JP7244151B1 - envelope - Google Patents

Abstract

Kind Code: A1 When an enclosed matter is automatically inserted into an envelope 1 of a simple opening method using an automatic enclosing device, the enclosed matter is caught by a raised unsealing cotton thread 7 at the entrance, and the enclosed matter is properly inserted into the envelope 1. To eliminate the trouble of not being able to enclose. An envelope (1) of the present invention comprises an envelope body having a bottomed bag shape and a flap piece (3) continuously provided at the edge of an opening of the envelope body. An opening cotton thread 7 for cutting the envelope body and the flap piece 3 is arranged on the root side of the flap piece 3. - 特許庁At the root side of the flap piece 3, a crease groove 6 extending along the edge of the opening is recessed inward so as to protrude in the surface direction. An opening cotton thread 7 is stretched and fitted in the crease groove 6 and stuck with an adhesive 8. - 特許庁[Selection drawing] Fig. 6

Description

The present invention relates to an easy-to-open envelope that can be quickly opened by hand without using tools such as scissors and cutters. Here, the term "envelope" broadly includes an envelope that has front and back sheets and can accommodate articles inside. Therefore, in the present invention, for example, a packaging bag folded flat is also included in the concept of an envelope.

Conventionally, easy-opening envelopes that can be quickly opened by hand without using tools such as scissors and cutters are well known. For example, in the envelopes described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, etc., a foldable flap piece is formed on one side of the envelope main body where the opening is formed, the flap piece being adhered to seal the opening after being folded back. A cord-like body is stretched along the inside of the fold of the flap piece and attached with an adhesive (for example, paste). At least one corner of the area where the flap piece is folded and overlapped with the envelope body is formed with a cutting perforation for cutting the corner into small pieces. A small piece portion bordering on the perforations for cutting out of the corner portion is configured as the cutting piece portion. The envelope is unsealed by pinching the cutting piece and separating it from the envelope along the cutting perforation, and then cutting the envelope body and the flap piece along the crease with a cord-like body.

In addition, an automatic enclosing device that automatically inserts an enclosure such as a document or a booklet into an envelope is widely used (for example, see Patent Documents 4 and 5, etc.). In this type of automatic enclosing device, the opening of the horizontally arranged envelope is opened wide with a suction pad or the like, and the enclosure is pushed from the upstream side of the place where the envelope is placed using a conveying claw or the like to open the widely opened opening. It is common to insert the enclosure into the interior of the envelope through an opening.

Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-161642 JP-A-2002-19788 WO 2003/86885 JP-A-6-155994 JP-A-6-143894

By the way, as described above, in the easy-open type envelope, a string-like body is stretched and protruded inside the fold of the flap piece. In other words, the inner surface portion of the opening on one side of the flap is formed with a stepped portion by stretching the string-like body. For this reason, when an enclosure is automatically inserted into a simple opening type envelope using an automatic enclosing device, the enclosure cannot be properly enclosed in the envelope because the enclosure is caught by the raised string-like body at the entrance. There was concern about this trouble, and there was still room for improvement from the viewpoint of production efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-open envelope that has been improved by studying the above-mentioned current situation.

The present invention comprises an envelope body in the form of a bottomed bag, and a flap piece continuously provided at the edge of the opening of the envelope body, and the envelope body and the flap piece are provided at the root side of the flap piece. In the envelope on which a cord-like body for cutting the opening is arranged, the root side of the flap piece is recessed inward so that the crease groove extending along the edge of the opening protrudes in the surface direction. In the crease groove, the cord-like body is stretched and fitted and adhered with an adhesive , and the groove width of the crease groove is equal to the diameter of the cord-like body. When the cord-like body is fitted in the crease groove, the protruding height of the cord-like body from the envelope body and the flap piece is equal to or wider than the crease line. It is said that the protrusion height is lower than that in the case of no groove .

According to the present invention, the projection height of the cord-like body from the envelope body and the flap piece can be minimized. Therefore, when an enclosure is automatically inserted into a simple opening type envelope using an automatic enclosing device, it is possible to greatly reduce the risk of the enclosure being caught in the string-like body when entering the envelope, and the enclosure can be inserted extremely smoothly into the envelope. can enclose the encapsulant in the. Automatic encapsulation can be performed very smoothly and efficiently in the automatic encapsulation device.

It is front explanatory drawing which shows the unsealing aspect of the envelope in 1st Embodiment. It is a front view of an envelope. Fig. 10 is a rear view of the envelope; It is a rear view which shows the state before sealing of an envelope. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state before sealing of the envelope; It is a side cross-sectional view showing the relationship between the crease groove and the opening cotton thread, (a) is a diagram of a conventional pasting state, (b) is a diagram of a state where the opening cotton thread is fitted into the crease groove and pasted. (c) is a diagram of a state in which an opened cotton thread with a smaller diameter than (b) is fitted into the crease groove and attached, and (d) is an opened cotton thread with a larger diameter than (b) fitted into the crease groove. It is a figure of the state pasted by . It is explanatory drawing which shows the opening procedure of an envelope, (a) is a front view at the time of the start of opening, (b) is a front view in the middle of opening, (c) is a front view at the time of completion of opening. FIG. 11 is a rear view showing a pre-sealing state of the envelope in the second embodiment; FIG. 11 is a rear view showing a state before sealing of the envelope in the third embodiment; FIG. 20 is a rear view showing a state before sealing of the envelope in the fourth embodiment; It is a front view which shows the envelope corner part in 5th Embodiment. It is a front view which shows the envelope corner part in 6th Embodiment. It is a front view of the envelope in 7th Embodiment. It is front explanatory drawing which shows the unsealing aspect of the envelope in 8th Embodiment. It is front explanatory drawing which shows the unsealing aspect of the envelope in 9th Embodiment. It is front explanatory drawing which shows the unsealing aspect of the envelope in 10th Embodiment. FIG. 20 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement relationship of the envelope processing apparatus according to the eleventh embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing the order in which various units are arranged; (a) is a schematic front view showing an envelope conveying structure, and (b) is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship of a group of pressing rollers. (a) is a schematic plan view showing the manner in which envelopes are fed, (b) is an explanatory diagram of the crease groove, (c) is an explanatory diagram of the opening perforation, and (d) is an opening cotton thread between adjacent envelopes. It is explanatory drawing which shows the connected state. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a resection perforation forming unit; (a) is a schematic front view of a grooving unit, (b) is an explanatory diagram of convex rollers and concave rollers as seen from the conveying direction, and (c) is an enlarged view of the engagement portion of the convex rollers and concave rollers. FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of an opening perforation forming unit; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of the thread sticking unit; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a thread pressing unit; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view of a thread cutting unit; It is a schematic front view of a shaping unit. (a) is a schematic front view of a grooving unit according to a twelfth embodiment, and (b) is an explanatory diagram of convex rollers and concave rollers as seen from the conveying direction. FIG. 22 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement relationship of the envelope processing apparatus according to the thirteenth embodiment;

