Packing pocket

Abstract

A packing pocket for a device for inserting material into envelopes for sliding the envelope contents into an envelope. The packing pocket includes a mid-line (M) in relation to a transport direction of the envelope, as well as a number of slats which are parallel to the mid-line (M), and which are arranged on a plane (K) together with a flap guide. The slats are mounted on the device for inserting material into envelopes, on a mounting rail or on an adjustment rail. One or more slats are associated with a sheet guide arranged at a distance from the flap guide. In addition, the sheet guide is arranged in a spring-like manner in relation to the flap guide in a region of the packing pocket that is upstream of the envelope supply.

Claims

1. A packing pocket (9) for an inserting system (1), wherein the packing pocket (9) comprises: a plurality of slats (28) extending in a direction parallel to a mid-line M, the mid-line M corresponding to a transport direction of envelopes, each slat (28) including a flap guide (13) extending in a plane K, wherein at least one of the slats (28) is configured to be mounted on the inserting system (1), on a mounting rail (15), on an adjustment rail (35), or at least on a mounting stop, and a sheet guide (30) extending in a direction parallel to the mid-line M, wherein a first end of the sheet guide (30) is spaced from a first end of the plurality of slats (28) to define an opening for receiving envelope contents (5) and a second end of the sheet guide (3) is resiliently biased in contact with a distal end of the flap guide (13), characterized in that the at least one of the slats (28) configured to be mounted on the inserting system is designed to be mounted in such a way to the inserting system (1), that the at least one of the slats (28) does not have to be moved during an inserting operation, wherefore the first end of the sheet guide (30) is fixedly connected to the at least one of the slats (28), or to the mounting rail (15), or to the adjustment rail (35) or at least to one stop or to the inserting system (1).

2. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that the biasing of the sheet guide (30) to the flap guide (13) is adjusted such that a speed of supply of envelope contents (5) is maintained for envelope contents of different thickness.

3. The packing pocket according to a claim 1, characterized in that the sheet guide (30) is a spring.

4. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheet guide (30) extends at an angle relative to the flap guide (13).

5. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that the second end of the sheet guide (30) touches an inner side of the flap guide (13) of the at least one of the slats (28).

6. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that the packing pocket (9) comprises a spring which biases the second end of the sheet guide (30) toward the distal end of the flap guide (13).

7. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that the slats (28) are mounted separately from one another and the packing pocket (9) has adjusting means (31) for displacing outer side slats (28), which are on the outside relative to the mid-line M, in order to displace these in parallel to the mid-line M.

8. The packing pocket according to claim 7, characterized in that the adjusting means (31) comprise electrical and/or mechanical means.

9. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one inner slat (28) is arranged in a stationary manner between outer slats (28).

10. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that outer slats (28) are at least partially closed on a respective outer side surface.

11. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that outer slats (28) form at least partially a U-shaped profile with an outwardly directed base, so that envelope contents (5) are guided on both sides of the packing pocket by the U-shaped profile.

12. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one inner slat (28) is open on both side surfaces.

13. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that the flap guide (13) is mounted on the inserting system (1), on a mounting rail (15) or on an adjustment rail (35).

14. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that to at least outer slats (28) a sheet guide (30) is assigned, which is at a distance from the flap guide (13).

15. The packing pocket according to claim 1, characterized in that to at least one inner slat (28) a sheet guide (30) is assigned, which is at a distance from the flap guide (13).

16. The packing pocket according to claim 1, for an inserting system (1) for inserting the envelope contents (5) into an envelope (2), wherein the inserting system (1) comprises a holder (6) for empty envelopes, a flap opener (7) for opening an envelope flap (3) of the envelope (2), transport elements (8) for transporting the envelopes (2) from the holder (6) to the packing pocket (9) on which the envelopes (2) are filled, a supply device (10) for supplying the envelope contents (5) to the packing pocket and into the packing pocket (9), and onward transport elements (11) for the onward conveying of the filled envelope (2), and the inserting system (1) further comprises at least one of the following features: the mounting rail (15), the adjustment rail (35), the stop.

