JP4133389B2 - Card supply mechanism - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a card supply mechanism used in a card printer such as a business card or a postcard.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In card printing machines that print cards such as business cards and postcards, cards stacked on the stocker of the card supply mechanism are sucked and separated by the bottom feed mechanism and supplied to the feeder. Yes. The card supplied to the feeding device is transported to a printing machine to print images such as characters, figures and photographs.
[0003]
As a device that separates and removes cards and sheets one by one from stocked cards and sheets, the cards are sent to the card stocker by a cylinder to the delivery port, and the solenoids of the card press hinges are used for the second and subsequent rows. A card supply device has been proposed in which a claw-shaped card presser that presses the first card by driving the cylinder is released while holding the side of the card, and is picked up by a holding unit that is driven by the cylinder, and the arm is slid to take out from the stocker (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
[0004]
In addition, in the magazine mechanism that feeds the sheets stacked on the holder by sucking them from the bottom with a suction cup, the sheets stacked on the holder are pressed from both sides by the pressure stoppers by the cylinder drive stopper and dropped. Stop it. In addition, the sheet is quantitatively held in a state in which the nail plate is inserted into the sheet by the cylinder-driven fixed stopper provided below the supply stopper, and the remaining amount of the sheet in the holder is small. First, the nail plate of the quantitative stopper is withdrawn from the holder and the sheet is quantitatively dropped, and the press of the supply stopper is released while the nail plate is again inserted into the holder to stack the sheets. There has been proposed a magazine mechanism in which when the sheet is moved to the nail plate, it is pressed again by a supply stopper and pressed from both sides by a pressing plate to stop the fall (see, for example, Patent Document 2).
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-95631 [Patent Document 2]
JP 2001-97333 A [0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The card supply device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a device in which a stocker is installed in a horizontal direction, and it is necessary to constantly push the card by a cylinder in order to stand the replenished card in the stocker and to send the card to the takeout port. . In addition, it is necessary for the operator to check the remaining amount of cards in the stocker, and it is necessary to manually supply the stocker. When supplying the card, the card supply operation must be stopped. In addition, since the card press hinge for holding the second and subsequent cards, the claw-shaped card presser provided at the stocker outlet, and the arm of the suction holding part are all driven by an independent drive source, the number of parts is reduced. In many cases, the control operation becomes complicated, and the manufacturing cost and running cost of the apparatus increase.
[0007]
Further, in the magazine mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 2, the sheets stacked on the holder are supplied in a fixed amount, so that the sheets are supplied to the holder without stopping the sheet take-out operation. Continuous operation is possible as long as possible, but there is a risk of rubbing and scratching the paper surface when the nail plate of the quantitative stopper is pulled out from the sheets stacked on the holder. If this mechanism is employed in a card before printing, the image quality is lowered or the commercial value is lowered.
[0008]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a card supply mechanism that solves the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and can replenish without interrupting continuous card supply operation without damaging the card surface, and can maintain stable separation and supply of cards. There is to do.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.
From a magazine in which cards are stacked and stored, a card is dropped from the upper end opening of a cylindrical stocker and replenished, and the card stock is supported and stocked by a separation claw protruding at the lower end opening of the stocker. , only the bottom side of the card is a card supply mechanism that will be supplied to separate, the first detection sensor is provided in the middle portion of the stocker, the upper limit of the stocked cards stocker by the first detecting sensor When detected, an intermediate holding portion is formed in which an end face of a card stocked in the stocker is urged from both sides and held, and the card is supplied from the replaced magazine to the stocker. It falls below the stocker the card-fall from the magazine after receiving once in the middle holding portion open the intermediate holder It was characterized in that it is stocked.
Further, the magazine in which the cards are loaded and accommodated is supported at a plurality of locations of the rotary table, and when the upper limit of the card is detected by the first detection sensor, the rotary table is rotated and replaced with a new magazine. And
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
The case where the card supply mechanism of a present Example is used for the sending apparatus which supplies a card | curd continuously to a card printer as an example is demonstrated.