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 7 show a first embodiment of an envelope 1. FIG. Second to tenth embodiments of the envelope 1 are shown in FIGS. 8-16. Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described in order. 1st Embodiment is applied to the envelope 1 of a rectangular shape.

The configuration of the envelope 1 in the first embodiment is basically the same as that of Patent Document 3, and is used in a portrait orientation. The enclosure 14 is inserted from above the envelope 1 and taken out from above. Therefore, for the sake of convenience, in describing the structure of the envelope 1, terms such as top and bottom, left and right, top and bottom, and width will be used with reference to the portrait orientation.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 and 7, the envelope 1 of the first embodiment has an opening 4 on the top side (upper side) and a bottom portion 5 on the ground side (lower side). It comprises a bag-like envelope body 2 and a flap piece 3 continuously provided at the edge of an opening 4 in the envelope body 2. - 特許庁The opening 4 of the envelope body 2 is closed by folding the flap piece 3 along the edge of the opening 4 (also referred to as a crease groove 6 to be described later).

Although the envelope 1 is made of paper, for example, it is not limited to being made of paper. As the material constituting the envelope 1, cardboard, vinyl, etc. can be used as long as they are simple or combined and can be easily cut. The type and shape of the envelope 1 are also not particularly limited, and may be a Japanese envelope or a Western envelope. When the envelope 1 is made of paper, the basis weight is not particularly limited.

The envelope main body 2 is a flat bag body formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front. In the present invention, "rectangle" also includes a square. The envelope body 2 has a front sheet portion 2a to which the flap piece 3 is connected on the top side (upper side), and a back sheet portion 2b which is connected to the front sheet portion 2a on three sides except for the opening 4. . In the first embodiment, the flap piece 3 is connected to the top side of the surface sheet portion 2a.

The flap piece 3 is formed in a substantially rectangular or substantially trapezoidal shape in plan view. At the root side of the flap piece 3, that is, at the boundary between the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3, a crease groove 6 extending in the width direction (horizontal direction) along the edge of the opening 4 protrudes in the surface direction. are recessed inward (see FIGS. 6(b) to 6(d)). The folding line groove 6 plays a role of accurately determining the folding position of the flap piece 3 with respect to the envelope body 2 and shaping the folding angle neatly.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 6(b) to (d), an unsealing cotton thread 7 as a cord-like body is stretched and fitted in the crease groove 6, and an adhesive 8 (for example, glue) is inserted. is pasted with In the first embodiment, an opening cotton thread 7 having an adhesive 8 adhered to its periphery is stretched and fitted in the crease groove 6 . In the first embodiment, the adhesive 8 attached to the periphery of the opening cotton thread 7 is applied over the entire length of the crease groove 6 by fitting the opening cotton thread 7 . As the string-like body, it is preferable to use a string such as cotton or hemp, a plastic string such as fishing line, a metal wire, or the like, which has sufficient tensile strength and can easily cut the crease grooves 6 .

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6(b)-(d), opening perforations 9 extending along the crease groove 6 are cut in the bottom portion of the crease groove 6. As shown in FIG. Needless to say, the opening perforations 9 are formed by forming notches at intervals. As shown in FIG. 4, on the tip side of the inner surface of the flap piece 3, a strip-shaped adhesive area 10 coated with an adhesive and a release paper 11 covering the adhesive area 10 are provided.

Note that the opening perforation 9 is not an essential component of the present invention. The opening perforation 9 plays a role of assisting the cutting of the crease groove 6 by the opening cotton thread 7 . If the crease groove 6 can be smoothly cut only by the opening cotton thread 7, the perforations 9 for opening can be eliminated.

A crease groove 6 extending in the width direction is formed on the base side of the flap piece 3 so as to protrude in the surface direction, and an opening cotton thread 7 for cutting is stretched and fitted into the crease groove 6 and adhered. If the adhesive 8 is applied, the simple unsealing method can be applied even to thick envelopes 1, such as envelopes 1 with a basis weight of 110 kg and envelopes 1 with a basis weight of 135 kg. In this case, it is preferable to assist the cutting of the crease groove 6 by the opening cotton thread 7 by the opening perforations 9 .

At least one corner of the area where the flap piece 3 is folded and overlapped with the envelope body 2 is curvedly formed with a cutting perforation 12 for cutting the corner into small pieces. A cutout piece portion 13 is formed of a small piece portion bounded by the cutout perforation 12 in the corner portion. In the first embodiment, cutout perforations 12 are formed at both corners (both left and right corners on the top side) of the area where the flap piece 3 is folded and overlapped with the envelope body 2. Cut pieces 13 are provided on both the left and right sides.

In the above configuration, when one cut-off piece 13 is picked up with fingers F and pulled along the cut-off perforation 12, one cut-off piece 13 is torn away from the envelope 1 along the cut-off perforation 12. (See FIG. 7(a)). Next, by pulling the cut piece 13 toward the other corner (right corner, unbroken cut piece 13), the opening cotton thread 7 connected to the cut piece 13 is pulled. The intermediate portion is cut along the crease groove 6 (opening perforation 9) (see FIG. 7(b)). Then, one of the cut pieces 13 that has been cut off is pulled off, and the crease groove 6 (opening perforation 9) is completely cut with the unsealing cotton thread 7, thereby opening the top side (upper side) of the envelope 1. , the enclosure 14 can be taken out from the envelope 1 (see FIG. 7(c)).

