Index tab forming system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12344502-B2
Application number	US-201917771323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Oct 25, 2019
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

An index tab forming system sequentially forms index tabs to a plurality of sheets without replacing a blade die. The index tab forming system includes a rotary die cutter 5 on which a long blade die that can form an index tab at any position of the sheet in the conveyance direction is mounted. Furthermore, the index tab forming system includes a rotational speed calculation unit configured to calculate the rotational speed of a conveyance roller pair 37 based on the rotational position of a die cut roller 50 , a sheet position detection signal provided by a sheet detection sensor 40 , the number of times of sheet conveyance, and a shift distance between respective index tabs and a conveyance roller control unit configured to control the rotational speed of the conveyance roller pair 37 based on the calculated rotational speed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An index tab forming system configured to sequentially form index tabs to a plurality of sheets, the index tab forming system comprising:
a rotary die cutter including a die cut roller in which a sheet-like blade die used for index tab forming is mounted and a receiving roller arranged parallel to the die cut roller with a predetermined spacing to the die cut roller;
a rotational position detector configured to detect a rotational position of the die cut roller;
a memory configured to store a position of a front end of a top index tab of the index tabs, a shift distance between the index tabs, the total number of index tabs, and a position of a front end of an index tab portion of the blade die;
a sheet stacker configured to stack a sheet stack;
a sheet feeder configured to feed the sheet one by one from the sheet stack;
a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet received from the sheet feeder to the rotary die cutter, the conveyance unit including:
a conveyor extending between the sheet feeder and the rotary die cutter and configured to convey the sheet;
a sheet detection sensor arranged in downstream of the conveyor and configured to detect a position of the sheet; and
a conveyance roller pair arranged parallel to the die cut roller and configured to convey the sheet; and

a controller configured to:
count the number of times that the conveyance unit conveys the sheet to the rotary die cutter;
calculate a rotational speed of the conveyance roller pair based on the rotational position of the die cut roller, a detection signal generated when the sheet detection sensor detects a sheet position, the number of times that the conveyance unit conveys the sheet to the rotary die cutter, and a shift distance between the index tabs, the conveyance roller pair being configured to cause a front end of an index tab portion of the blade die and a front end of each of the index tabs formed on the sheet to match at the lowermost point of the die cut roller; and
control a rotational speed of the conveyance roller pair based on the calculated rotational speed,

wherein the blade die has a circumferential length that is longer than a length of the sheet so that the index tab is formed at any position of the sheet in a conveyance direction.

2. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , wherein every time the last sheet to which the index tab is formed is conveyed to the rotary die cutter, and
wherein the controller is configured to reset a count of the number of times that the sheet is conveyed to the die cut roller.

3. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
count the number of times that the sheet feeder feeds a sheet;
determine a sheet feeding timing of the sheet to which the top index tab is formed;
calculate a period to shift a feeding timing of the sheet based on a shift distance between the index tabs and the number of times that the sheet feeding unit feeds a sheet; and
control the sheet feeder based on the rotational position of the die cut roller so that the sheet to which the top index tab is formed is fed at the determined sheet feeding timing and the sheet to which an index tab other than the top index tab is formed is fed at a timing shifted from the determined sheet feeding timing by a calculated shift period.

4. The index tab forming system according to claim 3 , wherein every time the sheet to which the last index tab is formed is fed, and
wherein the controller is configured to reset a count of the number of times of sheet feeding.

5. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 further comprising:
a sheet tab position input unit configured to receive input of a position of a front end of the top index tab formed to the sheet;
a shift distance input unit configured to receive input of a shift distance between the index tabs;
a tab quantity input unit configured to receive input of the total number of index tabs; and
a blade die tab position input unit configured to receive input of a position of a front end of an index tab portion of the blade die.

6. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheet feeding controller configured to control an operation of the sheet feeder.

7. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheet feeding counter configured to count the number of times that the sheet feeder feeds a sheet.

8. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheet feeding timing determination unit configured to determine a sheet feeding timing of the sheet to which the top index tab is formed.

9. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a shift period calculation unit configured to calculate a period to shift a feeding timing of the sheet based on a shift distance between the index tabs and the number of times that the sheet feeding unit feeds a sheet.

10. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a sheet tab position input unit configured to receive input of a position of a front end of the top index tab formed to the sheet.

11. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a shift distance input unit configured to receive input of a shift distance between the index tabs.

12. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a tab quantity input unit configured to receive input of the total number of index tabs.

13. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , further comprising a blade die tab position input unit configured to receive input of a position of a front end of an index tab portion of the blade die.

14. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet stacker comprises:
a horizontal sheet loading shelf movably arranged to be lifted and lowered; and
a perpendicular sheet alignment plate arranged in front of the sheet loading shelf and configured to align front ends of respective sheets of the sheet stack.

15. The index tab forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet feeding unit comprises:
a suction belt conveyor;
a suction duct; and
a sheet feeding roller pair on the sheet stacker.

Assignees

• Horizon Int Inc

Inventors

• Mochizuki Jun
• Taketsugu Yasuo

Classifications

• B65H2513/10

  Speed · CPC title

• B65H7/18

  Modifying or stopping actuation of separators · CPC title

• B65H5/062

  between rollers or balls · CPC title

• B26F1/384 Primary

  using rotating drums · CPC title

• B26D5/007

  Control means comprising cameras, vision or image processing systems · CPC title