JP6458221B2 - Booklet transport device, booklet transport method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a booklet transport apparatus and booklet transport method for transporting a booklet in the process of bookbinding.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, a wireless binding machine described in Patent Document 1 is known as a method for binding a sheet bundle (hereinafter referred to as a text) together with a cover. The wireless binding machine disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes an XY actuator that allows a moving unit to move in at least a two-dimensional direction, a hand unit that is provided in the moving unit of the XY actuator, and holds a text. And a plurality of bookbinding units that are two-dimensionally arranged in the range of motion of the unit and execute each step for bookbinding.

  The XY actuator moves the moving unit to move the hand unit that holds the text to a plurality of necessary bookbinding units among a plurality of bookbinding units in a predetermined order, and the moved bookbinding unit. In FIG. 4, the position is moved to a position necessary for execution of each process. This makes it possible to perform a necessary bookbinding operation on the text, and flexibly cope with many kinds and a small amount of bookbinding such as on-demand publication.

  On the other hand, for example, a cutting machine described in Patent Document 2 is known as an apparatus for trimming the end face of a booklet whose cover is bonded to the main body by the wireless binding machine as described above. The cutting machine disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a positioning actuator including a moving unit that can move in at least a two-dimensional direction including a vertical direction, and a cutting blade that can reciprocate in a horizontal direction.

  The positioning actuator moves the moving unit to move the hand unit holding the text to the position where the cutting blade is provided. Further, the cutting position of the booklet is determined and cut based on the end face of the booklet, a reference surface provided on the hand unit, or the like. As a result, the surface of the booklet can be prevented from being damaged by conveyance, and the booklet can be easily resized.

Japanese Patent No. 4604149 JP 2012-218114 A

  If the cutting machine has the cutting blade installed horizontally, it is preferable that the booklet end face to be cut is also cut substantially horizontally. Therefore, in the above-described wireless binding machine and cutting machine that perform bookbinding work by holding the booklet with the hand unit, when the booklet is transferred between them, for example, the back of the booklet is horizontal. In the cutting machine, there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately hold the booklet on the cutting machine side, for example, the back is not horizontal. In this case, the end face of the booklet cannot be cut accurately.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and includes a booklet transport apparatus and a booklet transport method that can grip a booklet produced by a wireless binding machine with extremely high accuracy and transport the booklet to a cutting machine. The purpose is to provide.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, one embodiment of the present invention includes a gripping unit that grips a booklet by bringing a predetermined surface into contact with the back of the booklet, a support unit that supports the gripping unit from above, and the support unit. Is provided so as to be movable in at least a two-dimensional direction including the vertical direction, and is provided between the grip portion and the support portion, and swings the grip portion. A swing fixing portion that supports the grip portion in a predetermined position with respect to the support portion, and a booklet is disposed below the grip portion, and the grip portion is supported by the swing fixing portion. In a state in which the booklet can swing, the support unit is moved in the direction of the booklet by the transport unit so that the back of the booklet and the predetermined surface come into contact with each other, and the back of the booklet and the predetermined surface are in contact with each other. The booklet is gripped by the gripping part in contact, and the swinging Is fixed in position the grip portion to the support portion by tough, and a control unit that performs control to convey the support portion to the edge cutting machine by the conveying unit.

  One embodiment of the present invention is provided between a gripping portion that grips a booklet by bringing a predetermined surface into contact with the back of the booklet, and a support portion that supports the gripping portion from above. The gripping portion can be swung by a swinging fixing portion that supports the gripping portion in a predetermined position with respect to the support portion, and supports the swingable and vertically movable, and below the gripping portion. In a state where the booklet is arranged, the back part of the booklet and the predetermined surface are supported by a transport unit that supports the support unit so as to be movable in at least a two-dimensional direction including a vertical direction, and transports the support unit to a fore edge cutter. The support part is moved in the direction of the booklet so that the booklet is in contact with the booklet, and the booklet is gripped by the gripping part in a state where the back of the booklet is in contact with the predetermined surface. The gripping part is fixed at a predetermined position with respect to the support part, and the carrying part is Transporting the support portion to the edge cutting machine by parts.

  According to the present invention, a booklet produced by a wireless binding machine can be gripped with extremely high accuracy and conveyed to a cutting machine.

It is a block diagram which shows the bookbinding system in which the booklet conveying apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment was integrated. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of a wireless binding machine. It is a block top view which shows the structure of a wireless binding machine. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the bookbinding method of a wireless binding machine. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of a delivery machine. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a delivery machine. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of a delivery machine. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the booklet delivery method of a delivery machine. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the booklet delivery method of a delivery machine. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the booklet delivery method of a delivery machine. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the booklet delivery method of a delivery machine. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of a three-way cutting machine. It is a block top view which shows the structure of a three-way cutting machine. It is a block diagram which shows the control system of a three-way cutting machine. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the booklet reception method of the hand unit of a three-way cutting machine. It is a schematic front view for demonstrating the booklet reception method of the hand unit of a three-way cutting machine. It is a schematic front view for demonstrating the booklet reception method of the hand unit of a three-way cutting machine. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of the three-way cutting machine of another form. It is a schematic front view for demonstrating the booklet reception method of the hand unit of the three-way cutting machine of another form. It is a schematic front view for demonstrating the booklet reception method of the hand unit of the three-way cutting machine of another form. It is a schematic front view for demonstrating the booklet inclination determination method by the delivery machine of another form.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a bookbinding system 1 includes a booklet transport apparatus that transports a booklet, which includes a wireless binding machine 10, a transfer machine 20, a three-way cutting machine 30, and a control unit 40 that controls them as shown in FIG. The case where it is incorporated in will be described as an example.

