Envelope Insertion Device with Pivotable Tunnel
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing envelope inserting machines face issues with wear and tear, particularly in the envelope elevator rollers, and struggle to handle a variety of envelope formats and qualities with minimal changeover effort, leading to operational unreliability and high production costs.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates an envelope tunnel with a pivotable envelope push-on roller and synchronized cam disks for precise alignment and movement, allowing for flexible operation with minimal wear, capable of handling diverse envelope formats and qualities with reduced changeover effort, and utilizing a compact, cost-effective structure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of moving object
If transport rollers are positioned at a large distance from the packing bag, then the envelope can be transported, but the envelope cannot be pushed completely onto the packing bag through the funnel
Solution Approach 1:
A funnel-shaped element is introduced as an intermediary component between the transport rollers and the packing bag. This funnel acts as a mediator that guides and pushes the envelope from the transport rollers onto the packing bag, solving the problem of the large distance gap that prevented complete envelope insertion.
2Reliability
If movable funnel-shaped elements and pulling means are used to push envelopes onto the packing bag, then envelope insertion is achieved, but the construction becomes susceptible to wear particularly in the envelope elevator rollers
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using pulling means that exert force on the envelope from above or the front, the invention uses a funnel-shaped element that leverages gravity and the envelope's own weight to push it onto the packing bag. This inverted approach eliminates the need for wear-prone pulling mechanisms and reduces stress on elevator rollers.
3Device complexity
If fixed envelope handling mechanisms are used, then the structure is simple, but the device cannot handle a variety of envelope formats and qualities with minimal changeover effort
Solution Approach 1:
The envelope tunnel is made pivotable about a vertical axis, allowing it to dynamically adjust its position and angle. This dynamic capability enables the same simple structure to accommodate various envelope formats and qualities by adjusting the tunnel's orientation, without requiring complex interchangeable mechanisms.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to an envelope insertion device for inserting contents of an envelope (13) into an envelope (5), wherein the envelope insertion device K comprises an envelope shaft (11) for empty envelopes (5), transport elements (1, 2, 14, 15, 50, 70, 80, 81) for transporting the envelope (5) from the envelope shaft (11) to a storage bag (20) on which the envelopes (5) are filled, a feed apparatus (22, 23) for feeding the contents of the envelope (13) to the storage bag and into the storage bag (20), and outfeed elements (14, 30, 31) for further conveying of the envelope (5), which is filled with the envelope contents (13). The transport elements comprise an envelope tunnel (80), which is movably mounted about a pivot axis (3) on the envelope insertion device K, having an upper tunnel guide (82) and a lower tunnel guide (83) for alignment of the envelope (5) on the storage bag (20), and pivoting means (62, 90, 98, 99), which are operatively connected to the envelope tunnel, and at least one drivable envelope pusher roller (70). The envelope pusher roller (70) is positioned in a first position, which the envelope tunnel (80) and the envelope pusher roller (70) assume relative to the storage bag (20), from below against the end region (88) placed path-downward of the upper tunnel guide (82) and a lower edge of an end edge (89) of the end region (88) is offset downward relative to a plane defined by the guide surface (24) of the storage bag.