WO2023210544A1

WO2023210544A1 - Paper folding device

Info

Publication number: WO2023210544A1
Application number: PCT/JP2023/015999
Authority: WO
Inventors: 力宮本; 政信大橋
Original assignee: デュプロ精工株式会社
Priority date: 2022-04-27
Filing date: 2023-04-21
Publication date: 2023-11-02
Also published as: JP2023162863A

Abstract

[Problem] A purpose of the present invention is to provide a paper folding device that can be formed easily and affordably without complicating the structure, does not require input of the type (thickness) of the paper in advance by an operator, and has good operability. Furthermore, a purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to prevent the occurrence of contact sounds, regardless of the type of paper. [Solution] A switching gate plate disposed at a first guidance position causes a tip of paper being conveyed to be guided upwards, and causes the switching gate plate to be placed at a separation position at least before the tip of the paper contacts the upper surface of an upper roller.

Description

paper folding device

The present invention relates to a paper folding device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a paper folding device suitable for a bag making machine that manufactures envelopes.

Conventionally, a paper folding device for folding a medium such as a paper (for example, Patent Document 1) transports the paper and inserts the leading edge of the paper into a paper insertion space (separate flow path). By continuing to transport the trailing edge of the paper even after it comes into contact with the stopper, the paper is bent outside the paper insertion space to form a curved part, and this curved part is connected to the rollers. It is configured to fold the medium by being pulled in between and folding the paper.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-312939 JP2021-84730A

A paper folding device equipped with a stopper such as the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above needs to adjust the stopper position according to various folding specifications, and when adjusting the stopper position, the stopper position must be The operator must manually adjust the stopper, or the device must be equipped with an automatic stopper movement mechanism. When the operator manually adjusts the stopper position, the operation is complicated and not easy to use. Further, when the device is provided with an automatic stopper movement mechanism, the operability is good, but the cost is high.

Therefore, the applicant of the present application has proposed a bag making machine equipped with a paper folding device having a novel configuration as shown in Patent Document 2 as an invention to solve the various problems in the conventional technology as explained above. There is. According to the above, since there is no need to provide a paper insertion space (separate flow path) and a stopper as the paper folding mechanism, the structure can be constructed simply and inexpensively without complicating the structure. Further, since the control means automatically adjusts the folding position according to various folding specifications, it is possible to provide a paper folding device with good operability.

However, while further researching and developing paper folding devices, the present applicant discovered a new problem with the paper folding device with a new configuration proposed by the present applicant (Patent Document 2), and has decided to solve this problem. We have discovered that there is room for further improvement in the performance of paper folding devices.

That is, as shown in FIG. 9(a) in the present application, when the leading edge of the sheet being conveyed is guided upward by the switching gate plate disposed at the first guiding position (inclination angle θ1). Depending on the type of paper (particularly thick paper), the leading end of the paper may hit the upper surface 871a of the upper roller, producing a hitting sound, which is unpleasant for the operator. As a countermeasure against the above-mentioned hitting noise, as shown in FIG. 9(b) in the present application, the inclination angle of the switching gate plate is increased (inclination angle θ2), so that when the leading end of the paper hits the upper surface of the upper roller. If you set the angle so that there is no impact, you can prevent the impact noise from occurring, but if you leave the slope as it is, especially if you use thin paper, you will not be able to climb up the slope of the switching gate plate stably and it will become difficult to sit. Another problem arises: giving in. To solve both of the above-mentioned problems, the inclination angle of the switching gate plate should be increased (inclination angle θ2) when using thick paper, and reduced (inclination angle θ2) when using thin paper. An inclination angle θ1) is necessary, and there is almost no common inclination angle range that can solve both problems at once, regardless of the paper type (thick paper or thin paper).

The present invention has been made in view of such newly discovered novel technical problems,
In view of the above-mentioned problems with the conventional paper folding apparatus, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive structure without complicating the structure, and which does not require the operator to input the paper type (thickness) in advance. An object of the present invention is to provide a paper folding device with good operability and without any problems. Another object is to be able to prevent the occurrence of hitting noise regardless of the type of paper.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a paper folding device that folds a flat sheet of paper while transporting it along a paper transporting surface, the paper folding device being arranged on the upstream side in the paper transporting direction. a first pair of conveyance rollers, a second pair of conveyance rollers disposed on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction, a switching gate plate installed on the paper conveyance surface between both roller pairs, and a switch gate plate installed above the switching gate plate. The apparatus includes folding plates arranged therein and a control means for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus, and the switching gate plate interferes with the paper being conveyed so that the leading edge of the paper reaches the second pair of conveyance rollers. a first guiding position in which the paper is guided upwardly so as to pass through the upper surface of the upper roller; a separating position in which the leading edge of the paper is guided upwardly so as to be separated above the upper surface of the upper roller; The folding plate can be switched between a second guiding position in which the paper is guided along the paper conveying surface toward the nip portion of the second pair of conveying rollers, and the folding plate is moved vertically while remaining in a substantially horizontal state. It is configured to be movable and can be switched between a folded position in which it abuts or is close to the switching gate plate disposed at the second guide position and a retracted position in which it retreats from the switching gate plate at a predetermined distance. The control means guides the leading edge of the sheet being conveyed upward by the switching gate plate disposed at the first guiding position, and at least guides the leading edge of the sheet of paper upward. Before the end of the paper hits the upper surface of the upper roller, the switching gate plate is once placed in the separation position to avoid the leading edge of the paper from hitting the upper surface of the upper roller; After returning the sheet to the first guiding position and guiding the leading edge of the sheet to pass the upper surface of the upper roller by a predetermined amount, the switching gate plate is switched to the second guiding position, and then the By lowering the folding plate located at the retracted position to the folding position in a substantially horizontal state so as to sandwich the paper on the switching gate plate, the leading end of the paper is folded back along the surface of the upper roller. It is characterized by the fact that it is controlled as follows.

