JP5912385B2 - Sealed envelope inspection apparatus and inspection method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sealed envelope in a state where a flap portion is bonded to an envelope body in which contents are enclosed, and more particularly to an inspection device for a sealed envelope and a method for inspecting the sealed envelope.

  In general, a sealing and sealing machine is convenient in that it can automatically perform all the operations up to sealing the contents in an unused envelope body and bonding the flap part, but the bonding state by the machine is poor There is a risk that the flap part may be peeled off or the contents may fall off. For this reason, the prior art of the apparatus which test | inspects automatically the adhesion state of a flap part after sealing with an enclosure sealing machine is known conventionally (for example, refer patent document 1, 2 grade | etc.,).

  In the first prior art (Patent Document 1), when a sealed envelope is bent into a circular arc shape (90 °) as a whole with the flap portion on the inside, if there is a bonding failure, the defective portion is identified as the envelope body. From the inside to the inside. When the lift is detected by the optical sensor arranged in the center direction of the arc, it is determined that there is an adhesion failure in the flap portion, and the length of the defective portion can be determined from the time when the lift is detected.

  In the second prior art (Patent Document 2), the entire envelope is not curved, but the edge of the flap part or a part of the envelope body is pushed downward on a flat conveyance path, and the envelope surface is stressed to be deformed. ing. When there is an adhesion failure in the flap part, the defective part is lifted from the envelope body by the action of stress. When the presence or absence of lifting at this time is detected by a pair of transmissive optical sensors, and the sensor light is blocked during the conveyance of the envelope, it is determined that there is an adhesion failure in the flap portion.

  According to these first and second prior arts, it is possible to automatically inspect the defective adhesion of the flap portion of the envelope after sealing and prevent the envelope from being delivered as a defective product. it is conceivable that.

JP 2007-62795 A JP 2008-184206 A

  In the first and second prior arts described above, the following problems occur when envelopes having different thicknesses are mixed after sealing.

  The first prior art judges whether the quality is good or not based on the distance from one optical sensor arranged in the center direction of the arc to the flap portion. There is a problem that most envelopes having a large thickness are erroneously determined as defective. That is, an envelope having a relatively large thickness after sealing has an overall shorter distance from the optical sensor than an envelope having a relatively small thickness. Therefore, the distance from the optical sensor to the flap is a criterion for determining failure. If the length is shorter, even if the flap portion is not lifted up, it is erroneously determined as defective.

  In addition, the first prior art cannot cope with a relatively thick envelope because the entire envelope after sealing needs to be largely bent into an arc shape during the conveyance process. That is, if the envelope has few contents and the thickness after sealing is relatively small, it is easy to deform the whole, but the envelope with many contents and relatively large thickness is generally stiff. Therefore, it is not easy to bend this greatly. Moreover, if it is forced to bend, the contents may be damaged or the envelope body may be torn.

  In the second prior art, since the sensor optical axis is arranged at a certain height from the conveyance path, it cannot cope with an envelope having a thickness larger than the height of the sensor optical axis. Of course, it is possible to adjust the height of the sensor optical axis according to the average post-sealing thickness, but if there is still a mixture of large and small envelopes in the inspection target, If the envelope blocks the sensor light, it will be erroneously determined as a defective product.

  Then, even if it is a case where the envelope from which the thickness after sealing differs is mixed, this invention makes it a subject to provide the technique which can test | inspect without misjudgment.

[First invention]
The present invention (first invention) is an inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes and an inspection method thereof.
The inspection apparatus (first invention) includes a transport mechanism and a deformation mechanism, and the transport mechanism includes a sealed envelope in a state where a flap portion is bonded to an envelope body in which contents are sealed, along a predetermined transport surface. Transport. At this time, it is preferable that the conveying direction matches the longitudinal direction of the flap portion (longitudinal direction of the bonded portion). Further, the deformation mechanism is configured to face the conveyance surface other than the bonding region of the envelope body while curving the bonding region of the envelope body and the flap portion in the direction of leaving the conveyance surface from the side of the flap portion in the conveyance process of the sealed envelope. It is depressed by pushing in the thickness direction from the side to be done.

  The inspection apparatus (first invention) includes a measurement unit and an inspection unit. The measuring means is a position where both a warp to the bonding area and a depression to the non-bonding area are given by the deformation mechanism, and from the predetermined reference position relative to the conveyance surface to the bonding area and other than the bonding area. Measure the distance of each. Then, the inspection means inspects the adhesion state of the flap portion to the envelope body based on the relative relationship of the plurality of distances measured by the measurement means.

  According to the inspection apparatus of the present invention (first invention), if there is a defect in the adhesion of the flap portion due to the deformation of the bonded region and the other in the process of transporting the sealed envelope, the defective portion Is raised from the envelope body. In this case, when viewed from the distance from the reference position, since the envelope body does not lift particularly in the area other than the bonding area, no significant change is observed in the distance from the reference position. On the other hand, in the pasted region, the distance from the reference position is relatively short because the defective portion of the flap portion approaches the reference position by the amount raised. Therefore, when the measured distances are different to some extent between the bonded area and the non-bonded area, it can be determined that the bonded state is poor because it is considered to be caused by lifting of the defective bonding portion.

  As described above, in the present invention (first invention), since the adhesion state is inspected from the relative relationship of a plurality of distances measured with respect to the envelope to be inspected, the inspection is performed even if the envelope thickness changes in size. Is not affected by changes in envelope thickness. Therefore, it is possible to inspect envelopes having various thicknesses regardless of the envelope thickness after sealing.

The present invention (first invention) is also effective for the generation of wrinkles due to the envelope material.
That is, depending on the envelope to be inspected, the envelope body (envelope surface) itself may be made of a material that tends to wrinkle due to deformation such as bending. In this case, even if the non-defective product has no problem in the adhesive state of the flap portion, the flap portion also swells together with the wrinkles generated in the envelope body. There is a risk of judging.

  On the other hand, in the method of the present invention (first invention), even if the heel is shifted as a whole due to the envelope material or the like, and the flap part is swelled together with the envelope body, it is from the reference position. The distance from the reference position is almost the same because both the bonding area and the area other than the bonding area are swollen, so the distance from the reference position is almost the same, but there is a noticeable difference between the two. Absent. Further, in particular, when there is no defect in the adhesion state of the flap portion and no wrinkles due to deformation occur, the envelope body and the flap portion are similarly deformed, and thus there is almost no difference in the distance between the two.

  Therefore, regardless of whether or not the absolute distance has changed, if there is almost no difference between the measured distances in the bonding area and the non-bonding area, it is not caused by the floating of the flap. It can be determined that the adhesion state is not defective. Thereby, erroneous determination can be prevented and the accuracy of inspection can be improved.

  The inspection means can inspect the adhesion state of the flap portion based on the difference between the plurality of distances. In this case, if the difference between the distance to the bonding area and the distance to the area other than the bonding area is significant (for example, exceeds the reference value), it is determined that the adhesion state of the flap portion is defective. be able to. On the contrary, if there is almost no difference between the distances of the two (for example, below the reference value), it can be determined that the adhesion state of the flap portion is not defective.

  Further, the measuring means measures the distance to the bonding area and the distance to other than the bonding area at a plurality of locations of the sealed envelope as viewed in the conveying direction, and the inspection means measures a plurality of the distances measured at each of the plurality of positions. It is good also as inspecting the adhesion state of a flap part based on the difference in distance.

  If it is said aspect, when the adhesion part of a flap part has a certain amount of length, an adhesion state can be test | inspected over the whole range of an adhesion part by measuring distance in the multiple places.