Now, in the conventional envelope shown in FIG. 6(a), on the root side of the flap piece 3', that is, at the boundary between the front sheet portion 2a' and the flap piece 3', a width direction ( An unsealing perforation 9' extending in the lateral direction is formed by cutting. An opening cotton thread 7' extending in the width direction (horizontal direction) is stretched over the opening perforations 9' on the inner surfaces of the surface sheet portion 2a' and the flap piece 3' and is attached with an adhesive 8'. ing.

That is, in the conventional envelope, a raised stepped portion 15' is formed at the inner boundary portion between the surface sheet portion 2a' and the flap piece 3' due to the stretching of the unsealing cotton thread 7'. For this reason, when an enclosure is automatically inserted into an envelope of a simple opening method using an automatic enclosing device, the enclosure is caught by the raised opening cotton thread 7' at the entrance, and the enclosure is properly enclosed in the envelope. There was concern about trouble that it could not be done, and there was still room for improvement from the viewpoint of production efficiency.

In FIG. 6(a), Da' is the diameter of the opening cotton thread 7' (which may also be called the average diameter), and Ha' is the protrusion height of the opening cotton thread 7' from the top sheet portion 2a' and the flap piece 3'. and In the conventional example shown in FIG. 6(a), the projection height Ha' of the opening cotton thread 7' is slightly larger than the diameter Da' of the opening cotton thread 7' (Ha'>Da'). This is because the adhesive 8' is adhered to the entire circumference of the unsealed cotton thread 7' in the manufacturing process. The unsealed cotton threads 7, 7' and linen threads, etc., which are the string-like bodies, are not usually circular in cross section. Therefore, in the present invention, when the string-like bodies are open cotton yarns 7, 7', hemp yarns, etc., the average diameter is used as the diameter for convenience. The range of diameters may have a width.

On the other hand, in the first embodiment, crease grooves 6 extending in the width direction (horizontal direction) along the edge of the opening 4 protrude in the surface direction at the boundary between the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3. , and an opening cotton thread 7 is stretched and fitted in the crease groove 6, and is adhered with an adhesive 8. - 特許庁When viewed from the back sheet portion 2b side, the unsealing cotton thread 7 is accommodated in the crease groove 6. - 特許庁In other words, the groove width of the crease groove 6 is equal to or wider than the diameter of the unsealed cotton thread 7 (which can also be said to be the average diameter). When the opening cotton thread 7 is fitted in the crease groove 6, the projection height of the opening cotton thread 7 from the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 is lower than when the crease groove 6 is not provided. .

FIG. 6B shows the case of the first embodiment. In FIG. 6(b), the diameter (can be said to be the average diameter) of the opening cotton thread 7 is Da′, which is the same as the conventional example shown in FIG. The height is Ha', which is the same as the conventional example in FIG. 6(a) (see two-dot chain line). In the first embodiment shown in FIG. 6(b), when the opening cotton thread 7 is fitted in the crease groove 6, the protrusion height Hb of the opening cotton thread 7 from the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 is It is lower than Ha' without the groove 6 (Hb<Ha'). The difference between the projection height Ha' without the crease groove 6 and the projection height Hb with the crease groove 6 is represented by ΔHb (ΔHb=Ha'-Hb).

That is, when the first embodiment is employed, the protrusion height Hb of the stepped portion 15 formed at the inner surface boundary portion between the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 can be kept as low as possible. Therefore, when the enclosure 14 is automatically inserted into the easy-opening type envelope 1 using an automatic enclosing device, there is a risk that the enclosure 14 may get caught in the stepped portion 15 (which may be called the unsealing cotton thread 7) at the point of entry. It can be greatly reduced, and the enclosure 14 can be very smoothly enclosed in the envelope 1. - 特許庁Automatic enclosing can be carried out extremely smoothly and efficiently in an automatic enclosing device, contributing to the improvement of envelope processing efficiency.

Further, in FIG. 6(b), the groove width Wb of the crease groove 6 is wider than the diameter Da' of the opening cotton thread 7 (Wb>Da'). In other words, when viewed from the back sheet portion 2b side, the unsealing cotton threads 7 are accommodated in the crease grooves 6. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the opening cotton thread 7 can be smoothly fitted into the crease groove 6. - 特許庁Therefore, it is easy to arrange the opening cotton thread 7 in a straight line along the crease groove 6 . Also, it becomes easier to supply the adhesive 8 with the crease groove 6 as the target. In addition, the crease grooves 6 can prevent the adhesive 8 supplied into the crease grooves 6 from overflowing to the top sheet portion 2a side or the flap piece 3 side.

It should be noted that the groove width Wb of the crease groove 6 is preferably equal to or wider than the diameter Da' of the opening cotton thread 7 because it is necessary to fit the opening cotton thread 7 (Wb≧Da'). . The groove depth db of the crease groove 6 is not particularly limited, but is sufficient as long as the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 are not torn when the crease groove 6 is formed.

FIG. 6(c) shows the case where the diameter of the unsealed cotton thread 7 is Dc smaller than the examples of FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) (Dc<Da'). The projected height of the tear cotton thread 7 without the crease groove 6 is Hc' (see the two-dot chain line). The groove width of the crease groove 6 is Wb, which is the same as in the example of FIG. 6B, and the groove depth of the crease groove is also db, which is the same as in the example of FIG. 6B. Therefore, the groove width Wb of the crease groove 6 is naturally wider than the diameter Dc of the opening cotton thread 7 (Wb>Dc).

