Processing device

Abstract

To provide a processing device that can appropriately convey sheets from an upstream device to a downstream device when multiple processes are performed successively.SOLUTION: A processing device according to the present invention includes a first device 10 that processes sheets S, and a second device 60 that is installed downstream of the first device 20 in a conveying direction F1 by a conveying part 4 of the sheets S, and processes the sheet S. The conveying part 4 is provided with rollers 51 that convey the sheet S from the first device 10 to the second device 60, and the rollers 51 are divided into multiple parts in a width direction W perpendicular to the conveying direction F1 and are supported by a side wall 601 of the first device 10 or the second device 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a processing device that processes a conveyed sheet by a processing member. The following Patent Document 1 discloses a device that detects the position of a sheet by detecting the side edge of the sheet at at least two points.

[0003] In addition, the following Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that includes a measurement and display means for measuring the distance between a reference point located outside the paper feeder and each detection point on the sheet and displaying the measurement value, and adjusts the rotation of the paper feeder by measuring and comparing the distance from the reference point to each detection point so that these distances become the same value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Jitsukou 5-9604 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2008-143693 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When two processing devices are connected and a plurality of processing processes are performed successively, the sheet may not be properly transported from the upstream device to the downstream device.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus capable of appropriately transporting a sheet from an upstream device to a downstream device when a plurality of processing processes are performed successively. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the processing device of the present invention comprises a first device that processes a sheet, and a second device that is installed downstream of the first device in a conveying direction by a conveying section of the sheet and processes the sheet, the conveying section is provided with rollers that convey the sheet from the first device to the second device, the rollers are divided into multiple parts in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and are supported by a side wall of the first device or the second device.

[0008] In the above-mentioned configuration, the roller is rotatably supported by a holder that is engaged with the side wall.

[0009] The above-mentioned configuration further includes an opposing roller disposed opposite the roller for sandwiching and transporting the sheet between the roller and the opposing roller, and an elastic member for biasing the roller toward the opposing roller.

[0010] Further, in the above-mentioned configuration, the roller is provided with a clamping portion that clamps the sheet, The clamping portion is made of rubber. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, the conveying section is provided with rollers that convey the sheet from the first device to the second device, and the rollers are divided into multiple parts in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and supported by a side wall of the first device or the second device, so that the sheet can be properly conveyed from the first device to the second device.

[0012] Furthermore, when the roller is rotatably supported by a holding portion that is engaged with the side wall, the installation position of the roller can be easily changed to an optimum position by adjusting the mounting height of the holding portion on the side wall.

[0013] Furthermore, when an opposing roller is arranged opposite the roller and clamps and transports the sheet between the roller, and an elastic member is provided for urging the roller toward the opposing roller, the elastic member enables the roller to properly clamp the sheet.

[0014] Furthermore, the roller is provided with a clamping portion for clamping the sheet, and when the clamping portion is made of rubber, the sheet can be transported with high frictional force, making it possible to reduce manufacturing costs. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a first device of the processing apparatus. [Diagram 3] 4 is a vertical sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a second device of the processing apparatus. FIG. [Figure 4] 3 is an example of a sheet to be processed by the processing device. [Diagram 5] 2 is an example of a processed product obtained by processing in the processing device. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the upper body of the second device is closed relative to the lower body. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which an upper body of the second device is opened relative to a lower body of the second device. [Figure 8] 4 is a diagram showing the periphery of a roller that transports a sheet from the first device to the second device of the processing device, as viewed from the upstream side. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the roller and its surroundings. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the roller and its periphery. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a usage state of the second device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] (First embodiment) Hereinafter, a processing device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the processing device 100. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a first device 10 of the processing device 100. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a second device 60 of the processing device 100. The processing device 100 includes a first device 10 and a second device 60 that process a sheet S. The second device 60 is installed downstream of the first device 10 in the conveying direction F1 of the sheet S by the conveying section 4. In this embodiment, the first device 10 is configured by a processing machine that performs processing such as cutting, creasing, and perforation on the sheet S. The second device 60 is configured by a folding machine that folds the sheet S. A supply section 3 is installed upstream of the conveying path 5a of the sheet S of the first device 10. A discharge section 6 is installed downstream of the conveying path 5d of the second device 60. Inside the first device 10 and the second device 60 from the supply unit 3 to the discharge unit 6, a conveying unit 4 is provided along conveying paths 5a, 5b, 5c, and 5d of the sheet S.

[0017] 2 includes a plurality of pairs of rollers 10-17 driven by a plurality of first to fourth conveying motors 41-44 that are independent for each predetermined region. Therefore, the plurality of pairs of rollers 10-17 are arranged side by side in the conveying direction F1 of the sheet S. The conveying speed of the sheet S in the conveying section 4 can be, for example, 0.2 m / sec to 3.0 m / sec.

[0018] A processing unit 19 is disposed at an appropriate position along the conveying path 5a of the sheet S. The processing unit 19 includes a processing member 191 that applies processing to a predetermined position of the sheet S conveyed by the conveying unit 4. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the processing unit 19 includes three slit units 20, a crease unit 21, and a horizontal cutting unit 22 from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveying path 5a of the sheet S.

[0019] These processing sections 19 may be fixedly installed in the device body 2, but for flexible response, compactness of the device, and ease of replacement work, they are installed as units so as to be detachable from the device body 2. These processing units are configured to have the same external dimensions and shape so that they can be attached and detached to any installation location.

