TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a module for the printing, folding and insertion of a purchase order in an order preparation tray.

The invention particularly relates to such a module for the preparation of orders necessary to manufacture pairs of eyeglasses.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention particularly finds, but not only, application in the industrial field of manufacturing pairs of eyeglasses.

A pair of glasses comprises a frame and two lenses, sometimes also called glasses.

Each lens or glass is adapted to the eyesight of the patient and must be custom-built.

A lens manufacturer stores and manages several tens of thousands, and even several hundreds of thousands of possible combinations, i.e. as many lens references, and particularly finished lenses of which the convex surface and the concave surface are prepared for the mounting of pairs of eyeglasses.

In order to be able, in the fastest manner possible, to provide finished glasses to be sold to end users, distribution centres and laboratories have been created.

A distribution centre stores as many references as possible of finished lenses and delivers them as quickly as possible in the form of orders, for example to a local distribution centre, to a laboratory or to an optician.

A laboratory manufactures “tailored” lenses, generally from semi-finished lenses, but also on occasion from finished lenses that are kept in stock.

Various stakeholders, and in particular, opticians, send orders that must be prepared with the products stored in automated systems.

In particular, in the case of an “individual” order, an optician orders two lenses for the purpose of mounting a pair of glasses, comprising a corrective lens for the right eye and a corrective lens for the left eye that can then be mounted onto a frame, possibly provided to the optician by the same supplier from which the optician orders the lenses. Thus, as they exit the automated storage system, the right lens and the left lens must be paired, in a given order enabling to distinguish both eyes, for the purpose of preparing the required order.

Thus, there is a general significant problem with the automated preparation of orders to be shipped for the purpose of mounting each pair of eyeglasses, each order generally comprising at least one pair of finished and paired lenses for the patient’s eyesight, as well as often, an associated frame.

In order to ensure a high pace of order preparation during periods of increased demand, storage robots are associated with an installation for the automated selection and pairing of stored eyeglass lenses, in particular for the preparation of orders for the purpose of mounting pairs of eyeglasses.

From this operation, each pair of paired lenses is placed on an order preparation tray that comprises, for example, a pair of housings, each of which is designed to house one of the two paired lenses.

Each tray can also comprise another housing that can, for example, receive a spectacle frame paired with the pair of lenses contained in the other housings of the tray to form a complete order for the mounting of a pair of eyeglasses.

Each tray also comprises a housing in the shape of slot that opens vertically upwards and is provided to receive an identification label of the order, for the marking and identification of a given tray containing the paired components.

In a known manner, when an order is sent, order management software sends a print file of a purchase order that has various data and information relating, in particular, to the order number, the parts constituting the order, the operations to perform for the manufacturing of the pair of eyeglasses, the sender thereof, the recipient thereof, etc.

The purchase order is then printed by means of a printer on the front side of a sheet of paper, thereby constituting the purchase order.

This purchase order is then folded, manually or by means of a mechanical folding machine, also called a folder.

Finally, the printed and then folded purchase order is manually inserted in the reception slot of the associated tray.

The folding operation comprises the creation of at least one fold.

According to the adopted solution, the insertion of the purchase order can be done on an empty tray that is subsequently filled with the lenses and/or a spectacle frame, or in a tray already containing the components necessary for the preparation of an order as defined on the purchase order.

The manual steps for the folding and insertion of purchase orders require a lot of work. They are therefore long, expensive and prone to errors and, in particular, these operations are repetitive and arduous.

There is thus a need to be able to automatically print, fold and insert individually each purchase order, and preferably to arrange means for that purpose, perpendicular to a conveyor making it possible for the high- frequency circulation of order preparation trays.

Among the limitations for the embodiment of such a module, some are linked to the printers used which have a very slow printing speed, all particularly for the printing and output of the first sheet or page of each file to be printed.

For example, the printing of a first page can take from nine to ten seconds.

Yet, for the printing of successive purchase orders, each of which corresponds to a separate and individualised print file of a single page, this printing slowness is cumulated and multiplied by the number of purchase orders to be printed.

For a determined printer that outputs a page, for example through an output slot and along a mainly horizontal orientation, another crucial characteristic is the position of the front printed side of the page, that can be oriented upwards or downwards, this orientation having, as necessary, to be considered for the purpose of automating the subsequent folding and insertion steps of the sheet of paper“the right way up”.

