JP3811076B2 - Paper processing apparatus and image forming system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is provided integrally or separately in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a printing machine, and performs predetermined processing, such as sorting, stacking, binding, and saddle stitching, on an image-formed sheet (recording medium). The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that performs bookbinding and discharges paper, and an image forming system including the sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Post-processing devices such as copying machines and printers, which are arranged downstream of image forming (output) devices and are bound to output recording paper, are widely known. In addition to the end face binding, one that can also perform saddle stitching has been proposed. Among those that can perform such saddle stitching processing, there are some that also have a function of folding and binding from the saddle stitching portion.
[0003]
The bookbinding is simply bound and folded, but with a bookbinding function, the folding process is performed by one or more pairs of folding rollers called folding rollers. Many. At that time, in order to make a crease, a plate-like member called a fold plate is brought into contact with the binding position of the sheet bundle, pushed into the nip of the folding roller, and a crease is made at this nip.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In this way, when a sheet is pushed into the nip of the folding roller with the folding plate, it is necessary to position the sheet at a position facing the pair of folding rollers. Therefore, when the folding roller is pushed in by the folding roller as described above, the folding roller in the previous stage is exposed to the sheet conveyance path, and the sheet bundle needs to pass through the position where the folding roller is exposed once. At that time, if the thickness of the sheet bundle is relatively large, the leading end of the sheet in the sheet bundle located on the folding roller side may come into contact with the roller or be caught by the roller, and the leading end of the sheet may be folded.
[0005]
Therefore, conventionally, a means for preventing the sheet bundle from coming into contact with the roller, for example, a shutter or the like is provided so that the leading edge of the sheet does not come into contact with the roller at the time of carrying in the sheet, and when it reaches a predetermined position. The shutter was opened and the folding operation was performed.
[0006]
However, if such a movable member is provided in the conveyance path, it is necessary to install a movable mechanism in the vicinity of the conveyance path, the apparatus must be increased in size, and is in sliding contact with the paper surface during the shutter operation. As a result, the quality of the image formed on the paper may be impaired.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of such a state of the art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a high-quality folding process that prevents tip-breaking and performs high-quality folding without providing a special member such as a shutter. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus capable of performing center folding and bookbinding and an image forming system including such a sheet processing apparatus.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the first means is a paper processing apparatus having a folding means for performing a folding process on the paper after image formation, while the folding means passes through the nip of a pair of rollers. A folding roller that folds the sheet, a driving unit that rotationally drives the folding roller, and a control unit that controls the driving of the driving unit. The direction of rotation is switched between when the paper is guided to a predetermined position on the transport path. According to the first means, it is possible to prevent the leading edge of the sheet from being folded only by controlling the rotation direction of the folding roller.
[0009]
The second means is characterized in that in the first means, there is an adjusting means for adjusting a position pushed by the folding roller, and the predetermined position is set by the adjusting means. According to the second means, the middle folding is executed at a predetermined position set by the adjusting means. At that time, since the leading edge of the paper is not broken, high-quality simple bookbinding is possible.
[0010]
The third means includes a first paper discharge path for discharging the paper bundle bound by the binding means as it is in the first or second means, and a branch from the first paper discharge path. A sheet bundle deflecting unit that deflects the sheet bundle to the conveyance path and a second sheet discharge path that discharges the sheet bundle folded by the folding roller through the conveyance path. To do. According to the third means, it is possible to separate and discharge the sheet bundle that is folded in half after the bound sheet bundle is bound. At that time, since the sheet bundle is deflected by the sheet bundle deflecting means, a mechanism for the folding process can be arranged efficiently and the size can be reduced.
[0011]
The fourth means includes a paper processing apparatus according to the first to third means, an image forming means for forming an image on the paper based on the input image information, and a paper feed for supplying the paper to the image forming means. And an image forming system including the image forming apparatus. The image forming system is configured to perform processing on the sheet discharged from the image forming unit or the image forming apparatus. According to the fourth means, the effect of the sheet processing apparatus in the first to third means can be achieved also in an image forming system in which the image forming apparatus is provided integrally with or separately from the sheet processing apparatus.
[0012]
In the following embodiments, the drive means is the folding rotor drive motor, the control means is the CPU, the adjustment means is the movable rear end fence 73, the first discharge path is the shift tray discharge section I, the second The sheet discharge path corresponds to the conveyance path H to the lower tray 302, and the sheet bundle deflecting means corresponds to the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55, respectively.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0014]
1. Mechanical configuration
1.1 Overall configuration
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an image forming system including a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus as a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. Part of the device is shown.
