JPH11106124A - Gathering device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a gathering device capable of easily and optimally setting a gathering interval even if there are changes of the conditions on a gathering device side such as gathering speed and number of sheet feed stages in use and those on a post-treatment device side such as sheet sorting time and gathered matter feed speed. SOLUTION: A detector 12 for detecting the passage of matter to be gathered is arranged in a feed route for the matter to be gathered formed by a gathering device at a proper location, an empty time for the matter to be gathered passing the detector 12 is obtained by a calculation means 10, and a difference between the time thus obtained and a post-treatment time is compensated by deducting a gathering treatment time obtained beforehand by a gathering interval calculation means 9 using the number of sheet feed stages, sheet overlapping degree, and feed speed from a gathering interval obtained using a post-treatment time for the matter to be gathered and allowance time. Also the compensatedly deducted time is re-set in a gathering interval setter 1, and the subsequent gathering is performed for each compensated gathering interval. Thus a burden on an operator to adjust the gathering interval to an optimum value is reduced, and also the gathering interval can be set easily to the optimum value.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a collating apparatus for sequentially transmitting a collated product in which sheets fed from a plurality of paper feed stages are sequentially stacked, and more particularly, to setting a collation interval time for sequentially transmitting the collated sheets. Things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Sheets sent from a plurality of paper feed stages are sequentially superimposed on a conveyor belt to form a sheet bundle (collage) of one book. The sheet is sent to a sheet stacker or a binding device, which is a post-processing device. A collating apparatus that sequentially forms and sends collated items usually has a collation interval time that sets a time interval for forming and transmitting one collated item and forming and transmitting the next collated item. A setting device is provided, and collation items are sequentially formed and transmitted at every collation interval time set in the collation interval time setting device.

Conventionally, the setting of the collation interval time in the collation interval time setting device is performed by an operator in advance setting a longer collation interval time in consideration of the collation processing time and the processing time of the post-processing device. Then, while performing collation, the setting of the collation interval time was shortened so that the flow of the collation material sent from the collation device did not cause any trouble, so that an appropriate collation interval time was set. ing.

[0004]

However, such setting of the collation interval time by the operator requires experience in determining how much the operator should shorten the time, and the setting is not easy. If the paper transport belt speed for collation, the number of paper feed stages used for collation, or the degree of paper stacking during collation are changed, it is necessary to repeat the judgment and setting each time the change is made. In addition, there is a problem that the setting work becomes more difficult and troublesome when the paper alignment time of the post-processing device and the change of the conveying speed of the collated material are added.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it has been proposed to change the conditions of the collating apparatus such as the paper transport speed, the number of paper feed stages to be used, the degree of paper stacking, the paper alignment time, and the transport speed of the collated material. It is an object of the present invention to provide a collating apparatus capable of easily and optimally setting the collation interval time even when the condition of the post-processing apparatus is changed.

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a collation interval time setting device for setting a collation interval time in advance, and a plurality of feeds are provided for each collation interval time set in the collation interval time setting device. In a collating apparatus configured to send a collated product in which sheets sent from each of the paper stages are sequentially stacked, a collation material processing time setting device for presetting a processing time of the collating material, A detector for detecting the passage of the collated material on a transport path for processing
Vacant-interval-time calculating means for inputting the output of the detector to determine the vacant-interval-time of the union, and comparing the operation value obtained by the arithmetic means with the set value of the union-processing-time setting unit Means and correction means for correcting the collation interval time set value of the collation interval time setting device based on the result of the comparison means.

According to the present invention, a detector for detecting passage of a collated object is disposed at an appropriate position in a conveying path of the collated object, and a rear end of the collated object passing through the detector and a collated object passing next. The leading end of the collation is detected, and the unoccupied time of the union on the conveyance path is calculated by the calculating means. When the time obtained by the calculating means is compared with the set time of the collation processing time setting device set according to the apparatus for performing post-processing of the collation, the time obtained by the calculating means is longer than the set time. Then, the set time of the collation interval time setting device for which a longer time is set in advance is corrected, and the subsequent collation is performed for each corrected collation interval time.