In the paper folding apparatus according to claim 1, the timing for returning the switching gate plate from the separation position to the first guide position is such that the leading end of the sheet is at the separation position. In the process of guiding the paper upward, if it is assumed that the switching gate plate is returned from the separation position to the first guide position, the leading edge of the paper returned to the first guide position The position is characterized in that the position is at least a timing beyond the position of an intersection where an imaginary extension line of the upper surface of the switching gate plate intersects with the upper surface of the upper roller.

The invention according to claim 3 is the paper folding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inclination angle of the switching gate plate at the first guide position is such that the switching gate plate is guided upward on the switching gate plate. The paper is characterized by being set at an angle that will not buckle even if the paper type is thin paper.

The invention according to claim 4 is the paper folding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, in which the switching gate plate is moved to the first guide position even if the paper type is cardboard, as a countermeasure against hitting noise. The present invention is characterized in that by switching from the position to the separated position, the leading end of the paper is prevented from hitting the upper surface of the upper roller, thereby preventing the occurrence of a hitting sound.

The invention according to claim 5 is the paper folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein after folding the leading end of the paper by lowering the folding plate, the control means further controls the first A pair of transport rollers transports the folded leading end of the sheet of paper toward the nip of the second pair of transport rollers, and the nip of the second pair of transport rollers folds the paper. The paper is characterized in that the paper is controlled to be folded by pressing the leading end folding part of the paper by sandwiching and transporting the leading end folding part of the sheet.

According to a sixth aspect of the invention, in the paper folding apparatus according to the first or second aspect, a crease processing section is further provided on the upstream side of the first conveyance roller pair in the paper conveyance direction, and the crease processing section The processing section is characterized in that it is configured to form a crease in advance at the fold line when the flat paper is folded.

The invention according to claim 7 is the paper folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the switching gate plate is arranged at the second guide position, and the folding plate is arranged at the folding position. The bag making machine is characterized in that the distance between the folding plate and the switching gate plate is such that at least a gap sufficient to transport the paper is secured between the folding plate and the switching gate plate.

According to the invention set forth in claim 1, the control means guides the leading end of the sheet being conveyed upward by the switching gate plate disposed at the first guiding position, and at least guides the leading end of the sheet. Before the sheet hits the upper surface of the upper roller, the switching gate plate is placed in the separation position to avoid the leading edge of the paper from hitting the upper surface of the upper roller, and then the switching gate plate is placed in the first guiding position. Therefore, even when thick paper is used, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a collision sound caused by the leading edge of the paper hitting the upper surface of the upper roller.

According to the second aspect of the invention, the timing for returning the switching gate plate from the separation position to the first guide position is such that the switching gate plate Assuming that the paper is returned from the separation position to the first guide position, the position of the leading edge of the paper returned to the first guide position is at least between the virtual extension line of the top surface of the switching gate plate and the top of the upper roller. By setting the timing beyond the point of intersection where the paper intersects with the front surface, even when using thick paper, the occurrence of hitting noise caused by the leading end of the paper hitting the upper surface of the upper roller can be avoided. It can definitely be prevented.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the inclination angle of the switching gate plate at the first guide position is set to an angle that does not buckle even if the type of paper guided upward on the switching gate plate is thin paper. Since this is set, there is no need for the operator to input the paper type (thickness) in advance, and it is possible to provide a paper folding device with good operability. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of hitting noise regardless of the type of paper.

According to the invention set forth in claim 4, as a countermeasure against hitting noise, even if the type of paper is cardboard, the switching gate plate is switched from the first guide position to the separation position, so that the leading edge of the paper is It is possible to avoid hitting the upper surface of the upper roller, thereby preventing the occurrence of hitting noise.

According to the invention set forth in claim 5, after folding the leading end of the paper by lowering the folding plate,
Since the folded end portion of the sheet after being folded is controlled to be folded by being pressed by the nip portion of the second pair of transport rollers, it is possible to reliably form a folding habit on the sheet.

According to the invention as set forth in claim 6, a crease processing section is further provided on the upstream side of the first transport roller pair in the paper transport direction, and the crease processing section is configured to perform a crease processing section when folding the flat sheet of paper. A crease is formed in advance on the fold line to create a starting point for folding, so it can be folded neatly and accurately. Furthermore, printing cracks that occur during folding of paper can be suppressed.

