Newspaper opening mechanism

Abstract

To provide a newspaper opening mechanism capable of reliably opening newspaper without causing a jam.SOLUTION: A newspaper opening mechanism comprises suction opening means and bending means. When newspaper consisting of a plurality of stacked sheets is folded in half along a first fold line and then further folded in half along a second fold line to result in a four-fold state, the suction opening means is disposed on the side opposite to a second portion, which overlaps a first portion on one side of the second fold, relative to the first portion on the other side of the second fold of the newspaper. The suction opening means applies suction to the surface on the side opposite to the first portion of the second portion, moves in a direction away from the first portion, and opens the second portion relative to the first portion. The bending means partially bends the second portion so as to cause a suction site of the second portion facing the suction opening means to partially bulge toward the suction opening means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a newspaper opening mechanism that opens newspapers for transport to, for example, a gathering mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, newspaper processing devices have become popular that insert bundles of flyers (collated bundles) into newspapers and stack them in delivery order. This type of newspaper processing device has a newspaper opening mechanism that opens the newspapers to be transported to the collating mechanism.

[0003] The newspaper opening mechanism has a suction nozzle for sucking and opening the newspaper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-42082 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When opening a thick newspaper such as a morning paper, the suction force of the suction nozzle needs to be sufficiently strong. On the other hand, when opening a thin newspaper such as an evening paper, if the suction force of the suction nozzle is too strong, it becomes difficult to release the suction when the opened newspaper is transported to the collating mechanism. In other words, because newspapers are not uniform in thickness, it is difficult to set the suction force of the suction nozzle to an appropriate value, which makes it easy for jams to occur in the newspaper opening mechanism.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and has as its object to provide a newspaper opening mechanism that can reliably open a newspaper without causing a jam. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A newspaper opening mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention includes a suction-opening means and a bending means. The suction-opening means is disposed on the opposite side of a second portion that overlaps with a first portion on one side of the second fold of a newspaper folded in four, the second portion being overlapped with the first portion on the other side of the second fold. The suction-opening means sucks the surface of the second portion opposite the first portion and moves in a direction away from the first portion, thereby opening the second portion relative to the first portion. The bending means partially bends the second portion so that the suction portion of the second portion facing the suction-opening means partially bulges toward the suction-opening means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a newspaper opening mechanism that can reliably open a newspaper without causing a jam. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a newspaper processing device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the collating mechanism of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the internal structure of the newspaper supply mechanism of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the attitude of the newspaper to be fed into the newspaper supply mechanism of FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the newspaper supply mechanism of FIG. 3 as viewed from the direction of arrow F5. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the newspaper supply mechanism of FIG. 3 taken along line F6-F6. [Figure 7] 7 is a front view showing the newspaper supply mechanism and the assembly mechanism of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a partial enlarged view showing the newspaper opening mechanism in an area F8 in FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a plan view of the newspaper opening mechanism of FIG. 8 as seen from the direction of arrow F9. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a side view of the newspaper opening mechanism of FIG. 9 as seen from the direction of arrow F10. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control system of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation of the newspaper processing device of FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the incorporation process of the flowchart of FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the incorporating operation of the flowchart of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the newspaper processing device 100 comprises a newspaper supply mechanism 1, a collating mechanism 10, an embedded mechanism 30, and a lifter 50. The newspaper supply mechanism 1 is arranged side by side on the left side of the housing 11 of the collating mechanism 10. The embedded mechanism 30 is arranged side by side in front of the collating mechanism 10 and on the right side of the newspaper supply mechanism 1. The lifter 50 is arranged side by side on the right side of the embedded mechanism 30. The newspaper supply mechanism 1, the collating mechanism 10, the embedded mechanism 30, and the lifter 50 may be incorporated into a common single housing. The newspaper processing device 100 is installed on a level floor F.

[0011] In the following description, the discharge direction of the collated stack in the collation mechanism 10 is defined as the forward direction, and the up / down, front / rear, and left / right directions are defined when viewing the newspaper processing device 100 from the front. In the drawings, the arrow X direction is the direction from left to right, the arrow Y direction is the direction from rear to front, and the arrow Z direction is the direction from bottom to top. In each drawing, arrows in the X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are shown as appropriate.

[0012] As shown in FIG. 2, the collating mechanism 10 has a housing 11 that is approximately rectangular parallelepiped and elongated in the Z direction. On the front side (left side in the figure) and rear side (right side in the figure) of the housing 11 along the Y direction, there are multiple paper feed trays 12 arranged in the Z direction. The paper feed trays 12 are attached to the housing 11 so as to be inclined downward toward the inside of the housing 11. Each paper feed tray 12 is detachable from the housing 11. A stack of multiple inserts can be fed into each paper feed tray 12. Different types of inserts can be fed into all the paper feed trays 12, or the same type of inserts can be fed into multiple paper feed trays 12. Furthermore, multiple stacks of collated inserts of multiple types can be fed into the paper feed tray 12. Paper feed tray 12a, located at the lowest level on the front side of the housing 11, is assigned as a paper feed tray for feeding multiple origami sheets.

[0013] Inside the housing 11 is a transport path 13 that extends in the Z direction through the center of the housing 11. The transport path 13 is provided along the XZ plane between the front paper feed tray 12 and the rear paper feed tray 12. Inserted leaflets taken out from each paper feed tray 12 at a predetermined timing are fed into the transport path 13 and stacked on top of each other. Multiple inserts are transported downward in an overlapping state via the transport path 13. The transport path 13 is provided with multiple pairs of transport rollers 14. The transport roller pairs 14 rotate while clamping the overlapping inserts.

[0014] A first paper feed roller 15 and a second paper feed roller 16 are provided at the lower end of each paper feed tray 12 in the inclined direction, i.e., at the end closer to the center and closer to the conveying path 13. The first paper feed roller 15 is positioned so as to contact the uppermost insert of the multiple inserts stacked in the paper feed tray 12. The second paper feed roller 16 is provided downstream of the first paper feed roller 15 in the feed direction of the inserts. Furthermore, a feed roller pair 18 is provided downstream of the second paper feed roller 16 in the feed direction of the inserts.

[0015] The first feed roller 15 rotates while coming into contact with the topmost insert of the multiple inserts placed in the feed tray 12, and sends the topmost insert toward the feed roller pair 18. The second feed roller 16 presses the leading edges of the second and subsequent inserts against the separating plate 17, thereby preventing the second and subsequent inserts from being sent all the way to the feed roller pair 18 (i.e., double feeding). In other words, the multiple inserts placed in the feed tray 12 are separated one by one by the first feed roller 15, the second feed roller 16, and the separating plate 17, and sent to the feed roller pair 18. The feed roller pair 18 sends the inserts into the conveying path 13.

[0016] A pair of folding rollers 19 is disposed at the lower end of the conveying path 13. The pair of folding rollers 19 is attached in a position where its nip is located on an extension of the conveying path 13. In other words, the rotation axis of the pair of folding rollers 19 extends in the X direction. Multiple folded leaflets are conveyed downward in a stacked state via the conveying path 13 and are fed into the nip of the pair of folding rollers 19.

[0017] A pair of feed rollers 18a is provided downstream in the paper feed direction (right side in the figure) of the paper feed tray 12a for feeding origami paper. The first and second feed rollers 15 and 16 of the paper feed tray 12a feed the origami paper inserted into the paper feed tray 12a to the pair of feed rollers 18a. The pair of feed rollers 18a feeds the origami paper removed from the paper feed tray 12a by the first and second feed rollers 15 and 16 above the pair of folding rollers 19. In addition, a stopper 20 is provided at the leading end in the paper feed direction of the origami paper fed from the paper feed tray 12a. The stopper 20 stops the origami paper at a position where the center of the origami paper in the paper feed direction faces the nip of the pair of folding rollers 19. A folding knife 21 is provided diagonally above the pair of folding rollers 19. The folding knife 21 pushes the center of the origami paper toward the nip of the pair of folding rollers 19.

