A means for folding an information and communication sheet covered with a film sheet, and a method for manufacturing a foldable information and communication sheet covered with a film sheet using the same.

Abstract

This invention provides a folding means for a film sheet-covered information and communication body sheet, and a method for manufacturing a folded information and communication body using the same, which enables accurate folding of the information and communication body sheet, which is covered with a film sheet consisting of multiple leaf-shaped pieces arranged vertically and horizontally, when folded vertically and then horizontally, regardless of the increase in thickness. [Solution] The folding means for folding an information communication sheet, which consists of multiple leaf-shaped pieces connected vertically and horizontally via fold lines and covered with a film sheet, involves folding along the vertical fold lines and then folding the overlapping leaf-shaped pieces along the horizontal fold lines. The folding means for an information communication sheet covered with a film sheet has pressure-releasing means such as slits provided along the horizontal fold lines.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to folding means when folding a sheet on which an information communication medium such as a poster, menu, calendar, direct mail, or pressure-sensitive postcard coated with a film sheet is printed, and a method for manufacturing a folded information communication medium using the same.

Background Art

[0002] The process of performing various surface treatments on a printed sheet as post-processing is well-known. Subsequently, downsizing is performed through processes such as a cutting process and a folding process, and the process of being enclosed in, for example, an envelope and mailed as direct mail is well-known. By the way, when folding thin paper or weak paper during the folding process, there is no problem at all. However, when folding thick paper or a sheet with many folding processes and increased thickness, there are technical problems.

[0003] Currently, a known folding machine is used to fold a sheet-like printed matter. In that case, vertical and horizontal folding is usually performed on-site. For example, as in the folding information communication medium and its manufacturing method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-, after folding a plurality of leaf pieces connected via fold lines vertically along the vertical fold line (hereinafter referred to as vertical folding), it is folded along the horizontal fold line (hereinafter referred to as horizontal folding) into the size of one leaf piece. In such a case, when folding the leaf pieces that are folded over along the vertical fold line along the horizontal fold line, the thickness increases and the resistance to folding becomes large. The resistance to folding becomes particularly prominent when the printed sheet is subjected to surface processing after printing, especially when it is coated with a film sheet or the like.

Prior Art Documents

[0004]

Patent Documents

Patent Documents

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described in the aforementioned cited invention, when an information communication sheet consisting of multiple leaf-shaped pieces covered with a film sheet is folded vertically and then horizontally, the increased thickness resistance during the horizontal fold causes misalignment, wrinkles, tears, warping, distortion, etc., in the folded leaf-shaped pieces. In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a means for folding an information and communication sheet covered with a film sheet consisting of multiple leaf-shaped pieces arranged vertically and horizontally, which can be folded vertically and then horizontally, regardless of the increase in thickness, and a method for manufacturing a folded information and communication body using the same. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objective, the folding means for an information communication sheet of the present invention is a folding means for folding an information communication sheet consisting of a plurality of leaf-shaped pieces that are covered with a film sheet and connected vertically and horizontally via fold lines, wherein the plurality of overlapping leaf-shaped pieces are folded horizontally after being folded vertically, and the horizontal fold lines are provided with pressure release means such as slits.

[0007] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a foldable information communication body, characterized by comprising: a printing sheet feeding step of feeding out a printed sheet in which a plurality of leaf-shaped pieces are arranged vertically and horizontally via fold lines and pressure-relieving means such as slits are provided in the horizontal fold lines; a film sheet covering step of covering at least one predetermined surface of the fed-out printing sheet with a film sheet; an information communication body sheet cutting step of cutting out the film-covered printing sheet into individual information communication body sheets; a first folding step of vertically folding the cut-out information communication body sheets; and a second folding step of horizontally folding the vertically folded and overlapped information communication body sheets.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objective, the present invention's method for manufacturing a peelable foldable information communication body is characterized in that a pseudo-adhesive film sheet is used in the manufacturing method of the foldable information communication body, and an adhesive step of applying pressure or pressure and heat treatment is added downstream of the folding step.

[0009] The printing sheet used in this invention can preferably be made of high-quality paper, matte paper, coated paper, synthetic paper, nonwoven fabric, resin film sheet, etc. Furthermore, as the film sheet covering the printing sheet, a print laminating film sheet with polyethylene terephthalate or biaxially oriented polypropylene as the base material can preferably be used.