[0015]
In FIG. 1, a sheet post-processing apparatus PD is attached to a side portion of the image forming apparatus PR, and a recording medium discharged from the image forming apparatus PR, here, a sheet is guided to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD. The sheet passes through a conveyance path A having post-processing means (in this embodiment, a punch unit 100 as a punching means) for post-processing one sheet, and then to the conveyance path B and the shift tray 202 which are led to the upper tray 201. The branching claw 15 and the branching claw 16 are configured to distribute to the conveyance path C that leads to the conveyance path D that leads to the conveyance path C that guides and the processing tray F that performs alignment and stapling (hereinafter also referred to as a staple processing tray).
[0016]
The paper guided to the staple processing tray F through the transport paths A and D, and aligned and stapled in the staple processing tray is guided to the shift tray 202 by the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 which are deflecting means. The sheet is configured to be distributed to a path C, a processing tray G that performs folding or the like (hereinafter also referred to as a middle folding processing tray). Led to. Further, a branching claw 17 is disposed in the conveyance path D, and is held in the state shown in the figure by a low load spring (not shown). After the trailing edge of the sheet passes through this, the conveyance rollers 9, 10 and the staple discharge roller 11 is configured such that at least the transport roller 9 is reversed to guide and stay at the rear end to the paper storage unit E, and can be transported while superposed on the next paper. By repeating this operation, it is possible to convey two or more sheets in a superimposed manner.
[0017]
In the conveyance path A common to the upstream of the conveyance path B, the conveyance path C, and the conveyance path D, an inlet sensor 301 that detects a sheet received from the image forming apparatus, an inlet roller 1, a punch unit 100, and a punch downstream thereof. The waste hopper 101, the conveying roller 2, the branching claw 15 and the branching claw 16 are sequentially arranged. The branch claw 15 and the branch claw 16 are held in the state shown in FIG. 1 by a spring (not shown), and when the solenoid (not shown) is turned on, the branch claw 15 rotates upward and the branch claw 16 rotates downward. The paper is distributed to the conveyance path B, the conveyance path C, and the conveyance path D.
[0018]
When guiding the paper to the conveyance path B, the branching claw 15 is in the state of FIG. 1 and the solenoid is OFF. When guiding the paper to the conveyance path C, the branching claw 15 is turned on by turning on the solenoid from the state of FIG. When the paper is guided to the transport path D, the branch claw 16 is in the state of FIG. 1, the solenoid is OFF, and the branch claw 15 is in the state of FIG. By turning on the solenoid, the solenoid is turned upward.
[0019]
In this paper post-processing apparatus, punching (punching unit 100), paper alignment + edge binding (jogger fence 53, edge binding stapler S1), paper alignment + saddle stitching (jogger fence 53, saddle stitching stapler) is performed on the paper. S2), paper sorting (shift tray 202), center folding (folding plate 74, folding rollers 81, 82), and the like can be performed.
[0020]
1.2 Shift tray section
The shift tray paper discharge unit I located at the most downstream portion of the paper post-processing device PD includes a shift paper discharge roller 6, a return roller 13, a paper surface detection sensor 330, a shift tray 202, and a shift mechanism shown in FIG. J and a shift tray lifting mechanism K shown in FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part showing details of the shift mechanism J, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of the shift tray lifting mechanism K.
[0021]
1 and 3, reference numeral 13 denotes a sponge roller for contacting the paper discharged from the shift paper discharge roller 6 and aligning the rear end of the paper against the end fence 32 shown in FIG. The return roller 13 is rotated by the rotational force of the shift paper discharge roller 6. A tray lift limit switch 333 is provided in the vicinity of the return roller 13, and when the shift tray 202 is lifted to push up the return roller 13, the tray lift limit switch 333 is turned on and the tray lifting / lowering motor 168 is stopped. Thereby, overrun of the shift tray 202 is prevented. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a paper surface detection sensor 330 is provided in the vicinity of the return roller 13 as paper surface position detecting means for detecting the paper surface position of the paper discharged on the shift tray 202 or the sheet bundle. Yes.
[0022]
Although not shown in detail in FIG. 1, the paper surface detection sensor 330 includes the paper surface detection lever 30 shown in FIG. 3, a paper surface detection sensor (for stippling) 330a, and a paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b. Yes. The paper surface detection lever 30 is provided so as to be rotatable about the shaft portion of the lever, and includes a contact portion 30 a that contacts the upper surface of the rear end of the paper loaded on the shift tray 202 and a fan-shaped shielding portion 30 b. The paper surface detection sensor (for stippling) 330a located above is mainly used for staple discharge control, and the paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b is mainly used for shift discharge control.
