JP2024017969A - Printed matter consolidating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a consolidating device for printed matter, capable of consolidating a plurality of printed matters produced by cutting a single printed material sheet into multiple sheets without requiring human intervention.

SOLUTION: A consolidating device for printed matter according to this invention includes: a cutting device that includes a cutting section for cutting a sheet of pre-printed paper into multiple sheets, and a discharge section for arranging a plurality of sheets of printed materials produced by cutting at the cutting section one by one in one direction for predetermined pieces of two or more so as to discharge them in a direction different from the one direction; and a consolidating device for consolidating printed materials discharged from the discharge section of the cutting device into one pile. The consolidating device further comprises: an accommodation section 42 to accommodate the predetermined number of printed materials that are discharged in a row from the discharge section of the cutting device; a consolidation section 43 provided adjacent to the accommodating section in a predetermined direction different from the direction in which the printed material is discharged from the discharge section; and a conveyance mechanism 425 for conveying, to the consolidation section, a plurality of printed materials accommodated in the accommodating section as a single pile aggregate to the accommodating section each time the printed materials are accommodated in the accommodating section in a predetermined number.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a device for collecting printed matter such as postcards.

When individuals or companies create New Year's cards, summer greeting cards, greeting cards, etc., instead of printing letters, designs, and other designs on each postcard using their own printer, they can print postcards through Internet sites, etc. After specifying the design to be printed on a postcard, a specialist such as a printing company may be requested to produce the required number of postcards.

When a specialized company produces multiple postcards with the same design, a specialized device is used that includes a printing machine, a cutting machine, and a conveyance mechanism. In these devices, a printing machine prints multiple copies of the same design on a large printing paper with an area several times that of a postcard, and after the printed paper is cut at a predetermined position by a cutting machine, a transport mechanism is used to collect the paper at a collection location. (for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). For example, when making 100 postcards, use a printing machine to print the same design on each of the four grid-like areas on printing paper that is four times the size of the postcard, and then cut it. The process of cutting the pieces using a machine and transporting them to the collection site using a transport mechanism is repeated 25 times. The transport mechanism first transports the two postcards closest to the collection site among the four postcards cut from one sheet of printing paper to the collection site, and then transports them to the side farthest from the collection site. The two postcards that are currently located are transported to a collection location and stacked on top of the two previously transported postcards. In other words, two mountains are formed at the accumulation site. When all 25 sheets of printing paper have been printed, cut, and transported, 100 postcards will be stacked in two piles of 50 postcards each at the collection site. Workers take them out, put them together, bundle them, wrap them, and ship them.

Utility Model Publication No. 7-35067 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-144171

"Automatic strapping machine UP-320", [online], Yukos Co., Ltd., [searched on July 21, 2022], Internet <URL: http://www.ucos.co.jp/products/89/>

The above device requires a worker to take out two piles of postcards from a collection area and combine them into one. If a process that requires manual labor by the worker is included, mistakes may occur, such as the worker dropping a pile of postcards while taking them out from the collection area. Furthermore, such mistakes may cause problems such as loss of postcards.

Here, we have explained the case of producing multiple postcards with the same design as an example, but this is not limited to this.You can also produce multiple postcards by laying out and printing multiple different designs on printing paper and cutting it. The same problem as above occurs when producing printed matter other than those described above.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to create a printed matter that can combine multiple printed sheets produced by cutting a single sheet of printed paper into multiple sheets into one single printed sheet without requiring human intervention. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an aggregation device.

The present invention, which was made to solve the above problems, includes a cutting section that cuts one printed sheet into multiple sheets, and a cutting section that cuts the printed sheets into multiple sheets in one direction. A device for collecting printed matter discharged from the discharge section of a cutting device, which is equipped with a discharge section that arranges a predetermined number of two or more sheets one by one and discharges them in a direction different from the one direction, into one pile,
a storage unit that stores the predetermined number of printed matter discharged in a line from the discharge unit of the cutting device;
a collecting section provided adjacent to the storage section in a predetermined direction different from the direction in which the printed matter is discharged from the discharge section;
and a conveyance mechanism that transports a plurality of printed matter stored in the storage section to the collection section as a single pile each time a predetermined number of the printed matter is stored in the storage section. Features.

The printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention has a storage section that accommodates a plurality of printed matter that are discharged one by one from the discharge section of the conveyance device, and a direction in which the printed matter is discharged from the discharge section of the conveyance device is different. The apparatus includes a collection section provided adjacent to the storage section in a predetermined direction, and a conveyance mechanism that transports printed matter stored in the storage section to the collection section. The printed material is typically a rectangular printed material, and in that case, the predetermined direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the printed material is discharged. However, the printed matter targeted by the present invention may have a shape other than a rectangle (triangular, hexagonal, circular, etc.), and in that case, the predetermined direction refers to a plurality of printed matter arranged one by one. By moving in that direction, it is possible to set it in an appropriate direction in which it is possible to superimpose it into one mountain.

In the printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention, each time a predetermined number of printed matter is stored in the storage section, the conveyance mechanism conveys those printed matter to the aggregation section as a pile. Conventionally, a predetermined number of printed materials that were discharged to the output section of a conveyance device were stacked in a stack in a lined manner in a storage section.In the end, a predetermined number of printed materials were piled up in a pile, and then the workers had to manually stack them into one pile. However, by using the printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention, the printed matter discharged from the cutting device can be collected into one without requiring human intervention.

