System and method for heat assisted saddle finisher folding
AssigneeToshiba Tec Kabushiki
InventorsWilliam M. Connors, Michael W. Lawrence, Brad W. Towe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system and method for assembling booklets in document finishers such as saddle staplers includes first and second opposed rollers configured to receive an edge of a stapled crease of a stack of printed documents. The rollers apply both heat and pressure to the crease to form a tight fold. A second set of rollers provides further heat and pressure to the fold to increase tightness even further. Pressure and temperature of one or both roller sets is controllable to accommodate paper stacks having different numbers of pages or different paper characteristics.
Claims20
A saddle folder comprising:
- a first set of heated rollers having parallel axes and configured to form a nip section therebetween;
- the nip section configured receive paper at a central crease thereof;
- a first motor drive configured to cooperatively rotate the first set of heated rollers to move received paper through the first set of heated rollers to form a paper fold at the central crease;
- a controller configured to control operation of the first motor drive;
- a second heated roller having an axis, wherein the axes of the first set of rollers are substantially perpendicular to the axis of the second roller, and wherein the second roller is positioned so as to contact the paper fold after exiting the nip section;
- and
- a second motor drive configured to move the second roller along the paper fold,
- wherein the controller is further configured to control operation of the second motor drive.
A method comprising:
- receiving paper, at a central crease thereof, into a nip formed by a first set of aligned heated rollers having parallel axes;
- cooperatively rotating the first set of heated rollers to move received paper through the first set of heated rollers to form a paper fold at the central crease;
- receiving the paper into a second heated roller having a parallel axis, wherein the axes of the first set of rollers are substantially perpendicular to the axis of the second roller, and wherein the second roller is positioned so as to contact the paper fold after exiting the nip section;
- and
- moving the second roller along the fold.
A saddle folder comprising:
- a first set of heated rollers having parallel axes and configured to form a nip section therebetween;
- the nip section configured receive paper at a central crease thereof;
- a first motor drive configured to cooperatively rotate the first set of heated rollers to move received paper through the first set of heated rollers to form a paper fold at the central crease;
- and
- a controller configured to control operation of the first motor drive;
- wherein the controller is further configured to engage a heater element associated with the first set of heated rollers prior to receipt of paper at the nip section and to disengage the heater element when the paper fold passes an exit nip section of the first set of rollers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.