JP2006008265A - Folding device and printing system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a folding device capable of preventing a continuous paper sheet from being detached from pin tractors even when the continuous paper sheet is contracted in the width direction and the interval of feed holes in both ends of the continuous paper sheet is deviated from the pin interval of a pair of pin tractors. <P>SOLUTION: The folding device has a pair of pin tractors 1 to convey a continuous paper sheet P having feed holes in both ends. The maximum interval of the pair of pin tractors is variable according to the width of the continuous paper sheet, and at least one of the pair of pin tractors is movable in the width direction of the continuous paper sheet according to the contraction of the continuous paper sheet in the width direction. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a folding device that folds a continuous sheet in a zigzag shape along a fold, and a printing system having the folding device.

  In a printing apparatus such as a printer or a printing machine that prints on a continuous sheet in which a crease is provided in advance at a predetermined interval in the sheet conveyance direction, the printed continuous sheet is often folded again using a folding device. ing. In the present specification, the above-described predetermined interval is referred to as a top / bottom length.

  In particular, when the printing apparatus is an electrophotographic printer, the paper is often heated and pressurized in the fixing process, and the continuous paper expands and contracts due to this heating and pressurization, and this expansion and contraction causes wrinkles and tension. There is. In addition, the paper stiffness may increase due to evaporation of water in the paper, which may make it difficult to fold continuous paper, and such a folding device is often used.

  In general, a folding device includes a conveying member that conveys continuous paper, a swinger fin that conveys continuous paper into the inside thereof and swings in a pendulum manner in synchronization with the crease at one end thereof, and a fold of the continuous paper conveyed to the swinger fin. In many cases, it is composed of a paddle member that presses a portion, a table on which folded continuous paper is placed, a jam detection sensor that monitors the continuous paper being folded on the table and detects a folded jam. The folding jam here refers to a state in which a continuous sheet is folded or bent at a portion other than a fold provided in advance, or a state in which a folding failure occurs in a part of a fold called a so-called tenting.

  Further, the continuous sheet conveyance speed in the folding apparatus is usually set faster than the continuous sheet conveyance speed in the printing apparatus. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 5, a slack of continuous paper is created between the printing device and the folding device, the magnitude of the slack is monitored by one buffer sensor, and when the slack increases, the folding device performs the folding operation, and the slack is When it becomes smaller, the folding operation is stopped, the folding operation is intermittently performed, and the continuous sheet is normally folded while continuously printing with the printing apparatus.

JP 2003-246550 A

  In the conventional folding device, when the continuous paper has feed holes at both ends thereof, the continuous paper is removed from the conveying member of the folding device due to the shrinkage of the continuous paper caused by heating or pressurization in the fixing process of the printing device. In some cases, the conveyance failure of continuous paper and the folding failure due to the conveyance failure may occur.

  Usually, a pair of pin tractors is used as the conveying member of the folding device, and the distance between the pair of pin tractors is fixed according to the width of the continuous paper, and the feed holes at both ends of the continuous paper and the pins of these pin tractors are connected. Many are configured to convey continuous paper by fitting.

  However, when the continuous paper shrinks in the width direction, the distance between the feed holes at both ends of the continuous paper becomes smaller than the distance between the pins of the pair of pin tractors due to the shrinkage, and the pins are removed from the feed holes, resulting in a conveyance failure. was there. In particular, thin continuous paper is more likely to contract due to large shrinkage. In addition, the thinness said by this specification means the continuous paper of about 64 g / square meter or less basic weight.

  Further, when the printing apparatus has a fixing process by the flash fixing apparatus, there may be more conveyance failures due to the shrinkage of the continuous paper. In the flash fixing method, the portion of the continuous paper where the toner is placed absorbs more flash energy than the portion where there is no toner. This is because the shrinkage degree in the width direction often varies when viewed in the longitudinal direction of the continuous paper.

  Further, the conventional folding apparatus performs the folding operation by the intermittent operation as described above, and the folding operation often occurs at the start of the folding operation in the intermittent operation. Occurrence of the folding failure at the start of the folding operation may occur more frequently when the continuous paper is thin or when the printing apparatus has a fixing process using a flash fixing method.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide at least one pin tractor even if the continuous paper contracts in the width direction and the gap between the feed holes at both ends of the continuous paper and the pin interval between the pair of pin tractors shift. To provide a folding device in which the continuous paper is not detached from the pin tractor by being provided to be movable following the shrinkage of the continuous paper. A spring member is provided on one of the pin tractors of the folding device, and the continuous paper is shrunk. Following this, the pin tractor can be moved in the width direction of the continuous paper, thereby preventing the continuous paper from coming off the pin tractor.