In the printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention, the transport mechanism includes:
a support mechanism that supports printed matter discharged from the discharge section in a lined manner at mutually different heights in the storage section;
and a conveyance section that moves the printed matter supported at different heights to below or above one of the printed matter, stacks them up in a pile, and conveys them to the collection section. can.

In the printed matter aggregation device of the above aspect, the printed matter stored in the storage section can be piled up into one pile by the transport mechanism and transported to the aggregation section.

Alternatively, in the printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention, the conveyance mechanism
It is also possible to adopt a configuration including a conveyance section that conveys the printed matter stored in the storage section one by one to the gathering section in order from the printed matter located on the side closer to the gathering section.

In the printed matter aggregation device of the above aspect, the printed matter stored in the storage section can be conveyed one by one to the aggregation section by the conveyance section, and the aggregation section can overlap the printed matter and aggregate them into one pile.

By using the printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention, it is possible to aggregate multiple printed materials produced by cutting a single printed sheet into multiple sheets into one without requiring human intervention. can.

1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a printing system including an embodiment of a printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the operation of each part of the printed matter aggregation device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of main parts of a printed matter aggregation device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a conveyance unit in the printed matter aggregation device of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a state in which two printed materials are stored in a storage section in the printed material aggregation device of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of the aggregation unit in the printed matter aggregation device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the structure of a vertically moving member in the printed matter aggregation device of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a side view of a binding section in the printed matter aggregation device of the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram of a binding section in the printed matter aggregation apparatus of the present embodiment, viewed from the aggregation section side. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which one printed matter is stored in a storage section in the printed matter aggregation device of the present embodiment. A modification of the storage unit in the printed matter aggregation device of the present embodiment. An example of a configuration that aggregates polygonal printed matter.

Embodiments of a printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The printed matter aggregation device (hereinafter also simply referred to as "aggregation device") of this embodiment is incorporated as part of a printed matter production system.

FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a printed matter production system 1 according to this embodiment. This printed matter production system 1 is used to produce a large amount of printed matter with the same design, such as postcards and business cards. The printed matter production system 1 of this embodiment includes a printing device 2, a cutting device 3, an aggregation device 4, and a control unit 5 that controls the operations thereof. The user sets conditions such as the size of printed matter, the number of printed sheets, the size of printing paper to be used, and the number of printed matter to be bundled together in the control section 5 in advance.

The printing device 2 is a device that layout-prints a plurality of the same designs on printing paper several times (for example, four times) the size of the final printed matter (for example, a postcard) to be produced. For example, when printing 1000 postcards using printing paper that is four times the size of a postcard, 250 sheets of printing paper are set in the paper feed tray of the printing device 2, and the control unit 5 controls the Under the , the printing paper is set one sheet at a time, and the same design is laid out and printed on each of the four areas of the printing paper, which is sequentially performed on each of the 250 sheets of printing paper. Hereinafter, the case where the printed matter to be aggregated is a postcard will be explained as an example, but the printed matter production system 1 of this embodiment can also be used for various kinds of printed matter other than postcards.

After the layout printing, the printing paper is sent one by one to the cutting device 3 and cut into a plurality of pieces. The cutting device 3 determines the cutting position of the printing paper based on the conditions set in the control unit 5, and cuts the printed printing paper into a plurality of pieces. A discharge section of the cutting device 3 is provided parallel to one side of the printing paper. After cutting the printing paper into a plurality of printed matter, the cutting device 3 first cuts the plurality of printed matter that is located closest to the discharge section (towards the aggregation device 4) and is lined up in a row among the plurality of printed matter divided by the cutting. from the discharge section. Thereafter, a plurality of printed matter lined up in a line are sequentially ejected from the order closest to the ejection section.

Since the printing device 2 and the cutting device 3 have the same structure as those conventionally used, a detailed explanation will be omitted, and the aggregation device 4, which has a characteristic configuration in this embodiment, will be described below. explain.

The aggregation device 4 includes a printed matter receiving section 41, a storage section 42, a consolidating section 43, and a binding section 44. FIG. 2 schematically shows the process of collecting printed matter in the printed matter receiving section 41, the storage section 42, the collecting section 43, and the binding section 44. The printed matter receiving section 41 receives printed matter cut by the cutting device 3. The storage section 42 stores printed matter that has passed through the conveyance path of the printed matter receiving section 41 . The collection section 43 collects the printed matter stored in the storage section 42 into one pile. The binding section 44 binds the printed matter collected into one pile by the collection section 43.

FIG. 3 shows the configuration of the aggregation device 4 (portion excluding the binding section 44). Note that, in FIG. 3 and the like, external casings and the like are omitted in order to illustrate each part constituting the aggregation device 4.