  The measurement means includes first and second displacement sensors arranged at the reference position. The first displacement sensor measures the distance to the outer surface of the bonding region at the bonding position of the flap portion (the position of the bonding portion), and the second displacement sensor is the distance to the outer surface other than the bonding region of the envelope body. Measure. The inspection unit includes a calculation unit and a determination unit. The calculation unit calculates the difference between the two distances measured by the first and second displacement sensors, respectively. The determination unit determines the quality of the adhesion state of the flap portion from the result of comparing the difference between the two distances calculated by the calculation unit and a predetermined value.

  Accordingly, the distance measurement by each displacement sensor and the subsequent calculation / determination process can be automated by a computer or the like, thereby speeding up the inspection.

  The deformation mechanism includes an envelope receiving member, a flap pressing roller, a pushing roller, and the like. The envelope receiving member is disposed along the conveyance surface, and supports a region other than the bonding region from the side opposite to the bonding surface of the flap portion in the process of conveying the sealed envelope. The flap pressing roller has a rotating shaft on the opposite side of the envelope receiving member across the conveying surface, and an outer peripheral surface that extends in a conical shape from the opposite side of the envelope receiving member over the conveying surface in the process of conveying the sealed envelope By relatively guiding the bonding area along the direction, the bonding area is warped and deformed with the envelope receiving member as a fulcrum. The pushing roller has a rotating shaft disposed relative to the conveying surface, and the non-bonding region is relatively aligned along the outer circumferential surface having a radius larger than the interval from the rotating shaft to the conveying surface in the process of conveying the sealed envelope. By being guided to, the depression deformation is given beyond the conveying area beyond the conveying surface. In particular, the deformation mechanism can include an adjustment mechanism that allows the position of the rotary shaft of the push roller to be adjusted in the thickness direction of the sealed envelope.

  Thereby, the deformation | transformation of the envelope by various members, a roller, etc. is easily realizable in the process in which the sealed envelope is conveyed. Further, by adjusting the position of the rotary shaft of the pushing roller, it is possible to easily cope with a case where the average thickness of the envelope changes.

The inspection method (first invention) of the present invention includes the following steps. The following steps may be performed in parallel.
[Transport process]
In this step, the sealed envelope in a state where the flap portion is bonded to the envelope body in which the contents are enclosed is conveyed along a predetermined conveyance surface.

[Deformation process]
In this process, in the process in which the sealed envelope is conveyed through the conveying process, the bonding area between the envelope body and the flap part is warped in the direction away from the conveying surface from the side of the flap part, and the area other than the bonding area of the envelope body is It is depressed by pushing in the thickness direction from the side facing the conveying surface.

[Measurement process]
In this process, at the position where both the warp to the bonding area and the depression to the non-bonding area are given in the deformation process, the distance from the predetermined reference position relative to the conveyance surface to the bonding area and other than the bonding area Measure the distance of each.

[Inspection process]
In this step, the adhesion state of the flap portion to the envelope body is inspected based on the relative relationship of the plurality of distances measured in the measurement step.

  According to the above inspection method, as in the case of using the inspection apparatus, even when envelopes having various thicknesses are mixed in the inspection object, the inspection can be performed with high accuracy without erroneous determination. In addition, it is possible to prevent a wrinkle generated in a non-defective product from being erroneously determined as defective due to the material of the envelope or the like, and to improve inspection accuracy.

  In the inspection method, in the above-described inspection step, the adhesion state of the flap portion may be inspected based on a plurality of distance differences.

  In the measurement process, the distance to the bonding area and the distance to other than the bonding area are measured at a plurality of locations of the sealed envelope as viewed in the conveyance direction, respectively. In the inspection process, a plurality of measured values are measured at each of the plurality of positions. You may test | inspect the adhesion state of a flap part based on the difference of distance.

[Second invention]
The present invention (second invention) is an inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes and an inspection method thereof.
The inspection apparatus (second invention) includes a transport mechanism and a deformation mechanism, and the transport mechanism includes a sealed envelope in a state in which a flap portion is bonded to an envelope body in which contents are enclosed, along a predetermined transport surface. Transport. At this time, it is preferable that the conveying direction matches the longitudinal direction of the flap portion (longitudinal direction of the bonded portion). Further, the deformation mechanism is configured to face the conveyance surface other than the bonding region of the envelope body while curving the bonding region of the envelope body and the flap portion in the direction of leaving the conveyance surface from the side of the flap portion in the conveyance process of the sealed envelope. It is depressed by pushing in the thickness direction from the side to be done.

  The inspection apparatus (second invention) includes a measurement unit and an inspection unit. The measuring means is configured so that when the sealed envelope passes through a position where both a warp to the bonding area and a depression to the non-bonding area are provided by the deformation mechanism, from a predetermined reference position facing the conveyance surface to the bonding area. The distance is measured several times. The inspecting means inspects the adhesion state of the flap portion to the envelope body based on the change of the distance for a plurality of times measured by the measuring means.

  According to the inspection apparatus of the present invention (second invention), deformation is applied to the bonded area and the other area in the process of transporting the sealed envelope, but the deformed portion warps the bonded area or other than the bonded area. It is not necessary to add a deformation such as a large curve. For this reason, envelopes with various thicknesses can be inspected regardless of the envelope thickness after sealing.

  In addition, by applying the above-described deformation to the sealed envelope, if there is an adhesion failure of the flap portion, the defective portion is lifted from the envelope body. At this time, the present invention (second invention) does not inspect the presence or absence of lifting at a pre-fixed point such as the sensor optical axis, but how the distance to the bonding region changes through the conveyance process. We check if there is a problem, and inspect the presence or absence of lift from the change.

  For example, if there is actually a lift due to poor adhesion of the flap portion, the distance measured before, during and after passage of such a defective portion passes through a certain position on the transport path. Therefore, if the change mode (inclination) of the distance at this time represents the floating of the flap portion, it can be determined that the adhesion state of the flap portion is defective. Conversely, if the measured distance does not change drastically through the process of the entire envelope passing through a certain position on the transport path, it can be determined that there is no defective flap adhesion.

  As described above, according to the inspection apparatus of the present invention (second invention), even when the thickness of the sealed envelope is variously changed, the adhesive state of the flap portion is determined from the change of the distance measured at a fixed position. Can be inspected.

  The inspection means can inspect the adhesion state of the flap portion based on the difference between the two distances continuously measured by the measurement means.

  In this case, the two distances measured in succession correspond to the difference between the distances measured at points adjacent to each other in the transport direction on the bonding area. Therefore, since the difference between the two distances represents the inclination of the flap portion as viewed in the transport direction, if the difference is large to some extent, it can be determined that the adhesion state of the flap portion is defective. On the contrary, when there is not much difference, it can be determined that there is no adhesion failure because the flap portion is not inclined.

  The measuring means includes a displacement sensor that is disposed at the reference position and detects a distance to the outer surface of the bonding region at the bonding position of the flap portion, and the inspection means has two distances measured continuously by the displacement sensor. A calculation unit that calculates the difference and a determination unit that determines the quality of the adhesion state of the flap unit using the difference between the two distances calculated by the calculation unit may be included.

  Thereby, the distance measurement by the displacement sensor and the subsequent calculation / determination process can be automated by a computer or the like, and the inspection speed can be increased.

