TECHNICAL FIELD This presented invention refers to a device for producing a bond between two or several paper sheets. The device is unsophisticated, makes use of the technique of embossing and can be manufactured at low cost. Joining of documents along one edge using the device according to this patent application can replace the use of paper clips, paper staples or the like.

As well at an office job as at home environment there is often a need for sending information via e. g. postal distribution. The device may be used to seal paper sheets and documents in something similar to an envelope by joining the papers along one or several edges of the folded or unfolded documents. The need for stock keeping of prefabricated envelopes is thus removed. Paper sheets of the same quality as is normally used for print out can be used.

The intention is that the innovation due to its flexible usage and its low cost may be seen at everybody's writing desk and in everybody's home in the same way as a stapler.

As the IT-growth has led to a situation where it is common that a printer of some kind is connected to a computer one application of the invention can be an integration of the device into the printer, which already has a frame, power supply and an attractive design etc. The increase in price will in this case be quite small, but the functionality will increase all the more.

Other examples of frequent occurring office machines are e. g. franking machines where the device also can be integrated.

Background Art In its basic principle the method to join papers according to this patent application is known but its use to produce document covers/envelopes is new and patent applications for this has only been applied for in SE 9803625-6 and SE 0004205-1.

Papers forming front and back of a cover or envelopes are joined by embossing and this embossing may be carried out in several different ways as e. g.: by means of a pair of wheels with cogs of appropriate shaping which, when the papers are passing between the wheels, are embossing the papers in an embossing joint or by one wheel with cogs acting against a rack with corresponding cogs and then embosses the papers in an embossing joint or with the aid of two racks, with correspondingly shaped cogs, embosses the paper joint in one operation. This process is fast but requires on the other hand a high compression pressure.

Common to all processes above is that paper is deformed into a permanent adhesion at the embossing process and that the joint can be given a suitable appearance e. g. be straight or curved, continuos or split up into sectors, be one single joint or several beside each other.

The joint can be combined with e. g. a perforation in order to obtain a strippable margin and the joint can be optimised to its strength by the use of paper with an appropriate fibre direction.

An aim with this invention is therefor to create a simple device for production of document covers/envelopes with the use of anyone of these methods or assumptions or for joining of documents along an edge. The device may be designed as a device with motor operation or as a manually operated device. A comprehensive goal is to create a device at a low cost with which document covers/envelopes can be produced at cost

significantly below the price for factory-made envelopes and which simultaneously may constitute a device, readily available, for"stapling together"associated documents.

The device according to this patent application constitutes at the same time a non-polluting alternative to current sealing methods using glue, gumming or self adhesive plastics for the sealing operation.

Outline of the Invention According to this invention two or more documents are joined together with a device where folded or non-folded papers are joined in an embossing process along one or two edges to shape a document cover/envelope or joined along one edge to constitute a coherent packet. A single document can be folded and then sealed.

The device in either a motor operated version or as a manually operated version is more exactly described in connection with the figures in the sector below.

Disclosure of Invention Figure 1 shows the fundamental design of an electric motor driven device intended for sealing of a folded single paper or two or more papers along one edge at a time.

Figure 2 shows a corresponding fundamental design intended for manual operation.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view in longitudinal direction of the device according to figure 1 to show the structural members incorporated in the device.

Figure 4 shows a folded document before and after the sealing process in the device.

Figure 5 shows a fundamental application where the device is enclosed in an office machine e. g. a printer.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention Figure 1 shows the fundamental operation when a folded document (3) enters the actual slot (2) in the device and is guided onwards for sealing between the interacting embossing wheels (4), shown in figure 3.

Figure 3 shows the main principal components needed for the function of the device according to the patent application.

When the folded document is guided along the slot (2) it first reaches the optical sensor (5) which senses that the document has reached the area of the embossing wheels and starts the wheels.

The embossing wheels (4) are driven by a small electric motor (6) with an appertaining gear (7) and a countershaft transmission (8) for transmission of the driving power to the embossing wheels (4).

The embossing wheels (4) in figure 3 can be of different configuration and e. g. made for single row embossing or for double row embossing. The design (shaping) of the embossing wheels decides to a large extent the strength of the seal.

The optical sensor (5) (Slotted Opto Switch) starts the electric motor when the document enters the switch area and switches off the power when the end of the document has passed the sensor whereupon the motor runs a while until the document has passed the embossing wheels. As an alternative the device can be equipped with a second sensor which switches off the power when the sealed document has passed the embossing wheels.

The electronics unit (10) supplies the motor (6) and the opto sensor (5) with power.

As an alternative all electronics may be substituted by switches that switches the motor on and off.

In the manually operated design which, in a fundamental design, is shown in figure 2 the motor and electronics unit has been excluded and been replaced by an ordinary crank (l l) which turns the lower embossing wheel during the sealing operation.

With a simple mechanism the embossing wheels may be separated thus releasing the paper.

In this way the paper may be applied or released at any desired point of the paper.

Figure 4 shows a folded document before and after the sealing operation. The sealing embossing (12) may have differing shaping as e. g. a one row embossing or as double rows embossing. The embossing seals (12) can be supplemented with line punching (13) inside the embossing seal in order to facilitate opening of the sealed document by tearing off.

Figure 5 shows a fundamental design where (14) represents e. g. a printer to a computer and (15) is the slot along which the document to be sealed is guided through the device which is positioned under the printer cover.

Envelope and document sizes are not limiting but the device may in principle be used with all sizes.

The invention is furthermore not limited to the shapes shown as examples above but may within wide limits be extended within the frame of subsequent patent claims.