In the printed matter receiving section 41, a roller set including four rollers (two inner rollers 411 and two outer rollers 412) attached to a rod-shaped shaft member 413 is arranged above and below the conveyance path. Three sets of rollers are arranged along the conveyance path, one at the top and one at the top and bottom of the conveyance path. The shaft members 413 of the three roller sets located on the lower side of the conveyance path are connected to the rotating shaft of a motor 415 by a belt 414, and the operation of the motor 415 causes the shaft members 413 of the three roller sets to move at the same speed. Rotate with. In addition, the rollers provided in the three roller sets located above the transport path come into contact with their respective rollers (located below the transport path) via the printed material, and the rollers located below the transport path Rotates at the same speed as the roller.

In the three sets of rollers arranged along the conveyance path, the diameter of the roller (outer roller 412) located at the outside portion (both ends) of the conveyance path is smaller than that of the roller set located on the inside part of the conveyance path (closer to the center). The diameter of the roller (inner roller 411) is slightly larger. Since the inner roller 411 and the outer roller 412 rotate at the same speed, the printed material moving along the conveyance path is conveyed at a higher speed by the inner roller 411 than by the outer roller 412. As a result, the plurality of printed materials are transported from the center of the transport path to the outside, and gaps are formed between the plurality of printed materials before reaching the storage section 42.

The storage section 42 is provided at the exit of the conveyance path of the printed matter receiving section 41 . The printed matter that has passed through the conveyance path of the printed matter receiving section 41 enters the storage section 42 one after another. The storage section 42 includes a bottom member 421, a frame member 422, a pressing member 423, a support member 424, and a printed matter transport section 425.

The bottom member 421 is a rectangular plate-shaped member that forms the bottom of a space that accommodates printed matter, and has two grooves 4261 and 4262 extending in a direction perpendicular to the path through which the printed matter enters from the printed matter receiving section 41. . The frame member 422 is a plate-shaped member that is erected upward from one side of the four sides of the bottom member 421 opposite to the printed matter receiving section 41 and one side opposite to the collecting section 43 . The pressing member 423 is a member that is integrally formed by combining two rectangular plate-shaped members (one plate-shaped member 4231 and the other plate-shaped member 4232), and is disposed above the bottom member 421, The frame member 422 is fixed near the end opposite to the conveyance path so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the long side of the frame member 422 . One plate member 4231 is disposed on the side of the bottom member 421 that is far from the printed matter receiving section 41 and is substantially parallel to the bottom member 421 . Further, the other plate-like member 4232 extends from about half of the one side of the one plate-like member 4231 on the printed matter receiving section 41 side that is far from the collection section 43 toward the printed matter receiving section 41 side. It is installed so that it stands diagonally upward. A solenoid is arranged on the back side of the other plate member 4232. This solenoid will be described later. The support member 424 is a small rectangular plate-shaped piece provided in parallel to the bottom member 421 on the side closer to the collecting section 43 and printed matter receiving section 41 .

The printed matter transport section 425 is arranged below the bottom member 421. As shown in FIG. 4, the printed matter conveying section 425 includes a rail 4251, a solenoid 4252, a motor 4253, a disk member 4254, and a printed matter pushing member 4255. The solenoid 4252 includes a main body 42521 that moves along a rail 4251 and a columnar member 42522 that protrudes from the upper surface of the main body 42521, and the columnar member 42522 can move up and down. A printed matter extrusion member 4255 is attached to the upper end of the columnar member 42522 via a disk member 4254. The printed matter extrusion member 4255 is provided with a first extrusion piece 42551 and a second extrusion piece 42552. The first extrusion piece 42551 is located above the groove 4261 when the columnar member 42522 is in the upper position, and is located below the groove 4261 when the columnar member 42522 is in the lower position. Moreover, the second extrusion piece 42552 is located above the groove 4262 when the columnar member 42522 is in the upper position, and is located below the groove 4262 when the columnar member 42522 is in the lower position. The motor 4253 is a drive source that moves the main body 42521 along the rail 4251. When the solenoid 4252 moves toward the collecting portion 43, the columnar member 42522 is moved to the upper position to position the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 above the grooves 4261 and 4262, respectively. When moving to the opposite side, the columnar member 42522 is moved to the lower position to position the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 below the grooves 4261 and 4262, respectively.

The plurality of printed materials that have passed through the printed material receiving section 41 enter the storage section 42 while remaining lined up in a line and slightly spaced apart. As shown by hatching in FIG. 5, the printed matter 71 that has entered the far side from the collecting section 43 is guided downward by the other plate-like member 4232 of the pressing member 423, and the printed matter 71 is guided downward by the other plate-like member 4232 of the pressing member 423, and The holding member 423 enters the space between the one plate-like member 4231. On the other hand, the printed matter 72 that has entered the side closer to the collecting section 43 enters above the one plate member 4231 of the pressing member 423, and one side of the rear end of the printed matter (the side closer to the printed matter receiving section 41) is supported. It is supported by member 424. As a result, the printed matter 72 that has entered the collecting section 43 on the side close to it and the printed matter 71 that has entered the far side thereof are accommodated at different positions in the height direction.

When a predetermined number of printed matter that has passed through the printed matter receiving section 41 is stored in the storage section 42, the solenoid 4252 located at the end of the rail 4251 on the far side from the collecting section 43 collects the printed matter along the rail 4251. It moves to the end on the section 43 side. This predetermined number can be, for example, the number of printed matter produced by cutting one sheet of printing paper in the cutting device 3. Specifically, for example, when printing the same design on four areas of one sheet of paper and cutting it, the predetermined number is 4, and two sheets of printed matter that have passed through the printed matter receiving section 41 The above operation is repeated every time the container is housed in the housing section 42 twice.