[0018] The inserts fed through each paper feed tray 12 are stacked in the order they were taken out in the conveying path 13 and sent to the nip of the folding roller pair 19. At this point, the center of the folded paper that was previously fed has been folded by the folding knife 21. Then, the overlapping inserts conveyed through the conveying path 13 are pushed into the center of the folded paper and sandwiched between the folded paper by the rotation of the folding roller pair 19. After passing through the folding roller pair 19, the stack of inserts with multiple inserts sandwiched between the folded paper, i.e., the collated stack, is transferred to the conveying belt 22 and discharged via the discharge roller pair 23 from the discharge opening 24 provided on the front side of the housing 11.

[0019] Conveying path 13, multiple pairs of conveying rollers 14, paper feed tray 12a, first and second paper feed rollers 15 and 16 of paper feed tray 12a, feed roller pair 18a, folding roller pair 19, and folding knife 21 function as a collating unit that collates inserts selectively removed from multiple stages of paper feed tray 12 in the order they were removed. Collated inserts can also be discharged as they are without being sandwiched between folded sheets, and such a stack of inserts can also be considered a collated bundle.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, the collating mechanism 10 also includes an operation panel 11a as an interface device. The operation panel 11a is attached to the upper right side of the housing 11. The operation panel 11a is rotatable between an open position shown in the figure and a closed position (not shown) in which it is folded substantially parallel to the right side of the housing 11. The operation panel 11a is, for example, a touch panel equipped with a display element. An operator operates the operation panel 11a to input various settings related to the newspaper processing device 100.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the newspaper supply mechanism 1 has a housing 1a that is approximately rectangular parallelepiped in shape. The newspaper supply mechanism 1 has a first insertion section 2 and a second insertion section 3, each of which inserts multiple newspapers P (Figure 4) in a stacked manner in the same orientation. The first insertion section 2 is located at the top of the housing 1a, and the second insertion section 3 is located on the rear side of the housing 1a (on the right side in the figure).

[0022] The first input section 2 inputs multiple newspapers P stacked in the same orientation in an upright position. The first input section 2 has at least one support plate 2a. The support plate 2a can be removably attached to the first input section 2 in the inclined position shown in the figure. The support plate 2a functions as a pressing plate that presses multiple newspapers P in the stacking direction (to the right in the figure). The stacking direction of the newspapers P in the first input section 2, i.e., the direction in which the newspapers P are supplied toward the removal position, is from front to back, and the support plate 2a is attached to the first input section 2 so as to face the newspaper P at the front end of the stack of multiple stacked newspapers P.

[0023] The second insertion section 3 is equipped with a paper feed tray 3a that protrudes rearward from the rear surface of the housing 1a. The paper feed tray 3a is inclined downward toward the front. A stack of multiple newspapers P to be inserted into the second insertion section 3 is placed on the paper feed tray 3a with the newspapers P stacked in the vertical direction. In other words, the stacking direction of the newspapers P in the second insertion section 3 is the direction of gravity.

[0024] Different brands of newspapers P may be inserted into the first insertion section 2 and the second insertion section 3, respectively, or newspapers P of the same brand may be inserted. Multiple brands of newspapers P are not inserted together into one insertion section. For example, when collated bundles of inserts assigned to two brands of newspapers (they may be collated bundles of different types of inserts or the same types) are inserted between the middle and stacked in delivery order, multiple copies of newspapers P of one brand are inserted into the first insertion section 2 in a stacked manner, and multiple copies of newspapers P of the other brand are inserted into the second insertion section 3 in a stacked manner.

[0025] For example, as shown in Figure 4(a), the newspaper P is made by stacking several A1-sized newspapers and folding them in half along the dashed line in the middle (first fold) as shown by the arrow, and then as shown in Figure 4(b), several A2-sized newspapers folded in half are folded in half again along the dashed line in the middle (second fold) as shown by the arrow (fourth-folded state) (newspaper P folded to approximately A3 size) (Figure 4c), and multiple copies are stacked in the same direction and fed into each feed section 2, 3.

[0026] When inserting newspapers P into the first insertion section 2 at the top of the housing 1a, the operator inserts multiple newspapers P in an upright position, stacked front to back, in the same orientation, with the second fold P-2 positioned downward and the first fold P-1 positioned to the right. When inserting a stack of newspapers P into the first insertion section 2, the multiple newspapers P are inserted together behind (on the right side of the figure) the support plate 2a shown on the right side of FIG. 3, and the top ends of the multiple newspapers P are tilted toward this support plate 2a, so that the front sides of the multiple newspapers P are supported by the support plate 2a. In this way, by inserting multiple newspapers P in an upright position, the pressing force between the newspapers P is weakened, making it possible to prevent the occurrence of double feeding, where newspapers P are removed overlapping each other.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5, the first insertion section 2 has two endless floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3) at its bottom. The two floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2 move from the front to the rear along the bottom of the first insertion section 2 in the stacking direction of the newspapers P. The first insertion section 2 has two endless feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2 (only one of which is shown in FIG. 3) with multiple protrusions 2d on both the left and right sides near the top end of the housing 1a. The pair of left and right feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2 move from the front to the rear in the stacking direction of the newspapers P in synchronization with the floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2.

[0028] The lower end of support plate 2a is moved rearward by floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2, and its left and right ends are pushed rearward by protrusions 2d of feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2. The multiple newspapers P have their lower ends moved rearward by floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2 and are pushed rearward by support plate 2a, moving toward the removal position at the rear end of first insertion section 2. Floor belts 2b-1 and 2b-2 and feed belts 2c-1 and 2c-2 function as a moving mechanism that moves the multiple newspapers P in the stacking direction together with support plate 2a.

[0029] When newspapers P are removed from the first insertion section 2 and only a few remain, the operator can add multiple copies of newspapers P together. In this case, the operator attaches another support plate 2a (left side of Figure 3) to a position further forward and spaced from the support plate 2a (right side of Figure 3) that is positioned in front of the multiple copies of newspapers P inserted into the first insertion section 2, and adds multiple copies of newspapers P behind this other support plate 2a (between the two support plates 2a). The operator then removes the rear support plate 2a from the first insertion section 2 and stacks the multiple copies of newspapers P that have been added in front of the few remaining newspapers P. Furthermore, the operator moves the support plate 2a in front of the added newspapers P backward to support the front end of the multiple copies of newspapers P being inserted into the first insertion section 2.

[0030] On the other hand, when inserting newspapers P into the second insertion section 3 on the rear side of the housing 1a, the operator places a stack of multiple newspapers P one above the other on the paper feed tray 3a with the second fold P-2 positioned forward and the first fold P-1 positioned to the right. The multiple newspapers P inserted into the second insertion section 3 are removed in order, starting with the topmost newspaper P in the stacking direction. For this reason, in the second insertion section 3, the pressing force acting between the topmost newspaper P at the removal position and the second newspaper P below it is very small, making it less likely that the second newspaper will be removed when the topmost newspaper P is removed, resulting in a problem of double feeding.

[0031] When newspapers P are removed from the second insertion section 3 and only a few remain, the operator can add multiple copies of newspapers P at once. In this case, the operator can add multiple copies of newspapers P between the lowest newspaper P in the Z direction of the newspapers P inserted into the second insertion section 3 and the paper feed tray 3a. The newspapers P removed from the second insertion section 3 are merged into the same transport path T, which will be described later, in the same position as the newspapers P removed from the first insertion section 2.

[0032] Near the rear end of the bottom of first insertion section 2 are separation roller 4a, auxiliary roller 4b, and take-out roller 5a to prevent double feeding. Separation roller 4a and auxiliary roller 4b are mounted on the same shaft and are positioned opposite each other near the bottom edge of the rear surface of newspaper P that has been moved to the take-out position at the rear end of first insertion section 2. Separation roller 4a is positioned to the right, close to the first fold P-1 of newspaper P at the take-out position, and auxiliary roller 4b is positioned to the left, far from the first fold P-1 of newspaper P at the take-out position.