  The purpose of claims 4 to 6 of the present invention is to detect the amount of sag of continuous paper by arranging a plurality of sensors for detecting the amount of sag of continuous paper at different heights from the floor surface, and to fold the apparatus according to the amount of sag. An object of the present invention is to provide a folding device that suppresses the occurrence of a folding failure at the start of folding by changing the folding speed of the folding device without folding the folding device. Further, the folding speed of the folding device can be easily changed by changing the clock frequency of the control board of the folding device.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, in an embodiment of the present invention, a folding device that has a pair of pin tractors for conveying continuous paper having feed holes at both ends and folds the continuous paper, the pair of pin tractors At least one of the folding devices is provided so as to be movable in the width direction of the continuous paper according to contraction in the width direction of the continuous paper.

  In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a folding device characterized in that the maximum distance between the pair of pin tractors can be changed according to the width of the continuous paper.

  Further, in a further preferred aspect of the present invention, there is provided a restricting member for restricting a maximum distance between the pair of pin tractors, and at least one of the pair of pin tractors is attached to the restricting member by a spring member. There is provided a folding device characterized in that it is abutted against each other.

  According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a folding device for folding continuous paper having creases provided at predetermined intervals in advance, and a plurality of sensors for detecting the amount of sag of the continuous paper folded by the folding device. There is provided a folding device characterized in that the folding speed of the continuous paper is variable according to the amount of sag.

  In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of sensors optically detect the continuous paper, and the plurality of sensors are arranged at different heights from the floor surface. A folding device is provided.

  In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a folding device characterized in that the folding speed of the folding device is made variable by changing the clock frequency of the control board of the folding device.

  In still another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a printing system having at least an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image on continuous paper and the folding device.

  In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a printing system is provided in which the image forming apparatus includes a heat fixing device.

  According to still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a printing system characterized in that the heat fixing device is of a flash fixing system.

  In still another preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a folding device or a printing system, wherein the continuous paper is a continuous paper having a basis weight of 64 g / square meter or less.

  According to the first to third aspects of the present invention, since the pin tractor is movable in the width direction, the continuous paper can be conveyed by the pin tractor even if the width of the continuous paper is changed. Also, by providing a spring member on the pin tractor restricting member, the continuous paper can be removed from the pin tractor because the pin tractor moves in the width direction according to the amount of shrinkage of the continuous paper even when the continuous paper shrinks at the fixing unit. Can be suppressed.

  According to the fourth to sixth and eighth aspects of the present invention, the folding speed is made variable by arranging a plurality of sensors for detecting the amount of slack of the continuous paper at different heights from the floor surface, and the folding device does not operate intermittently. Thus, stable foldability can be obtained.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, it is possible to suppress the flapping of the continuous paper and reliably draw the continuous paper to a detectable position of a sensor that detects the amount of looseness of the continuous paper.

Embodiment examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a side sectional view of a folding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, a continuous paper P is folded, S is a folding device, and 1 is a pin tractor as a conveying member for conveying the continuous paper P. The continuous paper P is conveyed at a constant speed in the direction of arrow A in the figure.

  Details of the periphery of the pin tractor 1 are shown in FIG. The pin tractor 1 is composed of a pair of pin tractor units 1a and 1b located at both ends in the paper width direction. The feed holes 26 at both ends of the continuous paper P and the pins 25 on the pin belts 24 of the pair of pin tractor units 1a and 1b arranged at both ends of the continuous paper P are fitted to each other, thereby pin tractor units 1a and 1b. Continuous paper P is set on top. The pin tractor units 1 a and 1 b are inserted into a common support shaft 20 and drive shaft 21, and are supported by the support shaft 20 and drive shaft 21. When the drive shaft 21 is rotationally driven by a drive source and drive mechanism (not shown), the pin belt 24 rotates and the continuous paper P is conveyed in the direction of arrow A in the figure.

  The pin tractor unit 1a is supported so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 20 and the drive shaft 21 (that is, the width direction of the continuous paper P). And is in contact with the E-type retaining ring 22. The pin tractor unit 1b is also supported so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 22 and the support shaft 23, and can be fixed at an arbitrary position in the longitudinal direction according to the width of the continuous paper P.