According to the seventh aspect of the invention, after the leading edge of the paper is folded back by the lowering of the folding plate, the folded leading edge of the paper is guided through the gap between the adjacent switching gate plate and the folding plate. Since the sheet is conveyed, it can be reliably delivered to the pressing section formed by the nip section of the pair of conveying rollers at the next stage without wrinkles or the like.

1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of a bag making machine according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the state of paper processed by the bag making machine of FIG. 1; FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a state in which the sheet of FIG. 2 has been folded; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which a Western-style envelope is being manufactured. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the paper is processed in the second folding section. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the paper is processed following FIG. 5; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing how the paper is processed following FIG. 6; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing how the paper is processed following FIG. 7; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the paper is processed in the second folding section. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the paper is processed in the second folding section. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing how the paper is processed in the second folding section. It is a figure which shows the state before and after folding back the flap in a 1st folding part. It is a figure which shows the drive mechanism of the folding plate in a 2nd folding part. It is a figure which shows the drive mechanism of the folding plate in a 2nd folding part. It is a figure which shows the drive mechanism of the switching gate plate in a 2nd folding part. It is a figure which shows the drive mechanism of the switching gate plate in a 2nd folding part.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a bag making machine 10 that employs the paper folding device (second folding section 6) of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a bag making machine 10. The bag making machine 10 includes, in order from the upstream side in the conveyance direction, a paper feeding section 1, a first crease processing section 2, a second crease processing section 4, a first folding section 3, a glue application section 5, a second folding section 6, and A paper discharge section 7 is provided in the apparatus main body 10A.

A typical "Western-style envelope" has a horizontally long rectangular shape, and a sealing opening is formed on the long side. When manufacturing a Western-style envelope using the bag-making machine 10, for example, as shown in FIG. is folded back and crimped onto the piece 103.

Specifically, the bag making machine 10 transports the flat paper 100 shown in FIG. 2(a) in the F direction while conveying it as shown in FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c). By processing, a Western-style envelope 90 is manufactured.

The paper 100 is made up of a front surface section 101, a rear surface section 102, glue substitute pieces 103 extending from both sides of the rear surface section 102, and a rearmost surface section 104. The paper 100 is folded at the first fold line 111, which is the boundary line between the rear surface part 102 and the piece part 103, as shown in FIG. 2(b), and is further folded as shown in FIG. 2(c). The folding process is performed at a second fold line 112 which is a boundary line between the front surface part 101 and the rear surface part 102. Glue is applied to the surface of the piece 103 folded back at the first fold line 111. Then, both edges of the front surface portion 101 folded back at the second fold line 112 are joined to the piece portion 103. Note that the first fold line 111 is along the conveyance direction. The second fold line 112 is along the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (ie, the width direction).

The product may be the Western-style envelope 90 shown in FIG. 2(c), but by processing the Western-style envelope 90 shown in FIG. 2(c) as shown in FIG. 3 while conveying it in the F′ direction, The rearmost surface portion 104 may be further folded at a third fold line 113 that is a boundary line between the rear surface portion 102 and the rearmost surface portion 104 . According to the above configuration, when sealing the envelope with tape or glue after inserting the contents into the envelope, it is difficult to neatly seal the contents on the front side 101 by folding back the rearmost side 104 because the envelope has a tendency to crease. can.

[Paper feed section 1]
The paper feeding unit 1 includes an air suction belt type air feeding unit 12, an elevator type paper feeding tray 11 that ascends and descends depending on the amount of paper loaded, and further conveys the paper sent out by the air paper feeding unit 12. It has a conveyance roller 81 that conveys the image to the downstream side in the direction. The air feeding unit 12 also includes a sensor 22 that detects that the topmost sheet of paper stacked on the paper feeding tray 11 is attracted to the bottom surface of the air feeding unit 12; A sensor 21 is arranged to detect the upper limit position of the uppermost surface of the paper stacked thereon.

Note that the bag making machine 10 includes seven pairs of

conveyance rollers

82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, and 88 in addition to the conveyance roller 81. The seven transport roller pairs constitute a transport surface 200 on which the paper 100 is transported, and the transport surface 200 is on the same plane from the air paper feeding unit 12 to the transport roller pair 88. Further, on the conveyance surface 200 on which the paper is conveyed,

sensors

23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28 are arranged to detect the passage of sheets at each position (detect double feeding). ing. Each sensor uses, for example, an optical transmission sensor.

[First crease processing section 2]
As shown in FIG. 1, the first crease processing section 2 is composed of an upper mold with a convex upper part and a lower mold with a concave lower part, and serves as a second fold 112 and a third fold 113 of the paper 100 to convey the paper. A horizontal crease is formed in a direction perpendicular to the direction. As the crease processing section 2, a known mechanism can be adopted.
[Second crease processing section 4]
As shown in FIG. 1, the second crease processing section 4 has an upper crease blade with a round blade shape and a convex part formed on the outer periphery, and a lower crease blade with a round blade shape and a concave part formed on the outer periphery part. They are arranged at two locations in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and form vertical creases along the paper conveying direction at the first fold line 111 (two locations) of the paper 100. As the first crease processing section 4, a known mechanism can be adopted.

