A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OPENING AN ENVELOPE FLAP

摘要

A system and method of opening envelope flaps. A method includes: (a) revolving a gripper drum; conveying envelopes in seriatim upon the periphery of the gripper drum in flap-up orientation with flap edge trailing; rotating a rotor that is disposed in the vicinity of the periphery of the gripper drum in a direction of rotation that is the opposite of the direction of rotation of the gripper drum, the rotor including at least one sucker cup extending from the periphery thereof; valuing vacuum to the sucker cup while the sucker cup is oriented toward the gripper drum; attracting and grabbing an envelope flap by the sucker cup during the step of valuing; opening and unfolding the envelope flap by the action of the sucker cup; releasing the envelope flap subsequent to the step of valuing; intercepting the envelope flap by a plow device during the step of opening and unfolding, the step of intercepting including the steps of checking proper flap opening and detecting the absence of envelopes at times when envelopes should be present, the steps of checking and sensing being effected by a photo sensor included in the plow device; and further unfolding the envelope flap with the plow device; wherein the steps of conveying, rotating, and valuing are effected in a mutually- synchronized phased manner with respect to one another so that the sucker cup receives vacuum valued thereto and reaches an envelope flap while the flap of an envelope being conveyed upon the gripper drum is substantially vicinally disposed with respect to the rotor.