Conveying equipment, collating equipment, inserting equipment, packaging equipment, conveying equipment management system, drive system

Abstract

This prevents excessive drive output from the transport drive source due to a malfunction in the transport drive amount detection means, thereby preventing transport failures caused by the output of excessive drive. [Solution] A transport device 200 comprises a transport means 217 for transporting an object to be transported, a transport drive source 282 that outputs a driving force to be transmitted to the transport means 217 via a drive transmission mechanism, a transport drive amount detection means 284 for detecting the amount of drive of the transport drive source 282, and a control unit 252 for controlling the power supplied to the transport drive source 282 from a power source using pulse width modulation control. The transport device 200 is further equipped with a communication means 2108 that can transmit pulse width modulation control information, which is control information for pulse width modulation control, to an external information processing means 520 via a communication network 510.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device, a collating device, a packaging device, a conveying device management system, and a driving device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an inserter called an inserter that inserts a collating material inside a four-folded newspaper and makes the newspaper in a state where the collating material is folded therein is known (for example, the "sheet bundle creating part" of the "collating device" described in Patent Document 1).

[0003] As the above-described inserter, there is one that transmits driving force from a common main motor to a newspaper conveying unit that conveys newspapers and a collating material conveying unit that conveys collating materials. Further, there is one that includes an encoder that detects the rotation amount of this main motor and controls the driving amount of the main motor by PWM (pulse width modulation) control based on the detection of the encoder.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Patent Document 5

Patent Document 6

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the aforementioned paper loading device, when problems occurred such as mismatched timing between newspaper and advertisement transport or paper jams, service technicians or other maintenance personnel would visit and clean the encoder, which sometimes resolved the issue. Since cleaning the encoder can resolve these problems, it is desirable to be able to clean the encoder before problems occur. This type of problem is not limited to conveying devices where the transported objects are newspapers and advertisements, but can occur in any conveying device that controls the power supplied from the power source to the conveying drive source, which is the driving source of the conveying means that transports the transported objects, by pulse width modulation control based on the detection result of a conveying drive amount detection means such as an encoder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention relates to a conveying device comprising: a conveying means for conveying an object to be conveyed; a conveying drive source that outputs a driving force to be transmitted to the conveying means via a drive transmission mechanism; a conveying drive amount detection means for detecting the amount of driving of the conveying drive source; and a control unit that controls the power supplied from a power source to the conveying drive source by pulse width modulation control, wherein the conveying device is further characterized in that it comprises communication means capable of transmitting pulse width modulation control information, which is control information for the pulse width modulation control, to an external information processing means via a communication network.

[0007] Through diligent investigation, the inventors discovered that when the aforementioned problem, which can be resolved by cleaning the encoder, occurs, the duty cycle (pulse width) in the PWM control (pulse width modulation control) is large. This is thought to be due to the following reasons. In other words, the encoder in the in-unit device where the above-mentioned problem occurred comprised a rotating disk with numerous light-blocking marks arranged in a circle on a transparent circular thin plate, and a transmissive sensor having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element positioned on either side of the rotating disk. In this encoder, as the rotating disk rotates, light is repeatedly blocked and passed between the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element. The on / off pattern of light, consisting of an ON signal when the light-receiving element receives light and an OFF signal when it no longer receives light, is extracted as an electrical signal, the rotation angle is calculated from the number of on / off cycles, and the rotation speed is calculated from the rotation angle per unit time.

[0008] Furthermore, if the power supplied from the power source to the transport drive source is kept constant, disturbances such as fluctuations in the load transporting the object or fluctuations in the load of the drive transmission mechanism may cause fluctuations in the amount of drive output from the transport drive source, potentially resulting in variations in transport speed. In contrast, variations in transport speed can be suppressed by controlling the power supplied from the power source to the transport drive source using PWM control based on the encoder detection results. Specifically, when the detected rotational speed is lower than the desired rotational speed, the duty cycle is increased to increase the amount of drive, and when the detected rotational speed is higher, the duty cycle is decreased to decrease the amount of drive. As a result, even if disturbances such as fluctuations in the load transporting the object or fluctuations in the load of the drive transmission mechanism occur, the range of fluctuations in the amount of drive output from the transport drive source can be reduced, thereby suppressing variations in transport speed.

[0009] However, if there is any deposit on the surface of the encoder's rotating disk or on the transmission sensor, the deposit will block light at the timing when it should turn ON, reducing the number of ON / OFF cycles per rotation angle. This causes the calculated rotation angle to be smaller than the actual rotation angle of the rotating disk, resulting in a false detection where the calculated rotation speed is smaller than the actual rotation speed. Therefore, if there is a deposit on the encoder, even if the drive amount of the transport drive source is at the correct value, the rotation speed detected by the encoder will be smaller, and the actual drive amount will be larger than the drive amount required to achieve the correct transport speed through control that increases the duty cycle. If the deposit on the encoder worsens further, even if the actual drive amount is greater than the drive amount required for the correct transport speed, the detected rotation speed will be smaller than the rotation speed under correct conditions, and control will further increase the duty cycle. As a result, an excessive drive amount will be output from the transport drive source, causing the transport means to operate at a transport speed exceeding the expected range, making it impossible to transport newspapers and advertisements stably. This can lead to transport malfunctions that cause the device to stop, such as mismatched transport timing between newspapers and advertisements or paper jams.

[0010] When the transport system is operating at the correct transport speed, transport malfunctions are often isolated incidents that can be resolved by removing the object being transported, such as a newspaper or advertisement. However, if the system is operating at a speed exceeding the expected range due to an encoder error, the transport system will remain unable to transport objects stably. In such cases, even after removing the object causing the malfunction, the malfunction may recur, potentially leading to frequent malfunctions.

[0011] To address such malfunctions, cleaning the encoder when the average duty cycle over a predetermined period reaches a certain level can prevent an increase in the duty cycle due to erroneous detection by the encoder, thereby preventing excessive drive output from the transport drive source. Furthermore, in addition to cleaning deposits on transport drive amount detection means such as encoders, performing maintenance work such as repairing damage that may cause erroneous detection of drive amounts or replacing parts that have deteriorated over time can also prevent excessive drive output from the transport drive source. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, pulse width modulation control information transmitted by the communication means to the external information processing means can be confirmed by an external administrator such as a service technician. When the external administrator determines from the confirmed pulse width modulation control information that the average value of the pulse width (duty cycle) exceeds a preset value (a value that may have increased due to a false detection by the transport drive amount detection means), they visit the user site where the transport device is installed and perform maintenance work on the transport drive amount detection means. This prevents excessive drive amount output from the transport drive source and prevents transport failures caused by the output of excessive drive amount as described above. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the newspaper equipment management system. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the external appearance of a collating machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] A schematic diagram of the internal structure of a collating machine, viewed from the front. [Figure 4] Front view of the paper feed device. [Figure 5] A block diagram showing the electrical configuration centered on the control unit of the collating machine. [Figure 6] A schematic diagram of the "collated job information" sent from the collating machine to the management server. [Figure 7] External perspective view of the inlet system of this embodiment. [Figure 8]Operation explanatory diagram of the insertion system of this embodiment. [Figure 9] Block diagram showing the functional configuration of the insertion system. [Figure 10] Schematic diagram of "inserted job information" transmitted from the insertion system to the management server. [Figure 11] Explanatory diagram of the insertion motor encoder. [Figure 12] External perspective view of the packaging machine of this embodiment. [Figure 13] Side view showing the outline of the internal structure of the packaging machine of this embodiment. [Figure 14] Control block diagram of the packaging machine.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, the same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations are omitted as appropriate. Also, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are appropriately enlarged or reduced for easy understanding. In addition, some members that are not important for explaining the embodiment in each drawing are omitted from the display.

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a newspaper equipment management system including a butting device according to the present invention will be described.

[0016] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of a newspaper equipment management system 500 according to this embodiment. The newspaper equipment management system 500 shown in Figure 1 comprises a collating machine 10, an inserting system 200 having an inserting device 20, a packaging machine 300, an external information processing means, a management server 520, and a management terminal 530 such as a personal computer. The newspaper equipment management system 500 shown in Figure 1 shows a configuration in which one collating machine 10, one inserter 20, and one packaging machine 300 installed in one newspaper store NS can communicate with the management server 520 via an internet connection 510. The number of collating machines 10, inserters 20, and packaging machines 300 that can communicate with the management server 520 is not limited to one each. Furthermore, the number of newspaper stores NS where collating machines 10, inserters 20, and packaging machines 300 that can communicate with the management server 520 are installed is not limited to one. Furthermore, the newspaper equipment management system 500 is not limited to a single newspaper store NS having all three types of newspaper equipment: a collating machine 10, an inserter 20, and a packaging machine 300; it is sufficient if a single newspaper store has at least one of the three types of newspaper equipment.

[0017] The newspaper equipment management system 500 shown in Figure 1 is similar to the collating and inserting system described in Figure 1 of Patent Document 2, with the addition of a packaging machine 300. The collating machine 10 and inserting system 200 are the same as those described in Patent Document 2. The packaging machine 300 is the same as that described in Patent Document 3.

[0018] The collating machine 10 is a collating means that performs a collating operation to create a collated product by stacking multiple sheets of advertising print material. The inserter 20 is an inserting means that performs an inserting operation to create a collated insert sheet material in which an advertising set consisting of multiple advertisements is sandwiched between folded sheet material such as a folded newspaper. Therefore, when the collated product created by the collating machine 10 is inserted into the newspaper as an advertising set using the inserter, the thickness of the collated product created by the collating machine 10 and the thickness of the advertising set inserted into the newspaper by the inserter 20 will be the same.

[0019] The collating machine 10 of this embodiment has a thickness information derivation means that derives collated object thickness information, which is information about the thickness of the collated objects, based on calculation results based on input collating operation settings and detection results during collating operation. The collating machine 10 transmits the derived collated object thickness information to the management server 520 via the internet line 510, and the management server 520 stores the received collated object thickness information.

[0020] The inserter 20 includes a storage section for accommodating stacks of collated materials, each stacked in the thickness direction, and a collated material feeding section for feeding collated materials one set at a time from the stacks of collated materials in the storage section. It also includes a separation claw as a thickness reference setting change section, the setting of which should be changed according to the thickness of the collated materials. The separation claw is a component that facilitates the separation of collated materials being fed from the storage section from other collated materials stored in the storage section. The appropriate position of this separation claw varies depending on the thickness of the collated materials.

[0021] Furthermore, the inserter 20 includes an insert-side thickness information acquisition unit that acquires the collated material thickness information derived by the collating machine 10 and stored in the management server 520 via the internet connection 510. In this embodiment, the inserter 20 displays information corresponding to the acquired collated material thickness information on the display unit of the insert tablet terminal 21, which is a thickness information display unit that allows the user to confirm the information. The information to be displayed may be the thickness of the collated material, or it may be an operational value calculated based on the thickness.

[0022] In the inserter 20 of this embodiment, the thickness of the collated material is displayed, as well as the numerical value of the scale of a knob for adjusting the position of the separation claws. If a drive source such as a motor and its control unit are provided that can adjust the position of the separation claws, the position of the separation claws may be automatically changed according to the acquired collated material thickness information.

[0023] The packaging machine 300 packages collated insert sheet material, such as newspaper with an advertising set sandwiched inside, with packaging material such as film, or packages the advertising set with packaging material. When packaging collated insert sheet material, the thickness of the object to be packaged will be the same as the thickness of the collated insert sheet material created by the inserter 20, and when packaging advertising sets, the thickness of the object to be packaged will be the same as the thickness of the collated material created by the collation machine 10. Therefore, if the control conditions differ depending on the thickness of the object to be packaged with the packaging material in the packaging machine 300, the packaging machine 300 may be configured to acquire thickness information used for control, such as the thickness information of the collated material derived by the inserter 20 or the thickness information of the collated insert sheet material derived by the inserter 20, via the internet line 510 or the management server 520.

[0024] Furthermore, the configuration for sending and receiving information between each device is not limited to communication via an external communication line such as the Internet line 510. Information may also be sent and received between the collating machine 10 and the inserter 20, between the collating machine 10 and the packaging machine 300, and between the inserter 20 and the packaging machine 300, using wired or wireless communication lines.

[0025] As for the thickness information of the collated material, information derived in the same way as the "collated material thickness data" described in Patent Document 2 may be used, but is not limited to this. Furthermore, as for the thickness information of the collated interleaved sheet material, information derived in the same way as the "thickness of interleaved newspaper" described in Patent Document 2 may be used, but is not limited to this.

[0026] Next, an example of an inserter 20, a collating machine 10, and a packaging machine 300 that constitute the newspaper equipment management system 500 shown in Figure 1 will be described.

[0027] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the external appearance of the collating machine 10 according to this embodiment, and Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the collating machine 10 viewed from the front. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the collating machine 10 is equipped with 10 paper feeders 1 (1A to 1U) on each side, and each paper feeder 1 has a paper feed tray 14 (1A to 1U) and a paper feed mechanism 18 (18A to 18U) (for convenience, the symbols "1A" to "1I" and "1L" to "1U", "18A" to "18I" and "18L" to "18U" are not shown in the illustration).

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the collating machine 10 includes a sub-transport mechanism 22 and a main transport mechanism 24, which are provided to correspond to the paper feeding mechanism 18 of each paper feed device 1. Below the bottom left paper feed tray 14 (14A), there is a folding paper feed device 1X which has a folding paper feed tray 14X and a folding paper feed mechanism 18X. To the right of the folding paper feed device 1X in Figure 3, there is further a folding paper transport plate 26, a folding paper placement plate 28, a folding paper stopper 30, a folding knife 32, and a pair of folding rollers 34. Furthermore, below the folding paper transport plate 26, there is a belt transport mechanism 36, a discharge roller pair 38, and a stacker tray 40.