  The bookbinding system 1 includes a wireless binding machine 10 that produces a booklet by performing various bookbinding operations on the text, a delivery machine 20 that receives the booklet from the wireless binding machine 10 and delivers the booklet to the three-way cutting machine 30, and the top and bottom of the booklet. , A three-sided cutting machine 30 for trimming the front edge side end face, and a control unit 40 for controlling these devices, the wireless binding machine 10 on the upstream side in the booklet transport direction A shown in FIG. A three-way cutting machine 30 is arranged on the side.

  As the wireless binding machine 10, the bookbinding apparatus described in Patent Document 1 previously filed by the present inventors can be used. Hereinafter, the configuration of the wireless binding machine 10 will be briefly described.

(Wireless binding machine 10)
As shown in FIG. 2, the wireless binding machine 10 generally includes a positioning actuator 12 and a hand unit 14 attached to a moving portion 12 a of the positioning actuator 12.

  The positioning actuator 12 is an arbitrary actuator that is movable in at least three dimensions. As shown in FIG. 2, the X-axis stage 12x along the X direction, the Y-axis stage 12y along the Y direction, and the Z-axis A Z-axis stage 12z along the direction and a rotating shaft 12θ that can rotate around the Z-axis with respect to the Z-axis stage 12z.

  The Y-axis stage 12y is slidably mounted along the X direction with respect to the pair of X-axis stages 12x, and the Z-axis stage 12z is slidably mounted along the Y direction with respect to the Y-axis stage 12y. The shaft 12θ is attached to the Z-axis stage 12z so as to be slidable along the Z direction, and the moving portion 12a is attached to the rotation shaft 12θ so as to be rotatable around the Z axis. In the present embodiment, the X axis and the Y axis are two orthogonal axes on the horizontal plane, and the Z axis is an axis along the vertical direction.

  The hand unit 14 provided in the moving part 12a includes a pair of clamp plates 142 that clamp the end face side that is the front fore edge side (front fore edge side) of the main body B, and a clamp actuator 144 that can adjust the clamp plate 142.

  Note that the text B is a signature or paper sheet collated by a collating machine, a paper sheet created by a printing machine or a copying machine, and other existing paper sheets (for example, New Year's card bundles, album paper bundles). Etc.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the X-axis stage 12x includes a cutting cutter unit 16a, a gutter cutter unit 16b, a gluing unit 16c, and a cover pressing unit 16d (hereinafter referred to as a bookbinding unit 16 if they are not distinguished from each other). Arranged in a line along the transport direction A in the order of the bookbinding process. As the moving unit 12a goes around these bookbinding units 16 in order, various bookbinding operations are performed on the text, and a booklet is produced.

  The wireless binding machine 10 configured as described above is controlled by a control signal from the control unit 40. The control unit 40 controls the positioning actuator 12 by the control signal to control the position of the moving unit 12a. The moving unit 12a is moved along a predetermined moving path to convey the hand unit 14 to the bookbinding unit 16, and in each bookbinding unit 16, the hand unit 14 is fixed at a predetermined position, or Control is performed so that the hand unit 14 performs a predetermined movement (position, speed, direction, etc.).

  Further, the control unit 40 drives a driving element such as a motor of each bookbinding unit 16 by a control signal according to the current position of the moving unit 12a, and starts operation of an operating element such as a cutter and a roller. Control termination. The bookbinding unit 16 does not need to operate in synchronization, and can start and end the operation independently according to a control signal from the control unit 40.

  In the present embodiment, the control unit 40 receives bookbinding information (height, width, thickness, paper quality, and other bookbinding conditions) to be bound in accordance with external input (for example, input from a user via a touch panel). Entered. The control unit 40 controls the position control of the XY actuator 12 and the movement in the bookbinding unit 16 according to the bookbinding information.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, the control part 40 is controlling the cutting means mentioned later for cutting the booklet with which the three-way cutting machine 30 is provided. Therefore, it is preferable that the bookbinding information to be input includes the top and bottom of the booklet D, and the cutting position of the front edge side end. The cutting position here indicates a position from the reference plane. In the present embodiment, the cutting edge of the top and the ground edge side is the reference surface, and the front edge of the front edge and the ground edge are cut. In the cutting of the part, the back surface of the booklet (specifically, the contact surface that comes into contact with the back of the booklet provided in the hand unit of the three-way cutting machine 30 described later) serves as a reference surface.

  Such a control unit 40 may be realized by an information processing apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer) including hardware such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a memory. For example, the hardware may be incorporated in the bookbinding system 1 and various controls may be performed by inputting various information using a touch panel display or the like or receiving data from an external device.

  Hereinafter, a bookbinding method of the wireless binding machine 10 will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

  First, when the hand unit 14 holds the standby text B and the positioning unit 12 reaches the predetermined position on the cutting cutter unit 16a by the positioning actuator 12, as shown in FIG. The back surface of the text B is cut by a milling cutter 161 for cutting the back surface of the text B provided in 16a. Specifically, the back face of the text B is cut by the milling cutter 161 rotating and moving back and forth around its axis.

  After the cutting, when the hand unit 14 reaches a predetermined position on the gutter cutter unit 16b, as shown in FIG. 4B, a grit for forming a gutter groove on the back surface of the body provided in the gutter cutter unit 16b. A gutter groove is formed on the back surface of the text B by the cutter 162. Specifically, a gully groove is formed on the back surface of the text B as the gutter cutter 162 rotates and moves back and forth around its axis.

