• 专利附录
  • 专利说明
  • 权利要求
  • 类似技术
  • 同族专利
  • 引用文献
  • 法律状态
  • 优先权
    • 专利摘要:
    The invention relates to a method for processing a plurality of sheet-like documents, comprising the steps of: collecting documents in a collection station (4) into document groups, which consist of an alternating number of individual documents, wherein at least a first type of document group contains a plurality of documents and each document group is collected in a collection process whose processing time depends on the number of documents belonging to the respective document group, transporting the collected document groups to a first of at least two in the transport direction successively arranged processing stations (V1, V2), each processing station (V1, V2 ) is provided with a connecting device (7, 8) for connecting the documents of a document group, connecting the documents of a document group present in the first processing station (V1) if the present document group is of the first type vo n belongs to document groups and the expected processing time of a collection process running at the collection station (4) exceeds a predetermined limit, and transferring a document group present in the first processing station (V1) without a connection of the documents of this document group to the second processing station (V2 ), if the present document group does not belong to the first type of document groups and / or the expected processing time of a simultaneously occurring in the collecting station (4) collection process falls below the predetermined limit.
    公开号:CH709633B1
    申请号:CH00510/15
    申请日:2015-04-13
    公开日:2019-10-15
    发明作者:Höpner Bernd
    申请人:Boewe Systec Gmbh；
    IPC主号:
    专利说明:

    Description: The invention relates to a method and a device for processing a plurality of sheet-shaped documents.
    In the automated production of bulk mail items, which are each composed of a plurality of sheet-shaped documents, the situation arises that the documents of a mail item are divided into document groups and the individual documents at least part of the document groups must be connected to one another, for example by stapling, stapling, binding or gluing. Such a situation arises, for example, when compiling mail items, which are composed of a letter to the recipient of the mail item and an associated attachment, the attachment being a document group made up of a plurality of sheet-shaped documents which are connected to one another and for example in the form of a stapled, bound or stapled stack of documents.
    The individual documents are printed out serially in a printer, the printer being fed the printing medium (usually paper) from a roll. The printed roll leaves the printer and is fed to a cutting device for cutting the individual sheet-shaped documents. After the individual printed documents have been cut, these, possibly after further processing steps such as merging into subgroups, turning and aligning, are conveyed to a collecting station in which the individual documents or subgroups of documents are grouped and collected into predetermined document groups. The predefined document groups can be, for example, individual documents, several loose individual documents or also document groups from several individual documents that are to be connected to one another in a later connection process. To connect the individual documents of a document group, the documents of which are to be connected to one another, these (to be connected) document groups are fed to a connecting device in the systems known from the prior art, in which the individual documents of such a document group are clamped, stapled, bound or glued, for example be connected to each other.
    The connection process that is carried out in the connection device takes a certain amount of processing time. As a result, there may be waiting times when the documents are fed to the collecting station and / or to the connection device, because it must first be waited until a connection process in the connection device has been completed and the connection device is available again for a subsequent connection process before a subsequent one Document group can be introduced into the connection device. This then requires the transport of the documents or the document groups to be temporarily stopped and as a result leads to a reduction in throughput.
    Is a system for connecting document groups from a plurality of individual documents is known, in which two processing stations are provided with a connecting device. These processing stations are arranged one behind the other in a transport direction. The connection devices are of different types. For example, a first connection device can be a stapling device (“stacker”) or a staple gun, with which the individual documents of a document group are connected to one another by punching through a clamp. A second connecting device can be, for example, another stapler with longer or shorter staples or a stapler (“stitcher”) which connects the individual documents of a group of documents to one another in a stapling process. Which of the two connection devices is selected for carrying out a connection process for connecting the documents of a specific document group depends on the number of documents of this document group or on the thickness of a document group stacked to form a document stack. If the thickness of a document group stacked into a document stack exceeds a predetermined limit value, the processing station is selected for connecting the documents of this document group which contains the stapler. Otherwise, the processing station for connecting the document group containing the stapler is selected.
    In this system with a plurality of connecting devices arranged one behind the other, there may be temporary delays in the feeding process of the individual documents and document groups to the collecting station and to the processing stations, as a result of which the throughput of the system is reduced.
    Proceeding from this, the invention has for its object to show a system for processing a plurality of sheet-shaped documents with which an increase in throughput can be achieved.
    This object is achieved with the method with the features of claim 1 and the device with the features of claim 10.
    Preferred embodiment variants of the method and the device for processing a plurality of sheet-shaped documents are shown in the dependent claims.