There is thus a need for a module that is able to automatically and individually print, fold and insert each purchase order.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention proposes module for the individualised printing, folding and insertion of a purchase order in an associated order preparation tray, this module comprising successively:

- a unit for the supply of purchase orders, each of which is printed on at least the front side of a sheet of paper, which comprises an output of printed papers;

- a unit for the unitary transfer of each printed sheet of paper from said output to a folding unit;

- a unit for the folding of each transferred sheet of paper according to at least one fold; - a unit for the insertion of each folded sheet of paper in a reception slot belonging to an order preparation tray.

According to other characteristics of the module:

- it comprises an integrated folding and insertion station that comprises a folding knife that is mounted mobile, along a folding path that is orthogonal to the plane of the sheet of paper, between a retracted position and an active folding position;

- the integrated folding and insertion station comprises a folding gap wherein the folding knife introduces the sheet of paper during the folding motion thereof;

- the folding gap is formed between two adjacent folding rollers;

- the two adjacent folding rollers are motorised to pull the sheet of paper and to subsequently insert it in the reception slot belonging to an order preparation tray;

- the integrated folding and insertion station comprises a guiding slot, that is arranged downstream from said two rollers, for the folded sheet of paper;

- the folding knife is in the shape of a blade that is slidably received into the folding slot;

- the transfer unit comprises a conveyor belt for the longitudinal transfer of each sheet of paper to the front of the integrated folding and insertion station;

- the transfer unit comprises a plate for turning over the printed sheet of paper, that is arranged at the output of the unit supplying printed purchase orders;

- the turnover plate is mounted to pivot between a position whereby the printed sheet of paper is received and a position whereby the turned-over sheet of paper is deposited;

- the turnover plate is a turnover tray comprising an opening for the reception and release of a sheet of paper to be turned over;

-in a turned-over position whereby a sheet of paper is deposited, the turnover plate is arranged vertically above the transfer conveyor belt;

- the printed purchase order supply unit is a printer comprising a horizontal slot for the output of printed sheets of paper.

The invention also proposes an installation for the automated preparation of orders, characterised in that it comprises:

- a set of order preparation trays, each of which comprises at least one slot, which opens vertically upwards, for receiving a folded sheet of paper on which an order is printed; - a horizontal conveyor for the continuous supply of order preparation trays; and

- a module according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will appear upon reading the following detailed description for the understanding of which, reference will be made to the appended drawings, wherein:

- figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of an installation for the automated preparation of orders which comprises a module according to the invention;

- figure 2 is a perspective view of the printing, folding and insertion module illustrated in figure 1;

- figure 3 is a perspective and cross-sectional view via a vertical plane of the unit represented in figure 2,

- figure 4 is a perspective and larger-scale view of the main components of the integrated folding and insertion station of the module illustrated in figures 1 to 3;

- figure 5 is a cross-sectional view via a vertical plane and at a larger-scale view of the main components of the integrated folding and insertion station of the module illustrated in figures 1 to 3;

- figure 6 is a perspective view of the order preparation tray with a purchase order folded and inserted in the housing provided for that purpose.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following description, elements having identical structures or similar functions are named by the same references.

In the following description, in a non-limiting manner, the longitudinal, vertical and transversal orientations are designated by the “L, V, T” trihedron of the figures. A horizontal plane is thereby defined and extends longitudinally and transversally.

Figure 1 represents a part 10 of an installation for the automated preparation of orders, for example for the purpose of grouping a pair of paired eyeglass lenses and an associated frame.

This part of the installation in particular comprises a conveyor 12 to transfer trays P, each of which enables the preparation of an order. To this end, the transfer conveyor 12 comprises a transfer conveyor belt 14 which travels longitudinally from upstream to downstream in the direction F indicated in figure 1 and on which trays P are placed in a determined position.

A part of the installation comprises a module 20 according to the invention.

The module 20 is arranged laterally to one side 16 of the transfer conveyor belt with a part of the latter extending transversally and cantilevered on top of the transfer conveyor belt 14.

The module 20 according to the invention mainly constituted of a printer 22, a transfer unit 24 and an integrated folding and insertion station 26.