[0033] A rubber sheet 4c is located opposite the separation roller 4a across the transport path T1 for the newspapers P, which extends downward from the take-out position. The rubber sheet 4c is attached to the housing 1a of the newspaper supply mechanism 1 in front of the separation roller 4a. The separation roller 4a presses the newspapers P passing through the transport path T1 against the rubber sheet 4c to separate the second and subsequent newspapers P that overlap in front of the newspaper P at the take-out position, preventing double feeding in which the second and subsequent newspapers P are carried away by the first newspaper P.

[0034] The take-out roller 5a is arranged downstream of the separation roller 4a in the take-out direction of the newspapers P. Like the separation roller 4a, the take-out roller 5a is arranged behind the conveyance path T1 (on the opposite side from the pile). The take-out roller 5a is located between the separation roller 4a and the auxiliary roller 4b in the left-right direction. The take-out roller 5a applies a conveying force to the newspapers P passing through the conveyance path T1, and sends the first batch of newspapers P separated by the separation roller 4a and rubber sheet 4c toward the pair of conveyance rollers 6a. Because the conveyance path T1 is inclined downward toward the rear, the weight of the newspapers P assists in their removal.

[0035] The auxiliary roller 4b assists the take-out roller 5a in taking out the newspapers P. Another rubber sheet may be attached to the housing 1a at a position opposite the auxiliary roller 4b with the conveyance path T1 in between. In this case, a separating force can be applied to the second and subsequent newspapers P from the rubber sheet opposite the auxiliary roller 4b, thereby assisting the separation operation of the separation roller 4a.

[0036] A take-out roller 5b is located near the front end of the paper feed tray 3a of the second input section 3. The take-out roller 5b comes into contact with the upper surface of the uppermost newspaper P among the multiple newspapers P loaded onto the paper feed tray 3a and rotates to feed the newspaper P toward the pair of conveying rollers 6b. The newspaper P taken out of the second input section 3 via the pair of conveying rollers 6b is fed to the pair of feed rollers 7a via the conveying path T2. Meanwhile, the newspaper P transported from the first input section 2 via the pair of conveying rollers 6a is also fed to the pair of feed rollers 7a via the conveying path T1.

[0037] Upstream of the feed roller pair 7a is a V-shaped conveyance guide 6c arranged along the conveyance paths T1 and T2. The conveyance guide 6c guides the leading edge of the newspaper P in the conveyance direction conveyed from the first input unit 2 via the conveyance path T1 toward the nip of the feed roller pair 7a, and also guides the leading edge of the newspaper P in the conveyance direction conveyed from the second input unit 3 via the conveyance path T2 toward the nip of the feed roller pair 7a. The conveyance guide 6c and the feed roller pair 7a function as a junction where the newspaper P fed from the first input unit 2 and the newspaper P fed from the second input unit 3 join together on a single conveyance path T.

[0038] The conveying path T curves gently forward from the feed roller pair 7a. The conveying path T has two pairs of feed rollers 7b, 7c and multiple conveying guides 7d. The newspaper P merges into one conveying path T via the feed roller pair 7a, is conveyed along the conveying path T via the two pairs of feed rollers 7b, 7c and multiple conveying guides 7d, and is fed into the direction changing unit 8. Because the conveying path T is curved, the newspaper P fed into the direction changing unit 8 changes from a vertically extended position to a horizontal position.

[0039] By positioning the newspapers P inserted into the first insertion section 2 and the newspapers P inserted into the second insertion section 3 as described above, all newspapers P sent to the direction change section 8 will be in the same position (the second fold P-2 is positioned in front and the first fold P-1 is positioned on the right side). Note that, since the conveying paths T1 and T2 are approximately the same length, the newspapers P taken out from the first insertion section 2 and the newspapers P taken out from the second insertion section 3 will be sent to the direction change section 8 in the order in which they were taken out.

[0040] As shown in Figure 6, the direction changer 8 has an abutting surface S1 that abuts against and stops the second fold P-2 of the newspaper P being fed in the Y direction via the conveying path T, and a bottom surface S2 on which the newspaper P is placed in a horizontal position after the second fold P-2 abuts against the abutting surface S1. The direction changer 8 also has a pressing surface S3 that is disposed parallel to the abutting surface S1 on the rear end side of the bottom surface S2 in the Y direction. The pressing surface S3 is located at a distance behind the abutting surface S1 and slightly longer than the width of the newspaper P in the front-to-rear direction, i.e., slightly longer than the length of the first fold P-1.

[0041] The abutment surface S1 is a flat rear surface of the front wall 1b, which is part of the housing 1a, and is a plane parallel to the XZ plane. The bottom surface S2 is a flat horizontal surface extending rearward from the lower end of the abutment surface S1, and is a plane parallel to the XY plane. The pressing surface S3 is a surface for preventing the newspaper P from bouncing backward when the second fold P-2 abuts against the abutment surface S1, and is a plane parallel to the XZ plane. The abutment surface S1 and the bottom surface S2 are provided across substantially the entire width of the housing 1a of the newspaper supply mechanism 1 in the left-right direction.

[0042] In Figure 6, the outline of the ideal stopping position of newspaper P, which is fed into direction change section 8 and placed on bottom surface S2, is shown by a dashed line. When newspaper P is fed to the stopping position, it is placed on bottom surface S2 with the second fold P-2 located in the front, the first fold P-1 located on the right, and the upper part P1 (Figure 4c), one of the two parts divided by the second fold P-2, facing upward. The lower part P2 of newspaper P is in surface contact with bottom surface S2. The lower part P2 is an example of the first part, and the upper part P1 is an example of the second part.

[0043] The direction changer 8 has feed rollers 81 arranged above the bottom surface S2 and facing each other at a distance. The feed rollers 81 function as transport rollers that transport the newspaper P in the direction of arrow X toward the assembly mechanism 30 after it has been transported in the direction of arrow Y and fed into the direction changer 8 and stopped there. The newspaper P transported to the direction changer 8 via the transport path T is fed between the bottom surface S2 and the feed rollers 81. The direction changer 8 changes the direction of the newspaper P transported in the Y direction and sends it out in the X direction.

[0044] The feed roller 81 has an axis extending in the Y direction and two roller portions spaced apart along the axis. The feed roller 81 is disposed in a position facing the top surface of the newspaper P, offset to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the newspaper P (stop position shown by the dashed line) fed into the direction changing unit 8, and offset forward of the center in the front-to-back direction of the newspaper P. The position of the feed roller 81 in the X and Y directions is not necessarily limited to this position, and it may be disposed in any position facing the newspaper P fed into the direction changing unit 8.

[0045] The direction change unit 8 has a movement mechanism that moves the feed roller 81 between a contact position where the feed roller 81 contacts the top surface of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P that has been fed and stopped on the bottom surface S2, and a retracted position where the feed roller 81 is spaced above the bottom surface S2. When the feed roller 81 is rotated in the direction of arrow X while placed in the contact position, a conveying force in the direction of arrow X is applied to the newspaper P due to friction between the two roller units and the top surface of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P. The retracted position is a position where the newspaper P being fed into the direction change unit 8 through the conveying path T does not interfere with the feed roller 81 that has moved to the retracted position.

[0046] The movement mechanism for the feed roller 81 includes an arm 82 that supports the front end of the shaft of the feed roller 81 in a cantilevered manner, and an actuator (not shown) that rotates the arm 82 around a rotation shaft (not shown) that extends in the front-to-rear direction. The front end of the shaft of the feed roller 81 is attached to the tip of the rotation of the arm 82. The rotation shaft of the arm 82 is at the base end. The movement mechanism retracts the feed roller 81 from the contact position to the retracted position when the newspaper P is fed into the direction change unit 8. In other words, the feed roller 81 moves up and down every time a newspaper P is fed into the direction change unit 8.