    In the method according to the invention, the documents coming serially from an input channel are first collected into document groups in a collecting station, the document groups consisting of a changing number of individual documents and at least one first type of document group containing a plurality of documents which relate to one another are connecting. Each document group is collected in a collection process, the processing time of which depends on the number of documents belonging to the respective document group. The documents of the first type of a document group expediently become a document
    CH 709 633 B1 stacked, whereby the processing time of the collecting and stacking process depends on the number of documents belonging to this document group. In addition to the first type of document group, which consists of a plurality of documents that are to be connected to one another, at least one further type of document group is distinguished, e.g. a document group consisting of individual documents (i.e. individual sheets) and / or a document group consisting of several loose documents that should not be linked. The document groups collected in the collecting station are then transported in the method according to the invention to a first of at least two processing stations arranged one behind the other in the transport direction, each of the processing stations being equipped with a connecting device for connecting documents of a document group, in particular a stack of documents. A document group present in the first processing station is connected by the connecting device assigned to this first processing station if the present document group belongs to the first type of document groups (i.e. the type of document groups which consists of a plurality of documents which are to be connected to one another) and if the expected processing time of a collection process running at the same time in the collection station exceeds a predetermined limit value. If, on the other hand, the condition mentioned (the present document group belongs to the first type of document group and the expected processing time of a simultaneous collection process in the collection station is greater than the predetermined limit value), the document group present in the first processing station is sent to the downstream of the Transfer the second processing station arranged to the first processing station without connecting the documents of this document group. Whether the documents of the document group now present in the second processing station are linked to one another now depends on whether the present document group is a document group of the first type (that is, a document group whose documents are to be linked) or a document group of a different type (for example, a single document or a group of documents consisting of several loose documents that should not be linked). If the document group now present in the second processing station is a document group of the first type, the documents of this document group are connected to one another in the second processing station by means of the connecting device assigned to this second processing station.
    The processing time of the connection processes in the processing stations is predetermined and depends, for example, on the type of connecting devices used in the processing stations. The processing time of the collecting processes in the collecting station depends on the number of documents of a document group to be collected in the collecting process and is therefore variable because of the changing number of documents in the document groups. The groups to be collected and the number of documents in each document group to be collected are specified in a processing job that is stored, for example, in a database, and are therefore known. From the known number of documents, an expected processing time for the collection process to be processed in the collection station can be determined in advance (ie before the collection process is carried out) for each document group to be collected, for example by using the job data in the database or by reading out of document information from the individual documents by means of a reading device. It is therefore possible to take into account the (specified) processing time of the connecting process and the expected (changing) processing times of the collecting processes in the collecting station when selecting a processing station for carrying out a connecting process.
    [0012] In addition to the first and the second processing station, further processing stations can also be provided, which are arranged downstream of the second processing station. The selection of a suitable processing station from the plurality of existing processing stations, in which the documents of a document group of the first type are connected to one another, is carried out here in a corresponding manner, i.e. a connection process is carried out if a document group of the first type is located in one of the processing stations and at the same time a collecting process is carried out in the collecting station, the expected processing time of which is greater than a predetermined limit value. By arranging further processing stations along the transport direction, it can be ensured that a connection process is only ever carried out in one of the processing stations if a collecting process with a longer processing time (longer than the specified limit value) is pending in the collecting station.
    Through this synchronization of the connection processes in one of the (two) processing stations and the collecting process in the collecting station, delays and interruptions in the feeding of the documents to the collecting station and to the processing stations can be avoided. This enables the documents to be transported in a continuous flow without interruption. In particular, the documents can be fed to the collecting station by means of a continuously operated transport device without interrupting the transport process at a largely constant, high transport speed.
    A transfer of a document group located in an upstream processing station without connecting the documents of this document group to a downstream processing station can expediently also take place if an error occurs in the upstream processing station, for example if the connecting device of this processing station is defective or no longer is equipped with connecting means (for example, staples) for carrying out a connecting operation, because the supply of connecting means is exhausted.
    CH 709 633 B1 It has proven to be a particularly expedient embodiment of the invention if the documents are fed to the collecting station with a first transport device which feeds the individual documents continuously in a continuous document stream to the collecting station and which are collected in the collecting station Document groups are then transferred to a second transport device, which is operated in cycles. For this purpose, the second transport device expediently comprises a plurality of collecting compartments arranged one behind the other in the transport direction and displaceable intermittently, into which the document groups formed by the collecting device are stored, each document group being stored in a collecting compartment assigned to it. The collecting compartments can then be advanced in cycles in the transport direction in order to feed the document groups stored in the collecting compartments to the processing stations.
    [0016] In the processing station selected in the manner described above, the document groups of the first type present there are connected to one another in a connection process. The connection process takes a predetermined processing time, which depends at least essentially (only) on the type of connection device used, but not on the number of documents in the group of documents to be connected (that is, for example, not on the thickness of a stack of documents to be connected). The limit value which is specified for the selection of the first or the second processing station for connecting the documents of a document group expediently depends on the processing time of the connection process in the first or in the second connection device. The predetermined limit value preferably corresponds to the processing time of a connection process in the first connection device.
    The inventive device comprises an input channel with a first drivable transport device for serial transport of the individual documents to a collecting station arranged downstream of the input channel. In the collecting station, the individual documents fed from the input channel are collected into document groups and, if necessary, stacked into document stacks, the document groups consisting of a changing number of individual documents and at least one first type of document group containing a plurality of documents which are connected to one another in a subsequent connection process should be connected. A downstream processing station is followed by a first processing station and subsequently a second processing station, each of which is equipped with a connecting device for connecting documents of a document group (in particular a document stack). The connecting devices can be, for example, stapling or stapling devices, wire-binding machines or binders (for example adhesive binders). The device according to the invention further comprises a control device for controlling the processing stations, the control device controlling at least the first processing station according to the invention in such a way that it connects the documents of a document group currently present in the first processing station to one another, if this document group belongs to the first type of a document group and if the processing time of a collection process running at the same time in the collection station exceeds a predetermined limit value. As with the method according to the invention, this limit value suitably corresponds to the processing time of a connection process in the first processing station.