  When the pin tractor unit 1b is fixed at any position in the longitudinal direction of the support shaft 20 and the drive shaft 21, the maximum distance between the pin tractor units 1a and 1b is regulated by the E-type retaining ring 22. That is, the position of the pin tractor unit 1b is adjusted and fixed in accordance with the width of the continuous paper P that is not shrunk in the maximum interval.

  FIG. 9 shows a state in which the continuous paper P is contracted in the width direction. When the continuous paper P contracts in the width direction, the pin tractor unit 1b is fixed to the support shaft 20, so that the pin tractor unit 1a follows the contraction of the continuous paper P against the spring force of the compression coil spring 23. It moves on the support shaft 20 and the drive shaft 21. Therefore, the pin 25 and the feed hole 26 are not disengaged and can be transported even if the continuous paper P contracts.

  As described above, if one side of the pair of pin tractor units is biased by the spring member and positioned by contacting the regulating member, the distance between the pin tractor units can be changed according to the sheet width, and the continuous sheet The pin tractor can be moved following the contraction in the width direction, and the continuous paper can be conveyed without being detached from the pin tractor.

  Reference numeral 2 denotes a swinger fin, which is swung by a driving mechanism (not shown) with the rocking shaft l shown in FIG. 1 as a fulcrum while conveying the continuous paper P therein. That is, at the timing when the fold fold of the continuous paper P comes near the tip of the swinger fin 2, it is at the position of FIG. 2A, and conversely, at the timing when the valley fold fold comes near the tip of the swinger fin, FIG. By swinging to the position shown, this operation is repeated, and the continuous paper P is conveyed while being folded on the table 5 along the original folding direction of the fold.

  The swinger fin 2 is roughly composed of a swinger fin base 2a and a swinger fin guide 2b. The swinger fin guide 2b is detachably fixed to the swinger fin 2a by a swinger fin guide fixing member 2c.

  Reference numeral 3 denotes an intermediate conveyance roller pair that conveys the continuous paper P at the intermediate portion of the swinger fin 2 and includes conveyance rollers 3a and 3b. Reference numeral 4 denotes a pair of transport rollers that transport the continuous paper P at the tip of the swinger fin 2 and includes transport rollers 4a and 4b. Reference numeral 5 denotes a table on which the folded continuous paper P is placed. The table 5 is automatically lowered according to the amount of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5 by a lowering mechanism (not shown). Reference numeral 5a denotes a handle for pulling out the table 5 in the paper take-out direction, and the table 5 can be drawn in the direction of the handle 5a by a slide mechanism (not shown).

  Reference numerals 6 and 7 denote a pair of paddle units constituting a paddle member. The paddle unit 6 includes a paddle rotating shaft 6a, a paddle plate 6b attached to the paddle rotating shaft 6a, and the paddle unit 7 includes a paddle rotating shaft 7a and a paddle plate 7b attached to the paddle rotating shaft 7a. As the paddle plates 6b and 7b, rubber plates having appropriate elasticity are used. The paddle rotation shafts 6a and 7a are respectively driven to rotate in the directions of arrows B and C in the figure by a drive mechanism (not shown), and the paddle plates 6b and 7b press the folds of the continuous paper P in accordance with the rotation operation. ing.

  3 is a paddle interval changing knob 8 for changing the interval between the paddle units 6 and 7. By rotating the paddle interval changing knob 8, the interval between the paddle units 6 and 7 is folded by an interlocking mechanism (not shown). It can be changed and adjusted according to the vertical length of continuous paper. A potentiometer, which is a paddle unit interval detecting member, is connected coaxially with the paddle interval changing knob 8. The rotation angle of the paddle interval changing knob 8 detected by the potentiometer is used to determine the interval between the paddle units 6 and 7, that is, the following. The paddle unit interval detection value can be calculated.

  Reference numeral 101 denotes a jam detection sensor for detecting skew and meandering of the continuous paper P conveyed by the pin tractor 1, and a reflected light type optical sensor is used. Reference numerals 102a, 102b, and 102c denote buffer sensors that detect slack in the continuous paper P discharged from a printing apparatus such as a printer. These are reflected light optical sensors that output the presence or absence of an object (here, continuous paper P) as the on / off voltage based on the presence or absence of reflected light. 103a and 103b are paper surface sensors for monitoring the upper surface of the continuous paper P stacked on the table 5 and maintaining the relative distance between the front end of the swinger fin 2 and the upper surface of the continuous paper P substantially constant. This is an optical sensor.

