EP2030923B1 - Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Drucken und/oder elektronischen Scannen von doppelseitigen Oberflächen eines Blattes/einer Postsendung - Google Patents

Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Drucken und/oder elektronischen Scannen von doppelseitigen Oberflächen eines Blattes/einer Postsendung Download PDF

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Publication number
EP2030923B1
EP2030923B1 EP08014931A EP08014931A EP2030923B1 EP 2030923 B1 EP2030923 B1 EP 2030923B1 EP 08014931 A EP08014931 A EP 08014931A EP 08014931 A EP08014931 A EP 08014931A EP 2030923 B1 EP2030923 B1 EP 2030923B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
conveyor
sheet material
pressure differential
face
sheet
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Ceased
Application number
EP08014931A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP2030923A2 (de
EP2030923A3 (de
Inventor
Henson C. Ong
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Pitney Bowes Inc
Original Assignee
Pitney Bowes Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Pitney Bowes Inc filed Critical Pitney Bowes Inc
Publication of EP2030923A2 publication Critical patent/EP2030923A2/de
Publication of EP2030923A3 publication Critical patent/EP2030923A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP2030923B1 publication Critical patent/EP2030923B1/de
Ceased legal-status Critical Current
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H5/00—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines
    • B65H5/22—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines by air-blast or suction device
    • B65H5/222—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines by air-blast or suction device by suction devices
    • B65H5/224—Feeding articles separated from piles; Feeding articles to machines by air-blast or suction device by suction devices by suction belts
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H11/00—Feed tables
    • B65H11/007—Feed tables with front stop arrangements
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/30—Orientation, displacement, position of the handled material
    • B65H2301/32—Orientation of handled material
    • B65H2301/321—Standing on edge
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2301/00—Handling processes for sheets or webs
    • B65H2301/40—Type of handling process
    • B65H2301/44—Moving, forwarding, guiding material
    • B65H2301/447—Moving, forwarding, guiding material transferring material between transport devices
    • B65H2301/4473—Belts, endless moving elements on which the material is in surface contact
    • B65H2301/44735—Belts, endless moving elements on which the material is in surface contact suction belt
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2701/00—Handled material; Storage means
    • B65H2701/10—Handled articles or webs
    • B65H2701/19—Specific article or web
    • B65H2701/1916—Envelopes and articles of mail
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65H—HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL, e.g. SHEETS, WEBS, CABLES
    • B65H2801/00—Application field
    • B65H2801/39—Scanning