[0047] The newspaper P, which has passed between the bottom surface S2 and the feed roller 81 and been fed into the direction changing unit 8, hits the abutment surface S1 at the second fold P-2 and stops moving in the direction of arrow Y. At this time, before the newspaper P is fed into the direction changing unit 8, the newspaper supply mechanism 1 rotates the arm 82 of the movement mechanism counterclockwise when viewed from the front, and retracts the feed roller 81 to the retracted position. Then, after the newspaper P stops at the stopped position, the newspaper supply mechanism 1 rotates the arm 82 clockwise to move the feed roller 81 to the contact position and press the outer surfaces of the two roller units against the upper surface of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P. At this time, the feed roller 81 is rotating in the direction of arrow X, and a conveying force is applied from the feed roller 81 to the newspaper P at the stopped position, causing the newspaper P to be fed in the direction of arrow X toward the assembly mechanism 30.

[0048] The newspaper supply mechanism 1 also includes three pressure plates 83, 84, and 85. The two pressure plates 83 and 84 are disposed in front of the feed roller pair 7c at the end of the conveying path T connected to the first input section 2 and the second input section 3. The two pressure plates 83 and 84 are rotatably and fixably attached to an axis 83a extending in the left-right direction parallel to the rotation axis of the feed roller pair 7c. The two pressure plates 83 and 84 are disposed spaced apart on the left and right.

[0049] The two presser plates 83, 84 can be formed, for example, from flexible, approximately rectangular resin plates, and extend forward from their base ends attached to the shaft 83a so as to overlap above the bottom surface S2. The presser plates 83, 84 are slightly curved from their base ends to their longitudinal tips (lower ends) so as to bulge toward the bottom surface S2. The presser plates 83, 84 can be fixed in a presser position where their pivoting tips contact the bottom surface S2, and in a flip-up position where their tips flip up above the bottom surface S2.

[0050] When newspaper P conveyed via conveying path T is sent into direction changing section 8, second fold P-2 enters between shaft 83a, to which the base ends of presser plates 83 and 84 are attached, and bottom surface S2, and newspaper P slides forward on bottom surface S2 toward abutment surface S1. At this time, presser plates 83 and 84 press newspaper P against bottom surface S2, preventing newspaper P from floating up from bottom surface S2 on the upstream side of feed roller 81 in the direction of movement of newspaper P.

[0051] The presser plate 85 is attached to the left of the feed roller 81 in a position close to the rear of the abutment surface S1. The presser plate 85 can be formed, for example, from a flexible, approximately rectangular plate of resin. The presser plate 85 extends in the front-to-rear direction, with its rear end fixed to the housing 1a and its front end (lower end) in contact with the bottom surface S2. The presser plate 85 is inclined downward from its rear end to its front end. The front end of the presser plate 85 contacts the bottom surface S2 near the corner where the abutment surface S1 and the bottom surface S2 intersect.

[0052] When the newspaper P conveyed via the conveying path T is sent into the direction changing section 8, the second fold P-2 enters between the pressure plate 85 and the bottom surface S2, and while the second fold P-2 is pressed against the bottom surface S2 by the pressure plate 85, it abuts against the abutment surface S1. At this time, the second fold P-2 moves in a direction approaching the bottom surface S2 while sliding against the underside of the pressure plate 85, and abuts against the abutment surface S1 near the corner between the abutment surfaces S1 and S2. This makes it possible to prevent the second fold P-2 of the newspaper P from curling upward when it abuts against the abutment surface S1.

[0053] The newspaper supply mechanism 1 is provided with a plurality of sliding members 86 on the bottom surface S2 of the direction changer 8, which are inclined in both the X and Y directions. The sliding members 86 are inclined in the Y direction toward the X direction, and extend at an angle of approximately 45° relative to both the X and Y directions. The sliding members 86 extend parallel to and spaced apart from one another. The sliding members 86 are, for example, strips of resin such as polyethylene, and are similar to so-called "threshold sliding members" with a plurality of linear protrusions extending longitudinally on their surfaces.

[0054] The multiple sliding members 86 function to slide in the Y direction the newspaper P being fed into the direction changer 8 via the conveying path T, and to slide in the X direction the newspaper P being transported from the direction changer 8 to the assembly mechanism 30. In other words, the multiple sliding members 86 reduce friction between the bottom surface S2 and the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P passing through the direction changer 8. Each sliding member 86 has multiple protrusions on its surface that reduce the contact area with the newspaper P, thereby reducing friction with the newspaper P and making it easier for the newspaper P to slide against the bottom surface S2.

[0055] The newspaper supply mechanism 1 is provided with a guide roller 87 located downstream in the X direction from the stopping position of the newspaper P fed into the direction changer 8. The guide roller 87 is attached so as to be freely rotatable about a shaft 89 extending in the front-to-rear direction. The guide roller 87 is located downstream in the X direction of the pressure plate 84 and behind the center in the front-to-rear direction of the newspaper P at the stopping position. The outer circumferential surface of the guide roller 87 is located slightly above the bottom surface S2. The guide roller 87 prevents the newspaper P fed in the X direction from lifting up from the bottom surface S2.

[0056] A conveying roller 88 is attached coaxially to the shaft 89 of the guide roller 87. The conveying roller 88 is positioned forward of the center of the newspaper P in the front-to-rear direction at the stopped position. The conveying roller 88 is biased by a spring (not shown) that biases both ends of the shaft 89 downward. A feed roller (not shown) is located below and opposite the conveying roller 88. The conveying roller 88 rotates in the X direction by a motor (not shown) with the newspaper P sandwiched between it and the feed roller, and applies a conveying force in the X direction to the newspaper P that has been removed in the X direction from the stopped position by the rotation of the feed roller 81, sending it into the assembly mechanism 30.

[0057] 7, the incorporating mechanism 30 is arranged next to the right of the newspaper supply mechanism 1 and facing the front of the collating mechanism 10 (not shown here). The incorporating mechanism 30 opens the newspapers P supplied from the newspaper supply mechanism 1 and inserts the collated stack discharged from the discharge port 24 of the collating mechanism 10.

[0058] The incorporating mechanism 30 has a stacking section 31 (Fig. 1) that stacks and accumulates embedded newspapers, which are newspapers P with collated bundles inserted therein, in a vertical direction. As described above, the newspapers P taken out from the first input section 2 and the second input section 3 of the newspaper supply mechanism 1 are sent to the direction changing section 8 in the order in which they were taken out, and therefore the stacking order of the embedded newspapers sent from the direction changing section 8 to the stacking section 31 via the incorporating mechanism 30 also becomes the order in which the newspapers P were taken out.

[0059] The assembly mechanism 30 has a flat bottom surface S2 extending in the X direction from the direction changer 8. The assembly mechanism 30 is equipped with a newspaper opening mechanism 40 that stops the newspaper P, which has been conveyed in the X direction by sliding along the bottom surface S2 from the direction changer 8, at a predetermined opening position and then opens the newspaper. The newspaper P is fed into the newspaper opening mechanism 40 with the second fold P-2 located in the front in the Y direction, the first fold P-1 located at the right end in the X direction, the lower portion P2 in surface contact with the bottom surface S2, and the upper portion P1 overlapping the lower portion P2.

[0060] As shown enlarged in Figure 8, the newspaper opening mechanism 40 includes a suction nozzle 32 that sucks up the upper portion P1 of a newspaper P stopped in the open position, a solenoid 33 that moves the suction head 321 of the suction nozzle 32 up and down, a suction chamber 34 located below the bottom surface S2, and an air intake 35 that connects the suction chamber 34 to the bottom surface S2. The suction nozzle 32 and solenoid 33 function as suction opening means. The air intake 32a of the suction head 321 is located in a position that substantially overlaps in the Y direction with the air intake 35 that penetrates the bottom surface S2. Figure 8 shows the suction head 321 in the pulled-up position, which is the upper end of its movement.

[0061] As shown in Figure 9, the intake port 35 on the bottom surface S2 is not positioned vertically overlapping with the intake port 32a of the suction head 321, but is positioned forward in the Y direction from the intake port 32a. The suction chamber 34 sucks the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P through the intake port 35 at a position slightly forward and away from the corner behind the leading edge in the X direction of the newspaper P stopped in the open position. In Figure 9, the outline of the newspaper P stopped in the predetermined open position is shown by a dashed line.