17. A method for filling a packing pocket according to claim 1, wherein an envelope (2) with an open envelope flap (3) in front is transported to the packing pocket (9) and the envelope contents (5) are supplied to the packing pocket (9) by means of a supply device (10), wherein the envelope (2) is filled and then onward transport elements (11) convey the filled envelope onward, whereby the envelope contents (5) are guided into the packing pocket (9) wherein the envelope contents (5) are spring-biased toward the flap guide (13) by the sheet guide (30), at least in a front region in relation to the envelope supply, characterized in that the envelope contents (5) do not touch the envelope (3) until in the region of a front edge (53) of the packing pocket and the at least one of the slats (28) is not moved during the inserting operation.

18. The method for filling a packing pocket according to claim 17, characterized in that the envelope contents (5) are biased at least by two sheet guides (30) which are assigned respectively to outer slats (28).

19. The method for filling a packing pocket according to claim 17, characterized in that the envelope contents (5) are biased at least by one sheet guide (30), which is assigned to an inner slat (28).

20. The method for filling a packing pocket according to claim 17, characterized in that the envelope contents (5) are additionally guided by at least partially closed outer side surfaces of outer slats (28).

Description

(1) The principle of the present invention as well as various examples of possible embodiments will be discussed below with reference to the figures.

(2) In the figures:

(3) FIG. 1 shows a diagram of an inserting system having a packing pocket;

(4) FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the pulling of an envelope onto the packing pocket;

(5) FIG. 3 shows a 3D view of a packing pocket;

(6) FIG. 4 shows a rear view of a packing pocket;

(7) FIG. 5 shows a slat.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a diagram of an inserting device with envelopes being supplied from above. The envelopes, which are stored in a holder 6 for empty envelopes with the flap downward in the transport direction, are transported, after being opened by a flap opener 7 which comprises for example an opener claw 25, with the opened flap at the front by at least one transport element 8 in the direction of the packing pocket 9. For pulling onto the packing pocket, the envelope 2 is aligned with the packing pocket 9 by the funnel 12. The funnel 12 and the opening cones 27 help during the opening of the envelope 2 in order to pull the latter more easily onto the packing pocket. Once the envelope has been pulled on, said envelope is filled with the envelope contents 5 which are supplied via the supply device 10. Then, preferably without interrupting the movement of the envelope contents 5, the envelope is transferred by at least one insertion finger 26, which guides the envelope and the contents into the region of the funnel, to the onward transport elements 11 and is transported away.

(9) FIG. 2 shows a functional diagram of the envelope being pulled on, using the example of an inserting system supplying from above. Once the envelope 2 has been supplied, with the envelope flap 3 at the front, between a pair of rollers rotating in opposite directions, here a driven transport roller 20 and the counter-roller 21, which is biased against the transport roller 20, to the flap guide side of the packing pocket 9 through a funnel 12 at a transport angle (Wt), the flap side of the envelope is pushed further onto the flap guide until it is gripped, in the manner shown, by a, in the present case, lowerable pulling roller 14 and is pulled onto the packing pocket. During this, the transport angle Wt and the transport plane T can be shifted by moving the funnel in the direction of the plane K, for example as shown at Wt or WT and T.

(10) If the flap guide side of the flap guide is completely planar, it is completely included by the plane K. Usually, however, the surface of the flap guide side is also formed by ribs or other elements on the spaced-apart slats. These elements may also pass through the plane K. By way of example, ribs 33 which rise at an angle toward the rear at least in a partial region and which are intended to lift the front edge of the envelope flap and thus the entire flap, so that the finger of the supply device can pass through below the latter while itself extending over the flap guide plane K of the packing pocket, may be provided on the packing pocket in a region in the vicinity of or at the front edge of the packing pocket, as shown in FIG. 3. The finger in this case protrudes upward just out of the packing pocket plane so that no document is lost in the packing pocket. In this case, the flap guide side and the plane K are preferably oriented substantially horizontally.

