JP7023481B2 - Sheet processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus.

There is known a sheet processing apparatus that performs predetermined processing on sheets that are continuously and sequentially sent. Conventionally, for example, a sheet processing device has been proposed in which a mold on which a sheet is placed is sandwiched between two upper and lower rollers and pressure is applied to punch the sheet into the shape of a product (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-317895

The processing in the sheet processing apparatus needs to be performed according to the image formed on the sheet. Therefore, it is necessary to position the sheet before processing so that it is processed according to the image. As one of the positioning methods, it is conceivable to position the sheet based on the outer shape of the sheet. However, an image may be formed on the sheet at a position deviated from the design image forming position due to an error in forming the image or the like. In this case, if the position is based on the outer shape of the sheet, it cannot be processed according to the image. Therefore, positioning the sheet so that it is processed to fit the image is not so simple.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus capable of processing a sheet according to an image.

In order to solve the above problems, the sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to be able to adjust the orientation and position of the first transport mechanism for transporting the sheet and the sheet transported by the first transport mechanism. The adjustment mechanism is provided , a second transport mechanism for further transporting the sheet, and a processing portion for performing predetermined processing on the sheet transported by the second transport mechanism. When the direction orthogonal to the transport direction by the second transport mechanism is referred to as a width direction, in the adjustment mechanism, the orientation and position of the image formed on the sheet coincide with the reference orientation and the reference position based on the machined portion. The orientation and position of the sheet are adjustable so that the image information acquisition means for acquiring the image information of the surface of the sheet and the adjustment amount of the orientation of the sheet based on the image information acquired by the image information acquisition means. Also provided are an adjustment amount calculating means for calculating the adjustment amount of the position of the sheet in the width direction, and a control unit for controlling the drive of the adjustment mechanism based on the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation means .

It should be noted that any combination of the above components and those in which the components and expressions of the present invention are mutually replaced between methods, devices, systems and the like are also effective as aspects of the present invention.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sheet processing apparatus capable of processing a sheet according to an image.

It is a figure which shows an example of the sheet processed by the sheet processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the sheet processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a side view which shows the machined part of FIG. It is a top view of the resist part of FIG. It is a top view of the resist part of FIG. It is a side view of the resist part of FIG. It is a side view of the resist part of FIG. It is a perspective view of the resist part of FIG. It is a three-sided view which shows the 1st suction transfer mechanism. It is a three-sided view which shows the 2nd suction transfer mechanism. 11 (a) and 11 (b) are views of the guide surface moving mechanism viewed from the downstream side. It is a schematic diagram which shows the electric structure of a sheet processing apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the operation of the resist part at the time of processing. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the detection line of each line sensor before executing an adjustment process, and the registration mark of a sheet. It is a flowchart which shows the adjustment process. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of the adjustment amount. It is a figure for demonstrating the calculation method of the adjustment amount. It is a top view which shows the resist part 12 which concerns on a modification. 19 (a) to 19 (d) are views showing a sheet according to a modified example.

Hereinafter, the same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in the drawings shall be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description thereof will be omitted as appropriate. Further, the dimensions of the members in each drawing are shown in an appropriately enlarged or reduced size for easy understanding. In addition, some of the members that are not important for explaining the embodiment in each drawing are omitted and displayed.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a sheet S processed by the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment. The sheet S is, for example, a paper or sheet-shaped resin member. The sheet S has a rectangular shape and has a front end side S1, a right end side S2, a left end side S3, and a rear end side S4. The front end side S1 is the front end side in the direction in which the sheet is conveyed in the sheet processing apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as “transport direction”). The rear end side S4 is a rear end side in the transport direction. The right end side S2 and the left end side S3 are the right and left end sides when the front end side S1 is viewed from the rear end side S4, respectively.

The image G and the registration marks R1 and R2 are formed on the sheet S. The image G and the registration marks R1 and R2 are pre-printed by a predetermined printing device. They are, in particular, printed at substantially the same time. The registration marks R1 and R2 are black in the present embodiment and are formed on the portion of the sheet S on the front end side S1 side of the image G. The registration mark R1 is a line-shaped mark printed so as to extend in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction (hereinafter, referred to as “width direction”), that is, to be parallel to the front end side S1. The registration mark R2 is an inverted L-shaped mark formed inside the corner where the front end side S1 and the right end side S2 of the sheet S are connected, and extends in the width direction, that is, parallel to the front end side S1. It includes a first portion R2a formed so as to be, and a second portion R2b formed so as to extend in the transport direction, that is, to be parallel to the right end side S2.

The image G may be formed on the sheet S at a position deviated from the design image forming position due to a mechanical error of the printing apparatus or the like. In this case, the registration marks R1 and R2, which are printed substantially simultaneously with the image G by the printing apparatus, are also formed so as to be displaced from each other in the same manner as the image G.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the sheet processing apparatus 10 according to the embodiment. The sheet processing device 10 performs predetermined processing on the sheet S. The sheet processing apparatus 10 includes a paper feeding unit 11, a resist unit 12, a processing unit 13, and a stacker 14. The paper feed unit 11, the resist unit 12, the processing unit 13, and the stacker 14 are linearly arranged in this order, and the sheet S is conveyed in this order.

Hereinafter, the direction in which the paper feed unit 11, the resist unit 12, the processing unit 13, and the stacker 14 are arranged is referred to as a “transport direction”, and the horizontal direction orthogonal to the transfer direction is referred to as a “width direction”. Further, the upstream side and the downstream side in the transport direction are simply referred to as "upstream side" and "downstream side", respectively. Further, when viewed from the upstream side to the downstream side, the right side and the left side are simply called "right side" and "left side", respectively.

The paper feed unit 11 includes a paper feed table 20, a suction head 21, a transfer roller 22, and a level sensor 23. The paper feed tray 20 is a flat plate-shaped member on which sheets such as paper and resin are loaded. The paper feed tray 20 is driven by a drive mechanism (not shown) and moves up and down. The level sensor 23 detects when the uppermost sheet reaches a predetermined height. Then, the drive mechanism stops the ascending of the paper feed tray 20. Therefore, the top sheet is kept at a predetermined height.

The suction head 21 includes a suction belt 24. The suction head 21 sucks the uppermost sheet among the sheets loaded on the paper feed table 20, and sends the sucked sheet toward the transport roller 22 by the suction belt 24. At this time, an air discharge device (not shown) blows air into the front surface of the loaded sheet near the uppermost position to separate the uppermost sheet and the second and lower sheets from the uppermost sheet. As a result, only the top sheet is sent out by the suction head 21. The transport roller 22 feeds the sheet fed by the suction head 21 to the resist unit 12.

The sheet S sent out from the paper feeding unit 11 is conveyed to the processing unit 13 via the resist unit 12. The processing unit 13 positions the sheet S at the “machining position” and performs predetermined processing. The "machining position" is a stop position of the sheet S when the processing is applied to the sheet S, and in particular, at a stop position positioned so that the processing is performed according to the image G printed on the sheet S. be. For example, when the machined portion 13 is a punching device, the machined position is the stop position of the sheet S positioned so as to be punched along the image G formed on the sheet S and to have a crease at a position suitable for the image G. be.

The sheet processed by the processing unit 13 is discharged to the stacker 14.

Sheets S are conveyed to the resist unit 12 one by one from the paper feed unit 11. The resist unit 12 adjusts the orientation of the conveyed sheet S and the position in the width direction (hereinafter, referred to as “adjustment process”), and conveys the adjusted sheet S to the processing unit 13. In this adjustment process, in the orientation and width direction of the sheet S so that the orientation and the position in the width direction of the image G printed on the sheet S coincide with the "reference orientation" and the "reference position" based on the machined portion 13. Adjust the position. If the sheet S adjusted in this way is conveyed to the processing portion 13 so that the position in the width direction does not shift, the sheet S is positioned at the processing position. That is, the "reference orientation" and the "reference position" are positions in the same orientation and width direction as the image at the processing position.

The above is an outline of the overall configuration of the sheet processing apparatus 10.
Subsequently, the detailed configuration of the processing unit 13 will be described. FIG. 3 is a side view of the machined portion 13 as viewed from the left side. See FIG. 3 in addition to FIG. The processing unit 13 of the present embodiment is a punching device, and is a plate-shaped member 45, a mold 46, a sheet transport mechanism 40 for transporting and positioning a sheet between the plate-shaped member 45 and the mold 46, and a plate. The sheet moving mechanism 41 that changes the height position of the sheet located between the shaped member 45 and the mold 46, the plate-shaped member moving mechanism 42 that changes the height position of the plate-shaped member 45, and the mold 46 (that is, the mold 46 (that is,). A pressing mechanism 44 for pressing the plate-shaped member 45 toward the cutting blade and the ruled line) is provided.

The mold 46 is a punching die for punching a portion to be a product from a sheet. The mold 46 is a plate-shaped member having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view (that is, when viewed from above), and has a cutting blade and a ruled line embedded so as to protrude from the lower surface thereof. The cutting edge and the ruled line are elongated members arranged along the shape of the product to be punched and streaked, respectively.

