CN222373898U - Air blowing device and sheet conveying system - Google Patents

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a blowing device and a sheet conveying system. The sheet conveying system includes a sheet feeding device, a sheet conveying platform, and a sheet conveying device. The sheet conveying device includes a picking member for picking up a sheet and a conveying roller. The picking member moves between a first position for picking up a sheet and a second position for conveying the sheet to the conveying roller. The blowing device includes: a bracket, which is provided with a gas passage inside; a valve device installed on the bracket, which is provided with a gas passage inside, and opens the gas passage when connected and closes the gas passage when disconnected; an air blowing pipe, which is provided with a gas passage inside, and when the valve device is connected, the gas passages of the bracket, the valve device, and the air blowing pipe are interconnected; a processor, which controls the connection and disconnection of the valve device; a sensor, which is installed in the sheet conveying device, senses the movement of the picking member, sends a signal to the processor to connect the valve device when the picking member is in the first position, and sends a signal to the processor to disconnect the valve device when the picking member is in the second position.

Description

Blowing device and sheet conveying system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an air blowing device and a sheet conveying system including the same.

Background

In a conveying system that conveys sheets such as offset paper, coated paper, and white cardboard, a plurality of sheets are generally fed in a stacked manner, and problems are likely to occur when the stacked plurality of sheets are conveyed at a high speed separately one by one.

The general configuration of the sheet conveying system of the related art is described below with reference to fig. 6 and 7.

The sheet conveying system of the related art includes a sheet feeding device 20, a sheet conveying table 30, and a sheet conveying device 40. The sheet feeding device 20 feeds a plurality of sheets to the sheet conveying table 30. The fed sheets are conveyed in the conveying direction X on the sheet conveying table 30 in a partially overlapped manner. A suction device (not shown) that generates a certain negative pressure is provided below the sheet conveying table 30 so that the sheet is held on the sheet conveying table 30 while being conveyed without scattering, thereby stabilizing the conveyance of the sheet on the sheet conveying table 30.

In fig. 7, three sheets S1, S2, S3 are schematically shown in succession. As shown in fig. 7, the rear end S1b of the sheet S1 at the forefront is located above the rear sheet S2 in the conveying direction X, and the front end S2a of the sheet S2 is located below the sheet S1, SO that an overlap area SO exists between the front end S2a of the sheet S2 and the rear end S1b of the sheet S1. Similarly, the rear end S2b of the sheet S2 is located above the following sheet S3, and the front end S3a of the sheet S3 is located below the sheet S2, so that there is an overlap region between the front end S3a of the sheet S3 and the rear end S2b of the sheet S2.

The sheet conveying device 40 is for conveying a plurality of sheets stacked on the sheet conveying table 30 one by one to a downstream post-processing device. The sheet conveying apparatus 40 includes a pickup member 41 and a conveying roller 42. The pickup member 41 can quickly pick up one sheet to the conveying roller 42, and the picked up sheet is conveyed downstream by the conveying roller 42. Typically, the pick-up member 41 is in the form of a rocking tooth, rocking back and forth about an axis 44 in the direction R in fig. 7. When swinging counterclockwise in fig. 7, the pickup member 41 swings from the pickup position to the conveying position to pick up the sheet S1 to the conveying roller 42. After the sheet S1 reaches the conveying roller 42 and is conveyed by the conveying roller 42, the pickup member 41 swings clockwise to return to the pickup position in preparation for picking up the following sheet S2.

The following describes a conveying process of the sheet in the sheet conveying system by taking the sheets S1 and S2 as an example.

The sheets S1, S2 are fed by the sheet feeding device 20, conveyed in the conveying direction X at the speed V1 with partial overlap on the sheet conveying table 30 until the sheet S1 reaches a sheet alignment device (not shown) of the sheet conveying device 40. The speed of the sheet S1 at the sheet aligning device is reduced to a speed V2 close to zero, and the skew is corrected by the sheet aligning device, thereby ensuring that the leading end of the sheet S1 is perpendicular to the conveying direction X on the plane of the sheet conveying table 30. The sheet S1 is then picked up by the pickup member 41, and conveyed to the conveying roller 42 at a speed V3 by the pickup member 41, V3> V1. The latter sheet S2 is still conveyed at the speed V1 on the sheet conveying table 30 at this time. Due to the speed difference between V3 and V1, sliding friction is easily generated at the overlap region S0 between the sheet S1 and the sheet S2, resulting in abrasion, scratch, and contamination of the sheets S1 and S2, so that the rejection rate of the product increases. In addition, the sliding friction is liable to generate static electricity during conveyance, causing mutual adsorption of sheets or adsorption to the sheet conveying table 30, thereby causing wrinkling or jamming of sheets.