[0029] The configuration of the collating machine 10 according to this application, as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3 of the internal structure, is the same as that described using Figures 2 and 3 of Patent Document 2, so a detailed explanation is omitted. Figure 4 is a front view of the paper feed device 1 installed on the left shelf shown in Figures 2 and 3. The configuration of the paper feed device 1 according to this application, as shown in Figure 4, is the same as that described using Figure 4 of Patent Document 2, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0030] The operation of the collating machine 10 is outlined below. The paper feeding mechanism 18 of the selected paper feeding device 1 from among the 10 paper feeding devices 1 feeds one sheet of paper at a time from the top sheet of paper stacked in the paper tray 14 onto the transport path of the sub-transport mechanism 22. The sub-transport mechanism 22 feeds the paper fed from the paper feeding mechanism 18 to the main transport mechanism 24. The main transport mechanism 24, which is provided to extend vertically within the housing 9, transports the paper fed from each sub-transport mechanism 22 downwards, either individually or in groups to create collated sheets.

[0031] When collating individual sheets of paper or collated materials with folded paper loaded in the folding paper feed tray 14X, the folded paper is transported from the folding paper feed tray 14X toward the folded paper mounting plate 28, where it abuts against the folded paper stopper 30 and stops. The collated material, formed while being transported downward by the main transport mechanism 24, abuts against the folded paper that has stopped on the folded paper mounting plate 28. At this timing, the folding knife 32 is rotated so that its tip abuts against the folded paper that has stopped on the folded paper mounting plate 28 and is pressed toward the folding roller pair 34. In this way, the collated material is held between the folded paper and the folded paper that has stopped on the folded paper mounting plate 28 by the folding roller pair 34, and the folded paper that has stopped on the folded paper mounting plate 28 is folded so as to sandwich the collated material, forming a collated material with the folded paper attached, which is then transported to the belt transport mechanism 36. The belt transport mechanism 36 further transports the collated material downstream. The discharge roller pair 38 discharges the collated material that has been transported into the stacker tray 40. If no collated material is placed between the folded paper, the folded paper is not supplied from the folding paper feed tray 14X. The collated material, formed while being transported downward by the main transport mechanism 24, is then gripped by the folding roller pair 34 and transported to the belt transport mechanism 36, where it is discharged into the stacker tray 40.

[0032] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic relationships between the collating control unit 50 of the collating machine 10. Although only two paper feed devices 1 are shown in Figure 5 for convenience, all paper feed control units 3 and collating control units 50 of the paper feed devices 1 installed on the collating machine 10 are capable of communicating with each other.

[0033] The collating control unit 50 has a CPU that performs various calculations, a ROM that stores various control programs, and RAM that is used as a work area for data storage and program execution, and controls the operation of actuators installed inside the collating machine 10. The user can input various settings using the main operation panel 16 or the paper feed operation panel 120. The collating control unit 50 acquires the information thus input by the user and controls the operation of the collating machine 10 according to the acquired information.

[0034] The paper feed control unit 3 controls various sensors, drive units, and display units of the paper feed device 1 based on the paper feed control program stored in the paper feed storage unit 31, and also communicates with the collating control unit 50.

[0035] The collating control unit 50 receives input signals from the sub-operation panel 5, input signals from the main operation panel 16 via the tablet control unit 6, and input signals from the paper feed operation panel 120 via the paper feed control unit 3. Furthermore, the collating control unit 50 receives detection signals from the paper discharge sensor 180, which detects the discharge of paper to the stacker tray 40, and the discharge unit displacement sensor 169, which detects the thickness of the collated material discharged to the stacker tray 40. Based on the collating control program stored in the collating memory unit 51, the collating control unit 50 controls various sensors, drive units, and display units of the collating machine 10 main unit, and also communicates with the paper feed control unit 3 and the tablet control unit 6. In addition, as shown in Figure 5, the main unit of the collating machine 10 is equipped with a collating auxiliary memory unit 59 and is capable of communicating with the collating control unit 50. The collation auxiliary storage unit 59 has a larger capacity than the collation storage unit 51, but its communication speed with the collation control unit 50 is slower. While the collation storage unit 51 corresponds to the main memory, the collation auxiliary storage unit 59 corresponds to storage. The collation auxiliary storage unit 59 can store settings for collation operations entered by the user.

[0036] The sub-operation panel 5 is equipped with a start key 152 for initiating the collating process and a stop key 154 for stopping the collating process. The main operation panel 16 of the tablet terminal 4 is a touch panel that allows various settings to be made before continuous collating. On the other hand, the paper feed operation panel 120 includes various switches corresponding to the buttons described above. The buttons on the paper feed operation panel 120 may be configured so that multiple buttons perform a predetermined function when pressed simultaneously.

[0037] The collating control unit 50 and the multiple paper feed control units 3 execute predetermined calculation processes for paper feed control, transport control, folding control, etc., based on inputs from various switches, buttons, and sensors, and output control command signals to drive the paper feed motor 77, the collating main motor 182, etc. The collating main motor 182 is a motor shared by each transport roller that constitutes the sub-transport mechanism 22 and the main transport mechanism 24. As shown in Figure 5, the collating machine 10 includes a collating motor encoder 184 that detects the rotational speed of the motor rotation shaft of the collating main motor 182 (or the rotational axis of the rotational axis whose rotational speed is proportional to the motor rotation shaft), and a collating motor driver 183 that controls the supply current value set by the collating control unit 50 to be supplied to the collating main motor 182. The collating machine 10 controls the collating main motor 182 by PWM control based on the detection result of the collating motor encoder 184. In addition, the tablet control unit 6 displays the collating process setting screen, error notification, etc. on the liquid crystal display of the main operation panel 16.

[0038] As shown in Figure 5, the tablet terminal 4 is equipped with a tablet communication unit 8, and the tablet control unit 6 is capable of data communication with the management server 520 via the internet line 510. Based on the tablet control program stored in the tablet storage unit 47, the tablet control unit 6 controls the display of the main operation panel 16 on the tablet body, and also communicates with the collating control unit 50 and with the management server 520 via the internet line 510.

[0039] Device information held by the collating machine 10 is transmitted from the tablet control unit 6 to the tablet communication unit 8, from the tablet communication unit 8 to the Wi-Fi router 301 via the Wi-Fi line, and then to the modem 302. The modem 302 transmits the device information held by the collating machine 10 to the management server 520 via the internet line 510, and the management server 520 stores the received device information as needed. The stored device information can be checked by maintenance personnel and other service staff. In addition, in the collating machine 10 of this embodiment, the average value of the duty cycle (average value within a predetermined period (1 day, 1 week, etc.)) output by the collating control unit 50 to the collating motor driver 183 using PWM control of the collating main motor 182 is also transmitted to the management server 520 as device information held by the collating machine 10, and can be checked by maintenance personnel.

[0040] The tablet control unit 6 can transmit device information such as operating information, error information, and average duty cycle information of the collating machine 10 to the management server 520, which is an external information processing means, when the collating machine 10 is powered on, when an error occurs, or when the power is turned off. The operating information transmitted to the management server 520 may include, but is not limited to, the type and position of the paper feed device 1 used for collating, the type of sheet material loaded, and a cumulative counter indicating the number of collating operations performed by the collating machine 10. Furthermore, this information can be transmitted to the management server 520 via the internet line 510 or the like, which is derived by the thickness information derivation means.

[0041] The tablet control unit 6, the collating control unit 50, and the paper feed control unit 3 can obtain information about the collating machine 10 (such as error resolution methods, fault repair methods, and control program update information) from the management server 520 via the internet connection 510, etc. Furthermore, they can transmit input information from the management terminal 530 to the tablet control unit 6, the collating control unit 50, and the paper feed control unit 3 via the internet connection 510, etc. The management server 520 is not limited to a server device owned by the administrator; a publicly known cloud service platform may also be used. Also, the management terminal 530 is not limited to the personal computer shown in Figure 1; other electronic devices with communication functions, such as mobile terminals, may also be used.

[0042] The collating machine 10 of this embodiment is configured to allow updates for control programs, such as the main unit control program, the tablet control program, and the paper feed control program, to be downloaded from the management server 520 via the internet connection 510.

[0043] The collating machine 10 of this embodiment can transmit not only information related to the control program, but also device information such as past operation information and error information of the collating machine 10 to the management server 520 via the internet line 510. Examples of operation information to be transmitted include, but are not limited to, a cumulative counter which is the cumulative number of collations, and the number of times each paper feeder 1 has been fed.

[0044] Newspaper distributors typically divide their delivery area into multiple districts and create collated inserts (advertisement sets) for each district using the same paper combination. For example, they might create 200 copies of collated insert (A) for delivery district A, and then create 280 copies of collated insert (B) for delivery district B, which uses a different paper combination than collated insert (A).

[0045] The "required number of collated copies" to be delivered to each delivery area is set in advance, and the "area name," such as "Delivery Area A," and the "required number of collated copies" set for that area are linked and managed as "area information." This configuration of linking and managing "area names" and "required number of collated copies" is described, for example, in Patent Document 5. Here, the process of creating the required number of collated copies to be delivered to a certain area is called a "collation job."

[0046] Since the thickness of collated materials produced in a single collation job is almost the same, it is desirable to manage collated material thickness data for each collation job. Also, while a single collation job usually produces collated materials equal to the "number of pieces to be collated," a job may be interrupted midway for some reason. Therefore, when managing and outputting "collated job information" for completed collated materials, it is desirable to manage it using the "number of collated pieces" which is the actual number of pieces that have been collated, rather than the "number of pieces to be collated."

[0047] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an example of "collated job information" that is transmitted from the collating machine 10 to the management server 520 and stored there. The management server 520 assigns a serial number to each collating machine 10 to identify it, and as shown in Figure 6, the information transmitted from the collating machine 10 is managed by this serial number.

[0048] The "Serial Number" folder contains a subfolder called "Delivery Date," and the district number datasheet is stored in the Delivery Date folder. The delivery date is entered when creating the collating information before the collating process is performed by the collating machine 10. While a configuration that allows inputting the delivery date is not strictly necessary, it allows for managing information separately by delivery date, for example, when you want to pre-collate collated items that will be delivered to the same district but have different delivery dates.

[0049] The district number datasheet stores information such as "district name," "number of copies," and "thickness." The "district name" is not usually entered each time a collating process is performed, but is a name that is pre-entered when the collating machine 10 is introduced or when the district divisions of the delivery area are changed. The "number of copies" is the "number of copies that have been collated," which is the count of the number of copies that have been collated since the start of the collating job. The "number of copies that have been collated" usually matches the pre-set "number of copies that need to be collated," but since the collating job may be interrupted midway, the "number of copies that have been collated" is used. The "thickness" is the "collated item thickness data" derived by the thickness information derivation means of the collating machine 10. In addition, in order to share and manage information on delivered items in combination with delivery date and district among the collating machine 10, the management server 520, and the inter-package system 200, the district number datasheet may be configured to include a "job number" as shown in Figure 6, and to manage delivered items by "job number."

[0050] "Collated job information" may also include "collation date and time information," which is information about the date and time the collation was performed. This allows users to search for "collated job information" based on the date and time they performed the collation process.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, by saving "collated job information" that links "number of copies" and "thickness" to "district name" in the management server 520, in the process of processing collated items created by the collation machine 10, such as the inserter 20, by inputting or selecting the "district name," which is the identification information of a bundle of collated items consisting of multiple collated items, the "number of copies" and "thickness" information linked to that "district name" can be obtained.

[0052] Furthermore, when performing collation processing for multiple "delivery dates" in advance, it is possible that the same "district name" may be collated for different "delivery dates". In this case, if the identification information is only the "district name", it may not be possible to identify a specific collated bundle from among multiple collated bundles. However, in this embodiment, since the "district name" is a subfolder of the "delivery date", even when performing collation processing for multiple "delivery dates" in advance, the specific collated bundle can be identified from among multiple collated bundles by the combination of the "delivery date" and the "district name". In addition, as shown in Figure 6, it is desirable to assign a "job number" and manage the collated bundles according to the "job number".

[0053] After the collating job is completed, the user places an identification sheet with the "district name" and "delivery date" written on it on top of the created bundle of collated materials and stores it in the storage location. This allows identification information to be attached to the bundle of collated materials, and when the bundle of collated materials is processed in the next step, the user can obtain the "collated job information" for that bundle based on the identification information attached to it. If you do not create collated materials with multiple "delivery dates", you may omit the "delivery date" as identification information and use only the "district name".

[0054] Next, an example of the inserter 20 will be described. Figure 7 is an external perspective view showing an inserting system 200 equipped with an inserter 20, which is an inserting device according to this embodiment, and Figure 8 is an operation diagram schematically showing the inserting operation by the inserting system 200 shown in Figure 7. The configuration of the inserting system 200 according to this application shown in Figures 7 and 8 is similar to that described using Figures 7 and 8 of Patent Document 2.

[0055] The insert system 200 inserts an advertising set, which is a collated bundle of multiple advertising print materials, into a quarter-folded newspaper to create a newspaper with the advertising set folded inside. The advertising print material to be inserted into the newspaper is not limited to multiple pieces; a single advertising print material is also acceptable. The following explanation uses the example of creating a predetermined number of pre-filled newspapers for delivery to area A (for example, 200 copies = 50 copies x 4 bundles), and then creating a predetermined number of pre-filled newspapers for delivery to area B (for example, 280 copies = 60 copies x 4 bundles + 40 copies x 1 bundle). In the following explanation, the process of creating the predetermined number of pre-filled newspapers for delivery to each area will be referred to as a "pre-filling job."