[0020] The supply unit 3 is disposed upstream of the slit unit 20. The supply unit 3 supplies the sheet S to the conveying path 5a. The supply unit 3 includes a supply table 36, a suction-type conveying mechanism 31, a skew correction mechanism 32, supply rollers 33 and 34, and a double feed detection unit 35.

[0021] The supply table 36 is placed on the sheet S to be supplied to the conveying path 5a. The supply table 36 is raised and lowered by a lifting unit (not shown). A guide wall 361 is provided on the side of the supply table 36 against which the side edge Es of the sheet S abuts. A blower 38 is provided in front of the supply table 36 to separate the stack of sheets S. The suction-type conveying mechanism 31 attracts and adsorbs the sheets S placed on the supply table 36 one by one by using a suction means (not shown), and conveys them.

[0022] In the skew correction mechanism 32, the side edge Es of the sheet S is conveyed while being pressed against a guide wall (not shown) parallel to the conveying direction F1. As a result, the side edge Es of the sheet S is conveyed in a state where it is aligned with the guide wall. The skew correction mechanism 32 includes a pressing portion 325 on which a rotatably supported ball is installed.

[0023] The multi-feed detection unit 35 detects multi-feeding of the sheets S. The multi-feed detection unit 35 is configured with an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like. When the multi-feed detection unit 35 is an ultrasonic sensor, it can properly detect multi-feeding even for thick sheets S in which it is difficult to detect the difference in the amount of transmitted or reflected ultrasonic waves when the sheets S are multi-fed.

[0024] The slitting section 20 cuts the sheet S along the conveying direction F1 of the conveying section 4. The slitting section 20 includes a pair of slitters 201 on the left and right and a slitter motor 48. The slitter 201 is configured to be movable to an appropriate position in the width direction W of the sheet S. When cutting of the sheet S is not required, the slitter 201 is retracted to the outside of the conveying path 5a of the sheet S. The movement and positioning of the slitter 201 in the width direction W of the sheet S is controlled by a semiconductor control device 45 such as a CPU or IC. The slitter motor 48 is a drive source for rotating the slitter 201 when cutting along the conveying direction F1.

[0025] The cutting debris removal section 27 is for removing cutting debris generated by cutting in the slit section 20 to the outside of the conveying path 5a of the sheet S. The cutting debris removal section 27 includes a plurality of cutting debris removal devices, a lateral positioning shaft, and a device movement motor (not shown). The cutting debris removal devices are configured to be movable in the width direction W of the sheet S with the rotation of the lateral positioning shaft. Since the cutting debris removal devices arranged at predetermined positions become obstacles on the conveying path 5a of the sheet S, when the sheet S passes through the cutting debris removal section 27, the cutting debris contained in the sheet S is dropped and collected in the trash can 23.

[0026] The crease unit 21 forms a crease line Y on the sheet S along the width direction W of the sheet S. The crease unit 21 includes a crease blade 215. The crease blade 215 is composed of an upper mold 211 and a lower mold 212 extending in the width direction W of the sheet S. The crease drive unit 49 is a drive source for driving the upper mold 211 in the up and down direction. With the sheet S sandwiched between the upper mold 211 and the lower mold 212, the upper mold 211 is driven downward to press the sheet S with the convex portion of the upper mold 211 into the concave portion of the lower mold 212, thereby forming crease lines Y1, Y2 having a substantially semicircular cross section on the sheet S.

[0027] The horizontal cutting unit 22 cuts the sheet S along the width direction W. The horizontal cutting unit 22 includes a cutting blade 225 and a horizontal cutting drive unit 50. The cutting blade 225 includes an upper blade 221 and a lower blade 222 extending in the width direction W of the sheet S. The horizontal cutting drive unit 50 is a drive source for driving the upper blade 57 in the vertical direction so that the upper blade 221 is pressed toward the lower blade 222.

[0028] The horizontal cutting drive unit 50 drives the upper blade 221 downward with the sheet S sandwiched between the upper blade 221 and the lower blade 222, and cuts the sheet S with the upper blade 221 and the lower blade 222. Cutting waste generated by cutting falls downward and is collected in a trash can 23. When the margin to be cut in the conveying direction F1 of the sheet S is wide, it is possible to divide the sheet S into narrow regions in the conveying direction F1 of multiple sheets S and cut them finely with narrow widths.

[0029] A plurality of detection units 28 are disposed at appropriate positions along the conveying path 5a of the sheet S. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, sheet detection units 91-95 and a reading unit 26 are disposed as the detection units 28. The sheet detection units 91-95 each include a pair of a light emitting element and a light receiving element. The sheet detection units 91-95 are transmission type optical sensors that detect the passage of the sheet S when the sheet S passes between these elements and blocks the detection light.

[0030] Among the above-mentioned sensor group, the sheet detection unit 91, which is installed on the most upstream side of the conveying path 5a for the sheet S, detects the leading edge Ef or the trailing edge Eb of the sheet S that is gripped by the conveying rollers 9 after being supplied from the supply table 36. Thus, the position of each sheet S being conveyed on the conveying path 5a for the sheet S is uniquely detected based on the sheet position detected by the sheet detection unit 91 as a reference.