Disclosure of utility model

In order to overcome at least one of the above drawbacks, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an air blowing device in a sheet conveying system for conveying a sheet, the sheet conveying system including a sheet feeding device, a sheet conveying table conveying the sheet in a sheet conveying direction, and a sheet conveying device, the sheet conveying device including a pickup member configured to pick up the sheet and a conveying roller, the pickup member being movable back and forth between a first position where the sheet is picked up and a second position where the sheet is conveyed to the conveying roller, characterized in that the air blowing device includes a holder provided with a gas passage inside, a valve device mounted on the holder provided with a gas passage inside, the valve device being configured to open the gas passage of the valve device when turned on and to close the gas passage of the valve device when turned off, an air blowing tube including an air inlet end and an air outlet end, and being provided with a gas passage inside, the gas passage of the holder, the valve device, the gas passage of the valve device and the air blowing tube being capable of being in communication with each other, a processor configured to send out a signal to the sensor when the sensor is mounted at the position where the sensor member is turned off, the sensor is capable of sending out a signal to the sensor when the sensor is turned on.

Preferably, the holder is a first holder, the air blowing device further includes a second holder fixed to the sheet conveying device, and the first holder is configured to be slidable back and forth on the second holder in the sheet conveying direction.

Preferably, the valve device comprises a regulating valve capable of regulating the cross-sectional size of the gas passage of the valve device.

Preferably, the valve device is provided with a sliding structure, and is capable of sliding back and forth on the carriage in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction by the sliding structure.

Preferably, the air-blowing pipe is configured to be able to change shape and stabilize, thereby changing the position of the air-outlet end of the air-blowing pipe and the angle of the air-blowing with respect to the sheet surface.

Preferably, the valve means and the blowpipes are each provided in plurality, each blowpipe being connected to a corresponding valve means at the inlet end.

Preferably, only one valve device is provided, and a plurality of blowpipes are provided.

Preferably, the air blowing device is further provided with a connecting pipe and a joint, the connecting pipe connects the joint with the valve device, the joint is mounted on the bracket, the connecting pipe and the joint are both internally provided with air channels, and when the valve device is connected, the air channels of the bracket, the connecting pipe, the joint, the valve device and the air channel of the air blowing pipe are mutually communicated.

Preferably, the sensor is a proximity switch.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is also provided a sheet conveying system including a sheet feeding device, a sheet conveying table conveying a sheet in a sheet conveying direction, the sheet feeding device conveying the sheet to the sheet conveying table, the sheet conveying device including a pickup member configured to pick up the sheet and a conveying roller, the pickup member being movable back and forth between a first position to pick up the sheet and a second position to convey the sheet to the conveying roller, the air blowing device according to the first aspect of the present disclosure being disposed upstream of the sheet conveying device in the sheet conveying direction.

Drawings

The various aspects of the disclosure will be better understood upon reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the drawings in which:

fig. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a sheet conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing a sheet conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

Fig. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a sheet conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, in which a blowing device is omitted;

Fig. 4 is a top view schematically showing an air blowing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

fig. 5A and 5B are diagrams schematically illustrating a pickup member and a sensor of a sheet conveying system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating a prior art sheet conveying system;

Fig. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view schematically showing a sheet conveying system of the related art.

Detailed Description

The present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. It should be understood, however, that the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms and should not be limited to the embodiments described below, but rather, the embodiments described below are intended to provide a more complete disclosure of the present disclosure and to fully illustrate the scope of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide yet additional embodiments. Furthermore, the drawings are merely schematic representations, not necessarily to scale.

It should be understood that throughout the drawings, like reference numerals refer to like elements. The terminology used in the description is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. All terms (including technical and scientific terms) used in the specification have the meanings commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. Well-known functions or constructions may not be described in detail for brevity and/or clarity.

A sheet conveying system and an air blowing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure are described below with reference to fig. 1 to 4.

The sheet conveying system according to the embodiment of the present disclosure includes an air blowing device 100, a sheet feeding device 200, a sheet conveying table 300, and a sheet conveying device 400. The sheet feeding apparatus 200 feeds a plurality of sheets to the sheet conveying table 300. The fed sheets are conveyed in the conveying direction X on the sheet conveying table 300 in a partially overlapped manner. A suction device (not shown) that generates a certain negative pressure is provided below the sheet conveying table 300 so that the sheet is held on the sheet conveying table 300 while being conveyed without scattering, thereby stabilizing the conveyance of the sheet on the sheet conveying table 300.

