Patent Application
20090314611
The present invention relates to a system for transporting items and, more particularly, to a reconfigurable transport system.
Inserter machines are used to create mailpieces for many different applications. Inserters contain a generally modular array of components to carry out the various processes associated with mailpiece creation. The processes include preparing documents, assembling the documents associated with a given mailpiece, adding any designated inserts, stuffing the assembly into an envelope, and printing information on the envelope.
A given arrangement of modular components is normally limited to handling a group of mailpieces requiring similar assembly and finishing, such as printing information on one side of the envelope, for example. Where a user desires to process a subsequent group of mailpieces differently, such as printing on the other side of the envelope, for example, it is often necessary to change out components of the inserter to accommodate those mailpieces.
In the following description, certain aspects and embodiments of the present invention will become evident. It should be understood that the invention, in its broadest sense, could be practiced without having one or more features of these aspects and embodiments. It should also be understood that these aspects and embodiments are merely exemplary.
In accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, one aspect of the invention relates to a reconfigurable transport system comprising a transport device for receiving items in a first orientation in one of a first portion and a second portion and releasing the items from the other of the first portion and the second portion.
In one embodiment, the transport device comprises at least one first transport element rotating around a plurality of first support rollers in a first direction and at least one second transport element in opposing relation to the at least one first transport element, the at least one second transport element rotating around a plurality of second support rollers in a second direction opposite to the first direction. Items received between the transport elements are conveyed along a transport axis.
As used herein, “items” include papers, documents, postcards, envelopes, brochures, enclosures, booklets, media items, including CDs, DVDs, computer disks, and/or other digital storage media, and packages having a range of sizes and materials.
Further, as used herein, “first portion” means the components of the transport device, including rollers and portions of the transport elements, proximate to a first end of the transport device. Further, as used herein, “second portion” means the components of the transport device, including rollers and portions of the transport elements, proximate to a second end of the transport device.
In other embodiments, the transport system further comprises a positioning device for selectively moving the second portion between a first position in which the transport device maintains the items in the first orientation, and a second position in which the transport device rotates the items substantially about the transport axis to a second orientation.
In another aspect, the invention relates to a reconfigurable transport system comprising a transport device for receiving items in a first orientation in one of the first portion and the second portion and releasing the items from the other of the first portion and the second portion, and a positioning device.
In one embodiment, the transport device comprises at least one first transport element rotating around a plurality of first support rollers in a first direction, wherein the plurality of first support rollers comprises a first end roller.
In another embodiment, the transport device further comprises at least one second transport element in opposing relation to the at least one first transport element, the at least one second transport element rotating around a plurality of second support rollers in a second direction opposite to the first direction, wherein the plurality of second support rollers comprises a second end roller. Items placed between the transport elements are conveyed along a transport axis.
In yet another embodiment, the transport system further comprises a housing supporting the transport device and the positioning device.
In a further aspect, the invention relates to a method of conveying items in a reconfigurable transport system. In one embodiment, the method comprises receiving the items in a first orientation in one of a first portion and a second portion of a transport device, conveying the items between the transport elements along a transport axis, selectively moving the second portion of the transport device between a first position in which the transport device maintains the items in the first orientation and a second position in which the transport device rotates the items substantially about the transport axis to a second orientation, and releasing the items from the other of the first portion and the second portion of the transport device.
According to an embodiment, the transport device comprises at least one first transport element rotating around a plurality of first support rollers in a first direction and at least one second transport element in opposing relation to the at least one first transport element, the at least one second transport element rotating around a plurality of second support rollers in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
Aside from the structural and procedural arrangements set forth above, the invention could include a number of other arrangements, such as those explained hereinafter. It is to be understood that both the foregoing description and the following description are exemplary only.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate an exemplary embodiment of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,
Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Embodiments of the reconfigurable transport system according the invention will be described with reference to certain applications in mailpiece inserter systems. It should be understood, however, that the device of the invention may be used in association with other systems configured to handle and transport items.
A schematic view of an inserter system 10 incorporating the reconfigurable transport system 12 of the invention is shown in
The documents next move to an accumulator 16, where the documents for respective mailpieces are assembled and folded. The folded accumulations next move to a buffer 18, which holds the accumulations for sequential processing. The accumulations next move to a chassis 20. As each accumulation moves through the chassis, inserts from a plurality of feeder modules 22 are added to the accumulation.