(11) By moving the funnel 12 as the envelope passes through, easy opening of the envelope 2 is made possible, and this can be further assisted by cones 27, shown here in dashed line, which are mounted in a region to the side of the front edge of the packing pocket. Advantageously, the movement of the funnel from a first position to a second position will be completed immediately before or during the placement of the flap tip onto the flap guide side, until the foremost edge of the packing pocket 9 has been passed by the flap fold 4, that is to say in the region of approximately one flap length l.

(12) During the pulling-on of the envelope 2, for example by means of pulling rollers 14 which are lowered in synchronism with the movement of the envelope, the envelope contents 5 are pushed through the packing pocket 9 into the envelope 2 by the supply device 10, which comprises for example at least one finger 26, which is attached to a toothed belt or a chain, and a supply drive 32. The substantially closed design of the packing pocket according to the invention prevents the envelope contents 5 from touching the envelope 2 during this. Only when the envelope bottom arrives in the region of the front edge of the packing pocket does contact occur for the first time between the envelope contents and the envelope, whereby the envelope contents push the envelope away from the packing pocket. Then, after the pulling roller 14 has been raised away from the envelope that has been pulled on and then packed, the envelope is moved by the finger 26 in the direction of the onward transport elements, for example the segment 23 which cooperates with the transport roller 20 and/or a separate onward transport roller 22.

(13) Alternatively, the pulling roller 14 may also first be operated in the onward transport direction opposite to the pulling-on direction, in order to accelerate the envelope to the speed of the continuously supplied envelope contents, as a result of which for example even particularly thin or delicate envelopes can be filled without reducing the speed of the envelope contents passing through into the packing pocket or without having to slow said contents too greatly or at all. By means of the onward transport elements 11, 20, 23, the envelope is preferably conveyed onward at a downwardly directed flat onward transport angle Wa in order to avoid any slipping-out or sliding of the envelope contents 5.

(14) Such a downwardly directed onward transport angle is also advantageous in the case of an inserting system supplied with envelopes from below, in which the packing pocket 9 is mounted inversely, that is to say with the outer flap guide side of the flap guide 13 directed downward. The envelope can then likewise be supplied the other way round (flap downward).

(15) FIG. 3 shows an adjustable packing pocket according to the invention, which can be used with very different inserting systems if these are to be configured in a flexible manner with regard to the envelope blanks and with regard to the packing size, in particular with regard to the thickness of the envelope contents. According to the exemplary embodiment shown therein, three so-called slats 28 are mounted on or below a mounting rail 15, here preferably an adjustment rail 35. While the (in this case one) inner slat 28 is attached in a stationary manner to the mounting rail or adjustment rail, the outer slats 28 can be moved transversely to the transport direction or onward transport direction in order thus to be able to set the packing pocket 9 in an optimal manner to different envelope widths. In the present example, the setting of the width is carried out by way of a manually operated adjusting spindle 31, but this can also be provided in an automatic manner, for example in an electrically driven manner. For flexibly attaching such a packing pocket 9 to the inserting system 1, a mounting stop 36 is provided here.

(16) FIG. 4 shows a rear view of the packing pocket 9 shown in FIG. 3. Here, it is additionally also possible to see auxiliary surfaces 34 which are arranged upstream of the inner guide surfaces of the individual slats in the direction of supply of the envelope contents, so as to enable easier insertion of the contents into the packing pocket 9. In order to ensure that the envelope 2 is pulled onto the packing pocket 9 as reliably as possible, the side slats 28 as shown in FIG. 3 may be designed to project inward, toward the stationary inner slat or the mid-line M, in the region of the free front edge 53 facing toward the transport plane or onward transport plane. The outer side surfaces of the slats 28 are at least partially closed in order to laterally guide the envelope contents 5 and prevent the envelope contents from touching the envelope before the insertion operation is complete.