Definitions

  • This invention relates to apparatus for manipulating sheet material and, more particularly, to an apparatus for providing equal access to dual face surfaces of a sheet/mailpiece for printing/scanning on each side thereof.
  • Material handling systems frequently require that sheet material, such as the internal mailpiece contents or mailpiece envelopes, be turned over to match a specific downstream requirement.
  • mailpiece fabrication equipment typically requires that mailpiece content material be oriented face-up or face down depending upon the orientation of a receiving envelope This requirement has come under increasing demand as new and old equipment have, over the course of time, been merged. That is, some mailpiece fabrication systems require a face-up orientation while others employ a face-down presentation. Effective utilization and coordination of all systems/machines becomes inefficient when specific mailpiece fabrication jobs can only be processed on specific machines.
  • US-A-6 139 004 describes a material strip handling apparatus comprising a lower vacuum conveyor and an upper vacuum conveyor.
  • the lower vacuum conveyor conveys the strips of material which desirably are evenly spaced on the conveyance surface.
  • the vacuum of the conveyor holds the strips of material with a controlled vacuum via a vacuum chamber.
  • the vacuum of the lower conveyor holds the strips of material with a controlled vacuum to a tangent region of the lower vacuum conveyor with the upper vacuum conveyor.
  • the strips of material are individually and successively transferred onto the upper vacuum conveyor.
  • the vacuum of the lower vacuum conveyor is extinguished or otherwise ceases to hold the material strips thereto by vacuum means.
  • a vacuum is created, generated or provided within the upper vacuum conveyor.
  • Such vacuum may be so provided by means of a vacuum chamber or box and an associated vacuum-supplying hose or duct. The application of such a vacuum serves to hold the material strips adjacent the conveyance surface.
  • various inversion modules have been developed to reorient the envelope or mailpiece content material for printing or scanning purposes. That is, a requirement often exists for a mailpiece envelope to have information printed on both face surfaces such as a destination address on one side thereof and a return address on the other side (typically on the rear face of the envelope flap). At other times, a sheet may have content material printed on one side while a destination address is printed on the opposite side such that, when folded, the destination address may be aligned with and seen through a transparent window of an envelope.
  • One apparatus for inverting the orientation of a mailpiece envelope, or its content material includes a twist module wherein the sheet material is directed linearly along a spiral path, typically affected by a series of twisted belts or chords. While such twist modules retain the respective leading and trailing edge position of the sheet material, such modules require a lengthy axial path to change the face-up/ face-down orientation of the sheet material. Furthermore, twist modules are not reconfigurable to handle straight runs wherein sheet material inversion is not required. Consequently, a substitute module or entirely separate mechanism must be introduced to reconfigure the sheet material handling equipment.
  • a sheet handling apparatus for conveying sheet material along a feed path, comprising, first and second conveyor modules having first and second conveyor surfaces, respectively, for driving the sheet material along the feed path, the conveyor modules being arranged such that at least a portion of the first conveyor surface opposes at least a portion of the second conveyor surface along a face-to-face interface; a means for developing a pressure differential across the first and second conveyor surfaces to hold the sheet material on one of the conveyor surfaces and transfer the sheet material from the first to the second conveyor surfaces during transport; and a processor operative to independently control the pressure differential means such that sheet material may be transferred from one conveyor module to the other conveyor module by controlling the pressure differential developed across each of the first and second conveyor surfaces when the sheet material is interposed between the face-to-face interface, wherein the first and second conveyor surfaces each include a plurality of openings therein, and wherein the pressure differential means associated with each of the first and second conveyor modules includes first and second pneumatic pump and a plenum defining first and second chambers disposed in