The sheet conveying apparatus 400 is for conveying a plurality of sheets stacked on the sheet conveying table 300 one by one to a downstream post-processing apparatus. The sheet conveying apparatus 400 includes a pickup member 401 and a conveying roller 402. The pickup member 401 can quickly pick up one sheet to the conveying roller 402, and the picked up sheet is conveyed downstream by the conveying roller 402. Typically, the pick-up member 401 is in the form of a rocking tooth, rocking back and forth in the R direction about an axis 404 in fig. 3. Arm 403 integral with picking member 401 also swings back and forth in the R direction about axis 404. When swinging counterclockwise in fig. 3, the pickup member 401 swings from the pickup position to the conveying position to pick up the sheet S1 to the conveying roller 402. After the sheet S1 reaches the conveying roller 42 and is conveyed by the conveying roller 402, the pickup member 401 swings clockwise to return to the pickup position in preparation for picking up the following sheet S2.

The insufflation device 100 comprises an insufflation device body 101, a sensor 102 and a processor, not shown. As shown in fig. 2, the blower main body 101 is disposed upstream of the sheet conveying device 400 in the sheet conveying direction X, near the sheet conveying device 400. As shown in fig. 3, the sensor 102 is fixedly provided in the sheet conveying apparatus 400.

As shown in fig. 2 and 4, the insufflation device main body 101 includes a first bracket 1, a second bracket 2, a third bracket 3, a valve device 4, an insufflation tube 5, a connection tube 6, and a joint 7. The first holder 1 is hollow and is connected to a gas source AS, so that air can be led from the gas source AS into the first holder 1. The first bracket 1 is fixed to the second bracket 2 or is integrated with the first bracket 2, and the second bracket 2 has a concave groove, is mounted on the third bracket 3, and is capable of sliding back and forth along the third bracket 3 in the conveying direction X. The third bracket 3 is fixed to the sheet conveying apparatus 400, extends in a direction opposite to the conveying direction X, and is spaced apart from the sheet conveying table 300 in the height direction so as not to interfere with the sheet being conveyed. In fig. 2 and 4, the second bracket 2 and the third bracket 3 are each provided in pairs, but the number thereof is not particularly limited.

The valve means 4 and the joint 7 are mounted on the first bracket 1. The connecting tube 6 is connected at one end to the joint 7 and at the other end to the valve device 4. One end (air inlet end) of the air blowing pipe 5 is connected to the valve device 4, and the other end (air outlet end) is freely movable. The valve means 4, the blowing pipe 5, the connecting pipe 6 and the joint 7 are each provided with a gas passage inside so that gas can flow from the gas source AS to the blowing pipe 5 via the first bracket 1, the joint 7, the connecting pipe 6, the valve means 4 and blow out from the blowing pipe 5.

In fig. 2 and 4, two and three sets of valve means 4, a blow pipe 5, a connection pipe 6 and a joint 7 are shown, respectively. It will be appreciated that the number of sets of valve means 4, inflation tube 5, connecting tube 6 and fitting 7 is not limited to that shown in the figures, but that more or fewer sets may be provided depending on the actual requirements.

The valve means 4 can receive a signal from the controller and switch on or off, thereby controlling the opening and closing of the gas channel in the valve means 4, which valve means 4 may for example comprise a solenoid valve. Optionally, the valve means 4 may also comprise a regulating valve to regulate the cross-sectional size of the gas channel, so as to vary the amount and pressure of gas passing through the gas channel as desired (e.g. according to the type, thickness, etc. of the sheet).

Alternatively, the valve device 4 may be provided with a sliding structure that cooperates with the first bracket 1 so that the valve device 4 can slide back and forth on the first bracket 1 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction X (left-right direction in fig. 4) to adjust the position of the air intake end of the air blowing pipe 5 as required.

Alternatively, the blowpipe 5 is an adjustable pipe. The operator can change the shape of the blow pipe 5 and the position of the air outlet end as required and stabilize it, thereby adjusting the angle and position of the blow with respect to the sheet surface. Preferably, the angle of the blow air is 15 to 30 degrees relative to the surface of the sheet. The shape-stable air-blowing pipe 5 does not change shape due to the air pressure inside it and keeps its shape stable without the effect of external force, so that the position of the air-outlet end is stable and unchanged. Preferably, the blowpipe 5 has a universal structure.

