U.S. patent application number 10/401339 was filed with the patent office on 2004-09-30 for booklet maker with contact member.
This patent application is currently assigned to Xerox Corporation.. Invention is credited to Mao, Yanmin, McNamara, Joseph M..
Application Number | 20040188911 10/401339 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 32989423 |
Filed Date | 2004-09-30 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040188911 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
McNamara, Joseph M. ; et
al. |
September 30, 2004 |
BOOKLET MAKER WITH CONTACT MEMBER
Abstract
In a booklet maker, as would be found in conjunction with a
copier or printer, print sheets to be folded and stapled into a
booklet are accumulated in a slot. At the bottom of the slot, a
selectably extendable contact member presses an accumulating set of
sheets against a sidewall of the slot following the entry of each
new sheet into the slot. The contact member decreases curling and
fluffing of sheets within the slot, which can cause imprecisions in
registering, stapling, or creasing of the sheets as they are formed
into a booklet.
Inventors: |
McNamara, Joseph M.;
(Mississauga, CA) ; Mao, Yanmin; (Brampton,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Patent Documentation Center
Xerox Corporation
Xerox Square 20th Floor
100 Clinton Ave. S.
Rochester
NY
14644
US
|
Assignee: |
Xerox Corporation.
|
Family ID: |
32989423 |
Appl. No.: |
10/401339 |
Filed: |
March 27, 2003 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
270/58.08 ;
270/37; 270/58.12; 270/58.14; 270/58.16; 270/58.17; 399/410 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65H 2405/22 20130101;
B65H 37/04 20130101; B65H 45/18 20130101; B65H 39/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
270/058.08 ;
270/058.12; 270/058.14; 270/058.16; 270/058.17; 270/037;
399/410 |
International
Class: |
B65H 033/04 |
Claims
1. An apparatus for folding a set of sheets, comprising: means
defining a slot for accumulating sheets, the slot including a
sidewall and a bottom; a selectably-operable contact member
disposed near the bottom of the slot, the contact member being
operable to press at least one accumulated sheet against the
sidewall of the slot; means for operating the contact member
following entry of a sheet into the slot; a crease roll disposed
adjacent the slot; and a blade for directing the set of sheets
toward the crease roll.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an elevator
defining the bottom of the slot, movable within the slot.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a stapler
positioned to staple a set of sheets within the slot.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, the elevator being movable between a
position wherein a portion of the sheet set is adjacent the
stapler, and a position wherein the portion of the sheet set is
adjacent the blade.
5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising means for operating
the contact member when the elevator moves.
6. The apparatus of claim 1, the means for operating the contact
member retracting the contact member during entry of a sheet into
the slot.
7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a sheet order roll
assembly disposed at a predetermined location along the slot.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, the elevator being movable to move a
trailing edge of a sheet in the slot relative to the sheet order
roll assembly.
9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the contact member defines
less than three square inches of area to contact a sheet.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates to a booklet maker, as would
be used, for instance, in conjunction with a digital copier or
printer.
BACKGROUND AND DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
[0002] Booklet makers are well-known devices for forming folded
booklets which are stapled along the crease thereof. It is becoming
common to include booklet makers in conjunction with office-range
copiers and printers (as used herein, a "copier" will be considered
a type of "printer"). In basic form, a booklet maker includes a
slot for accumulating signature sheets, as would be produced by a
printer. The accumulated sheets, forming the pages of a booklet,
are positioned within the stack so that a stapler mechanism and
complementary anvil can staple the stack precisely along the
intended crease line. In one embodiment, the creased and stapled
sheet sets are then pushed, by a blade, completely through crease
rolls, to form the final main fold in the finished booklet. The
finished booklets are then accumulated in a tray downstream of the
crease rolls. One example of a practical booklet maker design is
shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,316,280.
[0003] The present disclosure relates to an improved design of a
booklet maker, which is particularly useful in conjunction with an
office-range digital printer.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0004] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is
provided an apparatus for folding a set of sheets, comprising means
defining a slot for accumulating sheets, the slot including a
sidewall and a bottom. A selectably-operable contact member is
disposed near the bottom of the slot, the contact member being
operable to press at least one accumulated sheet against the
sidewall of the slot. Means are provided for operating the contact
member following entry of a sheet into the slot. A crease roll is
disposed adjacent the slot. A blade is provided for directing the
set of sheets toward the crease roll.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] FIG. 1 is a simplified elevational view of a "finisher
module," including a booklet maker, as would be used with an
office-range digital printer.
[0006] FIGS. 2 and 3 are detailed views showing the operation of a
device in conjunction with a booklet maker as in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0007] FIG. 1 is a simplified elevational view of a "finisher
module," generally indicated as 100, including a booklet maker, as
would be used with an office-range digital printer. Printed
signature sheets from the printer 99 are accepted in an entry port
102. Depending on the specific design of finisher module 100, there
may be numerous paths such as 104 and numerous output trays 106 for
print sheets, corresponding to different desired actions, such as
stapling, hole-punching and C- or Z-folding. It is to be understood
that the various rollers and other devices which contact and handle
sheets within finisher module 100 are driven by various motors,
solenoids and other electromechanical devices (not shown), under a
control system, such as including a microprocessor (not shown),
within the finisher module 100, printer 99, or elsewhere, in a
manner generally familiar in the art. For present purposes what is
of interest is the booklet maker generally indicated as 110.