[0056] The inserting system 200 comprises an inserting processing unit, an inserter 20, a discharge unit 202, a direction changing unit, and a lift-up stacker 203, a post-insertion stacking unit. The inserter 20 opens the final fold of a four-fold newspaper and inserts and holds the advertisement set into the opened gap. The inserter 20 comprises a newspaper feeding unit 210, an advertisement feeding unit 211, an operation unit 241, an inserting tablet terminal 21, a newspaper transport unit 217, a newspaper opening unit 218, and an advertisement insertion unit 219. The newspaper feeding unit 210 comprises a newspaper stacking unit 214 and a newspaper feeding mechanism 242, and the advertisement feeding unit 211 comprises an advertisement stacking unit 215 and an advertisement feeding mechanism 216.

[0057] The operation unit 241 comprises an input unit (e.g., push-button switches or a touch panel) and a display unit (e.g., an LCD panel) formed integrally with it. The display unit of the operation unit 241 displays a screen for setting up a job, for example. The user inputs job settings, namely the "number of copies" and "number of copies per section" of newspapers to be processed, via this screen. "Number of copies per section" refers to how many copies of processed newspapers are stacked together to create a bundle of processed newspapers. For example, in the job settings for area A, "number of copies = 200 copies" and "number of copies per section = 50 copies" are entered. In this case, four bundles of processed newspapers, each containing 50 copies of processed newspapers, are created. Also, for example, in the job settings for area B, "number of copies = 280 copies" and "number of copies per section = 60 copies" are entered. In this case, four bundles of processed newspapers, each containing 60 copies of processed newspapers, and one bundle of processed newspapers, each containing 40 copies of processed newspapers, are created.

[0058] Multiple newspapers folded into quarters are stacked in the newspaper stacking section 214 of the newspaper feeding section 210. As shown in Figure 7, the newspaper feeding mechanism 242 is located below the newspaper stacking section 214. The newspaper feeding mechanism 242 takes newspapers one by one from the newspaper stacking section 214 and sends them to the newspaper transport section 217. As shown in Figure 8, the newspaper transport section 217 has a circulating transport chain 220 and transport links 221 connected to it. The newspaper transport section 217 uses these transport links 221 to push the newspapers and transport them to the newspaper opening section 218 and then to the advertisement insertion section 219.

[0059] The newspaper opening section 218 includes an opening rotor 223 with an opening suction pad 222 on its outer circumference, and an opening guide (not shown) provided downstream of the opening rotor 223. Newspapers fed from the newspaper transport section 217 are opened at the upper end on the leading edge side in the transport direction by the opening suction pad 222. As the transport frame 221 moves further, the opening guide 224 enters the opened portion of the newspaper, and the newspaper is kept open as it is transported toward the advertisement insertion section 219.

[0060] The advertising stacking unit 215 stacks multiple advertising sets, each consisting of multiple printed advertising sheets sandwiched between folded printed advertising sheets as a delivery unit. The advertising stacking unit 215 has a front panel 225 and a stacking platform 226. The stack of advertising sets, consisting of multiple sets stacked on top of each other, is placed on the stacking platform 226, leaning against the front panel 225. The stack of advertising sets is stacked so that the folds of the folded printed advertising sheets (folded paper) that make up each advertising set face downwards.

[0061] The advertising paper feeding mechanism 216 is located below the front panel 225. The advertising paper feeding mechanism 216 takes out advertising sets one by one from the advertising stacking section 215 and sends them to the advertising insertion section 219. In the advertising insertion section 219, the advertising sets sent out from the advertising paper feeding mechanism 216 are inserted between newspapers that are opened by an opening guide. The newspapers with the inserted advertising sets are pushed by the transport wheel 221 and sent to the discharge unit 202.

[0062] The discharge unit 202 changes the transport direction of the loaded newspapers by 90°. In this embodiment, the discharge unit 202 transports newspapers that were transported in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the final fold) in the transverse direction (perpendicular to the final fold). The newspapers whose transport direction has been changed are pushed out by the discharge pusher 228 fixed to the discharge chain 227 and sent towards the lift-up stacker 203.

[0063] The in-package system 200 includes a lift-up conveyor 229 between the discharge unit 202 and the lift-up stacker 203, and a stack conveyor 231 downstream of the lift-up stacker 203. The lift-up conveyor 229 lifts the in-package newspapers sent out from the discharge unit 202 and transports them to the top of the lift-up stacker 203.

[0064] The lift-up stacker 203 includes a temporary receiving section 232, a receiving section 233 for stacked newspapers, a stacker discharge belt 234, a full sensor (not shown), and a top sensor (not shown). The top sensor detects when the top surface of the stacked newspapers loaded on the stacked newspapers receiving section 233 reaches a predetermined height. For example, the top sensor is composed of an optical sensor that turns "ON" when the stacked newspapers loaded on the stacked newspapers receiving section 233 block the sensor's detection area when the top surface of the stacked newspapers on the stacked newspapers receiving section 233 is above a predetermined height.

[0065] The stacked newspaper bundle receiving section 233 has a comb-like shape. The stacked newspaper bundle receiving section 233 is controlled to descend each time the top sensor is turned "ON" so that it descends by the thickness of the stacked stacked newspapers each time stacked newspapers are loaded. For example, the stacked newspaper bundle receiving section 233 is configured to descend by a drive mechanism (not shown). This maintains the height of the top surface of the stacked stacked newspapers within a certain range.

[0066] The pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233 loads pre-packed newspapers in the "number of copies to be sorted" specified by the user (50 copies for jobs in area A, 60 copies for jobs in area B) to form a bundle of pre-packed newspapers, and then sends this bundle to the stack conveyor 231. Specifically, when the loaded pre-packed newspapers reach a predetermined number, the four temporary receiving rollers 236 of the temporary receiving unit 232 advance onto the bundle of pre-packed newspapers and receive the pre-packed newspapers in place of the pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233 (see Figure 8). During this time, the pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233 descends, and the stacker discharge belt 234 enters between the teeth of its comb-like structure, and the bundle of pre-packed newspapers is loaded onto the stacker discharge belt 234. Subsequently, the stacker discharge belt 234 is driven and the bundle of pre-packed newspapers is sent to the stack conveyor 231.

[0067] The pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233 rises when it sends the pre-packed newspaper bundles to the stack conveyor 231. After rising, the temporary receiving roller 236 passes the pre-packed newspapers that were stacked on it to the pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233 and retracts from above the pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233. After the temporary receiving roller 236 retracts, newspapers sent from the lift-up conveyor 229 are stacked on top of the pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233. Hereafter, this series of processes by the temporary receiving unit 232 and the pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233 (the process of stacking pre-packed newspapers in the temporary receiving unit 232 or the pre-packed newspaper bundle receiving unit 233 to create a pre-packed newspaper bundle of a predetermined number of copies and sending it to the stack conveyor 231) is called the "stack discharge process".

[0068] The full sensor detects when the stacked newspaper bundle receiving section 233 becomes full (for example, when 100 stacked newspapers are placed in the stacked newspaper bundle receiving section 233). Such a full sensor is composed of, for example, an optical sensor that turns "ON" when the stacked newspaper bundle receiving section 233 descends to a predetermined position. The stack discharge process is also executed when the full sensor detects that the stacked newspaper bundle receiving section 233 is full.

[0069] Furthermore, the stack discharge process is also executed when the final bundle of newspapers for a job is loaded into the bundle receiving unit 233. In this case, the stack discharge process is executed even if the bundle receiving unit 233 is not full, and even if the number of newspapers loaded into the bundle receiving unit 233 has not reached the "number of copies to be sorted".

[0070] The stack conveyor 231 is equipped with numerous rollers 240 arranged in a row. When a new bundle of newspapers that has been loaded is sent out from the lift-up stacker 203, the multiple bundles of newspapers that have already been sent out and lined up are pushed and move along the rollers 240.

[0071] As shown in Figure 7, the lift-up stacker 203 is equipped with a stacking notification lamp 209 above the stack discharge port 203a for discharging stacks of newspapers that have been loaded.

[0072] When the final bundle of newspapers that has been loaded for the above-mentioned job is loaded, that is, when a job is completed (when "50 copies x 4 bundles" is completed in area A, or when "60 copies x 4 bundles + 40 copies x 1 bundle" is completed in area B), the loading notification lamp 209 will flash or light up to indicate that the loading process for a job has been completed. This allows delivery personnel in each area to easily and visually confirm that the loading process for their assigned area has been completed. Other visual notification methods may be used to notify the completion of a job, or other notification methods such as sound notification methods, or a combination of multiple notification methods may be used.

[0073] It is desirable that notification means such as the in-place notification lamp 209 be positioned upstream of the location (in this embodiment, the stack conveyor 231) where the in-place processed newspapers from the in-place system 200 are handed over to the user, such as the lift-up stacker 203. For example, in the in-place system shown in Figure 7, if the lift-up conveyor 229, lift-up stacker 203, and stack conveyor 231 are not provided, and the user receives the in-place processed newspapers discharged from the discharge unit 202, then notification means are provided in the discharge unit 202. When the final in-place processed newspaper of a job is discharged (when 200 in-place processing is completed in area A, or when 280 in-place processing is completed in area B), the notification means notifies that a job has been completed.

[0074] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an overview of the in-house system 200. The input system 200 includes an input control unit 252 that controls the entire system, an input receiving unit 250, a display control unit 251, a determination unit 253, an input storage unit 254, and an input communication unit 201. Each block shown in Figure 9 can be implemented in hardware terms by elements and mechanical devices such as a computer CPU, and in software terms by computer programs, etc., but here, the functional blocks that are realized through the cooperation of these are depicted. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be implemented in various forms by combinations of hardware and software.

[0075] The insertion control unit 252 controls the operation of the inserter 20, discharge unit 202, lift-up conveyor 229, lift-up stacker 203, and stack conveyor 231 to create a bundle of inserted newspapers in which the advertising sets have been folded into the newspapers.

[0076] The input reception unit 250 receives information entered by the user via the operation unit 241. The input reception unit 250 includes a job information reception unit 255 and a next job information reception unit 256. The job information reception unit 255 receives information about jobs to be performed when no jobs have been performed. Specifically, the job information reception unit 255 receives the number of newspapers to be processed and registers this as "Number of Copies Na1" in the number of copies to be processed storage unit 257. If the number of copies to be sorted has been entered, the job information reception unit 255 also receives this and registers it as "Number of Copies Sorted Nb1" in the number of copies sorted storage unit 259.

[0077] The next job information receiving unit 256 receives information about the next job to be performed while a job is running. Specifically, the next job information receiving unit 256 receives the number of newspapers to be collated and registers this as "next number of copies Na2" in the next number of copies storage unit 258. If the number of copies to be sorted has been entered, the next job information receiving unit 256 also receives this and registers it as "next sorted number of copies Nb2" in the next sorted number of copies storage unit 260.

[0078] The display control unit 251 provides the user with various display screens via the display unit of the operation unit 241. For example, it provides a display screen for setting information related to a job.

[0079] The determination unit 253 determines whether the number of copies processed for insertion has reached the current number of copies Na1. If the number of copies processed for insertion has reached the current number of copies Na1, the determination unit 253 determines whether information regarding the next job to be executed has been entered.

[0080] The interim storage unit 254 includes a current copy storage unit 257, a next copy storage unit 258, a current sorted copy storage unit 259, a next sorted copy storage unit 260, a copy counter 261, and a sorted copy counter 262. The current copy storage unit 257 stores the current copy Na1. The next copy storage unit 258 stores the next copy Na2. The current sorted copy storage unit 259 stores the current sorted copy Nb1. The next sorted copy storage unit 260 stores the next sorted copy Nb2. The copy counter 261 stores the number of newspapers processed for interim storage from the start of the job until then as the copy count value Na. The sorted copy counter 262 stores the number of newspapers processed for interim storage from the time the sorted copy count is reached (or from the start of the job in the case of the start of the job) until then as the sorted copy count value Nb.

[0081] As shown in Figure 9, the internal tablet terminal 21 is equipped with an internal tablet communication unit 2108, and the internal tablet control unit 2106 is capable of data communication with the management server 520 via the internet line 510. The internal tablet control unit 2106 controls the display of the internal tablet display unit 2116, which is a touch panel on the internal tablet terminal 21, based on the internal tablet control program stored in the internal tablet storage unit 2147. The internal tablet control unit 2106 also communicates with the internal control unit 252 via a wired line and with the management server 520 via the internet line 510.

[0082] The internal tablet terminal 21 displays error information on the internal tablet display unit 2116 when an error occurs in the internal system 200. By displaying the error information on the internal tablet display unit 2116, which is a touch panel, the visibility of the error information is improved, and by allowing detailed information about the error to be displayed by operating the touch panel, recovery work when an error occurs is made easier. In addition, when no error occurs, the internal tablet display unit 2116 may display progress information of the job currently in progress or information about the next job.

[0083] The internal tablet terminal 21 is configured to download update programs for the internal tablet control program from the management server 520 via the internet connection 510.

[0084] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, the internal system 200 is equipped with an internal communication unit 201, and the internal control unit 252 is capable of data communication with the management server 520 and the management terminal 530 via the internet line 510. The internal control unit 252 controls the operation of each unit based on the control program stored in the internal storage unit 254, and also communicates with the management server 520 and the management terminal 530 via the internet line 510.