  FIG. 2 is a view showing the swing of the swinger fin 2 and shows the swing position of the swinger fin 2 when a continuous sheet having the maximum vertical length that can be folded by the folding device S of the present embodiment is folded. 2A shows a stop position when the swinger fin 2 swings to the maximum on the operation panel 11 side and stops. FIG. 2B shows a position where the swinger fin 2 is substantially vertical, and this position is the home position. Or called the home position. FIG. 2C is a diagram showing a stop position when the swinger fin 2 swings to the maximum in the direction opposite to that in FIG. The swinger fin 2 swings substantially symmetrically with the position shown in FIG. 2 (b) as the center. When folding a continuous sheet having a shorter vertical length than the maximum vertical length that can be folded, the swinger fin 2 is swung. In accordance with the top and bottom length, the swinging operation is performed at a swinging angle smaller than those in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (c). Note that the rotational speed and rotational timing of a paddle unit, which will be described later, are also rotationally driven at optimum values according to the top and bottom length.

  In FIG. 3, 10 is a cover, and 11 is an operation panel for displaying and operating the state of the folding device S.

  Next, operation | movement of the folding apparatus S is demonstrated sequentially according to the operation order. First, the autoload operation will be described. When the leading end of the continuous paper P is set on the pin tractor 1 and the auto load button 11b of the operation panel 11 shown in FIG. 4 is pressed in this state, the auto load operation is executed. In this autoloading operation, the swinger fin 2 first stops at the position shown in FIG. 2A regardless of the vertical length of the continuous paper P to be folded. At this position, the bending angle of the continuous paper P when it enters the swinger fin 2 is minimum, and the leading edge of the continuous paper P is smoothly between the swinger fin base 2a and the swinger fin guide 2b. It is suitable to be inserted into. If the swinger fin 2 can swing further to the operation panel side 11 side than FIG. 2A, the swinger fin 2 may be fixed at that position and the autoloading operation may be performed.

  Next, the intermediate conveyance roller pair 3, the conveyance roller pair 4, and the pin tractor 1 are driven, and the continuous paper P is conveyed until the leading edge of the continuous paper P reaches an optimal position for starting a good folding, so-called standby position. To do. The standby position of the continuous paper P is a position where the leading edge of the continuous paper P protrudes from the leading edge of the swinger fin 2 by a certain distance, in this embodiment, 50.8 mm (2 inches). This distance may be changed according to conditions such as the type and thickness of the continuous paper P to be folded.

  Subsequently, the swinger fin 2, the table 5, and the paddle members 6 and 7 are set at the standby position. The swinger fin 2 once swings and stops at the home position shown in FIG. Thereafter, if the first fold of the continuous paper P is a valley fold, it is swung and stopped as a standby position at the position shown in FIG. The standby position is determined in advance for each top and bottom length of the continuous paper P, and is stored in the nonvolatile memory as a top and bottom length table. Further, these optimum positions may be changed according to the type of paper, and a plurality of top and bottom length tables corresponding to the paper type may be created.

  Designation of the folding direction of the first fold of the continuous paper P is performed by the folding direction setting button 11c of the operation panel 11 shown in FIG. The folding direction may be specified before the leading edge of the continuous paper P is set on the pin tractor 1.

  The procedure for moving the table 5 to the standby position is as follows. When at least one of the paper surface sensors 103a and 103b detects the upper surface of the table 5 or the upper surface of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5, both paper surface sensors are placed on the upper surface of the table 5 or on the table 5. The lowering mechanism (not shown) is actuated to lower the table 5 and stop until the position (standby position) where the upper surface of the folded continuous paper P is not detected.

  The standby position of the paddle members 6 and 7 is a position where the paddle plates 6b and 7b are substantially parallel to the table 5, and the rotary shafts 6b and 7b are driven and stopped so as to be in that position. The rotary shafts 6b and 7b are each driven by a pulse motor (not shown), and the paddle members 6 and 7 are set at a predetermined standby position by driving the pulse motor with a predetermined number of pulses.

  Next, the vertical length of the continuous paper P is set. Information related to the top length of the continuous paper includes a top length input value input by the operator from the top length setting button 11e of the operation panel 11, a top length communication value acquired by communication from a printing device such as a printer, and paddle interval detection. There are three types of information on the detection value of the paddle interval by the member. In this embodiment, the operator can select which of the three setting values has priority from three modes.