[0023]
In the present embodiment, the paper surface detection sensor (for stipple) 330a and the paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b are turned on when blocked by the shielding portion 30b. Therefore, when the shift tray 202 is raised and the contact portion 30a of the paper surface detection lever 30 is rotated upward, the paper surface detection sensor (for stippling) 330a is turned off, and when further rotated, the paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b is turned on. To do. When it is detected by the paper surface detection sensor (for stipple) 330 a and the paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330 b that the paper stacking amount has reached a predetermined height, the shift tray 202 is driven by the tray lifting / lowering motor 168 to a predetermined amount. Descend. Thereby, the paper surface position of the shift tray 202 is kept substantially constant.
[0024]
1.2.1 Lift tray lifting mechanism
The lifting mechanism for the shift tray 202 will be described in detail.
[0025]
As shown in FIG. 3, the shift tray 202 moves up and down when the drive shaft 21 is driven by the drive unit L. A timing belt 23 is stretched between the drive shaft 21 and the driven shaft 22 via a timing pulley, and a side plate 24 that supports the shift tray 202 is fixed to the timing belt 23. With this configuration, the unit including the shift tray 202 is suspended from the timing belt 23 so as to be able to move up and down.
[0026]
The drive unit L is composed of a tray lifting / lowering motor 168 and a worm gear 25, and the power generated by the tray lifting / lowering motor 168 capable of forward / reverse rotation as a driving source is a gear train fixed to the driving shaft 21 via the worm gear 25. The shift gear 202 is moved in the vertical direction by being transmitted to the final gear. Since the power transmission system is via the worm gear 25, the shift tray 202 can be held at a fixed position, and this gear configuration can prevent an accidental drop accident of the shift tray 202 and the like.
[0027]
A shielding plate 24a is integrally formed on the side plate 24 of the shift tray 202, and a fullness detection sensor 334 for detecting the full load of stacked sheets and a lower limit sensor 335 for detecting a lower limit position are disposed below the shielding plate 24a. Thus, the fullness detection sensor 334 and the lower limit sensor 335 are turned on / off. The fullness detection sensor 334 and the lower limit sensor 335 are photosensors, and are turned on when blocked by the shielding plate 24a. In FIG. 3, the shift paper discharge roller 6 is omitted.
[0028]
As shown in FIG. 2, the swing mechanism of the shift tray 202 includes a shift motor 169 and a shift cam 31. By rotating the shift cam 31 using the shift motor 169 as a drive source, the shift tray 202 can eject paper. Reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the direction. A pin 31 a is set up on the shift cam 31 at a position away from the center of the rotation shaft, and the other end of the pin 31 a is loosely fitted in the elongated hole 32 b of the engagement member 32 a of the end fence 32. The engaging member 32a is fixed to the back surface of the end fence 32 (the surface on which the shift tray 202 is not located) and reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the paper discharge direction according to the rotational position of the pin 31a of the shift cam 31. As a result, the shift tray 202 also moves in a direction perpendicular to the paper discharge direction. The shift tray 202 stops at two positions on the front side and the back side in FIG. 1 (corresponding to an enlarged view of the shift cam 31 in FIG. 2), and the stop control detects the notch of the shift cam 31 by the shift sensor 336. This is performed by controlling the shift motor 169 on and off based on the detection signal.
[0029]
On the front side of the end fence 32, a guide protrusion 32c for the shift tray 202 is provided, and the rear end portion of the shift tray 202 is loosely fitted to the protrusion 32c so as to freely move up and down. 202 is supported by the end fence 32 so that it can move up and down and can reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. The end fence 32 has a function of guiding the trailing edge of the loaded paper on the shift tray 202 and aligning the trailing edges.
[0030]
1.2.2 Paper output unit
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the paper discharge section to the shift tray 202. FIG.