In the example of FIG. 6(c) as well, when the opening cotton thread 7 is fitted in the crease groove 6, the protrusion height Hc of the opening cotton thread 7 from the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 is equal to the crease groove 6. is lower than Hc' in the absence of (Hc<Hc'). The difference between the protrusion height Hc' without the crease groove 6 and the protrusion height Hc with the crease groove 6 is represented by .DELTA.Hc (.DELTA.Hc=Hc'-Hc). Therefore, even in the example of FIG. 6(c), the same effect as in FIG. 6(b) can be obtained.

FIG. 6(d) shows the case where the diameter of the unsealed cotton thread 7 is Dd, which is larger than the examples of FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) (Dd<Da'). The projected height of the tear cotton thread 7 without the crease groove 6 is Hd' (see the two-dot chain line). The groove width of the crease groove 6 is Wd, which is wider than the example in FIG. 6B (Wd>Wb), and the groove depth of the crease groove is dd, which is deeper than the example in FIG. dd>db). The groove width Wd of the crease groove 6 is approximately the same as the diameter Dd of the unsealed cotton thread 7 (Wd≈Dd).

In the example of FIG. 6(d) as well, when the opening cotton thread 7 is fitted in the crease groove 6, the projection height Hd of the opening cotton thread 7 from the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 is equal to the crease groove 6. is lower than Hd' in the absence of Hd (Hd<Hd'). The difference between the protrusion height Hd' without the crease groove 6 and the protrusion height Hd with the crease groove 6 is represented by .DELTA.Hd (.DELTA.Hd=Hd'-Hd). Therefore, even in the example of FIG. 6(d), the same effects as in FIG. 6(b) can be obtained.

As is clear from FIGS. 6(b) to 6(d), the groove width of the crease groove 6 may be set according to the diameter of the string-like body (also referred to as the average diameter). It is preferably equal to or wider than the body diameter. The groove width of the crease groove 6 may be, for example, within the range of 5 μm to 1000 μm, and more preferably within the range of 10 μm to 500 μm. As described above, the depth of the crease grooves 6 is not particularly limited, but may be deep enough so that the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap pieces 3 are not torn when the crease grooves 6 are formed.

Figures 8-16 show other embodiments of envelopes.

In the envelope 1 of the second embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the unsealing cotton thread 7 is stretched and fitted into the crease groove 6, and the adhesive 8 (for example, paste) is applied to both ends of the crease groove 6 in the width direction. , and the unsealing cotton thread 7 is attached. In the envelope 1 of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 9, the opening cotton thread 7 is stretched and fitted in the crease groove 6, and the adhesive 8 applied in a discontinuous manner along the width direction of the crease groove 6 is applied to the opening cotton thread. 7 is attached. In the envelope 1 of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 10, the opening cotton thread 7 slightly shorter than the width dimension of the envelope 1 is stretched and fitted in the crease groove 6, and the adhesive 8 applied over the entire length of the crease groove 6 is applied. , an opening cotton thread 7 is attached. As can be seen from FIGS. 8 to 10, the manner in which the adhesive 8 (for example, glue or the like) is applied to the crease grooves 6 is not particularly limited. The widthwise ends of the cord preferably extend at least into the area of the cut-away piece 13 .

In the envelope 1 of the fifth embodiment shown in FIG. 11, a cutting perforation 12 is linearly formed in at least one corner of the area where the flap piece 3 is folded and overlapped with the envelope body 2. The cut piece portion 13 is formed in a substantially triangular shape. In the envelope 1 of the sixth embodiment shown in FIG. 12, one end of the cutting perforation 12 extends perpendicularly to the side of the envelope body 2, and the other end forms an acute angle to the top of the envelope body 2. It extends like Therefore, when starting to cut off the excision perforation 12, it is easy to apply force to the finger F, and the right angle portion of the excision perforation 12 can be easily cut off from the side edge of the envelope body 2.例文帳に追加When the cutting of the cutting perforation 12 is completed, the sharp-angled portion of the cutting perforation 12 can be quickly shifted to cutting with the unsealing cotton thread 7. - 特許庁

In the envelope 1 of the seventh embodiment shown in FIG. 13, a perforation 12 for cutting is formed in a curved shape only at one corner (left corner) of the area where the flap piece 3 is folded and overlapped with the envelope body 2. It is Of course, the cutting perforation 12 may be formed only at the right corner. It is also possible to configure the cutting perforations 12 of the seventh embodiment like those of the fifth or sixth embodiment.

In the envelope 1 of the eighth embodiment shown in FIG. 14, the unsealing cotton thread 7 is arranged along the right side of the envelope body 2 so that it can be opened along the right side. In the envelope 1 of the ninth embodiment shown in FIG. 15, the unsealing cotton thread 7 is arranged along the bottom side of the envelope body 2 so that it can be opened along the bottom side. In the envelope 1 of the tenth embodiment shown in FIG. 16, the unsealing cotton thread 7 is arranged along two sides of the envelope body 2, ie, the top side and the right side, so that it can be opened along the two sides, ie, the top side and the right side. . As can be inferred from FIGS. 14 to 16, in the present invention, up to three sides of the envelope 1 can be opened.

In any of the second to tenth embodiments, the configuration of the crease groove 6 and the opening cotton thread 7 as in the first embodiment (FIGS. 6(b) to (d)) is adopted. Similar effects can be obtained.

Next, an envelope processing apparatus 51 for processing a normal envelope 21 into a simple opening type envelope 1 (of the first embodiment) will be described as an eleventh embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 17 to 20, in front of the envelope processing device 51, a general-purpose envelope supply device 52 for supplying the envelopes 21 before processing is arranged. A stacking device 53 for stacking a predetermined number (for example, 50 sheets) of easy-to-open envelopes 1 obtained after processing is arranged at the rear stage of the envelope processing device 51 .

The envelope processing device 51 includes a belt-type transport conveyor 54 that transports the envelope 21 to be processed along the envelope processing line PL. A positioning unit 55 that picks up and positions the envelopes 21 supplied from the envelope feeder 52 one by one by a suction mechanism 55a and feeds them to the transport conveyor 54 is arranged on the transport upstream side of the transport conveyor 54 . In the following description, it is assumed that envelopes before and during processing are assigned reference numeral 21, and envelopes after processing are assigned reference numeral 1 shown in the previous embodiment. Further, regardless of whether the envelopes 1 and 21 are processed or not, the components of the envelopes 1 and 21 are denoted by the same reference numerals as in the previous embodiment.

