Partial folding and folding device for paper documents such as card carriers.

Abstract

To provide partial folding and folding devices. [Solution] A partial folding and folding device for paper documents such as card carriers includes an entrance section for receiving a carrier, a set of three parallel pinch rollers arranged symmetrically and in a staggered pattern to form a substantially isosceles triangle pattern, an inclined chute (105) configured to selectively guide the carrier to one of the entrance nips formed on the contact surfaces of the three pinch rollers, a pull-out chute positioned downstream of the set of three to receive the leading edge of the carrier as it moves and to determine the carrier path, and a stopper device positioned at a predetermined distance from the set of three along the carrier path to selectively block the leading edge of the carrier as it moves in order to cause a buckling portion in the carrier, the buckling portion being oriented toward the fold nip formed on the contact surfaces of the set of three and taken into the fold nip.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for partially folding and / or bending a paper document, which is composed of one or more paper carriers or substrates for cards to be used in direct mail of cards in some cases, or simply one paper sheet to be used as a carrier.

Background Art

[0002] Direct mail is known to be an important tool for companies to communicate with customers and further to meet the need to distribute cards such as debit or credit cards, business cards, identity documents such as ID cards or driver's licenses, or membership cards to individuals by mail.

[0003] These cards can be individualized or combined with other inserts or mailing components and inserted into envelopes addressed to appropriate recipients and sent in a single package, but all of these make the preparation for such mailing very time-consuming and burdensome.

[0004] Hereinafter, in the term "card", a substantially rigid card is basically rectangular in shape and, in some cases, includes identification information, biometric data, a photograph, alphanumeric characters, a QR (Quick Response) or barcode, machine-readable characters of a Machine-Readable Travel Document (MRTD) or an electronic MRTD of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag or an NFC (Near Field Communication) tag, and a magnetic stripe, and is made of plastic or other plasticized materials.

[0005] Typically, these types of cards have formats defined according to ISO standards 7810, 7811, 7813, 7816, and 14443, or formats A7, A8, B7, B8, C7, and C8 according to ISO standard 216. These card formats can also be used for magnetic or optical memory, toy cards, collectible cards, badges, smart lock access keys, etc. All of these items are included in the definition of "card".

[0006] It will be understood that cards can be considered not only hard, or generally harder than paper, but also to a certain extent brittle or containing delicate parts.

[0007] Generally, such cards are mailed attached to a paper carrier using glue, double-sided adhesive tape, or by fitting them into appropriate notches. The recipient's address can be printed on the paper carrier so that it is visible through the envelope window, or it can be printed directly on the envelope itself. The carrier, and in some cases the envelope, also contains identification data that ensures it can be reliably linked to only the card in question.

[0008] The paper carrier has an exposed area (exposed region) to which one or more cards can be attached. Generally, the paper carrier has an A4 or letter sheet format and needs to be folded in half or into thirds before being inserted into the associated envelope; in the case of third folding, it is folded in a Z-shape or C-shape.

[0009] Mail preparation and finishing systems improve efficiency by automating the printing, folding, and insertion processes. However, conventional folding systems designed to fold carriers to which rigid cards are attached tend to cause cards to detach or be damaged, carriers to be folded incorrectly, or machine jams. For example, this type of system is known from Patent Document 1.

[0010] Furthermore, in this type of system, some elements of the information inscribed on the cards in raised lettering may cause a kind of embossing on the paper carrier, which could result in these elements of the information remaining even after being detached from the card, thus violating basic privacy standards.

[0011] Generally speaking, one of the most common folding techniques is called pinch or nip roll folding. In this technique, a carrier sheet is inserted between a pair of rollers rotating in opposite directions at the same peripheral speed, capturing the sheet and drawing it into a folding apparatus which has a third roller with surface contact between the rollers, with its center perpendicular to one of the other two rollers.

[0012] A chute, or any kind of device providing a carrier path, is provided to guide the sheet after the capture roller, thereby pushing the sheet until its moving front edge is blocked by a stop wall. Thus the sheet forms a kind of curved buckle, which is captured by a third roller and other rollers in contact with it at a nip, which functions as pinch rollers, i.e., applies pressure to the sheet divided into two folded parts, thereby forming a fold.

[0013] Through this process, the paper fibers along the fold line are destroyed, making the fold nearly permanent. The position of the retaining wall can be changed to adjust the fold position perpendicular to the sheet's feeding direction.

[0014] However, forming a permanent fold makes it difficult to secure the card to the carrier without the risk of the card coming loose during further processing of the sheet, i.e., further sealing operations.

[0015] Patent Document 2 discloses a card insertion device that distributes cards on a paper carrier, which is placed on a plane that includes a line for feeding the paper carrier and has a weakening line perpendicular to the feeding direction.

[0016] Patent Document 3, on the other hand, discloses an enclosing device for distributing cards on a paper carrier, in which the carrier is folded along fold lines that remain parallel to the feeding direction both before and after the cards are attached thereto. Patent Document 4 discloses an envelope insertion device for distributing cards on a paper carrier, in which the carrier is folded and then rotated upside down to facilitate insertion into an envelope. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0017] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 11,414,294B2 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent Application No. 2004 / 089706A1 [Patent Document 3] International Publication No. 2008 / 089706A1 [Patent Document 4] International Publication No. 2014 / 068534A1 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0018] The fundamental technical problem underlying this invention is to provide a partial fold and a folding device that can overcome the shortcomings mentioned in the known art.