FIGS. 1A to 1D are diagrams for explaining the state of card replenishment work in the card supply mechanism, FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining various sensors provided in the stocker, and FIGS. 3A and 3B are operations for opening and closing a magazine. 4 (a) to 4 (c) are a front view, a right side view and a top view of the magazine, and FIGS. 5 (a) and 5 (b) are a front view and a left side view of the card supply device.
[0011]
First, a schematic configuration of the card supply mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. The card supply mechanism employs a bottom feed type mechanism that supplies one by one from the bottom of the card group stored in the stocker to the feeder.
5A and 5B, magazines 2 are mounted on the outer peripheral side of the upper surface of the rotary table 1 at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the rotary table 1 is provided on both the left and right sides, and is rotated by the table driving device 3. Cards stacked in one magazine 2 of each rotary table 1 are replenished by dropping them by their own weight onto a stocker provided below. When there are no more cards in the magazine 2, the table driving device 3 can be activated to rotate the rotary table 1 by a predetermined pitch to replace the stocker described later with a new magazine 2 and replenish the cards. The cards stocked in the stocker are sucked by the bottom feed type feeding device 4 and only the lowermost one is adsorbed and placed simultaneously on the conveying belt (not shown) for two rows in this embodiment (FIG. 5 ( a) (see arrow), and is sent to the printing press.
[0012]
Next, the configuration of each part will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c), the magazine 2 is mounted and fixed to the turntable 1 and the cylindrical guide portion 5 in which a part of the peripheral surface portion where the cards are stacked is cut out in the longitudinal direction. A fixed portion 6 is provided. The remaining amount of the card can be visually recognized from the cutout portion 7 formed in the vertical direction of the guide portion 5, and the card can be loaded. In FIG. 4C, the rectangular frame-shaped fixing portion 6 is provided at the bottom of the magazine, and openable and closable shutter claws 8 are provided on both the left and right sides. In FIG. 3A, the shutter claw 8 is provided on the fixed portion 6 so as to be rotatable around a fulcrum 9, and is urged outward by the elastic force of the coil spring 10 connected to the one end side 8a. The other end 8b protrudes to the opening of the fixed portion 6 and supports the card loaded in the guide portion 5 on both sides.
[0013]
The hand device 11 opens and closes a shutter claw 8 provided on the fixed portion 6. When the open / close cylinder 12 is operated, the left and right clamp arms 13 are opened and closed. The hand device 11 is disposed on the rotary table 1 so as to correspond to the fixed portion 6 of each magazine 2. In FIG. 3B, when the open / close cylinder 11 is operated, the clamp arms 12 come close to each other and the one end side 8a of the shutter claw 8 resists the bias of the coil spring 10 (the coil spring 10 is compressed from both sides). Rotate). At this time, the other end 8b of the shutter claw 8 can retreat outward from the opening of the fixed portion 6 and drop the card stacked on the guide portion 5 onto the stocker by its own weight. When the clamp arm 12 of the hand device 11 is separated and the clamp is stopped, the shutter claw 8 is rotated to the original position by the elasticity of the coil spring 10 as shown in FIG. Yes.
[0014]
Next, the structure of the stocker will be described with reference to FIGS.
In FIG. 1A, the cylindrical stocker 14 is provided below the rotary table 1. The upper end opening of the stocker 14 is disposed immediately below the magazine 2 so that the magazine 2 and the stocker 14 are continuous in the vertical direction. At the lower end opening of the stocker 14, the tip of the separation claw 15 is projected. The card 16 accommodated in the stocker 14 is supported and stocked by the separation claw 15.