At this time, the columnar member 42522 is in the upper position, the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 protrude upward from the grooves 4261 and 4262, respectively, and the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 , the printed matter 71 stored on the far side from the gathering section 43 is pushed out toward the gathering section 43 side, enters below the printed matter 72 stored on the side close to the gathering section 43, and the two are stacked vertically. Ru. Thereafter, by further movement of the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552, the vertically stacked printed materials 71 and 72 are simultaneously conveyed to the collecting section 43.

When the printed matter 71, 72 is conveyed to the collecting section 43, the solenoid 4252 moves the columnar member 42522 to the lower position, and moves it to the end on the side away from the collecting section 43 (returns to the original position). When the solenoid 4252 is moved back and forth with the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 still protruding from the grooves 4261 and 4262, the printed matter 71 and 72 are kept in the storage area until the solenoid 4252 returns to its original position. 42 cannot be transported. On the other hand, in this embodiment, only when conveying the printed matter 71, 72 to the collecting section 43, the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 are made to protrude upward from the grooves 4261, 4262, and the solenoid 4252 is Since the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 are positioned below the grooves 4261 and 4262 while the solenoid 4252 returns to the original position, the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552, the printed materials 71 and 72 can be continuously conveyed to the storage section 42 without worrying that the operation of storing the printed materials 71 and 72 in the storage section 42 will be obstructed.

The structure of the aggregation unit 43 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 and 6. The collecting section 43 includes a bottom member 431, a vertical movement mechanism 432 for moving the bottom member 431 between an upper position and a lower position, and a back member 433 located on the back side of the bottom member 431 (opposite side to the binding part 44). , a horizontal movement mechanism 434 that moves the back surface member 433 between the initial position (position where printed matter is collected) and the binding section 44 , and a regulating member 435 located on the front side of the bottom surface member 431 (on the side of the binding section 44 ). , and a first side wall member 4361 located on the accommodating portion 42 side with the bottom member 431 in between, and a second side wall member 4362 located on the opposite side. Note that in FIG. 6, the second side wall member 4362 is omitted to illustrate the bottom member 431.

The bottom member 431 is a rectangular plate-like member provided with a plurality of small diameter holes. The vertical movement mechanism 432 has an appearance as shown in FIG. 7, and includes a disk member 4321 that supports the lower surface of the bottom member 431, a first support portion 4322 that accommodates an elastic member that supports the disk member 4321, and a first support portion 4322 that accommodates an elastic member that supports the disk member 4321. It includes a second support part 4323, which is a rod-shaped member connected to the first support part 4322, and a motor 4324 that moves the second support part 4323 up and down. By moving the second support part 4323 (and the first support part 4322 and disk member 4321 connected thereto) up and down by the motor 4324, the bottom member 431 supported by the disk member 4321 is moved up and down.

The back surface member 433 is a plate-shaped member provided along one of the four sides of the bottom surface member 431 located on the opposite side to the binding part 44 . The lower end of the back member 433 is located at approximately the same height as the bottom member 431 when in the lower position. The horizontal movement mechanism 434 has two shaft members 4341 (only the ends of the shaft members 4341 are shown in FIG. 3, etc.), and the two shaft members 4341 are connected to both ends of the shaft members 4341 on both sides with the back member 433 in between. It has a belt 4342 (only the belt 4342 on the near side is shown in FIG. 3 etc.) and a motor 4343 that rotates one shaft member 4341. The lower end of the back member 433 moves in the horizontal direction (in the direction toward the binding section 44 and in the opposite direction) along the conveyance path 441 in synchronization with the reciprocating movement of the belt 4342.

The regulating member 435 is an L-shaped member having a horizontal surface and a vertical surface extending from one end of the horizontal surface, and when the bottom surface member 431 is in the upper position, the lower end of the vertical surface contacts (or comes close to) the bottom surface member 431. )do.

In the collecting section 43, the bottom member 431 is placed at the upper position at the time of starting. With the bottom member 431 in the upper position, the end of the regulating member 435 is in contact with one side of the bottom member 431 on the tip (direction of conveyance by the belt conveyor) side. The regulating member 435, the back member 433, the first side wall member 4361, and the second side wall member 4362 define an area into which printed matter is placed from the storage section 42. The printed matter 71, 72 pushed out from the storage section 42 by the columnar member 42522 is conveyed to this area of the bottom member 431 and collected into one pile.