  After the formation, when the hand unit 14 reaches a predetermined position on the gluing unit 16c, as shown in FIG. 4C, a roller 163 for applying an adhesive to the back surface of the main body provided in the gluing unit 16c. The adhesive is applied to the back side of the text B. Specifically, the roller 163 having a predetermined amount of adhesive 164 applied to its surface rotates and moves up and down and back and forth, whereby the adhesive 164 is applied to the back side of the text B.

  After the application, when the hand unit 14 reaches a predetermined position on the cover cover pressing unit 16d, the hand unit 14 descends as shown in FIG. The back of the is pressed. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4 (d-2), both ends near the back surface of the main body B are pressed together with the cover C by a pair of press plates 165 provided in the cover crimping unit 16d that can move in directions approaching each other. The As a result, a booklet D in which the cover C is joined to the body B as shown in FIG. 4D-3 is obtained.

  The booklet D produced by the bookbinding operation by the wireless binding machine 10 as described above is in a state where the front edge portion side end portion of the booklet D is held by the hand unit 14 as shown in FIG. Is transferred to the transfer machine 20. Hereinafter, details of the configuration of the transfer machine 20 will be described.

(Delivery machine 20)
The transfer machine 20 constitutes a part of the booklet conveying apparatus according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the transfer machine 20 roughly moves a pair of positioning actuators 22 and the positioning actuators 22. And a hand unit 24 attached to the portion 22a.

  Each positioning actuator 22 is an actuator that can move at least in a direction approaching or separating from each other and can rotate the moving portion 22a around the X axis. For example, a linear induction motor type XY actuator can be used. In the present embodiment, as with the positioning actuator 12, X, Y, and Z axis stages 22x, 22y, and 22z are provided to provide freedom in the XYZ axis directions. The X, Y, and Z axis stages 22x, 22y, and 22z have the same configuration as the X, Y, and Z axis stages 12x, 12y, and 12z included in the positioning actuator 12, and thus description thereof is omitted. To do. Further, the positioning actuator 22 includes a rotation shaft 22θ that can rotate around the X axis with respect to the X axis stage 22x.

  The two positioning actuators 22 share one X-axis stage 22x, and are arranged so that the respective moving parts 22a oppose each other, and each moving part 22a has an X-axis with respect to the rotation axis 22θ. It is attached so that it can be rotated around. As a result, the moving unit 22a is positioned with high accuracy by the operation of the positioning actuator 22 with a degree of freedom in a total of four axes around the three axes of the X, Y, Z, and θ axes. The two positioning actuators 22 may have different X-axis stages 22x.

  The hand unit 24 provided in the moving unit 22a includes a pair of clamp plates 242 that fasten either the top or the bottom edge of the booklet D. The pair of clamp plates 242 can be urged so as to approach each other by an elastic member. However, the distance between the pair of clamp plates 242 is such that electric power is supplied by a clamp actuator (not shown) such as an electric motor or a hydraulic / pneumatic cylinder. Alternatively, it is preferable that adjustment is possible using hydraulic pressure or the like.

  The positioning actuator 22 and the hand unit 24 are driven and controlled by the control unit 40 as shown in FIG. Specifically, the control unit 40 finishes the bookbinding operation by the wireless binding machine 10, places the booklet D at a predetermined position, and then controls the positioning actuator 22 by a control signal to control the position and orientation of the moving unit 22a. To do. Further, the hand unit 24 is controlled by the grip control signal, and the pair of clamp plates 242 are moved in a direction approaching or separating from each other to grip or release the booklet D. Note that the control unit 40 recognizes the interval and position between the clamp plates 242 that hold the booklet D in accordance with the bookbinding information input before the bookbinding operation, and controls various actuators.

  Below, the booklet delivery method of the delivery machine 20 is demonstrated using FIGS. 8-10. The booklet delivery method serves as one end of the booklet transport method according to the present embodiment.

  First, when the moving unit 12a of the wireless binding machine 10 is moved to a predetermined position above the transfer machine 20, the moving unit 12a is moved downward in the vertical direction, and as shown in FIG. The booklet D holding the text B on the clamp plate 142 and the clamp plate 142 is lowered. The hand unit 24 of the transfer machine 20 is waiting at the lowering position, and the hand unit 14 is lowered to the insertion position where the back of the booklet D is inserted between the pair of clamp plates 242 of the hand unit 24. Note that the insertion position may be recognized by the control unit 40 calculating according to the input bookbinding information, or may be individually input by the user.

  When the hand unit 14 reaches the insertion position, as shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 40 controls the movement of the clamp plates 242 in the direction in which they approach each other. As a result, the top and the end of the booklet D are gripped. After gripping, the clamp plates 142 of the hand unit 14 are moved away from each other to release the text B, and the hand unit 14 is retracted to a predetermined position so that the front edge side end surface of the booklet D faces upward. In this state, the booklet D is gripped only by the hand unit 24.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the rotation shaft 22θ of the positioning actuator 22 rotates the moving unit 22a under the control of the control unit 40 so that the back of the booklet D faces upward. After the rotation, as shown in FIG. 11, the clamp plates 242 of the hand unit 24 are moved away from each other when the back end of the booklet D is gripped by the hand unit 34 of the three-way cutting machine 30. The booklet D is released by this, the hand unit 24 is moved away from each other, and the separated state is kept until the moving unit 12a of the wireless binding machine 10 is moved to a predetermined position above the transfer machine 20 again. Maintained.

  With the above operation, the back of the booklet D can be turned upward, and the back end of the booklet D can be gripped by the hand unit 34 of the three-way cutting machine 30 located downstream in the transport direction. Since the control unit 40 recognizes the position of the hand unit 24 in advance, it can also recognize the position of the back of the booklet D in the rotated state based on the bookbinding information. Next, the details of the configuration of the three-way cutting machine 30 will be described.