[0031] The reading unit 26 is disposed between the supply roller 34 and the roller 10 of the conveying unit 4, downstream of the most upstream sheet detection unit 91. The reading unit 26 is configured with a camera 261. The camera 261 captures an image of at least a position mark M1 printed on the sheet S, a barcode M2, and any one of the leading edge Ef, trailing edge Eb, or side edge Es of the sheet S. The position mark M1 includes information regarding the printing position of the image formed on the sheet S.

[0032] The camera 261 can be a one-dimensional CCD image sensor or a two-dimensional CCD image sensor that reads a planar image. The one-dimensional CCD image sensor reads an image by line scanning. The one-dimensional CCD image sensor is preferably used because of its low cost. Also, the camera 261 can be a CMOS image sensor or the like instead of a CCD image sensor.

[0033] 4 shows an example of processing information applied to a sheet S. In this figure, a position mark M1 is printed on the downstream leading end portion of the sheet S. The position mark M1 indicates the reference position for processing applied to the sheet S in the processing unit 19.

[0034] The reading unit 26 reads the image data of the barcode M2 ​​to obtain various processing information to be applied to the sheet S. Alternatively or in addition to this, the reading unit 26 may obtain a number for calling up, from the image of the barcode M2, processing information to be applied to the sheet S from the memory unit 454 of the control device 45.

[0035] The barcode M2 ​​is a mark expressing various information such as size information in the vertical and horizontal directions of the sheet S, position information of the position mark M1, position information for various vertical processes (cutting, perforation, corner cut, crease), position information for various horizontal processes (cutting, perforation, corner cut, crease), etc. The various information required for processing can also be input by the user via the operation panel 46 or a PC (personal computer).

[0036] For example, the barcode M2 ​​printed on a sheet S records processing information instructing to perform processing as shown in FIG. 4. That is, the arrangement pattern of the processed products Q shown in FIG. 4 is such that three processed products Q1 to Q3 are produced by folding one sheet S into a Z-shape. Two cutting lines T extending in the conveying direction F1, two cutting lines K extending in the width direction W, and crease lines Y1 and Y2 extending in the width direction W are set, and the sheet S is folded at the positions where the crease lines Y1 and Y2 are formed. In FIG. 4, the central area of ​​the sheet S indicated by diagonal lines is a necessary area to be made into the processed product Q by the processing device 100, and the areas at the front and rear ends of the sheet S other than the necessary area are unnecessary areas U to be removed after cutting by the cutting blade 225 of the horizontal cutting unit 22. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the processed products Q1, Q2, and Q3 obtained by processing the sheet S shown in FIG. 4. In the workpieces Q1 to Q3, a sheet S is cut along cutting lines T at two locations in the width direction W into three pieces of paper, which are then folded into a Z shape.

[0037] A reject mechanism 25 is provided downstream of the rollers 10 of the conveying section 4. The reject mechanism 25 includes a rotating member 2 and a reject tray 252. The rotating member 251 assumes a position that blocks the conveying path 5a when activated.

[0038] If there is a sheet S that should be rejected for some reason, such as the position mark M1 or the barcode M2 ​​of the sheet S being unclear, the rotating member 251 rotates to drop the sheet S below the conveying path 5a. Below the conveying path 5a, the rejected sheet S is collected in a reject tray 252.

[0039] The first apparatus 10 includes a control device 45 in the apparatus body 2 for controlling various operations in the first apparatus 10. The control device 45 communicates with a control device 90 of the second apparatus 60 and processes the sheet S in synchronization with the control device 90. The control device 45 includes a storage unit 454 such as a ROM (flash ROM) or RAM, a calculation unit 451 that performs various calculation processes, and a control unit 455 that controls the operations of each unit such as the supply unit 3, the conveyance unit 4, and the processing member 191, and is electrically connected to various sensors 26, 91-95 as input devices, various motors 41-44, 47-49 as output devices, and an operation panel 46 as an input / output device.

[0040] The memory unit 454 temporarily stores various information via the CPU, such as image data of the position mark M1 and image data of the barcode M2 ​​captured by the camera 261, size information of the sheet S, position information of the position mark M1, various processing information, and position information of the sheet S obtained when the leading end Ef or trailing end Eb of the sheet S passes through the sheet detection units 91-95.

[0041] The vertical length of the sheet S is stored in the RAM based on size information obtained from the barcode M2 ​​and input information from the operation panel 46. Therefore, by detecting either the downstream leading edge Ef or the upstream trailing edge Eb of the sheet S, the position of the sheet S on the conveying path 5a, particularly the trailing edge position of each sheet S, can be uniquely determined based on the installation position of the sheet detection unit 91.

[0042] As described above, the sheet detection unit 91 installed most upstream can uniquely detect the position of each sheet S being transported on the transport path 5a for the sheet S. However, the other sheet detection units 92 to 95 are installed as auxiliary units to correct the position information of the sheet S obtained by the sheet detection unit 91 and make the position information of the sheet S more accurate in case the transport path 5a for the sheet S becomes longer and vertical positional deviation (transport error) of the sheet S on the transport path 5a for the sheet S accumulates.