  The deformation mechanism includes an envelope receiving member, a flap pressing roller, a pushing roller, and the like. The envelope receiving member is disposed along the conveyance surface, and supports a region other than the bonding region from the side opposite to the bonding surface of the flap portion in the process of conveying the sealed envelope. The flap pressing roller has a rotating shaft on the opposite side of the envelope receiving member across the conveying surface, and an outer peripheral surface that extends in a conical shape from the opposite side of the envelope receiving member over the conveying surface in the process of conveying the sealed envelope By relatively guiding the bonding area along the direction, the bonding area is warped and deformed with the envelope receiving member as a fulcrum. The pushing roller has a rotating shaft disposed relative to the conveying surface, and the non-bonding region is relatively aligned along the outer circumferential surface having a radius larger than the interval from the rotating shaft to the conveying surface in the process of conveying the sealed envelope. By being guided to, the depression deformation is given beyond the conveying area beyond the conveying surface. In particular, the deformation mechanism can include an adjustment mechanism that allows the position of the rotary shaft of the push roller to be adjusted in the thickness direction of the sealed envelope.

  Thereby, the deformation | transformation of the envelope by various members, a roller, etc. is easily realizable in the process in which the sealed envelope is conveyed. Further, by adjusting the position of the rotary shaft of the pushing roller, it is possible to easily cope with a case where the average thickness of the envelope changes.

The inspection method (second invention) of the present invention includes the following steps. The following steps may be performed in parallel.
[Transport process]
In this step, the sealed envelope in a state where the flap portion is bonded to the envelope body in which the contents are enclosed is conveyed along a predetermined conveyance surface.

[Deformation process]
In this process, in the process in which the sealed envelope is conveyed through the conveying process, the bonding area between the envelope body and the flap part is warped in the direction away from the conveying surface from the side of the flap part, and the area other than the bonding area of the envelope body is It is depressed by pushing in the thickness direction from the side facing the conveying surface.

[Measurement process]
In this process, the distance from the reference position to the bonding area is measured multiple times while the sealed envelope passes through the position where both the warpage to the bonding area and the depression to the non-bonding area are given in the deformation process. To do.

[Inspection process]
In this step, the adhesion state of the flap portion to the envelope body is inspected based on the change of the distance for a plurality of times measured in the measurement step.

  According to the above inspection method, as in the case of using the inspection apparatus, even when envelopes having different thicknesses after sealing are mixed, the adhesive state of the flap is reliably ensured regardless of the thickness of the individual envelopes. Can be inspected.

  In the inspection method, in the above-described inspection process, the adhesion state of the flap portion may be inspected based on the difference between the two distances continuously measured in the measurement process.

  According to the inspection apparatus and the inspection method of the present invention (the first and second inventions), a large number of envelopes can be efficiently inspected even when the sealed envelopes have different thicknesses.

It is a figure showing roughly the composition of the inspection device of one embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the aspect of the deformation | transformation added to an envelope in a conveyance process. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of the envelope on a conveyance path, and each sensor optical axis (measurement position). It is the figure which showed the measurement result of the distance by a displacement sensor according to the adhesion state of the flap part. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the test | inspection process performed by a test | inspection unit. It is a table | surface which lists and shows the measured value D1, D2 acquired in the some measurement location, and these difference (D1-D2) about a good quality envelope. It is the graph which plotted the numerical value shown by the table | surface of FIG. It is a table | surface which lists and lists the value about the envelope of inferior goods. It is the graph which plotted the numerical value shown by the table | surface of FIG. 8 (A). It is a table | surface which lists and shows the value about another good quality envelope. It is the graph which plotted the numerical value shown by the table | surface of FIG. It is a figure showing roughly the composition of the inspection device of one embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the aspect of the deformation | transformation added to an envelope in a conveyance process. It is a top view which shows the positional relationship of the envelope and sensor optical axis (measurement position) on a conveyance path. It is the figure which showed the response | compatibility to the case where the envelope from which thickness differs is mixed in the test object. It is the figure which showed the change mode of the distance measured by the displacement sensor according to the adhesion state of the flap part F. FIG. It is the table | surface which shows the list of the measured value D3 acquired in the some measurement location about the good envelope, and the inclination calculated value ((DELTA) D3 = D3-D3 ') between adjacent measurement locations. It is the graph which plotted the measured value D3 shown by the table | surface of FIG. 17 in numerical order. It is a table | surface which lists and lists the value about the envelope of inferior goods. It is the graph which plotted the measured value D3 shown by the table | surface of FIG. 19 in numerical order.

[Part 1]
In the first part, one embodiment of the inspection device of the first invention will be described, and the inspection method of the first invention carried out using this inspection device will be clarified.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of an inspection apparatus 10 according to an embodiment.
The inspection device 10 according to an embodiment automatically inspects the adhesion state (presence or absence of adhesion failure) of the flap portion F in the process of transporting the sealed envelope E. For example, the inspection apparatus 10 can be used by being connected to an unsealed sealing machine. In the sealing machine, the envelope E is automatically sealed with contents such as business documents and advertisements, and then a flap. Work until the part F is automatically bonded (glued) and sealed is performed. The flap portion F is bonded by adding moisture to, for example, a pre-applied re-wet paste (Arabic paste). The envelope E may be either a fixed shape or a non-standard size.

[Transport mechanism]
The inspection apparatus 10 includes a transport mechanism 11, and the transport mechanism 11 transports, for example, a sealed envelope E received from an unillustrated sealing machine in the direction of a white arrow shown in FIG. The transport mechanism 11 has an endless transport belt 12, and the transport belt 12 is mainly wound around a driving roller 14, a driven roller 16 and a tension roller 8.

  The transport belt 12 forms a flat transport path in the section from the driven roller 16 to the drive roller 14. The envelope E fed between the driven roller 16 and the receiving roller 18 at the beginning of the conveyance path is drawn into the conveyance belt 12 and conveyed in the traveling direction. Note that the surface of the conveyor belt 12 forms the conveying surface of the envelope E within the section of the conveying path. The driving roller 14 is located at the end of the conveying path, and the envelope E that has reached the end is sent out between the driving roller 14 and the sending roller 24.

  Guide roller pairs 20 and 22 are installed near the beginning and end of the conveyance path, respectively. These guide roller pairs 20 and 22 guide stable conveyance of the envelope E by the conveyance belt 12.

(Deformation mechanism)
Further, the inspection apparatus includes a deformation mechanism 30, and the deformation mechanism 30 is provided at the center position of the conveyance path when viewed in the conveyance direction. The deformation mechanism 30 can lift the envelope E in the conveying process, if there is a poor adhesion portion in the flap F.

  More specifically, in order to deform the envelope E, the deformation mechanism 30 includes an envelope receiving plate 32, a flap pressing roller 34, an envelope pushing roller 36, and an envelope pressing roller 38. Among them, the envelope receiving plate 32 extends in the conveying direction of the envelope E along the surface of the conveying belt 12, that is, the conveying surface, and the central portion viewed in the longitudinal direction is deformed into a U shape. The envelope receiving plate 32 supports the envelope E from the conveying belt 12 side in the process in which the envelope E is conveyed.

  The other flap pressing roller 34, envelope pushing roller 36, and envelope pressing roller 38 are arranged on the opposite side of the envelope receiving plate 32 with the conveying surface interposed therebetween. Of these, the envelope pushing roller 36 is located in the center when viewed in the conveying direction, and the flap pressing roller 34 and the envelope pressing roller 38 are arranged on both sides (upstream side and downstream side), respectively. In this example, the flap pressing roller 34 and the envelope pressing roller 38 are located on the same rotational axis, but the flap pressing roller 34 and the envelope pressing roller 38 are disposed apart from each other in the transverse direction of the conveyance path. A guide roller 40 is disposed inside the transport belt 12 so as to face each envelope pressing roller 38.