[0010] The printed sheet of the present invention has, for example, an information and communication material sheet printed on it in which multiple leaf-shaped pieces are connected via vertical and horizontal fold lines. The printed sheet may be a long sheet used for form printing, or a sheet-fed sheet used for offset printing. One or more information and communication material sheets are printed on the printed sheet, and after being covered with a film sheet, they are cut out into individual information and communication material sheets.

[0011] The film sheet used in the method for manufacturing a foldable information communication body covered with the film sheet of the present invention can preferably be a print-laminated film sheet in which a pseudo-adhesive layer is formed on one side of a substrate such as polyethylene terephthalate or biaxially oriented polypropylene. The print laminate may be either a thermal type or a dry type, but in the case of a thermal laminate, an adhesive layer made of a known heat-sensitive adhesive is formed on the remaining side of the substrate on which the pseudo-adhesive layer is formed.

[0012] The pressure-relieving means, such as slits, formed in the transverse fold lines of the information communication sheet printed on the printed sheet of the present invention may be ordinary linear cuts, or window-like spaces that are wide and tall. There is no limit to the number of such window-like spaces; they may be the full width of the folded sheet or even longer, and may be divided into multiple sections. Furthermore, smaller window-like spaces may be formed continuously in a straight line like perforations. In addition, various types of perforations, such as micro-perforations or perforations with a cut-to-uncut ratio in which the uncut portion is small and is torn and divided by folding, can also be suitably used. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the folding means for an information and communication sheet covered with the film sheet of the present invention, pressure release means such as slits provided in the transverse fold lines effectively release excess force when folding the folded sheet, which has become thicker due to vertical folding, from the transverse fold lines. As a result, even when the information and communication sheet is folded to the size of a single leaf, the resulting leaf group does not experience misalignment, wrinkles, tears, warping, or distortion, and can be folded accurately and aesthetically.

[0014] Furthermore, according to the method for manufacturing a foldable information communication body covered with a film sheet and the method for manufacturing a peelable foldable information communication body covered with a film sheet of the present invention, various information communication bodies that are neatly folded and aesthetically pleasing can be easily obtained by using the folding means. Therefore, the visual and aesthetic effects on the recipient are greatly enhanced, and consequently, it becomes possible to stimulate the desire to open and purchase the package. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a surface view of the printed sheet S1 on which the information and communication material sheet J1 is printed. [Figure 2] (A) is a front view of the printed sheet S1 with a film sheet G covering it in a predetermined position, and (B) is a back view. [Figure 3](A) is a front view of the information communication body sheet J1 that has been cut out as a single piece with the surrounding margin portion removed, and (B) is a back view. [Figure 4] (A) is a plan view of the information communication body sheet J1 folded in half from the vertical fold line 5, (B) is a sectional view taken along the line I-I in (A), and (B) is a sectional view taken along the line II-II. [Figure 5] It is a plan view of the folded information communication body P covered with the completed film sheet. [Figure 6] (A) is a sectional view taken along the line III-III in FIG. 5, and (B) is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV. [Figure 7] (A) is a plan view when a connecting portion is provided at the horizontal fold line 6 with slits, (B) is a plan view when the slits in (A) are replaced with a wide window-shaped space, and (C) is a plan view when the connecting portion of the wide window-shaped space in (B) is eliminated. [Figure 8] (A) is a plan view when the pressure release means is replaced with a plurality of continuous small window-shaped spaces, and (B) is a plan view when the pressure release means is replaced with a micro-machine. [Figure 9] It is a plan view of the printing sheet S2 when the number of constituent leaf pieces of the information communication body sheet is 6 leaf pieces. [Figure 10] It is a plan view of the printing sheet S3 when the number of constituent leaf pieces of the information communication body sheet is 6 leaf pieces and the leaf piece layout is different from that of the printing sheet S2 in FIG. 9. [Figure 11] It is a plan view of the printing sheet S4 when the single-sheet printing sheet S1 is replaced with a long sheet. [[ID=??]]