Accordingly, the collation processing time of the collating device initially determined from the paper transport speed, the number of paper feed stages used, the degree of paper superposition, the processing time required for the processing of the collated material after collation, and further allowance are provided. The setting time is optimally set only by setting the collation interval time setting means according to the time. This reduces the burden of setting the collation interval time by the operator.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a collation interval time setting circuit of the collating apparatus according to the embodiment, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of the collation interval time setting circuit, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing another example of the arrangement of the detectors in the case of performing a binding process on a collated object, and FIG. It is a collation system block diagram which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of a detector.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a collating interval time setting device for setting a collating operation start interval (collating interval time), and 2 a paper feeding stage number setting device for setting the number of paper feeding stages of a collating device to be employed. 3, an overlap degree setting device for setting the overlap degree of paper;
Reference numeral 4 denotes a conveying speed setting device for conveying sheets at the time of collation, 5 denotes a collation material processing time setting device which is set according to a device for performing post-processing of a bundle of collated papers (collage material), and 12 denotes a collation material processing time setting device. A detector arranged on the conveyance path for processing the compound detects the passage of the compound, 13 is a margin time setting device, and 7 to 11 are calculation means.

The calculating means 7 is provided with a set number of paper feed stage number setting device 2, a set superposition degree of the superimposition degree set device 3, and a paper size signal (paper size) from a paper detector installed in the paper feed stage of the collating device. A setting device is provided, and the paper size setting value of the setting device may be used.) 6 is a length calculating means for inputting 6 and calculating the length of one collated item. The computing means 8 is a collation time computing means for inputting the length of one collated object obtained by the computing means 7 and the speed set value of the transport speed setting device 4 and computing the time required for collation.

The calculating means 10 receives the signal of the detector 12 and calculates the empty space of the union on the transport path from the signal of the rear end of the union which passes through the detector and the signal of the end of the union which passes next. It is an empty interval time calculating means for obtaining a time (time at which the collation is interrupted). The calculating means 11 is an empty interval time calculating means 1
This is a comparison operation means for comparing the empty interval time obtained at 0 with the time set value of the collation product processing time setting device 5 and obtaining the difference.

The calculating means 9 inputs the time obtained by the collating time calculating means 8, the set time of the collation object processing time setting device 5 and the set time of the margin time setting device 13, and adds them to collate. The interval time for obtaining the interval time, inputting the time obtained by the comparison operation means 11, and subtracting the time obtained by the comparison operation means 11 from the obtained collation interval time to correct the collation interval time. It is an operation means.

The collation interval time setting unit 1 includes a conveyance means such as a belt for conveying the paper fed from each of a plurality of paper feed stages while sequentially stacking the paper fed from each of the plurality of paper feed stages. The collating operation of each booklet is started at every collation interval time set in the collation interval time setting device 1.

The operation of the collating apparatus having the collation interval time setting circuit shown in FIG. 1 is as follows. First, the number of paper feed stages is set according to the number of sheets (one book) to be collated by the paper feed stage number setting device 2. Then, the degree of paper stacking is set in the stacking degree setting device 3 such that the paper supplied from each paper feeding stage is shifted while being shifted by, for example, １ ／ size, and the conveying speed setting device 4 is set from each paper feeding stage. The conveying speed of a conveying means such as a belt that conveys the supplied sheets while overlapping them is set, and an appropriate operating margin is set in the margin setting unit 13. Further, the processing time of a collated material processing device (post-processing machine) connected to the collating device, such as a binding device or an accumulating device, is set in the collation material processing time setting device 5.

Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2, when the collating operation is started (S1), the length calculating means is determined based on the number of paper feed stages, the degree of overlap, and the paper size (obtained by trial collation in this embodiment). 7. The length of one collated item is determined at 7, and the length is divided by the transport speed by the calculating means 8 to determine the time required for collation. The sum is added by the time calculating means 9, and the value, that is, the collation interval time is set in the collation interval time setting device 1 (S2). Then, collation is started (S3).