When a predetermined number of prints (for example, 100) are collected on the bottom member 431, the vertical movement mechanism 432 moves the bottom member 431 from the upper position to the lower position under the control of the control unit 5. When the bottom member 431 moves to the lower position, the upper surface of the printed matter collected on the bottom member 431 is located below the lower end of the regulating member 435, and the binding part 44 side is released. Thereafter, the horizontal movement mechanism 434 moves the back surface member 433 toward the binding portion 44 along the conveyance path 441 formed between the first side wall member 4361 and the second side wall member 4362. By being pushed out by the back member 433, the printed matter collected on the bottom member 431 moves to the binding section 44.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the bundling part 44, and FIG. 9 is a diagram of the bundling part 44 seen from the front (the collecting part 43 side). The binding section 44 includes a conveyance path 441 from the collection section 43, a binding mechanism 442, a binding tape storage section 443, a cargo receiving section 444, a stopper member 445, and a press member 446. Both the stopper member 445 and the press member 446 are moved to an upper position (a position evacuated from the conveyance path 441, see FIG. 9) and a lower position (a position on the conveyance path 441 or on the aggregated printed matter 73. 8)).

The printed matter collected by the collecting section 43 (aggregated printed matter 73) is conveyed on the conveyance path 441 by the back member 433 of the collecting section 43. At the start of conveyance of the consolidated printed matter 73, both the stopper member 445 and the press member 446 are in the upper position. When the leading edge of the aggregated printed matter 73 transported by the back member 433 along the transport path 441 approaches a predetermined binding position, the stopper member 445 first descends from the upper position to the lower position (above the transport path 441). When the back surface member 433 conveys the aggregated printed matter 73 to a position where it contacts the stopper member 445 located at the lower position, it stops and returns to the original position of the aggregating section 43 (the position shown in FIG. 3). By conveying the aggregated printed matter 73 to a position where the leading end contacts the stopper member 445, the center of the aggregated printed matter 73 in the longitudinal direction is located at the binding mechanism 442. Subsequently, the press member 446 moves from the upper position to the lower position and presses the upper surface of the aggregate printed matter 73. As a result, the aggregated printed matter 73 is held immovably at the binding position. The binding mechanism 442 binds the aggregated printed matter 73 with the binding tape stored in the binding tape storage section 443. As the binding mechanism 442, a device similar to a conventionally known device, such as the device described in Non-Patent Document 1, can be used, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. When the aggregate printed matter 73 is bundled, the stopper member 445 and the press member 446 move to the upper position and retreat from the conveyance path 441.

The bound printed matter 731 bound by the binding mechanism 442 remains within the binding mechanism 442 as it is. Thereafter, when the next aggregated printed matter 73 is conveyed in the same manner as described above, the bound printed matter 731 is pushed out from the conveyance path 441 by the aggregated printed matter 73 and is accommodated in the cargo receiving section 444 . The back member 433 temporarily stops in a state where the aggregated printed matter 73 pushes out the bundled printed matter 731 from the conveyance path 441. Thereafter, the stopper member 445 moves to the lower position, and the back member 433 moves forward again to bring the aggregate printed matter 73 into contact with the stopper member 445. Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, the press member 446 presses the top surface of the aggregated printed matter 73 and the combined printed matter 73 is bound by the binding mechanism 442. This series of operations is repeated for all printed matter.

In a conventional printing system, a printing device 2 prints a plurality of the same design on one sheet of printing paper, the cutting device 3 cuts the same design, and a plurality of sheets are arranged in a line on the side near the output section of the cutting device 3. The printed matter was sequentially discharged, and the plurality of printed matter was accumulated. As a result, the same number of piles of printed matter as those discharged side by side from the cutting device 3 were accumulated. Therefore, in the end, a worker had to collect the printed materials accumulated in multiple piles into one pile and bundle or package the piles. If processes that require manual labor by the worker are included, mistakes may occur such as the worker dropping the printed matter while picking up or stacking the printed matter that has been accumulated in multiple piles. In addition, there was a possibility that the postcard could be lost due to such a mistake.

On the other hand, in the printed matter production system 1 of the present embodiment, a plurality of printed matter discharged from the cutting device 3 in a conventional manner and arranged in a line are accommodated in the storage section 42 through the printed matter receiving section 41. At this point, they are conveyed to the collecting section 43 in a state where they are piled up as one pile. In this way, in the printed matter production system 1 of the present embodiment, the plurality of printed matter produced by printing with the printing device 2 and cutting with the cutting device 3 are collected into one pile in the aggregation unit 43, so that the There is no need to manually collect printed materials into one pile. Further, the printed matter production system 1 of the present embodiment has a mechanism for conveying and bundling the aggregated printed matter 73 from the aggregation unit 43 to the binding unit 44, so that all processes from layout printing on printing paper to binding of printed matter are automatically performed. This can be done without human intervention. Further, by setting the number of printed matter to be bundled together in advance, all printed matter to be produced can be bundled into an appropriate number of printed matter and stored in the cargo receiving section 444.

The number of printed matter ordered when a plurality of printed matter is to be produced is not necessarily an integral multiple of the number of printed matter to be laid out and printed on one sheet of printing paper. For example, if you receive an order for 55 postcards and print the same design in 4 layouts on printing paper that is 4 times the size of the postcards, it is possible to make 56 postcards from 14 sheets of printing paper. However, in that case, printing paper is wasted. Therefore, when such a fractional number (in this case 3 sheets) occurs, the fractional portion is often printed one sheet at a time. In the above example, 52 postcards are made from 13 sheets of printing paper, and one postcard is made from each of 3 sheets of printing paper of the same size as the postcards.