  • a sheet handling apparatus for conveying sheet material/mailpieces along a feed path which facilitates access to the dual face surfaces thereof for the purpose of printing, and/or scanning information contained, thereon.
  • the sheet handling apparatus includes first and second conveyor modules each having a conveyor surface, a portion of which is disposed in opposing, face-to-face relation with a portion of the other conveyor surface. Furthermore, the conveyor surfaces cooperate with a means for developing a pressure differential across the conveyor surfaces to hold the sheet material on the conveyor surfaces and transfer the sheet material across the modules during transport.
  • a processor controls the pressure differential means such that the sheet material is held against the conveyor surfaces by a negative pressure differential developed across the conveyor surface and transferred from one conveyor surface to the other by controlling the pressure differential of both modules when the sheet material is interposed between the face-to-face interface. Furthermore, the remaining end portions of each conveyor surface are oppositely disposed and openly accessible to perform other sheet material processes. For example, the sheet material may be scanned along and/or printed on each face surface.
  • sheet material means any page, document, or media wherein the dimensions and stiffness properties in a third dimension are but a small fraction, e.g., 1/100th of the dimensions and stiffness characteristics in the other two dimensions. As such, the sheet material is substantially "flat” and flexible about axes parallel to the plane of the sheet.
  • FIG. 1 shows an isolated perspective view of the sheet handling apparatus 10 according to the present invention.
  • the sheet handling apparatus 10 includes first and second conveyor modules 12, 14 each having roller-driven conveyor surfaces 12C, 14C, a means 16 for developing a pressure differential across the conveyor surfaces 12C, 14C of the conveyor modules 12, 14, and a processor 20 for independently controlling the pressure differential means 16.
  • the conveyor modules 12, 14 are arranged such that an end portion of one conveyor surface 14C opposes the other conveyor surface 12C along a face-to-face interface FF. Furthermore, while the remaining portions 12EP, 14EP of the conveyor modules 12, 14 are diametrically opposite, i.e., 180° out-of-phase, the end portions 12EP, 14EP are openly accessible for other sheet material processes. The import of this arrangement/feature will be discussed in greater detail in subsequent paragraphs when discussing the operation for controlling the sheet handling apparatus.
  • the conveyor surface 12C is composed of a flexible material which is porous or includes a plurality of openings/apertures 12CO to permit the passage of air therethrough.
  • the conveyor surface 12C is furthermore, disposed about a pair of rollers 22, 24 to produce linear surface segments 26 between the rollers 22, 24.
  • the rollers 22, 24 are driven in the direction of arrows D, though the motor(s) for driving the rollers 22, 24 is not shown.
  • the means 16 for developing a pressure differential across the conveyor surface 12C includes, inter alia, one or more pneumatic pumps S 1 , S 2 and a plenum 30 disposed in fluid communication with the pneumatic pumps S 1 , S 2 ,.
  • the plenum 30 is disposed between the linear segments 26 of the conveyor surface 12C and the rollers 22, 24 at each end of the conveyor module 12.
  • the plenum 30 includes a plurality of apertures 30A disposed through a sidewall structure 30W of the plenum 30.
  • the sidewall structure 30W is disposed adjacent the conveyor surface 12C and, in addition to tensile loads which may be imposed by the rollers 22, 24 on the conveyor surface 12C, the sidewall structure 30W provides a degree of lateral and/or vertical support for the conveyor surface 12C.
  • the apertures 30A are sufficiently close to the conveyor surface 12C such that air/fluid will flow substantially normal to the conveyor surface 12C (i.e., through the openings 12CO) rather than in a direction parallel to and/or between the sidewall structure 30W and the interior conveyor surface 12C.
  • the plenum 30 comprises at least one chamber 34-1, but may include additional chambers 34-2 to facilitate the transfer of sheet material from an upstream conveyor module 12 to a downstream conveyor module 14.
  • additional chambers 34-2 to facilitate the transfer of sheet material from an upstream conveyor module 12 to a downstream conveyor module 14.