  In the process of transporting the envelope E, the flap pressing roller 34 deforms the region corresponding to the flap portion F (bonding region) so as to bend in a direction away from the transport surface (downward in FIG. 1). At this time, the envelope receiving plate 32 serves as a fulcrum during deformation. Further, the envelope pushing roller 36 pushes the region other than the region corresponding to the flap portion F of the envelope E in the thickness direction, thereby causing the envelope E to be depressed at the position of the envelope pushing roller 36. The reason why the central portion of the envelope receiving plate 32 is U-shaped as described above is to secure a space for “escape” when the envelope E is recessed.

  In any case, by deforming the envelope E by the deformation mechanism 30, when there is an adhesion failure place in the flap portion F, the failure place can be lifted as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1. .

[Measurement and inspection]
The inspection apparatus 10 includes two displacement sensors 42 and 44 and an inspection unit 46 in order to inspect the adhesion state of the flap portion F. The displacement sensors 42 and 44 are reflection-type optical distance sensors, and both transmit and receive sensor light at substantially the same position as the envelope pushing roller 36 as viewed in the transport direction. Of these, one displacement sensor 44 has a region corresponding to the flap portion F as a measurement target position, and the other displacement sensor 42 has a region other than the region corresponding to the flap portion F as a measurement target position. The detection signals of the displacement sensors 42 and 44 are input to the inspection unit 46 and used for information processing inside.

  The inspection unit 46 can be realized using an electronic device (for example, a personal computer) having an information processing function. The inspection unit 46 includes a measurement unit 48, a calculation unit 50, and a determination unit 52 as functional elements. Among the measurement units 48, the measurement unit 48 detects signals from the displacement sensors 42 and 44 to each measurement target position. Measure distance. The calculation unit 50 performs calculation processing using the measurement result obtained by the measurement unit 48. The determination part 52 inspects the adhesion state of the flap part F based on the result of the arithmetic processing.

  The inspection unit 46 is provided with a display unit 54 such as a liquid crystal display, for example. The display unit 54 has a measurement result by the measurement unit 48, a calculation result by the calculation unit 50, a determination result by the determination unit 52, and the like as desired. Can be displayed visually.

  The functions of the inspection unit 46 as the measurement unit 48, the calculation unit 50, and the determination unit 52 can be realized by software processing executed by the inspection unit 46 as a computer device, for example. Details of the inspection method by the inspection unit 46 will be described later.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a deformation mode applied to the envelope E during the conveyance process. As described above, when the surface of the conveyor belt 12 is a conveying surface, the envelope E is basically conveyed in one direction along the conveying surface. At this time, the conveyance direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the flap portion F.

  Here, the sealed envelope E is in a state where the flap portion F is bonded (bonded) to the envelope main body B after the contents are sealed. In this state, a region corresponding to the flap portion F of the envelope E is defined as a bonding region A1, and a region other than the bonding region A1 is defined as a main body region A2. At this time, the envelope receiving plate 32 is located on the main body region A2 side in the vicinity of the boundary between the bonding region A1 and the main body region A2. At this position, the envelope receiving plate 32 can support, for example, the envelope E from the side opposite to the bonding surface of the flap portion F via the transport belt 12.

  The two flap pressing rollers 34 are located so as to protrude from the envelope receiving plate 32 to one side of the conveying surface, and are opposed to the bonding region A1 at this position. Each flap pressing roller 34 has a truncated cone shape, and its rotation shaft (without reference numeral) is arranged on the opposite side of the envelope receiving plate 32 with the conveying surface interposed therebetween, but the outer peripheral surface is the envelope receiving plate 32. From the opposite side, it extends beyond the conveying surface into a conical shape (tapered shape). For this reason, as shown in the drawing, each flap pressing roller 34 is in the process of guiding the bonding area A1 along its outer peripheral surface in a direction away from the conveying surface to the bonding area A1 with the envelope receiving plate 32 as a fulcrum (in this example, Warping deformation in the downward direction).

  Note that, here, the bonding area A1 protrudes from the conveying belt 12 and is conveyed, but the envelope E is conveyed while being in contact with the conveying belt 12 as a whole, and in the process, by the flap pressing roller 34. When the deformation is given, the edge of the conveyor belt 12 may be warped together with the bonding region A1.

  On the other hand, the envelope pushing roller 36 is positioned relative to the main body region A2 of the envelope E. The envelope pushing roller 36 has a columnar shape, and its rotation shaft 36a is also arranged so as to face the conveyance surface. However, the envelope pushing roller 36 has a larger radius on the outer peripheral surface than the interval from the rotating shaft 36a to the conveying surface. Therefore, the envelope pushing roller 36 moves to the main body region A2 of the envelope E as shown in FIG. It is possible to give a depression deformation beyond. At this time, on both sides of the envelope pushing roller 36, deformation of the main body region A2 is constrained by each envelope pressing roller 38 and guide roller 40 (not shown in FIG. 2).

  An adjustment mechanism 36b is attached to the envelope pushing roller 36, and this adjustment mechanism 36b adjusts the position (height from the conveying surface) of the rotary shaft 36a in the thickness direction of the envelope E by an actuator (not shown). Can do. Thereby, the amount of depression deformation given to main part field A2 according to the average thickness of envelope E can be adjusted.

  The two displacement sensors 42 and 44 are installed (fixed) at a reference position at a predetermined interval from the conveyance surface. As described above, one displacement sensor 44 detects the distance from the reference position to the bonding area A1, and the other displacement sensor 42 detects the distance from the reference position to the main body area A2. Note that the two displacement sensors 42 and 44 are positions on the conveyance path where warpage deformation to the bonding area A1 and depression deformation to the main body area A2 are both given (between the two flap pressing rollers 34 and substantially the same as the rotation shaft 36a). The sensor optical axis is set on the line.

〔Measurement position〕
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the envelope E and each sensor optical axis (measurement position) on the conveyance path. Although the two displacement sensors 42 and 44 are fixed, in the process of transporting the envelope E, one displacement sensor 44 measures the distance to the bonding area A1 on the scanning line L1, and the other displacement sensor 42. Measures the distance to the body region A2 on the scanning line L2. At this time, the scanning line L1 corresponding to the bonding area A1 is aligned with the approximate center as viewed in the width direction of the bonding portion P of the flap portion F. Further, it is assumed that the scanning line L2 corresponding to the main body region A2 is aligned to some extent near the edge of the flap portion F.

[Number of measurements]
The measurement by each displacement sensor 42, 44 is performed a plurality of times (for example, about 10 times) in the process of transporting one envelope E. Specifically, while the envelope E passes the sensor optical axis position of the displacement sensors 42 and 44, the detection signal is read by the measurement unit 48 a plurality of times at regular intervals. Thereby, in the process in which one envelope E is conveyed, the distance is measured at a plurality of locations (for example, 10 locations) on each of the scanning lines L1 and L2.

[Measurement results by adhesion state]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the distance measurement results by the displacement sensors 42 and 44 according to the bonding state of the flap portion F. FIG. 4A shows a case where the envelope E does not wrinkle in a good adhesion state, FIG. 4B shows a case where the flap portion F is lifted up in a bad adhesion state, and FIG. Is a good adhesion state, but shows a case where the envelope E is wrinkled. More specific description will be given below.