The accumulations next enter an insertion area 24, where the finished accumulations are stuffed into envelopes provided by an envelope hopper 26, and the envelopes are sealed. The stuffed, sealed envelopes next pass through the reconfigurable transport system 12 of the invention, as discussed in more detail below.
The envelopes then enter a printing area 28, where markings, such as a postage indicia and/or address information, for example, are applied using a printer 30. Finally, the completed mailpieces are deposited on a conveyor 32.
The reconfigurable transport system 12 of the present invention may allow a user to maintain a given orientation of items, such as mailpieces, for example, while transporting the items, or to selectively reorient the items while transporting them. The user's ability to selectively reorient items may increase the functionality and flexibility of item-handling systems, such as inserter systems, for example, by enabling systems having a given equipment configuration to process items differently without requiring a change of components.
An embodiment of the reconfigurable transport system 12 of the invention is shown in
In one embodiment, the items may be received in the first portion 40 from an upstream component of an item-handling system and released from the second portion 42 to a downstream component of the system. In another embodiment, the transport system 12 may be reoriented and the items may be received in the second portion 42 from an upstream component of an item-handling system and released from the first portion 40 to a downstream component of the system.
The direction of travel of the transport elements 44, 46 may be selected based on whether the first portion 40 or the second portion 42 of the transport device 34 is receiving the items.
In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one first transport element 44 and the at least one second transport element 46 each comprise a single belt. In one example, each belt is constructed of two compounds: a thin, high-durometer rubber on the drive side, which contacts the rollers, and a thick, low-durometer rubber, such as LYNATEX™, for example, on the opposite side, which contacts the opposing belt and the items being transported by the belts. Other materials may also be used. In addition, other arrangements of transport elements may be used. For example, a plurality of laterally spaced first transport elements and second transport elements may be used. In one example, the plurality of transport elements may comprise a plurality of belts or O-rings.
In the embodiment shown in
In the embodiment shown in
In some embodiments, all of the rollers in the system are mounted on cantilevered shafts to facilitate the repair and replacement of the transfer elements (e.g., belts) in the system.
The system 12 further comprises a positioning device 36, shown in detail in
The positioning device 36 shown in
A first gear element 70 disposed on the guide 66 is engaged by a second gear element 72. In the illustrated embodiment, the first gear element 70 comprises a portion of an annular gear, in particular, an internal gear, and the second gear element 72 comprises a pinion. Other arrangements of gears may also be used.
A drive element 74 selectively drives the second gear element 72, which in turn drives the first gear element 70 to rotate the guide 66. In one example, the drive element 74 comprises a 1/100-horsepower AC electric motor. Other motors may also be used. In alternative embodiments, manual actuation may also be used.
In the illustrated embodiment, the first end roller 50, the second end roller 54, and the nip roller 60 are supported on the guide 66 on respective cantilevered shafts 76. Thus, as discussed above, rotation of the guide 66 moves the second portion 42 of the transport device 34, comprising at least the end rollers 50, 54, the nip roller 60, and portions of the transport elements 44, 46, between the first position and the second position. In one embodiment, the transport device 34 with the second portion 42 in the second position rotates the items approximately 180 degrees or less substantially about the transport axis A. In some embodiments, a removable guide bar 77, shown in
In one example, with reference to the inserter system shown in
In order to print on the back faces of the envelopes using the same system, the positioning device 36 is arranged as shown in
According to the invention, the second portion 42 may be moved as desired between the first position, for transporting items without changing their orientation, and a second position, for transporting items while rotating the items up to approximately 180 degrees substantially about the transport axis A.
In one embodiment, shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the link 80 is biased with a torsion spring 84, which holds the respective roller in a “floating” configuration. Either roller 50, 60 may be locked with respect to its shaft 76 by engaging the locking device 82 with the respective link 80. In one example, one of the rollers 50, 60 is kept in the locked configuration and the other 60, 50 is kept in the floating configuration to accommodate the thickness of the items passing through the nip 62. When the second portion 42 is moved to a new position by rotating the guide 66, the rollers 50, 60 may be locked and unlocked accordingly.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure and methodology described herein. Thus, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the examples discussed in the specification. Rather, the present invention is intended to cover modifications and variations.
