Sheet material processing unit and sheet material processing machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12466676-B2
Application number	US-202117999732-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 26, 2021
Priority date	Jun 9, 2020
Publication date	Nov 11, 2025
Grant date	Nov 11, 2025

Abstract

A sheet material processing unit ( 20, 22, 24 ) comprises a transport system ( 32 ) for transporting sheets ( 12 ) or parts thereof from a respective input end ( 20 i, 22 i, 24 i ) to a respective output end ( 20 o, 22 o, 24 o ). A gripper unit ( 46 ) is releasably coupled to the transport system ( 32 ) and is configured for holding at least a part of one of the sheets ( 12 ). Additionally, at least one handover mechanism ( 47 d, 47 r ) is provided being configured for decoupling the gripper unit ( 46 ) from the transport system ( 32 ) and providing the gripper unit ( 46 ) to a neighboring sheet material processing unit ( 20, 22, 24 ) and/or receiving a gripper unit ( 46 ) from a neighboring sheet material processing unit ( 20, 22, 24 ) and coupling the received gripper unit ( 46 ) to the corresponding transport system ( 32 ). Additionally, a sheet material processing machine ( 10 ) is presented which comprises at least two such sheet material processing units ( 20, 22, 24 ).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A sheet material processing machine, comprising:
at least two neighboring sheet material processing units, each sheet material processing unit including:
an input end where sheets to be processed enter the sheet material processing unit, and an output end where at least parts of the sheets leave the sheet material processing unit,
a transport system for transporting the sheets or parts thereof from the input end to the output end, and
a gripper unit releasably coupled to the transport system and configured for holding at least a part of one of the sheets,
wherein the input end and/or the output end are/is equipped with a handover mechanism configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the transport system and providing the gripper unit to a neighboring sheet material processing unit and/or receiving a gripper unit from a neighboring sheet material processing unit and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system; and
a recirculation module comprising a transport system for transferring gripper units from an output end of a second sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units to an input end of a first sheet material processing unit of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units, wherein the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units are coupled by a first handover mechanism provided at an output end of the first sheet material processing unit and configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the corresponding transport system and providing the gripper unit to the second sheet material processing unit, and a second handover mechanism provided at an input end of the second sheet material processing unit and configured for receiving the gripper unit from the first sheet material processing unit and coupling the received gripper unit to a corresponding transport system.

2 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the gripper unit is coupled to the transport system via a clip-on mechanism or via a clamping mechanism.

3 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 2 ,
wherein the gripper unit is coupled to the transport system via the clip-on mechanism, and wherein the transport system comprises one or more male clip elements and the gripper unit comprises one or more corresponding female clip elements.

4 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the gripper unit is coupled to the transport system via a clamping mechanism, wherein the gripper unit comprises at least one switchable clamp configured for selectively engaging the transport system of one of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and/or the transport system of another one of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units.

5 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transport system comprises a processing section configured for transporting gripper units holding sheets or parts thereof for being processed in a direction from the input end to the output end, wherein the processing section is associated with a handover mechanism arranged on the input end and configured for receiving a gripper unit from one of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and coupling the received gripper unit to the corresponding transport system, and/or wherein the processing section is associated with a handover mechanism arranged on the output end and configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the transport system and providing the gripper unit to another of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units.

6 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 1 ,
wherein the sheet material processing unit is a feeder unit, including a registration module, a platen press unit, a hot foil stamping unit or a die-cutting unit, a stripping unit, a quality control unit, a digital printing unit, a digital embellishment unit, a digital cutting unit, a creasing unit, or a delivery unit.

7 . The sheet material processing machine unit according to claim 1 , wherein the transport system comprises a recirculation section configured for transporting gripper units without sheets in a direction from the output end to the input end,
wherein the recirculation section is associated with a handover mechanism arranged on the output end and configured for receiving a gripper unit from one of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units and coupling the received gripper unit to the corresponding transport system, and/or wherein the recirculation section is associated with a handover mechanism arranged on the input end and configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the transport system and providing the gripper unit to another of the at least two neighboring sheet material processing units.

8 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the transport system comprises a belt drive or a chain drive, wherein the gripper unit is releasably coupled to a corresponding belt or chain.

9 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a gripper exchange module coupled to a recirculation section of at least one of the at least two sheet material processing units or the recirculation module, and configured for withdrawing gripper units from the recirculation section or the recirculation module and/or for feeding gripper units into the recirculation section or the recirculation module.

10 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the transport system of the first sheet material processing unit overlaps the transport system of the second sheet material processing unit in a processing direction.

11 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the sheet material processing machine is a platen press, a hot-foil stamping machine, or a die-cutting machine.

12 . The sheet material processing machine according to claim 5 , wherein the sheet material processing unit is a transition unit configured for connecting two sheet material processing units,
wherein the transport system comprises a transition section configured for transporting gripper units holding sheets or parts thereof in a direction from the input end to the output end, wherein the transition section is associated with a handover mechanism arranged on the input end and configured for receiving a gripper unit from a neighboring sheet material processing unit and coupling the received gripper unit to the corresponding transport system, and wherein the transition section is associated with a handover mechanism arranged on the output end and configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the transport system and providing the gripper unit to a neighboring sheet material processing unit.

13 . A sheet material processing machine, comprising:
at least two neighboring sheet material processing units, each sheet material processing unit including: an input end where sheets to be processed enter the sheet material processing unit, and an output end where at least parts of the sheets leave the sheet material processing unit, a transport system for transporting the sheets or parts thereof from the input end to the output end, and a gripper unit releasably coupled to the transport system and configured for holding at least a part of one of the sheets, wherein the input end and/or the output end are/is equipped with a handover mechanism configured for decoupling the gripper unit from the transport system and

Assignees

• Bobst Mex Sa

Inventors

• De Gaillande Christophe

Classifications

• B65H29/003

  by grippers (B65H29/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H5/14

  Details of grippers; Actuating-mechanisms therefor · CPC title

• B26D2007/322

  the cut products being sheets, e.g. sheets of paper · CPC title

• B65H2801/15

  Digital printing machines · CPC title

• B65H2801/21

  Industrial-size printers, e.g. rotary printing press · CPC title