As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, various units 56 to 62 for processing envelopes 21 are movable on a guide rail 54a extending along the transport conveyor 54 to the envelope processing line PL outside the transport conveyor 54. are placed in Each of the units 56 to 62 is moved on the guide rail 54a according to the length of the envelope 21 in the width direction to set the processing position.

The envelope processing line PL includes, in order from the upstream side of the transport, a cutting perforation forming unit 56, a grooving unit 62, an opening perforation forming unit 57, a thread pasting unit 58, a thread pressing unit 59, and a thread cutting unit 60. are placed side by side.

The cutting perforation forming unit 56 forms the cutting perforations 12 in at least one corner of the area where the flap 3 is folded and overlapped with the envelope body 2 . The grooving unit 62 forms the crease groove 6 on the root side of the flap piece 3 so as to protrude in the surface direction. The opening perforation forming unit 57 cuts and forms the opening perforation 9 in the bottom of the folding groove 6 . The thread sticking unit 58 fits and sticks the unsealed cotton thread 7 around which the adhesive 8 (for example, glue or the like) is attached in the crease groove 6 . The thread pressing unit 59 presses the attached opening cotton thread 7 . The thread cutting unit 60 cuts the opening cotton thread 7 located between the adjacent envelopes 21 .

In the eleventh embodiment, the curling unit 61 is arranged downstream of the yarn cutting unit 60 in the transport direction. The curling unit 61 is not an essential unit when an automatic enclosing device is used in the subsequent process, but is disclosed in FIGS. 17 to 20 and 28 for convenience of explanation. The curling unit 61 basically crimps the opening cotton thread 7 into the crease groove 6 . In the case of Western-style envelopes, the curling unit 61 can crease along the crease groove 6 (which can also be called the opening perforation 9).

From the envelope supply device 52, the envelopes 21 are supplied to the envelope processing device 51 at a predetermined interval while being shifted little by little, with the back sheet portion 2b facing up and the flap 3 facing the side of the envelope processing line PL. .

The positioning unit 55 arranged on the upstream side of the conveyer 54 includes the suction mechanism 55a described above, a stopper 55b, a pair of upper and lower positioning rollers 55c, and an optical sensor (not shown). The suction mechanism 55a picks up the envelopes 21 supplied from the envelope supply device 52 one by one and feeds them downstream. The stopper 55b stops the envelope 21 sent by the suction mechanism 55a. The pair of upper and lower positioning rollers 55c sandwich the envelope 21 stopped by the stopper 55b and move it in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction to move the flap 3 toward the base (boundary portion between the front sheet portion 2a and the flap 3). is positioned. The optical sensor detects the root side of the flap piece 3 (the boundary portion between the top sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3).

The envelope 21 positioned by the positioning unit 55 is lifted by the introduction roller 54b (see FIG. 19(a)) that can move up and down, which is arranged on the entrance side of the transport conveyor 54 after the stopper 55b is lowered to release the stopped state. ) to the transport conveyor 54 .

As shown in FIG. 20, the envelopes 21 sent to the transport conveyor 54 are aligned along the envelope processing line PL along the root side of the flap piece 3 (boundary portion between the front sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3). are positioned as follows. The space between the adjacent envelopes 21 on the transport conveyor 54 is sufficient to cut the opening cotton thread 7 attached and connected to each envelope 21 with a cutter knife 60a (details will be described later) of the thread cutting unit 60. is set to an appropriate size (for example, about 4 to 5 mm). In other words, the group of envelopes 21 on the transport conveyor 54 are transported side by side with a suitable interval that allows the cutter knife 60a to pass therethrough.

As shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B, the transport conveyor 54 includes an endless upper belt portion 63a rotatably provided on the upper frame 54c and an endless endless belt portion 63a rotatably provided on the lower frame 54d. and a lower belt portion 63b. The upper belt portion 63a and the lower belt portion 63b are arranged facing each other in a posture extending parallel to the envelope processing line PL. The envelope body 2 of each envelope 21 is sandwiched between the upper belt portion 63a and the lower belt portion 63b and conveyed.

In the cutting perforation forming unit 56, the thread sticking unit 58, the thread cutting unit 60, and the curling unit 61, the metal molds 65, 71, 73 or the cutter knife 60a located above are lowered for processing. , it is necessary to stop the transport of the envelope 21. Therefore, the transport conveyor 54 (the upper belt portion 63a and the lower belt portion 63b) is configured to intermittently transport the group of envelopes 21 while alternately repeating transport and stop of the group of envelopes 21. As shown in FIG.

Each of the upper and lower belt portions 63a, 63b is composed of a plurality of endless belts (belts). In the eleventh embodiment, each of the belt portions 63a and 63b is composed of four endless belts. Japanese envelopes that are long in the vertical direction (portrait) are sandwiched by four endless belts each, and Western envelopes that are long in the width direction (horizontal) are sandwiched by two endless belts near the envelope processing line PL. transported by

As shown in FIGS. 19(a) and 19(b), the transport conveyor 54 is provided with a plurality of pressing rollers 64 that press the nipping side of the upper belt portion 63a downward and press it against the nipping side of the lower belt portion 63b. ing. In this case, a horizontal beam frame 54e connected to the upper frame 54c supports a plurality of L-shaped support arms 64a movably along the horizontal beam frame 54e. A pressure roller 64 is rotatably supported on the tip side of each support arm 64a.

Each support arm 64a is inserted between the adjacent upper belt portions 63a, and is capable of adjusting the pressing position and pressing force of the pressing roller with respect to the lower belt portion 63b. The pressing rollers 64 are arranged corresponding to the various units 56 to 62 so that the envelope 21 does not shift during processing, and are also arranged at appropriate locations to prevent the envelope 21 from shifting during transport.