[0085] Device information held by the internal system 200 is transmitted from the internal control unit 252 to the management server 520 via the internal communication unit 201, Wi-Fi router 301, modem 302, and internet line 510, and the management server 520 stores the received internal device information as needed. The stored internal device information can be checked by maintenance personnel, etc., on the management terminal 530. In addition, the internal control unit 252 can obtain information about the internal system 200 held by the management server 520 (such as control program update information) via the aforementioned internet line 510, etc. Furthermore, input information from the management terminal 530 can be transmitted to the internal control unit 252 via the aforementioned internet line 510, etc. The management server 520 is not limited to a server device owned by the administrator, but may also use a publicly known cloud service platform.

[0086] The device information that the internal system 200 transmits to the external device, the management server 520, includes past operational information of the internal system 200. This operational information can include a cumulative counter showing the total number of internal operations, the number of errors that occurred, and the number of occurrences for each type of error. This allows maintenance managers to respond quickly when errors occur, take preventative measures before errors occur, and replace consumables before they are completely worn out.

[0087] The various types of information received by the input receiving unit 250 and stored in the input storage unit 254 may be acquired by the input tablet terminal 21 via the internet line 510 and displayed on the input tablet display unit 2116. The interim distribution system 200 uses the collated advertising print materials, which have been collated by the collating machine 10, as advertising set PS for interim distribution processing. When the interim distribution system 200 creates an "current copy Na1" number of interim distributed newspapers to be delivered to a certain delivery area A, and an "next copy Na2" number of interim distributed newspapers to be delivered to another delivery area B, the collating machine 10 creates a collated bundle of advertising print materials for delivery area A and a collated bundle of advertising print materials for delivery area B. The "collated copies" mentioned above are the number of collated copies to be delivered to each area, with the "collated copies" for delivery area A matching "current copy Na1" and the "collated copies" for delivery area B matching "next copy Na2". Thus, since the number of collated items collated by the collating machine 10 and the number of items processed for insertion by the insertion system 200 often match, it is desirable that the values ​​entered into the collating machine 10 be automatically entered into the insertion system 200.

[0088] Therefore, the collating machine 10 and the inter-loading system 200 used in the same newspaper store NS are linked and managed on the management server 520. When the "collated job information" transmitted by the collating machine 10 is stored on the management server 520, the linked inter-loading system 200 can retrieve the "collated job information". For example, when the "collated job information" from the collating machine 10 is transmitted to the management server 520, the "collated job information" is transmitted to the inter-loading tablet control unit 2106 of the inter-loading system 200, which is managed in conjunction with the transmitting collating machine 10. The inter-loading tablet control unit 2106 then stores the received information in the inter-loading tablet storage unit 2147.

[0089] The "district name" included in the "collated job information" shown in Figure 6 is entered by the collating machine 10, and the same name is displayed on the in-package tablet display unit 2116 in the in-package system 200. The "number of copies" is the value derived by the collating machine 10 as the "number of copies to be collated," and is stored in the in-package system 200 as information on the "number of copies to be processed for in-package processing," such as "number of copies this time Na1" and "number of copies next time Na2," and is displayed on the in-package tablet display unit 2116. The "thickness" is the "collated item thickness data" derived by the thickness information derivation means of the collating machine 10, and is stored in the in-package system 200 as information on the "thickness of the advertising set PS," and is displayed on the in-package tablet display unit 2116.

[0090] When the internal tablet terminal 21 connects to the management server 520, a list of "collated job information" sent from the collating machines 10 of the same newspaper store NS is automatically displayed on the internal tablet display unit 2116. If multiple collating machines 10 are located in the same newspaper store NS, the internal tablet terminal 21 is used to select the collating machine 10 from which information can be retrieved.

[0091] With the "Collated Job Information" shown in Figure 6 displayed, selecting the delivery date and district number will display the aforementioned "District Name," "Number of Copies," and "Thickness" on the insert tablet display unit 2116. By performing the operation to save the displayed information, the information linked to the "District Name," "Number of Copies," and "Thickness" can be stored in the insert tablet storage unit 2147. In addition, if a "Job Number" is linked as shown in Figure 6, the "Job Number" may also be stored in the insert tablet storage unit 2147.

[0092] When a user operates the operation unit 241 to set information related to a job requiring interim processing, the interim tablet terminal 21 displays the "collated job information" stored in the interim tablet storage unit 2147 on the interim tablet display unit 2116. From the displayed "collated job information," the user selects the name of the district where the interim job will now be performed, and the number corresponding to "Number of Copies Na1" is displayed as "Number of Copies" on the interim tablet display unit 2116. When the user enters this displayed number into the operation unit 241, the input reception unit 250 accepts the entered information and stores "Number of Copies Na1" in the interim storage unit 254. Similarly, by selecting the name of the district where the next job will be performed, the number corresponding to "Number of Copies Na2" is displayed as "Number of Copies," which the user can enter. Furthermore, the system may also be configured to allow the user to enter a "job number."

[0093] The input tablet terminal 21 may be configured not only to display "collated job information" on the input tablet display unit 2116 when it is acquired from the management server 520, but also to transmit the acquired information to the input control unit 252 via a wired or wireless communication line. In this configuration, the input control unit 252 stores the received information in the input storage unit 254. Furthermore, the "job number" may also be stored in the input storage unit 254.

[0094] The interim distribution system 200 may also send "interim distribution job information," which is information regarding the number of newspapers that have been distributed, to the management server 520. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram of an example of "job information that has been submitted" that is sent from the entry system 200 to the management server 520 and stored there. The management server 520 assigns a serial number to identify the internal system 200 that manages the information, and as shown in Figure 10, the information transmitted from the internal system 200 is managed by this serial number.

[0095] Similar to the "Collated Job Information," the "Serial Number" folder in the "Inserted Job Information" folder contains a subfolder called the "Delivery Date," and the district number datasheet is stored within the Delivery Date folder. The district number datasheet stores information such as "District Name," "Number of Inserted Copies," and "Collated Bundle." When performing inserted processing based on the "Collated Job Information" output from the collating machine 10, the "District Name" included in the "Collated Job Information" is saved as the "District Name" in the "Inserted Job Information," and the "Number of Collated Copies" in the "Collated Job Information" is saved as the "Number of Collated Bundle Copies" in the "Inserted Job Information." In addition, if the "Collated Job Information" includes a "Job Number," it is saved as the "Job Number" in the "Inserted Job Information."

[0096] By using a common "job number" for both "collated job information" and "interlocked job information," it is possible to track the processing status for each job number, such as confirming whether or not the collated bundles created by the collation machine 10 have undergone interlocking processing.

[0097] When the in-packing process for a collated bundle corresponding to a district number in the "Collated Job Information" is completed, the number of in-packed newspapers created is saved as the "In-packed copies" in the "Collated Job Information". Normally, the "Collated Bundle Count" and the "In-packed copies" will match, but if paper is lost due to transport problems, etc., the "In-packed copies" will be less than the "Collated Bundle Count".

[0098] Furthermore, if the insertion system 200 can obtain information on the thickness of a four-fold newspaper, the "thickness of the inserted newspaper," calculated by adding the "thickness" of the advertisement set included in the "collated job information" to the thickness of the four-fold newspaper, may be included in the "inserted job information." As for the "thickness of the inserted newspaper," a means for detecting the thickness of the inserted newspaper being transported along the transport path from the discharge unit 202 onwards of the insertion system 200 may be provided, and the "thickness of the inserted newspaper" may be obtained based on the detection result.

[0099] The "job information that has been processed" may also include "processing date and time information," which is information about the date and time when the processing was performed. This allows users to search for "job information that has been processed" based on the date and time when the processing was performed.

[0100] If interlocking is performed without using the "Collated Job Information," the "District Name" and "Number of Collated Bundles" in the "Collocking Job Information" may be saved as values ​​entered by the user on the operation unit 241. The "Number of Interlocking Completed" is automatically saved as the number of times interlocking has been performed. If there is no "Job Number" common to the "Collated Job Information," the "Job Number" does not need to be saved, or the interlocking system 200 may save its own "Job Number."

[0101] The configuration in which the inter-entry system 200 and the collating machine 10 share "collated job information" as information related to jobs is not limited to a configuration via the internet line 510. For example, the inter-entry system 200 and the collating machine 10 may be connected by a wired connection to share information. Furthermore, the tablet terminal 4, which is the operation unit of the collating machine 10 and is detachable from the collating machine 10, and the inter-entry tablet terminal 21 may communicate by wired or wireless connection to share information. In this configuration, where the interlocking system 200 and the collating machine 10 share information about the collated jobs, the effort required to input common information can be reduced.

[0102] In this embodiment, the inter-station system 200 is configured to allow the download of update programs for the control program that controls the inter-station control unit 252 from the management server 520 via the internet line 510. This configuration, which allows the control program update programs to be obtained from external information processing means such as the management server 520 via a communication network such as the internet line 510, reduces the number of visits by service technicians to user sites, thereby reducing both time and costs.

[0103] One possible configuration for downloading update programs is to save the downloaded update programs to a temporary storage unit and then update the control program using the update programs the next time the device is started. In this configuration, the following control method may be employed. The update program downloaded from the management server 520 via the internet 510 and Wi-Fi lines is stored in the SRAM (Static Random-Access Memory) on the board provided by the internal storage unit 254. Since SRAM is temporary memory, it is necessary to transfer the data to persistent memory to prevent data loss. For this reason, the update program stored in the temporarily stored SRAM is compressed and written to flash memory, which is non-volatile memory. Next, before the power is turned off, the setting memory in the internal storage unit 254 is written to indicate that the update program has been saved to the flash memory. The next day, or when the power is turned on again, the control system checks whether the latest program is in the flash memory. If it is determined that it is, the control program is automatically updated, and when this update is complete, the microcontroller is reset and restarted so that it can operate with the latest control program.

[0104] In this configuration, where updates are downloaded and the version upgrade is performed at startup, the user does not need to take any action to update the control program. Since the updates were downloaded the previous day or the day before, the version upgrade can be performed in a short time on the current day or the day after. This configuration, which involves downloading an update program for the control program and automatically updating and resetting it upon startup, can also be applied to the collating machine 10 and the packaging machine 300.

[0105] The configuration for updating the control program to the latest update is not limited to downloading from the internet; it may also involve reading the update stored on an SD (Secure Digital) card. In this configuration, the update stored on the SD card is read into SRAM, and the control program that controls the input control unit 252 is rewritten based on its contents. In this rewriting process, the update is stored on the SD card, and this update is temporarily transferred (saved) to SRAM. Since SRAM is volatile memory and has fast access, this process is faster and more stable than directly rewriting from the SD card. Next, the control program device of the input control unit 252 is updated based on the update stored in SRAM. Because the rewriting is performed using data temporarily stored in SRAM, it is less susceptible to the effects of poor contact with the SD card, removal of the SD card, or external data changes, enabling stable rewriting and preventing rewriting failures.

[0106] This configuration, which compares the update program stored on the SD card with the SRAM and updates the control program of the main control unit from the SRAM, can also be applied to the collating machine 10 and the packaging machine 300.

[0107] The internal transport system 200, which is equipped with a transport mechanism for transporting objects such as newspapers and bundles of advertisements, includes an object detection sensor, such as a paper sensor, that detects the passage of the object at a detection position along the transport path. The system may also be configured so that an external manager, such as a service technician, can determine when the object detection sensor needs cleaning by measuring the amount of light emitted by the sensor when there is no object to be transported. In detail, the device compares the DA (digital-to-analog) conversion value of the light emission amount of the transported object detection sensor (light emission amount when there is no paper) at startup with a specific detection threshold. If the DA conversion value exceeds the threshold, a signal is sent to the management server 520 notifying that maintenance such as cleaning of the transported object detection sensor is necessary. With this configuration, external administrators such as service technicians can understand the need for maintenance such as cleaning without having to visit the user's site. Furthermore, the system is not limited to sending a signal to the management server 520 indicating that maintenance is required. Instead, it may also be configured to send data indicating the amount of light emitted by the transported object detection sensor at the time of device startup to the management server 520, allowing the management program on the management server 520 or an external administrator to determine the need for maintenance. The configuration, which compares the amount of light emitted by the object detection sensor when the device is started with a specific detection threshold, to allow an external administrator to understand the need for maintenance, can also be applied to the collating machine 10 and the packaging machine 300.

[0108] The management system for the internal entry system 200 may be configured to query the management server 520 when the internal entry system 200 starts up. Specifically, when the internal entry system 200 is powered on and started up, the internal entry tablet control unit 2106 communicates with the management server 520 via the internet line 510 and queries for management information at startup. The management program of the management server 520 determines whether maintenance such as cleaning or adjustment is necessary based on the operational information sent from the target device up to that point. If maintenance is necessary, the management server 520 sends the necessary message display information to the internal entry tablet control unit 2106. Upon receiving the message display information, the internal entry tablet control unit 2106 displays the necessary message as a pop-up on the internal entry tablet display unit 2116.

[0109] In this configuration, the management server 520 can notify the user of the timing of maintenance such as cleaning and adjustments as determined by the server. While the communication to the management server 520 at startup could be handled by the internal control unit 252, having the internal tablet control unit 2106 handle the communication can minimize the impact on the startup preparation process of the internal control unit 252 at startup. Furthermore, the management server 520's response to the inter-in tablet control unit 2106 may not be limited to information for displaying necessary messages, but may also be a signal indicating the necessity of various maintenance tasks. In this case, the inter-in tablet display unit 2116 can display the pre-set necessary messages based on these signals. On the other hand, as described above, if the "necessary messages" to be displayed on the inter-in tablet display unit 2116 are created on the management server 520 side, new messages can be notified without rewriting the program on the inter-in system 200 side.