[0031]
1 and 4, the shift paper discharge roller 6 has a driving roller 6a and a driven roller 6b. The driven roller 6b is supported on the upstream side in the paper discharge direction and is provided with an open / close guide plate that can swing up and down. 33 is rotatably supported at the free end portion. The driven roller 6b abuts on the driving roller 6a by its own weight or urging force, and the paper is nipped between the rollers 6a and 6b and discharged. When the bound sheet bundle is discharged, the open / close guide plate 33 is pulled upward and returned at a predetermined timing. This timing is determined based on the detection signal of the shift paper discharge sensor 303. Is done. The stop position is determined based on the detection signal of the paper discharge guide plate opening / closing sensor 331 and is driven by the paper discharge guide plate opening / closing motor 167. The discharge guide plate opening / closing motor 167 is driven and controlled by turning on / off a discharge guide plate opening / closing limit switch 332.
[0032]
1.3 Stipple processing tray
1.3.1 Overall configuration of the staple processing tray
The configuration of the staple processing tray F that performs the staple processing will be described in detail.
[0033]
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the staple processing tray F viewed from a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying surface, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the staple processing tray F and its driving mechanism, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the sheet bundle discharging mechanism. It is. First, as shown in FIG. 6, the sheets guided to the staple processing tray F by the staple discharge roller 11 are sequentially stacked on the staple processing tray F. In this case, alignment in the vertical direction (paper conveyance direction) is performed by the tapping roller 12 for each sheet, and alignment in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction—also referred to as the sheet width direction) is performed by the jogger fence 53. The end-face stitching stapler S1 is driven by a staple signal from the control device 350 (see FIG. 16) between job breaks, that is, between the last sheet of the sheet bundle and the first sheet of the next sheet bundle, and the binding process is performed. The sheet bundle subjected to the binding process is immediately sent to the shift paper discharge roller 6 by the discharge belt 52 with the discharge claw 52a protruding, and is discharged to the shift tray 202 set at the receiving position.
[0034]
1.3.2 Paper discharge mechanism
As shown in FIG. 7, the home position of the discharge claw 52a is detected by a discharge belt HP sensor 311. The discharge belt HP sensor 311 is turned on by a discharge claw 52a provided on the discharge belt 52. -Turn off. Two discharge claws 52a are arranged at opposing positions on the outer periphery of the discharge belt 52, and the sheet bundle stored in the staple processing tray F is moved and conveyed alternately. Further, if necessary, the discharge belt 52 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the sheet bundle stored in the staple processing tray F on the back side of the discharge claw 52a and the discharge claw 52a 'on the opposite side waiting to move the sheet bundle. It is also possible to align the tips in the transport direction. Therefore, the discharge claw 52a also functions as a means for aligning the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction.
[0035]
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the discharge belt 52 driven by the discharge motor 157 has a discharge belt 52 and its drive pulley 62 arranged at the alignment center in the paper width direction with respect to the drive pulley 62. The discharge roller 56 is arranged and fixed symmetrically. Further, the peripheral speed of these discharge rollers 56 is set to be higher than the peripheral speed of the discharge belt 52.
[0036]
1.3.3 Processing mechanism
As shown in FIG. 6, the hitting roller 12 is given a pendulum motion by a hitting SOL (solenoid) 170 about a fulcrum 12a, and acts intermittently on the paper fed to the stapling tray T to cause the paper to be fed to the trailing edge fence. It hits 51. The hitting roller 12 rotates counterclockwise.
[0037]
The jogger fence 53 is driven via a timing belt by a jogger motor 158 capable of forward and reverse rotation, and reciprocates in the paper width direction.
[0038]
As can be seen from the perspective view showing the stapler S1 of FIG. 8 together with the moving mechanism, the end-face stitching stapler S1 is driven via a timing belt by a forward / reversely movable stapler moving motor 159 to bind a predetermined position of the sheet end. Move in the paper width direction. A stapler movement HP sensor 312 for detecting the home position of the end face binding stapler S1 is provided at one end of the movement range. Controlled by Further, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 9, the end-face stitching stapler S1 is configured to change only the stitching mechanism portion of the stapler S1 at the home position so that the needle driving angle can be changed parallel to or obliquely with respect to the sheet edge. It is configured so that the staple needle can be easily exchanged by rotating at an angle. The stapler S1 is rotated obliquely by the oblique motor 160, and when the needle replacement position sensor 313 detects that the needle replacement position sensor 313 reaches a predetermined oblique angle or the needle replacement position, the oblique motor 160 stops. When the diagonal hitting is completed or the needle replacement is completed, it is rotated to the original position to prepare for the next staple.