  First, the first mode is a mode in which priority is given to the top-and-bottom communication value obtained by communication from a printing apparatus such as a printer. In a printing apparatus such as a printer, printing is usually performed for each top and bottom length, and the data to be printed and the operation of the printer are usually controlled in units of top and bottom length. If the top / bottom length setting value of the folding device is always matched with the top / bottom length of the continuous paper printed by the printer, there is an advantage that the operator can save the trouble of inputting and setting the top / bottom length each time in the folding device.

  In this mode, the top / bottom length input from the operation panel 11 of the folding apparatus may be ignored or the input itself may be disabled. If the vertical communication value and the paddle interval detection value are different, a warning is displayed on the operation panel, and the folding operation is performed unless the operator sets the paddle unit interval to be equal to the vertical communication value. The start may not be permitted.

  Next, the second mode is a mode in which the top / bottom length input value input from the operation panel 11 is prioritized. This mode is suitable for the following cases. That is, as described above, a printing apparatus such as a printer normally prints for each top and bottom length, but there are also printing forms called two-sided or multi-sided printing that print two pages per top and bottom. . In such a case, although the top length of the continuous paper P is, for example, 244 mm (10 inches), the top length communication value acquired from the printer may be half that of 127 mm (5 inches). The command mode is inappropriate.

  In the operation panel mode, if the input value is different from the communication value or the detected value, a warning may be displayed on the operation panel in the same manner to prompt the operator to reconfirm the set value, or always input without warning. The value may be given the highest priority.

  The third mode is a paddle mode in which the paddle unit interval detection value has the highest priority. In this mode, since the paddle unit interval detection value has the highest priority, the correct folding operation can be performed if the paddle unit interval is set correctly together with the top and bottom length of the continuous paper P.

These three modes can be selected from a mode selection screen displayed on the display panel 11m when the menu button 11h of the operation panel 11 is pressed. The printing mode used mainly and the paper used mainly. The operator can select and set appropriately according to the type. Note that, when communication with the printing apparatus 100 is not performed, either the second mode or the third mode is selected.
When the autoloading operation is completed, the continuous paper P is in a U-shaped state between the printing apparatus 100 and the folding apparatus S as shown in FIG.

  Next, the folding operation will be described. In the prior art, the conveyance speed of the continuous paper P in the folding device S is set slightly faster than the conveyance speed in the printing apparatus 100 such as a printer. When a folding operation (conveying operation of continuous paper by the folding device S) is started in a state where printing is performed by the printing apparatus 100 such as a printer, the sag of the continuous paper P is reduced, and conversely, the folding operation (by the folding device S) is performed. When the conveyance of continuous paper) stops, the amount of sag increases.

  The large amount of sag means that the distance between the lowest point of the sag of the continuous paper P and the floor surface F shown in FIG. 5 is small. On the contrary, when the sag is small, the lowest point of the sag of the continuous paper P And the state where the distance of the floor F is large.

  The amount of sag is monitored by a buffer sensor. In the prior art, the amount of sag is monitored by a single buffer sensor (for example, equivalent to 102b). If the amount of sag is determined to be larger than a predetermined value, a folding operation is performed. When it is determined that the value is smaller than the predetermined value, the folding operation is stopped and the folding operation is intermittently performed.

  In this embodiment, a plurality of buffer sensors 102a, 102b, and 102c are used to determine the amount of slack, and by making the folding speed variable, the folding operation can be performed continuously without an intermittent operation. It is. As described above, the buffer sensors 102a, 102b, and 102c are reflected light optical sensors that detect reflected light from an object (here, continuous paper P) and output the presence / absence of the object as an on / off signal. It is.

  The maximum detectable distance of each buffer sensor is smaller than the distance between the folding device S and the printing device 100, and the printing device 100 is not erroneously detected as the continuous paper P when there is no continuous paper P. When a plurality of buffer sensors are used as in this embodiment, the amount of sag of the continuous paper P can be determined in more detail by comparing the outputs from the respective buffer sensors, and the folding speed of the folding device S can be changed. it can.

  The folding speed here refers to all of the conveying speed of the continuous paper P by the tractor unit 1, the swinging speed and swing timing of the swinger fins 2, the rotational speed of the paddle rotating shafts 6a and 6b, and the timing thereof.