[0019] Next, the above-mentioned problem is solved by the apparatus specified above and defined in attached claim 1.

[0020] According to the present invention, partial folding and folding devices can be simply referred to as folding devices or folding systems.

[0021] A partial or false fold is to be understood as a fold where the paper fibers are not completely destroyed and the paper sheet on which the partial fold is made returns naturally to a flat shape at the end of the partial folding process. In any case, the partial fold determines the fold line and, in some cases, has a specific folding direction around which the sheet can be easily refolded by applying a light force.

[0022] On the other hand, a fold is intended to be a complete fold where the paper fibers are destroyed and the fold is substantially permanent.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0023] In this regard, a folding device means creating a fold or partial fold in a paper carrier, that is, a paper sheet or document that combines one or several sheets.

[0024] According to the present invention, the folding device includes an inlet section that receives the carrier along a predetermined feed direction. Next, the device further includes a triple set of parallel pinch rollers.

[0025] At least one pair of pinch rollers means rollers that rotate in opposite directions to capture and advance the carrier between them. For this purpose, that is, to provide a traction force to the carrier, the rollers are always in contact with each other and rotate so as to have exactly the same peripheral speed on their circular surfaces to prevent unnecessary stress on the carrier. Preferably, these circular surfaces can have a high friction, for example, being rubber - processed.

[0026] In conclusion, the triple set of pinch rollers determines two pairs of pinch rollers, thereby forming respective nips on the contact surfaces of the rollers. Here, the central pinch roller and each side pinch roller rotate in opposite directions regardless of which inlet nip is active to pass the carrier, and advance the carrier through this triple set to its front.

[0027] In some embodiments of the present invention, the lateral pinch rollers are arranged symmetrically with respect to the central pinch roller, and possibly with respect to the feed direction. They are then arranged in a staggered pattern further away from the entrance section, substantially forming an isosceles triangular pattern with their vertices oriented toward the entrance section.

[0028] Next, inclined chutes are provided to selectively guide the carrier to either the central pinch roller or one of the inlet nips formed on the contact surface of one of the lateral pinch rollers. Inlet nips are those formed on the entry side of the triplet of rollers, while nips formed on the opposite side are used to create folds or partial folds and are therefore referred to as fold nips.

[0029] Furthermore, a drawer chute is provided, which is positioned downstream of the triplicate and has an inlet mouth that is designed to receive the leading edge of the carrier as it moves.

[0030] This chute forms a carrier pathway at the end of the triplicate, and its entrance is positioned substantially centrally with respect to the triplicate, that is, to receive the leading edge of the carrier in transit from one of the nip facing it.

[0031] The folding device further includes a stopper device having stopper means positioned at a predetermined distance from a triplicate along the carrier path for selectively blocking the leading edge of the carrier during its movement.

[0032] It will be understood that this distance is selected to match the carrier's format in order to generate a fold or partial fold at the carrier's precise location.

[0033] In the recommended embodiment, the stopping means is movable and adjustable along the carrier path to process various formats and / or generate multiple folds on the carrier.

[0034] When the stopping mechanism is active, the leading edge of the carrier, rather than the carrier itself, is still subjected to the pulling force from the pinch roller, resulting in a buckle between the inlet of the drawer chute and the active pinch roller.

[0035] The entrance is located in the center of the triad, but the active nip is not, so the buckling portion increases in the direction of the other nip of the triad, i.e., the folding nip formed at the contact surface between the central pinch roller and the other lateral pinch roller.

[0036] When the buckled portion touches the fold nip, it becomes active, and the buckling is incorporated into the fold nip, thereby forming a fold or partial fold.

[0037] Next, when the stopping action of the stopper is stopped, the carrier is discharged from the tripod. In connection with this, further drag rollers may be provided downstream along the drawer chute, i.e., on the side where the stopper operates, to pull out the carrier, and in some cases to control the position of the carrier itself.