When the collation is started, the collated material after the collation is sent out from the collating device, and the collated material is conveyed to a post-processing machine, and is discharged after the post-processing as appropriate. The passage of the collated object is detected by the detector 12 arranged on the conveying path of the collated object from the collating device. The difference between the time and the collation processing time is obtained by the comparison operation means 11 (S4). For example, when the vacant interval time is longer than the collation processing time,
The difference (substantially enough time) is subtracted from the original collation interval time obtained by the collation interval time calculating means 9 to obtain a new collation interval time (S5) and set it in the collation interval time setting unit 1. I do. Thereafter, the collating operation of each booklet is started at each collation interval time.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a case where binding processing is performed as post-processing of a collated product. In the example shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of paper feed stages 21 are arranged along a vertical conveyance belt 22, and a binding device 20 in which a horizontal conveyance belt 23 is arranged below a lowermost paper feed stage 21. A folding device 25 is connected. The structure itself of the collating device 20 is well known, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted. However, in the example of FIG. 3, the collating apparatus 20 is constituted by one collating machine. However, a plurality of collating machines are connected, and the bundle of sheets collated by each collating machine is transferred to the horizontal transport belt 23. The collating apparatus 20 may be configured to sequentially stack and collate while transporting the sheets.

In the binding / folding device 25, a stitcher 26 and a folding knife 27 are installed in a transport path composed of a transport belt 31 for transporting the collated product, and the binding device can be retracted to position the binding position of the collated product at the position of the stitcher 26. And a stopper 29 for positioning the folding position of the collated product are arranged. At a position near the stopper 28, a sheet bundle (collage) 30 composed of the light emitting element 12a and the light receiving element 12b.
Is disposed. In addition, 32 is a pair of folding rollers.

A bundle of sheets (collated material) of one book collated by the collating device 20 is carried into the binding / folding device 25, and the carried collated material 30 comes into contact with the stopper 28 and stops. At this time, the detector 12 detects the tip of the collation object 30. Then, when the collation object 30 comes into contact with the stopper 28 and the positioning is stopped, the stitcher 26 is driven and the collation object 30 is bound. After the binding process, the stopper 28 is retracted from the transport path, and the collated product 30 is sent to the position of the folding knife 27. At this time, the detector 12 detects the rear end of the collection 30. The collation object 30 positioned in contact with the stopper 29 is pushed between the pair of folding rollers 32 by the driving of the folding knife 27, is folded in two, and is discharged.

Subsequently, the next collation is carried in, folded in two through the same process and discharged, and thereafter this operation is repeated. The detection signals of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the collation detected by the detector 29 are sent to the idle time calculating means 10 where the detection signal of the rear end of the collation and the detection of the leading edge of the next collation are detected. With the signal, the empty interval time of the collated article in the transport path is calculated. The empty interval time in this case is a waiting time for the binding process, and is a dead time. The occurrence of the vacant interval time is attributable to the fact that the collation interval time is initially set long so that there is no trouble in the flow of the collated material.

In the case of this example, since the interval time of the union after the binding process is detected, even if the conveying speed of the binding and folding device 25 or the time for aligning the sheets of the union unit is changed, the optimum union interval is determined. You can get time.