[First folding section 3]
The first folding section 3 includes a pair of

folding devices

3a and 3b that are arranged opposite to each other on both sides in the width direction in a direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction. Each

folding device

3a, 3b has a flap 32 plate that rotates around a rotation axis 31 along the conveyance direction, and as shown in FIG. By rotating the flap plate 32, the piece 103 of the paper 100 placed on the flap plate 32 is folded inward to match the surface of the rear surface part 102, as shown in FIG. 12(b). I can do it.

[Glue application section 5]
The glue applicator 5 includes a pair of

applicators

5a and 5b arranged oppositely on both sides in the width direction. Note that the coating device 5a and the coating device 5b have a laterally symmetrical configuration.

The

coating devices

5a and 5b have a nozzle section, a position setting mechanism, and a vertical drive mechanism (not shown). The nozzle section is configured to apply glue to the paper being conveyed at a predetermined timing.

[Second folding section 6]
The second folding unit 6 is a paper folding device that folds the flat sheet of paper 100 while conveying it along the conveyance surface 200. , a second conveyance roller pair 87 disposed on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction, a switching gate plate 63 disposed between both roller pairs, and a folding plate 62 disposed above the switching gate plate 63. We are prepared.

The switching gate plate 63 interferes with the paper 100 being transported and guides the leading edge of the paper 100 upward to pass the upper surface of the upper roller 871 of the second transport roller pair 87. and a second guiding position where the folding plate 62 is guided in a substantially horizontal direction toward the nip portion 873 of the second pair of conveying rollers 87. It is configured to be movable in the direction, and can be switched between a folded position in the vicinity of the switching gate plate 63 disposed at the second guide position and a retracted position in which it is retreated from the switching gate plate at a predetermined distance. It becomes.

The

drive mechanisms

64 and 65 of the switching gate plate 63 and folding plate 62 will be explained respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the switching gate plate 63 is selectively arranged at the first guide position and the second guide position described above. FIG. 15 shows the switching gate plate 63 in the second guiding position, and FIG. 16 shows the switching gate plate 63 in the first guiding position.

In FIG. 15, FIG. 15(a) is a front view seen from the front in the paper conveyance direction, and FIG. 15(b) is a sectional view seen from the direction C in FIG. 15(a). Further, in FIG. 16, FIG. 16(a) is a front view seen from the front in the paper conveyance direction, and FIG. 16(b) is a sectional view seen from the direction D in FIG. 16(a).

As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the drive mechanism 64 for the switching gate plate 63 operates as follows. That is, when the motor 641 operates, the second pulley 644 rotates via the first pulley 642 and the transmission belt 643. Since the support shaft 631 of the switching gate plate 63 is connected to the second pulley 644, when the second pulley 644 rotates, the switching gate plate 63 rotates. The rotation angle of the switching gate plate 63 is determined by detecting both edges of the light shielding plate 66 attached to the support shaft 631 of the switching gate plate 63 by the first detection means 67. It can be selectively arranged at the first guiding position and the second guiding position.

In addition to the first guide position and the second guide position, the switching gate plate 63 has a separated position (see 63b in FIG. 11(a)). The separation position is set so that even if thick paper is used, the leading end of the paper 100 hits the upper surface of the upper roller 871 of the second conveying roller pair to prevent the occurrence of a hitting sound. Used as a countermeasure.
Regarding the rotation angle of the switching gate plate 63 at the separation position, for example, after one edge of the light shielding plate 66 is detected by the first detection means 67, a predetermined number of steps of the motor 641 (stepping motor) is counted. Accordingly, the switching gate plate 63 can be selectively placed in the separated position. Details of the countermeasure against the hit sound will be described later.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the folding plate 62 is selectively placed in the folded position and the retracted position described above. 13 shows the folding plate 62 in the retracted position, and FIG. 14 shows the folding plate 62 in the folded position.

13, FIG. 13(a) is a front view seen from the front in the paper conveyance direction, and FIG. 13(b) is a sectional view seen from the direction A in FIG. 13(a). Further, in FIG. 14, FIG. 14(a) is a front view seen from the front in the paper conveyance direction, and FIG. 14(b) is a sectional view seen from the direction B in FIG. 14(a).

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the drive mechanism 65 for the folding plate 62 operates as follows. That is, when the motor 651 operates, a drive gear (not shown) attached to the drive shaft of the motor 651 rotates, and an interlocking gear 655 engaged with the drive gear rotates. A second link member 654 has its base fixed to the rotation shaft of the interlocking gear 655 so that it can rotate, and one end of the first link member 653 is attached to its free end. A pinion 652 is attached to the other end of the first link member 653, and the pinion 652 meshes with a rack 656 that is stationary. Therefore, the first link member 653 converts the rotational motion of the second link member 654 into a linear motion (reciprocating motion) of the pinion 652 on the rack 656. A folding plate 62 is attached to the rotating shaft of the pinion 652, and the folding plate 62 moves up and down (reciprocating) along the elongated hole 657 integrally with the linear movement (reciprocating) of the pinion 652.
Regarding the vertical position of the folding plate 62, the second detection means 68 detects both edges of a light shielding plate (not shown) attached to the rotating shaft of the interlocking gear 655, so that the folding plate 62 can be placed in the folding position. It can be selectively placed in the retracted position.