[0062] The intake port 32a of the suction head 321 faces the vicinity of the corner between the first fold P-1 and the rear edge parallel to the second fold P-2 of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P when it is stopped in the open position. The portion of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P when it is stopped in the open position that faces the intake port 32a is the suction portion. The intake port 35 on the bottom surface S2 is positioned offset from the intake port 32a in a direction approaching the second fold P-2 along the first fold P-1 of the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P when it is stopped in the open position. In other words, the position where the intake port 32a suctions the suction portion of the upper portion P1 and the position where the intake port 35 suctions the lower portion P2 are offset in the Y direction.

[0063] The transport rollers 88 of the newspaper supply mechanism 1 described above feed the newspaper P that has been fed in the X direction from the direction changer 8 by the feed rollers 81 into the newspaper opening mechanism 40, and stop the newspaper P at the above-mentioned opening position of the newspaper opening mechanism 40. The opening position at which the newspaper P is temporarily stopped within the newspaper opening mechanism 40 is a position at which the first fold P-1 at the leading edge of the newspaper P in the feed direction at least passes the air intake 32a of the suction head 321 in the X direction, and at the same time, the first fold P-1 does not reach the upstream end 411 in the X direction of the guide plate 41, which will be described later.

[0064] The newspaper opening mechanism 40 has an opening / closing plate 37 (opening / closing member) that opens and closes the air intake 32a of the suction head 321, and a solenoid 38 that operates the opening / closing plate 37. The opening / closing plate 37 and the solenoid 38 function as suction release means. The solenoid 38 moves the opening / closing plate 37 between a closed position in which the opening / closing plate 37 overlaps the air intake 32a of the suction head 321, and an open position in which the opening / closing plate 37 does not overlap the air intake 32a. The solenoid 38 can move the opening / closing plate 37 in the X direction between an open position on the upstream side in the X direction and a closed position on the downstream side in the X direction. Figures 8 and 9 show the opening / closing plate 37 in the open position.

[0065] The opening / closing plate 37 sucks the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P stopped in the open position onto the intake port 32a of the suction head 321, moves the suction head 321 to the lifting position, and re-transports the newspaper P with its upper portion P1 open toward the insertion position opposite the discharge port 24 of the collating mechanism 10. Immediately after this, the opening / closing plate 37 moves from the open position shown in Fig. 8 to the closed position where it closes the intake port 32a. The opening / closing plate 37 is made of a member that can be elastically deformed when pressed by the suction head 321 when the suction head 321 is moved downward from the lifting position shown in Fig. 8 to a suction position (not shown).

[0066] The newspaper opening mechanism 40 has a protruding block 39 for pushing up and curving the rear edge of the newspaper P, which is opposite the second fold P-2 and near the right end in the X direction, from the bottom surface S2 as the newspaper P is transported in the X direction from the direction change unit 8 toward the opening position. The protruding block 39 extends in the X direction and protrudes upward from the bottom surface S2, and has a pushing surface 391 which is a generally rectangular cylindrical surface that curves to bulge upward from the bottom surface S2. The protruding block 39 functions as a curving means for curving the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P stopped in the open position, such that the suction portion facing the intake port 32a of the suction head 321 partially bulges toward the intake port 32a.

[0067] The protruding block 39 is positioned away from the position where it overlaps under the intake port 32a of the suction head 321. More specifically, the protruding block 39 is positioned upstream in the X direction from the intake port 32a of the suction head 321. The protruding block 39 is positioned opposite the intake port 32a of the suction head 321 in the X direction. The push-up surface 391 is inclined in a direction approaching the bottom surface S2 toward the upstream end in the X direction, with the protruding height from the bottom surface S2 at the upstream end being approximately zero, and is inclined in a direction approaching the bottom surface S2 from the highest apex toward the downstream end in the X direction. The push-up surface 391 may be a cylindrical surface.

[0068] The newspaper spreading mechanism 40 includes a guide plate 41 positioned downstream in the X direction from the intake port 32a of the suction head 321 and the intake port 35 of the bottom surface S2. The guide plate 41 has an upper surface 42 that slides against and supports the upper portion P1, which is attracted to the suction head 321 and opens upward via the intake port 32a. The guide plate 41 extends in the left-right direction in front of the discharge port 24 provided on the front side of the housing 11 of the collating mechanism 10, passing above the discharge port 24. The upper surface 42 of the guide plate 41 slopes upward from its upstream end 411 in the X direction toward above the discharge port 24. The end 411 of the guide plate 41 is positioned downstream in the X direction from the two intake ports 32a and 35. The end 411 of the guide plate 41 is positioned above the bottom surface S2. Therefore, the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P that is in sliding contact with the bottom surface S2 and is sucked into the intake port 35 and conveyed passes under the guide plate 41.

[0069] The newspaper P sent out in the X direction from the direction changer 8 of the newspaper supply mechanism 1 is temporarily stopped at the open position of the newspaper opening mechanism 40 by stopping the conveying roller 88 at a predetermined timing. The leading edge of the newspaper P in the X direction, which is conveyed in the X direction and sent to the open position, climbs over the protruding block 39 just before the newspaper P stops at the open position. As a result, the rear corner of the leading edge of the newspaper P in the X direction, away from the second fold P-2, curves upward as shown in FIG. 10. As a result, the suction area on the rear side of the leading edge of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P stopped at the open position is lifted upward and approaches the suction head 321.

[0070] In this state, the leading edge of the newspaper P in the X direction (first fold P-1) overlaps the intake ports 32a and 35 of the suction head 321. That is, the intake port 32a faces the suction site near the corner between the first fold P-1 and the rear edge parallel to the second fold P-2 of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P stopped in the open position. Also, the intake port 35 faces a position shifted forward from the corner between the first fold P-1 and the rear edge parallel to the second fold P-2 of the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P stopped in the open position. That is, the intake port 35 is located in a position shifted toward the second fold P-2 from the position where it overlaps under the intake port 32a of the suction head 321.

[0071] Before the newspaper P is fed into the opening position of the newspaper opening mechanism 40, the newspaper opening mechanism 40 places the suction head 321 in the raised position shown in Fig. 8, and the opening / closing plate 37 in the open position shown in Fig. 8. In addition, before feeding the newspaper P into the opening position, the newspaper opening mechanism 40 operates a blower (not shown), which constantly draws a vacuum in the suction nozzle 32 and the suction chamber 34.

[0072] After the newspaper opening mechanism 40 stops the newspaper P in the open position as described above, it operates the solenoid 33 to move the suction head 321 downward and bring the air intake 32a into contact with the upper surface of the corner of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P. Figure 10 shows the state in which the suction head 321 is placed in the suction position. In the state in Figure 10, the corner of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P is sucked to the air intake 32a, and the flat portion in front of the corner of the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P is sucked to the air intake 35.

[0073] Thereafter, the newspaper opening mechanism 40 operates the solenoid 33 to raise the suction head 321 to the upper raised position, thereby opening upward the corners of the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P that has been sucked to the intake port 32a. At this time, because the lower portion P2 of the newspaper P is sucked to the intake port 35, the upper portion P1 is opened upward relative to the lower portion P2 that is stuck to the bottom surface S2.

[0074] The upper portion P1 of the newspaper P that is sucked into the intake port 32a of the suction head 321 is curved by the protruding block 39 to bring it closer to the suction head 321 and is also given strength and rigidity, so that it can be reliably sucked into the intake port 32a that comes into contact with the upwardly bulging suction portion and open stably. Also, because the position at which the lower portion P2 is sucked by the intake port 35 is a flat portion forward of the portion curved by the protruding block 39, it can be reliably sucked without creating a gap between the intake port 35 and the lower portion P2, preventing the lower portion P2 from floating up from the bottom surface S2.

[0075] After the newspaper P has been opened as described above, the assembly mechanism 30 rotates the conveying roller 88 in the X direction to resume conveying the newspaper P in the X direction, and sends the newspaper P to the insertion position opposite the discharge port 24 of the collating mechanism 10. At this time, immediately (several msec later) after the newspaper opening mechanism 40 resumes conveying the newspaper P, the newspaper opening mechanism 40 operates the solenoid 38 to move the opening / closing plate 37 to the closed position for a fixed period of time. The timing for moving the opening / closing plate 37 to the closed position is when the first fold P-1 of the newspaper P, whose conveyance has resumed, passes the end 411 of the guide plate 41 and approaches the top surface 42.