[0038] The main advantage of the apparatus according to the present invention lies in the fact that folds can be easily formed in the carrier in any direction, and in some cases, the carrier can even be moved back and forth. Furthermore, since the carrier can be dragged in a flat state, it becomes easier to form partial folds and to process the carrier afterward. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0039] The present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings, in accordance with preferred embodiments which are provided for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0040] [Figure 1A] An isometric projection diagram illustrating the folding of a card carrier in a Z-fold is shown. [Figure 1B]An isometric projection diagram illustrating the folding of a card carrier in a half-fold configuration is shown. [Figure 2A] An unequal angle projection diagram of one embodiment of the folding device according to the present invention is shown. [Figure 2B] Figure 2A shows an isometric projection of the folding device in reverse. [Figure 2C] Figure 2A shows a side view of the folding device with the external chassis removed, in an unequal angle projection. [Figure 2D] Figure 2A shows a side view of the folding device inside the folding apparatus. [Figure 3] Figure 2A is an exploded skewed projection view highlighting five different details or functional groups in the folding apparatus. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows an isometric projection of the first functional group. [Figure 5] Figure 4 shows an isometric projection of the first functional group in reverse. [Figure 6A] Figure 3 shows a partial view of the second functional group as seen in the unequal projection. [Figure 6B] This shows an asymmetrical projection sub-diagram of the second functional group in Figure 6B under different operating configurations. [Figure 6C] Figure 6A shows a partial cross-sectional view of the second functional group. [Figure 7A] Figure 3 shows the overall isometric projection of the second functional group. [Figure 7B] Another isometric projection sub-view of the second functional group in Figure 7A, showing different details, is shown. [Figure 8A] Figure 3 shows an isometric projection of the third functional group. [Figure 8B] Figure 8A shows an isometric projection of the third functional group in reverse. [Figure 9A] Figure 8A shows side views of different operating configurations for the third functional group. [Figure 9B] Figure 8A shows side views of different operating configurations for the third functional group. [Figure 9C] Figure 8A shows a side cross-section of the third functional group. [Figure 9D]A side view of the roller, i.e., a detail of the third functional group in Figure 8A, is shown. [Figure 10A] Figure 3 shows an isometric projection of the first detail of any group observed. [Figure 10B] Figure 10A shows the overall isometric projection with any group inverted. [Figure 10C] Figure 10B shows a side view of a second detail of any group. [Figure 10D] Figure 10B shows an overall side view of an arbitrary group and explains its operation. [Figure 11A] Figure 2A shows a schematic side view of the core of the device and explains its operation. [Figure 11B] Figure 2A shows a schematic side view of the core of the device and explains its operation. [Figure 12A] Figure 2A shows a schematic side view of the core of the device and explains the partial folding of the carrier. [Figure 12B] Figure 2A shows a schematic side view of the core of the device and explains the partial folding of the carrier. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0041] Referring to the drawing, the partial fold and folding device are abbreviated as the folding device and are specified as 100 as a whole.

[0042] The apparatus 100 of the present invention is provided for forming partial or false folds by destroying or weakening the paper fibers of a carrier sheet, indicated by 500, which is hereinafter simply referred to as a carrier, for the purpose of forming a document 536 to which one card 530 or several cards are attached in a subsequent operation of another apparatus and a mail preparation process.

[0043] The partial fold indicated by 520 is a fold line positioned along the carrier 500.

[0044] Since the carrier 500 is fed along the feed direction 540, the fold lines 520 are perpendicular to the feed direction. All fold lines 520 are provided through the folding area 600 corresponding to the device 100 to prepare the carrier for folding after the card 530 is attached, thereby allowing the carrier to be easily folded without affecting the stability of the card.

[0045] As can be seen in Figures 1A and 1B, this device can implement one or more folding schemes, with Z-fold (Figure 1A) or half-fold (Figure 1B) being shown, and C-fold can be implemented similarly.

[0046] In this regard, the device 100 is functionally divided into two functional parts, as can be seen in Figure 2D, with the main part or core 200 of the device being shown in the dotted area of ​​the drawing, which is provided for partial or false folding, so that the two parts of the carrier 500 are closed in contact with each other without the entire carrier 500 ever being bent. This type of folding offers significant advantages to the entire document processing, including the attachment of cards 530 and the sealing of documents.

[0047] Furthermore, the apparatus 100 includes an arbitrary folding group 300, indicated by the dashed area in the drawing, which can be used to take advantage of a partial fold already formed within the carrier itself, that is, to overlap a portion of the carrier 500 identified by its fold lines, in order to finally fold the carrier 500.

[0048] In the following, unless otherwise explicitly indicated, fold lines mean that they are the result of a partial folding process, which involves the destruction and / or weakening of paper fibers at the fold line without permanently folding the sheet, provided that such folding is achievable in a subsequent process, i.e., by rotating the carrier portion divided by the fold line.

[0049] The device 100 has a support frame including a transverse bar 601 and side walls 602 located at the bottom of the support frame, thereby giving the device 100 a substantially box shape, where the entrance section 603 is identified by the feed direction 540 shown in Figures 2A, 2B, and 2C.

[0050] The inlet section 603 is further identified by a pair of inlet rollers 201, 202, which are provided to advance the carrier 500 along the feed direction 540, i.e., to push the carrier 500 forward in accordance with the direction of rotation of the rollers, and, in some cases, to generate a traction force that reverses the rotation of the rollers and causes it to move backward.

[0051] The inlet rollers 201 and 202 are driven by a first motor 220, each having a first shaft that drives a first drive wheel 605, which meshes and engages with the first transmission belt 215. The entire kinematic transmission is described in detail below.

[0052] The inlet rollers 201 and 202, which are fixed in bearings attached to the side wall 602, rotate in different directions to pull the carrier into the device 500, which is then sent to the inclined chute 105, where the carrier 500 is guided to the folding device 400 (Figures 11A and 11B).

[0053] For this purpose, the inclined chute 105 has a funnel-shaped first inlet 106 for receiving the front edge of the carrier 500 as it moves forward. At this inlet 106, the chute 105 has a pivot point so that it can be tilted upward or downward, guiding the front edge of the carrier 500 as it moves forward to either the upper diverter 108 or the lower diverter 109. The movement of the inclined chute 105 is actuated by an inclined actuator 112 located on a side wall 602 of the device 100 (Figure 2A), which is movable within an upper position 110 and a lower position 115, and the exit of the inclined chute 105 corresponds to the upper diverter 108 and the lower diverter 109, respectively (Figures 11A and 11B).

[0054] After bending, the carrier 500 is led by a drawer chute 460 to a drawer section 450 located in the middle of the device 100. The device 100 then has an outlet section 465 opposite an inlet section 603, and a bypass device may be provided to remove any carriers that have been bent incorrectly.