[Pressure section 8]
The pressing section 8 is composed of an upper mold 8a that can move up and down and a lower mold 8b that is immovable. By pinching, more pressure is applied and the folded portion is made stronger.

[Paper discharge section 7]
The paper discharge section 7 includes a pair of transport rollers 88 and a paper discharge tray 71. The transport roller pair 88 is provided to operate as a discharge roller. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the conveying roller pair 88 is arranged near the second conveying roller pair 87 of the second folding section 6 and downstream in the conveying direction. The paper discharge tray 71 is inclined obliquely upward from a position below the conveyance surface 200 and toward the downstream in the conveyance direction.

Next, the operation of the bag making machine 10 having the above configuration will be explained.

First, the paper 100 shown in FIG. 2 is placed on the paper feed tray 11. At this time, the front surface portion 101 is located on the downstream side in the conveyance direction. Then, a switch (not shown) is turned on to start operation.

(1) The topmost sheet of paper 100 on the paper feed tray 11 is sucked by the air suction belt in the air paper feed unit 12 and sent out toward the pair of conveyance rollers 81, and the sheet of paper 100 is delivered to the pair of conveyance rollers 81. After that, the conveyance roller pair 81 further conveys the sheet to the downstream side in the conveyance direction. Thereafter, it passes through the first crease processing section 2. At this time, the first crease processing section 2 operates to form creases on the second fold line 112 and the third fold line 113 of the paper 100. This makes it easier for the front surface section 101 to fold back toward the rear surface section 102 side. Further, the rearmost surface portion 104 can be easily folded back toward the folded front surface portion 101 side.

(2) The paper 100 conveyed from the first crease processing section 2 passes through the second crease processing section 4. At this time, the first fold lines 111 (two places on the left and right sides in the width direction) of the paper 100 are placed directly below the crease blades (round blades) of the second crease processing section 4 installed at two places in the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. positioned. Then, the second crease processing section 4 operates to form a crease on the first fold line 111. This makes it easier for the piece portions 103 (two locations on the left and right in the width direction) to be folded back inward.

(3) The paper 100 on which the crease has been formed by the second crease processing section 4 stops at the first folding section 3. At this time, the flap plates 32 of the double-

folding devices

3a and 3b of the first folding unit 3 are located on the outside in the width direction of the paper 100, and the pieces 103 on both sides of the paper 100 are placed on the flap plates 32. (Figure 12(a)). Note that in FIG. 12, the paper 100 is conveyed from the front to the back in the drawing. Next, the flap plate 32 rotates toward the lower guide plate 33 on the inside, and as a result, the piece part 103 is folded back inward at the crease-processed first fold line 111 and aligned with the surface of the rear surface part 102 ( Figure 12(b)). Thereafter, the flap plate 32 rotates in a direction away from the outer lower guide plate 33. Then, the paper 100 with the piece 103 folded back is transported downstream in the transport direction by the transport roller pair 85 . The flap plate 32 that has been rotated outward is maintained in that state until the next sheet 100 arrives. Note that with the flap plate 32 rotated inward, the paper 100 with the folded piece 103 is conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction, and before the next sheet 100 is conveyed, the flap plate 32 is rotated outward. It may also be activated to move.

(4) The paper 100 with the folded piece 103 is transported downstream in the transport direction by the transport roller pair 85 and passes through the glue application section 5 . In the glue applicator 5, when the folded pieces 103 on both sides of the paper 100 start passing, the

nozzle parts

5a and 5b installed at two locations in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction move downward. , comes into contact with the surface of the piece 103, and when the passage of the piece 103 is completed, the

nozzle parts

5a, 5b move upward, and the

nozzle parts

5a, 5b are separated from the surface of the piece 103. As a result, glue is applied to the surface of the folded piece 103. Note that the folded pieces 103 pass through the

nozzle parts

5a, 5b while being pressed or after being pressed by a pair of transport rollers 85 located upstream of the

nozzle parts

5a, 5b in the transport direction. do. Therefore, the glue application work using the

nozzle parts

5a and 5b can be performed stably.