[0043] The second device 60 shown in FIG. 3 is composed of a lower body 66 and an upper body 65. A tray 64 is erected on the upper surface of the upper body 65. The tray 64 constitutes a part of the conveying path 5c, and the sheet S is inserted therein. The conveying section 4 of the second device 60 includes a plurality of pairs of rollers 18, 110-115, each of which is driven by a fifth to eighth conveying motor 105-108, which are independent for each predetermined region. The plurality of pairs of rollers 18, 110-115 are arranged along the conveying paths 5b, 5c, and 5d of the sheet S. A guide 118 for guiding the sheet S is installed between the pairs of rollers 18, 110, 111, and 112. The pairs of rollers 112-115 also constitute a first folding section 71 and a second folding section 72 for folding the sheet S. The conveying speed of the sheet S in the conveying section 4 is the same as that of the first device 10.

[0044] A first folding unit 71 is provided on the conveying path 5b of the sheet S. A second folding unit 72 is provided on the conveying path 5c. The first and second folding units 71, 72 fold the sheet S conveyed by the conveying unit 4 at crease lines Y1, Y2 formed by the crease portion 21.

[0045] The first folding section 71 includes a first folding roller 81 and a second folding roller 82, a first conveying roller 83 and a second conveying roller 84, a first pushing member (also called a knife) 85, and a control section 90.

[0046] The first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82 are arranged to face each other in the horizontal direction. The first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82 are arranged to sandwich the sheet S with the crease line Y of the sheet S at the front and pass it vertically upward when folding the sheet S. In the conveying direction F2 from the insertion opening 67 toward the first folding section 71, the first folding roller 81 is located upstream of the second folding roller 82. The second folding roller 82 is biased toward the first folding roller 81 by a spring 821. The length of the gap between the first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82 is set to 0.001 mm to 0.1 mm. This is because the thinnest sheet S, coated paper 110 gsm, has a thickness of 0.11 mm, and after folding, has a thickness of 0.22 mm, and the folded portion has a thickness of about 0.3 mm.

[0047] The first conveying roller 83 is pressed against the first folding roller 81 from below by a spring 831. That is, the first folding roller 81 and the first conveying roller 83 are arranged to sandwich the sheet S and convey the sheet S in a conveying direction F2 of the sheet S from the insertion opening 67 toward the first folding section 71.

[0048] The second conveying roller 84 is pressed against the second folding roller 82 from below by a spring 841. The second folding roller 82 and the second conveying roller 84 are provided to sandwich the sheet S and convey it in either the conveying direction F2 from the insertion opening 67 toward the first folding unit 71 or the opposite direction.

[0049] First pushing member 85 is disposed between first conveyor roller 83 and second conveyor roller 84, and is provided so as to be movable toward and away from the space between first folding roller 81 and second folding roller 82. First pushing member 85 receives the rotational drive of drive unit 103 via a link (not shown) and moves forward and backward.

[0050] The first pushing member 85 has three positions: a waiting position where it does not contact the sheet S; a guide position where it guides the sheet S between the first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82; and a feed position where it feeds the crease line Y of the sheet S between the first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82.

[0051] Furthermore, the first protruding member 85 has a pointed end 851 for inserting the crease line Y2 of the sheet S between the first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82, and curved surfaces 852 and 853.

[0052] During the feeding operation, the control device 90 moves the first pushing member 85 to the feeding position and rotates the first folding roller 81, the second folding roller 82, the first conveyor roller 83, and the second conveyor roller 84 so that the crease of the sheet S moves vertically upward. During the folding operation, the control device 90 moves the first pushing member 85 to the guide position and rotates the first folding roller 81, the second folding roller 82, the first conveyor roller 83, and the second conveyor roller 84 so that the crease line Y of the sheet S moves in the conveying direction F2 along the vertical upward direction.

[0053] The second folding unit 72 has substantially the same configuration as the first folding unit 71. However, in the second folding unit 72, a first folding roller 86 and a second folding roller 87 face each other in the vertical direction. The second folding roller 87 is pressed against the first folding roller 86 from above by a spring 871. The first conveying roller 88 is pressed against the first folding roller 86 from the side by a spring 881. The second conveying roller 89 is pressed against the second folding roller 87 from the side by a spring 891.

[0054] The second pushing member 102 is disposed between the first conveying roller 86 and the second conveying roller 87, and is provided so as to be movable toward and away from the space between the first folding roller 86 and the second folding roller 87. The second pushing member 85 receives the rotational drive of the drive unit 104 via a link (not shown) and moves forward and backward. The second pushing member 102 takes three positions: a standby position, a guide position, and a feed position.

[0055] The lower main body 66 has an insertion opening 67 for the sheet S, a horizontal conveying path 5b, and a first folding unit 71. The upper main body 65 has a second folding unit 72, a vertical conveying path 5c, a horizontal conveying path 5d, and a decurling mechanism 74.

[0056] 6 and 7, the upper main body 65 can be opened and closed relative to the lower main body 66. In the state of Fig. 6, i.e., when the upper main body 65 is closed relative to the lower main body 66, the second folded portion 72 is located directly above the first folded portion 71. Also, in the state of Fig. 7, i.e., when the upper main body 65 is open relative to the lower main body 66, the first folded portion 71 is exposed when viewed from above, and the second folded portion 72 is exposed when viewed from below.

