Spine Formation Device Perpendicular Roller Pressing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing post-processing apparatuses struggle to effectively flatten the spine of saddle-stitched booklets, leading to bulging which affects the appearance and stacking stability of booklets, and existing solutions either degrade the appearance or reduce productivity.
Innovation Solution
A spine formation device that includes a sheet conveyor, a sandwiching member, and a spine formation unit, where the bundle of sheets is conveyed and the folded portion is pressed by a spine formation roller in a direction perpendicular to the spine, allowing for precise flattening of the spine while maintaining the booklet's quality and reducing bulging.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If a spine-forming roller moves over the entire length of the spine while applying pressure to flatten the bulging portion, then the appearance quality is improved, but the processing time increases and productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The pressing action is segmented into two distinct phases: first, the folding plate pushes the center portion of the booklet to create initial contact with the first pair of rollers; second, the second pair of rollers moves perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction to press the folded portion from the side. This segmentation allows each pressing action to be optimized independently, achieving effective spine flattening without requiring the spine-forming roller to traverse the entire spine length, thus maintaining high processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a second pair of rollers that move in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, adding a dimensional aspect to the pressing mechanism. This perpendicular movement allows the rollers to press the folded portion from the side, increasing pressure per unit length on the spine without requiring longitudinal traversal, thereby resolving the contradiction between flattening quality and processing speed.
2Manufacturing precision
If the booklet is pushed with a folding plate and pressed between rollers perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, then the pressure per unit length increases and spine shaping is improved, but the folded portion curves from the corners when multiple sheets form a multilayered structure
Solution Approach 1:
The folding plate performs a preliminary pushing action on the center portion of the booklet before the booklet enters the pressing rollers. This preliminary action positions the booklet correctly and initiates the folding process, ensuring that the folded portion is properly aligned and prepared for the subsequent perpendicular pressing action by the second pair of rollers. This preliminary positioning prevents corner curvature by ensuring uniform contact across all sheets in the multilayered structure.
3Productivity
If only the bulging portion is pressed with the spine-forming roller, then the processing time is reduced and productivity is improved, but the appearance quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies pressing force locally at the folded portion where the spine is formed, rather than distributing pressure along the entire spine length. The second pair of rollers is positioned to press specifically at the folded portion from the side, concentrating the pressing action where it is most needed to flatten the bulging spine. This localized pressing achieves effective spine flattening and appearance quality improvement without requiring time-consuming traversal of the entire spine, thus maintaining high productivity.
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 device effectively flattens the spine of booklets, enabling better stacking and storage by reducing bulging, while maintaining the quality and productivity of the booklets.
Implementation Method 1
The sandwiching member squeezes the bundle of folded sheets sandwiched therein in a direction of thickness of the bundle of folded sheets
Implementation Method 2
the spine formation unit presses against the folded portion in a reverse direction of the sheet conveyance direction while moving in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the folded portion
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An spine formation device (J) includes a sheet conveyer (11,12) to transport a bundle of folded sheets (30) with a folded portion (30a) thereof forming a front end portion, a sandwiching member (14,15) to sandwich and squeeze the bundle of folded sheets (30) in a thickness direction thereof, and a spine formation unit (14,15) disposed downstream from the sandwiching member (14,15) in the sheet conveyance direction, to flatten the folded portion (30a) of the bundle of folded sheets (30) held by the sandwiching member (14,15). The spine formation unit (14,15) presses the folded portion (30a) of the bundle of folded sheets (30) projecting a predetermined length from the sandwiching member (14,15) in the sheet conveyance direction in a reverse direction of the sheet conveyance direction while moving in a direction perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the folded portion (30a) of the bundle of folded sheets (30).