[0055] As will be described later, the pull-out section 450 is provided to move the carrier 500 back and forth in cooperation with the folding device 400 and the entrance section 603.

[0056] The first motor 220 drives a tail wheel 213 at one end, connected to the first inlet roller 201 of the inlet rollers 201, 202, via a first transmission belt 215 and with the contribution of a plurality of first tensioning wheels 606 axled in bearings within a side wall 602, and at the opposite end, the first inlet roller 201 has a first pinion 208 that engages with a second pinion 210 at a 1:1 transmission ratio, connected to the end of the second inlet roller 202 of the inlet rollers 201, 202, which have the same diameter and rotate at the same speed in opposite directions.

[0057] Two inlet rollers 201, 202 are in contact with each other and are configured to receive the carrier 500 inside the device 100 and feed it to a folding device 400, which has a pair of outlet shafts 236, 239 driven by a transmission belt 215 that engages with a first auxiliary wheel 223 mounted on a clutch shaft 235.

[0058] A clutch unit 222 is provided, driven by a clutch shaft 235, which connects or disconnects a first motor 220 to the first outlet shaft 236 of a pair of outlet shafts 236, 239 (Figures 4 and 5), these outlet shafts, like the clutch shaft 235, are anchored in bearings mounted on the side wall 602.

[0059] The kinematic connection between the first outlet shaft 236 and the clutch unit 222 is provided by an auxiliary kinematic chain, which includes a second auxiliary wheel 225, an auxiliary belt 226, an auxiliary tensioning wheel 221, and a third auxiliary wheel 234 directly connected to one end of the first outlet shaft 236. At opposing ends, the first outlet shaft 236 has a third pinion 237 that engages with a fourth pinion 238 at a 1:1 transmission ratio, driving the second outlet shaft 239 of the pair of outlet shafts 236, 239.

[0060] Both exit shafts 236, 239 have upper and lower exit rollers 240, 241, respectively, that rotate in opposite directions to drag the carrier out of the folding device 400, and the exit rollers 240, 241 have respective rubber surfaces that contact each other to provide drag friction between them, and they are such that they catch the leading edge of the carrier 500 in motion, and the dragging action is triggered by the clutch unit 222.

[0061] Outlet shafts 236, 239 and outlet rollers 240, 241 are provided in the outlet section 465 to drag the processed carrier 500 out of the pull-out area 450.

[0062] A second motor 250 is provided, each having a second shaft that drives each second drive wheel 604 which meshes with and engages with a second transmission belt 251, and the second transmission belt conveniently meshes with a second tail wheel 252 which is connected to the end of the central shaft 253 of the folding device 400, which is anchored in a bearing attached to the side wall 602.

[0063] The central pinch roller 254 is mounted around the central shaft 253 and has a predetermined diameter and a high-friction rubber surface. This roller 254 extends laterally and parallel to the path of the carrier 500 from the inlet rollers 201 and 202.

[0064] At its opposite end, the central shaft 253 engages with the upper and lower lateral pinions 256 and 258 respectively with a transmission ratio of 1:1, and further has a central pinion 255 connected to the respective ends of the upper and lower lateral pinch rollers 231 and 232, both having a predetermined diameter and a high-friction rubber surface.

[0065] In accordance with the engagement described above, the central pinch roller 254 rotates in a direction opposite to the rotational direction of both the upper and lower lateral pinch rollers 231 and 232. Then, as the central pinch roller 254 rotates clockwise, the upper and lower lateral pinch rollers 231 and 232 rotate counterclockwise in response to the rotation applied by the second motor 250 that drives them, as can be seen in Figures 11A and 11B, and vice versa.

[0066] Since the central and lateral pinions 255, 256, and 258 are all equal, and all the pinch rollers 231, 232, and 254 of the folding device 400 have the same outer diameter, the peripheral speed is always the same regardless of the direction of rotation.

[0067] It should be noted that both the first motor 220 and the second motor 250 are servo motors equipped with electronic encoder-driven feedback, which force the inlet roller and pinch rollers 201, 202, 231, 232, and 254 to rotate precisely at the same peripheral speed, thereby enabling these motors to rotate at a controlled speed.

[0068] Because the distance between the inlet rollers 201 and 202 and the pinch rollers 254, 231, and 232 is shorter than the extension of the carrier 500, the final stress on the carrier 500 is zero when all of these are dragging it.

[0069] Furthermore, the nip of the inlet rollers 201 and 202 and the central axis of the central pinch roller 254 lie on one horizontally extending plane of symmetry, while the lateral pinch rollers 231 and 232, when in contact with the central pinch roller 254, are both perfectly symmetrical with respect to the plane of symmetry; that is, their horizontal axes are the same distance from the plane of symmetry, and they form another plane perpendicular to the plane of symmetry.

[0070] Furthermore, both lateral pinch rollers 231 and 232 are positioned in a staggered pattern relative to the central pinch roller 254, which is located further away from the inlet rollers 201 and 202, forming an isosceles triangle pattern.

[0071] The aforementioned pinch rollers 254, 231, and 232 form a set of three parallel pinch rollers, which are used to partially or completely bend the carrier 500.