The plate-shaped member 45 is provided below the mold 46. The plate-shaped member 45 is a thin plate, which is also called a face plate, and receives cutting and stamping (both not shown) of the mold 46. The plate-shaped member 45 is made of, for example, stainless steel.

The sheet transport mechanism 40 is arranged on the right side of the plate-shaped member 45. The sheet transfer mechanism 40 includes a first belt 50, a second belt 51, a first roller row 52a, a second roller row 52b, a servomotor 53, a first sensor 58, and a second sensor 59. ..

The first belt 50 is wound between a roller 54 arranged on the upstream side so that the rotation axis faces the width direction and a roller 55 arranged on the downstream side so that the rotation axis faces the width direction. .. Similarly, the second belt 51 is wound between the roller 56 arranged on the upstream side so that the rotation axis faces the width direction and the roller 57 arranged on the downstream side so that the rotation axis faces the width direction. It is turned. The first belt 50 is provided on the upper side of the second belt 51. The first roller row 52a is provided inside the first belt 50 and is arranged in a row in the transport direction. The second roller row 52b is provided inside the second belt 51 and is arranged in a row in the transport direction. The first belt 50 and the second belt 51 are sandwiched between the first roller row 52a and the second roller row 52b.

The servomotor 53 drives the first belt 50 and the second belt 51. The first sensor 58 is provided on the upstream side of the first belt 50 and the second belt 51, and detects a sheet conveyed from the resist portion 12 to the processing portion 13. The sheet conveyed from the resist unit 12 is sandwiched between the first belt 50 and the second belt 51 and conveyed. The servomotor 53 stops at the timing when the sheet reaches between the mold 46 and the plate-shaped member 45, and the first belt 50 and the second belt 51 stop. As a result, the sheet is positioned between the mold 46 and the plate-shaped member 45, and in particular, the printed image of the sheet is positioned at the processing position that matches the cutting blade and the ruled rule of the mold 46. The second sensor 59 is provided on the downstream side of the first belt 50 and the second belt 51, and detects a sheet to be discharged toward the stacker 14.

The seat moving mechanism 41 includes a drive motor 60, a support shaft 61, an eccentric cam 62, two first frames 63, a second frame 64, and a wire 65. The support shaft 61 is arranged so that its axial direction faces the transport direction. The two first frames 63 are fixed to both ends of the support shaft 61, respectively. Further, the two first frames 63 are fixed to a frame that supports the entire device. That is, the height positions of the two first frames 63 are fixed. The second frame 64 is fixed to the lower ends of the two first frames 63. A part of the first roller row 52a and a part of the second roller row 52b are fixed to the second frame 64.

The drive motor 60 rotates the eccentric cam 62. When the eccentric cam 62 rotates, the support shaft 61, and thus the first roller row 52a and the second roller row 52b fixed to the second frame 64, rise or fall according to the cam surface (outer peripheral surface) 62a. Then, the heights of the portions of the belts 50 and 51 sandwiched between the first roller row 52a and the second roller row 52b fixed to the second frame 64 change, and the height position of the sandwiched sheet changes. ..

The wire 65 is arranged so as to extend in the transport direction on the side opposite to the first belt 50 and the second belt 51 with respect to the plate-shaped member 45 in the width direction. The wire 65 supports the opposite end portion of the sheet sandwiched between the belts 50 and 51 in the width direction, and is provided so as to rise or fall as the support frame 71 (described later) rises or falls. The wire 65 may be provided so as to rise or fall as the belts 50 and 51 rise or fall. The wire 65 is configured to be movable in the width direction, and is a position that supports the end portion of the seat opposite to the side sandwiched between the belts 50 and 51 according to the size in the width direction of the seat. It moves to a position outside the range where the cutting blade of the mold 46 exists. As a result, the wire 65 can support the sheet without being cut by the cutting blade.

The plate-shaped member moving mechanism 42 includes a support frame 71, a mounting table 77, four vertical movement drive mechanisms 72 (only two are shown in FIG. 3), and a drive source 73. The support frame 71 is a square frame in the present embodiment. The mounting table 77 is a thin plate-shaped member. The mounting table 77 is mounted on the support frame 71, and the plate-shaped member 45 is mounted on the mounting table 77. The support frame 71 may support the plate-shaped member 45 so as not to interfere with the portion of the plate-shaped member 45 pressed by the pressing roller 93 (described later), and is not limited to the square frame. Each of the four vertical movement drive mechanisms 72 is provided below the four corners of the support frame 71, and is driven by a common drive source 73 to move the support frame 71 up and down. As a result, the mounting table 77 mounted on the support frame 71 and the plate-shaped member 45 mounted on the mounting table 77 rise or fall. That is, the height position of the plate-shaped member 45 changes.

The pressing mechanism 44 includes a drive motor 90, a crank mechanism 91, two levers 92 (only one on the left side is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3), a pressing roller 93, and two guide members 94. The two levers 92 are provided at both ends in the width direction, respectively. Each lever 92 swings on a swing shaft 89 whose first end 92a side (lower end side), which is one end thereof, is a swing shaft 89 provided below the guide member 94 and whose axial direction faces the width direction. It is movably supported. The crank mechanism 91 converts the rotational force of the drive motor 90 into a reciprocating motion in the transport direction. The lever 92 is driven by the crank mechanism 91 and swings around the swing shaft 89.

The guide member 94 is a long member that is long in the transport direction. The two guide members 94 are arranged so as to sandwich the plate-shaped member 45 in the width direction in a plan view. A guide surface 94a is formed on the upper surfaces of the two guide members 94. The guide surface 94a is formed so that both ends in the transport direction are low and the central portion is high.

The pressing roller 93 includes a pressing portion 95, a supporting portion 96, and two driven portions 97. The pressing portion 95 has an outer peripheral surface 95a for pressing the plate-shaped member 45. The outer peripheral surface 95a has a cylindrical shape in which the central axis extends in the width direction. In the present embodiment, the pressing portion 95 is formed in a cylindrical shape.

The support portion 96 is a columnar member extending in the width direction, and is inserted through the pressing portion 95. The support portion 96 has a length in the width direction longer than that of the pressing portion 95, and protrudes from both ends of the pressing portion 95. A bearing (not shown) is interposed between the pressing portion 95 and the supporting portion 96, and the supporting portion 96 rotatably supports the pressing portion 95 via the bearing. The support portion 96 is supported by the guide surface 94a, which is the upper surface of the guide member 94. As a result, the pressing roller 93 is supported.

The driven portion 97 is a cylindrical member having an outer diameter larger than that of the support portion 96, and surrounds the protruding portion of the support portion 96 protruding from the pressing portion 95 in the width direction. A bearing (not shown) is interposed between the driven portion 97 and the support portion 96. The lever 92 is engaged with the driven portion 97. Specifically, the lever 92 is formed with a groove 92c extending from the second end 92b (that is, the upper end), which is the other end, toward the first end 92a. The driven portion 97 is housed in the groove 92c. Therefore, when the lever 92 is driven by the crank mechanism 91 and swings around the swing shaft 89, it is pushed by the peripheral wall 92d of the groove 92c, and the driven portion 97 and thus the pressing roller 93 is moved from the upstream side to the downstream side or the downstream side. Move upstream from.

For example, in FIG. 3, when the lever 92 swings counterclockwise around the swing shaft 89, the pressing roller 93 moves downstream and the lever 92 swings clockwise around the swing shaft 89. When moved, the pressing roller 93 moves to the upstream side.

When the pressing roller 93 is driven by the lever 92 and moves from the upstream side to the downstream side or from the downstream side to the upstream side, the outer peripheral surface 95a of the pressing portion 95 rolls into contact with the mounting table 77. The support portion 96 of the pressing roller 93 rotates in the direction opposite to that of the pressing portion 95, and rolls on the guide surface 94a of the guide member 94. Therefore, when the pressing roller 93 moves, the supporting portion 96 and thus the pressing portion 95 move up and down according to the shape of the guide surface 94a. At this time, the outer peripheral surface 95a of the pressing portion 95 presses the plate-shaped member 45 toward the mold 46, whereby the sheet is pressed against the mold 46, cut by the cutting blade, and streaked by the ruled line.

The above is the detailed configuration of the processing unit 13.
Subsequently, the detailed configuration of the resist unit 12 will be described. 4 and 5 are top views of the resist unit 12. In FIG. 5, the guide plate 1203, the first suction transfer mechanism 1205, the second suction transfer mechanism 1206, the upper roller 1208, the bracket 1210, the bracket shaft 1211, and the line sensors 1264 and 1265 are not displayed. FIG. 6 is a side view of the resist unit 12 as viewed from the right side. FIG. 7 is a side view of the resist unit 12 as viewed from the upstream side. FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the resist unit 12 as viewed from below on the upstream left side. In FIGS. 6 and 8, the display of the left frame 1202 is omitted.

The resist unit 12 includes a right frame 1201, a left frame 1202, a guide plate 1203, a transmissive sensor 1204, a first suction transfer mechanism 1205, a second suction transfer mechanism 1206, a paper ejection roller pair 1207, and a base. It includes a plate 1231, a first adjusting mechanism 1232C, a second adjusting mechanism 1232D, and a contact guide mechanism 1246.