In this case, since the nipping side of the upper belt portion 63a is pressed against the nipping side of the lower belt portion 63b by the pressing rollers 64, the envelope 21 is strongly pinched between the upper and lower belt portions 63a and 63b, and the envelope 21 on the transport conveyor 54 is pushed. can prevent deviation. Therefore, processing and transportation can be performed while the envelope 21 is accurately positioned.

As shown in FIG. 21, the cutting perforation forming unit 56 has a punching die 65 located on the upper side and a receiving pad 66 on the lower side opposed thereto. A projecting blade 65a that forms the cutting perforation 12 is provided on the lower surface of the punching die 65 that can move up and down so as to correspond to the shape of the cutting perforation 12 (outline of the cut piece portion 13). The receiving pad 66 is made of a soft material that receives the projecting blade 65a.

When the envelope 21 is fed between the punching die 65 and the receiving pad 66 and the side edge of the boundary portion between the front sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 reaches a predetermined processing position, the transportation of the envelope 21 is stopped. At that timing, the punching die 65 descends. By lowering the hole punching die 65, the cutting perforation 12 is formed at the side edge of the boundary portion between the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3. As shown in FIG. After forming the cutting perforations 12, the envelope 21 is sent out again toward the downstream side of the transport.

As shown in FIGS. 22(a) and 22(b), the grooving unit 62 comprises a convex roller 76 positioned on the upper side and having a convex annular projection 76a, and a concave roller 76 positioned on the lower side opposite to this. and a concave roller 77 having a shaped annular groove 77a. At least one of the convex roller 76 and the concave roller 77 is configured to receive rotational power from a drive mechanism (not shown). When the boundary between the front sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 of the envelope 21 (the root side of the flap piece 3) enters between the convex roller 76 and the concave roller 77, the front sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 of the envelope 21 are separated. , the convex roller 76 and the concave roller 77 are rotated by the rotational power of the drive mechanism, and the boundary portion ( At the root side of the flap piece 3, a crease groove 6 is continuously formed so as to protrude in the surface direction.

The width Wp of the annular projection 76a of the convex roller 76 corresponds to the groove widths Wb and Wd of the folding groove 6 shown in FIGS. 6(b) to 6(d). For this reason, the width Wp of the annular projection 76a may also be set according to the diameters Da', Dc, and Dd (which can also be said to be the average diameter) of the string-like body (for example, the opening cotton thread 7). , Dc, Dd, or wider. In other words, the width Wp of the annular protrusion 76a is equal to or wider than the diameters Da', Dc, and Dd of the unwrapping cotton thread 7. As shown in FIG. From the opposite point of view, the unsealed cotton thread 7 will fit within the groove width Wg of the annular groove 77a. The width Wp of the annular protrusion 76a, like the groove widths Wb and Wd of the crease groove 6, may be, for example, within the range of 5 μm to 1000 μm, and more preferably within the range of 10 μm to 500 μm.

The height Hp of the annular projection 76a on the convex roller 76 corresponds to the groove depths db and dd of the folding groove 6 shown in FIGS. 6(b) to 6(d). For this reason, the height Hp of the annular protrusion 76a is not particularly limited, but may be a height that does not tear the top sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 when forming the crease groove 6. FIG.

Note that the configuration of the grooving unit 62 is not limited to the combination of the convex roller 76 and the concave roller 77 . Instead of the combination of the convex roller 76 and the concave roller 77, the crease groove 6 may be formed by a combination of a grooved cutter and a grooved die, or by a combination of a rotary die and a receiving roller. A groove 6 may be formed. Moreover, it is not limited to the rotary type as described above, and a press type may be adopted.

As shown in FIG. 23, the opening perforation forming unit 57 has an upper rotating blade 67 and a lower receiving roller 68 opposed thereto. A saw blade 67a is formed on the circumference of the rotary blade 67 to form the opening perforations 9 on the envelope 21 by rotation. A receiving roller 68 for receiving the saw blade 67a of the rotary blade 67 is made of synthetic resin. Although not shown, the outer peripheral portion of the receiving roller 68 is formed with a groove for receiving the saw blade 67a. When the crease groove 6 of the envelope 21 enters between the rotary blade 67 and the receiving roller 68, the rotary blade 67 and the receiving roller 68 rotate as the crease groove 6 moves, thereby folding the envelope. Opening perforations 9 are continuously formed at the bottom of the grooves 6 . It should be noted that the grooving unit 62 can also be arranged upstream of the perforation forming unit 57 for opening.

As shown in FIG. 24, the thread applying unit 58 includes an adhesive applying portion 58a for applying an adhesive 8 (for example, paste) to the unwrapping cotton thread 7, and folding the unwrapping cotton thread 7 to which the adhesive 8 is adhered. It has a thread sticking portion 58b that is fitted into the groove 6 and sticks. The adhesive applying portion 58a has an adhesive tank 69 in which the adhesive 8 is stored. The adhesive 8 is adhered around the opening cotton thread 7 by feeding the opening cotton thread 7 from the spool 70 and passing through the adhesive tank 69. - 特許庁The thread attaching portion 58b has a pair of heater molds 71 and 72 arranged vertically. The upper heater mold 71 is configured to be vertically movable. An open cotton thread 7 with an adhesive 8 stretched along the crease groove 6 is crimped and heated between an upper heater mold 71 and a lower heater mold 72 heated to a high temperature (for example, about 120° C.). As a result, the opening cotton thread 7 is fitted into the crease groove 6 and attached. Since the unsealing cotton thread 7 with the adhesive 8 is pressed and heated between the upper and lower heater molds 71 and 72, a dedicated drying device for drying the adhesive 8 is unnecessary, and the envelope 21 can be reliably attached to the envelope 21 in a short time. An unsealing cotton thread 7 is attached to the opening and the adhesive 8 is dried.