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, the folding means of the information communication body sheet covered with the film sheet will be clearly explained with reference to the drawings by taking, for example, the manufacturing method of the folded information communication body covered with the film sheet. The printed sheet S1 shown in Fig. 1 is an information communication sheet J1 in which a first leaf piece 1, a second leaf piece 2, a third leaf piece 3 and a fourth leaf piece 4 are connected in a grid pattern via a vertical fold line 5 and a horizontal fold line 6 provided with pressure release means. The information communication sheet J1 is printed on the printed sheet S1 while being surrounded by a vertical margin X and a horizontal margin Y. Corner marks R1 indicating the cutting positions of the outer periphery of the information communication sheet J1 are printed at the four corners of each margin portion, and fold marks R2 indicating the positions of the vertical and horizontal fold lines are printed near the center of the four sides.

[0017] In this embodiment, after the information communication sheet J1 and various marks R1, R2 are printed on the printed sheet S1, a slit cut is made as a pressure release means on the horizontal fold line 6 by a die-cut roller, a slitter, or the like. The slit is made in a state straddling both vertical edges of the information communication sheet J1. That is, in this state, the first leaf piece 1 and the second leaf piece 2 are completely separated from the third leaf piece 3 and the fourth leaf piece 4 at the portion of the horizontal fold line 6 where the slit is made.

[0018] The printed sheet S1 processed to the above-described state is stacked on a paper loading table or the like at the most upstream of a film sheet coating device such as a laminator, and is fed from the topmost sheet S1 in sequence to the transport table of the film sheet coating device by a feeding mechanism such as a feed roller or a suction pad. When feeding, the interval between the front and rear printed sheets S1 may be an equal interval, a state where the front and rear ends are butted without an interval, or a state where the front and rear ends overlap. (Sheet feeding process)

[0019] The fed sheet S1 passes through a pair of heat rollers into which a film sheet fed from rolls arranged vertically, for example, is drawn, and thus the film sheet G is coated at predetermined positions on the front and back surfaces as shown in Figs. 2(A) and (B). The coated surface does not necessarily have to be both sides, and it may be only one side. (Film sheet coating process)

[0020] The printed sheet S1, with a film sheet covering a predetermined surface, is then subjected to a known cutting system such as a slitter, die-cutting roller, rotary cutter, or guillotine cutter to remove the left and right vertical margins X, X and the top and bottom horizontal margins Y, Y, resulting in a finished information communication sheet J1 as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B). (Folding sheet cutting process)

[0021] The information and communication sheet J1, which has been cut out individually, is first folded in half along the vertical fold line 5, and is folded to the state shown in Figure 4(A) and the cross-sectional views of the overlapping leaf pair shown in Figures 4(B) and 4(C). (First folding step)

[0022] Next, the second leaf 2 and the fourth leaf 4 are folded over the film sheet G along the lateral fold line 6 with slits as shown in Figure 4(A), so that they face each other, and the resulting folded information communication body P covered with the film sheet as shown in Figure 5 is completed. (Second folding process)

[0023] As shown in Figure 6(A), in the initial double-fold of the aforementioned information communication device P, the vertical fold line 5 is folded without significant resistance. However, as shown in Figure 6(B), the horizontal fold line 6, where the slits for the first leaf 1 and third leaf 3 are normally made, increases in thickness and therefore experiences significant resistance. In the present invention, however, the slits release this significant resistance, and the flexible film sheet G acts as a link. As a result, the folded information communication device P covered with the completed film sheet does not experience misalignment, wrinkles, tears, warping, or distortion, and the entire device folds accurately, resulting in a beautiful finish.

[0024] Furthermore, by replacing the film sheet G interposed between the opposing surfaces of each leaf portion of the information communication body P, which is covered with the aforementioned film sheet, with a pseudo-adhesive film sheet, and by applying pressure and pressure-heat treatment to the completed information communication body P covered with the film sheet, the film sheets interposed between the opposing surfaces of each leaf portion are peelably bonded and integrated. (Bonding process) The peelable, foldable information and communication materials covered with the film sheets manufactured in this way can be used as communication materials such as postcards, envelopes, mail, and courier services, and are highly effective.