The right side frame 1201 and the left side frame 1202 are plate-shaped frames. The right side frame 1201 and the left side frame 1202 are arranged so that the main surfaces face each other in the width direction. Specifically, the right side frame 1201 is arranged on the right side and the left side frame 1202 is arranged on the left side.

The transmissive sensor 1204 is provided at the upstream end. The transmissive sensor 1204 detects the sheet S conveyed from the paper feed unit 11 to the resist unit 12.

The paper ejection roller pair 1207 is provided at the downstream end. The paper ejection roller pair 1207 includes an upper roller 1208, a lower roller 1209, a bracket 1210, and a bracket shaft 1211. The bracket shaft 1211 extends in the width direction between the two frames and is rotatably supported by the right frame 1201 and the left frame 1202. The bracket 1210 is fixed to the bracket shaft 1211.

The upper roller shaft 1208a is coaxially inserted and fixed to the upper roller 1208. The upper roller shaft 1208a extends in the width direction between the two frames and is rotatably supported by the bracket 1210. That is, the upper roller 1208 is rotatably supported by the bracket 1210 via the upper roller shaft 1208a.

The lower roller 1209 is provided below the upper roller 1208. The lower roller shaft 1209a is coaxially inserted and fixed to the lower roller 1209. The lower roller shaft 1209a extends in the width direction and is rotatably supported by the right side frame 1201 and the left side frame 1202.

A rotational driving force is applied to the lower roller shaft 1209a from a driving source (not shown). As a result, the lower roller 1209 rotates. Further, a rotational driving force is applied to the bracket shaft 1211 from a driving source (not shown). As a result, the bracket 1210 rotates, and the upper roller 1208 comes into contact with and separates from the lower roller 1209. In FIG. 6, the state in which the upper roller 1208 is in contact with the lower roller 1209 is shown by a solid line, and the state in which the upper roller 1208 is separated is shown by a alternate long and short dash line.

FIG. 9 is a three-view view showing the first suction transfer mechanism 1205. The first suction transfer mechanism 1205 includes a frame 1213, transfer shafts 1214, 1215, pulleys 1216, 1217, a plurality of (here, three) transfer belts 1218, a suction unit 1219A, and a suction unit 1219B.

The frame 1213 has an angular substantially U-shape with the upper side open when viewed from the transport direction. The transport shafts 1214 and 1215 extend in the width direction, respectively, and are rotatably supported by the upstream end and the downstream end of the frame 1213. The pulleys 1216 and 1217 are fixedly supported by the transport shafts 1214 and 1215, respectively. Three transport belts 1218 are hung in parallel on the pulleys 1216 and 1217. A rotational driving force is applied to the transport shaft 1215 from a stepping motor (not shown). When the transport shaft 1215 rotates, the transport belt 1218 rotates.

The suction unit 1219A is provided on the downstream side of the suction unit 1219B. The suction unit 1219A and the suction unit 1219B are basically configured in the same manner. Here, the configuration of the suction unit 1219A will be described as a representative.

The suction unit 1219 includes a suction chamber 1220, an air flow path 1221, a suction fan 1222, a valve 1223, and a solenoid 1224.

The suction chamber 1220 is inserted inside the transport belt 1218. The suction chamber 1220 is provided with a plurality of suction holes 1220a arranged in two rows along the transport direction. Specifically, the plurality of suction holes 1220a are exposed in the portion of the suction chamber 1220 corresponding to the gap between the transport belts 1218, in other words, the portion avoiding the transport belt 1218 in a plan view, that is, the portion exposed without being blocked by the transport belt 1218. Is provided in.

The suction fan 1222 is provided below the suction chamber 1220. The air flow path 1221 is a flow path extending in the vertical direction, and connects the suction chamber 1220 and the suction port 1222a of the suction fan 1222. An air opening hole 1221a is formed in the air flow path 1221 at a position facing the suction port 1222a.

The valve 1223 opens and closes the air opening hole 1221a. The valve 1223 is particularly driven by the solenoid 1224 to open and close the air opening hole 1221a. When the solenoid 1224 is excited, the link 1226 rotates in one direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 9) about the fulcrum 1227, and the valve 1223 opens the air opening hole 1221a accordingly. When the air opening hole 1221a is opened, air is sucked from the air opening hole 1221a, so that suction from the suction hole 1220a is not performed. When the solenoid 1224 is degaussed, the link 1226 rotates in the other direction (clockwise in FIG. 9) due to the action of the spring 1225, and the valve 1223 closes the air opening hole 1221a accordingly. When the air opening hole 1221a is closed, air is sucked from the suction hole 1220a.

FIG. 10 is a three-view view showing the second suction transfer mechanism 1206. The second suction transfer mechanism 1206 has the same configuration as the first suction transfer mechanism 1205, except that there is only one suction unit. The suction unit 1219C of the second suction transfer mechanism 1206 is configured in the same manner as the suction units 1219A and 1219B of the first suction transfer mechanism 1205.

Return to FIGS. 4 to 8. The base plate 1231 has an angular substantially U-shape with the upper side open when viewed from the width direction, and is provided between the right side frame 1201 and the left side frame 1202. The guide plate 1203 is fixed to the base plate 1231 so as to close the upper side of the base plate 1231. The sheet S carried into the resist unit 12 is placed on the mounting surface 1203c, which is the upper surface of the guide plate 1203.

The guide plate 1203 has an opening 1203a formed near the right end thereof. The opening 1203a is formed so as to be closer to the guide surface 1247a (described later) toward the downstream side. The first suction transfer mechanism 1205 is provided so that the transfer belt 1218 overlaps with the opening 1203a, that is, is exposed in a plan view (FIG. 4). The first suction transfer mechanism 1205 is provided so as to be closer to the guide surface 1247a (described later) toward the downstream side. Further, in the first suction transfer mechanism 1205, the fixing member 1212 is provided so that the upper surface of the transfer belt 1218 is substantially the same height as the upper surface of the guide plate 1203, or the upper surface of the transfer belt 1218 is slightly higher. It is fixed to the base plate 1231 via (see FIG. 6). The suction unit 1219 of the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 projects downward from the base plate 1231 through the opening 1231a of the base plate 1231.

Further, the guide plate 1203 is formed with an opening 1203b slightly to the left of the center in the width direction. The opening 1203b is formed so as to be parallel to the opening 1203a, that is, closer to the guide surface 1247a toward the downstream side. The second suction transfer mechanism 1206 is provided so that the transfer belt 1218 overlaps with the opening 1203b, that is, is exposed in a plan view (FIG. 4). The second suction transfer mechanism 1206 is particularly provided in parallel with the first suction transfer mechanism 1205, that is, closer to the guide surface 1247a (described later) toward the downstream side. Further, in the second suction transfer mechanism 1206, the fixing member 1212 is provided so that the upper surface of the transfer belt 1218 is substantially the same height as the upper surface of the guide plate 1203, or the upper surface of the transfer belt 1218 is slightly higher. It is fixed to the base plate 1231 via (see FIG. 6). The suction unit 1219 of the second suction transfer mechanism 1206 projects below the base plate 1231 through the opening 1231b of the base plate 1231.

The sheet S is attracted (fixed) to the mounting surface 1203c of the guide plate 1203 by sucking air from the suction holes 1220a of the suction unit 1219 of the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206.

The contact guide mechanism 1246 is provided at the right end of the guide plate 1203. The contact guide mechanism 1246 includes a contact guide member 1247, a ceiling plate 1248, and a guide surface moving mechanism 1228. The contact guide member 1247 is a member provided at the right end of the guide plate 1203 and long in the transport direction. The abutting guide member 1247 has a guide surface 1247a that is long in the transport direction. The guide surface 1247a is a surface facing the left side and substantially parallel to the vertical surface. The ceiling plate 1248 is a plate provided above the contact guide member 1247, and overhangs from the contact guide member 1247 toward the left side.

11 (a) and 11 (b) are views of the guide surface moving mechanism 1228 viewed from the downstream side. The guide surface 1247a is movable between the contact position and the retracted position retracted to the right side in the width direction from the contact position. FIG. 11A shows a state in which the guide surface 1247a is in the contact position, and FIG. 11B shows a state in which the guide surface 1247a is in the retracted position.

The guide surface moving mechanism 1228 includes a solenoid 1249, a first link 1250, a bracket 1252, a cam 1253, a shaft 1255, a cam follower 1256, a shaft 1257, a support wall 1258, a contact guide support plate 1259, and the like. Includes bearings 1260, shafts 1261, springs 1262, and springs 1263.

The bracket 1252 is provided on the right side of the base plate 1231 and is fixed to the base plate 1231. A first link 1250 is connected to the bracket 1252 via a pin 1251. When the solenoid 1249 is excited, the first link 1250 rotates about the pin 1251 in one direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 11).