[0072] The pinch rollers 254, 231, and 232 grip the carrier 500 so that the paper does not slip against the roller surface and moves forward as the rollers rotate. When the paper is between the rollers, it is engaged with the rollers to prevent slippage. Such considerations are worth mentioning for all pairs of rollers provided in the device to advance the carrier.

[0073] However, both lateral pinch rollers 231, 232 are movable relative to the central pinch roller 254, and the upper lateral pinch roller 231 is attached to two respective upper lateral levers 261, 265, each having a pivot point around the central shaft 253, and similarly, the lower lateral pinch roller 232 is attached to two respective lower lateral levers 273, 276, each having a pivot point around the central shaft 253. Each lever 261, 265, 273, and 276 is connected to its respective upper linear actuators 260, 264 and lower linear actuators 272, 274, all of which are equipped with appropriate electrical control, thereby allowing the lateral pinch rollers 231 and 232 to be separated from the surface of the central pinch roller 254 by a predetermined distance of about one or a few millimeters, and at this short distance, the teeth of the central and lateral pinions 255, 256, and 258 are still engaged, so these lateral pinch rollers continue to rotate.

[0074] Since the thickness of carrier 500 is in the range of 0.08 mm to 0.150 mm, if the lateral pinch rollers are misaligned with the central pinch roller 254, they will restrain the carrier and prevent it from being dragged.

[0075] A flat drawer chute 460 is positioned between the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254 and the exit rollers 240, 241, and is formed by a lower plate 472 provided to support the carrier 500 as it passes through the drawer chute 460.

[0076] The lower plate 472 is arranged on two upper plates 468, 470 to form a chute, or open channel 485, and the upper plates are connected by a hinge that allows the chute to be opened by rotating the first upper plate 468 of the two upper plates 468, 470, with a hinge 478 positioned in the middle of the chute perpendicular to the feed direction 540. This plate is separated by an extension opening 483 and formed by longitudinal flat bars 481 extending from each lateral inlet bar 462 and lateral outlet bar 463, each having an inlet and outlet lateral support 464, 474 (Figures 6A, 6B). The inlet bar 462 forms a funnel-shaped second inlet opening 482, and the upper inlet bar has a knob 476 for rotating the first upper plate 468.

[0077] The width of the extension opening allows any of the rollers of the folding device 400, i.e., the aforementioned upper and lower exit rollers 240, 241, to drag the carrier 500. Details of the control rollers will be described later.

[0078] On both sides of the open channel 485, the chute 460 has respective lateral guides 335, 345, which, if necessary, allow the carrier 500 to be horizontal, thereby re-establishing parallelism between the two outer sides of the carrier with respect to the feed direction 540.

[0079] If no carrier is present, the relative positions of guides 335 and 345 create a space wider than the carrier 500. However, if the carrier 500 is present, especially if the carrier 500 is stopped in the drawer chute, guides 335 and 345 are tightened to adjust the carrier's position.

[0080] In this regard, the drawer chute 460 is supported by the intermediate frame 490 (Figure 7B). Each guide is controlled by actuators 331, 341, each having its own worm screw 332, 342, or by similar linear actuators that make short-distance adjustments along the distance 375, 378 between the intermediate shaft 348 and the guides 335, 345. The worm screws 332, 342 move their respective lateral adjustment plates 333, 343, each connected to their respective lateral guides (Figure 7B).

[0081] The intermediate frame 490 is composed of lateral frame plates 334, 344 connected by horizontal bars 330, 331 mounted inside the lateral collars 336, 346, thereby reinforcing the structure.

[0082] The folding device 400 has a control device 410 for stopping the carrier 500, positioned between the exit rollers 240, 241 and the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254, near the opening 482 of the drawer chute 460, and optionally for returning the carrier along the feed direction 540.

[0083] The control device 410 has a movable frame 420 formed by an upper beam 421 and a lower beam 422 connecting opposing vertical lateral beams 423, thereby forming a rectangular frame.

[0084] The lateral beams 423 have sliding lateral skids 376, 377 that face each other and have cavities that receive the lateral edges of the drawer chute 460. Thus, the position of the control device 410 can be adjusted along the extension of the drawer chute 460 according to various carrier types.

[0085] The upper beam supports a third motor 351 that drives a third drive wheel 424 for control, which meshes with and engages with a seamless third transmission belt 353 that drives a control tail wheel 355 connected to the end of an upper control shaft 357, which is anchored in a bearing mounted on the side beam 423.

[0086] The opposing end of the upper control shaft 357 has a fifth pinion 358 that engages with a sixth pinion at a 1:1 ratio, and this sixth pinion is connected to the end of a lower control shaft 360 which is anchored in a bearing mounted on a lateral beam 423 parallel to the upper control shaft 357.

[0087] The third motor 351 is a servo motor with electronic encoder-driven feedback, which enables the control shafts 357 and 360 to rotate at a controlled speed, forcing the control shafts to rotate at a precisely controlled speed.

[0088] The upper and lower control wheels 364 and 362 are mounted on control shafts 357 and 360, forming several pairs of dragging control wheels that are in contact with each other (Figure 8A), each having the same diameter and a high-friction rubber peripheral surface 391 that is in contact with each other. In view of the above, the upper and lower control wheels 364 and 362 rotate in opposite directions at the same speed and peripheral speed.

