SHEET FOLDING APPARATUS, SHEET FOLDING METHOD, AND PRINTING SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SHEET FOLDING APPARATUS

• US 20130203579A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 08/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Océ-Technologies B.V. (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: VERMUNT, Joris W.H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,486,973 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 493/416
• CPC Class Codes: B31F 1/0009 of plates, sheets or webs
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/17 Deformation, e.g. stretching
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2515/81 Rigidity; Stiffness; Elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2551/13 Remote control devices, e.g. speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2557/20 Calculating means; Controlling methods
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 45/142 Pocket-type folders

Abstract

A sheet folding apparatus includes a sheet transport system, adjustable folding members arranged to bend and fold a sheet fed by the transport system, and a control system arranged to adjust the folding members to set positions in accordance with information on sheet properties. The control system stores a table that specifies different set positions of the folding members for different bending properties of the sheets and is adapted to read information on the bending properties of the sheets to be folded and to adjust the folding members to set positions as specified by the bending properties.

Claims

1. A sheet folding apparatus, comprising:

a sheet transport system;

adjustable folding members arranged to bend and fold a sheet fed by the transport system; and

a control system arranged to adjust the folding members to set positions in accordance with information on sheet properties,

wherein the control system is configured to store a table that specifies different set positions of the folding members for different bending properties of the sheets and is adapted to read information on the bending properties of the sheets to be folded and to adjust the folding members to set positions as specified by the bending properties.

2. The sheet folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the adjustable folding members is a stop member for a leading edge of the sheet.

3. The sheet folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the adjustable folding members comprises a pair of rollers forming a nip for catching and folding a loop of the sheet.

4. The sheet folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a the control system comprises an input device configured to permit a user to enter or correct set positions for the adjustable folding members and to instruct the control system to store the entered or corrected set positions in the table in conjunction with the current bending properties of the sheet.

5. The sheet folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control system comprises a communication interface configured to receive information on the bending properties of the sheets.

6. The sheet folding apparatus according to claim 1, comprising at least one sensor configured to measure information on the bending properties of the sheets.

7. A printing system, comprising:

a printer; and

the sheet folding apparatus according to claim 1.

8. The printing system according to claim 7, wherein the printer is adapted to receive and store information on bending properties of the sheets that are used as print media and to communicate this information to the control system of the sheet folding apparatus.

9. The printing system according to claim 7, comprising at least one sensor configured to measure information on bending properties of the sheets.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of manually correcting the set positions for the type of media that are currently processed, and storing the corrected set positions in the table.

10. A sheet folding method, comprising the steps of:

using a sheet folding apparatus that comprises a sheet transport system, adjustable folding members arranged to bend and fold a sheet fed by the transport system, and a control system arranged to adjust the folding members to set positions in accordance with information on sheet properties;

storing, in the control system, a table that specifies different set positions of the adjustable folding members for different bending properties of the sheets;

inputting bending information on the sheets to be folded into the control system, whereupon the control system adjusts the folding members to set positions as specified in the table for the input bending properties.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of reading information on the bending properties of the sheets from a media catalogue.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of reading information on the bending properties of the sheets with at least one sensor.