(Processing of paper in the second folding section 6)
The second folding unit 6 is a paper folding device that folds the flat sheet of paper 100 while conveying it along the conveyance surface 200. , a second pair of conveyance rollers 87 disposed on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction, a switching gate plate 63 installed on the paper conveyance surface 200 between both roller pairs, and a second conveyance roller pair 87 disposed opposite to the switching gate plate 63. It is equipped with a folding plate 62 and a control means (not shown) for controlling the operation of the entire device,

The switching gate plate 63 interferes with the paper 100 being transported, bends the paper transport direction outward from the paper transport surface 200, and directs the leading end of the paper 100 toward the surface of one of the rollers of the second transport roller pair 87. It is possible to switch between a first guide position where the sheet is guided and a second guide position where the sheet is guided along the paper conveyance surface 200 toward the nip portion 873 of the second pair of conveyor rollers 87;

The folding plate 62 is configured to be movable toward the switching gate plate 63 in a substantially horizontal state, and has a folding position close to the switching gate plate 63 disposed at a second guide position and a predetermined position from the switching gate plate 63. It is possible to switch between the evacuation position and the evacuation position at intervals,

The control means causes the leading edge of the paper 100 to pass by a predetermined distance toward the surface of one of the rollers of the second pair of transport rollers 87 by the switching gate plate 63 disposed at the first guide position. After guiding the switching gate plate 63 as shown in FIG. By lowering the paper 100 to this position, the leading end of the paper 100 is controlled to be folded back along the surface of one of the rollers of the second pair of transport rollers 87.

Specifically, as an example, processing is performed sequentially as shown in (5-1) to (5-4) below.

(5-1) The sheet 100 with glue applied to the piece 103 is conveyed to the second folding section 6 (in the F direction) by the conveyance roller pair 85. At this time, the switching gate plate 63 is set upward toward the second conveyance roller pair 87 as the first guide position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, the paper 100 is guided upward by the switching gate plate 63 so that the leading end of the paper 100 passes through the upper surface of the upper roller 871 of the second transport roller pair 87. When the position of the second fold 112 of 100 reaches the folding position (the position directly below the end 621 of the folding plate 62), the conveyance is temporarily stopped. Alternatively, the conveyance may be temporarily stopped when the leading edge of the paper 100 passes the upper surface of the upper roller 871 by a predetermined amount. Although FIG. 5 shows that there is a gap between the paper 100 and the upper roller 871, the lower surface of the paper 100 normally rubs against the upper surface of the upper roller 871 as it passes to the stop position. Also, during this time, the folding plate 62 maintains the retracted position.

Note that the width of the upper roller 861 of the first transport roller pair 86 is set so that it does not come into contact with the surface of the piece 103, so that the upper roller 861 of the first conveying roller pair 86 is set to have a width that does not make contact with the surface of the piece 103. Glue does not adhere to the first conveying roller pair 86.

(5-2) Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the folding plate 62 moves the switching gate plate 63 to the second guide position (approximately horizontal position) while maintaining the retracted position.

(5-3) Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the folding plate 62 placed at the retracted position is lowered to the folding position in a substantially horizontal state so as to sandwich the paper 100 on the switching gate plate 63. As a result, the front surface portion 101 of the paper 100 is folded back from the second fold line 112 along the surface of the upper roller 871 of the second conveying roller pair 87. At this time, the distance between the switching gate plate 63 and the folding plate 62 after being lowered is such that at least a gap sufficient for conveying the paper is secured between the folding plate 62 and the switching gate plate 63. do. For example, a gap of about 1 mm is ensured.

According to the above, since there is no need to provide a paper insertion space (separate flow path) and a stopper as the paper folding mechanism, the structure can be constructed simply and inexpensively without complicating the structure. Further, since the control means automatically adjusts the folding position according to various folding specifications, it is possible to provide a paper folding device with good operability. Furthermore, wrinkles are prevented from forming on the folded piece, and even when folding is performed, glue does not adhere to the inside of the folding mechanism such as a stopper and adversely affect the quality of the product.

(5-4) Next, as shown in FIG. 8, after folding back the front surface portion 101 of the paper 100 by lowering the folding plate 62, the leading edge portion of the paper is further folded by the first pair of transport rollers 86. The leading edge folded portion 105 of the paper after being folded is conveyed toward the nip portion 873 of the second pair of conveying rollers 87, and the leading edge folded portion 105 of the sheet is sandwiched between the nip portion 873 of the second pair of conveying rollers 87. By conveying the paper in the direction, the leading end folding portion 105 of the paper is pressed and folded. Then, the entire front surface section 101 is folded back and aligned with the surface of the rear surface section 102, and at this time, both edges of the front surface section 101 are joined to the piece section 103. As a result, a Western-style envelope 90 is obtained. Note that the paper 100 is transported in the F direction until the rearmost portion 104 of the paper 100 passes through the nip portion 863 of the first transport roller pair 86 by a predetermined amount. At this time, the paper 100 is conveyed through the gap between the folding plate 62 and the switching gate plate 63 (while being guided by both plates). According to this, the sheet can be reliably transferred to the pressing section formed by the nip section 873 of the second pair of conveying rollers 87 at the next stage without wrinkles or the like.

According to the above, after the leading edge of the paper is folded back by lowering the folding plate, the folded leading edge of the paper is controlled to be pressed by the nip part 873 of the second pair of conveyance rollers 87 and folded. , it is possible to reliably create a crease in the paper.

Further, a crease processing section 2 is provided on the upstream side of the first transport roller pair 86 in the paper transport direction, and the crease processing section 2 is configured to cut the crease (second crease) when the flat paper 100 is folded. 112 and the third fold line 113) to form a crease in advance to create a folding starting point, it is possible to fold neatly and accurately. Furthermore, printing cracks that occur during folding of paper can be suppressed.