[0076] When the opening / closing plate 37 is moved to the closed position at the above timing, the right end of the opening / closing plate 37 in the X direction is inserted between the intake port 32a of the suction head 321 and the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P that has resumed conveyance, blocking the intake port 32a and releasing the suction of the upper portion P1 by the intake port 32a. At this time, because the movement direction of the opening / closing plate 37 is the same as the feed direction of the newspaper P, no stress is applied to the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P in a direction different from the feed direction. By releasing the suction of the upper portion P1 by the intake port 32a at this timing, it is possible to prevent the newspaper P from being conveyed with the upper portion P1 stuck to the intake port 32a, and it is possible to prevent the newspaper P from jamming during conveyance.

[0077] For example, when a thick newspaper P with a relatively large number of pages, such as a morning paper, is opened, the stiffness of the newspaper P makes it easy for the suction to be released when the paper is re-opened even if the intake port 32a is not blocked, but when a relatively thin newspaper P, such as an evening paper, is opened, the upper portion P1 is weak and is likely to be conveyed while stuck to the intake port 32a. For this reason, in this embodiment, the protruding block 39 is used to give stiffness to the upper portion P1 and release the suction when the paper is re-opened.

[0078] The newspaper P, whose conveyance has been resumed by opening the upper portion P1 as described above, is sent to the insertion position opposite the discharge opening 24 of the collating mechanism 10. At this time, the guide plate 41 supports the upper portion P1 of the newspaper P from below while sliding it against its upper surface 42, and guides the newspaper P to a position where the discharge opening 24 faces the gap between the lower portion P2 and the upper portion P1.

[0079] The collated stack that has been collated by the collation mechanism 10 and discharged from the discharge port 24 is fed between the lower part P2 and the upper part P1 of the newspaper P that has been opened by the newspaper opening mechanism 40 and sent to the inserting position.

[0080] The interleaved newspapers with the collated bundle inserted in this way are discharged to the stacking section 31 in front by the discharge roller 36 shown in Figure 1. The shaft of the discharge roller 36 extends left and right. The discharge roller 36 retracts upward when feeding the opened newspaper P to the inserting position, and moves to a position where it comes into contact with the upper part P1 of the interleaved newspapers when discharging the interleaved newspapers with the collated bundle inserted into the stacking section 31.

[0081] When a predetermined number of incorporated newspapers have been stacked in the stacking section 31, the newspapers are transported to the right and handed over to the lifter 50. The lifter 50 raises the predetermined number of stacked incorporated newspapers to a predetermined height, and places the newspapers at a height that is easy for the operator to carry.

[0082] As shown in Figure 11, the newspaper processing device 100 described above has a main control circuit 101, sub-control circuits 102, 103, 104, and 105, a display 106, operation switches 107, and a communication module 108. The main control circuit 101 is a circuit that controls the overall operation of the newspaper processing device 100, including the control of the sub-control circuits 102, 103, 104, and 105.

[0083] The main control circuit 101 is configured with, for example, a processor and a memory. The processor of the main control circuit 101 controls the operation of the newspaper processing device 100 in accordance with a control application program stored in the memory.

[0084] For example, the main control circuit 101 functions as a control unit (first control unit) that receives input data (first data) related to the delivery order of the newspapers P and controls the order in which the newspapers P are taken out from the first and second input units 2 and 3 of the newspaper supply mechanism 1. The main control circuit 101 also functions as a control unit (second control unit) that receives input data (second data) related to the type of inserts to be inserted into each brand of newspaper P and controls whether or not inserts are to be supplied from the multi-stage paper supply trays 12 of the collating mechanism 10.

[0085] The processor is, for example, a CPU, but does not necessarily have to be configured as a CPU. The main control circuit 101 may also be configured as a hardware logic circuit such as an ASIC. The processor does not necessarily have to be configured as a single processor, but may be configured as multiple processors.

[0086] The sub-control circuit 102 is connected to the collating mechanism 10. The sub-control circuit 102 is a dedicated circuit that controls the operation of the collating mechanism 10 under the control of the main control circuit 101. The sub-control circuit 102 may or may not have a processor and memory separate from the main control circuit 101.

[0087] The sub-control circuit 103 is connected to the newspaper supply mechanism 1. The sub-control circuit 103 is a dedicated circuit that controls the operation of the newspaper supply mechanism 1 under the control of the main control circuit 101. The sub-control circuit 103 may or may not have a processor and memory separate from the main control circuit 101.

[0088] The sub-control circuit 104 is connected to the embedded mechanism 30. The sub-control circuit 104 is a dedicated circuit that controls the operation of the embedded mechanism 30 under the control of the main control circuit 101. The sub-control circuit 104 may or may not have a processor and memory separate from the main control circuit 101.

[0089] The sub-control circuit 105 is connected to the lifter 50. The sub-control circuit 105 is a dedicated circuit that controls the operation of the lifter 50 under the control of the main control circuit 101. The sub-control circuit 105 may or may not have a processor and memory separate from the main control circuit 101.

[0090] The newspaper processing device 100 may have sub-control circuits other than the sub-control circuits 102, 103, 104, and 105.

[0091] The display 106 is a display such as an LED and a liquid crystal display on the operation panel 11a for displaying various states of the newspaper processing device 100. For example, the display 106 has a display for indicating that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 is on. The display 106 also has a display for displaying a counter for displaying various collation counts. The collation count includes information such as the total number of inserts collated during the collation operation and the number of remaining inserts. The display 106 also has a display for displaying various setting screens. The various settings include settings for inserts per row, settings for regions and areas, etc. The various settings include settings for the installation operation. The display 106 also has a display for notifying various errors.

[0092] The operation switches 107 include various switches provided on the newspaper processing device 100 and the operation panel 11a described above. For example, the operation switches 107 include a power switch for the newspaper processing device 100. The operation switches 107 also include various mode switches. The mode switch is a switch for setting the operation mode of the newspaper processing device 100. The operation modes include, for example, a collating mode in which only inserts are collated, an inserting mode in which a pre-collated bundle is inserted into newspapers P, and a collating / inserting mode in which inserts are collated and the bundle is inserted into newspapers P. The operation switches 107 may also include switches other than these switches. Operations similar to those of the various switches on the operation switches 107 can also be performed on the operation panel 11a.

[0093] The communication module 108 includes a processing circuit that enables the newspaper processing device 100 to communicate with external devices such as a server, etc. The communication module 108 includes, for example, a wireless communication module required for wireless LAN communication.

[0094] Here, an example of the operation of the newspaper processing device 100 described above will be explained. As shown in Figure 12, in step S1, the main control circuit 101 of the newspaper processing device 100 determines whether or not to turn on the power to the newspaper processing device 100. For example, when the power switch is turned on, it determines that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 should be turned on. The main control circuit 101 may also monitor whether or not a command has been received from the outside via the communications module 108, and determine that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 should be turned on when reception of the command is confirmed. In step S1, the main control circuit 101 waits for processing until it determines that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 should be turned on. When it determines in step S1 that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 should be turned on, processing proceeds to step S2.

[0095] In step S2, the main control circuit 101 turns on the power to the newspaper processing device 100, starts the control application program for the newspaper processing device 100, and displays a startup screen on, for example, the operation panel 11a. While the startup screen is displayed, the main control circuit 101 performs various processes necessary to start up the newspaper processing device 100.

[0096] In step S3 after the startup process is complete, the main control circuit 101 displays a main screen on, for example, the operation panel 11a. On the main screen, the operator can start the collating or assembling operation of the newspaper processing device 100 and check various statuses during the collating or assembling operation. In addition, from the main screen, the operator can display various setting screens, allowing various settings to be made.