[0057] The upper body 65 is provided to be rotatable around a horizontal axis in the direction of the arrow R with respect to the upper end 761 of the vertical plate 76 of the lower body 66. The vertical plate 76 is provided at the upstream end of the lower body 66. The upper body 65 is constantly urged upward from the lower body 66 by a cylinder mechanism 77. In the cylinder mechanism 77, the lower end of a cylinder 771 is rotatably fixed to the lower body 66, and the tip of a rod 772 is rotatably fixed to the upper body 65. In addition, one end 791 of a fastener 79 is rotatably fixed to the lower body 66, and a tip 792 of the fastener 79 can be hooked from above to a pin 80 of the upper body 65. Therefore, the upper body 65 is always closed to the lower body 66 at a predetermined height by the tip 792 of the fastener 79.

[0058] A roller 18 for transporting the sheet S from the first device 10 to the second device 60 is installed at the insertion opening 67 of the second device 60. Fig. 8 is a view of the roller 18 and its periphery seen from the upstream side with the cover 602 on the upstream side in the transport direction F2 of the second device 60 removed. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the roller 18 and its periphery. Fig. 10 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the roller 18 and its periphery.

[0059] The rollers 18 are installed above and below the conveying path 5b. Below the conveying path 5b, a roller 52 is installed extending in a width direction W perpendicular to a conveying direction F1 in which the sheet S is conveyed from the first device 10 to the second device 60. The roller 52 is connected to the drive unit 105 via a connecting mechanism 521, and rotates when driven by the drive unit 105.

[0060] Rollers 51 divided into multiple parts in the width direction W are installed above the conveying path 5b. Rollers 51 are rotated by the rotation of rollers 52 driven by driving unit 105. Rollers 51 are supported by a side wall 601 of second device 60. Rollers 51 are suspended from side wall 601. A rectangular cover 69 extending in the vertical direction is installed on the upstream side of side wall 601.

[0061] A plurality of rollers 51 installed above the conveying path 5b are each rotatably supported by a plurality of holding parts 53 that are respectively engaged with the side wall 601. Both ends of the rollers 51 in the width direction W are rotatably supported by supporting parts 54 provided on the holding parts 53. An elastic member 55 is installed on the supporting parts 54. The elastic member 55 is formed of a torsion spring. The elastic member 55 biases the rollers 51 so as to press them with a predetermined pressure against the opposing rollers 52 below the conveying path 5b.

[0062] The roller 52 installed below the conveying path 5b faces the roller 51 installed above the conveying path 5b, and constitutes an opposing roller that sandwiches and conveys the sheet S between the roller 52 and the roller 51. The elastic member 55 biases the roller 51 above the conveying path 5b toward the opposing roller 52 below.

[0063] A plurality of elongated holes 531 are formed in the upper portion of the holding portion 53 and aligned in the width direction W. The elongated holes 531 are formed long in the vertical direction. A locking member 56 such as a screw is inserted into the elongated holes 531. The holding portion 53 is locked to the side wall 601 by the locking member 56.

[0064] The rollers 51 are supported by the support 53 together with a pair of elastic members 55 provided at both the left and right ends, allowing for easy maintenance.

[0065] Even when multiple rollers 51 that are calculated to have the same pressing force of the upper rollers 51 of the conveying path 5b against the lower rollers 52 of the conveying path 5b are installed adjacent to each other in the width direction W, the pressing force pressing the lower rollers 52 may differ due to variations in part precision. This may hinder proper conveyance of the sheet S. By individually adjusting the vertical attachment positions of the adjacent rollers 51 to the side wall 601 through the long holes 531, the pressing force of the upper rollers 51 of the conveying path 5b against the lower rollers 52 of the conveying path 5b can be easily adjusted.

[0066] The biasing force of the locking member 56 may be set to an appropriate value according to the position in the width direction W of the roller 51 to be installed. When installing elastic members 55 with different biasing forces, installing springs of different colors can improve ease of assembly and maintainability. By configuring the rollers 51 with different biasing forces of the elastic members 55 using rollers 51 of different colors, ease of assembly and maintainability can be improved.

[0067] When an operation is performed to disconnect the first device 10 from the second device 60 due to some reason, such as when a transport problem occurs with the sheet S, a mechanism may be provided to simultaneously release the biasing force applied by the elastic member 55 to the lower roller 52 opposed by the divided roller 51 above the transport path 5b. On the other hand, by opening the upper body 65, the holding portion 53 that holds the rollers 51 can be moved in conjunction with the opening of the upper body 65, and the pressing force against the rollers 52 arranged below and facing each other can be released all at once or for each roller 51 individually. This makes it easier to clear jams caused by the sheets S. Also, the device can be easily assembled and maintained.

[0068] A mechanism may be provided for individually changing the pressing force with which each of the rollers 51, which are divided into a plurality of rollers and installed above the conveying path 5b, pinches and conveys the sheet S between itself and the lower roller 52. As a mechanism for changing the pressing force of each of the rollers 51, for example, a sliding mechanism or a moving mechanism for sliding the holding portion 53, which individually holds each of the rollers 51, against the side wall 601 may be provided, and adjustment may be made so that each roller 51 comes into contact with the lower roller 52 with an optimal pressing force to pinch and convey the sheet S every time processing is performed on a sheet stack consisting of a predetermined amount of sheets S or when necessary, depending on the type of sheet S and the processing content.