    The device according to the invention expediently comprises, in addition to the first transport device of the input channel, a second transport device which picks up the document groups collected in the collecting station and transports them to the processing stations arranged downstream. The first transport device of the input channel is preferably designed such that it is driven by a drive in a continuous transport movement with a largely constant transport speed. The second transport device, which is arranged downstream of the collecting station, preferably comprises a plurality of collecting compartments arranged one behind the other in the transport direction and which can be shifted in cycles, in which the groups formed by the collecting device are stored. The intermittent feed of the collecting compartments is appropriately controlled by the control device and synchronized with the movement of the first transport device of the input channel.
    In a preferred embodiment, the second transport device comprises a first collecting compartment and at least one second collecting compartment adjoining it downstream, wherein in a basic position of the device a first connecting device is assigned to the first collecting compartment and a second connecting device is assigned to the second collecting compartment. The first collecting compartment with the assigned first connecting device forms the first processing station and, correspondingly, the second collecting compartment with the second connecting device assigned to it forms the second processing station. In this embodiment, two separate connecting devices are therefore provided, i.e. each processing station has its own connection device. As an alternative to this exemplary embodiment, it is also possible to provide a single connecting device for both processing stations. In this exemplary embodiment, a movable connecting device is provided which can be moved back and forth in the transport direction between the first processing station and the second processing station and - controlled by the control device - is always driven to the processing station which has just been selected for carrying out a connecting process , The movable connecting device is expediently arranged above the second transport device with the collecting compartments arranged one behind the other and it can be moved back and forth between adjacent collecting compartments.
    In a further expedient exemplary embodiment, the second transport device comprises, in addition to the first and the second collecting compartment, at least one further collecting compartment, which (in a basic position of the device)
    CH 709 633 B1 is arranged in the transport direction in front of the first collecting compartment. This additional collecting compartment can be used as a parking compartment for parking or temporarily storing document groups. This exemplary embodiment is particularly expedient if not only two different types of document groups, but at least three or more types of document groups are distinguished. For example, it is possible to set up a first type of document group that consists of a plurality of individual documents that are to be connected to one another. In addition, further types of document groups can be provided, which include, for example, a first type that consists of a single document and a second type that consists of two or more loose documents that are not to be connected to one another. In this case, it is expedient if a document group of the second or third type (i.e. documents which are not to be connected to one another) can be parked in the further collecting compartment of the second transport device, before they follow the second transport device in the subsequent cycle into the downstream ones Processing stations are transferred. While the document groups of the second or third type are in a parking position in the further collecting compartment of the second transport device, the documents of a document group of the first type can be connected to one another in the first or in the second processing station, while documents are simultaneously collected in the collecting station a document group with several documents can be collected and stacked.
    The device comprises a device according to the invention for processing a plurality of sheet-shaped documents in which the collecting processes in the collecting station and the connecting processes in the processing stations are synchronized with one another by a control device in such a way that documents of a stack of documents (of the first type) to be connected either in of the first processing station or in the second processing station, while at the same time a collecting process takes place in the collecting station in which a document group with a plurality of documents is collected and in particular stacked to form a document stack.
    Through the synchronization of the collecting processes in the collecting station and the connecting processes in the processing stations, a continuous flow of the documents or document groups supplied to the collecting station and the processing stations can be guaranteed without the transport of the documents or the document groups having to be interrupted. In this way, the throughput of the processing system can be significantly increased, since there can be no interruptions in the document flow when the documents or the document groups are being fed.
    These and further advantages of the invention result from the embodiment described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:
    1: a perspective side view of an inventive device for processing a plurality of sheet-shaped documents;
    FIG. 2: a detailed view of the input channel of the device from FIG. 1;
    3 shows a detailed illustration of the collecting station and the processing stations of the device from FIG. 1 in a perspective side view;
    4a: a schematic representation of a possible sequence of documents in a first exemplary embodiment which can be processed in the method and the device according to the invention; and
    4b: a schematic representation of a possible sequence of documents in a second exemplary embodiment which can be processed in the method and the device according to the invention.
    The device for processing sheet-shaped documents shown in Fig. 1 comprises an input channel 1 with a drivable first transport device 2 for transporting the documents to be processed D. The input channel 1 comprises a roll 10, which is designed for example as a paper roll. Documents are printed on the roll 10 on a document carrier 11, which is formed, for example, by a paper web. The content of the documents was printed on the document carrier 11 by a printer, not shown. It is also possible to provide a printer in the area of the input channel 1 with which a document carrier 11 unwound from a roll 10 is printed.
    [0025] The printed document carrier 11 is fed to an input module 12 via a transport device. The input module 12 is designed here as a reading and cutting module and comprises a cutting device which cuts out the individual documents D from the printed document carrier 11. The input module 12 further comprises a reading device with which the individual documents D are read out. The documents D contain an identifier for their identification. This identifier can be applied to each document D in plain text or as a code. The reading device reads out this identifier to identify each individual document and forwards the read data to a control device 9 via a data connection 13. The information on the individual documents D read out by the reading device is used to control the device in the control device 9
    CH 709 633 B1 used. It is not necessary for each of the documents D to be provided with an identifier, for example in the case of document groups it is also sufficient if only one of the documents in a group (for example the first document) bears an identifier which then, in addition to identifying the relevant document also contains information about the other documents in this group. The identification can be read out before or also after cutting the documents D from the document carrier 11.
    It is also possible to dispense with the reading device in the input module 12 and to identify the individual documents D by accessing a database. For this purpose, the control device 9 has a data memory in which a database is stored which contains all the data and information required for processing the documents D, in particular the identification of each individual document.