[0110] The determination of whether maintenance is necessary on the management server 520 is not limited to the management program of the management server 520; an external administrator, such as a service technician, may also determine whether maintenance such as cleaning or adjustment is necessary based on operational information stored on the management server 520. In this case, if the external administrator determines that maintenance is necessary, they will save information indicating the need for maintenance in a management folder associated with the device, and when the management server 520 is queried at the startup of the device, it will provide a response corresponding to that information.

[0111] The configuration, which queries the management server 520 to determine whether maintenance is required when the device is started up, can also be applied to the management systems of the collating machine 10 and the packaging machine 300. In this configuration, where the managed devices query the management server 520 for maintenance requirements, the devices do not need to directly hold maintenance information. Since the management server 520 manages it centrally, users can perform maintenance such as cleaning at the appropriate time. Furthermore, when notifying users of new maintenance messages, it is not necessary to change the program on the device itself. The management server 520 can flexibly change the message content, enabling a quick response.

[0112] The main insert motor 282 is a motor shared by each conveying mechanism of the inserter 20, such as the newspaper conveying section 217, the newspaper feeding mechanism 242, and the advertising feeding mechanism 216. As shown in Figure 9, the insert system 200 includes an insert motor encoder 284 that detects the rotational speed of the motor rotation shaft of the main insert motor 282 (or the rotation shaft of the rotation shaft whose rotational speed is proportional to the motor rotation shaft), and an insert motor driver 283 that controls the supply current value set by the insert control unit 252 to be supplied to the main insert motor 282. The insert system 200 controls the main insert motor 282 using PWM control based on the detection result of the insert motor encoder 284. Specifically, the frequency of the current flowing to the main insert motor 282 is constant, and the amount of drive is adjusted by controlling the duty cycle, which is the on / off time ratio (on time / period × 100%).

[0113] Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of the in-line motor encoder 284. Figure 11 shows the main motor 282 and its surrounding components located within the inserter 20, and includes the motor encoder 284. Figure 11(a) is a view of the motor output shaft 2821 from the axial direction, and Figure 11(b) is a cross-sectional view of the EE of Figure 11(a).

[0114] As shown in Figure 11, the in-hole motor encoder 284 has an index rotating plate 2841 (rotating disk) attached to one end of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821, and an optical sensor 2842 (transmissive sensor) provided in correspondence with this index rotating plate 2841. The in-hole motor output shaft 2821 is supported by a bearing 2822 and is rotatable relative to the frame 2001.

[0115] An optical sensor 2842 is fixed above the bearing 2822 in the frame 2001. The index rotating plate 2841 is a transparent disc attached to one end of the inlet motor output shaft 2821 so as to rotate together with the inlet motor output shaft 2821, and numerous light-blocking marks are arranged in a circular pattern at regular intervals near its outer circumference. When the transparent disc rotates, it repeatedly switches between a state where the light from the optical sensor 2842 is blocked by the light-blocking marks (sensor OFF state) and a state where light is transmitted through the transparent part (sensor ON state). Therefore, when the inlet motor output shaft 2821 rotates, the index rotating plate 2841 rotates and generates rotation pulses equal to the number of light-blocking marks that pass through the optical axis of the optical sensor 2842.

[0116] The larger the duty cycle of the current flowing through the main motor 282, the greater the power supplied to the main motor 282, the greater the drive force of the main motor 282, and the higher the rotational speed of the output shaft 2821 of the main motor. However, even if the duty cycle is the same and the power supplied to the main motor 282 is the same, the rotational speed of the output shaft 2821 of the main motor will not necessarily be the same. This is because the drive load during operation changes due to the condition of each part that transmits the drive and changes over time, so even if the supplied power is the same, the rotational speed of the output shaft 2821 of the main motor will change.

[0117] In the PWM control of this embodiment, the input control unit 252 acquires rotation pulses detected by the optical sensor 2842 and controls the current flow to the input main motor 282 by increasing the duty cycle if the number of rotation pulses is less than the desired number, and by decreasing the duty cycle if the number of rotation pulses is greater than the desired number. With this control, even if the drive load changes, the detected rotation pulses can be controlled to a desired range, that is, the rotation speed of the input motor output shaft 2821 can be controlled to a desired range, and the drive speed of each drive unit to which the drive is transmitted by the rotation of the input motor output shaft 2821 (such as the transport speed of the transport unit) can be controlled to a desired range.

[0118] The rotating disk is not limited to those using a transparent disc, such as the index rotating disc 2841. For example, a disc made of a light-shielding material may be used, with numerous slits (holes or transparent areas) arranged in a circular pattern at regular intervals near its outer circumference. Furthermore, the encoder is not limited to an optical encoder that detects the amount of rotation of the disc by the number of times the disc is shielded and transmitted light. If there is a possibility that the detected amount of rotation may differ from the actual amount of rotation of the disc due to dirt or deterioration over time, other types of encoders, such as magnetic encoders, may be used.

[0119] In the in-station system 200, the average value information of the duty cycle output by the in-station control unit 252 to the in-station motor driver 283 in the PWM control of the in-station main motor 282 is also transmitted to the management server 520 as in-station device information held by the in-station system 200, and can be confirmed by the maintenance manager.

[0120] The input control unit 252 can transmit input device information, such as operating information, error information, and average duty cycle information of the input system 200, to the management server 520, which is an external information processing means, when the input system 200 is powered on, when an error occurs, or when the power is turned off.

[0121] As described above, in this embodiment, by controlling the in-hole main motor 282 with PWM control, the rotational speed of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821 can be controlled within a desired range, and the drive speed of each drive unit to which the drive is transmitted by the rotation of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821 (such as the transport speed of the transport unit) can be controlled within a desired range.

[0122] However, if there is any deposit on the surface of the index rotating plate 2841 or on the optical sensor 2842, the deposit will block the light from the optical sensor 2842 at the time when the sensor should be turned ON, resulting in a rotation pulse being detected that is smaller than the rotation pulse corresponding to the actual rotation speed. Also, if the light-blocking mark is peeled off, the light from the optical sensor 2842 will pass through the area where the light-blocking mark has peeled off at the time when the sensor should be turned OFF, resulting in a rotation pulse being detected that is smaller than the rotation pulse corresponding to the actual rotation speed.

[0123] Therefore, if there is any deposit or peeling of the light-shielding mark on the in-hole motor encoder 284, even if the rotational speed of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821 is within the desired range, a rotational pulse smaller than the desired rotational pulse will be detected, and control will be performed to increase the duty cycle. As a result, the rotational speed of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821 will be higher than the appropriate rotational speed. If the deposit or peeling of the light-shielding mark on the in-hole motor encoder 284 worsens further, even if the actual rotational speed is higher than the appropriate rotational speed, the detected rotational pulse will be smaller than the appropriate rotational pulse, and control will be performed to further increase the duty cycle. Therefore, if the condition of deposits or peeling of the light-shielding mark on the in-hole motor encoder 284 is left untreated, the rotational speed of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821 will become excessive, and the drive speed of each drive unit to which the drive is transmitted from the in-hole motor output shaft 2821 will exceed the expected range. For example, the transport chain 220, which is rotated by the drive transmitted from the in-hole main motor 282, will be driven at a transport speed that exceeds the expected range. This can result in an inability to reliably transport newspapers and advertising sets, potentially leading to transport malfunctions such as mismatched timing between newspaper and advertising set transport, paper jams, and other issues that could cause the device to shut down.

[0124] When the transport system is operating at the correct transport speed, transport malfunctions are often isolated incidents that can be resolved by removing the newspaper or advertising set that caused the problem. However, when the system is operating at a speed exceeding the expected range due to a false detection by the internal motor encoder 284, the system remains unable to transport newspapers or advertising sets stably. Therefore, even after removing the newspaper or advertising set that caused the malfunction, the transport malfunction may recur, potentially leading to frequent transport malfunctions.

[0125] To address such malfunctions, cleaning or replacing parts of the in-hole motor encoder 284 when the average duty cycle becomes sufficiently large can prevent an inappropriate increase in the duty cycle caused by false detection by the in-hole motor encoder 284, thereby preventing the rotational speed of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821 from becoming excessive. Performing maintenance work such as removing deposits that may cause false detection of rotational pulses, repairing damage, and replacing parts that have deteriorated over time can prevent excessive drive output from the in-hole main motor 282, which is the transport drive source (resulting in an excessive rotational speed of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821).

[0126] In the in-car system 200 of this embodiment, an external administrator such as a service technician can check the average value of the duty cycle, which is pulse width modulation control information transmitted by the in-car communication unit 201, which is a communication means, to the management server 520, which is an external information processing means. When the external administrator determines from the checked average value of the duty cycle that the average value of the duty cycle has exceeded a preset value (a value that may have increased due to a false detection by the in-car motor encoder 284), the inserter 20 visits the user site where it is installed and performs maintenance work on the in-car motor encoder 284. This prevents excessive drive output from the in-car main motor 282 and prevents the occurrence of transport failures caused by the output of the excessive drive mentioned above.

[0127] The configuration for transmitting pulse width modulation control information to the management server 520 is not limited to transmitting the average value of the duty cycle. Instead, the system may determine whether maintenance is required based on the calculated average duty cycle and transmit the need for maintenance to the management server 520 as pulse width modulation control information. In this case, the average duty cycle of the PWM control from the time the power is turned on is calculated during stable operation, and the calculated average duty cycle is saved in the setting memory of the internal storage unit 254 when the power is turned off. If the internal system 200 can set multiple processing speeds, the average duty cycle is calculated and saved for each processing speed. If the average value saved in the setting memory exceeds a specific value for a predetermined number of consecutive times, it is determined that maintenance such as cleaning or replacing parts of the internal motor encoder 284 is required due to dirt or other reasons. When such a determination is made, a signal indicating that maintenance is required is sent to the management server 520.

[0128] If the configuration involves sending pulse width modulation control information to the management server 520, external administrators such as service technicians can determine the need for maintenance, such as cleaning the in-hole motor encoder 284, without having to visit the user's site.

[0129] The in-hole motor encoder 284 is not limited to detecting the rotational speed of a disc fixed to the in-hole motor output shaft 2821, which is the output shaft of the in-hole main motor 282. It may also be an encoder that detects the rotational speed of a disc fixed to a rotating shaft whose rotational speed is proportional to the rotational speed of the in-hole motor output shaft 2821, and which is connected to the in-hole motor output shaft 2821 by a drive transmission member such as a gear.

[0130] The configuration for outputting pulse width modulation control information is not limited to transmitting it to an external information processing means; it may also be configured to provide notification means within the transport device itself, such as the in-carry system 200, to notify the user of the pulse width modulation control information. In this case, the configuration may be such that notification is given when the average value of the duty cycle reaches a preset value. Alternatively, the average value of the duty cycle may be displayed by a display means, or a display that visually represents the change in the average value of the duty cycle, such as an indicator bar with a linear graphic display whose color changes according to the value, may be displayed by a display means.

[0131] The configuration for transmitting pulse width modulation control information to an external information processing means is applicable not only to the in-place system 200 but also to the collating machine 10 and the packaging machine 300. Furthermore, the configuration for transmitting information indicating the need for maintenance as pulse width modulation control information to the management server 520 is also applicable to the collating machine 10 and the packaging machine 300. Regarding the configuration for outputting pulse width modulation control information in the collating machine 10 and the packaging machine 300, it is not limited to transmitting it to an external information processing means; the conveying device itself, such as the in-place system 200, may also be equipped with a notification means to notify the user of the pulse width modulation control information.

[0132] The advertising paper feeding unit 211 is a paper feeding device that loads bundles of multiple advertising sets PS with the folded portion facing downwards onto a loading platform 226 whose upper surface is sloped downwards in the direction of transport of a transport belt that moves to the left rear in Figure 7. It then takes out one advertising set PS at a time from the paper feeding position, which is the downstream end in the transport direction of the loading platform 226, and feeds them toward the advertising insertion unit 219.

[0133] The loading platform 226 is equipped with a separation claw at its downstream end in the transport direction to facilitate the separation of one set of advertising sets PS located at the downstream end in the transport direction from other sets of advertising sets PS in a bundle of multiple sets of advertising sets PS. The separation claw protrudes from below into the transport path of the advertising sets PS and is a component that facilitates the separation of an advertising set PS that is about to be fed from an advertising set PS that will be fed in the next feeding operation.

[0134] The amount of the separation claw protrusion needs to be adjusted according to the thickness of the advertising set PS. Specifically, the thicker the advertising set PS, the smaller the separation claw protrusion should be, and the thinner the advertising set PS, the larger the separation claw protrusion should be. Similar to the interlocking system 200 described in Patent Document 2, the protrusion amount of the separation claws may be adjusted based on the "collated material thickness information" included in the "collated job information" output by the collating machine 10. As an adjustment method, the user may operate the separation claw protrusion amount adjustment mechanism based on the "collated material thickness information" displayed on the interlocking tablet display unit 2116. Alternatively, if an automatic protrusion amount adjustment mechanism is provided, the interlocking control unit 252 may control the protrusion amount adjustment mechanism based on the "collated material thickness information" acquired to adjust the protrusion amount of the separation claws.