[0039]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the saddle stitching stapler S2 is a distance in which the distance from the rear end fence 51 to the needle striking position of the saddle stitching stapler S2 corresponds to half of the conveyance direction length of the maximum sheet size that can be saddle stitched. The two are arranged as described above, and two are arranged symmetrically with respect to the alignment center in the paper width direction, and are fixed to the stay 63. Since the saddle stitching stapler S2 itself is a known configuration, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. However, when performing saddle stitching, the jogger fence 53 aligns the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and strikes the trailing edge fence 51. After the conveyance direction of the sheet is aligned by the roller 5, the discharge belt 52 is driven and the trailing end of the sheet bundle is lifted by the discharge claw 52, and the central portion in the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle is located at the binding position of the saddle stitching stapler S2. And then stop at this position to execute the binding operation. Then, the bound sheet bundle is conveyed to the middle folding processing tray G side and folded in half. Details will be described later.
[0040]
In the figure, reference numeral 64a denotes a front side plate, 64b denotes a rear side plate, and reference numeral 310 denotes a paper presence / absence sensor that detects the presence / absence of paper on the staple processing tray F.
[0041]
1.4 Paper bundle deflection mechanism
The sheet bundle that has undergone saddle stitching in the staple processing tray F is folded in the middle of the sheet. This middle folding is performed in the middle folding processing tray G. For this purpose, it is necessary to transport the bound sheet bundle to the middle folding processing tray G. In this embodiment, a sheet bundle deflecting unit is provided on the most downstream side in the conveyance direction of the staple processing tray F, and conveys the sheet bundle to the middle folding processing tray G side.
[0042]
The sheet bundle deflection mechanism includes a branch guide plate 54 and a movable guide 55 as shown in the enlarged views of the staple processing tray F and the middle folding processing tray G in FIGS. As shown in the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 10 to 12, the branch guide plate 54 is provided so as to be swingable in the vertical direction around the fulcrum 54 a, and a rotatable pressure roller 57 is provided on the downstream side thereof. The pressure is applied to the discharge roller 56 side. Further, the position of the branch guide plate 54 is defined by the contact position with the cam surface 61 a of the cam 61 that rotates by obtaining a driving force from the bundle branch drive motor 161.
[0043]
The movable guide 55 is swingably supported on the rotation shaft of the discharge roller 56, and is linked to one end of the movable guide 55 (the end opposite to the branch guide plate 54) by a connecting portion 60a. An arm 60 is provided. The link arm 60 includes a shaft fixed to the front side plate 64a shown in FIG. 5 and a long hole portion 60b, whereby the swing range of the movable guide 55 is restricted. Further, it is held at the position shown in FIG. Further, when the link arm 60 is pushed by the cam surface 61b of the cam 61 that rotates by obtaining drive from the bundle branching drive motor 161, the connected movable guide 55 rotates upward. The bundle branching guide HP sensor 315 detects the shield 61c of the cam 61 and detects the home position of the cam 61. Accordingly, the cam 61 controls the stop position by counting the drive pulses of the bundle branching drive motor 161 with the home position as a reference.
[0044]
FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 when the cam 61 is located at the home position. The guide surface 55 a of the movable guide 55 has a function of guiding the paper in the path to the shift paper discharge roller 6.
In FIG. 11, as the cam 61 rotates, the branch guide plate 54 rotates counterclockwise (downward) in the drawing around the fulcrum 54a, and the pressure roller 57 contacts and presses the discharge roller 56 side. It is an operation explanatory view showing the state.
[0045]
In FIG. 12, when the cam 61 further rotates, the movable guide 55 rotates in the clockwise direction (upward) in the figure, and the path leading from the staple processing tray F to the half-fold processing tray G is guided along the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide. FIG. FIG. 5 shows the positional relationship in the depth direction.
[0046]
In this embodiment, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 are operated by a single drive motor. However, each drive motor is provided so that the movement timing and stop position can be controlled according to the paper size and the number of sheets to be bound. You may do it.
[0047]
1.5 Folding tray
1.5.1 Configuration of each part
FIG. 13 and FIG. 14 are operation explanatory views of the moving mechanism of the folding plate 74 for performing the middle folding.
[0048]
The folding plate 74 is supported by loosely fitting the long hole portions 74 a to the two shafts 64 c erected on the front and rear side plates 64 a and 64 b, and the shaft portion 74 b erected from the folding plate 74 is further linked to the link arm 76. When the link arm 76 swings about the fulcrum 76a, the folding plate 74 reciprocates left and right in FIG. 13 and FIG. That is, the shaft portion 75b of the folding plate driving cam 75 is loosely fitted in the long hole portion 76c of the link arm 76, and the link arm 76 swings due to the rotational movement of the folding plate driving cam 75. 15, the folding plate 74 reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the upper and lower bundle conveyance guide plates 91 and 92.