[0097] In step S4, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not to perform the collating operation. For example, when the collating mode is selected on the main screen by operating the operation panel 11a, etc., and an instruction to set or start the collating operation is given, it is determined that the collating operation is to be performed. On the other hand, when the inserting mode or the collating-inserting mode is selected on the main screen, and an instruction to set or start the incorporating operation is given, it is determined that the incorporating operation is to be performed.

[0098] If it is determined in step S4 that the collating operation is to be performed, the process proceeds to step S5. If it is determined in step S4 that the collating operation is not to be performed, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0099] In step S5, if it is determined that the collation operation is to be performed, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not to perform settings related to the collation operation. For example, if settings related to the collation operation are instructed by operating the operation panel 11a, etc., it is determined that settings related to the collation operation are to be performed. If it is determined in step S5 that settings related to the collation operation have been instructed, the process proceeds to step S6. If it is determined in step S5 that settings related to the collation operation have not been instructed, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0100] In step S6, the main control circuit 101 performs settings related to the collating operation in accordance with the instructions. For example, the main control circuit 101 performs settings for inserts by layer, settings for the region and area, and settings for the operating mode in accordance with the instructions. The main control circuit 101 also performs settings for the sub-control circuit 105 as necessary. During the settings, the main control circuit 101 also transitions the setting screen displayed on the operation panel 11a, for example, as necessary. After the settings related to the collating operation have been performed, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0101] In step S7, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not an instruction to start the collating operation has been issued. If it is determined in step S7 that an instruction to start the collating operation has been issued, the process proceeds to step S8. If it is determined in step S7 that an instruction to start the collating operation has not been issued, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0102] In step S8, the main control circuit 101 controls the sub-control circuit 102 in accordance with the current settings to perform the collation operation by the collation mechanism 10. In step S8, the main control circuit 101 may control the sub-control circuit 105 to operate the lifter 50.

[0103] In step S9, the main control circuit 101 determines whether the collating operation is complete. For example, the collating operation is determined to be complete when the specified number of collated bundles have been collated. If it is determined in step S9 that the collating operation is not complete, the process returns to step S8. If it is determined in step S9 that the collating operation is complete, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0104] In step S10, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not to turn off the power to the newspaper processing device 100. For example, when the power switch is turned off or a power-off command is received, it is determined that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 is to be turned off. If it is determined in step S10 that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 is not to be turned off, the process returns to step S4. If it is determined in step S10 that the power to the newspaper processing device 100 is to be turned off, the process in Figure 10 ends.

[0105] If it is determined that the embedding operation is to be performed, in step S11, the main control circuit 101 performs the embedding process shown in Fig. 13. After the embedding process, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0106] In step S101 of Fig. 13, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not to implement settings related to the embedding process. For example, when a setting related to the embedding process is instructed by operating the operation panel 11a, it is determined that the setting related to the embedding process is to be implemented. When it is determined in step S101 that a setting related to the embedding process has been instructed, the process proceeds to step S102. When it is determined in step S101 that a setting related to the embedding process has not been instructed, the process proceeds to step S114.

[0107] In step S102, the main control circuit 101 determines whether data has been input. In this embodiment, for example, settings for the embedding operation are made by importing delivery order data created in advance and insert data related to inserts assigned to each brand of newspaper P. In step S102, it is determined whether data to be imported has been input by an operator. In step S102, the process waits until data to be imported is input. If it is determined in step S102 that data has been input, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0108] The delivery order data may be data in various formats, such as CSV (Comma Separated Value). The delivery order data may be managed by the newspaper delivery store where the newspaper processing device 100 is installed, or may be managed by a server or the like that centrally manages data from newspaper delivery stores. Furthermore, the delivery order data may be managed by a cloud server that is constructed separately from the newspaper delivery store or the like.

[0109] The insert data is data containing one, several, or all of the following information: area, flyer name, number of processing stations, shelf used, and attributes. The insert data may be data in various formats, such as CSV (Comma Separated Value). The insert data may be managed by the newspaper delivery store where the newspaper processing device 100 is installed, or may be managed by a server or the like that centrally manages data from newspaper delivery stores. Furthermore, the insert data may be managed by a cloud server constructed separately from the newspaper delivery store or the like.

[0110] In step S103, the main control circuit 101 maps the items in the input delivery order data and insert data with items that are required for the integration process that is pre-set in the newspaper processing device 100. For example, the main control circuit 101 recognizes the items in the input delivery order data and associates items that are similar to the recognized items. After mapping the data in this way, the main control circuit 101 displays a confirmation screen for the mapping results, for example, on the operation panel 11a. Note that if it is guaranteed that each item in the delivery order data corresponds to each item set in the newspaper processing device 100, mapping processing is not necessary.

[0111] In step S104, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not an item has been corrected, for example, by an operator of the newspaper processing device 100 operating the operation panel 11a. The operator of the newspaper processing device 100 checks whether or not the items have been mapped correctly. If an item has not been mapped correctly, the operator corrects the corresponding item. If an operation related to correction has been performed, the main control circuit 101 determines that an item has been corrected. If it is determined in step S104 that an item has been corrected, the process proceeds to step S105. If it is determined in step S104 that an item has not been corrected, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0112] In step S105, the main control circuit 101 corrects the mapping result in accordance with the operator's correction. Accordingly, the main control circuit 101 updates the mapping result confirmation screen. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S106.

[0113] In step S106, the main control circuit 101 determines whether the mapping process has been completed, for example, by the operator operating the operation panel 11a. After the operator confirms that the items have been correctly mapped, he or she selects the displayed OK button. In this case, it is determined that the mapping process has been completed. If it is determined in step S106 that the mapping process has been completed, the process proceeds to step S107. If it is determined in step S106 that the mapping process has not been completed, the process returns to step S104.

[0114] In step S107, the main control circuit 101 displays an embedded setting screen based on the result of the mapping process.

[0115] In step S108, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not setting data has been input on the built-in setting screen. If it is determined in step S108 that setting data has been input on the built-in setting screen, the process proceeds to step S109. If it is determined in step S108 that setting data has not been input on the built-in setting screen, the process returns to step S107.

[0116] In step S109, the main control circuit 101 stores the input setting data in, for example, a memory.

[0117] In step S110, the main control circuit 101 determines whether input of all setting data on the corresponding built-in setting screen has been completed. If it is determined in step S110 that input of all setting data on the built-in setting screen has not been completed, the process returns to step S107. In this case, the main control circuit 101 displays the next built-in setting screen. If it is determined in step S110 that input of all setting data on the built-in setting screen has been completed, the process proceeds to step S111.

[0118] In step S111, the main control circuit 101 sets the paper feed tray 12 based on the setting data. For example, the main control circuit 101 assigns an insert to the paper feed tray 12 selected for use. The insert to be folded into the newspaper P may be the one set during the collating operation, or may be a newly set one.

[0119] In step S112, the main control circuit 101 determines whether the settings related to the incorporation process have been completed. The operator places the inserts into the paper feed tray 12 according to the displayed settings of the paper feed tray 12. The operator also places newspapers P of a specified brand into each of the insertion ports 2 and 3 of the newspaper supply mechanism 1. After the newspapers P and inserts have been placed according to the settings, the operator selects the displayed OK button. At this time, the main control circuit 101 determines that the settings related to the incorporation process have been completed. In step S112, the main control circuit 101 waits until it is determined that the settings related to the incorporation process have been completed. When the settings related to the incorporation process have been completed in step S112, the process proceeds to step S113.

[0120] In step S113, the main control circuit 101 sets the order in which newspapers P are to be taken out from the newspaper supply mechanism 1. Then, the process returns to step S101. The order in which newspapers P are to be taken out is usually determined, for example, in the reverse order of the delivery order. The delivery order is also specified by the "route."

[0121] In step S114, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not an instruction to start the embedding operation has been issued. If it is determined in step S114 that an instruction to start the embedding operation has been issued, the process proceeds to step S115. If it is determined in step S114 that an instruction to start the embedding operation has not been issued, the process proceeds to step S116.

[0122] In step S115, the main control circuit 101 executes the embedding operation according to the current settings.