These three sub-assemblies are arranged transversally one after the other.

The printer 22 is fixed and can be of any known kind, such as for example a“laser” printer that prints files of which the first page is printed on the front side of a sheet of paper which, once printed, exits the printer 22 through a horizontal slot.

Thus, each printed sheet of paper (not represented) exits here mainly in a transversal and horizontal direction, the sheet of paper bending downwards as a result of the natural deformation thereof.

According to the type of printer, the first printed face of the sheet constituting the front thereof is here - without limitation - oriented vertically upwards.

In this case, as will be explained below, the transfer unit 24 comprises turnover means, mainly at 180°, of each printed sheet of paper exiting the printer, so that the front printed side thereof is oriented vertically downwards prior to the folding and insertion thereof.

The transfer unit 24 comprises, in particular, a transfer conveyor belt 30 that travels horizontally along a horizontal direction to transfer each printed sheet of paper exiting the printer 22 towards the folding and insertion station 26, i.e. mainly from left to right considering the figures 1 to 5.

The conveyor belt 30 here comprises a series of five adjacent carrying strips that are driven and guided by a pair of downstream 34 and upstream 36 rollers, the latter being the driving roller associated with a controlled electric motor 38.

The frame 40 which supports, in particular, the rollers 34 and 36 rotational ly carries an additional guiding and folding roller 42 which is arranged transversally at the front of the upstream roller 36. The upstream 36 and guiding and folding 42 rollers are adjacent to one another and delimit between them a folding gap 44 that extends longitudinally in a plane, in this case, vertical and parallel to the rotation axes of the rollers 36 and 42.

The guiding and folding roller 42 is rotational ly driven by the upstream roller 36 in the opposite direction and at the same speed, for example by means of non-represented gears.

As can be seen in figures 3 and 5, a guiding hood 46 is arranged above the guiding and folding roller 42 and comprises a curved downstream segment 48 for guiding towards the gap 44 and a horizontal upstream segment which is capable of receiving a portion of a sheet of paper.

The outer cylindrical surface of the upstream roller 32 is machined to delimit grooves, each of which houses one of the strips 32 that constitute the transfer conveyor belt 30.

This surface is made of a flexible material with which the strips 32 are flush.

Thus, the passage of a sheet of paper in the gap 44 occurs between two convex and near-continuous cylindrical surfaces and the fold that is produced on the sheet of paper during the passage thereof between the rollers is a regular and continuous fold over the entire length thereof.

The sheet folded in half with the two opposite halves thereof driven regularly and without offset by the abovementioned motorisation of the two rollers 36 and 42.

The lower part of an inner face 54 of a crossbar 52 of the frame 40 constitutes a transversal stop end with which a sheet of paper is likely to cooperate to define the folding and insertion position of the latter, which has been transported by the transfer conveyor belt 30.

In the design illustrated in the figures, to enable the turnover of each sheet of paper exiting the printer, the transfer unit 24 comprises a turnover plate 50 which is arranged at the output of the printer 22 so as to be able to turn over each sheet and then deposit it on the conveyor belt 30 with the front printed side thereof “placed” on the strips 32 of the conveyor belt 30.

The plate 50 is pivotally mounted in both directions about a horizontal axis 52 that is motorised by a driving unit 54.

The turnover plate 50 is represented in figures 2, 3 and 5 in a reception position of a printed sheet of paper exiting the slot 28 of the printer 22. In figure 1, the turnover plate 50 is represented in the “turned- over” position thereof, for depositing a sheet of paper on the conveyor belt.

The turnover plate 50 is here designed in the form of a hollow turnover tray, of which one end 56 is open and of which one end 58 is closed.

Thus, in the reception position, the open end 56 is arranged perpendicular to the output slot 28 of the printer 22 and a sheet of paper exiting the printer can freely enter inside the tray until it abuts by gravity against the closed end 58.

The turnover plate 50 is here equipped with a sensor 66 for detecting the presence of a sheet inside.

As can be seen in figure 1, after having pivoted by approximately 180°, the turnover plate is in an tilted position with the open end 56 thereof oriented downwards so as to enable the continuous evacuation of a sheet contained inside the tray by gravity, and the deposit thereof on the conveyor belt 30 to be transported to the integrated folding and insertion station 26.