    The documents D cut out of the data carrier 11 in the input module 12 are transferred to a first transport device 2 of the input channel 1 and are transported linearly therefrom in a transport direction v. In this case, further processing modules can be provided in the input channel 1, with which the individual documents can be arranged, for example, side by side or one above the other on the first transport device 2 and, if necessary, rotated and aligned there. These functionalities of additional processing modules of the input channel 1 are indicated in FIG. 1 by the fact that individual documents D are placed there next to one another or as a stack of documents D 'one above the other to form a subgroup on the transport device 2. Furthermore, one of the documents D is shown in an inclined position in FIG. 1 in order to clarify a rotary function possibly contained in the input channel 1.
    The first transport device 2, which can be, for example, a driven conveyor belt, in particular a suction belt, forwards the documents D stored on the transport surface of the transport device 2 in a continuous document stream to a collecting station 4. In the exemplary embodiment shown here in the drawing, the collecting station 4 comprises a first collecting device 4a and a second collecting device 4b. The first collecting device 4a is designed in such a way that it can divide groups of documents up to a predetermined maximum number of documents into groups predetermined according to the processing job and collect them into document groups or subgroups. The maximum number of documents that can be collected into a document group in the first collecting device 4a is, for example, 16 documents (sheets). The documents collected in the first collecting device 4a to form document groups or subgroups are forwarded to the second transport device 5 arranged downstream of the first collecting device 4a.
    The second transport device 5 comprises a plurality of collecting compartments 6 arranged one behind the other in the transport direction. The second transport device 5 expediently comprises two or more belts or belts 16, which are equipped with drivers 18 projecting above the belt surface (see FIG. 3). The belts 16, which are arranged parallel and in the transverse direction to the transport direction, are driven by a drive. The drivers 18 arranged on the belts 16 are arranged in pairs next to one another transversely to the transport direction. In the direction of transport, the pairs of belts are at a predetermined distance from one another, this distance defining a collecting compartment 6 of the second transport device 5. These collecting compartments 6 can be shifted in cycles, the cyclical feed of the collecting compartments 6 being controlled by the control device 9, for which purpose the second transport device 5 is coupled to the control device 9 via a data connection 14. As can be seen from the detailed illustration of FIG. 3, the second transport device 5 in a basic position in the exemplary embodiment shown here has the collecting compartments 6.0, 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4 arranged one behind the other in the transport direction v. Additional collecting subjects can also be provided.
    The upstream collecting compartment 6.0 designated 6.0 in the illustration of FIG. 3 serves as the second collecting device 4b. In this second collecting device 4b, further document groups can be formed and stacked into document stacks. For this purpose, the first collecting device 4a transfers the document groups it generates to the second transport device 5 and stores these document groups in the upstream collecting compartment 6.0 of the second transport device 5. To form a document group from documents or document sub-groups that are transferred from the first collecting device 4, the cyclical feeding of the collecting compartments 6 is suspended until a document group is completely grouped in the second collecting device 4b (i.e. in the upstream collecting compartment 6.0) and in the Compartment 6.0 has been stacked into a stack of documents. The collecting compartments 6 of the second transport device 5 are not advanced in the next cycle until the document group has been collected.
    The collecting compartments 6.1 and 6.2 following downstream of the collecting compartment 6.0 form a first processing station V1 and a second processing station V2, each processing station V1, V2 being assigned to a collecting compartment (6.1 or 6.2) of the second transport device 5. The assignment of the processing stations V1 (to the first collecting compartment 6.1) and the second processing station V2 (to the second collecting compartment 6.2) relates only to the basic position of the device shown in FIG. 3, since the collecting compartments 6 are cyclically cycled in the transport direction v be advanced. However, the position of the processing stations V1, V2 remains unchanged when the collecting compartments 6 are fed in cycles, so that in the following cycle the first processing station V1 is assigned to the advanced collecting subject 6.0 and the second processing station V2 is assigned to the advanced first collecting subject 6.1 etc.
    CH 709 633 B1 Each of the two processing stations V1, V2 is equipped with a connecting device 7, 8. In the exemplary embodiment shown here in the drawing, the first processing station V1 contains a first connecting device 7 and the second processing station V2 contains a second connecting device 8. In an alternative exemplary embodiment, it is also possible to provide only a single connecting device which extends along the direction of transport between the locally fixed processing stations V1 and V2 can be moved back and forth and can be assigned to either the first processing station V1 or the second processing station V2.
    The connecting devices 7, 8 are devices for connecting documents of a document group, in particular for connecting documents of a stacked document stack. The connecting devices 7, 8 can be, for example, staplers (staplers) or staplers or binders with which the documents of a (in particular stacked) document group can be connected to one another by stapling, stapling, binding, gluing or the like. The function of the connection devices 7, 8 is controlled by the control device 9, for which the connection devices 7, 8 are coupled to the control device 9 via a data connection 14.
    A further collecting station 15 is arranged downstream of the second transport device 5, in which documents or document groups are collected to form the content of a mail item. Further modules (not shown here), such as e.g. Connect envelopes or wrappers in which the contents of a mail item are placed in an envelope or provided with an envelope in order to form a mail item ready for dispatch. The content of the mail item is formed by a finished document group and possibly associated systems. If the finished document groups have to be combined with the associated systems, further collection stations can be installed in front of the inserter or wrapper, e.g. a gathering track.