[0015]
The card suction unit 17 separates and supplies the card 16 to the feeding device 4. The card adsorbing part 17 adsorbs only the lowermost card 16 stocked in the stocker 14 by an adsorbing pad 18 provided at the upper end of the arm, and gets over the separation claw 15 and takes it out. The lowermost card 16 and the second and subsequent cards are separated by a tapered portion formed at the tip of the separation claw 15, and only the lowermost card 16 is taken out while being adsorbed by the suction pad 18. . When the card suction portion 17 reciprocates from the position immediately below the stocker 14 toward the transport belt, the suction of the card 16 taken out is released and transferred to the transport belt.
[0016]
The stocker 14 is replenished with cards 16 stacked on the shutter claws 8 of the magazine 2 by dropping the shutter claws 8 and dropping their weight. At this time, if all of the cards 16 stacked in the magazine 2 are dropped to the stocker 14 at once, a plurality of cards 16 are dropped from the separation claw 15 in combination with the card weight stocked in the stocker 14. There is a fear.
[0017]
Therefore, when replenishing cards from the magazine 2, the cards 16 stocked in the stocker 14 are sandwiched and held from both sides to form an intermediate holding portion. A rod entry hole (through hole) 19 is formed in a side surface portion of the stocker 14, and intermediate pressing cylinders 20 are provided on both sides thereof. The intermediate presser cylinder 20 is provided with a resin-made pressing portion 22 at the tip end of the cylinder rod 21 and holds the end face of the card 16 in the stocker 14 at a predetermined thickness (predetermined range in the vertical direction). In this state, the shutter claw 8 of the magazine 2 is opened, and the card 16 that has fallen by its own weight onto the stocker 14 is temporarily received by the intermediate holding portion. Thereafter, the intermediate press cylinder 20 is operated to retract the pressing portion 22 to drop and stock the replenished card 16 below the stocker 14, thereby reducing the load applied to the separation claw 5 and replenishing. Can do.
[0018]
In FIG. 2, a first detection sensor 23, a second detection sensor 24, and a third detection sensor 25 are sequentially provided at predetermined intervals in the middle part of the stocker 14 from the upper side to the lower side. When the first detection sensor (light sensor) 23 detects the upper limit of the card 16, it can be detected that the magazine 2 is empty because there is no card 16 above it. When the first detection sensor 23 detects the upper limit of the card 16, the intermediate presser cylinder 20 is operated and the card 16 is sandwiched from both sides by the pressing part 22 to form an intermediate holding part. Further, the exchange of the magazine 2 is urged, the table driving device 3 is activated, the rotary table 1 is rotated, and the magazine 2 is exchanged.
[0019]
The second detection sensor (light sensor) 24 is provided below the first detection sensor 23 and detects that the upper limit of the card 16 stocked in the stocker 14 is lower than that of the intermediate holding unit. When the second detection sensor 24 detects the upper limit of the card 16, the amount of the card 16 necessary to operate the intermediate press cylinder 20 to be sandwiched between the pressing portions 22 is insufficient. Is not formed, and the card supply operation by the card suction unit 17 is stopped. At this time, the operator can resume operation after accumulating the necessary cards 16 in the stocker 14.
[0020]
The third detection sensor (light sensor) 25 is provided below the second detection sensor 24, and detects that the upper limit of the card 16 stocked in the stocker 14 is lower than the intermediate holding portion by a predetermined range. When the third detection sensor 25 detects the upper limit of the card 16, if the card 16 held by the intermediate holding part is dropped by its own weight, the load is larger than necessary to be applied to the separation claw 15 protruding from the lower end opening of the stocker 14. Become. Therefore, the card supply operation by the card suction unit 17 is stopped without dropping the card 16 supplied to the intermediate holding unit. At this time, the operation can be resumed after the worker has added the necessary cards 16 to the stocker 14. This card height detection sensor 25 is used when the supply operation of the card 16 stocked downward progresses while the card 16 is held by the intermediate holding part, and the space in the stocker 14 opens too much in the vertical direction. The card supply operation is stopped for safety.