[When adhesion is good]
FIG. 4A: When the adhesive state of the flap portion F is good and the envelope E is not wrinkled, the flap portion F and the envelope body B are both depressed at the measurement positions of the displacement sensors 42 and 44. . At this time, when the transmission / reception surfaces of the displacement sensors 42 and 44 are set as the reference position, one displacement sensor 44 can measure the distance from the reference position to the bonding area A1 to obtain the measurement value D1. Further, the other displacement sensor 42 can measure the distance from the reference position to the main body region A2 to obtain the measured value D2. In this case, the difference H (= D1−D2) between the two measurement values D1 and D2 is relatively small (for example, about the thickness of the flap portion F).

[When bonding condition is poor]
FIG. 4B: On the other hand, when there is a defective part of the adhesive state in the flap part F, the envelope body B is in a depressed state at the measurement position of each displacement sensor 42, 44, but the flap part F is an envelope. It will be in a state of being lifted from the main body B. In this case, the difference H (= D1−D2) between the two measured values D1 and D2 is relatively large (corresponding to the floating height of the flap portion F).

[Good adhesion state / when wrinkles occur]
FIG. 4 (C): On the other hand, the adhesive state of the flap portion F is good, but when the entire surface is wrinkled due to the material of the envelope E or the like, the surface in contact with the envelope pushing roller 36 at the measurement position of each displacement sensor 42 The envelope main body B and the flap portion F are both inflated (however, the contents are in a depressed state). Therefore, in this case, the difference H (= D1−D2) between the two measurement values D1 and D2 remains relatively small (for example, about the thickness of the flap portion F).

〔Inspection method〕
Next, the function of the inspection unit 46 will be specifically described, and the inspection method executed using the inspection apparatus 10 will also be clarified.

[Transport process]
First, the envelope E to be inspected is transported on the transport path using the transport mechanism 11 of the inspection apparatus 10. The envelope E may be continuously conveyed in plural units within a unit time.

[Deformation process]
In the process of transporting the envelope E by the transport mechanism 11, the envelope E is deformed using the deformation mechanism 30 of the inspection apparatus 10. The mode of deformation applied to the envelope E is as already described.

[Measurement process]
Then, when the envelope E passes the measurement position of each displacement sensor 42, the distance from the reference position to the bonding area A1 and the main body area A2 is measured. For the measurement, two displacement sensors 42 and 44 and a measurement unit 48 of the inspection unit 46 can be used.

[Inspection process]
As a relative relationship between the measured values D1 and D2 of the two displacement sensors 42, a difference (D1−D2) between the two is calculated, and the adhesion state of the flap portion F is inspected from the result. For example, when the difference (D1−D2) is less than a predetermined threshold, it is determined that the adhesion state is good, and conversely, when it is equal to or greater than the threshold, it is determined that the adhesion is poor.

[Inspection process]
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a flow of inspection processing executed by the inspection unit 46. The above measurement process and inspection process proceed by executing this inspection process.

  Steps S100 and S102: The inspection unit 46 acquires the measurement value D1 of the displacement sensor 44 by the measurement unit 48, and subsequently acquires the measurement value D2 of the displacement sensor 42.

  Step S104: The inspection unit 46 calculates the difference (D1−D2) between the measured values D1 and D2 in the calculation unit 50, and compares the result with the threshold value in the determination unit 52.

Step S106: If the difference (D1-D2) is less than or equal to the threshold (step S104: Yes), the determination unit 52 determines that the adhesive state of the flap portion F is good.
Step S108: On the other hand, when the difference (D1-D2) is equal to or larger than the threshold (No at Step S104), the determination unit 52 determines that the adhesive state of the flap portion F is defective. Note that the threshold value can be appropriately set in advance according to the material and size of the envelope E to be inspected and the degree (length) of the adhesion failure portion to be inspected.

  Although the flow of one inspection process is completed as described above, the inspection unit 46 repeatedly executes the inspection process a plurality of times while one envelope E is being conveyed. Thereby, measurement value D1, D2 can be acquired in the several measurement location (on each scanning line M1, M2) seen in the conveyance direction of the envelope E, and an adhesion state can be test | inspected from the difference (D1-D2).

[Specific examples of test results]
As specific examples, (1) non-defective product inspection results (without defects), (2) defective product inspection results, and (3) non-defective product inspection results (with defects) are listed.

(1) Non-defective test results (no defects)
FIG. 6 is a table showing a list of the measured values D1 and D2 obtained at a plurality of measurement locations and the difference (D1−D2) for a good envelope E. “1” to “10” are shown as the measurement location numbers at the top of the table, and the calculation result of the measurement value D1, the measurement value D2, and their difference (D1−D2) is numerically shown in the number-by-number column in order from the top. Is shown.

  FIG. 7 is a graph in which the numerical values shown in the table of FIG. 6 are plotted. The vertical axis of the graph represents measured values and calculation results, and the horizontal axis represents measurement location numbers. FIG. 7A shows the measurement value D1 for each measurement location, and FIG. 7B shows the measurement value D2 for each measurement location.

  As is clear from FIGS. 7A and 7B, in the envelope E to be inspected, the measured values D1 and D2 are stable throughout all the measurement points. This indicates that neither the floating of the flap portion F nor the swelling due to the wrinkles occurred in the envelope E to be inspected.

  And the difference (D1-D2) shown by FIG.7 (C) has shown the result close | similar to 0 in all the measurement locations. Therefore, since the difference (D1-D2) is less than the threshold value at all the measurement points, the envelope E to be inspected can be determined as a non-defective product.

(2) Inspection Result of Defective Product FIG. 8 is a table showing a list of values for the defective envelope E. The table is shown in FIG. 8 (A), and FIG. 8 (B) shows an example of a defective envelope E having an adhesion failure portion as an example. The adhesion failure location is assumed to be, for example, a fixed-size envelope E having a length of about 50 mm.

  FIG. 9 is a graph plotting the numerical values shown in the table of FIG. FIG. 9A shows the measurement value D1 for each measurement location, and FIG. 9B shows the measurement value D2 for each measurement location.

  As is clear from FIGS. 9A and 9B, in the envelope E to be inspected, the measured value D1 protrudes from others at a specific measurement location (for example, the number “7”), but the measured value D2 Is generally stable. This indicates that the flap portion F has been lifted at a specific measurement location in the envelope E to be inspected.

  And the difference (D1-D2) shown by FIG.9 (C) also protrudes from others in a specific measurement location. Therefore, since the difference (D1-D2) exceeds the threshold value Th at a specific measurement point this time, it can be determined that the envelope E to be inspected is defective.

(3) Non-defective product inspection results (with defects)
Next, FIG. 10 is a table showing a list of values for another good envelope E. FIG. 11 is a graph in which the numerical values shown in the table of FIG. 10 are plotted. FIG. 10A shows the measurement value D1 for each measurement location, and FIG. 10B shows the measurement value D2 for each measurement location.

  As is clear from FIGS. 10A and 10B, in the envelope E to be inspected, the measured value D1 protrudes from others at a specific measurement location (for example, the number “7”). Similarly, it protrudes from others at a specific measurement location (number “7”). This indicates that the envelope main body B and the flap portion F are both inflated because the envelope E to be inspected wrinkles the envelope main body B at a specific measurement location.

  For this reason, the difference (D1-D2) shown in FIG. 10C is stable overall without protruding at a specific measurement location. Therefore, in particular, when the envelope E without the defective adhesion portion is wrinkled, the difference (D1-D2) is equal to or less than the threshold value Th at all the measurement locations, and therefore it is determined that the envelope E to be inspected is a good product. Can do.