    The documents transported in the input channel 1 by the first transport device 2 are transported to the first collecting device 4 in a continuous document stream. The document groups transferred to the second transport device 5 are transported there in cycles due to the clocked feed of the collecting compartments 6.
    Different types of document groups are distinguished for the processing of documents D and the grouping of these documents into predetermined document groups. The extent to which a certain document D belongs to a certain group of documents is determined by the processing job that runs on the described device. This data may be contained in a database, which is stored in a memory of the control device 9. In the simplest case, at least two different types of document groups A and H are distinguished. Basically, the document groups consist of a changing number of individual documents D. A first type of a document group H consists of a (changing) plurality of individual documents H1, H2, Hn, these documents H1, H2, ..., Hn of the document group H are to be connected. This type of document group H can be, for example, documents H1, H2, Hn of an insurance policy or a contract, which must be linked to ensure that no individual document or sheet of this document group H can be lost.
    A second type of document group A can be a single document, that is to say a single printed sheet. This can be, for example, a letter to a recipient of a mail item. Another type of document group L can contain, for example, a plurality of documents (A, L) which, however - unlike document group type H - are available as loose sheets which are not to be connected to one another. This type of document group can be, for example, invoices.
    The individual document groups, each with a changing number of individual documents, are collected in the above-described device in the first collecting device 4a and / or in the second collecting device 4b to form document groups A, H (and, if appropriate, stacked to form a document stack, a document stack of a document group corresponds) and fed to the processing stations V1, V2. If necessary (depending on the type of document group), the documents of the supplied document groups are then connected to one another in processing stations V1 or V2, with a selection of the processing station used to connect documents of a specific document group to speed up the processing process and increase throughput ( V1 or V2) and a synchronization of the collecting processes in the collecting station 4 (first and second collecting device 4a, 4b) and the connection processes to be carried out in the processing stations V1, V2.
    The selection of one of the two processing stations for carrying out a connection process is carried out by the control device 9 taking into account predetermined criteria. These criteria take into account the processing time At s of the collection processes in the collection station 4 and the processing time At v of the connection processes in the processing stations V1, V2. The processing time At s of a collection process taking place in the collection station is compared with a predetermined limit value At G. The predetermined limit value At G depends on the processing time At v of the connection processes in the processing stations V1 and V2. expedient
    CH 709 633 B1 corresponds to the predetermined limit value At a of the processing time At v of the connection process in the first processing station V1.
    This selection of the processing station (V1 or V2) to be used to connect the documents of a specific document group is illustrated below using two examples with reference to FIG. 4, FIG. 4a showing a first example of a sequence of documents during the execution of the method according to the invention and FIG. 4b shows a second example of a document sequence.
    4a shows, by way of example, a possible sequence of documents as they begin in the method according to the invention starting from the input channel 1 via the collecting station 4 and the second transport device 5 with the collecting compartments 6 and the two processing stations V1 and V2 to a further collecting station 15 (hereinafter referred to as the collection point). The goods collection station 15 serves to receive individual documents or finished document groups which have been generated in the collection station 4 in order to compile the contents of individual mail items. The content of individual mail items is composed of individual documents A or L, document groups with loose documents (A + L) and / or document groups H of the first type, the documents of which have been connected to one another in one of the processing stations V1 or V2. The document groups collected in the goods collection station 15 (which form the content of a mail item) are forwarded by the second transport device 5 to a downstream inserting device for inserting the document groups formed into an envelope.
    4a the stations of the input channel 1, the collecting station 4, an input collecting compartment 6.0 of the second transport device 5, the two processing stations V1, V2 and the downstream collecting station 15 and their contents Various cycles of the second transport device 5 are shown, each station being shown as a column in a table and the cycles as rows in this table. In the right column of the table there is an example of a cycle time that corresponds to the dwell time of the documents or document groups in the respective stations. The dwell times of the documents or document groups in the respective stations depend on the processing time of the collecting processes in the collecting station 4 and the processing time of the connecting processes in the processing stations V1, V2. The station shown between the collecting station 4 (referred to in the table of FIG. 4a as "collecting station group") and the first upstream processing station V1 (referred to in the table of FIG. 4a as "stitching") is thereby a collecting compartment of the second transport device 5 formed (in the basic position of the device the collecting compartment 6.0) and used as an empty module or parking module, ie The inserted documents or document groups are parked in this collecting compartment of the second transport device 5 without carrying out a processing operation before they are transferred to the first processing station V1 in the next cycle of the second transport device 5.
    In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4a, the document stream begins with a single document A (l) of a first mail item I, which is transferred in the first step (cycle) from the input channel 1 to the collecting station 4 (1st line of the table in Fig. 4a). The single document A (l) is followed in the input channel 1 by a second document H1 (I), which is assigned to a document group H of the first mail item I. While the document H1 (I) is transferred to the collecting station 4 in the next cycle (cycle time 250 ms), the first document A (l) is transferred to the empty module (third line of the table in FIG. 4a). In the next cycles of the second transport device 5, further documents Hn (l) from the document group H (l) are then transferred from the input channel 1 to the collecting station 4 and collected there to form a document group H (l). While collecting the documents Η η (I) in the collecting station 4, the first document A (l) remains in the empty module until all documents Hn (l) of the document group H (l) have been collected in the collecting station 4. This collecting process requires a cycle time of more than 650 ms (fourth line of the table in Fig. 4a). After completion of the document group H (l) in the collecting station 4, this is transferred to the first processing station V1, while at the same time the first document A (l) is transferred to the second processing station V2 and another individual document L (l) from the input channel 1 Collection station 4 stroke is supplied. At this time, there is a first document A (II) of a second mail item II (fifth line of the table in FIG. 4a) in the input channel 1.