[0089] Both control wheels 364 and 362 have flat segments 390 on their surrounding circular surface 391 that are at the same angular position on the control wheel of the same control shaft and offset by 180° on the control wheel of the other control shaft (Figure 9D). As a result, the flat segments 390 of the upper and lower control wheels 362 and 364 engage with each rotation of the control wheel, and when this engagement occurs, the carrier 500 is not dragged.

[0090] The control device 410 is positioned along both ends of the path of the carrier 500, from the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254 to the exit rollers 240, 241, and the pinch rollers 231, 232, 254 and the control wheels 364, 362 rotate at the same peripheral speed controlled by the second motor 250 and the third motor 351, respectively, so that the carrier 500 can be dragged and controlled by them without putting stress on itself.

[0091] Therefore, the flat segments 390 of the control wheels 362, 364 are also always synchronized. The first optical sensors 371 are located in front of the control wheels 364, 362 and each has a first line of sight 229 for detecting the presence of the approaching leading edge of the carrier 500 in the control device 410.

[0092] Similarly, the second optical sensors 370 are located behind the control wheels 364, 362 and each has a second line of sight 239 for detecting the release of the trailing edge of the carrier 500 from the control device 410. Both optical sensors 370, 371 are mounted on the upper beam 421 of the movable frame 420.

[0093] In the control device 410, the stopper device 430 is provided to stop the forward moving edge of the carrier 500 by the output of control wheels 362, 364 mounted on the upper beam 421 of the movable frame 420. The stopper device 430 has a control linear actuator 365 suspended from the upper beam 421, which has a control rod 366 projecting toward the drawer chute 460, terminating at a stopper member 382 having a projection that is inserted through an extension opening 483 of the drawer chute so as to intersect with the path of the carrier 500 inside the drawer chute 460.

[0094] The stopper member 382 sets a stop point whose position is determined according to the position of the control device 410 along the pull-out chute 460, and determines the position of the fold or partial fold along the carrier 500, which is generated by the pinch rollers 231, 232, and 254.

[0095] As described above, the inclined chute 105 is provided to guide the incoming carrier 500 to either the upper diverter 108 or the lower diverter 109, and has a position for guiding the leading edge of the moving carrier 500 to either the upper inlet nip, formed by the central pinch roller 254 and the upper pinch roller 231, or the lower inlet nip, formed by the central pinch roller 254 and the lower pinch roller 232.

[0096] Then, the moving leading edge of the carrier 500 passes through the second inlet 482 of the drawer chute 460 until it aligns with the control wheels 362, 364, which drag the carrier 500 until the moving leading edge of the carrier is stopped by the stopper member 382. When the carrier is blocked, the control wheels 362, 364 stop therewhen their flat segments 390 face the upper and lower surfaces of the carrier 500, so that the carrier 500 is no longer dragged by the control wheels 362, 364 and remains pushed by a pair of pinch rollers 231, 232, 254. Therefore, the carrier 500 begins to form a buckled portion 810 in the opposite pair of pinch rollers 231, 232, 254, and this buckled portion continues until it is caught in either the lower or upper fold nip formed by the opposite pair of pinch rollers 231, 232, 254, i.e., until the pair of pinch rollers 231, 232, 254 is different from the pair that has an active entry nip that provides traction to the carrier 500.

[0097] This capture causes a fold to be formed at a certain distance from the front edge of the carrier 500, depending on the position of the stopper member 382.

[0098] It will be understood that such positions are set according to the carrier type and the desired folding position. If multiple folds are required on the same carrier 500, that is, if folds having the same direction are required in a C-fold configuration, only the control device 410 or the stopper device 430 can be moved accordingly by dedicated actuators. Alternatively, the device 100 may include two or three, i.e., multiple control devices 410, and possibly two or three, i.e., multiple stopper devices 430, along the drawer chute 460.

[0099] In any case, the carrier 500 is movable back and forth, and furthermore, by returning the leading edge with the entrance rollers 201 and 202 and repeating the folding motion, C-folds, Z-folds, double-directional half-folds, and in some cases, even four-folds along the carrier can be performed.

[0100] Finally, when either the upper or lower pinch rollers 231, 232 are displaced a short distance from the central pinch roller 254, while providing an active fold nip to the buckled portion 810, a partial fold 814 is formed, allowing the carrier 500 to be straightened again, and to maintain a straightened state even after this folding operation at the exit of the device 100.

[0101] After the folding process is performed by the folding device 400, the carrier 500 is released directly from the exit rollers 240, 241, which act through the extension opening 481 of the drawer chute 460.

[0102] Figures 12A and 12B show all the steps for providing the carrier 500 with at least one partial fold: (a) feeding the flat carrier 500 through inlet rollers 201, 202; (b) then diverting it to either the upper or lower diverters 108, 109 by tilting the inclined chute 105; and (c) guiding the leading edge of the moving carrier 500 through the nip of two pinch rollers 231, 254 and further through control rollers 364, 362 until it is blocked by the stopper member 382(d).

[0103] In this configuration, the control rollers 364 and 362 are oriented so that their flat segments 390 contact the carrier surface, and the inlet rollers 210 and 202 and the active pinch rollers 231 and 254 together push the carrier 500, forcing the formation of buckled portions 810 that are taken into the nip of the opposing pair of pinch rollers 232 and 254(e). In this process, one pinch roller 232 is separated from the other 254 to create a partial fold 814.