The sensor 102 is fixedly provided near the arm 403, and is capable of sensing movement of the arm 403. When the pick-up member 401 is in the pick-up position (position P2 in fig. 5B), the arm 403 is in a position close to the sensor 102, the sensor 102 sends a signal to the controller for switching on the valve device 4, and when the pick-up member 401 is in the delivery position (position P1 in fig. 5A), the arm 403 is in a position away from the sensor 102, the sensor 102 sends a signal to the controller for switching off the valve device 4. Preferably, the sensor is a proximity switch.

A controller, not shown, gives an instruction to turn on or off the valve device 4 after receiving a corresponding signal of the sensor 102, thereby causing the air passage to be opened or closed.

The operation of the sheet conveying system and the air blowing device of the present embodiment will be described below taking sheets S1 and S2 as examples.

The sheets S1, S2 are fed by the sheet feeding device 200, conveyed in the conveying direction X at the speed V1 with partial overlap on the sheet conveying table 300 until the sheet S1 reaches a sheet alignment device (not shown) of the sheet conveying device 400. The speed of the sheet S1 at the sheet aligning device is reduced to a speed V2 close to zero, and the skew is corrected by the sheet aligning device, thereby ensuring that the leading end of the sheet S1 is perpendicular to the conveying direction X on the plane of the sheet conveying table 300. The sheet S1 is then picked up by the pickup member 401, and conveyed by the pickup member 401 at a speed V3, V3> V1. When the pick-up member 401 is in the pick-up position (position P2 of fig. 5B), the arm 403 is in a position close to the sensor 102, the sensor 102 sends a signal for turning on the valve device 4 to the controller, the controller controls the valve device 4 to be in an on state, the gas passage is opened, air flows from the gas source AS to the gas blowing tube 5 via the first bracket 1, the joint 7, the connecting tube 6, the valve device 4, and blows out from the gas blowing tube 5 to the overlap area SO between the sheets S1 and S2, SO that the rear portion of the sheet S1 is separated from the front portion of the sheet S2 and forms a gas cushion therebetween, whereby sliding friction does not occur between the sheet S1 and the sheet S2 during the pickup of the sheet S1 by the pick-up member 401 and the conveyance of the sheet S402, and occurrence of abrasion, scratch, contamination, and static electricity is avoided.

When the pick-up member 401 swings from the pick-up position to the delivery position (position P1 in fig. 5A), the arm 403 is in a position away from the sensor 102, the sensor 102 sends a signal for opening the valve device 4 to the controller, and the controller controls the valve device 4 to be in an open state, and the gas passage is closed. Therefore, during a period from when the sheet S1 is conveyed to the conveying roller 402 to when the pickup member 401 returns to the pickup position, the air blowing device 100 does not blow air toward the sheet until a timing when the pickup member 401 is at the pickup position (when the sheet S2 is to be picked up by the pickup member 401 after correcting skew by the sheet aligning device in synchronization), the sensor 102 sends a signal for turning on the valve device 4 to the controller, and the controller opens the valve device 4 again so that the air blowing device 100 blows air toward the overlapped area between the sheet S2 and the sheet S3.

With the air blowing device 100 of the present disclosure, air is blown to the overlapping region between sheets during conveyance of a plurality of sheets that are partially overlapped, sliding friction between sheets is avoided, and various defects caused by sliding friction are avoided.

Further, the air blowing device 100 of the present disclosure senses movement of the pickup member or a member integral with the pickup member by providing a sensor so that the air blowing device intermittently blows air to the sheet. It is conceivable that the air blowing device may blow air to the sheet uninterruptedly, however, this easily blows the sheet askew, and the uninterruptedly blown air may press the upper sheet against the latter sheet without easily separating the overlapped area of the sheets. The air blowing device of the present disclosure employs intermittent air blowing, which is performed only when a preceding sheet is picked up by the pickup member, and can avoid the above problems caused by uninterrupted air blowing.

Further, the air blowing device 100 of the present disclosure can be easily installed to an existing sheet conveying system and is easy to use.