(Three-way cutting machine 30)
As shown in FIG. 12, the three-way cutting machine 30 generally includes a positioning actuator 32, a hand unit 34 attached to and supported by a moving part 32a of the positioning actuator 32, and a cutting means (not shown). . The positioning actuator 32, the hand unit 34, and the control unit 40 constitute a part of the booklet transport apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  The positioning actuator 32 is an arbitrary actuator that is movable in two dimensions including at least the vertical direction. For example, a linear induction motor type XY actuator that is movable in three dimensions can be used. In the present embodiment, in the same manner as the positioning actuator 12, the degree of freedom is provided in a total of four axes around the three axes of the X, Y, Z, and θ axes and one axis so that highly accurate positioning is possible. , X, Y, and Z axis stages 32x, 32y, and 32z, and a rotation shaft 32θ. The X, Y, Z axis stages 32x, 32y, 32z and the rotation shaft 32θ have the same configuration as the X, Y, Z axis stages 12x, 12y, 12z and the rotation shaft 12θ included in the positioning actuator 12, respectively. Description thereof is omitted.

  The hand unit 34 supported by the moving unit 32a supports a pair of clamp plates 342 that clamp the back end of the booklet D, a clamp actuator 344 that drives the clamp plate 342, and the clamp plate 342 in a slidable manner. A contact plate 346, and a swing fixing means 348 provided between the moving portion 32a and the contact plate 346 are provided.

  The pair of clamp plates 342 can be biased so as to approach each other by an elastic member. However, in the present embodiment, the distance between the pair of clamp plates 342 is such as an electric motor or a hydraulic / pneumatic cylinder. The clamp actuator 344 can be adjusted using electric power, hydraulic pressure or the like.

  The contact plate 346 is supported by the moving part 32a via the swinging fixing means 348 and supports the clamp plate 342, and a contact surface 346a that contacts the back of the booklet D is formed on the lower surface thereof. . The contact surface 346a preferably has a planar shape that can uniformly contact the entire back surface of the booklet D. Note that a clamp actuator 344 may be provided inside the contact plate 346 to drive the clamp plate 342.

  The swing fixing means 348 supports the contact plate 346 so that the contact plate 346 can swing and move left and right and up and down. More specifically, the swing plate 346 can swing the contact plate 346 with respect to the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). The contact plate 346 is fixed at a predetermined position with respect to the moving portion 32a. As one having such a function, for example, a compliance module (SHM61 series) manufactured by Koganei Co., Ltd. is known. In the present embodiment, the following description will be given by taking an example of using the compliance module as the swing fixing means 348.

  The swing fixing means 348 includes a frame 348a connected to the moving portion 32a, and a plate-like plate 348b positioned below the frame 348a and connected to the contact plate 346. Between the frame 348a and the plate 348b, a rolling steel ball, a restraining ring, a spring and the like (not shown) are provided, whereby the frame 348a and the plate 348b are connected and the plate 348b is in a free state (swinging). State that can be moved and moved up and down). Specifically, the plate 348b can swing and move upward with respect to the frame 348a by the gap between the frame 348a and the plate 348b.

  The frame 348a is provided with a joint 348c for injecting air into the frame 348a, an inner plate (not shown), and a positioning steel ball. The joint 348c is connected to pressurizing means such as an air pump for applying air pressure, and when the pressurizing means is driven, the air pressure is internally (space above the inner plate) via the joint 348c. Can be added. When air pressure is applied to the inside, the inner plate is pushed down and locked at the position restricted by the positioning steel ball, thereby locking the plate 348b so as not to swing. Therefore, the contact plate 346 can be set in a fixed state relative to the moving part 32a via the plate 348b.

  Since the contact plate 346 is supported by the moving portion 32a via the swing fixing means 348, the contact plate 346 is in a so-called suspended state that can be easily swung in a normal state where the pressurizing means is not driven. Therefore, by urging the contact surface 346a against the back of the booklet D, the contact plate 346 and the plate 348b can swing in accordance with the inclination of the back of the booklet D. Therefore, the contact surface 346a can be brought into contact with the back of the booklet D.

  Further, the contact surface 346a is urged against the back of the booklet D, the pair of clamp plates 342 holds the booklet D, and the hand unit 24 releases the booklet D, that is, only the hand unit 34 holds the booklet D. In the gripped state, the contact plate 346 and the contact surface 346a are maintained at a predetermined reference position with respect to the moving part 32a by the action of the spring or the like of the swing fixing means 348. Since the position of the contact surface 346a is maintained at a predetermined reference position, even if the size of the booklet D is changed, it does not change. Therefore, in the present embodiment, in a state where the booklet D is gripped, the booklet D is cut with high accuracy by matching the contact surface 346a with a reference surface that becomes a reference when cutting by a cutting unit described later. Is possible. Specifically, since the position (reference position) of the contact surface 346a is unchanged from the position of the hand unit 34 and can be grasped in advance, the position of the contact unit 346a and the reference surface can be determined by moving the hand unit 34 to any position. Can also be grasped in advance. Therefore, if the hand unit 34 is moved to the position, the contact surface 346a can be arranged on the reference surface with high accuracy regardless of the size or type of the booklet D. In addition, since the swing fixing means 348 can be prevented from swinging in the fixed state described above, the contact surface 346a is arranged on the reference surface with high accuracy without the booklet D swinging during conveyance. It becomes possible to do.