  The detection of the continuous paper P by the buffer sensors 102a, 102b, and 102c. First, when none of the buffer sensors 102a, 102b, and 102c detect the continuous paper P, this is as shown in FIG. Is in a very small state, or the continuous paper P does not exist between the folding device S and the printing device 100 as shown in FIG. In any case, the folding device S does not perform the folding operation and enters a folding standby state.

  Next, the continuous paper P is detected only by the buffer sensor 102a. In this case, a relatively small sag is generated as shown in FIG. 10B. In this state, the folding device S is the standard. The folding operation is performed at a folding speed slower than the speed.

  Next, when the continuous paper P is detected by the buffer sensors 102a and 102b, the state is determined as shown in FIG. 10C, and the folding device S performs the folding operation at the standard speed. The standard speed refers to a folding speed at which the transport speed of the tractor unit 1 is substantially the same as the printing speed (paper transport speed) of the printing apparatus 100.

  Further, when the continuous paper P is detected by all the buffer sensors 102a, 102b, and 102c, it is determined that there is a relatively large sag as shown in FIG. 10D, and the folding device S has a folding speed faster than the standard speed. Perform the folding operation.

  In the above embodiment, the buffer sensors 102a, 102b, and 102c detect only the presence or absence of the continuous paper P, and determine the amount of slack based on the detection result. However, as the buffer sensor, the buffer sensors 102a, 102b, and 102c correspond to the distance from the object. If a device that outputs an analog voltage is used, it is possible to determine the state of slack more finely. In this case, the distance from the analog output of the buffer sensor to the continuous paper P is calculated, and the slack state is determined from the detected distance. For example, when FIG. 10D is compared with FIG. 10F, both buffer sensors are in a slack state in which the continuous paper P is detected. In FIG. 10F, each buffer sensor 102a is in a slack state. , 102b, and 102c are larger than the detection distance of FIG. 10 (d), so that the degree of sag can be determined in more detail, and the folding speed can be made finer and variable based on that.

  In this way, the folding operation can be continued without stopping the conveyance of the continuous paper P by determining the amount of sag from the outputs of the plurality of buffer sensors 102a, 102b, and 102c and making the folding speed variable. It is possible to avoid the occurrence of a folding failure at the start of the folding operation.

Next, a folding speed changing method will be described. In this embodiment, the drive and timing of the tractor unit 1, swinger fins 2, and paddle units 6 and 7 of the folding device S are all controlled by the control board 14. Therefore, by changing the clock frequency of the control board 14, all these operation speeds and operation timings can be changed, and the tractor unit 1, swinger fin 2, paddle units 6, 7 can be individually controlled, or control software can be used. Next, the folding operation will be described based on the timing chart of FIG. First, in order to eliminate the slack of the continuous paper P from the pin tractor 1 to the tip of the swinger fin 2, the intermediate transport roller pair 3 and the transport roller pair 4 are moved for T1 time, in this case 0.5%, while the pin tractor 1 is stopped. Drive for seconds. Next, driving of the pin tractor 1 is started, and the continuous paper P is conveyed toward the table 5. The swinging of the swinger fin 2 is started at a timing (T2 time) when the leading edge of the continuous paper P becomes a certain distance from the leading edge of the swinger fin 2, here 60 mm. Here, the case where the swinger fin 2 is stopped at the standby position shown in FIG.

  The swinger fin 2 moves to the position shown in FIG. 2A while continuing to convey the continuous paper P onto the table 5, and temporarily stops. The swinger fin 2 stops toward a position shown in FIG. 2C after stopping for a time (T2 time) in which the fold at the rear end of the first page of the continuous paper P is a certain distance from the front end of the swinger fin 2, here 60 mm. Start rocking again. As described above, the swinger fin 2 is configured to convey the continuous paper P between the positions shown in FIGS. 2A and 2C while conveying the continuous paper P onto the table 5 by the intermediate conveyance roller pair 3 and the conveyance roller pair 4. Oscillation is repeated in synchronization with the crease.

  The stop time T2 of the swinger fin 2 is the amount by which the leading edge or crease of the continuous paper P protrudes from the leading edge of the swinger fin 2, that is, the leading edge of the swinger fin 2 and the upper surface of the table 5 or the upper surface of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5. This is an important numerical value for realizing a good folding operation in the time for defining the positional relationship between and. The continuous paper P can be satisfactorily folded on the table 5 by appropriately setting the time T2, that is, the positional relationship. The stop time T2 of the swinger fin 2 is determined in advance for each top length of the continuous paper P. Thus, the table is stored in a non-volatile memory as a table for each top and bottom length. A plurality of top and bottom tables may be created and stored in accordance with the thickness and type of paper.