[0049]
The folding plate driving cam 75 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 13 by the folding plate driving motor 166. The stop position is determined by detecting both end portions of the half-moon shaped shielding portion 75a by the folding plate HP sensor 325.
[0050]
FIG. 13 shows the home position position completely retracted from the sheet bundle accommodation area of the processing tray G. When the folding plate drive cam 75 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the folding plate 74 moves in the direction of the arrow and protrudes into the sheet bundle accommodation area of the processing tray G. FIG. 14 shows a position where the center of the sheet bundle of the processing tray G is pushed into the nip of the folding roller 81. When the folding plate drive cam 75 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the folding plate 74 moves in the direction of the arrow and retracts from the sheet bundle accommodation area of the processing tray G.
[0051]
In this embodiment, it is assumed that the sheet folding is performed by folding the sheet bundle. However, the present invention can be applied to the case of folding one sheet. In this case, saddle stitching is not required for only one sheet, so when one sheet is discharged, the sheet is fed to the middle folding processing handle G side, folded by the folding plate 74 and the folding roller, and discharged to the lower tray. To do.
[0052]
2. Control device
As shown in FIG. 16, the control device 350 includes a microcomputer having a CPU 360, an I / O interface 370, and the like. Each switch of the control panel of the image forming apparatus PR main body, the inlet sensor 301, and the upper discharge sensor 302. , Shift discharge sensor 303, pre-stack sensor 304, staple discharge sensor 305, paper presence sensor 310, discharge belt home position sensor 311, staple movement home position sensor 312, stapler oblique home position sensor 313, jogger fence home position sensor 314 , Bundle branch guide home position sensor 315, bundle arrival sensor 321, movable rear end fence home position sensor 322, folding section passage sensor 323, lower sheet discharge sensor 324, folding plate home position Yonsensa 325, the sheet sensor 330,330A, 330b, signals from the sensors such as the sheet discharge guide plate close sensor 331 is inputted to the CPU360 through the I / O interface 370.
[0053]
The CPU 360 drives the tray lifting / lowering motor 168 for the shift tray 202, the discharge guide plate opening / closing motor 167 for opening / closing the opening / closing guide plate, the shift motor 169 for moving the shift tray 202, and the tapping roller 12 based on the input signal. The unillustrated tapping roller motor, solenoids such as tapping SOL 170, a conveying motor for driving each conveying roller, a discharging motor for driving each discharging roller, a discharging motor 157 for driving the discharging belt 52, and an end face binding stapler S1 are moved. The stapler moving motor 159, the oblique motor 160 that obliquely rotates the end-face stitching stapler S1, the jogger motor 158 that moves the jogger fence 53, the bundle branch drive motor 161 that rotates the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55, and the bundle is conveyed. (Not shown) Conveying motor, the rear end fence moves motor, folding moves the folding plate 74 plate drive motor 166 (not shown) for moving the movable rear fence 73, and controls the driving such as the folding roller drive motor (not shown) that drives the folding rollers 81. A pulse signal of a not-shown staple conveyance motor that drives the staple discharge roller is input to the CPU 360 and counted, and the hitting SOL 170 and the jogger motor 158 are controlled according to this count. The folding roller drive motor is a stepping motor and is controlled directly from the CPU 360 via a motor driver or indirectly via an I / O 370 and a motor driver.
[0054]
The punch unit 100 also performs drilling according to instructions from the CPU 360 by controlling the clutch and the motor.
[0055]
The sheet post-processing device PD is controlled by the CPU 360 executing a program written in a ROM (not shown) while using a RAM (not shown) as a work area.
[0056]
3. Action
Hereinafter, the operation of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to this embodiment executed by the CPU 360 will be described.
[0057]
1.7.1 Operation according to processing mode
In the present embodiment, the following discharge mode is adopted according to the post-processing mode.
[0058]
(1) Non-stipple mode A:
In this mode, the sheet is discharged from the conveyance path A through the conveyance path B to the upper tray 201 without binding. In this mode, the branching claw 15 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, and the conveyance path B side is opened. The processing procedure at this time is shown in the flowchart of FIG.