[0021]
The inner wall surface on which the card 16 of the stocker 14 falls by its own weight may be flat. However, in order to reduce the impact of dropping when the card is replenished, the inner wall surface is made uneven or contacted with the end face of the falling card. Then, a rotating guide roller may be provided and used as a drop guide and shock absorbing material.
[0022]
Next, the card supply operation of the above-described card supply mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1A shows a state where the remaining amount of the card 16 supplied from the magazine 2 to the stocker 14 is sufficient. In this state, the cards 16 are separated one by one from the lowermost side of the stocker 14 by the card suction unit 17 and are continuously supplied to the feeding device 4.
[0023]
When the first detection sensor 23 detects the upper limit of the card 16, the magazine 2 is urged to be exchanged, and the rotary table 1 is rotated and exchanged with a new magazine 2. Note that the rotary table 1 has many empty magazines 2 on the rotary table 1 when the card cannot be supplied even if the indexing operation is repeated twice, for example (when the card 16 supplied with the first detection sensor 23 cannot be detected). Therefore, the card supply operation is stopped, and the remaining card amount in each magazine 2 is checked.
[0024]
Further, in FIG. 1B, when the intermediate press cylinder 20 is operated in a state where the second detection sensor 24 and the third detection sensor 25 detect the card 16, the pressing portion 22 enters the rod entry hole 19, An intermediate holding portion is formed by sandwiching and holding the end face of the card 16 from both sides. Then, the hand device 11 is operated to open the shutter claw 8 of the magazine 2, and the card 16 is dropped onto the stocker 14 by its own weight. At this time, since the replenished card group is once held by the intermediate holding unit, an excessive load is not applied to the separation claw 15 and the separation / supply operation of the card suction unit 17 is not affected at all. In FIG. 1C, the card 16 previously stored in the stocker 14 continues to be separated and supplied by the card suction portion 17 while the intermediate presser cylinder 20 is activated and the intermediate holding portion is formed. ing. If the second detection sensor 24 cannot detect the upper limit of the card 16, there is a shortage of cards in the stocker 14, so the intermediate holding part is not formed, and the card supply operation is temporarily stopped.
[0025]
Next, in FIG. 1 (d), with the third detection sensor 25 detecting the card 16, the cylinder rod 21 of the intermediate presser cylinder 20 is retracted, and the replenished card 16 supported by the intermediate holding portion is removed. Drop by its own weight. At this time, the cards 16 are successively dropped while causing an appropriate variation as the end surface slides on the inner wall surface of the stocker 14. Therefore, a load more than necessary does not act on the separation claw 15 provided in the lower end opening of the stocker 14 and does not affect the separation supply operation of the card suction unit 17 at all. If the third detection sensor 25 cannot detect the upper limit of the card, the drop distance of the card 16 supplied to the intermediate holding part is longer than necessary, so that if the card is dropped as it is, the load acting on the separation claw 15 is large. Therefore, the card supply operation is temporarily stopped without dropping the card 16 supplied to the intermediate holding unit.
[0026]
According to the experiment, when the card suction unit 17 is operated at the maximum speed (8000 sheets / hour) using a card having a thickness of about 0.76 mm, it is 4 to 5 minutes unless the manual feeding is performed. Although only continuous operation was possible, it was possible to stock about 7000 cards per row (14000 in 2 rows) in the magazine 2 and stocker 14 without having to add the magazine 2 or cards 16 in the middle. , About 40 minutes of continuous printing became possible.
[0027]
When the card supply mechanism described above is used, when the card 16 is replenished from the exchanged magazine 2 to the stocker 14, the intermediate holding part in which the end face of the card 16 stocked in the stocker 14 is sandwiched and held from both sides is provided. The card 16 formed by the intermediate holding portion and dropped by itself from the magazine 2 is once received and dropped below the stocker 14 to be stocked, so that the card surface can be supplied without damaging the card surface. Stable card supply operation can be maintained by reducing the load caused by falling due to its own weight. Even if the intermediate holding portion is formed in the stocker 14, the magazine 2 can be replaced without interrupting the continuous card supply operation.