One embodiment of the present disclosure is described above, but it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Numerous modifications could be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, two or three sets of the valve devices 4, the air blowing pipe 5, the connection pipe 6, and the joint 7 are provided, and the corresponding air blowing pipe 5 is controlled by each valve device 4. However, it is conceivable that only one valve device 4 is provided for controlling all the blow pipes 5. This saves the number of valve devices 4 and reduces costs. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, the valve device 4 is provided for each of the air blowing pipes 5, so that whether the air blowing pipes 5 blow air can be flexibly and independently controlled. One advantage of this is that the moisture content of the different parts of the sheet can be adjusted.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the connection pipe 6 and the joint 7 are provided, however, they are not necessary. It is conceivable to dispense with the connection tube 6 and the joint 7, so that the gas channel in the valve device 4 communicates with the gas channel of the first holder 1, so that gas flows from the first holder 1 to the blow tube 5.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the first bracket 1, the second bracket 2, and the third bracket 3 are provided, however, this is not essential. It is conceivable that only one fixing bracket is provided for mounting the valve device 4 and the ventilation pipe 5. In the embodiment of the present disclosure, a plurality of brackets are provided so that the first bracket 1, on which the valve device 4 and the ventilation pipe 5 are mounted, can be moved back and forth, improving flexibility of arrangement and adjustability of the blowing position.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the sensor 102 is provided downstream of the pickup member 401 in the sheet conveying direction (position on the left side of the pickup member 401 in fig. 5A, 5B) for sensing movement of the arm 403, but this is not essential. It is contemplated that the sensor 102 may be disposed upstream of the pick-up member 401 (to the right of the pick-up member 401 in fig. 5A, 5B) for sensing movement of the pick-up member 401. In this case, when the pick-up member 401 is in the pick-up position (position P2 of fig. 5B), the pick-up member 401 is in a position close to the sensor, which sends a signal to the controller for switching on the valve device 4. When the pick-up member 401 is in the transport position (position P1 of fig. 5A), the pick-up member 401 is in a position away from the sensor, which sends a signal to the controller for opening the valve device 4. Therefore, the position of the sensor 102 is not particularly limited as long as it can sense the movement of the pickup member or the integral member thereof.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the sensor 102 is a proximity switch, however this is not required. It is conceivable that the sensor may be an optical sensor, a magnetic sensor or the like.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and scope thereof. Accordingly, all changes and modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The disclosure is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein.

Claims (10)

1. An air blowing device for use in a sheet conveying system that conveys a sheet, the sheet conveying system including a sheet feeding device, a sheet conveying table that conveys the sheet in a sheet conveying direction, and the sheet conveying device, the sheet conveying device including a pickup member configured to pick up the sheet and a conveying roller, the pickup member being movable back and forth between a first position where the sheet is picked up and a second position where the sheet is conveyed to the conveying roller, characterized by comprising:

the support is internally provided with a gas channel;

A valve device mounted on the bracket, provided with a gas passage inside, the valve device being configured to open the gas passage of the valve device when turned on and to close the gas passage of the valve device when turned off;

The air blowing pipe comprises an air inlet end and an air outlet end, and is internally provided with a gas channel, and when the valve device is connected, the gas channel of the bracket, the gas channel of the valve device and the gas channel of the air blowing pipe are communicated with each other;

A processor configured to control on and off of the valve device;

A sensor mounted within the sheet conveying device and configured to sense movement of the pick-up member, the sensor signaling the processor to turn on the valve device when the pick-up member is in the first position and signaling the processor to turn off the valve device when the pick-up member is in the second position.

2. The blowing device of claim 1 wherein the bracket is a first bracket, the blowing device further comprising a second bracket secured to the sheet conveying device, the first bracket configured to be slidable back and forth on the second bracket in a sheet conveying direction.

3. A blowing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve means comprises a regulating valve which is capable of regulating the cross-sectional size of the gas channel of the valve means.

4. A blowing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the valve means is provided with a sliding structure and is slidable back and forth on the carriage by the sliding structure in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction.

5. The blowing device of claim 1 wherein said air tube is configured to change shape and stabilize to change the position of said air outlet end of said air tube and the angle and position of the air blow relative to the sheet surface.

6. A blowing device according to claim 1, characterised in that there are a plurality of said valve means and said blowing tubes, each connected to a corresponding valve means at the inlet end.

7. A blowing device according to claim 1, characterised in that said valve means is provided with only one and said blowing tube is provided with a plurality.

8. A blowing device according to claim 1, characterized in that a connection pipe and a joint are further provided, said connection pipe connecting said joint and said valve device, said joint being mounted on said bracket, said connection pipe and said joint being provided with gas passages inside, and when said valve device is turned on, the gas passages of said bracket, said connection pipe, said joint, said valve device and said blowing pipe are in communication with each other.

9. The blowing device of claim 1 wherein said sensor comprises a proximity switch.

10. A sheet conveying system, comprising:

A sheet feeding device;

A sheet conveying table that conveys a sheet in a sheet conveying direction, the sheet feeding device conveying the sheet to the sheet conveying table;

A sheet conveying device including a pickup member configured to pick up a sheet and a conveying roller, the pickup member being movable back and forth between a first position to pick up the sheet and a second position to convey the sheet to the conveying roller;

The air blowing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, which is arranged upstream of the sheet conveying device in the sheet conveying direction.