Orientation changing apparatus and enclosing-and-sealing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10160257-B2
Application number	US-201715665480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 1, 2017
Priority date	Mar 24, 2017
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

An orientation changing apparatus includes a transport path along which a transport object is transported and that includes a portion having a space; a changing unit that changes an orientation of the transport object transported toward the space, the changing unit changing the orientation in the space by applying a rotational force to the transport object in a direction that crosses a transporting direction in which the transport object is transported; and a receiving unit that receives the transport object after the orientation of the transport object is changed by the changing unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An orientation changing apparatus comprising:
a transport path configured to transport a transport object, wherein the transport path includes a space;
a changing unit configured to change an orientation of the transport object transported toward the space,
wherein the changing unit is configured to change the orientation in the space by applying a rotational force to the transport object in a direction that crosses a transporting direction in which the transport object is transported; and

a receiving unit configured to receive the transport object after the orientation of the transport object is changed by the changing unit,
wherein the changing unit includes:
a first unit configured to apply an upward rotational force to the transport object transported from the transport path toward the space, the upward rotational force being applied at one side in the direction that crosses the trans porting direction, and
a second unit configured to apply a downward rotational force to the transport object at other side in the direction that crosses the transporting direction.

2. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a portion of the transport path that is connected to an upstream side of the space in the transporting direction includes a third unit configured to restrict a vertical movement of a trailing end of the transport object in the transporting direction while a leading end and an intermediate portion of the transport object in the transporting direction are receiving the rotational forces from the first unit and the second unit.

3. An orientation changing apparatus comprising:
a transport path configured to transport a transport object, wherein the transport path includes a space;
a changing unit including:
a first plate-shaped body configured to apply an upward rotational force to the transport object transported toward the space, the upward rotational force being applied at one side in a direction that crosses a transporting direction in which the transport object is transported, and
a second plate-shaped body configured to apply a downward rotational force to the transport object at other side in the direction that crosses the transporting direction; and

a receiving unit configured to receive the transport object after the orientation of the transport object is changed by the changing unit.

4. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 3 ,
wherein the first plate-shaped body and the second plate-shaped body of the changing unit each include a proximal portion and a guide portion,
wherein the guide portion of the first plate-shaped body is shaped so as to be inclined upward with respect to an extension of a transporting surface of the transport path in the transporting direction, and is disposed so as to extend into the space, and
wherein the guide portion of the second plate-shaped body is disposed so as to extend into the space in a direction that crosses the extension.

5. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first plate-shaped body and the second plate-shaped body are both elastic, and are configured to apply the rotational forces to the transport object so that the orientation of the transport object received by the receiving unit is changed by 180 degrees.

6. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein a portion of the transport path that is connected to an upstream side of the space in the transporting direction includes a restricting unit configured to restrict a vertical movement of a trailing end portion of the transport object in the transporting direction while the transport object is receiving the rotational forces from the first plate-shaped body and the second plate-shaped body.

7. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the first plate-shaped body has a length shorter than a length of the second plate-shaped body.

8. An orientation changing apparatus comprising:
a transport path configured to transport a transport object, wherein the transport path includes a space;
a changing unit configured to change an orientation of the transport object transported toward the space,
wherein the changing unit is configured to change the orientation in the space by applying a rotation force to the transport object in a direction that crosses a transporting direction in which the transport object is transported; and

a receiving unit configured to receive the transport object after the orientation of the transport object is changed by the changing unit,
wherein the changing unit includes a limiting unit configured to limit a rotation of the transport object received by the receiving unit.

9. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the changing unit includes a stopper unit configured to limit a movement of the transport object in the transporting direction.

10. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving unit is a portion of a transporting unit configured to transport the transport object downstream in the transporting direction.

11. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the orientation changing apparatus is configured such that a transport speed at which the transport object is transported from the transport path to the changing unit is may be controlled so that, when a plurality of the transport objects are received by the receiving unit after orientations of the transport objects are changed in midair by the changing unit, a succeeding transport object partially overlaps a preceding transport object.

12. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the changing unit includes a correcting unit configured to correct an overlapping state of the transport objects received by the receiving unit.

13. An enclosing-and-sealing system comprising:
an envelope transport unit;
an enclosure transport unit;
an inserting unit that configured to insert an enclosure into an envelope;
a sealing unit configured to seal the envelope in which the enclosure is inserted; and
the orientation changing apparatus according to claim 1 configured to transport the envelope sealed by the sealing unit as the transport object.

14. An apparatus comprising:
a transport path configured to transport an object, in a transport direction, to a space;
a first body;
a second body; and
a receiving body,
wherein the first body and the second body are configured to change an orientation of the object being transported toward the space,
wherein the first body is configured to apply a first rotational force to the object transported toward the space, the first rotational force being applied at one side in a direction that crosses the transporting direction,
wherein the second body is configured to apply a second rotational force, in a direction opposite to the first rotational force, to the object at a side opposite the one side in the direction that crosses the transporting direction, and
wherein the receiving body is configured to receive the object after the orientation of the object is changed by the first body and the second body.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14 , wherein the first body is plate-shaped, and wherein the second body is plate-shaped.

16. The orientation changing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the transport object comprises an envelope.

Assignees

• Fuji Xerox Co Ltd

Inventors

• Suga Mutsuo

Classifications

• B43M5/042 Primary

  for envelopes with only one flap · CPC title

• B65G47/766

  Adjustable ploughs or transverse scrapers · CPC title

• B65G2201/0285

  Postal items, e.g. letters, parcels · CPC title

• B65H2513/42

  Route, path · CPC title

• B43M3/045

  for envelopes with only one flap · CPC title