[0104] Next, the stopper member 384 is lifted, allowing the carrier 500 to move forward, thereby releasing the partial fold 814 (f) and allowing it to pass through the pinch roller (g) and the control rollers 364, 372 (h).

[0105] Therefore, the moving leading edge of the carrier 500 reaches (i) and passes through (j) the exit rollers 240, 241, in the meantime, another carrier 500 is being fed (k), until the carrier is finally released by the folding device 400.

[0106] The second optical sensor 370 mentioned above checks whether the tail of the carrier 500 has moved forward from the interference zone of the stopper member 482, and the first optical sensor 371 can determine whether the control rollers 364 and 362 are synchronized with each other and with the stopper member 482.

[0107] At the outlet mouth 461 of the drawer chute 460, the carrier can optionally enter any folding group 300 and undergo further folding, i.e., be released in a folded configuration.

[0108] The folding group 300 includes a fourth motor 670 that drives a fourth drive wheel 680, and a fourth seamless transmission belt 671 that engages with each of the fourth tail wheels 681, having a seventh pinion 673 which is integrated at one end with a first pinch roller 672 and at the opposite end engages with an eighth pinion 674 and further engages with another ninth pinion 694, all of which have a 1:1 transmission ratio. The eighth and ninth pinions 674 and 694 are connected to the respective ends of the second pinch roller 675 and service roller 651, all of which have the same outer diameter and rotate at the same peripheral speed. The first pinch roller 672 also rotates the first drive pulley 676 with the seventh pinion 673, and the first drive pulley 676 drives a seamless belt 677 which engages with the first tail pulley 678 connected to the end of the upper inlet roller 681, which has a tenth pinion 695 at the opposite end and engages with the eleventh pinion 696 that guides the lower inlet roller 683, and the diameters of the inlet rollers 681 and 683 are equal to the diameters of the pinch and service rollers 651, 672, and 675.

[0109] Because the drive and tail pulleys 676 and 678 have the same diameter and a 1:1 transmission ratio, the inlet rollers 681 and 683, and the pinch and service rollers 651, 672, and 675 all rotate at the same peripheral speed to avoid stress on the carrier 500, which enters the inlet rollers 681 and 683, and then the pinch rollers 651, 672, and 675, which have carrier guides between them.

[0110] According to the above arrangement, the carrier is guided to a folding chute 650, which is formed by overlapping plates 660, 661 and each has a third inlet 725.

[0111] Inside the folding chute 650, a movable stopper 669 is provided, which can translate along the chute extension to set a stopping point at a position determined by the carrier configuration. The stopper 669 consists of an extension bar at its end connected to a movable slider 721, which engages with each worm shaft 722 supported by the side edge of the folding chute 650 by the frame member 723. The worm shafts 722 are driven by tail gears 724 engaged with a fourth transmission belt 665, and are then dragged and rotatable by a service motor 665 through a drive gear 726. Fine adjustment of the cursor position 721 is possible by a threaded knob 730 acting on the worm shaft 722.

[0112] In light of the above, the stopper 669 can be positioned at any location within the folding chute 650 along the operating race 720.

[0113] This folding group 300 operates by reversing the direction of the carrier 500, which has already been partially folded, through the entrance rollers 681, 683, and the leading edge of the carrier in motion is then taken into the nip formed by the service roller 651 together with the second pinch roller 675, thereby entering the opening 725 of the folding chute 650 until it is blocked by the stopper 669.

[0114] Next, a further buckled portion 710 is formed by the carrier and incorporated into the nip formed by the first and second pinch rollers 672, 675, thereby forming a permanent fold.

[0115] At the end of this process, the folded carrier 500 can be discharged by the device 100.

[0116] All motors cited refer to electric motors that function as servo motors, equipped with electronic encoder drive feedback, enabling the connected shaft to rotate at a controlled and precise speed. All of these motors and all sensors provided through device 100 refer to a control unit with a user interface.

[0117] Therefore, the folding device 100 can be monitored and controlled via this user interface, which may be physically connected to the device or remotely located. The user interface may be a touchscreen or other similar input device that can display parameters and operating conditions for controlling the functions of the device 100 to the operator.

[0118] The user interface is associated with at least one processor configured to control all scheduled operations of the device 100. The user interface may employ software, hardware, firmware, hardwiring, or a combination thereof. The form factor implementing the function may also be physically located in various locations, including being distributed so that some of the function is implemented in various physical locations.

[0119] The aspects of the disclosure described herein, such as the speed and control of rollers, inclined chutes, and carrier guides as described above, as well as the monitoring and control of various parameters, can be implemented using any type of computing device, such as a computer or programmable logic controller (PLC) including a processor, for example, a central processing unit, or any combination of computing devices, each device performing at least a part of the process or method. In some embodiments, the systems and methods described herein can be implemented on portable devices, such as smart tablets, smartphones, or dedicated devices manufactured for the system.