As described above, when printing on printing paper of different sizes, many printing apparatuses 2 print fractional postcards based on the center. Center reference refers to printing by feeding paper so that its centers match, regardless of the size of the printing paper. The printing paper printed with the center reference in the printing device 2 is conveyed to the cutting device 3 while keeping the center reference. In the cutting device 3, large-sized printing sheets on which a plurality of postcards are printed are cut and discharged in the same manner as described above, while fractional postcards are discharged from the center of the discharge section without being cut.

FIG. 10 shows how the printed matter aggregation device 4 of this embodiment receives and aggregates fractional printed matter 74 (postcards). Among the pressing members 423 described with reference to FIG. The same solenoid 4252 as described above is arranged. When collecting the fractional printed matter 74, the columnar member is moved upward from the upper surface of the solenoid to push the other plate member 4232 upward. One plate-like member 4231 and the other plate-like member 4232 are integrally configured and are provided so as to be rotatable around an axis parallel to the long side of the frame member 422 on the opposite side to the conveyance path. When the plate member 4232 is pushed upward, the entire pressing member 423 is lifted upward, and the space between the bottom member 421 and the pressing member 423 is expanded upward.

The printed matter 74 discharged from the center of the discharge section of the cutting device 3 passes through the center of the conveyance path of the printed matter receiving section 41 and enters the storage section 42 . The leading end side of the printed matter 74 that has entered the storage section 42 from the center of the conveyance path is pressed against the other plate-shaped member of the pressing member 423, similar to the previously described printed matter 71 (the printed matter conveyed to the far side from the collecting section 43). It is guided into the space between the bottom member 421 and the pressing member 423 along the slope of 4232 (slanted plate-like member). On the other hand, the rear end side of the printed matter 74 is supported by a support member 424, similar to the previously described printed matter 72 (the printed matter conveyed to the side closer to the collecting section 43).

As mentioned above, when receiving a fraction of printed matter 74, the entire holding member 423 is pushed upward by the columnar member of the solenoid, and the space between the holding member 423 and the bottom member 421 is expanded, so that the rear end side While supported by the support member 424, the printed matter 74 can be accommodated without being curved. Thereafter, the printed matter 74 stored in the storage section 42 is pushed out by the first push-out piece 42551 and the second push-out piece 42552, and sent to the collection section 43. Note that the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 are different from the case where the two printed matter 71 and 72 are conveyed, and the first extruded piece 42551 and the second extruded piece 42552 are moved in a range corresponding to the moving range of the printed matter 74 (from the end farthest from the collecting section 43). , the range up to the end of the storage section 42 on the collecting section 43 side) is reciprocated. In other words, the movement range of the main body 42521 of the solenoid 4252 becomes smaller, and the time required for the movement of the solenoid 4252 is shortened.

In this way, in the printed matter aggregation device 4 of the present embodiment, there are two cases in which a plurality of printed materials 71 and 72 are discharged from the cutting device 3 in a lined state, and a case in which only one printed material 74 is discharged with respect to the center. Since the printed matter is collected using the same configuration for both cases, both cases can be processed continuously in a short time. Although the case where the central reference is used has been described here, when one printed sheet is discharged along one side of the conveyance path, it may be conveyed in the same manner as the printed matter 71 or 72.

Next, another embodiment of the printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention will be described. The printed matter aggregation device of this embodiment is the one in which only the configuration of the storage section 42 of the printed matter aggregation device 4 of the above embodiment has been changed, and the configuration of each other part is the same as that of the above embodiment. Regarding the embodiment, only the storage unit 82 of the printed matter aggregation device will be described. Further, the same components as those in the above embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the accommodating portion 82. Similar to the storage section 42 of the embodiment described above, the storage section 82 is provided at the exit of the conveyance path of the printed matter receiving section 41, and the printed matter that has passed through the conveyance path of the printed matter receiving section 41 is sequentially stored in the storage section 82. enter in. The storage section 82 includes a printed matter transport section 821 and a frame member 422.

The printed matter conveying section 821 has the function of forming the bottom of a space that accommodates printed matter and at the same time conveying the printed matter accommodated in the space toward the collecting section 43 . The printed matter transport section 821 includes a plurality of bars 8211 and a motor (not shown) that rotates the bars. A structure connected by a belt can be used. Alternatively, a configuration may be adopted in which a flat plate-like member is used instead of the bar 8211, and the printed matter is moved like a belt conveyor.

The plurality of rods 8211 are rotated at a predetermined speed in a direction in which their upper surfaces move toward the collecting section 43 side using a motor as a drive source. These rods are arranged so that their rotational axes (long axes) are slightly inclined (for example, 3 to 10 degrees) from the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the printed matter is conveyed to the storage section 42 (as shown in FIG. 11). slope θ). When the bar 8211 is arranged in such an inclined state, the printed matter placed thereon is also conveyed in the direction along the rotation of the bar 8211. As a result, one side of the printed matter being conveyed on the side of the printed matter receiving section 41 is conveyed while being pressed against the inner wall of the storage section 42, and the printed matter is sent to the collecting section 43 with the one side aligned.