[0059]
In this mode, when the operation is started and the sheet is brought in from the image forming apparatus PR side, the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2 of the transport path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the transport roller 3 of the transport path B, and Each of the upper paper discharge rollers 4 starts to rotate (step S101). Then, the entrance sensor 301 is turned on / off (steps S102, S103) and the upper paper discharge sensor 302 is turned on / off (steps S104, S105) to confirm the passage of the sheet, and the final sheet passes (step). S107) When a predetermined time has elapsed, the rotation of the rollers, that is, the entrance roller 1, the transport roller 2, the transport roller 3, and the upper paper discharge roller 4 is stopped. As a result, all the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus are discharged and stacked on the upper tray 201 without being bound. In this embodiment, since the punch unit 100 is provided between the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2, the punch unit 100 can also make a hole between them.
[0060]
(2) Non-stipple mode B:
In this mode, the sheet is discharged from the conveyance path A to the shift tray 202 via the conveyance path C without binding the sheets. In this mode, the branch claw 15 rotates counterclockwise and the branch claw 16 rotates clockwise, and the conveyance path C is opened. The processing procedure at this time is shown in the flowchart of FIG.
[0061]
In this mode, when the operation is started and the sheet is brought in from the image forming apparatus PR side, the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2 in the transport path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the transport roller 5 in the transport path C, and Each of the shift paper discharge rollers 6 starts to rotate (step S201). Then, the solenoid that drives the branch claws 15 and 16 is turned on (step S202), and the branch claws 15 are rotated counterclockwise and the branch claws 16 are rotated clockwise. Next, the entrance sensor 301 is turned on and off (steps S203 and S204) and the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned on and off (steps S205 and S206) to check the passage of the loaded paper.
[0062]
When the final sheet passes (step S207) and a predetermined time elapses, the rotation of each of the rollers, that is, the entrance roller 1, the conveyance roller 2, the conveyance roller 5, and the shift discharge roller 6 is stopped (step S208). The solenoid that drives the branch claws 15 and 16 is turned off (step S209). As a result, all the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus PR are discharged and stacked on the shift tray 202 without being bound. In this embodiment, since the punch unit 100 is provided between the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2, the punch unit 100 can also make a hole between them.
[0063]
(3) Sort, stack mode:
In this mode, the sheet is discharged from the conveyance path A to the shift tray 202 via the conveyance path C. At this time, the shift tray 202 is swung in a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction at every section separation, In this mode, the sheets discharged onto the shift tray 202 are sorted. In this mode, similarly to the non-stipple mode B, the branching claw 15 rotates counterclockwise and the branching claw 16 rotates clockwise, and the conveyance path C is opened. The processing procedure at this time is shown in the flowchart of FIG.
[0064]
In this mode, when the operation is started and the sheet is brought in from the image forming apparatus PR side, the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2 in the transport path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the transport roller 5 in the transport path C, and Each of the shift paper discharge rollers 6 starts to rotate (step S301). Then, the solenoid for driving the branch claws 15 and 16 is turned on (step S302), and the branch claws 15 are rotated counterclockwise and the branch claws 16 are rotated clockwise. Then, it is checked whether the entrance sensor 301 is on or off (steps S303 and S304) and the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is on (step S305).
[0065]
As a result of this check, if the paper that has passed through the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is the first paper in the set (step S306-Y), the shift motor 169 is turned on (step S307), and the shift sensor 336 detects the shift tray 202. The shift tray 202 is moved in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction (step S309). Then, the paper is discharged to the shift tray 202, the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned off, and when the paper is confirmed to pass through the shift paper discharge sensor 303 (step S310), it is checked whether the paper is the final paper. (Step S311). If it is not the final sheet, it is the first sheet in this case, so if it is not one sheet, the process returns to step S303 and the subsequent processing is repeated. If the section is composed of one sheet, the process of step S312 is executed. To do. On the other hand, if the paper that has passed through the shift paper discharge sensor 303 in step S306 is not the first paper in the copy, the shift tray 202 has already moved, and the paper is discharged as it is (step S310). It is checked whether it is paper (step S311). If it is not the final sheet, the processing from step S303 is repeated on the next sheet. If it is the final sheet (step S311-Y), the rollers, Then, the rotation of the entrance roller 1, the transport roller 2, the transport roller 5, and the shift paper discharge roller 6 is stopped (step S312), and the solenoid that drives the branch claws 15 and 16 is turned off (step S313). As a result, all the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus are discharged onto the shift tray 202 without being bound, sorted, and stacked. In this case as well, the sheets punched by the punch unit 100 can be sorted and stacked.