[Summary of Part 1]
As described above, according to the inspection apparatus 10 for the sealed envelope E and the inspection method thereof, the inspection is not performed on the basis of the distance from the optical sensor at the specific position to the flap portion F, but for the envelope E to be inspected. The adhesion state is inspected by judging the floating of the flap portion F from the relative relationship between the two measured values D1 and D2, so even if envelopes E of different thicknesses are mixed, they are affected by the difference in the thickness of the envelope E. Therefore, the adhesion failure of the flap portion F can be accurately inspected.

  In addition, when the envelope E is deformed by bending or the like, even if the wrinkles are likely to shift due to the influence of the material, contents, etc., the overall bulge generated in the non-defective product and the flap portion F generated in the defective product Pure adhesion failure can be inspected with high precision without confusion and misjudgment.

  Further, by adjusting the position (distance from the conveying surface) of the rotary shaft 36a of the envelope pushing roller 36 by the adjusting mechanism 36b, it is possible to easily cope with a case where the average thickness of the sealed envelope E changes. it can.

  The first invention can be implemented with various modifications without being limited to the above-described embodiment. The specific configurations of the transport mechanism 11 and the deformation mechanism 30 described in the embodiment are merely examples, and these components may be appropriately changed.

  In addition, the inspection unit 46 performs pass / fail judgment each time the measurement values of the two displacement sensors 42 and 44 are acquired. All the measurement values are stored in a buffer memory or the like, and these are collectively calculated. It is good also as performing quality determination over.

[Part 2]
In Part 2, one embodiment of the inspection apparatus of the second invention will be described, and the inspection method of the second invention carried out using this inspection apparatus will be clarified. Although a part of the description overlaps with the first part, the same reference numerals are basically attached to the components common to the inspection apparatus 10 of the first part together with the illustration, and the respective explanations are omitted.

FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of the inspection apparatus 100 according to an embodiment.
The inspection apparatus 100 according to an embodiment corresponding to the second invention automatically inspects the adhesion state (presence of adhesion failure) of the flap portion F in the process of transporting the sealed envelope E. The inspection apparatus 100 can be used by being connected to, for example, a sealed sealing machine (not shown). In the sealed sealing machine, the envelope E is automatically sealed with contents such as commercial documents and advertisements, and then a flap. Work until the part F is automatically bonded (glued) and sealed is performed. The flap portion F is bonded by adding moisture to, for example, a pre-applied re-wet paste (Arabic paste). The envelope E may be either a fixed shape or a non-standard size.

[Conveying mechanism and deformation mechanism]
The inspection apparatus 100 includes the same transport mechanism 11 and deformation mechanism 30 as the inspection apparatus 10 described in the first part. These configurations and operations are the same as those described in the first part.

[Measurement and inspection]
The inspection apparatus 100 includes a displacement sensor 440 and an inspection unit 46 in order to inspect the adhesion state of the flap portion F. The displacement sensor 440 is a reflective optical distance sensor, and both transmit and receive sensor light at substantially the same position as the envelope pushing roller 36 as viewed in the transport direction. The displacement sensor 440 uses a region corresponding to the flap portion F as a measurement target position. The detection signal of the displacement sensor 440 is input to the inspection unit 46 and used for information processing therein.

  The inspection unit 46 can be realized using an electronic device (for example, a personal computer) having an information processing function. The inspection unit 46 includes a measurement unit 48, a calculation unit 50, and a determination unit 52 as functional elements. Among these, the measurement unit 48 measures the distance from the detection signal of the displacement sensor 440 to the measurement target position. . The calculation unit 50 performs calculation processing using the measurement result obtained by the measurement unit 48. The determination part 52 inspects the adhesion state of the flap part F based on the result of the arithmetic processing.

  The inspection unit 46 is provided with a display unit 54 such as a liquid crystal display, for example. The display unit 54 has a measurement result by the measurement unit 48, a calculation result by the calculation unit 50, a determination result by the determination unit 52, and the like as desired. Can be displayed visually.

  The functions of the inspection unit 46 as the measurement unit 48, the calculation unit 50, and the determination unit 52 can be realized by software processing executed by the inspection unit 46 as a computer device, for example. Details of the inspection method by the inspection unit 46 will be described later.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing an aspect of deformation applied to the envelope E during the conveyance process. If the surface of the conveyance belt 12 is a conveyance surface, the envelope E is basically conveyed in one direction along the conveyance surface. At this time, the conveyance direction coincides with the longitudinal direction of the flap portion F.

[Deformation of envelope during transport]
The manner in which the deformation mechanism 30 deforms the envelope E during the transport process of the envelope E by the transport mechanism 11 is basically the same as that described in the first part.

  The displacement sensor 440 is installed (fixed) at a reference position at a predetermined interval from the conveyance surface. In this state, the displacement sensor 440 detects the distance from the reference position to the bonding area A1. The displacement sensor 440 is a sensor at a position (between the two flap pressing rollers 34 and substantially on the same axis as the rotation shaft 36a) on the conveyance path where both warp deformation to the bonding area A1 and depression deformation to the main body area A2 are given. It is assumed that the optical axis is set.

〔Measurement position〕
FIG. 14 is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the envelope E and the sensor optical axis (measurement position) on the conveyance path. Although the displacement sensor 440 is fixed, in the process in which the envelope E is conveyed, the displacement sensor 440 measures the distance to the bonding area A1 on the scanning line L3. At this time, the scanning line L3 is aligned with the approximate center in the width direction of the adhesion portion P of the flap portion F.

[Number of measurements]
The measurement by the displacement sensor 440 is performed a plurality of times (for example, about 10 times) in the process of transporting one envelope E. Specifically, while the envelope E passes through the sensor optical axis position of the displacement sensor 440, the reading of the detection signal by the measurement unit 48 is performed a plurality of times at regular intervals. Thereby, distance measurement is performed at a plurality of locations (for example, 10 locations) on the scanning line L3 in the process of transporting one envelope E.

[When envelopes with different thicknesses are mixed]
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a response to a case where envelopes E having different thicknesses are mixed in the inspection target. Of these, FIG. 15A shows a case where an envelope E having a relatively small thickness T1 is to be inspected, and FIG. 15B shows a case where an envelope E having a relatively large thickness T2 is to be inspected. Yes.

  As is clear from the comparison between FIGS. 15A and 15B, the inspection apparatus 100 can detect the reference position by the displacement sensor 440 even if the thicknesses T1 and T2 (T1 <T2) of the envelope E to be inspected are different. Can be measured, and the adhesion state of the flap portion F can be inspected based on the measured value.

[Contrast with prior art]
In this regard, as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIGS. 15A and 15B, for example, when inspection is performed with the sensor S fixed at a certain height from the conveyance surface (reference numeral CS), sensor light is used. The shaft is arranged parallel to the transport surface. In this case, as shown in FIG. 15A, it is considered that the envelope E having a relatively small thickness T1 is effective at the time of inspecting the floating of the flap portion F. However, as shown in FIG. 15B, for the envelope E having a relatively large thickness T2, it is impossible to inspect effectively because the envelope E itself is applied to the sensor optical axis in a non-defective state. Become.

  On the other hand, the inspection apparatus 100 according to the embodiment performs the inspection based on the measured value of the distance from the reference position to the bonding area A1 regardless of the thicknesses T1 and T2 of the envelope E. Does not occur.

[Measurement results by adhesion state]
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing how the distance measured by the displacement sensor 440 is changed according to the bonding state of the flap portion F. FIG. Among these, FIG. 16 (A) shows a case of a non-defective product having no defective adhesion of the flap portion F, and FIG. 16 (B) shows a case where the flap portion F is lifted in a poor adhesion state. More specific description will be given below.