[0120] With respect to the partial folding and folding apparatus described above, those skilled in the art may introduce several additional modifications and variations to satisfy additional and incidental needs, all of which fall within the scope of protection of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A partial folding and folding device for paper documents such as card carriers, - An inlet section (603) that receives a carrier (500), and an inlet section in which the feeding direction (540) is defined, - A set of three parallel pinch rollers, comprising a central pinch roller (254) and a pair of lateral pinch rollers (231, 232) arranged symmetrically with respect to the central pinch roller (254), both of which are in contact with the central pinch roller (254) and are arranged in a staggered pattern further away from the entrance section (603), and together with the central pinch roller (254) substantially forming an isosceles triangle pattern, - An inclined chute (105) is configured to selectively guide the carrier (500) to one of the inlet nips formed on the contact surface between the central pinch roller (254) and one of the lateral pinch rollers (231, 232), - A drawer chute (460) positioned downstream of the triplicate, having an inlet (482) that is configured to receive the leading edge of the carrier (500) in motion, and determining the carrier path, wherein the inlet (482) is substantially centered relative to the triplicate, and is positioned to receive the leading edge of the carrier (500) in motion from any of the nips facing it, and - A stopper device (430) positioned at a predetermined distance from the tripod along the carrier path, wherein the stopper device is configured to selectively block the moving leading edge of the carrier (500) in order to cause a buckling portion (810) in the carrier (500) located between the inlet (482) of the drawer chute (460) and the tripod, The pair of central pinch rollers (254) and lateral pinch rollers (231, 232) rotate in opposite directions, advancing the carrier (500) through the triplicate. The buckled portion (810) is oriented accordingly toward a fold nip formed on the contact surface between the central pinch roller (254) and the other of the lateral pinch rollers (231, 232), and is taken into the fold nip to create a fold or partial fold in the folding device.

2. The folding device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the entrance section (603) has a pair of entrance rollers (201, 202) provided for advancing the carrier (500) along the feed direction (540).

3. The folding device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the inclined chute (105) has a funnel-shaped inlet (106) that receives the front edge of the carrier (500) as it moves forward, and a fulcrum is provided in the inlet (106), thereby allowing the inclined chute (105) to be inclined upward or downward, guiding the front edge of the carrier (500) as it moves forward to either the upper inlet nip or the lower inlet nip of the three-piece set.

4. The folding device (100) according to claim 3, wherein the inclined chute (105) has a position for guiding the advancing carrier (500) to either the upper diverter 108 or the lower diverter 109, and for guiding the moving leading edge of the carrier (500) to either the upper inlet nip or the lower inlet nip.

5. The folding device (100) according to claim 3, wherein the movement of the inclined chute (105) is operated by an inclined actuator (112) located on one side of the device (100).

6. The folding device (100) according to claim 1, wherein an outlet shaft (236, 239) and an outlet roller (240, 241) are provided in the outlet section (465) of the folding device (100) to drag the processed carrier (500) away from the drawer area (450) identified by the drawer chute (460).

7. The folding device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the lateral pinch rollers (231, 232) are movable relative to the central pinch roller (254).

8. The folding device (100) according to claim 7, wherein the upper lateral pinch roller (231) is attached to each of two upper lateral levers (261, 265), the lower lateral pinch roller (232) is attached to each of two lower lateral levers (273, 276), each lever (261, 265, 273, 276) is connected to each of upper and lower linear actuators (260, 264, 272, 274) which are provided to separate the lateral pinch rollers (231, 232) from the surface of the central pinch roller (254) at a predetermined distance, and the lateral pinch rollers (231, 232) are still engaged with their respective motors (250).

9. The folding device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the drawer chute (460) is formed by a lower plate (472) and two upper plates (468, 470) that are hinged together to rotate around each other and open the drawer chute (460).

10. The folding device (100) according to claim 1, wherein the drawer chute (460) has lateral guides (335, 345) such that the carrier (500) can be horizontally positioned as needed to re-establish parallelism between the two outer sides of the carrier with respect to the feed direction (540).

11. The folding device (100) according to claim 1, wherein a control device (410) is provided to stop the carrier (500) located downstream of the triplicate at a certain distance from the entrance section (603), depending on the carrier type, and optionally return it along the feed direction (540).

12. The folding device (100) according to claim 11, wherein the control device (410) has a movable frame (420) mounted on each of the sliding skids (376, 377) that move along the drawer chute (460).

13. The folding device (100) according to claim 11, wherein the control device (410) has a pair of drag control wheels (364, 362) that are in contact with each other and rotate in opposite directions at the same speed and peripheral speed.

14. Each control wheel (364, 362) has a flat segment (390) on its surrounding circular surface (391) that is at the same angular position on all of the control wheels (364, 362) but offset by 180° on opposing control wheels (364, 362), thereby the flat segments (390) of the upper and lower control wheels (362, 364) interlock with each other with each rotation, and when this interlocking occurs, the carrier (500) is not dragged, the folding device (100) according to claim 13.

15. The folding device (100) according to claim 11, wherein the control device (410) includes a first optical sensor (371) for detecting the presence of the leading edge of the carrier (500) entering the control device (410), and a second optical sensor (370) for detecting the release of the trailing edge of the carrier (500) from the control device (410).

16. The folding device (100) according to claim 11, wherein the control device (410) includes a stopper device (430) for stopping the moving edge of the carrier (500).

17. The folding device (100) according to claim 16, comprising a control linear actuator (365) having a control rod (366) projecting toward the drawer chute (460), the stopper device (430) having a stopper member (382) having a projection that intersects with the path of the carrier (500) and is inserted through an opening (483) of the drawer chute (460).

18. Furthermore, the folding device (100) according to claim 1, further comprising a further folding group (300) at the exit opening (461) of the drawer chute (460), wherein the carrier (500) can enter so as to receive further folds and be released in a folded configuration.

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