    In the next cycle, all documents or document groups are moved one station, i.e. the document L (l) in the empty module, the document group H (l) in the first processing station V1 and the first document A (l) in the second processing station V2 (sixth line of the table in FIG. 4a). The control device 9 checks which processes are to be processed in the collecting station 4, while the document group H (1) (which is a document group of the first type, the documents of which are to be linked) is located in the first processing station V1 , In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 4 a, there is a single document in the collecting station 4 at this time (namely the document A (II) of the second mail item II) and there is therefore no collecting process in the collecting station 4. For this reason, the document group H (l) is transferred to the second processing station V2 in the next cycle without the documents of the document group H (l) being connected in the first processing station V1.
    In the subsequent cycles of the second transport device 5, the collecting station 4 is in turn fed documents Hn (II) of a document group of the first type, and this document group H (II) is collected in the collecting station 4 (and in particular stacked into a stack). While the document group H (II), which is composed of documents H1 (II) to Hn (II), is collected, the preceding documents or document groups remain in their stations. In particular, the document group H (l) remains in the second processing
    CH 709 633 B1 processing station V2, where the documents (H1 (I) to Hn (l)) of this document group H (l) are connected to one another by the connecting device 8 of the second processing station V2. The connection process is indicated in the table of FIG. 4a with an arrow pointing vertically downwards. The duration of the connection process in the second processing station V2 is more than 650 ms. During this processing time of the connection process in the second processing station V2, the document group H (II) is collected in the collecting station 4 (seventh line of the table in FIG. 4a).
    After completion of the connection process in the second processing station V2 and completion of the collecting process in the collecting station 4, all documents and document groups are then passed one station further downstream in the next cycle (eighth line of the table in Fig. 4a), i.e. the completely connected document group H (l) is stored in the goods collection station 15. The first document A (l) is also located in the goods collection station 15, so that this first document A (l) is combined with the connected document group H (l) in the goods collection station 15 in order to form a finished first mail item I which is located in in this case composed of the first document A (l) and the associated document group H (l) (ninth line of the table in FIG. 4a). During the transfer of the document group H (l) to the goods collection station 15, the input channel 1 brings a first document A (III) of a third mail item III to the collection station 4 (ninth line of the table in FIG. 4a). The steps described are repeated iteratively until a plurality of mail items I, II, etc. of a processing job have been compiled completely and the processing job has thereby been processed.
    A further exemplary embodiment of a possible document sequence in the method according to the invention is shown in FIG. 4b. In it, the document stream begins with a first individual document A (l) of a first mail item I, which is transferred from the input channel 1 to the collecting station 4 (second line of the table in FIG. 4b). The first document A (l) is followed in the input channel 1 by a second document H1 (I), which belongs to a document group of the first type and is transferred from the input channel 1 to the collecting station 4 in the subsequent cycle (third line of the table in FIG. 4b) , In this cycle, the first document A (l) is then transferred to the empty module. In the subsequent cycles, 4 further documents Hn (l) of a first document group H (l) are transferred to the collecting station and collected there for this document group H (l). During the collecting process in the collecting station 4, the first document A (l) remains in the empty module until the document group H (l) has been completely collected in the collecting station 4 (fourth line of the table from FIG. 4b). The collecting process in the collecting station 4 requires a processing time of more than 650 ms for this. The document group H (l) which has been completely collected in the collecting station 4 and which consists of the documents H1 (I) to Hn (l) is then transferred to the empty module in the following cycle after completion of the collecting process, while at the same time the first document A ( l) is transferred to the first processing station V1 and a further individual document L (l) from the input channel 1 to the collecting station 4 (fifth line of the table from FIG. 4b). At this time, another individual document A (l) is pending in input channel 1. This is transferred in the following cycle from the input channel 1 to the collecting station 4 and merged there with the document L (1) already located therein. During this collecting process in the collecting station 4, which only requires a short collecting time of, for example, 350 ms, the finished document group H (l) remains in the empty module and the first document A (l) in the first processing station V1 (sixth line of the table from FIG. 4b).
    In the next cycle, the first document A (l) is transferred to the second processing station V2 and the document group H (l) is transferred from the empty module to the first processing station V1. At the same time, a collecting process for a further document group H (l) begins in the collecting station 4 by the documents Hn (l) belonging to this document group H (l) being transferred from the input channel 1 to the collecting station 4. Due to the number of documents Hn (l) in this document group H (l), this collecting process requires a longer collecting time of more than 650 ms. During this collecting time, the documents Hn (l) of the preceding document group H (l) are connected to one another in the first processing station V1 (sixth line of the table in FIG. 4b). The connection process for connecting the documents of the document group H (l) is indicated in the table of FIG. 4b with an arrow pointing vertically downwards. After the completion of the collecting process in the collecting station 4 and the connecting process in the processing station 1 (eighth line of the table from FIG. 4b), all documents and document groups are forwarded one station downstream in the subsequent cycle. In this exemplary embodiment, too, these steps are repeated iteratively until the processing job has been completed.
    It should be pointed out here that the document sequence of the tables in FIGS. 4a and 4b merely represent any desired exemplary embodiments of document sequences in the method according to the invention and only serve to explain the steps and the document sequence in the method according to the invention.