  The above-mentioned predetermined reference position can be set in advance. As described above, the abutting plate 346 is moved together with the inner plate at the time of fixing using the function of the swing fixing means 348, that is, when the pressure is applied by the pressing means. The position of the contact surface 346a after the movement may be set as a predetermined reference position.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the booklet D can be accurately grasped and controlled by performing the specific control using the function of the rocking and fixing means 348, which is the function of making the plate 348b free and locking with air pressure. Positioning is realized. A specific method for gripping the booklet D will be described in a booklet receiving method described later.

  As the cutting means provided in the three-way cutting machine 30, a part of the cutting machine described in Patent Document 2 previously filed by the present inventor can be used. Specifically, the small edge cutting part and the top and bottom cutting part described in Patent Document 2 can be used. Hereinafter, the configuration of the cutting means will be briefly described.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the cutting means 36 includes a front edge cutting unit 36a corresponding to the above-described edge cutting section, and a sky cutting unit 36b and a ground cutting unit 36c corresponding to the top and bottom cutting sections. The units are arranged in a line in the order of the cutting process along the transport direction. When the moving unit 32a goes through these units in order, various cutting operations are performed on the booklet D, and the end portion on the fore edge side of the booklet D is cut and the end surfaces are aligned. These units are each provided with a vertical contact surface with which one surface (front cover or back cover) of the booklet D can abut, and a press plate and a cutting blade that can reciprocate in the horizontal direction.

  The front edge cutting unit 36a has a cutting blade arranged horizontally (perpendicular to the vertical direction) so that the end of the booklet D can be cut with the hand unit 34 holding the booklet D. The cutting unit 36b and the ground cutting unit 36c have cutting blades arranged vertically (parallel to the vertical direction). In addition, the top cutting unit 36b and the ground cutting unit 36c are provided with detection means capable of detecting the top or the ground side end surface of the booklet D. As described above, since the contact surface 346a can be arranged on the reference surface, the front edge cutting unit 36a does not require a detecting means. Each unit uses these components to cut the end face of the booklet D when the moving unit 32a is arranged at a predetermined position.

  The positioning actuator 32, the hand unit 34, and the cutting unit 36 described above are driven and controlled by the control unit 40 in accordance with the bookbinding information, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the control unit 40 controls the positioning actuator 32 by a positioning control signal according to the bookbinding information, and controls the position and orientation of the moving unit 32a. Further, the clamp actuator 344 of the hand unit 34 is controlled by the grip control signal, and the pair of clamp plates 342 are moved in a direction approaching or separating from each other, and the booklet D is gripped or released. Further, the pressurizing means 348d is controlled by the pressurization control signal, and the inside of the swinging fixing means 348 is pressurized. Further, according to the bookbinding information, the cutting means 36 is controlled by a cutting control signal, and the booklet D is cut on the top, the ground, and the front edge.

  Below, the booklet reception method of the three-way cutting machine 30 is demonstrated using FIGS. 15-17. The booklet receiving method bears one end of the booklet transport method according to the present embodiment.

  First, the control unit 40 finishes the rotation control of the moving unit 22a of the delivery machine 20, and moves the moving unit 32a to the upper side of the delivery machine 20 after determining that the back of the booklet D faces upward. Next, the moving unit 32a is moved downward in the vertical direction (in the direction of the contact plate 346) while the hand unit 24 of the transfer machine 20 is gripping both the top and bottom ends of the booklet D, and FIG. 16A, the contact surface 346a of the contact plate 346 of the hand unit 34 and the back of the booklet D are brought into contact with each other. In FIG. 16, for the sake of explanation, the swing fixing means 348 is simply shown, and the clamp plate 342 is omitted.

  In this state, the back of the booklet D is urged by the contact plate 346 by further moving the moving part 32a downward in the vertical direction. Since the plate 348b can move in the direction of the frame 348a by the gap, the swing fixing means 348 makes the frame 348a and the plate 348b contact each other as shown in FIG. It becomes. In this state, the urging of the contact plate 346 to the back of the booklet D is continued. Next, the control unit 40 drives the clamp actuator 344 of the hand unit 34 to move the clamp plates 342 toward each other, and grips the back end portion of the booklet D. After gripping, the hand unit 24 of the transfer machine 20 releases the booklet D as described with reference to FIG. 11, and moves (withdraws) in directions away from each other. As a result, the booklet D is brought into a state as shown in FIG. 16C held only by the hand unit 34, and the contact surface 346a is arranged at a predetermined reference position and is kept horizontal. In this state, naturally, the contact plate 346 is not biased to the back of the booklet D.

  In this state, since the booklet D is gripped only by the hand unit 34, the contact plate 346, the clamp plate 342, and the booklet D can be swung by the swinging fixing means 348, in other words, suspended from the moving part 32a. It is in a lowered state. Therefore, each time the moving part 32a moves in the transport direction, for example, the contact plate 346, the clamp plate 342, and the booklet D swing at least along the transport direction due to the inertial force thereof. In such a state, in the cutting means 36 located in the subsequent stage, the contact surface 346a and the reference surface cannot be made to coincide with each other accurately, and the edge of the booklet D cannot be cut accurately.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 16 (d), the controller 40 moves by applying air pressure from the joint 348c to pressurize the swing fixing means 348 and fix the plate 348b by the pressurizing means 348d. The contact plate 346 is fixed to the portion 32a.

  In the case of the hand unit 24 as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 17A, the delivery machine 20 cannot accurately grip the booklet D, and even if the back of the booklet D is inclined, it will contact. The surface 346a can be horizontally arranged at the reference position, and the booklet D can be gripped with extremely high accuracy and accuracy.