[When adhesion is good]
FIG. 16A: When the adhesive state of the flap portion F is good, the flap portion F and the envelope body B are both depressed at the measurement position of the displacement sensor 440 throughout the envelope E conveyance process (that is, the flap portion). F does not lift up.) At this time, if the envelope E is conveyed in the direction of the white arrow and the displacement sensor 440 measures the distance a plurality of times during the conveyance process of the envelope E, at the time of the previous measurement (indicated by a two-dot chain line) In the measurement value D3 ′ obtained and the measurement value D3 obtained at the time of the current measurement (shown by a solid line), there is no noticeable change in both.

[When bonding condition is poor]
FIG. 16B: On the other hand, when there is a defective part of the adhesive state in the flap part F, the flap part F is lifted from the envelope body B at the measurement position of the displacement sensor 440. In this case, the measured value D3 ′ obtained at the time of the previous measurement (indicated by a two-dot chain line) and the measured value D3 obtained at the time of the current measurement (indicated by a solid line) are both significantly changed (= ΔD) appears. This means that an inclination is generated on the surface of the flap portion F due to floating.

〔Inspection method〕
Next, the function of the inspection unit 46 will be specifically described, and the inspection method executed using the inspection apparatus 100 will also be clarified.

[Transport process]
First, the envelope E to be inspected is transported on the transport path using the transport mechanism 11 of the inspection apparatus 100. The envelope E may be continuously conveyed in plural units within a unit time.

[Deformation process]
In the process of transporting the envelope E by the transport mechanism 11, the envelope E is deformed using the deformation mechanism 30 of the inspection apparatus 100. The mode of deformation applied to the envelope E is as already described.

[Measurement process]
Then, when the envelope E passes the measurement position of the displacement sensor 440, the distance from the reference position to the bonding area A1 is measured. It is assumed that the measurement is performed a plurality of times (for example, about 10 times for a regular envelope) for one envelope E. For the distance measurement, the displacement sensor 440 and the measurement unit 48 of the inspection unit 46 can be used.

[Inspection process]
As a change mode of the measurement values for a plurality of times by the displacement sensor 440, for example, the difference (ΔD3 = D3−D3 ′) between successive measurement values D3 and D3 ′ is calculated and the adhesion state of the flap portion F is inspected from the result. To do. For example, if the measurement values D3 for a plurality of times are 10, 20, 60, 40, and 10 (unit: mm) in order, the difference ΔD3 between the measurement values adjacent to each other is as follows.
(1) 20-10 = 10
(2) 60-20 = 40
(3) 40-60 = -20
(4) 10-40 = -30

[Inspection based on distance changes]
The calculated value of the difference ΔD3 represents the inclination of the flap portion F between the measurement points adjacent in the transport direction. At the time of inspection, first, a maximum positive slope is searched from the calculated values of the difference ΔD3, and whether there is a negative calculated value that is an absolute value or more than a certain value in an order after the maximum positive slope. To investigate the.

  As a result, if there is a negative calculated value above a certain level, it can be determined that the flap portion F has been lifted and it can be determined that there is an adhesion failure. On the other hand, if there is no negative calculated value above a certain level, it can be determined that the flap portion F does not lift up and is not defective in adhesion.

[Specific examples of test results]
As specific examples, (1) non-defective product inspection results and (2) defective product inspection results are given.

(1) Inspection result of non-defective product FIG. 17 shows a list of measured values D3 acquired at a plurality of measurement locations and envelope calculation values (ΔD3 = D3-D3 ′) between adjacent measurement locations for a good envelope E. It is a table | surface which shows. “1” to “10” are shown as the measurement location numbers in the top row of the table, and the calculation result of the measured value D3 and the calculated slope value (difference between adjacent measured values in the order of numbers) is shown in the number-specific column from the top. Is shown numerically.

  FIG. 18 is a graph in which measured values D3 shown in the table of FIG. 17 are plotted in numerical order. The vertical axis of the graph represents the measured value, and the horizontal axis represents the measurement location number.

  As is apparent from FIGS. 17 and 18, in the envelope E to be inspected, the maximum plus inclination calculation value is “0.52”, but the minus calculation value in the subsequent order is “−0”. .22 ”and“ −0.12 ”, and it can be seen that no particularly negative slope appears. This represents that the flap F did not rise in the envelope E to be inspected.

  Moreover, even if it sees a change aspect from the graph of measured value D3 shown by FIG. 18, it turns out that measured value D3 is stable in all the measurement locations. As described above, the envelope E to be inspected can be determined as a non-defective product.

(2) Inspection Result of Defective Product FIG. 19 is a table showing a list of values for the defective envelope E. In addition, the aspect of the envelope E of the inferior goods which has an adhesion defect location is the same as that of the 1st part.

FIG. 20 is a graph in which the measured values D3 shown in the table of FIG. 19 are plotted in numerical order.
As is clear from FIGS. 19 and 20, in the envelope E to be inspected, the maximum plus inclination calculation value is “3.21”, and the negative calculation of “−3.89” is performed in the subsequent order. There is a value. In other words, in this case, a negative calculated value that is greater than a certain value (for example, 2.5 or more in absolute value) exists after the maximum positive calculated value of the slope. This indicates that the flap portion F is lifted in the envelope E to be inspected.

  Further, when the change mode is viewed from the graph of the measured value D3 shown in FIG. 20, there is a positive slope (+ ΔD3) that is maximum at the measurement points 6 and 7, followed by a remarkable negative slope (−ΔD3). ) Exists. Therefore, it can be determined that the envelope E to be inspected is a defective product this time.

  Although not particularly shown as a flowchart, the arithmetic processing and determination processing as described above can be executed by using the functions of the arithmetic unit 50 and the determination unit 52 of the inspection unit 46. Further, the measured value D3, the calculated tilt value, and the like can be stored in a buffer memory or the like of the inspection unit 46 and used for processing by the determination unit 52.

[Summary of Part 2]
As described above, according to the inspection apparatus 100 for sealed envelope E and the inspection method thereof, even when envelopes E having different thicknesses are mixed, the flap portion F is not affected by the difference in the thickness of the envelope E. Adhesion failure can be accurately inspected.

  Further, by adjusting the position (distance from the conveying surface) of the rotary shaft 36a of the envelope pushing roller 36 by the adjusting mechanism 36b, it is possible to easily cope with a case where the average thickness of the sealed envelope E changes. it can.

  The second invention can be implemented with various modifications without being limited to the above-described embodiment. The specific configurations of the transport mechanism 11 and the deformation mechanism 30 described in the embodiment are merely examples, and these components may be appropriately changed.