[0135] Alternatively, the thickness of one set of interleaved newspapers may be calculated based on the "collated material thickness information." Furthermore, the amount of downward movement of the interleaved newspaper bundle receiving section 233 may be calculated based on the "collated material thickness information," or assistance may be provided in setting the "number of copies to be divided" based on the "collated material thickness information."

[0136] The newspaper equipment management system 500 shown in Figure 1 describes a configuration in which information about collated materials can be shared between the collating machine 10 and the inter-packing system 200, both used in the same newspaper store NS, via the management server 520. However, for the configuration to share information about collated materials between the collating machine 10 and the inter-packing system 200, the collating machine 10 and the inter-packing system 200 may be located in different stores.

[0137] In the newspaper equipment management system 500 described above, the collating device and the inserting device were separate devices. However, the invention of sharing information regarding the thickness of the collated materials between the collating device and the inserting device is also applicable to devices in which the collating device and the inserting device are integrated, such as the collating and inserting device described in Patent Document 6, etc. For example, in the inserting mode, when taking out one set at a time from multiple sets of pre-prepared collated materials (collated bundles) and inserting them into the newspaper, the feeding conditions for one set of collated materials during the inserting operation, such as the handling pressure, can be changed based on the thickness obtained by the previous collating operation.

[0138] In the newspaper equipment management system 500 described above, the collating machine 10 continuously produces a predetermined number of collated items as collating jobs, using the same collating conditions, and discharges them stacked in the stacker tray 40. For each collating job, or in other words, for each stack of collated items formed by stacking multiple sets of collated items continuously collated under the same conditions, identification information for the collated items and thickness information for the collated items are linked and output. The frequency at which the collating machine 10 derives the thickness information for collated items is not limited to every set of collated items; it may also derive and output the thickness information for each set of collated items. For example, in selective collating, where the paper to be included in the collated items is selected based on customer information, the resulting collated items will each have a different thickness. However, by obtaining thickness information for each set of collated items, it is possible to output thickness information for each collated item.

[0139] In collating devices that perform selective collating, an identification information reading device is provided in the folding paper feeder 1X to read identification information such as barcodes attached to the folded paper. In this configuration, where identification information is read from the folded paper, the read identification information is linked to the derived collated material thickness information, the information is stored, and transmitted to the management server 520.

[0140] Figure 12 is an external perspective view of the packaging machine 300, and Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing the internal configuration of the packaging machine 300 as seen from the direction of arrow "A" in Figure 12. The packaging machine 300 can be the same as that described in Patent Document 3, but is not limited to this. In the packaging machine 300, each component to be packaged is arranged between the front outer panel 300a and the rear outer panel 300b.

[0141] The packaging machine 300 receives the contents S, such as a newspaper folded into quarters (pre-filled newspaper) or a bundle of advertisements, from an insertion opening 332 on its top surface, with its edge S1 (the final folded edge for a folded newspaper) leading. The contents are then packaged within the machine using resin film sheets (F1, F2), and the packaged contents are discharged from a packaging discharge opening 303 at the bottom and stacked on a packaging stacker 304. An operation panel 307, which can be operated by the user, is provided on the top surface of the packaging machine 300. The operation panel 307 consists of push-button switches or a touch panel, allowing the user to set the operating mode of the device. The packaging machine 300 also has a request button 371, which will be described later, on its top surface.

[0142] As shown in Figure 13, the packaging machine 300 includes a conveying and packaging unit 350 that packages the items to be packaged S while conveying them. A passage 305 is formed by a first guide plate 305a and a second guide plate 305b to guide the packaged object S inserted through the insertion opening 332 downwards. One film roll 306 (first film roll 306a, second film roll 306b) is supported on each side of this passage 305. The film roll 306 is formed by winding a long thermoplastic resin film sheet, such as polyethylene, having a predetermined width, around a core. The two film rolls 306 are housed in the device with the ends of the first film F1, which is led out from the first film roll 306a, and the second film F2, which is led out from the second film roll 306b, welded together at the tip welding line F3. The tip welding line F3 is formed when the ends of the first film F1 and the second film F2 are welded together in the previous welding operation. When loading a film roll 306 that has not undergone the previous welding operation, the leading edges of the first film F1 and the second film F2 are fixed together with cellophane tape or the like, and a test paper pass is performed to form the leading edge welding line F3.

[0143] A welding and cutting mechanism 308 is located near the upstream end of the transport and packaging section 350, which welds and cuts the film F at the position that will be the trailing end of the packaged product. A known welding and cutting mechanism 308 can be used, for example, one similar to the one described in Patent Document 4, but is not limited to this. As the packaged object S descends the passage 305, its tip pushes down the tip welding line F3, causing it to descend further while being sandwiched between the first film F1 and the second film F2 from both sides. The welding cutting mechanism 308 comprises a welding cutting heater 309 and a support base 310, flanking the transport path through which the packaged object S, sandwiched between the two films F, passes. The welding cutting heater 309 is capable of reciprocating in the direction normal to the main surface of the transported packaged object S. This movement causes the welding cutting heater 309 to reciprocate between a standby position where its tip is away from the support base 310 and a welding position where its tip is in contact with the support base 310.

[0144] The welding and cutting heater 309 has a shape that extends in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction that moves the packaged object S (the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figure 13, hereinafter referred to as the "width direction") for a length greater than or equal to the width of the film F. By sandwiching the first film F1 and the second film F2 between the tip of such a welding and cutting heater 309 and the support base, a welding line (F3) is formed in which the first film F1 and the second film F2 are welded together over their entire width.

[0145] As shown in Figure 13, downstream of the welding and cutting mechanism 308 in the transport and packaging section 350, a transport belt 319 (319a, 319b) is provided to transport the packaged object S further downstream. The transport belt 319 comprises a first transport belt 319a that contacts one side of the packaged object S with the first film F1 in between, and a second transport belt 319b that contacts the other side of the packaged object S with the second film F2 in between.

[0146] The conveying and packaging section 350 is equipped with two side welding heaters 320, one on each side in the width direction (front-to-back direction in Figure 13) of the first conveying belt 319a. The side welding heaters 320 are shaped to extend along the conveying direction of the packaged object S. Opposite the side welding heaters 320, across the conveying path of the packaged object S, there are two side welding support bases 321, one on each side in the width direction of the second conveying belt 319b.

[0147] The side welding heater 320 is movable between a standby position separated from the side welding support base 321 and a welding position in contact with the side welding support base 321 by a drive mechanism (not shown). By sandwiching the first film F1 and the second film F2 between the side welding heater 320 and the side welding support base 321, the first film F1 and the second film F2 are welded together on both sides in the width direction of the packaged object S, forming a welded line along the direction of transport of the packaged object S.

[0148] The packaging machine 300 is equipped with three sensors (P1, P2, P3) capable of detecting the presence or absence of the packaged object S passing through the transport path. The first sensor P1 is located upstream of the welding and cutting mechanism 308, the second sensor P2 is located downstream of the welding and cutting mechanism 308, and the third sensor P3 is located near the downstream end of the side welding heater 320. The three sensors (P1, P2, P3) are optical sensors each composed of a light-emitting sensor and a light-receiving sensor. Since the first film F1 and the second film F2 are transparent, the presence or absence of the packaged object S sandwiched between the first film F1 and the second film F2 can be detected by these optical sensors, thereby enabling detection of the passage of the leading or trailing end of the packaged object S.

[0149] When a user inserts the item to be packaged S into the packaging machine 300 with the folded edge S1 leading, the packaging machine 300 detects the passage of the leading edge (final folded edge S1) of the inserted item to be packaged S with the first sensor P1 and starts driving the conveyor belt 319. At this time, the inserted item to be packaged S pushes down the first film F1 and the second film F2 with the folded edge S1 approximately aligned with the leading edge welding line F3 of the first film F1 and the second film F2. As a result, the item to be packaged S, sandwiched between the first film F1 and the second film F2, is placed between the first conveyor belt 319a and the second conveyor belt 319b and conveyed downstream.

[0150] When the second sensor P2 detects the passage of the rear end of the packaged object S, the conveyor belt 319 is stopped. Next, the welding and cutting heater 309 and the side welding heater 320 are moved from the standby position to the welding position, and the first film F1 and the second film F2 are welded together for a predetermined time between the welding and cutting heater 309 and the support base 310, and between the side welding heater 320 and the side welding support base 321, respectively. Subsequently, only the side welding heater 320 is returned to the standby position, and the drive of the conveyor belt 319 is restarted. At this time, the first film F1 and the second film F2 remain sandwiched between the welding cutting heater 309 and the support base 310 on the upstream side of the packaged item S. In this state, by driving the conveyor belt 319, the first film F1 and the second film F2 are pulled downstream in the conveying direction, and the first film F1 and the second film F2 can be cut at the portion sandwiched between the welding cutting heater 309 and the support base 310, forming a packaged product in which the packaged item S is wrapped in film F. Furthermore, by driving the conveyor belt 319 to transport the packaged product, the packaged product is discharged from the packaging discharge port 303 and accumulated in the packaging stacker 304.

[0151] Figure 14 is a block diagram illustrating the schematic relationships of the packaging machine 300, centered around the packaging control unit 400. The packaging control unit 400, which is a control means within the packaging machine 300, has a CPU that performs various calculations, a ROM that stores various control programs, and RAM which is used as a work area for data storage and program execution. The packaging control unit 400 receives input from the detection results of various sensors and the operation content of the operation panel 307. The packaging control unit 400 also controls the drive of various motors and the display content of the operation panel 307.

[0152] The first film remaining amount detection mechanism 391 and the second film remaining amount detection mechanism 392 shown in Figure 14 are mechanisms for detecting the remaining amounts of the first film F1 and the second film F2 in the first film roll 306a and the second film roll 306b, respectively. A known mechanism can be used for detecting the remaining amount of film F in the film roll 306.

[0153] The welding and cutting heater drive motor M1 and the side welding heater drive motor M2 shown in Figure 14 drive the drive mechanisms of the welding and cutting heater 309 and the side welding heater 320, respectively, causing each heater to reciprocate between the standby position and the welding position. The conveyor belt drive motor M3 drives the drive mechanism of the conveyor belt 319 (319a, 319b).

[0154] The index sensor P4 shown in Figure 14 is used to detect the amount of conveyance by the conveyor belt 319. More specifically, the drive system of the conveyor belt 319 is provided with an indexing means (not shown) for measuring the amount of conveyance by the conveyor belt 319. This indexing means is provided on the belt drive shaft that supports the pulley on which the conveyor belt 319 is mounted and on which the conveyor belt drive motor M3 outputs driving force. The indexing means comprises an index sensor P4 consisting of a disc supported on the belt drive shaft with multiple openings arranged circumferentially at a predetermined pitch, and an optical sensor capable of detecting these openings. The amount of conveyance by the conveyor belt 319 is detected by counting each time the index sensor P4 detects the passage of one of the openings as one pulse. The index sensor P4 may be the same as the in-line motor encoder 284 described in Figure 11. The packaging machine 300 may control the conveyor belt drive motor M3 using PWM control based on the detection result of the index sensor P4.

[0155] The welding and cutting heater temperature sensor T1 shown in Figure 14 detects the temperature of the welding and cutting heater 309. The front side welding heater temperature sensor T2 detects the temperature of the side welding heater 320 located on the front side in Figure 13, among the side welding heaters 320 arranged on both sides in the width direction with the first conveyor belt 319a in between. Similarly, the rear side welding heater temperature sensor T3 detects the temperature of the side welding heater 320 located on the rear side in Figure 13, among the side welding heaters 320 arranged on both sides in the width direction with the first conveyor belt 319a in between. In addition, the installation environment temperature sensor T4 is located outside or inside the housing of the packaging machine 300 and detects the temperature of the environment in which the packaging machine 300 is installed, such as the room temperature of the facility where the packaging machine 300 is installed.

[0156] As shown in Figures 13 and 14, the packaging machine 300 of this embodiment is equipped with a packaging communication unit 401 that can transmit packaging operation information, such as error information, created by the packaging control unit 400 based on information acquisition means such as various sensors, to the outside. As shown in Figure 1, the packaging machine 300 is configured to communicate with an external management server 520 and a management terminal 530 via an internet line 510.

[0157] Packaging operation information, such as error information from the packaging machine 300, is transmitted from the packaging control unit 400 to the packaging communication unit 401, from the packaging communication unit 401 to a wireless communication device such as a Wi-Fi router 301 using a wireless line such as a Wi-Fi line, and then transmitted to the modem 302. The modem 302 transmits the packaging operation information to the management server 520 via the internet line 510, and the management server 520 stores the received packaging operation information linked to identification information that identifies the packaging machine 300 in the data. When the packaging operation information is stored in the management server 520, information indicating that it has been stored is sent to the management terminal 530, and a service technician, who is the maintenance manager, can check the contents by connecting to the management server 520 from the management terminal 530. In addition to information indicating that the packaging operation information has been stored in the management server 520, the content of the packaging operation information may also be sent to the management terminal 530 so that the service technician can check the contents.

[0158] In the packaging machine 300, the packaging communication unit 401 transmits packaging operation information to the management server 520, which is an external information management means, via the internet line 510. Service technicians can then check this information without visiting the user. If the checked packaging operation information includes information that indicates an impending error or actual error information, maintenance work can be performed before an error occurs that would render the machine unusable, or immediately after an error occurs. This helps to prevent the user from being unable to use the packaging machine 300, or to shorten the time the machine is unusable.