In the storage section 42 of the above embodiment, each time a predetermined number of printed matter that has passed through the printed matter receiving section 41 is stored in the storage section 42, the first push-out piece 42551 and the second push-out piece 42552 , the printed matter 71 stored on the far side from the collecting section 43 is pushed out toward the collecting section 43 side, and then the printed matter 71 stored on the side close to the collecting section 43 is pushed under, and the printed matter 71 is stacked vertically. The printed materials 71 and 72 stacked one above the other were simultaneously conveyed to the collecting section 43. On the other hand, in the storage section 82 of this embodiment, as soon as the printed matter is received from the printed matter receiving section 41, the printed matter is conveyed to the collection section 43 by the printed matter conveying section 821. Therefore, in the printed matter aggregation device including the storage section 82 of this embodiment, the printed matter is stacked one by one in the aggregation section 43.

In the storage section 42 of the above embodiment, the first extrusion piece 42551 and the second extrusion piece 42552 are moved to convey the printed matter stored in the storage section 42 to the collection section 43, and then the solenoid 4252 is returned to its original position. This configuration requires the solenoid 4252 to reciprocate. In contrast, in the accommodating portion 82 of this embodiment, the bar 8211 only needs to be rotated in one direction at all times, and the drive mechanism can be configured more simply.

The above-mentioned embodiment is an example, and can be modified as appropriate in accordance with the spirit of the present invention.

In the above embodiment, a case has been described in which one or two printed matter is discharged side by side from the cutting device 3, but the present invention can also be applied to a case where three or more printed matter are discharged side by side. . Specifically, in the storage section 42, a support member is provided to support the three or more printed materials at different heights, and the printed materials supported at different heights are transferred to the first extrusion piece 42551 and the first extrusion piece 42551. By moving the two extrusion pieces 42552 toward the collecting section 43 in order, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which they are stacked vertically and conveyed to the collecting section 43. Regarding the storage section 82 described as another embodiment, the same configuration can be used regardless of the number of printed matter discharged from the cutting device 3 in a line.

In the above embodiment, the printed matter production system 1 includes the printing device 2, the cutting device 3, and the aggregation device 4, but it is not necessary to include the printing device 2. When attempting to aggregate, a configuration including only the cutting device 3 and the aggregating device 4 can be adopted. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which multiple layout-printed pieces of the same design are aggregated into one, but they do not necessarily have to be the same design, and for example, a set of postcards printed with multiple types of designs is The printed matter aggregation device according to the present invention can also be used when cutting and aggregating one or more sets of printed paper into one pile, such as when cutting paper with different designs printed on multiple areas and consolidating it into one pile. can be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which each part operates based on conditions preset in the control unit 5, but instead of operating under the control of the control unit 5 (or in parallel), each part operates based on the conditions set in advance in the control unit 5. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that operates according to the detection result by a sensor placed in the area. For example, a sensor placed at a predetermined position may be used to count the number of printed matter passing through the location, and the result may be used to determine whether a predetermined number of printed matter has been reached, or a weight sensor may be installed in the collecting section 43, etc. The number of printed matter can be determined from the weight of the printed matter collected in the storage section 42 or the collection section 43, or the sensor can be placed at a predetermined height of the collection section 43, and the number of printed matter collected in the collection section 43 can be determined by A configuration may be adopted in which it is determined that a predetermined number of sheets has been reached based on the fact that the height detected by the sensor has been reached.

In the above embodiment, when the postcards are conveyed from the printing device 2 and the cutting device 3 to the aggregation device 4, the conveyance direction and the longitudinal direction of the postcards are the same. Each part was arranged so that the direction in which the postcards were transported was perpendicular to the direction in which the postcards were transported from the gathering part 43 to the binding part 44, and the binding tape was wound in a direction parallel to the short side of the postcards, but this arrangement was changed. Is possible. Specifically, when conveying postcards from the printing device 2 and the cutting device 3 to the aggregating device 4, if the conveying direction and the transverse direction of the postcards are the same, then the postcards can be transferred from the storage section 42 to the aggregating section 43. Each part can be arranged so that the direction in which the postcards are transported is the same as the direction in which the postcards are transported from the collecting part 43 to the binding part 44.

In the embodiment described above, a plurality of printed matter conveyed from the printed matter receiving section 41 to the storage section 42 are moved in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and collected in the aggregation section 43, but the printed matter is not necessarily conveyed in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. You don't have to. An example is shown in FIG.

The example in FIG. 12 is for collecting hexagonal printed matter. In the printed matter receiving section 41, a plurality of printed matter (three in FIG. 12) are conveyed side by side, as in the above embodiment. In the storage section 42, these plurality of printed materials are stored side by side in a direction perpendicular to one side thereof, and are conveyed in the perpendicular direction. For this conveyance, either of the above two embodiments may be used. In this way, when collecting a plurality of polygonal printed matter, the plurality of printed matter is arranged in the storage section 42 in a direction perpendicular to one side of the polygon, and the plurality of printed matter is arranged in the storage section 42 in the perpendicular direction. By conveying it to the collecting section 43, it can be collected into one pile.

[Mode]
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are specific examples of the following aspects.