The shaft 1255 is inserted through a vertically long elongated hole 1250a provided above the first link 1250. The shaft 1255 is erected on the cam 1253. The cam 1253 is rotatably supported by the bracket 1252 via a pin 1254. Therefore, when the first link 1250 rotates in one direction, the cam 1253 also rotates in the same direction, whereby the large diameter portion of the cam 1253 pushes the cam follower 1256 to the left in the width direction (right in FIG. 11). ..

The cam follower 1256 is a bearing supported by a shaft 1257. The shaft 1257 is a shaft fixed to a pair of support walls 1258 at both ends, and supports the cam follower 1256 at a central portion. The support wall 1258 is supported by the contact guide support plate 1259. The contact guide support plate 1259 is a member long in the transport direction that supports the contact guide member 1247 from below, and is movable along the shaft 1261 via the bearing 1260. The shaft 1261 extends in the width direction and is fixed to the base plate 1231. That is, the contact guide support plate 1259 is movable in the width direction. Therefore, when the cam follower 1256 is pushed to the left in the width direction (right in FIG. 11), the contact guide support plate 1259 is moved to the left in the width direction along the shaft 1261 (FIG. 11) via the shaft 1257 and the support wall 1258. Then move to the specified position on the right side).

A spring 1262 is hung between the contact guide support plate 1259 and the base plate 1231, and the cam follower 1256 is always urged toward the cam 1253 side. Further, a spring 1263 is interposed between the first link 1250 and the base plate 1231. When the solenoid 1249 is degaussed, the action of the spring 1263 causes the first link 1250 to rotate in the other direction (clockwise in FIG. 11) around the pin 1251. Then, the cam 1253 also rotates in the same direction by the shaft 1255, and the cam follower 1256 comes into contact with the small diameter portion of the cam 1253 by the action of the spring 1262. As a result, the cam follower 1256 moves to the right in the width direction (left in FIG. 11) along the axis 1261.

As described above, all the components of the contact guide mechanism 1246 are directly or indirectly supported by the base plate 1231, and the guide surface 1247a is displaced to the left in the width direction (right in FIG. 11) by the excitation of the solenoid 1249. It moves to the tangential position and moves to the retracted position to the right in the width direction (left in FIG. 11) by degaussing.

Hereinafter, the base plate 1231, the guide plate 1203 directly or indirectly supported by the base plate 1231, the first suction transfer mechanism 1205, the second suction transfer mechanism 1206, and the contact guide mechanism 1246 are collectively referred to as "adjustment table". Is called.

The first adjustment mechanism 1232C and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D support the downstream side and the upstream side of the adjustment table, respectively.

The first adjustment mechanism 1232C includes a cylindrical seat 1233, a shaft 1235, a drive plate 1236, drive blocks 1237, 1238, a shaft 1239, a drive belt 1240, a reduction mechanism 1243, a stepping motor 1244, and a home. Includes position sensor 1245 and.

The drive blocks 1237 and 1238 are rectangular parallelepiped blocks. A shaft 1239 extending in the width direction is inserted through the drive blocks 1237 and 1238 via bearings (not shown). The shaft 1239 is fixedly supported by the right frame 1201 and the left frame 1202. The drive plate 1236 is a plate that is substantially rectangular in the plan view and is long in the width direction, and is supported by the drive blocks 1237 and 1238. The drive plate 1236 extends to the right side of the right side frame 1201 through the opening of the right side frame 1201. The home position sensor 1245 is provided on the outside of the right side frame 1201 and detects the extending portion of the drive plate 1236 extending outside the right side frame 1201.

The seat 1233 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The lower surface of the seat 1233 is fixed to the drive plate 1236. The upper part of the seat 1233 is engaged with the base plate 1231. For example, the upper surface of the seat 1233 may be fixed to the lower surface of the base plate 1231. Further, for example, the upper portion of the seat 1233 may be inserted through the base plate 1231. A hole 1233a having a circular cross-sectional shape is formed in the center of the seat 1233. The hole 1233a may be a through hole or a non-through hole. The shaft 1235 is a shaft that rises vertically from the drive plate 1236 and is inserted into the hole 1233a of the seat 1233.

The lower surfaces of the drive blocks 1237 and 1238 are fixed to the outer surface of the drive belt 1240. The drive belt 1240 is hung between the pulley 1241 located below the shaft 1239 and the pulley 1242 located outside the right frame 1201 through the opening of the right frame 1201. The pulleys 1241 and 1242 are fixed to the right frame 1201 or a frame (not shown).

A rotational driving force is applied to the pulley 1242 from the stepping motor 1244 via the reduction mechanism 1243. When the pulley 1242 rotates, the drive belt 1240 orbits. When the drive belt 1240 orbits, the drive blocks 1237, 1238, the drive plate 1236 and the shaft 1235 move in the width direction along the shaft 1239, and the seat 1233 and thus the base plate 1231 and the guide plate 1203 move in the moving direction. That is, the adjustment table moves.

The second adjusting mechanism 1232D is basically configured in the same manner as the first adjusting mechanism 1232C, except that it includes a seat 1234 instead of the seat 1233.

A hole 1234a is formed in the seat 1234. The hole 1234a may be a through hole or a non-through hole. The hole 1234a is an oval shape having a long cross-sectional shape in the transport direction, unlike the hole 1233a of the seat 1233. Specifically, the maximum dimension in the width direction of the hole 1234a is substantially the same as the diameter of the shaft 1235, and the maximum dimension in the transport direction is longer (for example, about 4 mm longer) than the maximum dimension in the width direction.

The first adjusting mechanism 1232C and the second adjusting mechanism 1232D operate separately. Therefore, the base plate 1231, that is, the upstream side and the downstream side of the adjustment table can be moved separately in the width direction. When there is a difference in the movement displacement between the upstream side and the downstream side of the base plate 1231, the base plate 1231 rotates about the shaft 1235 of the first adjusting mechanism 1232C. At this time, the displacement of the position of the shaft 1235 of the second adjusting mechanism 1232D in the transport direction is absorbed by the hole 1234a having an oval cross section.

In the present embodiment, the line sensors 1264 and 1265 each have an irradiation unit and a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) sensor (both not shown). The irradiation unit irradiates the sheet S with light so that the irradiation shape is linear. The CCD sensor includes a large number of light receiving elements arranged in a straight line. Each light receiving element receives light from the irradiation unit reflected by the sheet S and outputs a signal corresponding to the intensity of the received light. The CCD sensor transmits the signal output by each light receiving element to the control unit 100. As will be described later, the control unit 100 detects the registration mark based on the signals transmitted from the line sensors 1264 and 1265.
Hereinafter, the linear region in which the reflected light is received by the CCD sensor, that is, the linear region facing the CCD sensor is referred to as a detection line. The irradiation unit irradiates the sheet S with light so as to overlap the detection line.

The line sensor 1264 has a position in the transport direction approximately the same as the paper ejection roller pair 1207, a position in the width direction near the center of the adjustment table, and a detection line of 45 ° with respect to the transport direction. It is provided in.

The line sensor 1265 is provided so that the position in the transport direction is the same as that of the line sensor 1264, the position in the width direction is the position at the right end of the adjustment table, and the detection line is 45 ° with respect to the transport direction.

The above is the detailed configuration of the resist unit 12.
FIG. 12 is a schematic view showing the electrical configuration of the sheet processing apparatus 10. The sheet processing device 10 further includes a control unit 100, an input unit 101, and a storage unit 102. The storage unit 102 stores various setting data prepared in advance and various data received from the control unit 100. The input unit 101 includes various switches such as a start switch for starting the machining process and a stop switch for stopping the machining process. A detection signal from each sensor and a pulse signal from a servo motor or a stepping motor are input to the control unit 100.

Based on the switch sensor input, the control unit 100 has a drive mechanism for the paper feed table 20 of the paper feed unit 11, a first suction transfer mechanism 1205 of the resist unit 12, a second suction transfer mechanism 1206, and a paper ejection roller pair. 1207, 1st adjustment mechanism 1232C, 2nd adjustment mechanism 1232D and contact guide mechanism 1246, seat transfer mechanism 40 (servo motor 53), seat movement mechanism 41 (drive motor 60), plate-like member movement mechanism 42 of the processing section 13. A control command signal is output to the (drive source 73) and the pressing mechanism 44 (drive motor 90).

The above is the configuration of the sheet processing apparatus 10. Subsequently, the operation of the sheet processing apparatus 10, mainly the operation of the resist unit 12, will be described.

First, the initialization process of the resist unit 12 will be described. The initialization process is executed, for example, when the power of the sheet processing device 10 is turned on, or when the start button for starting the processing by the sheet processing device 10 is pressed.

In the initialization process, the first adjustment mechanism 1232C and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D are driven to move the adjustment table to the initial position. The "initial position" of the adjustment table is a position where the guide surface 1247a is parallel to the right side frame 1201 and is at a predetermined distance (here, 34 mm) from the right side frame 1201.