[0159] The following describes the packaging operation information transmitted from the packaging communication unit 401 of the packaging machine 300 to the management server 520. Information regarding the remaining amounts of the first film F1 and the second film F2 in the first film roll 306a and the second film roll 306b, based on the detection results of the first film remaining amount detection mechanism 391 and the second film remaining amount detection mechanism 392, may be transmitted. This allows service personnel to know the remaining amount and usage of film F in the packaging machine 300 without visiting the user. The timing for transmitting information regarding the remaining amount of film F can be at regular intervals, such as once a day or once a week, or at specific times, such as each time the power is turned on or turned off. Alternatively, the information regarding the remaining amount of film F may be transmitted along with the request information when the request button 371, which will be described in detail later, is pressed.

[0160] As packaging operation information, the packaging control unit 400 may count a counter value representing the number of times the product S has been wrapped by the film F and send it to the management server 520. The timing for sending the counter value may be at regular intervals, such as once a day or once a week, or at the timing when a predetermined operation is performed, such as each time the power is turned on or turned off. Alternatively, the counter value may be sent along with request information when the request button 371, which will be described in detail later, is pressed.

[0161] Error information regarding paper jams, such as paper jams in the insertion section detected based on the detection results of the first sensor P1, internal paper jams detected based on the detection results of the second sensor P2, and paper jams in the discharge section detected based on the detection results of the third sensor P3, may be transmitted to the management server 520. Generally, a single paper jam can be resolved without maintenance work. However, if paper jams occur frequently, it may be a sign of an impending failure that will render the machine unusable. Therefore, by continuously transmitting paper jam error information to the management server 520, maintenance managers can detect problems, and service technicians can perform maintenance work before the machine becomes unusable.

[0162] Error information may be sent to the management server 520 regarding operational errors for each component of the welding / cutting heater drive motor M1, side welding / cutting heater drive motor M2, welding / cutting heater 309, and side welding heater 320.

[0163] This information about operational errors is used by maintenance managers to determine whether maintenance work is required for each component of the packaging machine 300. For example, if the number of operational errors exceeds a predetermined number, an alert indicating that maintenance work is required is sent to the management server 520. The predetermined number of times this alert is sent may vary for each component.

[0164] As error information, a communication error that prevents communication between the packaging control unit 400 and each component may be sent to the management server 520. As error information, a belt drive error, indicating that the rotation of the conveyor belt drive motor M3 cannot be detected, may be sent to the management server 520. A belt drive error can be detected when the index sensor P4 fails to detect the rotation of the belt drive shaft, even though the packaging control unit 400 is controlling the conveyor belt drive motor M3 to drive.

[0165] Similar to the in-placement system 200, the packaging machine 300 may also transmit information about the average duty cycle (average value over a predetermined period (e.g., 1 day, 1 week)) output by the packaging control unit 400 to a motor driver (not shown) that controls the current supplied to the conveyor belt drive motor M3 using PWM control of the conveyor belt drive motor M3, as device information of the packaging machine 300 to the management server 520. An external administrator, such as a service technician, checks the average duty cycle value transmitted to the management server 520 and, upon realizing that the average duty cycle value exceeds a preset threshold (a value that may have increased due to a false detection by the index sensor P4), visits the user site where the packaging machine 300 is installed and performs maintenance work on the index sensor P4. This prevents excessive drive output from the conveyor belt drive motor M3 due to malfunctions such as dirt on the index sensor P4, and prevents the occurrence of conveying failures caused by excessive drive output.

[0166] Furthermore, the packaging machine 300 is equipped with an ambient temperature sensor T4 that detects the ambient temperature, which is ambient temperature information, and the internal tablet communication unit 2108 can transmit the ambient temperature detected by the ambient temperature sensor T4 to the management server 520. Ambient temperature information is not limited to ambient temperature; humidity of the ambient environment may also be included. This makes it possible to perform maintenance management on the packaging machine 300 according to the ambient environment. In addition, the drive load of the conveyor belt drive motor M3 may change depending on the temperature and humidity of the ambient environment in which the packaging machine 300 is installed. For example, in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment, the drive load will be greater than in a low-temperature, low-humidity environment, and even if the same rotational speed is output, the duty cycle of the drive power supplied to the conveyor belt drive motor M3 may be higher. As a result, the average value of the duty cycle is likely to exceed a preset threshold, and it may be judged that maintenance work is necessary even when there is no high need for maintenance work. Therefore, in a high-temperature, high-humidity environment, the management server 520 may perform a correction process such as multiplying the average value of the received duty cycle by "0.8" so that the value of the duty cycle compared to a preset threshold is lower than in a low-temperature, low-humidity environment. This prevents the system from mistakenly determining that maintenance work is necessary when it is not, due to the installation environment such as a high-temperature, high-humidity environment. The configuration in which the management server 520 corrects the value compared to the threshold based on installation environment information can also be applied to the collating machine 10 and the in-place system 200.

[0167] The configuration for correcting the duty cycle values ​​based on the installation environment is not limited to a configuration that transmits the average duty cycle value and installation environment information to the management server 520. Alternatively, the packaging control unit 400 may correct the average duty cycle value based on the installation environment information and transmit the corrected value to the management server 520. By transmitting installation environment information such as temperature and humidity, or a corrected value of the average duty cycle value based on the installation environment information, to the management server 520, decisions can be made that take into account the installation environment, including temperature and humidity.

[0168] Next, I will explain request button 371. As shown in Figure 12, the packaging machine 300 is equipped with a request button 371 and a button press indicator lamp 372 on the upper surface of the front outer panel 300a. When the request button 371 is pressed, the packaging control unit 400 illuminates the button press indicator lamp 372 and transmits request information from the packaging communication unit 401 to the management server 520 via the internet line 510. The management server 520, upon receiving the request information, stores the received request information linked to identification information that identifies the packaging machine 300 in the data. This allows a service technician to access the management server 520 from the management terminal 530 to check the stored request information.

[0169] The management server 520, upon receiving the request information, may also be configured to notify the management terminal 530 of the receipt of the request information via electronic means such as email or a messaging app. This can shorten the time it takes for a service technician to recognize that the request information has been sent, and thus shorten the time from the sending of the user's specific request information to the response by the service technician.

[0170] Request information may include, but is not limited to, requests for telephone contact from a service technician, requests for visits by a service technician, and requests for the shipment of consumable film rolls 306. Request information does not issue control commands to the packaging machine 300 regarding packaging processes, but rather transmits predetermined requests to maintenance managers such as service technicians.

[0171] Once a service technician has confirmed the request information and completed the response to the request (such as making a phone call to the user in response to a phone call request, visiting the user in response to a visit request, or continuing the shipment of the film roll 306 in response to a film shipment request), they operate the management terminal 530 to input request completion information indicating that the request has been completed. As a result, the request completion information is stored in the management server 520, and the management server 520 transmits the request completion information to the packaging control unit 400 of the packaging machine 300. Upon receiving the request completion information, the packaging control unit 400 turns off the press confirmation lamp 372, which was illuminated when the request button 371 was pressed.

[0172] Alternatively, when the request button 371 is pressed, a request signal is sent to the management server 520 that only indicates that the request button 371 has been pressed. In this case, the management server 520 and management terminal 530 on the maintenance and management side may either display the request information set in association with the request signal from among multiple request information on the management terminal 530, or they may simply display on the management terminal 530 that the request signal has been received. The request button 371 is a mechanical button in which the upper surface of the part pressed moves downward when pressed by an operator, transmitting the pressed signal to the control unit. The request button 371 may also be located within a touch panel operation screen.

[0173] When sending error information as packaging operation information, the system may be configured to send error information every time an error is detected. Alternatively, the system may be configured to send error information periodically, such as once a day, or during specific operations such as power-on or power-off. In this case, the error history is saved from the last error information transmission, and the error history from the last transmission is sent when sending error information again. Compared to a configuration that sends information every time an error is detected, this reduces the number of transmissions and thus reduces the communication load.

[0174] In the embodiment described above, the packaging machine 300 is configured to cover the object to be packaged, which is a rectangular sheet inserted into it, with a resin film sheet, and to seal the perimeter of all four sides of the object to be packaged, thereby packaging it. The object to be packaged by the packaging device according to the present invention is not limited to a rectangular sheet like the object to be packaged, S. Furthermore, it is not limited to sealing the perimeter of all four sides of the sheet; it may be packaged with one of the four sides open. Moreover, the packaging material is not limited to a resin film sheet; it may be paper, cloth, or any other material that can package the object to be packaged.

[0175] The packaging machine 300 described above has a vertical transport configuration in which the object to be packaged, S, is transported from top to bottom while being packaged with a resin film, which is the packaging material. However, the packaging devices to which the present invention can be applied are not limited to this. For example, even in a horizontal transport configuration, such as the packaging device described in Patent Document 6, which packages the object to be packaged while it is transported horizontally, a configuration is applicable in which a communication means capable of transmitting information to an external information management means is provided, and a specific request information transmission operation unit is provided that transmits request information to the information management means via the communication means when an operation such as pressing is performed.

[0176] Furthermore, while the packaging machine 300 described above packages an object by overlapping and welding two resin films, the applicable packaging devices of the present invention are not limited to this. For example, the configuration with the communication means described above can be applied to a packaging device that packages by folding a single resin film and welding the overlapping portion. It can also be applied to packaging devices that use three or more resin films for packaging.

[0177] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments and configuration examples described above. Various modifications, such as design changes, can be made to the embodiments based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and such modified embodiments may also be included within the scope of the present invention.

[0178] The above is just one example; each of the following embodiments produces its own unique effects.

[0179] [Aspect 1] Embodiment 1 is a transport device such as an internal system 200, which comprises transport means such as a newspaper transport unit 217 for transporting a transported object such as a folded newspaper, a transport drive source such as an internal main motor 282 that outputs a driving force transmitted to the transport means via a drive transmission mechanism such as a drive transmission gear (not shown), a transport drive amount detection means such as an internal motor encoder 284 for detecting the amount of drive of the transport drive source such as the rotational speed of the internal motor output shaft 2821, and a control unit such as an internal control unit 252 that controls the power supplied from the power source to the transport drive source by pulse width modulation control such as duty cycle information, and is characterized by comprising a communication means such as an internal tablet communication unit 2108 that can transmit pulse width modulation control information such as the average value of the duty cycle, which is control information for pulse width modulation control, to an external information processing means such as a management server 520 via a communication network such as an internet line 510.

[0180] According to the transport device of Embodiment 1, an external administrator such as a service technician can confirm pulse width modulation control information transmitted by the communication means to the external information processing means. When the external administrator determines from the confirmed pulse width modulation control information that the average value of the pulse width exceeds a preset value, they can visit the user site where the transport device is installed and perform maintenance, thereby enabling maintenance work on the transport drive amount detection means. This prevents excessive drive from being output from the transport drive source due to a malfunction of the transport drive amount detection means, and prevents transport failures caused by excessive drive output.

[0181] Furthermore, in paper media transport devices such as collating machines 10, in-placement systems 200, and packaging machines 300 that transport paper media such as newspapers and advertising papers, paper dust is generated from the transported paper media during transport, and malfunctions are likely to occur due to the paper dust adhering to the transport drive amount detection means. By using pulse width modulation control information for maintenance management of such paper media transport devices that perform PWM control, it is possible to prevent malfunctions caused by paper dust adhering to the transport drive amount detection means. Moreover, if there are holes in the partition member (such as the side plate of the housing frame) that separates the transport path through which the paper media passes and the space where the transport drive amount detection means is located, malfunctions are likely to occur due to paper dust adhering to the transport drive amount detection means. By using pulse width modulation control information for maintenance management of such transport devices, it is possible to prevent malfunctions caused by paper dust adhering to the transport drive amount detection means. Furthermore, while newspapers and advertising paper (flyers) tend to generate more paper dust than printing paper, by using the pulse width modulation control information of the transport device for maintenance and management, as in the present invention, it is possible to prevent malfunctions caused by paper dust adhering to the transport drive amount detection means.

[0182] [Aspect 2] Embodiment 2 is characterized in that, in the transport device of Embodiment 1, it is equipped with an installation environment detection means such as an installation environment temperature sensor T4 for detecting installation environment conditions of the device, such as the installation environment temperature, and the communication means such as the packaging communication unit 401 is capable of transmitting the installation environment information detected by the installation environment detection means to an external information processing means such as a management server 520.

[0183] According to this, the external information processing device can create a correction value for pulse width modulation control information that takes the installation environment into account, and based on this correction value, it can determine whether or not maintenance is necessary.

[0184] [Aspect 3] Embodiment 3 is a transport device according to Embodiment 1, comprising: an installation environment detection means such as an installation environment temperature sensor T4 for detecting installation environment conditions of the device, such as the installation environment temperature; and an environmental condition correction means such as a packaging control unit 400 for correcting pulse width modulation control information such as the average value of the duty cycle based on the installation environment information detected by the installation environment detection means, wherein the communication means such as a packaging communication unit 401 is capable of transmitting the pulse width modulation control information corrected by the environmental condition correction means to an external information processing means such as a management server 520.

[0185] According to this, by transmitting correction values ​​for pulse width modulation control information according to the installation environment to an external information processing means, the external information processing means can determine whether maintenance is necessary, taking the installation environment into consideration.

[0186] [Aspect 4] Embodiment 4 is a collating device such as a collating machine 10 that creates collated products by stacking sheet materials such as paper that are fed out from a plurality of sheet material feeding sections such as a paper feeder 1, while being transported by transport mechanisms such as a sub-transport mechanism 22 and a main transport mechanism 24, characterized in that the transport mechanism is a transport device as described in any of Embodiments 1 to 3.