(Section 1)
A printed matter aggregation device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a cutting unit that cuts one printed sheet into a plurality of sheets, and a cutting unit that cuts a single sheet of printed paper into a plurality of sheets, and a plurality of printed sheets produced by cutting the printed paper in the cutting unit in one direction. A device for collecting printed matter discharged from the discharge section of a cutting device including a discharge section that arranges a predetermined number of two or more sheets and discharges them in a direction different from the one direction into one pile,
a storage section that stores the predetermined number of printed matter discharged in a line from the discharge section of the cutting device;
a collecting section provided adjacent to the storage section in a predetermined direction different from the direction in which the printed matter is discharged from the discharge section;
and a conveyance mechanism that transports a plurality of printed matter stored in the storage section to the collection section as a single pile each time a predetermined number of the printed matter is stored in the storage section. Features.

In the printed matter aggregation device according to item 1, each time a predetermined number of printed matter is stored in the storage section, the conveyance mechanism conveys those printed matter to the aggregation section as one pile. In the past, a predetermined number of printed materials that were discharged to the output section of a conveyance device were collected in a storage section in a lined manner.In the end, a predetermined number of printed materials were collected into a pile, and then the workers had to manually put them into one pile. However, by using the printed matter aggregation device according to item 1, the printed matter discharged from the cutting device can be collected into one without requiring human intervention.

(Section 2)
The printed matter aggregation device according to paragraph 2 is the printed matter aggregation device according to paragraph 1, which includes:
The printed matter is rectangular;
The predetermined direction is a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the printed matter is discharged from the discharge section.

Most of the printed matter produced by layout printing on a single sheet of printing paper is rectangular, and in that case, as described in Section 2, the printed matter is ejected from the ejection unit in the predetermined direction. It is recommended that the direction be perpendicular to the direction in which the

(Section 3)
The printed matter aggregation device according to paragraph 3 is the printed matter aggregation device according to paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the conveyance mechanism is
a support mechanism that supports printed matter discharged from the discharge section in a lined manner at mutually different heights in the storage section;
The present invention is characterized by comprising a conveying section that moves the printed matter supported at different heights to below or above one of the printed matter, stacks them in a pile, and conveys them to the collection section.

In the printed matter aggregation device according to item 3, the printed matter stored in the storage section can be piled up into one pile by the conveyance mechanism and conveyed to the aggregation section.

(Section 4)
The printed matter aggregation device according to paragraph 4 is the printed matter aggregation device according to paragraph 1 or 2, wherein the conveyance mechanism is
The present invention is characterized by comprising a conveyance section that conveys the printed matter stored in the storage section one by one to the gathering section in order from the printed matter located on the side closer to the gathering section.

In the printed matter aggregation device according to item 4, the printed matter stored in the storage section can be conveyed one by one to the aggregation section by the conveyance section, and the aggregation section can overlap the printed matter and aggregate them into one pile.

1...Printed material production system 2...Printing device 3...Cutting device 4...Aggregating device 41...Print material receiving section 411...Inner roller 412...Outer roller 413...Shaft member 414...Belt 415...Motor 42...Accommodating section 421...Bottom member 422... Frame member 423...Press member 4231...One plate member 4232...Other plate member 424...Support member 425...Printed material conveyance section 4251...Rail 4252...Solenoid 42521...Main body 42522...Column member 4253...Motor 4254...Disk member 4255 ...Printed matter extrusion member 42551...First extrusion piece 42552...Second extrusion piece 4261, 4262...Groove 43...Collecting part 431...Bottom member 432...Vertical movement mechanism 4321...Disc member 4322...First support part 4323...Second support part 4324...Motor 433...Back member 434...Horizontal movement mechanism 4341...Shaft member 4342...Belt 4343...Motor 435...Restricting member 4361...First side wall member 4362...Second side wall member 44...Binding part 441...Transport path 442...Binding mechanism 443... Binding tape storage section 444... Receiving section 445... Stopper member 446... Press member 5... Control section 71, 72, 74... Printed matter 73... Aggregate printed matter 731... Binding printed matter 82... Storage section 821... Printed matter transport section 8211... Bar material

Claims (4)

A cutting unit that cuts one sheet of printed paper into multiple sheets, and a predetermined number of 2 or more sheets of printed matter produced by cutting in the cutting unit, one sheet at a time in one direction, which is different from the one direction. A device for collecting printed matter discharged from the discharge section of a cutting device including a discharge section for discharging in a direction into one pile,
a storage unit that stores the predetermined number of printed matter discharged in a line from the discharge unit of the cutting device;
a collecting section provided adjacent to the storage section in a predetermined direction different from the direction in which the printed matter is discharged from the discharge section;
and a conveyance mechanism that transports a plurality of printed matter stored in the storage section to the collection section as a single pile each time a predetermined number of the printed matter is stored in the storage section. Features: A printed matter aggregation device. The printed matter is rectangular;
The printed matter aggregation device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined direction is a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the printed matter is discharged from the discharge section. The transport mechanism is
a support mechanism that supports printed matter discharged from the discharge section in a lined manner at mutually different heights in the storage section;
and a conveyance unit that moves the printed matter supported at different heights below or above one of the printed matter, stacks them in one pile, and conveys them to the collection unit. The printed matter aggregation device according to claim 1 or 2. The transport mechanism is
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a conveyance section that conveys the printed matter stored in the storage section one by one, starting from the printed matter located on the side closer to the gathering section, one by one. Printed matter aggregation device.

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