  Specifically, since the plate 348b of the swing fixing means 348 can swing, the plate 348b tilts in accordance with the back tilt of the booklet D as shown in FIG. The surface 346a and the back of the booklet D can be brought into contact with each other. In this state, the back of the booklet D can be urged by the contact plate 346 by further moving the moving part 32a downward in the vertical direction. In this state, the control unit 40 causes the hand unit 34 to grip the back end of the booklet D, and the hand unit 24 of the transfer machine 20 is retracted. Thereby, the booklet D can be made the same as the state shown in FIG. 16C held only by the hand unit 34.

  In the state shown in FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B, the back of the booklet D is inclined, so that the center of gravity of the booklet D may deviate from the center of gravity of the contact plate 346. However, the contact plate 346 can be fixed without swinging by the swing fixing means 348, and the contact surface 346a can be arranged at the reference position and kept horizontal. As described above, if the booklet D is gripped with high accuracy by the hand unit 34, the end faces can be accurately trimmed by the cutting means 36 located at the subsequent stage.

  Next, a method for cutting the booklet D in the cutting means 36 will be briefly described.

  When the booklet D is gripped by the hand unit 34 as shown in FIG. 16 (d) and conveyed to the front edge cutting unit 36a, the cutting position is positioned at the reciprocating position of the cutting blade of the unit. The control unit 40 controls the positioning actuator 32 so that the booklet D is brought into contact with the contact surface, and the booklet D is pressed by the press plate to press the booklet D. Here, as described above, the contact surface 346a of the contact plate 346 is positioned horizontally and at the reference position, and is accurately disposed on the reference surface. Therefore, the cutting position is set to the reciprocating position of the cutting blade with high accuracy. Can be arranged. Thereafter, the control unit 40 controls the cutting blade of the front fore edge cutting unit 36a, whereby the booklet D is cut at the cutting position, and the end surfaces of the front fore edge are aligned.

  Next, the booklet D is gripped by the hand unit 34 and conveyed to the top cutting unit 36b. At this time, the detection means detects the top end surface (or the ground side or both) of the booklet D, and the control unit 40 recognizes that the detected end surface is the reference surface. Thereafter, the booklet D is cut at the cutting position using the contact surface of the unit, the press plate, and the cutting blade in the same manner as the cutting unit 36a for the front edge, and the end surfaces of the front edge are aligned. By carrying out this operation also in the ground cutting unit 36c, the top, the ground, and the front edge side end face of the booklet D can be accurately aligned.

(Application 1)
In the present embodiment, it has been described that the hand unit 34 having a compliance module is used as the swing fixing means 348. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the contact plate 346 is supported so as to be swingable and vertically movable. In addition, any hand unit provided with a mechanism capable of fixing it appropriately may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, a hand unit 34 a including a swing fixing means 38 may be used instead of the swing fixing means 348.

  Like the swing fixing means 348, the swing fixing means 38 provided in the hand unit 34a is supported by the moving portion 32a, and the contact plate 346 is swingable with respect to the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). It is supported so that it can move up and down along the axial direction. The rocking and fixing means 38 and the rocking and fixing means 348 are different in configuration. Specifically, the rocking and fixing means 38 is an elastic member provided between the moving portion 32a and the contact plate 346. A spring part 38a that is a body, a piston 38b that supports the contact plate 346 in a swingable manner in the Z-axis direction, and a cylinder 38c that is provided in the moving part 32a and slidably accommodates the piston 38b. Has been.

  The spring portions 38a are disposed at least on both sides of the piston 38b so that the spring 38a can be compressed or expanded in the vertical direction when the contact plate 346 swings around the piston 38b. It constitutes one end of the function that enables rocking and vertical movement. The spring portions 38a are preferably disposed at the four corners of the contact plate 346. When the contact surface 346a contacts the back of the booklet D, the contact plate 346 is aligned along the inclination of the back of the booklet D. It preferably has an elastic force that can be easily swung. As long as it has such an elastic force, an elastic body such as a thin plate of rubber or plastic may be used instead. In FIG. 18, the spring portions 38a are arranged at the four corners of the contact plate 346. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a function that enables the contact plate 346 to swing and move up and down is realized. If possible, the number and position are appropriate.

  The piston 38b can move up and down in the cylinder 38c and is swingably connected to the contact plate 346. The piston 38b serves as one end of a function that enables the contact plate 346 to swing and move up and down. Yes. That is, the contact plate 346 can swing with the connecting portion between the contact plate 346 and the piston 38b as a fulcrum.

  The cylinder 38c that accommodates the piston 38b is connected to negative pressure means (not shown) such as a vacuum pump that generates negative pressure therein, and the negative pressure means is driven to generate negative pressure inside the cylinder 38c. Thus, the piston 38b can be pulled up vertically (in the direction of the moving part 32a). As a result, the contact plate 346 can be pulled toward the swing fixing means 38. In FIG. 18, one piston 38 b and one cylinder 38 c are provided at the center of the contact plate 346, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a function that enables the contact plate 346 to swing and move up and down. If it can be realized, the number and position thereof are appropriate.

  Since the contact plate 346 is supported by the moving portion 32a via the swing fixing means 38, it is in a so-called suspended state that can be easily swung in a normal state where the negative pressure means is not driven. However, since the spring fixing unit 38 pulls the piston 38b upward in the vertical direction, the spring portion 38a is compressed, so that the contact plate 346 can be fixed to prevent the swinging. The position of the contact surface 346a of the contact plate 346 in this fixed state is unchanged even if the size of the booklet D is changed. Therefore, even if the swing fixing means 38 is used, the contact surface 346a can be set as the reference position as in the present embodiment.

