Page turning apparatus with a vacuum plenum and an adaptive air fluffer
AssigneeKirtas Technologies, Inc.
InventorLotfi Belkhir
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for the turning of pages of a bound book, comprising a fixture to hold the book, a paper fluffer for blowing air between individual pages of the held book and displacing at least a top page of the held book upwardly, and an air plenum positioned above the top page of the book for grasping and turning the top page by application of a vacuum to the top page.
Claims19
A page turning apparatus for turning at least a top page of a stack of pages in a book, wherein said pages are bound along an edge thereof, comprising:
- a) means for holding said book;
- and
- b) an air plenum, positioned above said top page, for picking up said top page when a vacuum is applied to said plenum;
- and
- c) means for moving said air plenum, between a first page location and a second page location so that said top page is turned.
A page turning apparatus for turning at least a top page of a stack of pages in a book, wherein said pages are bound along an edge thereof, comprising:
- a) means for holding said book;
- b) a paper fluffer for blowing air between individual pages of said book to assist in the separation thereof;
- and
- c) an air plenum, positioned above said top page of said book, for picking up said page when a vacuum is applied to said plenum, said plenum further comprising:
- (1) means for adjusting air flow between said individual pages;
- (2) a corrugated surface for contacting at least a portion of said top page, wherein said corrugated surface includes a combination of varying sized ribs to reduce bonding forces between said top page and subsequent page surfaces thereby separating pages;
- and
- (3) a flexible seal, disposed around the perimeter of said air plenum wherein said flexible seal is contoured to engage said top page as said top page progressively corrugates.
A method for automatically turning the top page of an open book, comprising the steps of:
- a) supporting said book in an open position;
- b) moving an air plenum into proximity with a top page of said book;
- c) applying a vacuum to said air plenum so as to cause at least said top page to be attracted thereto;
- d) moving said air plenum from a first position in proximity to said top page to a second position toward an opposite page;
- and
- e) releasing said vacuum to said air plenum so as to cause said top page to fall to a position on top of said opposite page, thereby turning said top page.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.