First, the stepping motors 1244 of each of the first adjusting mechanism 1232C and the second adjusting mechanism 1232D are driven to move the drive plate 1236 to the right. When one drive plate 1236 is detected by the home position sensor 1245, the corresponding stepping motor 1244 is stopped to stop the movement of the drive plate 1236 and wait for the other drive plate 1236 to be detected by the home position. When the other drive plate 1236 is also detected by the home position sensor 1245, both stepping motors 1244 are simultaneously rotated in the reverse direction, rotated by a predetermined number of pulses, and stopped. As a result, the drive plate 1236 reaches the position moved to the left by a predetermined distance from the position detected by the home position sensor 1245, that is, the initial position.

Subsequently, the operation of the resist unit 12 during the processing process will be described. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the resist unit 12 during the processing process. The process of FIG. 13 is repeatedly executed when the start operation is performed.

It is assumed that the line sensors 1264 and 1265 have been calibrated for mounting error calibration and the like in advance before the start operation is performed. Further, it is assumed that the resist unit 12 is in a standby state due to the start operation. Specifically, the resist unit 12 starts suction by the suction units 1219 of the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206 and the circumferential drive of each transfer belt 1218, and pushes the upper roller 1208 of the paper ejection roller pair 1207. It is assumed that the guide surface 1247a is moved to the initial position by separating it from the lower roller 1209.

When the transmissive sensor 1204 detects the sheet S sent out from the paper feed unit 11, that is, when the sheet S fed by the paper feed unit 11 arrives at the resist unit 12 (S10), the control unit 100 is the first suction transfer mechanism. 1205, counting of the drive pulse number P1 of the stepping motor (not shown) for orbiting the transport belt 1218 of the second suction transfer mechanism 1206 is started (S12).

The sheet S that has arrived at the resist unit 12 is conveyed while being adsorbed by the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206. Since the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206 are arranged so as to be closer to the guide surface 1247a toward the downstream side, the sheet S is aligned with the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206. It is conveyed in the conveying direction so as to approach the guide surface 1247a. After the right end side S2 abuts on the guide surface 1247a, the sheet S is conveyed along the guide surface 1247a in the transport direction while slipping in the width direction with the transport belt 1218.

When the drive pulse number P1 reaches a predetermined reference value P1 _ref (Y in S14), the control unit 100 causes the resist unit 12 to stop the movement of the sheet S (S16). Specifically, the resist unit 12 stops the circumferential drive of the transfer belt 1218 of the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206. The sheet S stops at a position where the front end side S1 slightly exceeds the nip line of the paper ejection roller pair 1207. That is, the reference value P1 _ref is determined so that the seat S stops at a position slightly beyond the nip line.

The resist unit 12 executes the adjustment process based on the instruction of the control unit 100 (S18). The adjustment process will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15.

The resist unit 12 conveys the sheet S to the processing unit 13 based on the instruction of the control unit 100 (S20). Specifically, first, the upper roller 1208 is brought into contact with the lower roller 1209 (S201). As a result, the vicinity of the front end side S1 of the sheet S is sandwiched between the paper ejection rollers pair 1207. Since the lower roller 1209 is driven and stopped, the sheet S is stopped while being sandwiched between the paper ejection rollers pair 1207.

Next, the guide surface 1247a is moved to the retracted position (S202). Further, the valve 1223 of the suction unit 1219 of the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206 is opened to stop the suction by the suction unit 1219 (S203). As a result, the state in which the sheet S is fixed to the guide plate 1203 is released.

Then, the drive of the lower roller 1209 is started (S204), and the sheet S is conveyed to the processing unit 13. As will be described later in FIG. 15, the adjustment table may be swiveled and moved in the adjustment process of S18, and therefore the guide surface 1247a may be inclined with respect to the transport direction. However, since the guide surface 1247a is moved to the retracted position in S202, the sheet S is smoothly transported without interfering with the guide surface 1247a even if the guide surface 1247a is inclined with respect to the transport direction.

When the first sensor 58 stops detecting the sheet S, that is, when the rear end side S4 of the sheet S passes through the resist unit 12, the arrival of the next sheet S is awaited based on the instruction of the control unit 100 (S22). Specifically, the resist unit 12 separates the upper roller 1208 from the lower roller 1209, closes the valve 1223 of the suction unit 1219, starts suction by the suction unit 1219, starts circulation of the transport belt 1218, and adjusts the adjustment table. As a result, the guide surface 1247a is moved to the initial position, and the driving of the lower roller 1209 is stopped.

On the other hand, when the first sensor 58 of the processing unit 13 detects the sheet S conveyed from the resist unit 12, the control unit 100 starts counting the drive pulse number P2 of the servomotor 53 (S12). When the drive pulse number P2 reaches a predetermined reference value P2 _ref , the control unit 100 causes the processing unit 13 to stop the movement of the sheet S. Specifically, the processing unit 13 stops the servomotor 53 and stops the circumferential drive of the first belt 50 and the second belt 51. As a result, the seat S is positioned at the machining position. That is, the reference value P2 _ref is determined so that the sheet S stops at the machining position. The processing unit 13 processes the sheet S based on the instruction of the control unit 100, and discharges the sheet S to the stacker 14.

Subsequently, the adjustment process will be described.
FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the relationship between the detection line of each line sensor and the registration mark of the sheet S before the adjustment process is executed (that is, when the sheet S is stopped in S16 of FIG. 13). The detection line 1264L of the line sensor 1264 intersects the registration mark R1. The detection line 1265L of the line sensor 1265 intersects the registration mark R2 and particularly both the first portion R2a and the second portion R2b of the registration mark R2. In this state, the adjustment process of S20 is executed.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the adjustment process.
When the registration mark R1 and the first portion R2a of the registration mark R2 extend in the width direction (that is, when the positions in the transport direction are the same), the image G faces the reference direction, and the number of dots D3 (described later) = reference. It is assumed that the image G is in the reference position when the registration mark R2 is located at the position where the value D3 _ref (described later) is obtained. That is, it is assumed that the reference value D3 _ref is predetermined so that the sheet S is positioned at the machining position when the sheet S is fed to the machining section 13.

The control unit 100 is located on the upstream side of the registration mark R2 and the number of dots D1 of the portion of the detection line 1264L located upstream of the registration mark R1 from the detection values (that is, image data) of the line sensor 1264 and the line sensor 1265. The number of dots D2 in the portion of the detection line 1265L is specified (S40). Specifically, the line sensors 1264 and 1265 irradiate linear light along the detection line, receive the reflected light, output a signal according to the intensity of the received light, and output the signal to the control unit 100. Send. The control unit 100 gives two values, white or black, according to the intensity of the reflected light for each dot of the detection line corresponding to each light receiving element of the CCD sensor. Then, as shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 100 identifies the number of dots where black appears for the first time as the number of dots D1 by counting from the upstream end of the detection line 1264L (that is, the lower left end of the paper surface in FIG. 14). do. Further, in the detection line 1265L, the number of dots where black appears for the first time is specified as the number of dots D2, counting from the upper left end of FIG. The control unit 100 compares the number of dots D1 with the number of dots D2. In the case of D1 = D2 (Y of S42), since the registration marks R1 and R2 and thus the image G are facing the reference direction, S44 to S48 are skipped, that is, the adjustment table is not swiveled and the process proceeds to S50.

When D1> D2 (N of S42, Y of S44), the control unit 100 flattens the adjustment table so that the position of the registration mark R1 and the first portion R2a of the registration mark R2 are the same in the transport direction. It is swiveled in the clockwise direction in the visual sense (S46). Specifically, the adjustment amount Y1 is calculated based on the calculation method described later in FIG. 16 (S461), and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D is driven to move the upstream side of the adjustment table to the left side by the adjustment amount Y1 (S462). ). As a result, the adjustment table swivels in the clockwise direction around the shaft 1235 of the first adjustment mechanism 1232C.

When D1 <D2 (N of S42, N of S44), the control unit 100 flattens the adjustment table so that the position of the registration mark R1 and the first portion R2a of the registration mark R2 are the same in the transport direction. It is swiveled in the counterclockwise direction in the visual sense (S48). Specifically, the adjustment amount Y1 is calculated (S481), and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D is driven to move the upstream side of the adjustment table to the right side by the adjustment amount Y1 (S482). As a result, the adjustment table swivels in the counterclockwise direction around the shaft 1235 of the first adjustment mechanism 1232C.

During this time, the sheet S comes into contact with the guide surface 1247a and is in a state of being fixed to the guide plate 1203 by the suction unit 1219, so that the seat S swivels together with the adjustment table.

Next, the control unit 100 identifies the number of dots D3 of the portion of the detection line 1265L located on the left side of the right end of the second portion R2b of the registration mark R2 from the detection value (that is, image data) of the line sensor 1265 (S50). .. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, a dot in which black appears for the second time and then white appears for the second time counting from the upstream end of the detection line 1265L (that is, the lower left end of the paper surface in FIG. 14). The number is specified as the number of dots D3. The control unit 100 compares the number of dots D3 with the predetermined reference value D3 _ref . When D3 = D3 _ref (Y in S52), since the registration marks R1 and R2 and the image G are in the reference position, S54 to S58 are skipped and the process ends.