[0025] However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, the slits formed in the lateral fold lines 6 where the pressure release means are provided in the embodiment do not need to traverse each leaf segment; as shown in Figure 7(A), they may be divided with connecting sections at various points. Alternatively, as shown in Figure 7(B), the slits may be replaced with wide, window-like spaces. In that case, as shown in Figure 7(C), there may be no connecting sections, and the slits may traverse each leaf segment.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8(A), these may be replaced with multiple consecutive small window-like spaces (the shape is not important), and as shown in Figure 8(B), they may also be replaced with micro-perforations that break when folded, or perforations that break easily depending on the ratio of cuts to uncuts.

[0027] Furthermore, while the examples primarily describe an information communication sheet J1 with four leaflets arranged in a grid pattern, more leaflets are also acceptable. For example, as shown in Figure 9, the information communication sheet J2 may consist of a total of 6 leaves, where a group of leaves consisting of a first leaf 11, a second leaf 12, and a third leaf 13, connected horizontally via vertical fold lines 17 and 18, and a group of leaves consisting of a fourth leaf 14, a fifth leaf 15, and a sixth leaf 16, are connected vertically via a horizontal fold line 19 with pressure-releasing means such as a slit. The number of leaves may be 6 or more.

[0028] As shown in Figure 10, the information communication sheet J3 may also consist of a total of six leaves, where the first leaf 21 and the second leaf 22, the third leaf 23 and the fourth leaf 24, and the fifth leaf 25 and the sixth leaf 26 are connected horizontally via vertical fold lines 27, and are connected vertically via horizontal fold lines 28 and 29 that have pressure release means such as slits. The number of leaves may be six or more.

[0029] In the embodiments described above, the information and communication material sheets S1, S2, and S3 are described as single-fed sheets, but as shown in Figure 11, they can also be manufactured in the same way as long sheets. In this case, unlike single-fed sheets, the entire perimeter of the information and communication material sheet J1 is not surrounded by a margin, and the marginal portion 7 connected to the vertical edges 9 on the outer side of each leaf piece, where marginal holes 8 are formed on both sides, becomes the vertical margin X. There is usually no horizontal margin (but there may be), and the information and communication material sheets J1 are cut along the horizontal dividing lines 10, 10 to cut out individual information and communication material sheets J1. The finished product of the information and communication material sheet J1 manufactured in this way is exactly the same as that of a single-fed sheet. [Explanation of symbols]

[0030] S1, S2, S3, S4 Print Sheets J1, J2, J3 Information and Communication System Sheet X Vertical margin Y: Horizontal margin R1 Corner Dragonfly R2 Folding Dragonfly G Film Sheet P Foldable Information and Communication Device 1, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26 leaf pieces 5, 17, 18, 27 Vertical fold lines 6, 19, 28, 29 Lateral fold lines with pressure release mechanisms 7. Marginal portion 8 Marginal holes 9. Longitudinal margins on the outer edges of leaf lobes 10-lane markings

Claims

1. A folding means for an information and communication sheet covered with a film sheet, comprising a plurality of leaf-shaped pieces connected vertically and horizontally via fold lines, wherein the overlapping leaf-shaped pieces are folded along the horizontal fold lines after being folded along the vertical fold lines, and the horizontal fold lines are provided with pressure release means such as slits.

2. A folding means for an information and communication sheet covered with a film sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure release means such as a slit consists of a horizontally elongated window-shaped space.

3. A folding means for an information and communication sheet covered with a film sheet according to claim 1, characterized in that the pressure release means such as slits are arranged in the shape of a series of small windows.

4. A printing sheet feeding process in which a printed sheet is fed out, in which multiple leaf-shaped pieces are arranged vertically and horizontally via fold lines, and pressure release means such as slits are provided in the horizontal fold lines, A film sheet coating step in which a film sheet is applied to at least one predetermined surface of the unwound printed sheet, The process of cutting out information and communication device sheets involves cutting out individual information and communication device sheets from a printed sheet covered with a film sheet, The first folding process involves folding the cut-out information and communication sheet vertically, The second folding process involves folding the vertically folded and overlapped information and communication sheet horizontally, A method for manufacturing a foldable information communication body covered with a film sheet characterized by being composed of the following.

5. A method for manufacturing a foldable information communication body according to claim 4, characterized in that the film sheet has pseudo-adhesive properties, and an adhesive step of applying pressure or pressure and heat treatment is added downstream of the folding step, wherein the film sheet is covered with a peelable foldable information communication body.

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