As can be seen in figure 2, the flat wall of the plate - here oriented upwards - comprises a series of five notches 59 which correspond to the five strips or belts 32 of the transfer conveyor belt 30.

When the plate 50 is in the position whereby it deposits a sheet of paper on the transfer conveyor belt, the strips 32 are slightly nested in the notches 59, which can, as necessary, facilitate the exit of the sheet contained in the tray, the portion of which located perpendicular to the notches is in “forced” contact with the strips.

According to a variant non-represented, in order to facilitate the exit of a sheet out of the plate tray, it is possible to provide a compressed air jet to cause the detachment of the contained sheet of paper, for example when the paper is wet, etc.

The folding and insertion station 26 comprises a folding knife 60, the purpose of which here is to initiate the folding of a sheet of paper and the introduction thereof in the gap 44.

The folding knife 60 is presented in the form of a vertical flat blade that extends along the longitudinal direction and is carried and driven in a vertical motion in both directions by a controlled cylinder 64 carried centrally by a horizontal structure 68 of the frame 40.

The folding knife 60 is delimited vertically downwards by the active lower edge 61 thereof. The vertical plane wherein the folding knife 60 extends, is transversally aligned with the gap 44 described above, which is delimited between the rollers 36 and 42.

A guiding slot 62 of the folded sheet of paper is arranged vertically under the rollers 36 and 42 in transversal alignment with the gap 44 and the vertical plane wherein the folding knife 60 moves.

The slot 62 is a vertical and longitudinal orientation corridor which is transversally delimited by two horizontal bars 70 supported by the frame 40.

As can be seen in detail in figure 5, the slot 62 is aligned with the gap 44.

The slot 62 is bevelled in the upper edge thereof.

In a non-limiting manner, the transversal width of the folding slot 62 is slightly smaller than the thickness of a sheet of paper folded in half, but the material used for the peripheral surfaces of the rollers 36 and 42 is elastically deformable to ensure the passage of a folded sheet of paper in the slot 62 and to also guarantee that the sheet of paper is driven without slipping.

When a sheet of paper (not represented) is in a downstream position wherein it rests partially on the conveyor belt 30 and partially on the hood 46, the folding knife 60 is an elevated position, as illustrated, in particular in figure 5.

The cylinder 66 can thus cause the active motion of the knife 60, here in a vertical downwards direction.

With the active lower edge 61 thereof acting on the sheet of paper to be folded and inserted, the folding knife 60 starts creating the fold and - in the active low position thereof - it causes the introduction of the sheet of paper in the gap 44, thereby causing the downwards motion thereof between the rollers 36 and 42.

The continuity of the downwards motion is then ensured by the rollers 36 and 42 to fold the sheet of paper, which is inserted folded in an associated order preparation tray P, which is arranged underneath the guiding slot 62.

The paired and associated components for the preparation of an order are deposited directly on the open upper face of a tray P.

An example of the design of such trays P is particularly illustrated in figures 1, 3, 4 and 6.

Each tray P comprises a first pair of housings 72-G and 72-D, longitudinally adjacent, each of which is designed to receive a corresponding product. Thus, for example, considering the tray P located on the right most end in figure 12, the right housing 72-D is able to receive a right lens V-D, while the left housing 72-G is able to receive the left lens V-G, which is paired with the right lens V-D.

As a non-limiting example, each tray P here comprises a third adjacent housing 74 which can, for example, receive a spectacle frame paired with the pair of lenses contained in the other housings 72D and 72G of the tray P to form a complete order for the mounting of a pair of eyeglasses.

Along the longitudinal side thereof facing the compartments 72-

D and 72-G, each tray P comprises a longitudinal slot 76 open upwards and constituting a housing capable of receiving a folded and printed purchase order BC as indicated previously and as illustrated in figure 6.

In a determined position on the conveyor belt 14 of the transport conveyor 12, the slot 76 for the reception of a purchase order BC is oriented longitudinally, and the tray P is positioned transversally such that, when the tray is stopped or immobilised perpendicular to the integrated folding and insertion station, the slot 76 is transversally aligned with the folding slot 62.

Finally, each tray P comprising the purchase order BC thereof - inserted and visible from the outside as seen in figure 6 - is then evacuated by the transfer conveyor 12 out of the module 20.