[0069] Furthermore, the pressing forces of the rollers 51 installed adjacent to each other in the width direction W above the conveying path 5b on the lower roller 52 may be intentionally set to be different. In this case, it is also possible to form each roller 51 in a different color according to the pressing force so that the rollers 51 with different pressing forces can be distinguished and manufactured accurately and easily without mistakes. This makes it possible to avoid installing rollers 51 with different pressing forces by mistake. This also improves work efficiency during maintenance.

[0070] Similarly, the biasing force of the elastic member 55 may be made different so that the pressing force of the roller 51 against the opposing roller is different. By making the elastic members 55 different colors for each biasing force, it is possible to improve ease of assembly and maintenance.

[0071] The upper and lower rollers 51, 52 of the conveying path 5b are provided with clamping portions 511, 521 that clamp the sheet S. The clamping portions 511, 521 can be made of rubber, metal, synthetic resin, or the like. When the clamping portions 511, 521 are made of rubber, they can be manufactured at a lower cost than expensive rollers made of special materials such as sponge rollers or two-layer rubber rollers. Because the roller 51 is divided in the width direction W, even a simple rubber roller, rather than such a special material, can maintain sufficient conveying performance, leading to cost reduction.

[0072] The second apparatus 10 is provided with a control device 90 in the lower body 66 for controlling various operations in the apparatus. The control device 90 communicates with the control device 45 of the first apparatus 10 and processes the sheet S in synchronization with the control device 45. The control device 90, like the control device 45 of the first apparatus 10, is provided with a storage unit 904, a calculation unit 905 that performs various calculation processes, and a control unit 906 that controls the operation of each unit, and is electrically connected to various sensors (not shown) as input devices, various motors 103 to 108 as output devices, and an operation panel 907 as an input / output device.

[0073] Next, the operation of the processing device 1 will be described. First, when the main power switch is turned on to start operation of the processing device 100, various internal operation checks are performed. A user of the processing device 100 places a stack of sheets S on the supply table 36. On the supply table 36, the user adjusts one side edge E of the sheets S to a reference position where it contacts the guide wall 361, and places the sheets S. Then, the user inputs processing information for the sheets S using the operation panel 46, or retrieves it from the memory unit 454 and sets it.

[0074] According to the user's settings, the control device 45 acquires processing information for the sheet S. The processing information for the sheet S includes the length of the sheet S in the conveying direction F1 and the width direction W, the cutting position of the sheet S, the crease formation position, the folding type, and the folding position.

[0075] The control devices 45 and 90 perform a preparation operation for processing the sheets S. When the user performs an operation to start processing the sheets S, the control devices 45 and 90 start the processing operation of the sheets S. The control device 45 supplies the sheets S one by one from the stack of sheets S on the supply table 36 to the conveying path 5a by the suction conveying mechanism 31. At that time, the control device 45 first drives the suction means to attract and adsorb the uppermost sheet S to the lower surface of the suction box 314. Then, the control device 45 rotates the rollers 311 and 312 to run the belt 313.

[0076] The sheet S is conveyed downstream along the conveying path 5a while one side edge Es of the sheet S is aligned with the guide wall 361. It is determined whether the sheet S has been multi-fed based on the detection result of the multi-feed detection unit 35. If the sheet S has been multi-fed, the control device 45 removes the supplied sheet S from the conveying path 5a.

[0077] When removing the sheets S from the conveying path 5a, the control device 45 conveys the multiple sheets S, which have been fed in a double-fed state, to the downstream reject mechanism 25 by the skew correction mechanism 32, the supply rollers 33 and 34, and the roller 10 of the conveying section 4. Then, the control device 45 drives the drive source of the rotating member 251 to rotate the rotating member 251 from a horizontal position to an inclined position. The sheets S are guided downward by the rotating member 251 in the inclined position, conveyed by the guide member 253 and the guide roller 254, and collected in the reject tray 252.

[0078] With normal settings, the subsequent sheets S continue to be processed. If it is undesirable for the order of the processed items Q to be changed by rejecting them, the user may stop the processing operation by operating the settings. The user collects the sheets S that have been removed from the conveying path 5a from the reject tray 252 or from the conveying path 5a, and reloads them on the supply table 36. Thus, the sheets S are processed in a predetermined order and loaded onto the discharge table 61.

[0079] When a double feed of the sheets S is not detected, the sheets S that have passed through the double feed detection unit 35 are sent to the skew correction mechanism 32. The skew correction mechanism 32 corrects the skew of the sheets S. If the conveyance of the sheets S sent onto the belt 323 is skewed, the conveyance of the sheets S is corrected so that the sheets S are conveyed in a direction parallel to the guide member 324. At that time, the control device 45 runs the belt 323 so that the sheets S are conveyed toward the guide member 324. When the side edge Es of the sheets S is conveyed downstream while contacting the guide member 324, the skew of the sheets S is corrected.

[0080] Downstream of the skew correction mechanism 32, the sheet S is nipped and transported by supply rollers 33 and 34. When the leading edge Ef of the sheet S reaches the downstream side of the supply roller 34, the leading edge Ef of the sheet S is detected by the sheet detection unit 91. Thereafter, the sheet S is transported in steps to a position immediately before the reading unit 26 reads the position mark M1 and the barcode M2 ​​of the sheet S.