    The collecting processes in the collecting station 4 and the connecting processes in the processing stations V1 and V2 are coordinated and synchronized with one another in accordance with the invention in such a way that a connecting process is only carried out in the first processing station V1 when there is a first processing station V1 there is a document group H of the first type (i.e. a document group with documents which are to be connected to one another) and if at the same time in this cycle in the collecting station 4 there is a collecting process for processing whose processing time At s exceeds a predetermined limit value At G , whereby the predetermined limit value At G can, for example, correspond to the processing time of the connection process At v in the first processing station V1. If this condition (At s > At G ) does not exist, the document located in the first processing station or the document group located therein is sent to the second processing station V2 in the next cycle
    CH 709 633 B1 forwarded and if the forwarded document group is a document group of the first type, this is then connected in this cycle in the second processing station V2.
    According to the invention, the control device 9 thus synchronizes the collecting processes and the connecting processes in the collecting station 4 or the processing stations V1 and V2 such that documents of a document group H of the first type to be connected are either in the first processing station V1 or in the second processing station V2 are connected to one another, while at the same time a (subsequent) document group H is collected (and in particular stacked) in the collecting station 4 in a collecting process. This can ensure that the documents or document groups can be transferred from the input channel 1 to the collecting station 4 in a continuous document stream without the transport of the documents in the input channel 1 having to be interrupted, as a result of which the throughput can be increased significantly.
    The invention is not limited to the embodiment shown here in the drawing. For example, in addition to the two processing stations V1 and V2, further processing stations can be provided. The empty module can also be dispensed with. However, an empty module is advantageous if three or more different types of document groups are distinguished. The cycle times given in the tables in FIG. 4 are merely variable example values.
    The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above and illustrated in the drawings. In particular, the control device 9 can be designed differently. In the exemplary embodiment described above, the control device is a central controller. Instead of such a central control, a control system can also be used in which each individual station comprises its own control, which (via a bus system) is coupled to the controls of at least the neighboring stations in the transport direction. The control information is passed on serially to the control of the downstream station.
    权利要求:
    Claims (18)
    [1]
    claims
    1. Method for processing a plurality of sheet-shaped documents (A, Hn, L) with the following steps:
    - Collecting documents in a collecting device (4), the documents being fed serially to the collecting device (4) and collected there into document groups (A, H) and at least a first type of document group (H) having a plurality of documents (H1, H2 , Hn) and each document group (A, H) is collected in a collection process, the processing time (At s ) of which depends on the number of documents of the respective document group (A, H),
    - Selecting a first or a second processing station (V1 or V2) from two available processing stations (V1, V2), which are arranged one behind the other in a transport direction and each coupled to a connecting device (7, 8) for connecting several documents of a document group (H) are to in the selected processing station (V1 or V2) to connect the documents of a document group (H) in a connection process with a predetermined processing time (At v ), characterized in that the selection of one of the processing stations (V1, V2) according to predetermined Selection criteria are taken into account, which take into account the processing time (At v ) of the connection process and the expected processing time (At s ) of a collection process running simultaneously with this connection process in the collecting device (4).
    [2]
    2. The method of claim 1, wherein:
    the collected document groups (A, H) are transported to a first processing station (V1) of the at least two processing stations (V1, V2) arranged one behind the other in the transport direction,
    - The documents of the document group (A, H) present in the first processing station (V1) are connected to one another if the present document group (A, H) belongs to the first type of document group (H) and the expected processing time (At s ) one at the same time in the collecting device (4) running collecting process exceeds a predetermined limit (At G ), or
    - A document group (A, H) present in the first processing station (V1) is transferred to one of the processing stations without a connection of the documents of this document group if the present document group (A, H) does not belong to the first type of document groups (H) and / or the expected processing time (At s ) of a collection process that is taking place simultaneously in the collecting device (4) falls below the predetermined limit value (At G ).
    [3]
    3. The method as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the documents of a document group (H) of the first type present in one of the processing stations (V1, V2) are connected in a connection process with a predetermined processing time (At v ), the predetermined limit value (At G ) corresponds to the processing time (At v ) of this connection process.
    [4]
    4. The method according to any one of claims 2 or 3, wherein at least two different types of document groups (A, H) are distinguished and the first type of a document group (H) consists of a plurality of individual documents (H1, H2, Hn) which are provided for connecting the documents together.
    CH 709 633 B1
    [5]
    5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that the individual documents (H1, H2, Hn) of the first type of a document group (H) in the collecting device (4) during the collecting process for this document group (H) to form a stack (S) be piled up.
    [6]
    6. The method according to claim 4 or 5, wherein a second type of a document group (A) and possibly still further types of a document group (L) consists of individual documents (A, L) or a plurality of individual loose documents (A and L) that cannot be connected to each other.
    [7]
    The method of claim 6, wherein the first type of a document group (H) from a plurality of documents to be connected (H1, H2, Hn), a second type of a document group (A) from a single document (A) and a third type A document group (A + L) consists of two or more loose documents (A and L) that cannot be linked.
    [8]
    8. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that the connection of the documents of a document group (H) of the first type in one of the processing stations (V1, V2) takes place during a connection process by means of stitching, binding or staples.
    [9]
    9. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that a document group (H) located in an upstream processing station (V1) is passed on to a downstream processing station (V2) without connection of the documents of this document group, if in the upstream processing station (V1) an error occurs.