The example shown in FIG. 3 is an example in which the detector 12 is arranged on the conveying path of the binding material after the binding process, but as shown in FIG. Detector 12
May be arranged. In this case, the processing time of the binding and folding device 25 needs to be constant. However, if the processing time changes by changing the transport speed or the paper alignment time of the collated product, the time change is, for example, the collation interval time. It may be sent to the calculating means 9.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a case where a stacking process is performed as post-processing of a collated product. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the collecting device 31 is connected to the collating device 20, and the collating device 20 includes a plurality of paper feed stages 21.
Are arranged along the vertical conveying belt 22, and the horizontal conveying belt 23 is arranged below the lowermost sheet feeding stage 21, and is configured in the same manner as in the above-described example. Light emitting element 12a and light receiving element 12b
A detector 12 for detecting a collated object consisting of

The stacking device 31 is provided with a table 32 for sequentially stacking the collective objects 30 and a stopper 33 for abutting and stopping the incoming collective object 30. Each time the compound 30 is stopped by hitting against the stopper 33 and stacked, it is configured to move by a suitable amount in a direction substantially perpendicular to the direction in which the collective 30 is carried in. Are stacked in a zigzag pattern, and the time required to move one stack 30 on the table 32 for stacking is the time for processing the stack.

In this example, as in the example shown in FIG. 4, the processing time of the integration device 31 needs to be constant.
When the processing time is changed by changing the moving speed, the time change may be sent to the collation interval time calculating means 9, for example.

In the example shown in FIG. 5, a detector 12 for detecting passage of a collated object is installed in the collating device 20, and the collation interval time setting circuit shown in FIG. Has been installed.

In each of the examples, the detector 12 and the idle interval calculating means 10 may be provided on the post-processing device side. Also, the collation interval time setting circuit may be configured as a feedback type that feeds back the signal of the detector for each collation, and by the signal of the detector by the first trial collation,
The collation interval time may be corrected, and thereafter, the non-feedback type may be configured to operate based on the corrected collation interval time.

Further, the collation interval time setting circuit may be constituted by a microcomputer. In this case, each setting device can be provided in a memory, and each processing device corresponding to a plurality of post-processing devices can be provided. The time may be input in advance, and this may be selectively extracted.

[0030]

As described above, according to the present invention, the time set at the initially longer collation interval time is automatically corrected to the actual collation interval time. The load on the adjustment to the optimal value is reduced, and the post-processing, such as changing the conditions of the collating device such as the paper transport speed, the number of paper feed stages used, and the degree of paper overlap, and the paper alignment time and the transport speed of the collated material The setting of the collation interval time can be easily and optimally set even if the condition of the apparatus is changed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a collation interval time setting circuit of a collation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a collation interval time setting circuit of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a collation system showing an example of an arrangement of detectors when performing a binding process on a collation product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a collation system configuration diagram showing another example of an arrangement of detectors when performing a binding process on a collation product according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a collation system configuration diagram showing an example of an arrangement of detectors in a case where a collation product of the embodiment of the present invention is integrated and processed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS 1 collation interval time setting device 2 paper feed stage number setting device 3 paper overlap degree setting device 4 paper conveyance speed setting device 5 collation material processing time setting device 6 paper size input terminal 7 collation material length calculation means 8 collation Time calculation means 9 Collation interval time calculation means 10 Empty interval time calculation means 11 Comparison calculation means 12 Collation object passage detector 13 Slack time setting device 20 Collation device 21 Paper feed stage 22, 23 Transport belt (transportation means) 25 Binding device 26 Stitcher 27 Folding knife 28, 29, 33 Stopper 30 Collated object 31 Transport belt

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Ono 1601 Asahi Jinoshita, Shin-Asahi-cho, Takashima-gun, Shiga Prefecture Horizon International Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A collation interval time setting device for setting a collation interval time in advance, and a collation interval time set by the collation interval time set by the collation interval time setting device is fed from each of the plurality of paper feed stages. In a collating apparatus configured to output a collated product in which sheets are sequentially stacked, a collating material processing time setting device for presetting a processing time of the collating material, and a collating device for conveying the collating material to a transport path for processing the collating material. A detector for detecting the passage of the compound, an empty interval time calculating means for inputting an output of the detector to determine an empty time of the union, and a calculated value obtained by the calculating means and the union processing A comparison means for comparing the set value of the time setting device with the correction value for correcting the set value of the collation interval time of the collation interval time setting device based on the result of the comparison means. Joint equipment.