(Measures against buckling and contact noise of paper 100 in second folding section 6)
Next, countermeasures against buckling and hitting noise of the paper 100 in the second folding section 6 will be explained. The general flow of the processing order of the paper 100 in the second folding section 6 is as explained in (5-1) to (5-4) above. This is a further development of the operation (5-1) as a sound countermeasure.

As shown in FIG. 9(a), when the leading edge of the paper 100 being conveyed is guided upward by the switching gate plate 63 disposed at the first guide position 63a (inclination angle θ1), the paper Depending on the type of paper 100 (particularly thick paper), the tip end 100' of the paper 100 may hit the upper surface 871a of the upper roller 871, producing a hitting sound, which is unpleasant for the operator. As a countermeasure against the collision noise, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the inclination angle of the switching gate plate is increased (inclination angle θ2) at the separation position 63b, so that the leading edge 100' of the paper 100 is aligned with the upper roller 871. If the angle is set so that it does not hit the upper surface 871a, the collision noise can be prevented, but if the inclination angle remains the same, especially if thin paper is used, it is difficult to stably raise the inclination of the switching gate plate. Another problem arises in that it cannot be moved and buckles.

To solve both of the above problems, the inclination angle of the switching gate plate should be increased (inclination angle θ2) when using thick paper to prevent collision noise, and when using thin paper, the inclination angle should be increased to prevent buckling. As a countermeasure, it is necessary to reduce the inclination angle (inclination angle θ1), and regardless of the type of paper 100 (thick paper, thin paper), there is almost no common range of inclination angles that can solve both problems at once.

Therefore, by controlling as follows, it is possible to prevent the buckling of the paper 100 and the occurrence of hitting noise by common control without the operator inputting the type (thickness) of the paper in advance.
The basic arrangement position of the switching gate plate 63 is a first guide position 63a, and the inclination angle of the switching gate plate 63 at the first guide position 63a is determined by the type of paper 100 guided upward on the switching gate plate 63. is set at an angle that will not buckle even if the paper is thin (θ1 in FIG. 10(a)). In addition, as a countermeasure against collision noise, even if the paper 100 is made of cardboard, the switching gate plate 63 may be temporarily switched from the first guide position 63a to the separation position 63b (θ2 in FIG. 10(b)). This prevents the leading end 100' of the paper 100 from hitting the upper surface 871a of the upper roller, thereby preventing the occurrence of hitting noise.

Specifically, the bag making machine 10 includes a control means for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus, and the control means includes a switching gate plate 63 disposed at a first guide position 63a, as shown in FIG. 11(a). guides the leading edge of the paper 100 being conveyed upward, and at least once separates the switching gate plate 63 before the leading edge 100' of the paper 100 hits the upper surface 871a of the upper roller 871. By arranging it at the position 63b, the leading edge 100' of the paper 100 is controlled to return to the first guide position 63a after avoiding hitting the upper surface 871a of the upper roller. Thereafter, as described in (5-2) to (5-4) above, the leading edge of the paper 100 is guided to pass the upper surface of the upper roller 871 by a predetermined amount, and then the switching gate plate 63 to the second guide position (see FIG. 6), and then lower the folding plate 62, which is located at the retracted position, to the folding position in a substantially horizontal state so as to sandwich the paper 100 on the switching gate plate 63. control so that the leading end of the paper 100 is folded back along the surface of the upper roller 871.

According to this, even when thick paper is used, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a hitting sound caused by the tip end 100' of the paper 100 hitting the upper surface 871a of the upper roller 871. . Note that, as a countermeasure against collision noise, the conveyance of the paper 100 continues without stopping even when switching the switching gate plate 63 from the first guide position 63a to the separation position 63b. Therefore, processing speed is not affected.

Specifically, the timing for returning the switching gate plate 63 from the separation position 63b to the first guide position 63a is determined by guiding the leading edge of the paper upward at the separation position 63b (63b in FIG. 11(a)). If it is assumed that the switching gate plate 63 is returned from the separation position 63b to the first guide position 63a during the process, the paper 100 returned to the first guide position 63a (dotted chain line in FIG. 11(b)) The position of the tip end 100' of is at least the position of the intersection 871a (inclination angle θ1) where the virtual extension line of the upper surface of the switching gate plate 63 (broken line in FIG. ) (for example, 871b in FIG. 11(b)).

According to this, even when cardboard is used, it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of a hitting sound caused by the front end 100' of the paper 100 hitting the upper surface 871a of the upper roller 871. That is, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 11(b), the leading end of the paper 100 is inclined at a certain level or more with respect to the upper surface of the upper roller 871 (inclination angle θ3), and the paper relative to the upper surface of the upper roller 871 is Since direct abutment of the tip end 100' of the holder 100 can be avoided, it is possible to reliably prevent the occurrence of the abutment noise.

(6) Next, the Western envelope 90 conveyed from the second folding section 6 to the pressing section 8 is successively sandwiched between the folding sections 105 and 106 between the upper mold 8a and the lower mold 8b of the pressing section 8. and is pressurized. Therefore, the folded portions 105 and 106 become strong. The Western envelope 90 after being pressurized is conveyed toward the paper discharge section 7 by a pair of conveyance rollers 88 and is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 71 .