[0081] When the sheet S is conveyed to the reading unit 26, the conveyance of the sheet S is stopped. The position mark M1 and the barcode M2 ​​printed on the sheet S are imaged by the camera 261.

[0082] It is determined whether the captured image data is appropriate. If the control device 45 determines that the image of the position mark M1 and / or the barcode M2 ​​captured by the camera 261 is unclear and cannot be read appropriately, the reject mechanism 25 rejects the sheet S from the conveying path 5a.

[0083] The control unit 455 determines the position of printing on the sheet S in the conveying path 5a from the image data of the position mark M1 stored in the memory unit 454. Then, each slitter 201 of the slitting unit 20 is moved to a predetermined position in the width direction W that takes into account the deviation of the position mark M1 at the predetermined slit position indicated by the barcode M2, and slitting is performed. The position of the slitter 201 in the width direction W is aligned with the conveying position of the sheet S, and is moved sequentially to an appropriate position.

[0084] When the sheet S reaches the crease section 21, the upper die 211 and the lower die 212 form crease lines Y1, Y2 on the sheet S along the width direction W. When the sheet S reaches the horizontal cutting section 22, the upper blade 221 and the lower blade 222 cut the sheet S along the width direction W. At this time, the set value by the barcode M2 ​​can be corrected according to the transport position of the position mark M1 captured by the camera 261. The transport of the sheet S is stopped at a predetermined position corresponding to the amount of correction. The cutting process is performed by the cutting blade 225 according to the image. The processed product Q obtained by the processing process in the processing section 19 is transported to the second device 60 by the rollers 17, 18.

[0085] In the second device 60, the sheet S is folded. When the sheet S is folded in the first folding section 71, the first pushing member 97 is positioned at the standby position. The sheet S inserted from the insertion opening 67 is sandwiched between the first folding roller 81 and the first conveying roller 83 and between the second folding roller 82 and the second conveying roller 84 in the conveying path 5b, and is conveyed on a horizontal plane downstream in the conveying direction F1. Then, when the crease line Y2 along which the crease of the sheet S should be formed reaches the position of the first pushing member 97, the first folding roller 81, the first conveying roller 83, the second folding roller 82, and the second conveying roller 84 stop.

[0086] Then, the first pushing member 85 moves up while contacting the second crease line Y2, and moves to the feed position. At this time, the first folding roller 81 and the first conveying roller 83 rotate in the same direction as when the sheet S is conveyed downstream. On the other hand, the second folding roller 82 and the second conveying roller 84 rotate in the opposite direction to when the sheet S is conveyed downstream.

[0087] The sheet S is conveyed upward along the conveying path 5c so as to be pushed out from both sides with the creased second crease line Y2 at the front. The second crease line Y2 is sandwiched between the first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82.

[0088] 11, the second crease line Y2 is sandwiched between the first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82 and folded. The first folding roller 81 and the first conveying roller 83 rotate in the same direction as when the sheet S1 is conveyed downstream, and the second folding roller 82 and the second conveying roller 84 further rotate in the opposite direction to when the sheet S is conveyed downstream, so that the sheet S is conveyed with the second crease line Y2 at the front toward the upward direction where the second folding unit 72 is installed. At this time, the first pushing member 97 has returned to the standby position.

[0089] The sheet S is conveyed downstream along the conveying path 5c extending in the vertical direction. At this time, the second pushing member 102 is located at the standby position. The upstream portion of the sheet S is sandwiched between the second folding roller 87 and the second conveying roller 89, and conveyed downstream along the conveying path 5c. The downstream portion of the sheet S is sandwiched between the first folding roller 81 and the first conveying roller 88, and is also sandwiched between the first folding roller 86 and the second folding roller 87 of the first folding unit 71, and conveyed downstream.

[0090] When the first crease line Y1 reaches the installation position of the second protruding member 98, the transport of the sheet S is stopped. The second protruding member 98 moves to the feed position while pressing the first crease line Y1. The second folding roller 86 and the second transport roller 88 rotate in a direction to transport the sheet S downstream along the vertical transport path 5c while sandwiching the downstream portion of the sheet S. The second folding roller 87 and the second transport roller 89 rotate in a direction to transport the sheet S downward along the vertical transport path 5c while sandwiching the upstream portion of the sheet S.

[0091] The sheet S is transported horizontally by the first folding roller 86 and the second folding roller 87, with the first crease line Y1 at the leading edge. At this time, the second pushing member 98 has returned to the guide position. The sheet S is transported smoothly horizontally along the curved surface portion 981 of the second pushing member 98. Then, the sheet S is transported to the decurl mechanism 74.

[0092] As described above, the conveying section 4 is provided with rollers 51 for conveying the sheet S from the first device 10 to the second device 60, and the rollers 51 are divided into a plurality of pieces in the width direction W perpendicular to the conveying direction F1 and supported by the side wall 601 of the second device 60. As a result of processing the sheet S by the first device 10, the rollers 51 can press the sheet S with a more optimal pressing force and convey it, so that the sheet S can be conveyed more stably. When the sheet S cut into a plurality of pieces in the width direction W is conveyed side by side, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the pressing force is insufficient in a portion of the sheet S and the sheet S cannot be conveyed properly. By increasing the number of rollers 51 divided and installed adjacent to the width direction W, the sheet S can be conveyed more appropriately even when the sheet S is cut into more than three pieces in the width direction in the slit section 19 and conveyed while running parallel to multiple rows.