When D3> D3 _ref (N of S52, Y of S54), the control unit 100 linearly moves the correction table to the left side to the position where D3 = D3 _ref (S56). Specifically, the adjustment amount Y2 described later is calculated in FIG. 17 (S561), and both the first adjustment mechanism 1232C and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D are driven to move the adjustment table to the left by the adjustment amount Y2 (S562). ).

In the case of D3 ≦ D3 _ref (N of S52, N of S54), the control unit 100 linearly moves the correction table to the right side to the position where D3 = D3 _ref (S58). Specifically, the adjustment amount Y2 is calculated (S581), and both the first adjustment mechanism 1232C and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D are driven to move the adjustment table to the right by the adjustment amount Y2 (S582).

During this time, the sheet S comes into contact with the guide surface 1247a and is fixed to the guide plate 1203 by the suction unit 1219, so that the sheet S rotates together with the adjustment table.

As described above, the positions in the orientation and width direction of the registration marks R1 and R2 and thus the image G become the reference orientation and the reference position based on the processed portion 13. As a result, when the sheet S is fed to the machining section 13, the sheet S is positioned at the machining position.

16 and 17 are diagrams for explaining a method of calculating the adjustment amount Y1 and the adjustment amount Y2, respectively. Here, the distance between the shaft 1235 of the first adjusting mechanism 1232C and the shaft 1235 of the second adjusting mechanism 1232D in the transport direction is L1. Further, the distance between the corresponding dots of the detection line 1264L (line sensor 1264) and the detection line 1265L (line sensor 1265) in the width direction is defined as L2. Further, the distance in the transport direction and the distance in the width direction between the position on the detection line 1264L corresponding to the number of dots D1 and the position on the detection line 1265L corresponding to the number of dots D2 are z1 and z2, respectively.

First, a method of calculating the adjustment amount Y1 will be described with reference to FIG. Although the case of D1> D2 is shown in FIG. 16, even in the case of D1 ≦ D2, the direction of moving the upstream side of the adjustment table is different, and the adjustment amount Y1 can be calculated in the same manner.

When D1 ≠ D2, the registration marks R1 and R2, and thus the image G, do not face the reference direction. Therefore, the second adjustment mechanism 1232D is driven to move the upstream side of the adjustment table by the adjustment amount Y1 in the width direction, and the sheet S is used. Need to be swiveled. Assuming that the angle to be swiveled is α, the following equation 1 holds.
tanα = z1 / z2 = Y1 / L1 ... Equation (1)

For the distance z1, the distance between the light receiving elements of the CCD sensors of the line sensors 1264 and 1265 is w, and considering that the detection lines 1264L and 1265L are tilted by 45 ° with respect to the transport direction, the distance z1 is taken into consideration.
z1 = | D1-D2 | × w × cos 45 °
I want.

Assuming that the distance z2 and the distance L2 are close to each other and z2 = L2, the equation 1 is rewritten as the following equation 2.
tanα = (D _diff × w × cos 45 °) / L2 = Y1 / L1 ・ ・ ・ (Equation 2)

From Equation 2, the adjustment amount Y1 is
Y1 = (D _diff x w x cos 45 °) x L1 / L2
I want.

Subsequently, a method of calculating the adjustment amount Y1 will be described with reference to FIG. Although FIG. 17 shows the case of D3> D3 _ref , the adjustment amount Y2 can be calculated in the same manner only in the case of D3 ≦ D3 _ref in the direction of moving the adjustment table.

When D3 ≠ D3 _ref , since the registration marks R1, R2 and the image G are not in the reference positions, the first adjustment mechanism 1232C and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D are driven to move the adjustment table by the adjustment amount Y2 in the width direction. It is necessary to move the sheet S linearly in the width direction. In FIG. 17, the position of the registration mark R1 when it is in the reference position is shown by a dotted line. Considering that the detection line 1265L is tilted by 45 ° with respect to the transport direction, the adjustment amount Y2 is
Y2 = | D3-D3 _ref | × w × cos 45 °
I want.

According to the sheet processing apparatus 10 described above, in the resist unit 12, the orientation and the transport direction position of the image G formed on the sheet S are adjusted so as to match the reference orientation and the reference position. As a result, the sheet S conveyed from the resist unit 12 to the processing unit 13 is positioned at the processing position. That is, it is processed according to the image G.

Further, according to the sheet processing apparatus 10, the line sensor 1265 can detect the first portion R2a and the second portion R2b of the L-shaped registration mark R2 substantially simultaneously. This makes it possible to reduce the number of line sensors.

Further, according to the sheet processing apparatus 10, in the resist unit 12, the sheet S is conveyed so that the right end side S2 abuts on the guide surface 1247a whose orientation and width direction position are adjusted in the adjustment process of the previous sheet S. Will be done. Therefore, when the tendency of the deviation of the image G of the sheet S is similar in each sheet, the adjustment amount of the adjustment table can be suppressed.

The configuration and operation of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment have been described above. It is understood by those skilled in the art that these embodiments are examples, and that various modifications are possible for the combination of each component, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

(First modification)
In the embodiment, the case where the adjustment process is executed for all the sheets S has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the resist unit 12 of the control unit 100 further includes an adjustment necessity determination unit, and this adjustment necessity determination unit is conveyed to the resist unit 12 at a timing between the stop process of S20 and the adjustment process of S16 in FIG. "Adjustment required" for determining whether the sheet S to be transferred or transferred to the resist unit 12 is a sheet to be adjusted (hereinafter referred to as an adjustment-required sheet) or not (hereinafter referred to as an adjustment-unnecessary sheet). The "rejection process" is executed, and the control unit 100 may execute the adjustment process only for the adjustment-required sheet in the adjustment process of S18 in FIG. 13, that is, the adjustment process of S18 for the adjustment-unnecessary sheet. May be skipped.

The adjustment necessity determination unit may execute the adjustment necessity determination process by, for example, at least one method out of the following five examples. The determination method may be selectable by the user.

(1) First Example This example is a method suitable when the tendency of the image G of the sheet S to be displaced is similar in each sheet. In the first example, the first sheet S after the start operation is determined to be an adjustment-required sheet. For the second and subsequent sheets S, the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2 when the adjustment process is executed are calculated, and if at least one of them exceeds the predetermined threshold values Y1 _max and Y2 _max , it is determined to be an adjustment required sheet. However, if it does not exceed, it is decided that the sheet does not require adjustment.

Here, the second and subsequent sheets S are conveyed to the resist portion 12 so that the right end side S2 abuts on the guide surface 1247a of the adjustment table whose orientation and width direction are adjusted according to the previous adjustment required sheet. To. Therefore, when the tendency of the deviation of the image G printed on the sheet S is similar in each sheet, the position in the direction and the width direction of the image G for the second and subsequent sheets S without executing the adjustment process. Is expected to match the reference orientation and reference position. The first example can be said to be a method suitable for such a case.

In the first example, the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2 are calculated in the adjustment necessity determination process. Specifically, the control unit 100 first measures the number of dots D1, D2, and D3 by the line sensors 1264 and 1265. The control unit 100 calculates Y1 based on the number of dots D1 and D2. Further, the control unit 100 calculates the number of dots D3 when the second adjustment mechanism 1232D is driven by Y1 and the adjustment table is swiveled and moved. That is, D3 after the turning movement is calculated from D1, D2, and D3 before the turning movement. For example, the combination of D1, D2, and D3 may be associated with and stored in D3 after the turning movement. Then, the control unit 100 calculates Y2 from D3 after the turning movement.

In the adjustment process, even if the adjustment table is moved by the adjustment amount Y2 calculated in the adjustment necessity determination process, that is, the adjustment amount Y2 based on the number of dots D3 detected before the adjustment table is swiveled, it is again after the swivel movement. The adjustment amount Y2 may be recalculated based on the detected number of dots D3, and the adjustment table may be moved by the recalculated adjustment amount Y2. In the former case, it is not necessary to rediscover the number of dots D3 and recalculate the adjustment amount Y2, so that the productivity can be improved accordingly. In the latter case, the accuracy can be further improved.

(2) Second example The second example is suitable when the tendency of the image G of the sheet S to be displaced is similar in each sheet, but the tendency changes as the sheet S is repeatedly sent out. The method. In the second example, the first sheet S after the start operation is determined to be the adjustment-required sheet. For the second and subsequent sheets S, the N (N is 2 or more) th sheet from the sheet determined to be the adjustment required sheet last time, that is, the resist unit 12 after the sheet determined to be the adjustment required sheet last time. Of the sheets that have been or should be transported to, the Nth sheet that has been transported or should be transported is determined to be the sheet that requires adjustment, and the Nth sheet from the sheet that was previously determined to be the sheet that requires adjustment. Of the sheets that are less than, that is, the sheets that have been or should be conveyed to the resist unit 12 after the sheet that was previously determined to be the sheet requiring adjustment, the sheets that have been conveyed or should be conveyed in the 1st to N-1th positions. The sheet is determined to be an adjustment-free sheet. The predetermined number of sheets may be set to a fixed value in advance, or may be input by a user operation.