  If such a hand unit 34 a is used, the booklet D can be accurately grasped similarly to the hand unit 34. The gripping method will be briefly described. First, as shown in FIG. 19A, the contact surface 346a of the contact plate 346 of the hand unit 34a and the back of the booklet D are contacted. Further, the back of the booklet D is urged by the contact plate 346 by moving the moving portion 32a downward in the vertical direction.

  Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 19B, the spring portion 38a is compressed and the piston 38b is slid upward in the cylinder 38c. In this state, the control unit 40 moves the clamp plates 342 toward each other to grip the back end of the booklet D. After gripping, the hand unit 24 of the transfer machine 20 releases the booklet D and retreats. As a result, the booklet D is in a state as shown in FIG.

  In this state, since the booklet D is held only by the hand unit 34 a, the contact plate 346, the clamp plate 342 and the booklet D can be swung by the swing fixing means 38. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 19D, the control unit 40 causes the negative pressure means to generate a negative pressure in the cylinder 38c and pulls the contact plate 346 and the booklet D together with the piston 38b upward in the vertical direction. By uniformly compressing the two spring portions 38a, the contact plate 346 is drawn toward the moving portion 32a. As a result, the contact plate 346 is fixed without swinging, and the contact surface 346a is arranged at the reference position and is kept horizontal. It is preferable that the lower surface of the moving portion 32a and the upper surface of the contact plate 346 are parallel so that the lower surface of the moving portion 32a is always horizontal so that it can be kept horizontal. Further, the position where the contact plate 346 is fixed is preferably a position where the spring portion 38a is completely compressed.

  With the hand unit 34a as described above, for example, as shown in FIG. 20A, the contact surface 346a can be arranged horizontally at the reference position even when the back of the booklet D is inclined, and the accuracy is extremely high. The booklet D can be gripped well and accurately.

  Specifically, as shown in FIG. 20 (b), the contact plate 346 causes the contact surface 346 a to contact the back of the booklet D in accordance with the back of the booklet D by the swing fixing means 38. be able to. In this state, the back of the booklet D can be urged by the contact plate 346 by further moving the moving part 32a downward in the vertical direction. In this state, the control unit 40 grips the back end of the booklet D by the hand unit 34a, and the hand unit 24 of the transfer machine 20 is retracted. As a result, the booklet D is in the state shown in FIG.

  In the state shown in FIG. 17C, the back of the booklet D is inclined, so that the center of gravity is shifted as indicated by the symbol E. However, by pulling the contact plate 346 to the moving part 32a by the swing fixing means 38, the contact plate 346 can be fixed without swinging, and the contact surface 346a is arranged at the reference position even when the center of gravity is shifted. And can be kept horizontal.

(Application example 2)
It has been described that the rocking and fixing means 348 and 38 in the present embodiment can be accurately gripped even if the booklet D is gripped by the transfer machine 20 with the function thereof being inclined. However, when the booklet D is tilted beyond the structural swing limit range of the swing fixing means 348 and 38, there is a possibility that it cannot be gripped accurately. In such a case, the transfer machine 20 may be provided with a sensor to determine whether or not the inclination of the booklet D exceeds the swing limit range on the structure of the swing fixing means 348 and 38. Hereinafter, the determination method will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 21, only the booklet D, the pair of clamp plates 242 and the pair of sensors 26 of the hand unit 24 are illustrated for the sake of explanation.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 21 (a), a pair of non-contact sensors 26 are provided linearly, preferably horizontally, above the hand unit 24 (in the Z-axis direction), and the back of the booklet D faces upward. In the state of facing (the state after rotation of the booklet D), the hand unit 24 is moved to a predetermined position in the direction of the sensor 26. The predetermined position is set in advance based on the bookbinding information. Specifically, there is an interval from the back of the booklet D to the sensing range of the sensor 26 with the hand unit 26 disposed at the position. It is set as follows. This distance is preferably a length based on the rocking limit range in the structure of the rocking and fixing means 348 and 38. For example, the structure in which the rocking and fixing means 348 and 38 can rock 0.5 mm in the vertical direction. If so, this interval is set to 0.5 mm.

  After the hand unit 24 moves to a predetermined position in the direction of the sensor 26, the control unit 40 uses the sensor 26 to determine whether any of the at least two sensors 26 has responded, that is, to detect any of the sensors 26. It is determined whether or not an intruder (booklet D in this case) has entered the range. As shown in FIG. 21B, when neither of the two sensors 26 reacts, the control unit 40 determines that the inclination of the booklet D is within the swing limit range of the swing fixing means 348 and 38. The determination is made and the process proceeds to gripping the booklet D by the hand unit 34 of the three-way cutting machine 30.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 21 (c), when there is a response to one of the two sensors 26, the control unit 40 determines that the inclination of the booklet D is within the swing limit range of the swing fixing means 348 and 38. It is determined that it has exceeded, and the cutting of the booklet D is interrupted or the booklet D is discarded. Here, if the bookbinding system 1 includes a display, a speaker, and the like, it is preferable that an error display on the display or an alarm be sounded to notify the user.

  By using such a sensor 26, it is possible to move to the next step only when the inclination of the booklet D is within the structural swing limit range of the swing fixing means 348, 38. Productivity can be improved.

  As shown in FIG. 21 (c), it may be determined that the inclination of the booklet D is within the swing limit range of the swing fixing means 348, 38 in a state where the two sensors 26 have reacted together. Good. In this case, if the sensing range is set to 0.5 mm, the inclination of the booklet D exceeds the swing limit range of the swing fixing means 348 and 38 when there is no response to either of the two sensors 26. By determining, the same effect can be obtained. Further, the inclination of the booklet D is calculated based on the movement distance of the hand unit 24 until it is detected by one of the two sensors 26, and whether the calculation result is within the swing limit range. You may make it determine.