  • the pneumatic pumps S 1 , S 2 are capable of generating a positive, negative and/or neutral pressure differential, P, V, N, respectively, across the conveyor surface 12C.
  • a command or signal is issued by the processor 20 to the pneumatic pumps S 1 , S 2 to generate a vacuum V (see Fig. 2 ) or low pressure within one or both of the chambers 34-1, 34-2.
  • FIGs 3 and 4 the operation for controlling the sheet handling apparatus 10 is depicted. While sheet material 40 may be adequately conveyed and handled by conveyor modules having a single-chambered plenum, the figures emphasize the advantages of a multi-chambered plenum 30 to enhance the control/transfer of sheet material from one conveyor module 12 to another module 14.
  • sheet material 40 is introduced and is held against the conveyor surface 12C of the first conveyor module 12 by a vacuum V created in the chambers 34-1 and 34-2 of the plenum 30.
  • the pressure differential is maintained across the conveyor surface 12C by the fluid communication established between the apertures 30A of the sidewall structure 30W and the openings 12CO of the conveyor surface 12C, i.e., even as the conveyor surface 13C slides across the sidewall surface 30W. Even as the conveyor surface 12C transitions from one chamber 34-1 to the next 34-2, the sheet material 40 continues to be urged against the conveyor surface 12C inasmuch as the pneumatic pump S 2 continues to draw a vacuum in the second chamber 34-2.
  • a positive pressure differential P may be established in the second chamber 34-2 of the first conveyor module 12. More specifically, a negative pressure differential may be maintained in both first and second chambers 34-1, 34-2, via the first and second pneumatic pumps S 1 , S 2 until a sheet of material 40 has fully entered the interface region, between the first and second conveyors 12, 14.
  • Various sensing apparatus may be employed, e.g., leading edge photo-optic sensors (not shown), to detect the position of the sheet material 40 along the feed path FP. When it is determined that the sheet material 40 is correctly positioned, the pneumatic pump S 2 converts to pressurize the chamber 34-2 and produce a positive pressure differential across the conveyor surface 12C.
  • the sheet material 40 is urged from the conveyor surface 12C to the opposing conveyor surface 14C.
  • the negative pressure differential maintains the sheet material 40 in position as it continues along the feed path, i.e., provided by the conveyor surface 14C of the second module 14.
  • various processing devices may be disposed adjacent each of the accessible end portions 12EP, 14EP of the conveyor surfaces 12C, 14C.
  • various mailpiece processing operations may be performed on the exposed face surfaces of the mailpieces.
  • a first printer 50a (see Figs. 1 and 2 ) disposed adjacent the first exposed end portion 12EP of the first conveyor surface 12C may print a destination address on one side of a mailpiece envelope 54 traveling along the first conveyor surface 12C
  • a second printer 50b disposed adjacent the second exposed end portion 14EP of the second conveyor surface 14C may print a return address on the opposite side of the envelope 54 as it travels along the second conveyor surface 14C.
  • a first scanner 60a located adjacent to or substituting for the printer 50a
  • the present invention provides an apparatus for transferring sheet material from one conveyor surface to another. Complexity is minimized and reliability optimized by reducing the number of moving parts. That is, aside from a common conveyor system, the apparatus employs a pneumatic system to hold, transfer and convey the sheet material. Moreover, the apparatus provides access to dual face surfaces of the sheet material, e.g., a mailpiece envelope, to perform various other processing operations such as printing and/or scanning.
  • the sheet handling apparatus 10 is a device capable of transporting sheet material 40 along a co-planar feed path which prepares or presents the sheet material 40 in a suitable orientation for use by a downstream processing device. That is, the sheet handling apparatus 10 may be used to convey, transfer and deliver sheet material so as to present one face surface or another to a subsequent processing station including, but not limited to a printing and/or scanning station.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Delivering By Means Of Belts And Rollers (AREA)
  • Separation, Sorting, Adjustment, Or Bending Of Sheets To Be Conveyed (AREA)
  • Registering Or Overturning Sheets (AREA)

