrative only and not limiting.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

Single link

2

hollow body

3

exit end

4

entry end

5

guide channel

6

connecting ball

7

channel slot

8th

ball socket

9

cathedral

10

side cap

11

depression

12

cam

13

web

14

groove

15

pipe

Claims (10)

Pipe for the guidance of strip-shaped contiguous printed products, which tube is formed from interconnected, juxtaposed and relatively movable hollow body-shaped individual members which form a matched to the dimensions of the printed products guide channel and seen in the intended direction guide having an inlet end and an outlet end, wherein the inner contour the inlet end is formed widened relative to the inner contour of the outlet end. Pipe according to claim 1, characterized in that the passage opening of the individual members is funnel-shaped. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that interconnected individual members are rotatable relative to each other about at least one axis. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an at least one limiting element on each individual member for limiting the mobility of two individual members relative to each other. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the guide channel is formed as a flat rectangular guide channel. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual members are lined up on at least one connecting strand. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual members are articulated to each other by connecting elements. Pipe according to claim 7, characterized in that the guide channel extends through the connecting elements. Pipe according to one of claims 7 or 8, characterized in that the individual members have at one end a ball joint-shaped connecting element and at the opposite end a ball socket element. Pipe according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the individual members are formed from plastic.

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