[0093] Since roller 51 is rotatably supported by holding portion 53 engaged with side wall 601, the pressing force of roller 51 against roller 52 can be easily adjusted by adjusting the mounting position of holding portion 53 relative to side wall 601.

[0094] The roller 52 is disposed opposite the roller 51 and sandwiches and conveys the sheet S between the roller 51, and the elastic member 55 is provided for biasing the roller 51 toward the opposing roller 52, so that the elastic member 55 can easily apply a biasing force to the roller 51 for sandwiching and conveying the sheet S. The roller 51 is pivotally supported at both left and right ends by the pivot support portion 54 and configured to press the opposing roller 52 below by the elastic member 55, and is held by the holding portion 53, so that maintenance can be easily performed.

[0095] Furthermore, stable transport is possible without the need to install a separate auxiliary pressure roller that presses the roller 51 from above. Therefore, even in a location where it is difficult to secure sufficient installation space, such as the connection between the first device 10 and the second device 60, the roller 51 can be installed in a small space by engaging it with the side wall 601 and suspending it.

[0096] Since the pressing force with which roller 51 pinches sheet S can be easily adjusted and sheet S can be stably conveyed, it is possible to use an inexpensive rubber roller instead of an expensive multi-layer roller. That is, roller 51 is provided with pinching portion 511 that pinches sheet S, and pinching portion 511 is made of rubber, so that it can be manufactured inexpensively and costs can be reduced, thereby saving on manufacturing costs.

[0097] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms. For example, the first device 10 is configured by a processing machine that performs processing such as cutting, creasing, and perforation on the sheet S, and the second device 60 is configured by a folding machine that folds the sheet S, but is not limited thereto, and the first device and the second device may be processing machines that perform one or two types of processing selected from cutting, creasing, and perforation, or may be folding machines, or may be a glue applicator, an embossing machine, or the like.

[0098] The roller 51 is rotatably supported by a holder 53 engaged with a side wall 601 of the second device 60, but a roller for transporting a sheet from the first device to the second device may be installed in the first device. This roller may be supported by a side wall constituting the housing of the first device or the second device. Also, an opposing roller is provided that is disposed opposite the roller 51 and sandwiches and transports the sheet S between the roller 51, but an opposing belt may be installed instead of the opposing roller. The elastic member may be a leaf spring instead of a torsion spring, or may be a compression spring.

[0099] Furthermore, the locations and number of the sheet detection units 91-95 of the first apparatus 10 and the second apparatus 60 can be changed as appropriate depending on the processing means used. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the sheet detection units 91-95 are provided to detect the vertical transport error of the sheets S, but it is also possible to configure the apparatus without providing these sheet detection units 91-95 and to uniquely detect the sheet position of each sheet S transported on the transport path 5a of the sheets S based only on the sheet position detected by the sheet detection unit 91.

[0100] In the present invention, the slitter 201 of the slit section 20, which can move laterally and be positioned laterally, performs vertical cutting, but is not limited to this, and can be used to perform an appropriate selection from vertical perforation, vertical crease processing, rounding of corners of the processed object, etc. These processing devices move laterally for positioning when there is no sheet in the processing unit, i.e., when the sheet is not caught in the processing device.

[0101] Moreover, the position mark M1 is formed in an L-shape on the sheet S, but it is sufficient if it is printed on the sheet S and indicates at least one of a predetermined position for processing or a reference for the predetermined position, and it may be the rear edge or side edge of the sheet, or a notch, mark, or unevenness of the sheet provided corresponding to the processing position. Furthermore, the position mark M1 may be a square, triangle, or polygon instead of an L-shape. The position mark M1 is provided at the front corner of the sheet, but it may be in the center or rear end of the sheet, or near the side edge.

[0102] In addition, when multiple sheets are fed or when the sheets are not processed, the reject mechanism rejects the sheets from the conveying path 5a. Alternatively, the conveying of the sheets may be stopped by stopping the rotation of the rollers and the running of the belt. In this case, the user can recover the sheets and place them again on the supply table by rotating the rollers in the reverse direction and running the belt in the reverse direction as necessary. The sheets may also be discharged to the discharge table via the conveying path without being processed. Rejection of the sheets from the conveying path, stopping the conveying, and discharging to the discharge table via the conveying path may be performed in an appropriate combination. [Explanation of symbols]

[0103] F1 conveying direction, S sheet, W width direction, 4 conveying section, 10 first device, 51 roller, 53 holding section, 55 elastic member, 60 second device, 511 clamping section, 601 side wall, 2 device main body.

Claims

1. A processing device comprising: a first device that processes a sheet; and a second device that is installed downstream of the first device in a conveying direction of the sheet by a conveying unit for conveying the sheet and processes the sheet, wherein the conveying unit is provided with rollers that convey the sheet from the first device to the second device, the rollers being divided into multiple parts in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and supported by a side wall of the first device or the second device.

2. 2. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the roller is rotatably supported by a holder engaged with the side wall.

3. 3. The processing device according to claim 1, further comprising: an opposing roller disposed opposite the roller for sandwiching and transporting the sheet between the roller; and an elastic member for urging the roller toward the opposing roller.

4. 3. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the roller is provided with a clamping portion for clamping the sheet, the clamping portion being made of rubber.

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