(17) FIG. 5 shows by way of example the side view of an outer slat 28 as seen from the inside. The flap guide 13, as shown here at the top, and the sheet guide 30, shown at the bottom, are both provided with an auxiliary surface 34 in the direction of the supply device 10. The side slat 28 comprises a slat base 37, which can be produced for example as a one-piece bracket with the flap guide 13, in order to increase the stability of the packing pocket.

(18) At the slat base 37, the sheet guide 30 may be attached in the rear region to a spring stop 38. The sheet guide 30, which is made of a flexible material, is inclined at an angle relative to the inner surface of the flap guide, so that in the front region it ends in the direct vicinity of the flap guide or even bears against the latter. Only by inserting the envelope contents is the sheet guide 30 pressed downward and exposes the route into the envelope or in the onward transport direction. As a result, even envelope contents which differ in terms of their thickness can be reliably supplied at the same speed. The maximum thickness of the envelope contents is defined in this case by a distance z, in the rear region, between the inner guide surfaces of the flap guide 13 and of the sheet guides 30.

(19) Alternatively, the slat 28 may be designed at least partially as a U-shaped profile with an outwardly directed base, so that the envelope contents are guided and/or supported by the outer slats through the U-shaped profile. The lower part of the U-shaped profile here may be designed for example as a sprung hinge which raises the envelope contents toward the flap guide.

(20) The design of an inner slat 28 may be selected to be similar to that of the outer slat 28, wherein here advantageously the sheet guide 30 and the flap guide 13 are mounted separately on the inserting device or corresponding mounting rails or stops.

(21) As already mentioned, in the case of an inserting system being supplied from below, the packing pocket or the slats of the packing pocket are mounted inversely, that is to say with the flap guide downward. In this case, too, the flap guide plane K may be identical to the horizontal plane, and in this case the rib 33 projects downward from the horizontal plane or the surface of the packing pocket and at least in a partial region runs in manner inclined upward toward the rear.

(22) Although individual aspects of the invention have been shown above in different exemplary embodiments, the individual aspects can readily be combined with one another within the scope of the routine knowledge of a person skilled in the art, provided that they do not rule one another out in a manner that is readily obvious to a person skilled in the art. Further embodiments will become apparent from the present disclosure and from the general knowledge of the person skilled in the art in respect of inserting and packing systems.

(23) Envelopes having a flap that has already been opened can also be supplied. This provides the possibility of producing the envelopes inline, that is to say folding and gluing said envelopes beforehand from a paper web, and/or printing envelopes with an open flap, since in this way, with only one-sided printing, once the flap has been closed a portion of the rear side of the closed envelope (specifically the flap) has also been printed. In this case, the envelopes can be supplied to the system directly with an open flap, without the flap first having to be opened within the inserting system.

LIST OF REFERENCES

(24) 1 inserting system 2 envelope 3 envelope flap 4 flap fold 5 envelope contents 6 holder for empty envelopes 7 flap opener 8 transport elements 9 packing pocket 10 supply device 11 onward transport elements 12 funnel 13 flap guide, flap guide side 14 pulling means, pulling roller 15 mounting rail 16 synchronizing means 17 guide cam/cam lobe 18 angle profile 19 funnel base 20 transport roller 21 counter-roller 22 onward transport roller 23 further onward transport element, segment 25 opener claw 26 finger 27 cone 28 slat 28 outer slat 28 inner slat 29 outer side surface of the slat 30 sheet guide 31 adjusting means, adjusting spindle 32 supply drive 33 rib 34 auxiliary surface 35 adjustment rail 36 mounting stop 37 slat base 38 spring stop 53 front edge of packing pocket l flap length z maximum thickness of envelope contents M mid-line T, T transport plane of the envelopes K plane that includes the flap guide side Wa onward transport angle Wt, Wt transport angle