In the second example, even for the adjustment-unnecessary sheet, the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2 when the adjustment process is tentatively executed are calculated and stored in the storage unit. When adjusting the adjustment-required sheet, the adjustment amounts Y1 _ave and Y2 _ave , which are the averages of the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2 of the adjustment-free sheets that have been conveyed to the resist unit 12 since the previous adjustment-required sheet, are adjusted. Used instead of.

(3) Third example Similar to the second example, in the third example, the tendency of the printed image of the sheet S to shift is similar for each sheet, but the tendency becomes as the sheet S is repeatedly sent out. This is a suitable method when it changes. In the third example, the first sheet S after the start operation is determined to be an adjustment-required sheet. After that, each time the sheet S is transferred to the resist unit 12, the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2 when the adjustment process is tentatively executed are calculated, and each sheet S transferred to the resist unit 12 after the previous adjustment required sheet S. The adjustment amounts Y1 _ave and Y2 _ave are calculated by averaging the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2. Then, when the adjustment amounts Y1 _ave and Y2 _ave exceed the predetermined threshold values Y1 _avemax and Y2 _avemax , the sheet S at that time is determined as the adjustment required sheet. When adjusting the adjustment required sheet, the adjustment amounts Y1 _ave and Y2 _ave are used instead of the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2.

(4) Fourth Example In the fourth example, the first sheet S after the start operation is determined is determined as the adjustment required sheet. The second and subsequent sheets S are all determined to be adjustment-free sheets.

(5) Fifth Example Regardless of whether or not the adjustment process is executed on the sheet S, the sheet S before that is stopped at the processing section 13 for the processing process. Therefore, if the time required for the adjustment process is within the time when the previous sheet S is stopped at the processing unit 13, the productivity will not decrease. On the other hand, when the time required for the adjustment process exceeds the time when the previous sheet S is stopped at the processing unit 13, the processing time per sheet S becomes longer by the excess time, and the productivity is lowered.

Therefore, in the fifth example, the adjustment is performed when the time T1 at which the sheet S should be stopped in the adjustment table for performing the adjustment process is shorter than the time T2 at which the sheet S should be stopped for processing at the processing unit 13. Decide that a sheet is required. The time T1 is obtained by calculating the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2 when the adjustment process is executed, and calculating the time required to move the adjustment table according to the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2. According to the fifth example, when the time T1 is shorter than the time T2, the adjustment process is executed, so that the processing can be performed accurately, and when the time T1 exceeds the time T2, the adjustment process is not executed, so that the productivity is lowered. Can be prevented.

The above is an example of the adjustment necessity determination process.
When the sheet S loaded on the paper feed tray 20 of the paper feed unit 11 becomes empty and the processing is temporarily stopped, the same sheet S as before is replenished and the processing is restarted. When the machining process is paused to replenish the reduced number of sheets and the machining process is restarted by refilling the same sheet S, or for some other reason, the machining process is paused and the machining process is restarted. In some cases. Such a restart operation may not be included in the start operations of the first to fourth examples.

(Second modification)
In the embodiment, the case where the first adjustment mechanism 1232C and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D are configured so that the adjustment table can be moved in the width direction has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the first adjustment mechanism 1232C and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D are described. The adjustment mechanism 1232D may be configured so that the adjustment table can be moved in a horizontal direction different from the transport direction. If the adjustment table can be moved in a horizontal direction different from the transport direction, the position in the width direction of the image G of the sheet S can be adjusted to match the reference position.

(Third modification example)
Although not particularly mentioned in the embodiment, the timing at which the sheet S is stopped in the machined section 13 is adjusted based on the stop position of the sheet S when the sheet S is conveyed to the machined section 13 in S20 of FIG. May be good. Specifically, before executing S20, the number of dots D1 (= the number of dots D2) is measured, and the difference D _x from the predetermined D1 _ref is calculated. The control unit 100 adjusts the reference value P2 _ref according to the difference D _x . According to this modification, the sheet S can be positioned at the machining position more accurately.

Further, the processing portion 13 may be a rotary die cutter provided with a punching blade on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum. In this case, the drive start timing of the lower roller 1209 of S204 in FIG. 13 may be adjusted by the difference D _x to adjust the deviation between the rotary punching blade and the image G in the transport direction.

(Fourth modification)
In the embodiment, the case where the sheet S is temporarily stopped in the resist unit 12 and the adjustment process is executed for the stopped sheet S has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the sheet S is not temporarily stopped. The adjustment process may be executed.

FIG. 18 is a top view showing the resist portion 12 according to the modified example. In this modification, the resist unit 12 mainly includes a first adjustment table 2001, a second adjustment table 2002, a CCD strobe cameras 2010 and 2011, and transmissive sensors 1204 and 2014. The first adjustment table 2001 is basically configured in the same manner as the adjustment table of the embodiment. The second adjustment table 2002 is basically configured in the same manner as the adjustment table of the embodiment. However, the second adjustment table 2002 includes a transport mechanism 2012 configured to transport the sheet S in the transport direction instead of the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206.

After the tip of the sheet S is detected by the transmissive sensor 1204, the CCD strobe camera 2010 captures the registration marks R1 and R2 at a predetermined timing, and the orientation of the image G is specified from the captured image. The control unit 100 swivels and moves the first adjustment table 2001 so as to face the reference direction based on the orientation of the specified image G. Simultaneously with or thereafter when the turning movement is completed, the sheet S is delivered from the first adjustment table 2001 to the second adjustment table and is conveyed in the transfer direction.

After the tip of the sheet S is detected by the transmissive sensor 2014, the CCD strobe camera 2011 captures the registration marks R1 and R2 at a predetermined timing, and the position in the width direction of the image G is specified from the captured image. The control unit 100 linearly moves the second adjustment table 2002 in the width direction so that the width direction position of the image G coincides with the reference position based on the specified width direction position of the image G. Then, it is conveyed from the second adjustment table to the processing unit 13.

According to this modification, the adjustment process is executed while the sheet S is conveyed, so that the productivity can be improved.

(Fifth variant)
Although not specifically mentioned in the embodiment, the line sensors 1264 and 1265 may be provided so that their positions in the width direction can be adjusted. When the width of the sheet S is large, the distance between the registration mark R1 and the registration mark R2 is increased, and if this is detected and the adjustment processing is performed, the seat S can be positioned at the machining position more accurately. According to this modification, the positions of the line sensors 1264 and 1265 can be adjusted according to the registration marks R1 and R2, so that even when the distance between the registration marks R1 and R2 is increased according to the width of the sheet S. I can handle it. In this case, the line sensors 1264 and 1265 may be attached to the shaft extending in the width direction, and the line sensors 1264 and 1265 may be moved along the shaft by a predetermined drive device based on the instruction of the control unit 100.

Further, the resist unit 12 may include three or more line sensors. In this case, the user may specify the line sensor to be used among the three or more line sensors.

(Sixth modification)
In the embodiment, the case where the swivel movement and the linear movement of the adjustment table are performed once each has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the swivel movement and the linear movement of the adjustment table may be repeatedly executed a plurality of times. For example, when the moving distance in the first turning movement is long, the seat S may move with respect to the guide plate 1203 even if the seat S is swiveled while being sucked by the suction unit 1219. Therefore, after performing the swivel movement and the linear movement of the adjustment table once, the number of dots D1, D2, and D3 are measured again to calculate the adjustment amounts Y1 and Y2, and the swivel movement and the linear movement of the adjustment table are performed again. You may. From the second time onward, the movement distance in the turning movement is smaller than that in the first time, so that the deviation is less likely to occur. Therefore, according to this modification, it is possible to improve the positioning accuracy in the reference direction and the reference position.

(7th modification)
The user may input in advance numerical values such as the adjustment amounts Y1, Y2, the number of dots D1, D2, D3 which is the basis for the calculation, and the turning angle, and the adjustment may be performed based on the input values. In this case, the line sensors 1264 and 1265 become unnecessary, and the cost of the sheet processing apparatus 10 can be reduced.

(8th modification)
The processed member of the processed portion 13 may be provided interchangeably. For example, instead of the cutting blade, a processing unit capable of embossing or stamping may be attached. In this case, it may be possible to detect that the machining unit has been replaced by a sensor or the like, and at least the first sheet S after the replacement of the machining unit may be determined to be an adjustment-required sheet.

(9th modification)
In the embodiment, a case where the sheet S is fixed to the mounting surface 1203c of the guide plate 1203 by suctioning by the suction unit 1219 of the first suction transfer mechanism 1205 and the second suction transfer mechanism 1206 has been described. Not limited. For example, the resist unit 12 may further include a pressing member, and the sheet S may be fixed to the mounting surface 1203c by pressing the sheet S against the mounting surface 1203c by the pressing member. In this case, the sheet S may be pressed against the mounting surface 1203c only when the adjustment table is moved by the first adjustment mechanism 1232C and the second adjustment mechanism 1232D. Further, for example, the resist unit 12 may be configured to fix the sheet S to the mounting surface 1203c by electrostatic force.