  The paddle rotating shaft 7a is moved in the direction of the arrow C in the figure after a predetermined T3 time from the driving start timing from the stop position of the swinger fin 2 shown in FIG. 2C to the position shown in FIG. Driven by rotation. As a result, the paddle plate 7b presses the leading edge or crease of the continuous paper P, and the continuous paper P is pulled by the movement of the swinger fin 2 from the stop position R to the stop position F by the frictional force between the continuous paper P and the paddle plate 7b. The leading edge or the crease of the continuous paper P is pressed from the upper surface while holding the sheet.

  Similarly, the paddle rotating shaft 6a is driven in the direction indicated by the arrow B in the figure after a predetermined T3 time from the driving start timing from the stop position of the swinger fin 2 shown in FIG. 2 (a) to the position shown in FIG. 2 (c). Driven once. As a result, the paddle plate 6b presses the leading edge or crease of the continuous paper P, and the continuous paper P is pulled by the movement of the swinger fin 2 from the stop position F to the stop position R by the frictional force between the continuous paper P and the paddle plate 6b. The leading edge or the crease of the continuous paper P is pressed from the upper surface while holding the sheet.

  As described above, the paddle rotating shafts 6a and 7a alternately repeat one rotation, while the paddle plates 6b and 7b press the front end or the vicinity of the folds of the continuous paper P placed on the table 5 from the upper surface, and the original creases The continuous paper P is reliably folded on the table 5 following the copying.

  The waiting time T3 of the paddle rotating shafts 6a and 7a is determined in advance for each top and bottom length of the continuous paper P, and stored in a non-volatile memory as a top and bottom length table. A plurality of top and bottom tables may be created and stored in accordance with the thickness and type of paper. Further, in this embodiment, the paddle rotation shafts 6a and 7a are driven by only one rotation, but may be driven by a plurality of rotations.

  If the height of the upper surface of the continuous paper P placed on the table 5 is increased by repeating the folding operation, the distance between the tip of the swinger fin 2 and the upper surface of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5 is narrowed, which is suitable for good folding. Therefore, if one or both of the paper surface sensors 103a and 103b detect the upper surface of the table 5 or the upper surface of the continuous paper P placed on the table 5 during the folding operation, a certain distance is maintained. For example, the table 5 is lowered by 5 mm, and the distance between the tip of the swinger fin 2 and the upper surface of the continuous paper P folded on the table 5 is maintained at a proper position for good folding.

  Next, skew detection and meandering detection of the continuous paper P by the travel sensor 101 will be described. The travel sensor 101 is disposed immediately below the feed hole so as to monitor the feed hole of the continuous paper P. Since the traveling sensor 101 is a reflected light optical sensor, as the continuous paper P travels, the traveling sensor 101 is periodically changed according to the conveyance speed of the continuous paper P and the interval between the feeding holes according to the passage of the feeding holes. Outputs an on / off signal.

  That is, an ON signal is output at the timing when the feed hole is directly above, and an OFF signal is output between the feed holes. The period of this on / off signal is monitored, and if it becomes impossible to detect a constant multiple of a period according to the conveyance speed of the continuous sheet P and the interval between the feed holes, for example, a period of 0.03 seconds, for example 0.06 seconds, the continuous sheet It is determined that P starts to meander or skew from the pin tractor 1, and the folding operation is stopped.

  As a result, even if the continuous paper P is deviated from the pin tractor 1 and meandering or skewing occurs, it is possible to reduce the number of sheets damaged by the folding failure of the continuous paper P. In particular, in the case of the thin continuous paper P, for example, 34 kg / ream, since the degree of expansion / contraction due to heating or pressurization in the fixing process of the printer is large, it becomes easier to disengage from the pin tractor 1, so an early folding failure is detected. Therefore, the effect of reducing the number of damaged continuous sheets P due to poor folding is great.

  When the folding device S generates an error such as a folding failure and the folding operation cannot be continued and the folding operation is stopped, the printer communicates the fact that an error has occurred in the folding device S by the communication means described above. May be.

  When printing by the printing apparatus 100 is performed to the end of the continuous paper P and is discharged from the printing apparatus 100, the folding device S stops the folding operation when the end of the continuous paper P passes through the buffer sensor 102b. When the discharge button 11i on the operation panel 11 is pressed in this state, the discharge operation is performed.

