Book Block Forming Apparatus Signature Alignment and Glue Joint Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional book binding processes result in books with misaligned signatures, warping spines, and glue joints that make it difficult to open the book, leading to poor binding quality, especially when a large number of signatures are used.
Innovation Solution
A book block forming apparatus that includes a first press unit to press signatures along their fold lines, a conveyance unit to control signature attitudes, a glue application unit to apply glue to both sides of the signatures, an accumulation unit to stack the signatures while jogging them to prevent warping, and a second press unit to vertically press the book block, ensuring proper alignment and preventing glue joints from forming between signatures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If signatures are adhered to each other during book block formation, then misalignment of signatures is avoided, but glue joints are left in back margins making it difficult to open the book
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and removes the harmful glue joints from the back margins through a trimming operation. The book block is trimmed after glue application to eliminate the glue joints that would otherwise interfere with book opening, while maintaining the alignment benefits of adhesive bonding.
Solution Approach 2:
The process is segmented into distinct stages: signature adhesion for alignment, followed by trimming to remove glue joints. This segmentation allows the beneficial alignment effect to be achieved while eliminating the harmful glue joint residue through a separate operation.
2Ease of manufacture
If signatures are stacked with fold line side thicker, then signatures can be formed by multiple folding, but the spine warps causing signature wrinkles and deteriorating book binding
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary pressing along the fold lines before stacking signatures. This pre-pressing flattens the fold lines and prevents the spine from warping during subsequent stacking and binding operations, eliminating wrinkles while maintaining the ability to form signatures through multiple folding.
3Productivity
If conventional book block forming apparatus is used, then book blocks can be produced, but glue joints remain in back margins and spine warping occurs leading to poor binding quality
Solution Approach 1:
The binding process is segmented into distinct operations: signature adhesion for alignment, trimming to remove glue joints from back margins, and pressing to prevent spine warping. This segmentation maintains production efficiency while eliminating quality defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The harmful glue joints are extracted and removed from the back margins through a trimming operation, eliminating the interference with book opening while preserving the beneficial alignment achieved through adhesive bonding.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The apparatus ensures smooth opening of the book by removing glue joints and prevents warping, maintaining high-quality binding even with multiple signatures, by pressing and aligning the signatures correctly during the binding process.
Implementation Method 1
a first press unit attached to the entrance of the frame to press each of signatures along a fold line thereof
Implementation Method 2
a glue application unit attached to the frame and arranged downstream of the signature conveyance unit to apply glue to both sides of the top face of each of the signatures
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3C
AI summary
A first press unit 2 presses each of a plurality of signatures S along a fold f thereof, the signatures being supplied one at a time with the fold f facing forward. Subsequent to the first press unit is arranged a signature conveyance unit 3 that conveys each signature received from the first press unit while controlling the attitude thereof so as to make the fold orthogonal to the conveyance direction. Subsequent to the signature conveyance unit is arranged a gluing unit 4 that applies glue to both lateral edges of a top surface of each signature received from the signature conveyance unit. Subsequent to the gluing unit is arranged an accumulation unit 5 that sequentially stacks the signatures received from the gluing unit on one another while jogging the stacked signatures to form a book block B. Subsequent to the accumulation unit is arranged a second press unit 6 that discharges the book block received from the accumulation unit after pressing the same along the folds.