Claims (5)

  1. Blatt-Handhabungsvorrichtung zum Transportieren von Blattmaterial längs einem Zuführpfad (FP), umfassend:
    erste und zweite Fördermodule (12, 14) mit ersten bzw. zweiten Förderoberflächen (12C, 14C) zum Antreiben des Blattmaterials längs dem Zufuhrpfad, wobei die Fördermodule (12, 14) so ausgelegt sind, dass zumindest ein Teil der ersten Förderoberfläche (12C) zumindest einem Teil der zweiten Förderoberfläche (14C) längs einer Flächen-zu-Flächen-Schnittstelle (FF) gegenüberliegt;
    ein Mittel (16) zum Entwickeln eines Druckdifferentials zwischen den ersten und zweiten Förderoberflächen (12C, 14C), um das Blattmaterial auf einer der Förderoberflächen zu halten und das Blattmaterial während des Transportes von der ersten zur zweiten Förderoberfläche zu transferieren; und
    einen Prozessor (20), der operativ ist, unabhängig das Druckdifferentialmittel so zu steuern, dass Blattmaterial von einem Fördermodul (12) zum anderen Fördermodul (14) transferiert werden kann, indem das zwischen jeder der ersten und zweiten Förderoberflächen (12C, 14C) entwickelte Druckdifferential gesteuert wird, wenn das Blattmaterial zwischen der Flächen-zu-Flächen-Schnittstelle (FF) eingefügt ist,
    wobei die ersten und zweiten Förderoberflächen (12C, 14C) alle eine Mehrzahl von Öffnungen (12CO) darin enthalten, und wobei das mit jedem der ersten und zweiten Fördermodule assoziierte Druckdifferentialmittel erste und zweite pneumatische Pumpen (S1, S2) und einen, erste und zweite Kammern (34-1, 34-2), die in Fluidkommunikation mit entsprechenden pneumatischen Pumpen (S1, S2) angeordnet sind, definierenden Raum beinhaltet, wobei jede Kammer weiterhin eine Seitenwandstruktur (30W) mit einer Mehrzahl von daran angrenzend an der entsprechenden Förderoberfläche (12C, 14C) angeordneten Öffnungen (30A) definiert, so dass Luft durch die Öffnungen (12CO) derselben und durch die Öffnungen (30A) des Raums (30) hindurchgehen können, um ein Druckdifferential an der Förderoberfläche zu erzeugen, wobei die erste pneumatische Pumpe (S1) in Fluidkommunikation mit der ersten Kammer (34-1) angeordnet ist und die zweite pneumatische Pumpe (S2) in Fluidkommunikation mit der zweiten Kammer (34-2) angeordnet ist, und wobei die zweite pneumatische Pumpe (S2) unabhängig durch den Prozessor (20) steuerbar ist, um ein neutrales oder positives Druckdifferential an einem Teil der Förderoberfläche zu erzeugen, das der Flächen-zu-Flächen-Schnittstelle entspricht, um Blattmaterial von einem Fördermodul (12) zum anderen Fördermodul (14) zu transferieren.
  2. Blatthandhabungsvorrichtung gemäß Anspruch 1, wobei ein Negativ-Druckdifferential an zumindest einer der Förderoberflächen (12C, 14C) entwickelt wird, um das Blattmaterial längs dem Zufuhrpfad (FP) zu befördern.
  3. Blatthandhabungsvorrichtung gemäß Anspruch 2, wobei das Druckdifferential an der ersten Förderoberfläche neutralisiert wird, während ein negatives Druckdifferential an der zweiten Förderoberfläche entwickelt wird, um das Blattmaterial von dem ersten zum zweiten Fördermodul zu transferieren.
  4. Blatthandhabungsvorrichtung gemäß Anspruch 3, wobei das Druckdifferential an der ersten Förderoberfläche (12C) neutralisiert wird, während ein negatives Druckdifferential an der zweiten Förderoberfläche (14C) entwickelt wird, um das Blattmaterial vom ersten zum zweiten Fördermodul längs der Flächen-zu-Flächen-Schnittstelle (FF) zu transferieren.
  5. Blatthandhabungsvorrichtung gemäß einem der vorstehenden Ansprüche, wobei die ersten und zweiten Förderoberflächen einen im Wesentlichen linearen, koplanaren Zufuhrpfad (FP) zum Transportieren des Blattmaterials definieren.
EP08014931A 2007-08-31 2008-08-22 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Drucken und/oder elektronischen Scannen von doppelseitigen Oberflächen eines Blattes/einer Postsendung Ceased EP2030923B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US11/848,968 US20090057998A1 (en) 2007-08-31 2007-08-31 Apparatus and Method for Printing And/Or Electronically Scanning Dual Face Surfaces of a Sheet/Mailpiece

Publications (3)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP2030923A2 EP2030923A2 (de) 2009-03-04
EP2030923A3 EP2030923A3 (de) 2011-08-03
EP2030923B1 true EP2030923B1 (de) 2012-10-03

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EP08014931A Ceased EP2030923B1 (de) 2007-08-31 2008-08-22 Vorrichtung und Verfahren zum Drucken und/oder elektronischen Scannen von doppelseitigen Oberflächen eines Blattes/einer Postsendung

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US (1) US20090057998A1 (de)
EP (1) EP2030923B1 (de)

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JP5246637B2 (ja) * 2007-09-07 2013-07-24 デュプロ精工株式会社 用紙反転装置
US8091885B2 (en) * 2009-07-10 2012-01-10 Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation Mail doubles detection and correction system
US8939274B1 (en) 2014-01-15 2015-01-27 Xante Corporation Envelope feeder having dual aligned conveyors
EP3020559B1 (de) * 2014-11-13 2018-02-28 OCE-Technologies B.V. Transportmechanismus und -verfahren zum transportieren eines druckmediums in einem drucksystem
US11254120B2 (en) * 2018-08-30 2022-02-22 Riso Kagaku Corporation Conveyance device and image inspection device
US11313807B2 (en) * 2018-08-30 2022-04-26 Riso Kagaku Corporation Image inspection device
EP3763646B1 (de) * 2019-07-11 2021-08-11 Müller Apparatebau GmbH Vorrichtung und verfahren zur übergabe von bögen zwischen fördereinheiten

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US20090057998A1 (en) 2009-03-05
EP2030923A2 (de) 2009-03-04
EP2030923A3 (de) 2011-08-03

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