(10th modification)
In the embodiment, two registration marks R1 and R2 are formed on the sheet S, but the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIG. 19A, one such as connecting the registration marks R1 and R2 1 A plurality of registration marks R3 may be provided and read by two line sensors. Further, as shown in FIG. 19B, the registration marks R4 and R5 may be provided on the left end side S3 side, or as shown in FIG. 19C, they extend in the width direction instead of the registration mark R2. A registration mark R6 and a registration mark R7 extending in the transport direction may be provided, and both the registration marks R6 and R7 may be read by the line sensor 1265. In short, the inclination of the sheet S is detected by detecting the relative positional relationship between the two register mark portions separated in the width direction, and the seat is detected by detecting the predetermined position of the register mark portion extending in the transport direction. It suffices if it is configured to detect the positional deviation of S in the width direction.

Further, the positions of the registration mark R1 and the first portion R2a of the registration mark R2 in the transport direction on the sheet S do not necessarily have to be the same. Further, it is not necessary that the first portion R2a and the second portion R2b of the registration mark R2 are at right angles. Further, as shown in FIG. 19D, the registration marks R1'and R2' may be arranged symmetrically with respect to the registration marks R1 and R2 at the opposite end portions in the transport direction. Then, the sheet S can be inserted into the device with the registration marks R1'and R2' sides at the top. If the processed shape is symmetrical, the paper may be inserted in either direction.
<Aspect 1>
The sheet processing device according to the first aspect includes a first transport mechanism for transporting the sheet, an adjusting mechanism configured to be able to adjust the direction and position of the sheet transported by the first transport mechanism, and a first transport mechanism for further transporting the sheet. When a direction orthogonal to the transport direction by the second transport mechanism is referred to as a width direction, the adjustment mechanism is provided with a transport mechanism and a processing portion for performing predetermined processing on the sheet transported by the second transport mechanism. Is characterized in that the orientation and position of the sheet can be adjusted so that the position in the orientation and width direction of the image formed on the sheet matches the reference orientation and the reference position based on the machined portion. It is a processing device.
<Aspect 2>
The sheet processing device according to the second aspect further includes a control unit, wherein the adjusting mechanism linearly moves the sheet in a direction different from the transport direction by the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism. The control unit includes the adjustment mechanism, and the control unit has the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment so that the positions of the image formed on the sheet in the orientation and the width direction coincide with the reference orientation and the reference position. The sheet processing apparatus according to the first aspect, which is characterized in that the mechanism is driven and controlled.
<Aspect 3>
In the sheet processing device of the third aspect, the sheet includes a registration mark formed substantially at the same time as the image, the sheet processing device further includes a plurality of line sensors for detecting the registration mark, and the control unit is provided with the control unit. The sheet processing apparatus according to the second aspect, wherein the first adjusting mechanism and the second adjusting mechanism are driven and controlled based on the detection values of the plurality of line sensors.
<Aspect 4>
In the sheet processing apparatus of the fourth aspect, the register mark includes a first portion extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction and a second portion extending in the transport direction, and at least one of the plurality of line sensors is a register. The sheet processing apparatus according to the third aspect, wherein the first portion and the second portion of the mark are provided so as to be readable substantially at the same time.
<Aspect 5>
The sheet processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect includes an image information acquisition means for acquiring image information on the surface of the sheet, and the control unit has the first adjustment mechanism and the first adjustment mechanism based on the image information acquired by the image information acquisition means. The sheet processing apparatus according to the second aspect, characterized in that the second adjusting mechanism is driven and controlled.
<Aspect 6>
The sheet processing device according to the second aspect of the sixth aspect is the sheet processing device according to the second aspect, wherein the control unit drives and controls the first adjustment mechanism and the second adjustment mechanism based on the adjustment amount input by the user. Is.
<Aspect 7>
In the sheet processing device of the seventh aspect, the control unit changes the stop timing of the transfer mechanism based on the amount of deviation from the reference position in the transfer direction for the sheet whose orientation and position have been adjusted by the adjustment mechanism. It is a sheet processing apparatus according to any one of the features 2 to 6.
<Aspect 8>
In the sheet processing device of the eighth aspect, the control unit changes the drive start timing of the transfer mechanism based on the amount of deviation from the reference position in the transfer direction for the sheet whose orientation and position have been adjusted by the adjustment mechanism. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of aspects 2 to 6, characterized in that.
<Aspect 9>
In the sheet processing apparatus of the ninth aspect, the first adjusting mechanism is configured to swivel and move the mounting surface on which the sheet is mounted, and the second adjusting mechanism is configured to move the previously described mounting surface in the width direction. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of aspects 2 to 8, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is characterized by the above.
<Aspect 10>
The sheet processing device according to aspect 9 is further provided with a fixing mechanism for fixing the sheet to the above-mentioned mounting surface while at least the first and second adjusting mechanisms are being driven. Is.
<Aspect 11>
The sheet processing apparatus according to aspect 11 relates to any one of aspects 1 to 10, further comprising a direction-determining mechanism for restricting the direction of the sheet conveyed by the first transfer mechanism to a predetermined direction. It is a sheet processing device.
<Aspect 12>
In the sheet processing apparatus of aspect 12, the direction-determining mechanism has a contact guide that can be moved between a contact position where at least one side of the sheet abuts and a retracted position that avoids contact with the sheet. The first transport mechanism is the sheet processing device according to the eleventh aspect, wherein the first transport mechanism is configured to transport the sheet in a direction in which one side of the sheet abuts on the contact guide at the contact position.

10 Sheet processing equipment, 11 Paper feed unit, 12 Resist unit, 13 Processing unit, 14 Stacker, 100 Control unit, 1205 1st suction transfer mechanism, 1206 2nd suction transfer mechanism, 1232C 1st adjustment mechanism, 1232D 2nd adjustment mechanism , 1246 contact guide mechanism, 1247a guide surface.

Claims (12)

The first transport mechanism that transports the sheet and
An adjustment mechanism configured to be able to adjust the orientation and position of the sheet conveyed by the first transfer mechanism, and
A second transport mechanism that further transports the sheet, and
It is provided with a processing portion for performing a predetermined process on the sheet conveyed by the second transfer mechanism.
When the direction orthogonal to the transport direction by the second transport mechanism is referred to as the width direction, in the adjustment mechanism, the orientation and the position in the width direction of the image formed on the sheet are the reference orientation and the reference based on the processed portion. The seat orientation and position can be adjusted to match the position ,
An image information acquisition means for acquiring image information on the surface of the sheet, and
An adjustment amount calculating means for calculating an adjustment amount of the orientation of the sheet and an adjustment amount of a position in the width direction of the sheet based on the image information acquired by the image information acquisition means.
A sheet processing apparatus including a control unit that controls driving of the adjustment mechanism based on the adjustment amount calculated by the adjustment amount calculation means . The surface of the sheet contains a register mark formed substantially at the same time as the image.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image information acquisition means acquires the image information from the resist mark. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image information acquisition means is a plurality of line sensors for detecting the resist mark. The registration mark includes a first portion extending in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction and a second portion extending in the transport direction.
The sheet according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the plurality of line sensors is provided so that the first portion and the second portion of the registration mark can be read substantially simultaneously. Processing equipment. The adjusting mechanism includes a first adjusting mechanism for swiveling and moving the sheet, and a second adjusting mechanism for linearly moving the sheet in a direction different from the transport direction by the second transport mechanism.
The control unit drives and controls the first adjusting mechanism and the second adjusting mechanism so that the positions of the image formed on the sheet in the orientation and the width direction coincide with the reference orientation and the reference position. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The first adjusting mechanism swivels and moves the mounting surface on which the sheet is mounted.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second adjusting mechanism is configured to move the above-mentioned mounting surface in the width direction. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising a fixing mechanism for fixing the sheet to the above-mentioned mounting surface while at least the first adjusting mechanism or the second adjusting mechanism is being driven. The claim is characterized in that the control unit changes the stop timing of the second transport mechanism based on the amount of deviation from the reference position in the transport direction for the sheet whose orientation and position have been adjusted by the adjustment mechanism. Item 6. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 7 . The control unit is characterized in that, for a sheet whose orientation and position have been adjusted by the adjusting mechanism, the timing of starting driving of the second transport mechanism is changed based on the amount of deviation from the reference position in the transport direction. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9 , further comprising a direction-determining mechanism for restricting the direction of the sheet conveyed by the first transfer mechanism to a predetermined direction. The directional mechanism has a contact guide that is movable between a contact position where at least one side of the sheet abuts and a retracted position that avoids contact with the sheet.
The first transport mechanism is configured to transport the sheet in a direction in which one side of the sheet abuts on the contact guide at the contact position .
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the contact guide is configured to move to the retracted position before starting driving of the second transport mechanism . The second transport mechanism includes a roller pair composed of two roller members.
When the first transport mechanism transports the sheet to the adjustment mechanism, the two roller members of the roller pair of the second transport mechanism are separated from each other, and the sheet transported by the first transport mechanism is at the downstream end thereof. Stops at a position slightly beyond the nip line of the roller pair of the second transport mechanism.
One of claims 1 to 11, wherein after the adjusting mechanism adjusts the orientation and position of the sheet, the two roller members of the roller pair of the second transport mechanism come into contact with each other to transport the sheet. The sheet processing device described in.

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