As shown in FIG. 25, the thread pressing unit 59 has a pair of nipping rollers 59a and 59b arranged vertically. By pinching the opening cotton thread 7 pasted in the crease groove 6 in the preceding thread sticking unit 58 between the upper and lower pinching rollers 59a and 59b, the opening cotton thread 7 is pulled and peeled off during the transportation of the envelope 21. play a role in preventing If the sticking is insufficient, the unsealing cotton thread 7 may come off as the envelope 21 is conveyed, making it impossible to let out the unsealing cotton thread 7 from the spool 70 . Therefore, the opening cotton thread 7 is pressed against the envelope 21 (within the crease groove 6) by the thread pressing unit 59 arranged downstream of the thread sticking unit 58, and the envelope 21 is opened in a state in which the opening cotton thread 7 is not peeled off from the envelope 21. to the downstream side of the transport. In conjunction with this, the unsealed cotton thread 7 is smoothly and reliably let out from the spool 70.例文帳に追加

As shown in FIG. 26, the yarn cutting unit 60 has a cutter knife 60a inclined in a single-edged shape. The cutter knife 60a is configured to be vertically movable. Envelopes 21 adjacent to each other in the middle of transportation are connected by the attached opening cotton thread 7. - 特許庁Therefore, in the thread cutting unit 60, the cutter knife 60a is lowered and inserted between the adjacent envelopes 21 to cut the opening cotton thread 7 straddling the two adjacent envelopes 21 to separate the adjacent envelopes 21 from each other.

The curling unit 61 shown in FIG. 27 basically crimps the opening cotton thread 7 into the crease groove 6 . The shaping unit 61 has a pair of upper and lower heater dies 73 and 74 that can be heated to a relatively high temperature (for example, about 50° C.). The upper heater mold 73 is configured to be vertically movable. In the curling unit 61, between the upper and lower heater dies 73 and 74, the folding groove 6 (opening cotton thread 7) of the envelope 21 is pressed again and heated, whereby the envelope 21 (inside the folding groove 6) is heated. The unsealing cotton thread 7 is more securely fixed to the opening.

When processing Western envelopes, a bending guide 75 (see FIG. 27) for bending the flap piece 3 along the folding groove 6 toward the sealing side is arranged on the conveying upstream side (entrance side) of the curling unit 61 . The bending guide 75 has a curved shape such that the flap 3 of the envelope 21 that is being conveyed on the conveyer 54 is bent toward the sealing side to lower the height (the flap overlaps the envelope main body 2 in a flat shape). formed. In this case, the flap piece 3 is folded along the bending guide 75, and finally, the envelope 21 is fed into the curling unit in the folded state in which the flap piece 3 overlaps the envelope body 2 in a flat shape. Between the upper and lower heater dies 73 and 74, the fold groove 6 (opening cotton thread 7) of the envelope 21 is pressed again and heated. The folded envelopes 1 are collected in a stacking device 53 by a predetermined number of sheets in a state in which they are gradually shifted and piled up.

In the above configuration, processing of the envelope 21 by the envelope processing device 51 is performed, for example, in the following procedure. That is, the envelopes 21 supplied from the envelope supply device 52 are positioned at the boundary portion between the front sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 (root of the flap piece 3) in each envelope 21 by the positioning unit 55 located upstream of the conveying conveyor 54. side) are positioned in a line, and then sent to the transfer conveyor 54 .

The positioned and arranged envelopes 21 are intermittently conveyed by alternately repeating conveying and stopping at predetermined time intervals while being strongly sandwiched between the upper belt portion 63a and the lower belt portion 63b by the pressing rollers 64. be done. When the intermittently conveyed envelope 21 reaches the cutting perforation forming unit 56 and the conveying of the envelope 21 is stopped, the upper punching die 65 descends, and the boundary portion between the surface sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 is formed. A perforation 12 for cutting is formed at the side edge of the .

Next, in the grooving unit 62, when the boundary portion between the front sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 (base side of the flap piece 3) of the envelope 21 passes between the convex roller 76 and the concave roller 77, the front sheet A crease groove 6 is continuously formed in the boundary portion between the portion 2a and the flap piece 3 (on the root side of the flap piece 3). Then, in the opening perforation forming unit 57 , the opening perforations 9 are continuously cut into the bottom of the folding groove 6 of the envelope 21 passing between the rotary blade 67 and the receiving roller 68 .

In the thread sticking unit 58, the unsealing cotton thread 7, to which the adhesive 8 is attached around by the adhesive sticking portion 58a, is stretched between the upper and lower heater molds 71, 72 of the thread sticking portion 58b so as to extend along the conveying direction. passed. When the envelope 21 reaches between the upper and lower heater dies 71 and 72 and the conveyance of the envelope 21 is stopped, the envelope 21 is sandwiched by the upper and lower heater dies 71 and 72, and the adhesive 8 extending along the crease groove 6 is applied. is crimped and heated at a high temperature (for example, about 120° C.), the opening cotton thread 7 is fitted into the crease groove 6 and attached.

The unsealing cotton thread 7 stuck by the thread sticking unit 58 is further pressure-bonded by the upper and lower pinching rollers 59a and 59b of the thread pressing unit 59 located downstream of the thread sticking unit 58, and is securely fitted into the crease groove 6. can be pasted. At this time, the upper and lower nipping rollers 59a and 59b of the thread pressing unit 59 prevent the affixed opening cotton thread 7 from being pulled and peeled off while the envelope 21 is being conveyed.

Next, when the gap between the adjacent envelopes 21 reaches directly below the cutter knife 60a in the thread cutting unit 60 and the conveying of the envelopes 21 is stopped, the cutter knife 60a descends to open the opening across the adjacent envelopes 21. The cotton thread 7 is cut to separate the adjacent envelopes 21 from each other. After that, the envelopes 1 collected in the stacking device 53 are sent to the automatic enclosing device. When the enclosure 14 is automatically inserted into the envelope 1 processed by the envelope processing apparatus 51 of the eleventh embodiment, the opening cotton thread 7 is stretched and fitted in the crease groove 6, so that the surface sheet portion 2a The protrusion height Hb of the stepped portion 15 formed at the boundary portion between the inner surface of the flap piece 3 and the flap piece 3 can be kept as low as possible. Therefore, it is possible to remarkably reduce the possibility that the enclosure 14 is caught in the stepped portion 15 (which may be called the unsealing cotton thread 7), and the enclosure 14 can be very smoothly enclosed in the envelope 1. - 特許庁In the automatic enclosing device, automatic enclosing can be carried out very smoothly and efficiently, which contributes to the improvement of envelope processing efficiency.