  If the inclination of the booklet D is determined with the back of the booklet D facing downward, the sensor 26 may be provided below the hand unit 24, but the contact surface 346a is disposed on the reference surface. In view of this, it is preferable that the booklet D is provided above the hand unit 24 so that the back portion can be determined with the spine facing upward. Moreover, although it demonstrated that the hand unit 24 was moved to the direction of the sensor 26, you may move a pair of sensor 26 to the hand unit 24 direction. Further, although the sensor 26 has been described as a non-contact type, it is needless to say that the sensor 26 may be a contact type.

  Further, in the present embodiment, it is described that the bookbinding apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is used as the wireless binding machine 10 and a part of the cutting machine described in Patent Document 2 is used as a part of the three-way cutting machine 30. It is not limited to this. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to any apparatus that uses a hand unit to perform bookbinding operations and booklet edge cutting.

  Moreover, although the reference plane has been described as being horizontal, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, even if the cutting blade of the front edge cutting unit 36a is vertical and the reference surface is vertical, if the transfer machine 20 or the hand unit 34 is installed in a state rotated by 90 °, the contact plate 346 will be contacted. The contact surface 346a can be easily placed vertically on the reference surface. In this case, the booklet D is gripped by the hand unit 34 with the top end face facing upward and the ground end face facing downward.

  In addition, although the control unit 40 is shared by the wireless binding machine 10, the transfer machine 20, and the three-way cutting machine 30, a control unit may be provided in each device so that these control units can control each unit independently and in cooperation. Good.

  Further, it has been described that the hand unit 24 of the transfer machine 20 grips the booklet D by the pair of clamp plates 242 being moved in a direction in which they approach each other. However, the interval between the pair of clamp plates 242 may be fixed in advance to be approximately the same as the back width of the booklet D, and the wireless binding machine 10 may insert the booklet D into the interval.

  The present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the gist or main features thereof. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of claims, and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Moreover, all modifications, various improvements, substitutions and modifications belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention.

10 wireless binding machine 14 hand unit 20 transfer machine (booklet transport device, rotational arrangement unit)
30 Three-way cutting machine (booklet transport device)
32 Positioning actuator (conveyance unit)
32a Moving part (supporting part)
34, 34a Hand unit (gripping part)
342 Clamp plate (gripping part)
346 Contact plate (gripping part)
348, 38 Oscillation fixing means (oscillation fixing part)
36a Cutting unit for front edge (small edge cutting machine)
40 Control unit

Claims (7)

A gripping part for gripping the booklet by bringing a predetermined surface into contact with the back of the booklet;
A support part for supporting the grip part from above;
A transport unit that supports the support unit so as to be movable in a two-dimensional direction including at least a vertical direction, and transports the support unit to a small-sized cutter;
A swing fixing portion that is provided between the grip portion and the support portion, supports the grip portion so as to swing and move up and down, and fixes the grip portion to a predetermined position with respect to the support portion;
In the state where the booklet is arranged below the gripping part and the gripping part can swing by the swing fixing part, the back part of the booklet and the predetermined surface are brought into contact with the support part by the transport part. The booklet is moved in the direction of the booklet, the booklet is gripped by the gripping part in a state where the back of the booklet is in contact with the predetermined surface, and the gripping part is moved with respect to the support part by the swinging fixing part. A control unit that controls the conveyance unit to convey the support unit to the fore edge cutter by fixing it at a predetermined position;
A booklet transport device comprising: The said control part moves the said support part until the said predetermined | prescribed surface is pressed against the back of this booklet, when moving the said support part to the direction of the said booklet by the said conveyance part. Booklet transport device. After the booklet is gripped by the gripping portion, the gripping portion is fixed at a predetermined position with respect to the support portion by the swing fixing portion, and becomes a reference for a cutting position when cutting by the small edge cutter. The booklet transport device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined surface is arranged on a reference surface. In the state where the hand unit of the wireless binding machine grips the front edge of the booklet with the back of the booklet facing downward, the booklet holds the top edge of the booklet, the edge of the booklet or both, and the booklet is the hand unit. A rotation arrangement part that rotates and arranges the booklet so that the back of the booklet faces upward after being released from
The gripping portion grips the back end of the booklet in a state where the rotational placement portion places and grips the booklet,
The booklet transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotating arrangement unit releases the booklet after the gripping unit grips the booklet.   The booklet transport apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a sensor for determining whether or not the inclination of the booklet is within a predetermined range in a state where the rotational arrangement unit grips the booklet. The rotational arrangement unit includes two hand units that are arranged to face each other and that can rotate in the same direction, one of the two hand units grips the top end of the booklet, and the other The booklet conveying apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the booklet grips an end of the booklet on the ground edge side. Provided between a gripping part for gripping the booklet by bringing a predetermined surface into contact with the back of the booklet and a support part for supporting the gripping part from above, and supporting the gripping part so as to be swingable and vertically movable. In addition, in a state where the gripping part can swing by a swinging fixing part that fixes the gripping part at a predetermined position with respect to the support part, and a booklet is arranged below the gripping part,
The support unit supports the support unit so as to be movable in at least a two-dimensional direction including a vertical direction, and the support unit is configured so that the back of the booklet and the predetermined surface come into contact with each other by a transport unit that transports the support unit to a small sheet cutter In the direction of the booklet,
Grip the booklet in a state where the back of the booklet and the predetermined surface are in contact by the gripping part,
The gripping part is fixed at a predetermined position with respect to the support part by the swing fixing part,
The booklet transport method, wherein the support unit is transported to the fore edge cutter by the transport unit.

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