[0187] In a collating device, if an excessive amount of drive is output from the transport drive source and the transport speed increases excessively, the transport timing of the multiple sheets to be collated will not match, making it impossible to overlap them and resulting in a transport failure. In contrast, the collating device according to Embodiment 4 can prevent an excessive amount of drive from being output from the transport drive source due to a malfunction in the transport drive amount detection means, and can prevent the occurrence of transport failures caused by the output of an excessive amount of drive. Therefore, it can prevent timing mismatches caused by an excessive increase in transport speed, enable stable overlapping, and allow for stable collating processing.

[0188] [Aspect 5] Embodiment 5 is an inserting device such as an inserting system 200, which comprises a folded sheet material feeding unit such as a newspaper feeding unit 210 for feeding folded sheet material such as folded newspapers, an inserting sheet material feeding unit such as an advertising paper feeding unit 211 for feeding inserting sheet material such as an advertising set PS, and an inserting unit such as an inserter 20 that unfolds the folded sheet material fed from the folded sheet material feeding unit while transporting it with a transport mechanism such as a newspaper transport unit 217, and inserts the inserting sheet material fed from the inserting sheet material feeding unit into the inside of the opened fold to create an inserting sheet material such as an inserting newspaper, characterized in that the transport mechanism is a transport device as described in any of Embodiments 1 to 3.

[0189] In an interlocking device, if an excessive amount of drive is output from the transport drive source and the transport speed increases excessively, the transport timing between the folded sheet material and the interlocking sheet material will not match, making interlocking impossible and resulting in a transport failure. In contrast, the interlocking device according to Embodiment 5 can prevent an excessive amount of drive from being output from the transport drive source due to a malfunction in the transport drive amount detection means, and can prevent the occurrence of transport failures caused by the output of an excessive amount of drive. Therefore, it is possible to prevent timing mismatches caused by excessive increases in transport speed and perform stable interlocking processing.

[0190] [Aspect 6] Embodiment 6 is a packaging device such as a packaging machine 300 that packages an object to be packaged, such as an object to be packaged S, with a packaging material such as a film F while transporting it with a transport mechanism such as a transport packaging section 350, and is characterized in that the transport mechanism is a transport device as described in any of Embodiments 1 to 3.

[0191] The packaging apparatus according to embodiment 6 can prevent excessive drive output from the transport drive source due to a malfunction of the transport drive amount detection means, and can prevent transport failures caused by the output of excessive drive. Furthermore, in a packaging apparatus as described above, where the transport mechanism drives the transport object for a drive amount corresponding to its length, then stops the drive, and the film packaging material is welded to the rear of the object's rear end, if the drive amount of the transport drive source detected by the transport drive amount detection means is smaller than the actual drive amount of the transport drive source, the object to be packaged may be transported excessively during welding, potentially increasing the distance from the rear end of the object to the welding line or other welding area. This could lead to deterioration of the appearance of the packaged product and excessive consumption of packaging materials such as film. In contrast, the packaging apparatus according to embodiment 6 can prevent erroneous detection of the drive amount due to malfunctions in the transport drive amount detection means, prevent excessive transport of the object to be packaged when welding the rear end of the object, and prevent deterioration of the appearance of the packaged product and excessive consumption of packaging materials.

[0192] [Aspect 7] Embodiment 7 includes a transport mechanism 22 and a main transport mechanism 24 for transporting objects such as paper, newspapers, advertising sets, or pre-packaged newspapers, a newspaper transport section 217, or a transport packaging section 350, a transport drive source such as a collating main motor 182, a pre-packaging main motor 282, or a transport belt drive motor M3 that outputs driving force transmitted to the transport means via a drive transmission mechanism, a transport drive amount detection means such as a collating motor encoder 184, a pre-packaging motor encoder 284, or an index sensor P4 for detecting the amount of drive of the transport drive source, and a collating control unit that controls the power supplied from the power source to the transport drive source such as the collating main motor 182, the pre-packaging main motor 282, or the transport belt drive motor M3 by pulse width modulation control using information such as the duty cycle. 50. A conveying device management system such as a newspaper equipment management system 500, comprising a conveying device such as a collating machine 10, an interlocking system 200, or a packaging machine 300, having a control unit such as an interlocking control unit 252 or a packaging control unit 400, and communication means such as a tablet communication unit 8, an interlocking tablet communication unit 2108, or a packaging communication unit 401 that communicates with an external device via a communication network such as an internet line 510, and an external information processing means such as a management server 520 that communicates with the communication means via the communication network and can send and receive device information related to the conveying device, wherein the control unit transmits pulse width modulation control information, which is control information for pulse width modulation control, from the communication means to the external information processing means via the communication network.

[0193] According to Embodiment 7, an external administrator, such as a service technician, can confirm the pulse width modulation control information transmitted by the communication means to the external information processing means. When the external administrator determines from the confirmed pulse width modulation control information that the average value of the pulse width exceeds a preset value, they can visit the user site where the transport device is installed and perform maintenance, thereby enabling maintenance work on the transport drive amount detection means. This prevents excessive drive from being output from the transport drive source due to a malfunction of the transport drive amount detection means, and prevents transport failures caused by excessive drive output.

[0194] [Aspect 8] Embodiment 8 is a drive device for a collating machine 10, an in-fill system 200, or a packaging machine 300, comprising a drive source such as a collating main motor 182, an in-fill main motor 282, or a conveyor belt drive motor M3; a drive amount detection means such as a collating motor encoder 184, an in-fill motor encoder 284, or an index sensor P4 for detecting the amount of drive of the drive source; and a control unit such as a collating control unit 50, an in-fill control unit 252, or a packaging control unit 400 for controlling the power supplied to the drive source by pulse width modulation control (duty cycle information, etc.), characterized in that it comprises a communication means such as a tablet communication unit 8, an in-fill tablet communication unit 2108, or a packaging communication unit 401 that can transmit pulse width modulation control information, which is control information for pulse width modulation control, to an external information processing means such as a management server 520 via a communication network such as an internet line 510.

[0195] This method is applicable to any drive device that controls the power supplied to the drive source using pulse width modulation control, and is not limited to conveying devices. It can prevent excessive drive output from the drive source due to malfunctions in the drive amount detection means, and can prevent drive failures caused by excessive drive output.

[0196] [Aspect 9] Embodiment 9 relates to a drive device for a collating machine 10, an interlocking system 200, or a packaging machine 300, which comprises a drive source such as a collating main motor 182, an interlocking main motor 282, or a conveyor belt drive motor M3, and a control unit such as a collating control unit 50, an interlocking control unit 252, or a packaging control unit 400 that controls the drive source, wherein the drive device is equipped with communication means such as a tablet communication unit 8, an interlocking tablet communication unit 2108, or a packaging communication unit 401 that can transmit drive information of the device to an external information processing means such as a management server 520 via a communication network such as an internet line 510, and receives an update program for the control program of the control unit from the external information processing means, temporarily stores it in a volatile memory such as SRAM, and secondary stores the update program temporarily stored in the volatile memory in a non-volatile memory such as flash memory, and after the next power-on, rewrites the control program stored in the control unit using the update program stored in the non-volatile memory and restarts the device.

[0197] According to embodiment 9, the control program can be automatically rewritten without requiring any user intervention. Since the update program is downloaded the last time the power is turned on, the control program version upgrade can be performed in a short time when the power is turned on.

[0198] [Aspect 10] Embodiment 10 relates to a drive device for a collating machine 10, an interlocking system 200, or a packaging machine 300, which includes a drive source such as a collating main motor 182, an interlocking main motor 282, or a conveyor belt drive motor M3, and a control unit such as a collating control unit 50, an interlocking control unit 252, or a packaging control unit 400 that controls the drive source, characterized in that an information storage medium such as an SD card is connected to receive an update program for the control unit from the information storage medium, temporarily saves it in a volatile memory such as SRAM, and then rewrites the control program stored in the control unit using the update program stored in the volatile memory.

[0199] According to embodiment 10, the update program stored on the information storage medium is first saved to volatile memory before the control program of the control unit is rewritten. Therefore, even if there is poor contact with the information storage medium or the connection to the information storage medium is interrupted, it is possible to prevent the rewriting from failing.

[0200] [Aspect 11] Embodiment 11 relates to a conveying device such as a collating machine 10, an inserting system 200, or a packaging machine 300, which includes a conveying means such as a sub-conveying mechanism 22 and a main conveying mechanism 24, a newspaper conveying section 217, or a conveying packaging section 350 for conveying objects such as paper, newspapers, advertising sets, or inserted newspapers; a conveying drive source such as a collating main motor 182, an inserting main motor 282, or a conveying belt drive motor M3 that outputs driving force transmitted to the conveying means via a drive transmission mechanism; and an optical object detection sensor for detecting the presence or absence of objects to be conveyed at a conveying detection position, and communication means such as a tablet communication unit 8, an inserting tablet communication unit 2108, or a packaging communication unit 401 that transmits information regarding the amount of light emitted by the object detection sensor when there are no objects to be conveyed at the conveying detection position, such as when the device is started up, to an external information processing means such as a management server 520.According to this, it is possible for an external administrator such as a service technician to determine when the object detection sensor needs to be cleaned from the change in the amount of light emitted by the object detection sensor, without having to visit the user's site.

[0201] [Aspect 12] Embodiment 12 is a drive device for a collating machine 10, an in-fill system 200, or a packaging machine 300, which comprises a drive source such as a collating main motor 182, an in-fill main motor 282, or a conveyor belt drive motor M3, and a control unit such as a collating control unit 50, an in-fill control unit 252, or a packaging control unit 400 that controls the drive source, and is characterized in that it is equipped with communication means such as a tablet communication unit 8, an in-fill tablet communication unit 2108, or a packaging communication unit 401 that communicates with an external information processing means such as a management server 520 via a communication network such as an internet line 510 regarding maintenance at startup, and when information regarding the display of a message requiring maintenance is received from the external information processing means through communication at startup, the message is displayed on the main operation panel or a display unit such as an in-fill tablet display unit 2116.

[0202] In embodiment 12, the device does not need to directly hold maintenance information, as it is managed centrally by the external information processing means, enabling users to perform maintenance such as cleaning at the appropriate time. Furthermore, when notifying users of new maintenance messages, it is not necessary to change the program of the device itself, and the message content can be flexibly changed by the external information processing means, enabling a quick response. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0203] 1: Paper feeder 4: Tablet devices 10: Collating machine 14: Paper feed tray 16: Main control panel 18: Paper feeding mechanism 20: Inserter 21: Tablet terminals for use inside the building 22: Sub-transport mechanism 36: Belt conveying mechanism 50: Collating Control Unit 51: Collation storage section 200: In-house system 300: Packaging machine 400: Packaging Control Unit 500: Newspaper Equipment Management System 510: Internet connection 520: Management Server 530: Management terminal

Claims

1. A transport means for transporting the object to be transported, A transport drive source that outputs a driving force to be transmitted to the transport means via a drive transmission mechanism, A transport drive amount detection means (encoder: usually the motor shaft, or anywhere in the drive transmission path) for detecting the amount of drive of the transport drive source, A transport device comprising: a control unit that controls the power supplied from a power source to the transport drive source using pulse width modulation control (duty cycle information, etc.), A transport device characterized by comprising communication means capable of transmitting pulse width modulation control information, which is control information for the pulse width modulation control, to an external information processing means via a communication network.

2. In the conveying device of claim 1, It is equipped with an installation environment detection means for detecting the installation environment conditions of the device, The transport device is characterized in that the communication means is capable of transmitting the installation environment information detected by the installation environment detection means to an external information processing means.

3. In the conveying device of claim 1, Installation environment detection means for detecting the installation environment conditions of the device, The system includes an environmental condition correction means that corrects the pulse width modulation control information based on the installation environment information detected by the installation environment detection means, The transport device is characterized in that the communication means is capable of transmitting the pulse width modulation control information corrected by the environmental condition correction means to an external information processing means.

4. In a collating device that creates collated materials by stacking sheet materials fed from multiple sheet material feeding sections while transporting them using a transport mechanism, A collating device characterized by comprising a conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 as the conveying mechanism.

5. A folded sheet material feeding unit that feeds folded sheet material, A sheet material feeding unit for feeding sheet material for inserts, An inserting device comprising: an inserting unit that transports folded sheet material supplied from the folded sheet material supplying unit by a transport mechanism while unfolding the fold, and inserts inserting sheet material supplied from the inserting sheet material supplying unit into the inside of the opened fold to create an inserting sheet material, The loading device is characterized by comprising a transport device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 as the transport mechanism.

6. In a packaging device that packages an object to be packaged using a packaging material while transporting it with a transport mechanism, A packaging apparatus characterized by comprising a conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3 as the conveying mechanism.

7. A transport means for transporting the object to be transported, A transport drive source that outputs a driving force to be transmitted to the transport means via a drive transmission mechanism, A transport drive amount detection means for detecting the amount of drive from the transport drive source, A control unit that controls the power supplied from the power source to the transport drive source using pulse width modulation control, A transport device having communication means for communicating with an external device via a communication network, The system includes an external information processing means that communicates with the communication means via a communication network and is capable of sending and receiving device information relating to the transport device, A transport device management system characterized in that the control unit transmits pulse width modulation control information, which is control information for the pulse width modulation control, from the communication means to the external information processing means via the communication network.

8. Power source and A drive amount detection means for detecting the drive amount of the drive source, A drive device comprising a control unit that controls the power supplied to the drive source by pulse width modulation control, A drive device characterized by comprising communication means capable of transmitting pulse width modulation control information, which is control information for the pulse width modulation control, to an external information processing means via a communication network.

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