In the eleventh embodiment, the thread sticking unit 58 (adhesive sticking portion 58a) is a unit that applies the adhesive 8 (for example, glue or the like) to the root side of the flap piece 3 (at the location of the crease groove 6 to be formed later). ), the grooving unit 62 is arranged on the upstream side of the transport. For this reason, it becomes easy to supply (apply) the adhesive 8 with the grooving unit 62 targeting the crease groove 6 formed on the root side of the flap piece 3 . In addition, the crease grooves 6 can prevent the adhesive 8 supplied into the crease grooves 6 from overflowing to the top sheet portion 2a side or the flap piece 3 side.

Further, a grooving unit is provided upstream of the thread sticking unit 58 (thread sticking portion 58b), which is a unit for stretching the unsealing cotton thread 7 to the root side of the flap piece 3 (at the place of the crease groove 6 to be formed later). 62 is arranged, the opening cotton thread 7 can be fitted into the crease groove 6 formed at the root side of the flap piece 3 by the grooving unit 62, and the opening cotton thread 7 can be smoothly straightened along the crease groove 6. It is easy to place in

When the curling unit 61 is used, the conveying of the envelope 21 is stopped when the separated envelope 1 reaches between the upper and lower heater dies 73, 74, and the envelope 1 is held by the upper and lower heater dies 73, 74. The envelope 21 is sandwiched, and the crease groove 6 (opening cotton thread 7) of the envelope 21 is pressed and heated again at a relatively high temperature (for example, about 50° C.) just in case. When processing a Western envelope, a bending guide 75 is attached to the upstream side (entrance side) of the curling unit 61, and the flap piece 3 is folded in half toward the sealing side. The upper and lower heater dies 73 and 74 heat and press. As a result, the Western envelope can be surely given a crease of folding in two.

In the eleventh embodiment, the grooving unit 62 and the opening perforation forming unit 57 are arranged as separate devices on the envelope processing line PL. Furthermore, the opening perforation forming unit 57 is omitted, and in the grooving unit 62, a saw blade 76b for forming the opening perforation 9 on the envelope 21 by rotation is formed on the annular projection 76a of the convex roller 76. good too. When the configuration of the twelfth embodiment is adopted, the grooving unit 62 alone forms the crease groove 6 in the boundary portion between the top sheet portion 2a and the flap piece 3 (the base side of the flap piece 3), and folds the groove. It is possible to cut and form the opening perforation 9 in the bottom of the groove 6 all at once, which contributes to the improvement of envelope processing efficiency.

FIG. 29 shows a thirteenth embodiment, which is another example of the envelope processing device 51. As shown in FIG. In the thirteenth embodiment, the thread pressing unit 59 of the eleventh embodiment is omitted, and the thread sticking unit 58 of the eleventh embodiment is divided into an adhesive applicator 78a and a thread sticking machine 78b. A dryer 79 for drying the adhesive 8 is arranged between the thread cutting unit 60 and the yarn cutting unit 60 . The envelope processing apparatus 51 of the thirteenth embodiment includes a conveying conveyor 54, a ruler 80 for arranging the envelope 21 before or being processed at a predetermined position on the conveying conveyor 54, a cutting perforation forming unit 56, and a grooving unit. 62, an unsealing perforation forming unit 57, an adhesive applicator 78a, a thread applying device 78b, a dryer 79, and a thread cutting unit 60 are provided.

In this case also, the adhesive applicator 78a, which is a unit that applies the adhesive 8 (for example, paste) to the root side of the flap 3 (the location of the crease groove 6 to be formed later), is upstream of the adhesive applicator 78a. Since the grooving unit 62 is arranged, the same effects as those of the eleventh embodiment can be obtained. It should be noted that the grooving unit 62 can also be arranged upstream of the perforation forming unit 57 for opening. The arrangement order of the adhesive application machine 78a and the thread application machine 78b may be reversed.

The configuration of each part in the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment, and can be variously changed without departing from the gist of the present invention.

db, dd Groove depth of crease groove Da', Dc, Dd Diameter of tearing cotton thread F Finger Ha', Hb, Hc, Hc', Hd, Hd' Projection height of tearing cotton thread Hp Height of annular protrusion Wb, Wd Groove width of crease groove Wp Width of annular protrusion PL Envelope processing line 1 Envelope 2 Envelope body 2a, 2a' Front sheet portion 2b Back sheet portion 3, 3' Flap piece 4 Opening 6 Fold groove 7, 7' String shape Opened cotton thread 8, 8' as a body Adhesive (paste)
9, 9' perforation for opening 12 perforation for cutting 14 enclosure 15, 15' stepped portion 21 envelope (before and during processing)
51 Envelope processing device 54 Transport conveyor 55 Positioning unit 56 Cutting perforation forming unit 57 Opening perforation forming unit 58 Thread sticking unit 58a Adhesive sticking section 58b Thread sticking section 59 Thread pressing unit 60 Thread cutting unit 61 Curl forming unit 62 Grooving unit 76 Convex roller 76a Annular projection 76b Saw blade 77 Concave roller 77a Annular groove

Claims (1)

The envelope has a bottomed bag-like envelope body and a flap piece continuously provided at the edge of the opening of the envelope body, and the envelope body and the flap piece are cut at the root side of the flap piece. An envelope in which a string-like body is arranged,
At the root side of the flap piece, a crease groove extending along the edge of the opening is formed so as to protrude inward toward the surface. is stretched, fitted, and attached with adhesive ,
The groove width of the crease groove is equal to or wider than the diameter of the string-shaped body, and when the string-shaped body is fitted in the crease groove, the envelope main body and the flap are separated from each other. The projection height of the string-like body from the piece is lower than the projection height when there is no folding groove.
envelope.

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