Further, by providing the second detection sensor 24 for detecting that the upper limit of the card 16 stocked in the stocker 14 is lower than that of the intermediate holding unit, if the card shortage is detected, the intermediate holding unit is not formed and the card is supplied. Since the operation is stopped, the card supply operation is stabilized and the reliability of the apparatus is improved.
In addition, by providing a third detection sensor 25 that detects that the upper limit of the card 16 stocked in the stocker 14 has fallen by a predetermined range from the intermediate holding part, the drop distance of the card 16 supplied to the intermediate holding part Is larger than necessary so that the card 16 is not dropped. This prevents an unnecessary load from acting on the separation claw 15 of the stocker 14 and improves the reliability of the apparatus.
[0028]
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the card supply mechanism is not limited to a printing machine and can be applied to other apparatuses. Of course, many modifications can be made without departing from the spirit.
[0029]
【The invention's effect】
When the card supply mechanism according to the present invention is used, when the card is replenished from the exchanged magazine to the stocker, an intermediate holding portion is formed in which the end face of the card stocked in advance in the stocker is sandwiched and held from both sides. The intermediate holding part receives the card that has fallen from the magazine once and then drops it under the stocker and stocks it, so it can be refilled without damaging the card surface, reducing the load caused by dropping the refilled card Thus, a stable card supply operation can be maintained. Even if the intermediate holding portion is formed in the stocker, the magazine can be replaced without interrupting the continuous card supply operation.
In addition, by providing a second detection sensor that detects that the upper limit of cards stocked in the stocker is lower than that of the intermediate holding unit, the card supply operation is stopped without forming the intermediate holding unit when a card shortage is detected. Thus, the card replenishment operation is stabilized and the reliability of the apparatus is improved.
Further, by providing a third detection sensor for detecting that the upper limit of the cards stocked in the stocker is lower than the intermediate holding part by a predetermined range, the falling distance of the cards supplied to the intermediate holding part is longer than necessary. Do not drop the card because it grows larger. This prevents an excessive load from acting on the separation claw of the stocker and improves the reliability of the apparatus.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a state explanatory diagram of a card supply operation in a card supply mechanism.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of various sensors provided in the stocker.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a magazine opening / closing operation.
FIG. 4 is a front view, a right side view, and a top view of a magazine.
FIG. 5 is a front view and a left side view of the card supply device.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Rotary table 2 Magazine 3 Table drive device 4 Feeder 5 Guide part 6 Fixing part 7 Notch part 8 Shutter claw 9 Support point 10 Coil spring 11 Hand apparatus 12 Cylinder 13 Clamp arm 14 Stocker 15 Separation claw 16 Card 17 Card adsorption part 18 Adsorption Pad 19 Rod entry hole 20 Intermediate presser cylinder 21 Cylinder rod 22 Pressing portion 23 First detection sensor 24 Second detection sensor 25 Third detection sensor

Claims (2)

From a magazine in which cards are stacked and stored, a card is dropped from the upper end opening of a cylindrical stocker and replenished, and the card stock is supported and stocked by a separation claw protruding at the lower end opening of the stocker. , a card supply mechanism only lowermost card Ru is supplied separated,
A first detection sensor is provided in the middle of the stocker, and when the upper limit of the card stocked in the stocker is detected by the first detection sensor, the replacement of the magazine is promoted and the end faces of the cards stocked in the stocker are both sides An intermediate holding portion sandwiched and held from the magazine is formed, and when the card is replenished to the stocker from the exchanged magazine, the intermediate holding portion receives the card that has fallen by its own weight from the magazine, and then receives the intermediate holding portion. A card supply mechanism which is opened and dropped below the stocker to be stocked. Magazines loaded with cards are supported at a plurality of locations of the rotary table, and when the upper limit of the card is detected by the first detection sensor, the rotary table is rotated and replaced with a new magazine. The card supply mechanism according to claim 1.

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