  The remaining continuous paper P in the conveying path of the folding device S is folded to the end, and then the swinger fin 2 is moved to the position shown in FIG. 2C regardless of the top and bottom length of the paper, and the discharge operation is finished. By moving the swinger fin 2 to the position shown in FIG. 2C, the folded state of the continuous paper P can be confirmed without opening the cover 10 and moving the swinger fin 2, and the number of the continuous paper P placed thereon is small. For example, in the case of about 50 sheets, the table 5 can be easily taken out by simply opening the cover 10 without lowering the table 5.

  When there are many sheets of continuous paper P, the table lowering button 11h of the operation panel 11 is pressed to lower the table 5 to a height sufficient to take out the continuous paper P. Press the stop button 11g to stop the descent of the table 5. Next, the handle 5a is grasped, the table 5 is pulled out, and the continuous paper P folded on the table 5 is taken out. When the maximum number of continuous sheets P that can be placed on the table 5, for example, 3000 sheets, is placed, the weight of the continuous sheet P becomes a considerable weight, but the table 5 can be pulled out to make it relatively easy. The continuous paper P can be taken out.

It is a side view of the folding apparatus which is one embodiment by this invention. It is a figure which shows the rocking | fluctuation position of the swinger fin of the folding apparatus which is one embodiment by this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the folding apparatus which is one embodiment by this invention. It is a figure which shows the operation panel of the folding apparatus which is one embodiment by this invention. It is a figure which shows the connection of the folding apparatus which is one embodiment by this invention, and a printing apparatus. It is a figure which shows the timing chart of the folding apparatus which is one embodiment by this invention. It is a side view of the folding apparatus by a prior art. It is a figure which shows conveyance of the continuous paper by a pin tractor. It is a figure which shows conveyance of the continuous paper shrunk by a pin tractor. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between a slack of continuous paper and a buffer sensor.

Explanation of symbols

1 pin tractor 1a, 1b pin tractor unit 2 swinger fin 2a swinger fin base 2b swinger fin guide 3 intermediate transport roller pair 3a, 3b intermediate transport roller 4 transport roller pair 4a, 4b transport roller
5 Table 5a Handle 7 Paddle member 6a, 7a Paddle rotating shaft 6b, 7b Paddle plate 8 Paddle interval changing member 10 Cover 11 Operation panel 11a Start button 11b Auto load button 11c Folding direction setting button 11d Paper thickness setting button 11e Top length setting button 11f Clear button 11g Stop button 11h Descent button 11i Eject button 11j Initialization button 11k Menu button 11l Input button 11m Display panel 12 Communication means 13 Connection cable 14 Control board 100 Printing device 101 Travel sensor 102a, 102b, 102c Buffer sensor 103a, 103b Paper surface sensor F Floor surface P Continuous paper S Folding device

Claims (10)

  A continuous paper folding device having a pair of pin tractors for conveying continuous paper having feed holes at both ends, wherein at least one of the pair of pin tractors is in response to contraction in the width direction of the continuous paper, A folding device provided so as to be movable in the width direction of the continuous paper.   The folding device according to claim 1, wherein a maximum interval between the pair of pin tractors can be changed according to a width of the continuous sheet.   3. The folding device according to claim 1, further comprising a regulating member that regulates a maximum distance between the pair of pin tractors, wherein at least one of the pair of pin tractors is a spring with respect to the regulating member. A folding device characterized by being biased and abutted by a member.   A folding device for folding continuous paper with folds provided at predetermined intervals in advance, and has a plurality of sensors for detecting the amount of sag of the continuous paper folded by the folding device, and depending on the amount of sag A folding apparatus characterized in that the folding speed of continuous paper is variable.   The folding device according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of sensors optically detect the continuous sheet, and the plurality of sensors are arranged at different heights from the floor surface.   The folding apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a folding speed of the folding apparatus is made variable by changing a clock frequency of a control board of the folding apparatus.   A printing system comprising at least an image forming apparatus capable of forming an image on continuous paper and the folding apparatus according to claim 1.   8. The printing system according to claim 7, wherein the image forming apparatus includes a heat fixing device.   The printing system according to claim 8, wherein the heat fixing device is a flash fixing method. The folding device or printing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the continuous paper is a continuous paper having a basis weight of 64 g / square meter or less.

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