[0123] The embedding operation will be described below with reference to FIG. The assembling operations include, for example, an operation of collating inserts set for brand A newspaper P and inserting the collated bundle Ta for brand A into the brand A newspaper, and an operation of collating the collated bundle Ta and inserting it into the brand A newspaper P, collating inserts set for brand B newspaper P, and inserting the collated bundle Tb for brand B into the brand B newspaper. Here, the latter, relatively complex operation for processing two brands of newspaper P will be described. In addition to this, there is an assembling operation in an inserting mode in which a pre-collated collated bundle (multiple collated bundles may be prepared according to the brand of newspaper) is fed from the paper feed tray 12 of the collating mechanism 10 and inserted into newspaper P (which may be multiple brands of newspaper). However, since this is the only difference, the explanation of the operation related to the inserting mode will be omitted here.

[0124] In step S201, the main control circuit 101 takes out newspapers P from the first insertion section 2 or the second insertion section 3 of the newspaper supply mechanism 1 according to the set delivery order. In step S202, the main control circuit 101 opens the newspapers P taken out in the delivery order using the assembly mechanism 30 and transports them to the insertion position.

[0125] In step S203, which is performed in parallel with steps S1 and S2, the main control circuit 101 collates the inserts assigned to each brand of newspaper P. At this time, the main control circuit 101 feeds the inserts assigned to the brand of newspaper P taken out in step P1 from the paper feed tray 12 and creates a collated bundle suitable for each brand.

[0126] In step S204, the main control circuit 101 inserts the collated bundles according to each brand into the newspapers P transported to the inserting position, creating an incorporated newspaper. In step S205, the main control circuit 101 ejects the incorporated newspaper created in step S204 into the stacking unit 31 and stacks it. This allows multiple copies of the incorporated newspaper to be stacked in delivery order.

[0127] Thereafter, in step P206, the main control circuit 101 determines whether or not a predetermined number of incorporated newspapers have been stacked in the stacking unit 31. If it is determined in step P206 that the predetermined number of incorporated newspapers have been stacked, the main control circuit 101 proceeds to the processing of step S207, and moves the predetermined number of incorporated newspapers stacked in the stacking unit 31 to the lifter 50.

[0128] Thereafter, the main control circuit 101 ends the processing of FIG. 14 when the number of incorporated newspapers reaches a preset number based on the determination in step S208.

[0129] As described above, the newspaper processing device 100 of this embodiment can remove two different brands of newspapers P in delivery order, insert bundles of inserts assigned to each brand of newspaper, and stack the incorporated newspapers in delivery order. This allows a newspaper delivery store to handle multiple brands of newspapers P, eliminates the need to collate inserts for each brand of newspaper, and eliminates the need to stack two brands of incorporated newspapers with their respective collated bundles inserted in delivery order, thereby reducing the workload on staff and improving work efficiency. Furthermore, delivery personnel who deliver the incorporated newspapers can simply remove the incorporated newspapers from the bundles of incorporated newspapers stacked in delivery order, making delivery of two brands of incorporated newspapers easy and reliable. Note that the newspaper supply mechanism 1 may be equipped with three or more input units to handle three or more brands of newspapers P.

[0130] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, newspaper opening mechanism 40 that opens upper portion P1 of newspaper P has protruding block 39 for curving the suction portion of newspaper P, which allows the portion that suctions upper portion P1 to have rigidity, and intake port 32a of suction head 321 can be reliably suctioned to upper portion P1, allowing newspaper P to be reliably opened without jamming. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, lower portion P2 is suctioned through intake port 35 that is shifted forward from the position that suctions upper portion P1, so lower portion P2 can be suctioned to intake port 35 at a flat portion that is away from the portion curved by protruding block 39, preventing the lower portion P2 from floating up from bottom surface S2 when opening upper portion P1 and allowing newspaper P to be reliably opened.

[0131] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the newspaper P with its upper portion P1 open is transported to the insertion position for the collated bundle, the intake port 32a of the suction head 321 is closed with the opening / closing plate 37 to release the suction of the upper portion P1, so that the upper portion P1 can be smoothly separated from the suction head 321 and the upper portion P1 does not remain stuck to the intake port 32a and cause a jam. In particular, when processing multiple brands of newspapers P as in this embodiment, newspapers P of different thicknesses are transported mixed together, so it is effective to have a configuration that can release the suction at a predetermined timing regardless of the difference in thickness.

[0132] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made in the implementation stage without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments include various inventions, and various inventions can be extracted by selecting and combining the multiple constituent elements disclosed. For example, if the problem can be solved and the desired effect can be obtained even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in the embodiments, the configuration from which these constituent elements are deleted can be extracted as an invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0133] 1...newspaper supply mechanism, 2...first input section, 3...second input section, 4a...separation roller, 4b...auxiliary roller, 4c...rubber sheet, 5a, 5b...take-out roller, 6a, 6b...pair of conveying rollers, 6c...conveyance guide, 7a, 7b, 7c...pair of feed rollers, 7d...conveyance guide, 8...direction change section, 81...feed-out roller, 88...conveyance roller, 10...collating mechanism, 12, 12a...paper feed tray, 13...conveyance path, 14...pair of conveying rollers, 15...first paper feed roller, 16...second paper feed roller, 17...separating plate, 18, 18a...pair of feed rollers, 19...pair of folding rollers, 20...stop section, 21...folding knife, 22...conveyance belt, 23...pair of discharge rollers, 24...discharge port, 30...integration mechanism, 31...accumulation section, 32...suction nozzle, 32a...air intake port, 321...suction head, 33...solenoid, 34...suction chamber, 35...air intake port, 36...discharge roller, 37...opening / closing plate, 38...solenoid, 39...protruding block, 391...push-up surface, 40...newspaper opening mechanism, 41...guide plate, 411...end, 42...top surface, 50...lifter, 100...newspaper processing device, 101...main control circuit, 102, 103, 104, 105...sub-control circuit, 106...display, 107...operation switches, 108...communication module, P...newspaper, P1...upper part, P2...lower part, P-1...first fold, P-2...second fold, S2...bottom, T...conveying path.

Claims

1. a suction and opening means for opening a newspaper folded in four by folding a plurality of sheets of newspaper in half along a first fold and then in half along a second fold, the suction and opening means being disposed on the opposite side of a second part that overlaps a first part on one side of the second fold and that is on the other side of the second fold, and suctioning the surface of the second part opposite to the first part and moving in a direction away from the first part to open the second part relative to the first part; a bending means for partially bending the second portion so that a suction site of the second portion facing the suction and opening means partially bulges toward the suction and opening means; A newspaper opening mechanism having a

2. a horizontal, flat bottom surface that is in surface contact with the surface of the first portion opposite to the side where the second portion overlaps; an intake port provided through the bottom surface to generate a negative pressure for attracting the first portion to the bottom surface; 2. The newspaper opening mechanism of claim 1, further comprising:

3. the bending means includes a protruding block having a push-up surface that bulges in a direction away from the bottom surface and that protrudes from the bottom surface, and the push-up surface pushes up the suction site of the second part together with the first part, thereby bending the second part together with the first part.

3. The newspaper opening mechanism of claim 2.

4. the protruding block is positioned so as not to overlap the lower part of the suction opening means; 4. The newspaper opening mechanism of claim 3.

5. the air intake provided on the bottom surface is located at a position shifted toward the second fold from a position overlapping under the suction opening means, and the flat portion of the first portion that is not curved by the protruding block is sucked.

5. The newspaper opening mechanism of claim 4.

6. a suction release means for releasing the suction by the suction opening mechanism when the newspaper is transported horizontally and sent to a downstream processing mechanism in a state in which the suction portion is suctioned by the suction opening means and the second portion is opened relative to the first portion, 2. The newspaper opening mechanism of claim 1.

7. the suction release means has an opening / closing member that opens and closes an air intake port that faces the suction portion of the suction opening means, 7. A newspaper opening mechanism according to claim 6.

8. the opening / closing member is an opening / closing plate that moves in a direction to feed the open newspaper into the processing mechanism, from an open position to open the air intake of the suction / opening means, to a closed position to close the air intake.

8. A newspaper opening mechanism according to claim 7.

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