The paper folding device (second folding unit 6) in the present invention has been described as an embodiment in which it is employed as a paper folding mechanism in the bag making machine 10 that produces Western envelopes, but the paper folding device (second folding unit 6) that simply folds paper has been described. It can also be implemented as a paper folding device).

Note that it is clear that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and that this embodiment may be modified as appropriate within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention in addition to what is suggested in this embodiment. be. Further, the number, position, shape, etc. of the constituent members are not limited to those in this embodiment, and can be set to a number, position, shape, etc. suitable for implementing the present invention.

F Conveyance direction F' Conveyance direction θ1 Inclination angle θ2 Inclination angle 2 First crease processing section 3 First folding section 4 Second crease processing section 5 Glue application section 6 Second folding section 7 Paper discharge section 8 Pressure section 10 Bag making section Machine 10A Device main body 62 Folding plate 63 Switching gate plate 63a First guide position 63b Separation position 64 Drive mechanism 65 Drive mechanism 86 First conveyance roller pair 87 Second conveyance roller pair 100 Paper 100' Paper 101 Front surface section 102 Rear surface part 103 Glue substitute piece part 104 Rearmost part 105 Folded part 106 Folded part 111 First fold 112 Second fold 113 Third fold 631 Support shaft 871 Upper roller 871a Upper surface (contact point)

Claims

A paper folding device that folds a flat sheet of paper while conveying it along a paper conveyance surface, which includes a first pair of conveyance rollers disposed on the upstream side in the paper conveyance direction, and a first pair of conveyance rollers disposed on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction. a second pair of conveying rollers, a switching gate plate installed on the sheet conveying surface between both roller pairs, a folding plate placed above the switching gate plate, and a control means for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus. It is equipped with
a first guide position where the switching gate plate interferes with the paper being transported and guides the paper upward so that the leading edge of the paper passes through the upper surface of the upper roller of the second pair of transport rollers; a separating position for guiding the paper upward so that the leading edge of the paper is separated above the upper surface of the upper roller; and a second separating position for guiding the paper along the paper transport surface toward the nip portion of the second pair of transport rollers. It is possible to switch between the guidance position of
The folding plate is configured to be movable in the vertical direction while remaining in a substantially horizontal state, and has a folding position where it abuts or is close to the switching gate plate disposed at the second guide position and a predetermined position from the switching gate plate located at the second guiding position. It is possible to switch between the evacuation position and the evacuation position at intervals,
The control means guides the leading end of the sheet being conveyed upward by the switching gate plate disposed at the first guiding position, and at least the leading end of the sheet is directed toward the upper side. Before hitting the upper surface of the roller, the switching gate plate is once placed in the separation position to avoid the leading end of the paper from hitting the upper surface of the upper roller, and then the switching gate plate is moved to the first guide position. , and after guiding the leading edge of the paper so that it passes the upper surface of the upper roller by a predetermined amount, the switching gate plate is switched to the second guiding position, and then the paper on the switching gate plate is controlling the leading end of the paper to be folded back along the surface of the upper roller by lowering the folding plate placed at the retracted position to the folding position in a substantially horizontal state so as to sandwich the paper; A paper folding device characterized by:
The timing for returning the switching gate plate from the separation position to the first guide position is such that while the leading edge of the paper is being guided upward at the separation position, the switching gate plate is temporarily returned to the separation position. If it is assumed that the paper is returned to the first guide position from 2. The paper folding device according to claim 1, wherein the timing is beyond the position of the intersection point where the upper surface of the paper folding device intersects with the upper surface of the paper folding device.
The inclination angle of the switching gate plate at the first guide position is set to an angle that does not buckle even if the type of paper guided upward on the switching gate plate is thin paper. A paper folding device according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that the paper folding device is characterized in that:
As a countermeasure against hitting noise, even if the paper type is thick paper, by switching the switching gate plate from the first guide position to the separation position, the leading edge of the paper can be brought into contact with the upper surface of the upper roller. The paper folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the paper folding device avoids collision and prevents generation of collision noise.
After the leading end of the paper is folded back by the lowering of the folding plate, the control means further causes the first transport roller pair to fold back the leading end of the paper after folding back the leading end of the paper. The sheet is conveyed toward the nip portion of the second pair of conveyance rollers, and the leading edge folded portion of the sheet is conveyed with the nip portion of the second conveyance roller pair pinched, thereby pressing the leading edge folded portion of the sheet and folding the sheet. The paper folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the paper folding device is controlled to: .
A crease processing section is further provided on the upstream side of the first transport roller pair in the paper transport direction, and the crease processing section forms creases in advance on the folds when the flat paper is folded. The paper folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the paper folding device is configured to perform the following operations.
The distance between the switching gate plate disposed at the second guide position and the folding plate disposed at the folding position is such that at least the distance between the folding plate and the switching gate plate 3. The paper folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper folding apparatus is configured to ensure a gap sufficient to convey the paper.