    [10]
    10. Device for processing a plurality of sheet-shaped documents (A, Hn, L) with
    a collecting station with a collecting device (4) for collecting and stacking documents (A, Hn) grouped into document groups (A, H) to form a document stack (S),
    - a first processing station (V1),
    a second processing station (V2) arranged downstream of the first processing station (V1),
    - At least one connection device (7, 8) for carrying out a connection process in the first and / or the second processing station (V1, V2), the connection process in the first and / or the second processing station (V1, V2) to form a document stack (S) stacked documents (Hn) are connected to one another in particular by means of stapling, binding or stapling,
    a transport device (2, 5) for transporting the grouped documents to the processing stations (V1, V2),
    - A control device (9) which synchronizes the sequence of the collection processes in the collection station, the transport of the grouped documents by the transport device (2, 5) and the connection processes in the processing stations (V1, V2) and controls so that documents to be connected of a document stack (S) are connected to one another either in the first connecting device (7) or in the second connecting device (8), while at the same time a further document stack (S) is stacked up in a collecting process in the collecting station.
    [11]
    11. The device according to claim 10, characterized in that the device further comprises an input channel (1) arranged upstream of the collecting station, which has a drivable first transport device (2) for transporting the documents, wherein
    - The control device (9) controls the sequence of the collecting processes in the collecting station in such a way that the documents supplied to the collecting station by the transport device (2) are grouped into document groups (A, H) which consist of a changing number of individual documents, at least a first type of document group (H) contains a plurality of documents (H1, H2, Hn) and each document group (A, H) is collected in a collection process, the processing time (At s ) of which depends on the number of documents (A , H) dependent documents,
    - And the control device (9) controls at least the first processing station (V1) and the connecting device (7, 8) in such a way that it connects the documents of a document group (A, H) currently present in the first processing station (V1) with one another, if these the present document group (A, H) belongs to the first type of document group (H) and if the expected processing time (At s ) of a collecting process that is taking place at the same time in the collecting station will exceed a predetermined limit value (At G ).
    [12]
    12. The device according to claim 11, wherein the device further comprises a second transport device (5) with a plurality of successively arranged and cyclically displaceable collecting compartments (6) in which the groups formed (A, H, L) are stored, wherein each group is assigned a collecting subject (6).
    [13]
    13. The apparatus according to claim 12, characterized in that a reading device (9) for reading out the documents (A, Hn, L), which are serially fed to the collecting device (4), is arranged upstream of the collecting station.
    [14]
    14. Device according to one of claims 12 or 13, characterized in that the first processing station (V1) and the second processing station (V2) are each assigned a connecting device (7, 8), the connecting devices (7, 8) above the second Transport device (5) are arranged.
    CH 709 633 B1
    [15]
    15. Device according to one of claims 10 to 13, characterized in that the first processing station (V1) and the second processing station (V2) is assigned a connecting device (7) which can be moved along the transport direction between the processing stations (V1, V2) ,
    [16]
    16. The apparatus according to claim 11, characterized in that the second processing station (V2) is arranged in the transport direction after the first processing station (V1) and that the control device (9) is set up so that it connects the first processing station (V1) Select documents (Hn) of a document group (H) when the first processing station (V1) is currently being fed a document group (H) of the first type for carrying out a connection process and at the same time the collection of documents in a collecting process is pending in the collecting device (4) and the processing time (At s ) of this collecting process is greater than or equal to the processing time (At v ) of the connecting process.
    [17]
    17. The apparatus according to claim 11 or 15, characterized in that the second processing station (V2) is arranged in the transport direction after the first processing station (V1) and that the control device (9) is set up such that it for the second processing station (V2) Connection of the documents (Hn) of a document group (H) is selected if the first processing station (V1) is fed a document group of the first type for carrying out a connection process and if at the same time in the collecting device (4) there is either no collecting process or a collecting process whose processing time (At s ) is less than the processing time (At v ) of the connection process.
    [18]
    18. Device according to one of claims 11, 16 or 17, wherein the control device (9) is set up in such a way that a document group (H) of the first type fed to the first processing station (V1) is connected to the second processing station (V2) for connecting the documents this document group (H) is forwarded when the second processing station (V2) has been selected to carry out the connection process.
    CH 709 633 B1
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    同族专利:
    公开号 | 公开日
    CH709633A2|2015-11-30|
    DE102014107037B3|2015-07-30|
    引用文献:
    公开号 | 申请日 | 公开日 | 申请人 | 专利标题
    DE102006057061A1|2006-12-04|2008-06-05|Böwe Systec AG|Method for controlling paper handling unit, involves determining predetermined interval characteristics, which are based on determined characteristics to determine whether deployed group fulfills predetermined criteria|
    US8118295B2|2009-10-23|2012-02-21|Pitney Bowes Inc.|Stitcher/stapler for binding multi-sheet collations and method of operating the same|DE102019105864B3|2019-03-07|2020-07-09|Böwe Systec Gmbh|Method for grouping sheet units belonging together in sheet groups and a grouping unit and a sheet handling system|
    法律状态:
    2019-01-31| PFA| Name/firm changed|Owner name: BOEWE SYSTEC GMBH, DE Free format text: FORMER OWNER: BOEWE SYSTEC AG, DE |
    优先权:
    申请号 | 申请日 | 专利标题
    DE102014107037.2A|DE102014107037B3|2014-05-19|2014-05-19|Method, apparatus and systems for processing a plurality of sheet-shaped documents|
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