  In the first and second inventions, the size of the envelope E to be inspected, the size and thickness of the flap portion F can be changed as appropriate, and the invention can be carried out with various envelopes E as the inspection subject. Needless to say.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Inspection apparatus 11 Conveyance mechanism 12 Conveyance belt 30 Deformation mechanism 32 Envelope receiving plate 34 Flap pressing roller 36 Envelope pushing roller 36a Rotating shaft 36b Adjustment mechanism 42, 44 Displacement sensor 46 Inspection unit 48 Measurement part 50 Calculation part 52 Determination part 100 Inspection apparatus 440 Displacement sensor

Claims (14)

A transport mechanism for transporting the sealed envelope in a state where the flap portion is adhered to the envelope body in which the contents are sealed, along a predetermined transport surface;
In the process of transporting the sealed envelope, while transporting the region other than the pasting region of the envelope body while curving the pasting region between the envelope body and the flap portion from the side of the flap portion in the direction away from the transport surface. A deformation mechanism that is depressed in the thickness direction from the side facing the surface;
The distance from the predetermined reference position relative to the transport surface to the bonding area and the bonding area at a position where both the warp to the bonding area and the dents other than the bonding area are given by the deformation mechanism. Measuring means for measuring the distance to each other,
An inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes, comprising: inspection means for inspecting an adhesion state of the flap portion to the envelope body based on a relative relationship of a plurality of distances measured by the measurement means. In the inspection apparatus of the sealed envelope according to claim 1,
The inspection means includes
An apparatus for inspecting a sealed envelope, wherein the adhesion state of the flap portion is inspected based on a difference between a plurality of distances. In the inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes according to claim 1 or 2,
The measuring means includes
Measure the distance to the bonding area and the distance to other than the bonding area at a plurality of locations of the sealed envelope seen in the transport direction,
The inspection means includes
An inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes, wherein the adhesive state of the flap portion is inspected based on a plurality of distance differences measured at each of a plurality of locations. In the inspection apparatus of the sealed envelope according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The measuring means includes
A first displacement sensor disposed at the reference position and measuring a distance to an outer surface of the bonding region at an adhesion position of the flap portion;
A second displacement sensor disposed at the reference position and measuring a distance to an outer surface of the envelope body other than the bonding region;
The inspection means includes
An arithmetic unit for calculating a difference between two distances respectively measured by the first and second displacement sensors;
An inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes, comprising: a determination unit that determines whether the adhesion state of the flap portion is good or not based on a result of comparing a difference between two distances calculated by the calculation unit and a predetermined value. In the inspection apparatus of the sealed envelope according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The deformation mechanism is:
An envelope receiving member that is arranged along the conveying surface and supports the sealed area other than the bonding area in the process of conveying the sealed envelope;
A rotating shaft is disposed on the opposite side of the envelope receiving member across the conveying surface, and an outer peripheral surface that extends in a conical shape beyond the conveying surface from the opposite side of the envelope receiving member in the process of conveying the sealed envelope A flap pressing roller that warps and deforms the bonding region with the envelope receiving member as a fulcrum by relatively guiding the bonding region along
A rotating shaft is disposed relative to the transport surface, and the area other than the bonding region is relative to the outer peripheral surface having a larger radius than the distance from the rotating shaft to the transport surface in the process of transporting the sealed envelope. A pushing roller that gives a dent deformation beyond the conveying surface other than the bonding region;
An inspection device for sealed envelopes, comprising: an adjustment mechanism that enables adjustment of a position of a rotation shaft of the pushing roller in a thickness direction of the sealed envelope. A conveying step of conveying the sealed envelope in a state where the flap portion is adhered to the envelope body in which the contents are enclosed, along a predetermined conveying surface;
In the process in which the sealed envelope is transported through the transporting process, the pasting of the envelope body is performed while curving a bonding region between the envelope body and the flap portion in a direction away from the transport surface from the side of the flap portion. Deformation step of pushing in the thickness direction from the side facing the conveying surface other than the mating region to be recessed,
The distance from the predetermined reference position relative to the transport surface to the bonding area and the bonding area at a position where both the warpage to the bonding area and the depressions other than the bonding area are given in the deformation step. Measuring process to measure the distance to each other,
A method for inspecting a sealed envelope, comprising: an inspection step of inspecting an adhesion state of the flap portion to the envelope body based on a relative relationship of a plurality of distances measured in the measurement step. In the inspection method of the sealed envelope according to claim 6,
In the inspection process,
A method for inspecting a sealed envelope, wherein the adhesion state of the flap portion is inspected based on a difference between a plurality of distances. In the inspection method of the sealed envelope according to claim 6 or 7,
In the measurement step,
Measure the distance to the bonding area and the distance to other than the bonding area at a plurality of locations of the sealed envelope seen in the transport direction,
In the inspection process,
A method for inspecting a sealed envelope, wherein the adhesive state of the flap portion is inspected based on a plurality of distance differences measured at each of a plurality of locations. A transport mechanism for transporting the sealed envelope in a state where the flap portion is adhered to the envelope body in which the contents are sealed, along a predetermined transport surface;
In the process of transporting the sealed envelope, while transporting the region other than the pasting region of the envelope body while curving the pasting region between the envelope body and the flap portion from the side of the flap portion in the direction away from the transport surface. A deformation mechanism that is depressed in the thickness direction from the side facing the surface;
In the process in which the sealed envelope passes through a position where both the warp to the bonding area and the depression to the other area than the bonding area are given by the deformation mechanism, the bonding is performed from a predetermined reference position facing the conveyance surface. Measuring means for measuring the distance to the region multiple times;
An inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes, comprising: inspection means for inspecting the state of adhesion of the flap portion to the envelope body based on a plurality of distance change modes measured by the measurement means. The inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes according to claim 9,
The inspection means includes
An inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes, which inspects an adhesion state of the flap portion based on a difference between two distances continuously measured by the measuring means. In the inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes according to claim 9 or 10,
The measuring means includes
A displacement sensor that is disposed at the reference position and detects a distance to the outer surface of the bonding region at the bonding position of the flap portion;
The inspection means includes
A calculation unit for calculating a difference between two distances continuously measured by the displacement sensor;
An inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes, comprising: a determination unit that determines the quality of the adhesion state of the flap unit using a difference between two distances calculated by the calculation unit. The inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes according to any one of claims 9 to 11,
The deformation mechanism is:
An envelope receiving member that is arranged along the conveying surface and supports the sealed area other than the bonding area in the process of conveying the sealed envelope;
A rotating shaft is disposed on the opposite side of the envelope receiving member across the conveying surface, and an outer peripheral surface that extends in a conical shape beyond the conveying surface from the opposite side of the envelope receiving member in the process of conveying the sealed envelope A flap pressing roller that warps and deforms the bonding region with the envelope receiving member as a fulcrum by relatively guiding the bonding region along
A rotating shaft is disposed relative to the transport surface, and the area other than the bonding region is relative to the outer peripheral surface having a larger radius than the distance from the rotating shaft to the transport surface in the process of transporting the sealed envelope. A pushing roller that gives a dent deformation beyond the conveying surface other than the bonding region;
An inspection apparatus for sealed envelopes, comprising: an adjustment mechanism that enables adjustment of a distance from the transport surface to a rotation shaft of the push-in roller according to a thickness of the sealed envelope. A conveying step of conveying the sealed envelope in a state where the flap portion is adhered to the envelope body in which the contents are enclosed, along a predetermined conveying surface;
In the process in which the sealed envelope is transported through the transporting process, the pasting of the envelope body is performed while curving a bonding region between the envelope body and the flap portion in a direction away from the transport surface from the side of the flap portion. Deformation step of pushing in the thickness direction from the side facing the conveying surface other than the mating region to be recessed,
In the process in which the sealed envelope passes through the position where both the warp to the bonding area and the dents other than the bonding area are given in the deformation step, the bonding is performed from a predetermined reference position facing the conveyance surface. A measurement process for measuring the distance to the region multiple times;
A method for inspecting a sealed envelope, comprising: an inspection step for inspecting an adhesive state of the flap to the envelope body based on a plurality of distance variations measured in the measurement step. In the inspection method of the sealed envelope according to claim 13,
In the inspection process,
A method for inspecting a sealed envelope, wherein the adhesive state of the flap portion is inspected based on a difference between two distances continuously measured in the measurement step.

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