[0008] Booklet maker 110 defines a "slot" which is here indicated
as 112. Slot 112 accumulates signature sheets (sheets each having
four page images thereon, for eventual folding into pages of the
booklet) from the printer 99. Each sheet is held within slot 112 at
a level where a stapler 114 can staple the sheets along a midline
of the signatures, the midline corresponding to the eventual crease
of the finished booklet. In order to hold sheets of a given size at
the desired level relative to the stapler 114, there is provided at
the bottom of slot 112 an elevator 116, which forms the "floor" of
the slot 112 on which the edges of the accumulating sheets rest
before they are stapled. The elevator 116 is placed at different
locations along slot 112 depending on the size of the incoming
sheets, so that the trailing edge of the sheets will initially be
adjacent the sheet ordering roll assembly 111. Also, elevator 116
is, for a given sheet size, movable (by means not shown, but
typically including a motor or solenoid) among three positions, a
first position where the trailing edge of the sheets are adjacent
the sheet ordering roll assembly 111, a second position where the
midpoint of the sheets are adjacent the stapler 114, and a third
position, as will be described below.
[0009] As printed signature sheets are output from printer 99,
elevator 116 is positioned so that the trailing edge of the output
sheets (which would be at the top of slot 112) are disposed at
sheet ordering roll assembly 111. When all of the necessary sheets
to form a desired booklet are accumulated in slot 112, elevator 116
is moved from its first position to a second position where the
midpoint of the sheets are adjacent the stapler 114. Stapler 114 is
activated to place one or more staples along the midpoint of the
sheets, where the booklet will eventually be folded.
[0010] After the stapling, elevator 116 is moved from its second
position to a third position, where the midpoint of the sheets are
adjacent a blade 118 and a nip formed by crease rolls 120. The
action of blade 118 and crease rolls 120 performs the final
folding, and sharp creasing, of the sheets into the finished
booklet. Blade 118 contacts the sheet set along the stapled
midpoint thereof, and bends the sheet set toward the nip of crease
rolls 120, which draw all the sheets in and form a sharp crease.
The creased and stapled sheet sets then drawn, by the rotation of
crease rolls 120, completely through the nip, to form the final
main fold in the finished booklet. The finished booklets are then
conducted along path 122 and collected in a tray 124.
[0011] FIGS. 2 and 3 are detailed views showing the operation of a
device in conjunction with a booklet maker as in FIG. 1. Of
interest is the elevator 116, forming a backstop to retain the
sheet sets at the bottom of slot 112. As shown, there is associated
with backstop 116 a solenoid 130, having a plunger 132 with an end
cap (or, more broadly, a "contact member") which is movable from a
first, retracted position (shown in FIG. 2) to a second, extended
position (shown in FIG. 3) which extends into slot 112 and presses
a set of sheets S against one wall of the slot 112. In this
embodiment, plunger 132 is extended to its second position when the
solenoid 130 is energized, such as through a control system as
described above. Also, although a solenoid with a plunger is
illustrated, any equivalent hardware can be used, such as including
a stepper motor, for instance.
[0012] As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 2 and 3, when the plunger
132 is extended into its second position, the sheets S which are in
slot 112 at any time are pushed against a wall of slot 112. The
configuration of sheets S in FIG. 2 shows why the use of plunger
132 is desirable: without the plunger 132, the accumulating sheets
in slot 112 may be curved and/or "fluffed" (have appreciable
cushions of air between adjacent sheets). The curving and fluffing
can result in imprecisions in the placement of staples by stapler
114 as shown in FIG. 1, and/or in the folding of the booklet by
blade 118 as shown in FIG. 1: the curving and fluffing will alter
the location of the true midpoint of the sheets during stapling or
folding. The curving and fluffing can also effectively close off
the slot 112, preventing or resisting the following sheet(s) from
entering the slot 112 causing jams or process mis-registration
(poor alignment in the direction of sheet travel).
[0013] According to one embodiment, the solenoid 130 is activated
to extend plunger 132 against a full or partial set of sheets in
slot 112 following the placement of each new sheet in slot 120,
with the plunger being withdrawn back into its FIG. 2 position in
intervals to allow each new sheet to fully enter slot 112. However,
the pressing of plunger 132 after the entry of each sheet helps to
open up space within slot 112 for receiving the next sheet, which
provides a practical advantage, as can be seen by comparing FIGS. 2
and 3.
[0014] As shown in the illustrated embodiment, plunger 132 defines
a contact member which is of a small size, such as one-half inch in
diameter or generally less than three square inches in effective
area, where it contacts the sheet in slot 112. It may alternately
be desirable, in some circumstances, to have a larger contact
member, contacting the sheet over more surface area. A larger
contact member may be useful in pushing air from between sheets in
the slot 112; however, in some designs, due to static electricity
in the sheets, a large contact member may cause the sheet to stick
to the left wall, and thus cause the sheet to get out of order
relative to other sheets which will enter slot 112 later.
[0015] A flapper drive roll, indicated as 113, also penetrates into
the paper path slot 112 after each sheet is fed into slot 112, but
before the solenoid 130 is energized to ensure that the sheet is
driven all the way to the backstop 116. However, the action of
flapper drive roll 113 also generates fluff and curl in the lower
half of the slot 112, reinforcing the requirement of using solenoid
130 to remove/reduce the fluff and curl in the lower half of slot
112.
[0016] When the full sheet set is accumulated in slot 112, the
extended plunger 132 can be used to pin the whole stack in position
for stapling and moving of the stack on elevator 116 so that the
midpoint of the stack is aligned with the blade 118. When the
creasing from blade 118 begins, the plunger 132 is released so that
the sheet stack can be drawn through the creasing rolls 120 as
shown in FIG. 1.
* * * * *