JPS63282052A - Paper folding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to fold paper properly without being affected by the thickness of the paper by setting the nip pressure of an idle roller to two steps, i.e., pressing force by the dead load of the idle roller and energizing force by a proper energizing device. CONSTITUTION:When thin paper 10 is inserted between a driving roller 11 and an idle roller 13, paper 10 is pressed and folded by the nip pressure only of the dead load of the idle roller 13 since the upward thift of the idle roller 13 is small. On the other hand, when relatively thick paper 10 is inserted between both rollers 11, 13, the idle roller 13 shifts largely upward resisting the thickness of the paper. In this shifting, the axis 14 of the idle roller 13 is pressed against the upper fringe of a long hole 16 in an arm 15 and rotates the arm 15 upward resisting a spring 19. In this condition, the paper 10 is pressed and folded by nip pressure consisting of the sum of the dead load of the arm 15 and the energizing force of an energizing device 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to a paper folding device used in a copying machine or the like, and particularly to a paper folding roller portion of the paper folding device.

``Prior Art'' A paper folding device has a paper folding roller pair consisting of a drive roller that can rotate in forward and reverse directions and an idle roller that is in pressure contact with the upper circumferential surface of the drive roller and folds the paper in cooperation with the drive roller. There is. , in this kind of paper folding roller pair shown in FIG.
The idle roller 3 is in pressure contact with the upper circumferential surface of the drive roller l. The shaft 4 on which the idle roller 3 is attached is biased downward by a pair of springs 5 respectively locked at both ends, and an appropriate nip pressure is applied between the drive roller 1 and the idle roller 3. It has been added. The driving roller 1 and the idle roller 3 constitute a paper folding roller pair 6. The paper 10 is inserted into the nip of the pair of paper folding rollers 6, and the folded portion is folded.

``Problems to be Solved by the Invention'' In the conventional paper folding device described above, a constant nip pressure is applied between the rollers 1 and 3 by the spring 5, and the paper 10
The gap between the rollers 1.3 changes depending on the thickness of the rollers 1.3. However, when folding thin paper 10 with a small number of folds, if the nip pressure is large, there is a problem in that the paper 10 wrinkles. , there was a problem that the crease was uncertain or could not be folded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a paper folding device in which the nip pressure between a drive roller and an idle roller can be changed depending on the thickness of the paper.

"Means for Solving the Problems" The paper folding device of the present invention includes a folding roller rotated by a drive source, and the folding roller being in pressure contact with the circumferential surface of the folding roller, forming a nip portion together with the folding roller. In a device that has an idle roller and folds the paper by inserting a folding part of the paper into the nip part, the nip pressure of the idle roller is
It is characterized in that it can be automatically set to two levels: the pressing force due to the idle roller's own weight, or the urging force from an appropriate urging device.

"Example" Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the folding section of the paper folding device of the present invention. The shaft 12 to which the drive roller 11 is fixed is connected to a drive source (not shown) so that it can rotate in forward and reverse directions. Both ends of the shaft 14 on which the idle roller 13 is attached are loosely fitted into a vertically oriented elongated hole 16 bored in the middle of a pair of arms 15 (the other is the path shown).

The arm 15, whose base is pivotally connected to a stationary member by a shaft 17, has its free end rotated in a downward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. The arm 15 has a rotational habit, and the rotation of the arm 15 is usually restricted by pressing the lower edge of the arm 15 against a stopper 15a. In this state, the shaft 14 of the idle roller 13 is separated from the upper edge of the elongated hole 16 by a suitable gap, and the idle roller 13 is pressed against the drive roller 11 by its own weight. The above arm 15, spring 19
The stopper 15a and the like constitute a biasing device 20 that biases the idle roller 13 toward the drive roller 11 side.

Now, when the thin paper 10 is inserted between both rollers 11 and 13, the upward movement of the idle roller 13 is slight, so the paper 10 is pressed and folded by the nip pressure of the idle roller 13's own weight. .

Furthermore, when a relatively thick sheet of paper 10 is inserted between both rollers 11 and 13, the idle roller 13 moves upward to a large extent corresponding to the thickness of the sheet of paper 10.

During this movement, the shaft 14 of the idle roller 13 presses against the upper edge of the elongated hole 16 of the arm 15, causing the arm 15 to rotate upward (clockwise in FIG. 1) against the spring 19. In this state, the paper 10 is pressed and folded by a nip pressure made up of the sum of the weight of the arm 15 and the urging force of the urging device 20.

In this way, the idle roller 13 is automatically set to two levels depending on the thickness of the paper 10: the nip pressure due to its own weight, and the nip pressure that is the sum of this own weight and the biasing force of the biasing device 20. The paper 10 can be folded.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a paper folding device showing another embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 2, an operating shaft 21 pivotally connected to a suitable stationary member has a free end attached to a shaft 14 of an idle roller 13.
The bases of a pair of pins 22 that are in contact with the upper portions of the pins are respectively fixed. The lower end of the arm 24, whose upper end is fixed to the operating shaft 21, and the plunger 26a of the solenoid 26 are connected by a spring 25.

The thickness of the paper 10 passing between the rollers 11 and 13 is detected in advance by a sensor (not shown). The on/off timing of the solenoid 26 is controlled by a CPU (not shown), and operates in accordance with the state of the paper 10. For example, if the paper 10 is thick or
When folding the paper 10 as shown in FIG. 1A, the solenoid 26 is actuated to move the arm 24 in the direction of the arrow, and the arm 22 presses the shaft 14. Due to this pressure, the idle roller 13 folds the paper lO with a nip pressure equal to the sum of its own weight and the biasing force of the spring 25. Further, when the folded paper 10 passes between the pair of folding rollers 11 and 13 as shown in FIG. Pressed down by pressure.

In this way, the nip pressure of the idle roller 13 can be adjusted depending on the condition such as the thickness of the paper 10, depending on its own weight or the biasing device 2.
By changing the biasing force of 7 to 2 stages, paper 1
0 can be folded properly.

"Effects of the Invention" As explained above, according to the present invention, the nip pressure of the idle roller of the pair of paper folding rollers is adjusted based on the own weight of the idle roller and the biasing device according to the thickness of the paper. By moving the drive roller to the left in two stages, including the load with the biasing force added, it is possible to properly fold the paper without being affected by the thickness of the paper.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a paper leading edge registration device showing one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a paper leading edge registration device showing another embodiment of the invention; FIG. 3 is an operational view, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a conventional paper leading edge registration device. 11... Folding roller, 13... Idle roller, 20.27... Biasing device. Applicant: Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd. Agent

Claims (1)

[Claims] It has a folding roller rotated by a drive source, and an idle roller that is in pressure contact with the circumferential surface of the folding roller and forms a nip portion together with the folding roller, and the folded portion of the paper is inserted into the nip portion. In the paper folding device, the nip pressure of the idle roller can be set in two stages: a pressing force due to the idle roller's own weight, and a biasing force by an appropriate biasing device. .