[0066]
(4) Stipple mode:
In this mode, the sheet is transported to the staple processing tray F through the transport path A and the transport path D, and after alignment and binding processing is performed on the staple processing tray F, the sheet is discharged to the shift tray 202 through the transport path C. It is. In this mode, both the branch claw 15 and the branch claw 16 rotate counterclockwise, and the path from the transport path A to D is opened. The processing procedure at this time is shown in FIG.
[0067]
In this mode, when the operation starts and the sheet is brought in from the image forming apparatus side PR, the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2 of the transport path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the transport roller 7 of the transport path D, 9, 10 and the staple discharge roller 11 and the hitting roller 12 of the staple processing tray F start to rotate (step S401). Then, the solenoid that drives the branch claw 15 is turned on (step S402), and the branch claw 15 is rotated counterclockwise.
[0068]
Next, the end surface binding stapler S1 is detected by the stapler movement HP sensor 312, and after confirming the home position, the stapler movement motor 159 is driven to move the end surface binding stapler S1 to the binding position (step S403). The home position of the discharge belt 52 is also detected by the discharge belt HP sensor 311, and after confirming the position, the discharge motor 157 is driven to move the discharge belt 52 to the standby position (step S404). Further, the jogger fence 53 is also moved to the standby position after the home position position is detected by the jogger fence HP sensor (step S405). Further, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 are moved to the home position (step S406).
[0069]
If the entrance sensor 301 is turned on / off (steps S407 and S408), the staple paper discharge sensor 305 is turned on (step S409), and the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned off (step S410), paper is loaded on the staple processing tray F. Since the sheet is discharged and the sheet is present, the tapping solenoid 170 is turned on for a predetermined time, the tapping solenoid 12 is brought into contact with the sheet, and is urged toward the rear end fence 51 to align the rear end of the sheet (step S411). . Next, the jogger motor 158 is driven to move the jogger fence 53 inward by a predetermined amount to perform the alignment operation in the paper width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction), and then return to the standby position (step S412). . As a result, the vertical and horizontal directions of paper fed to the staple processing tray F (the direction perpendicular to the direction parallel to the transport direction) are aligned. The operations from step S407 to step S413 are repeated for each sheet, and when the final sheet of the sheet is reached (step S413-Y), the jogger fence 53 is moved inward by a predetermined amount so that the sheet end face is not displaced (step S414). In this state, the end face binding stapler S1 is turned on to execute the end face binding (step S415).
[0070]
On the other hand, the shift tray 202 is lowered by a predetermined amount (step S416) to secure a paper discharge space, the shift paper discharge motor is driven to start the rotation of the shift paper discharge roller 6 (step S417), and the discharge motor 157 is further turned on. The discharge belt 52 is turned on and rotated by a predetermined amount (step S418), and the bound sheet bundle is pushed up in the direction of the conveyance path C. As a result, the sheet bundle is sandwiched between the nips of the shift sheet discharge roller 6 and the sheet discharge operation to the shift tray 202 is performed. Then, the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned on (step S419), the sheet bundle enters the sensor 303 position, and it is confirmed that the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned off and the sheet bundle has passed the sensor 303 position. (Step S420), since the sheet bundle has been discharged to the shift tray by the shift discharge roller 6, the discharge belt 52 and the jogger fence 53 are moved to the standby position (Steps S421 and S422). Then, the rotation of the shift paper discharge roller 6 is stopped after a predetermined time (step S423), and the shift tray 202 is raised to the paper receiving position (step S424). This rising position is controlled by detecting the upper surface of the uppermost sheet of the stack of sheets stacked on the shift tray 202 by the paper surface detection sensor 330. These series of operations are repeated until the final part of the job (step S425).
[0071]
In the final part, the end-face stitching stapler S1, the discharge belt 52, and the jogger fence 53 are moved to their home positions (steps S426, S427, and S428), and the entrance roller 1, the transport rollers 2, 7, 9, and 10, and the staples are moved. The rotation of the discharge roller 11 and the hitting roller 12 is stopped (step S429), the branch solenoid of the branch claw 15 is turned off (step S430), and all the processing is returned to the initial state and the process is finished.
[0072]
In this way, the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus are bound by the staple processing tray F, discharged onto the shift tray 202, and stacked. In this case as well, the binding processing of the paper punched by the punch unit 100 is possible.
[0073]
The operation of the stipple processing tray F in the stipple mode will be described in more detail.
[0074]
When the stipple mode is selected, as shown in FIG. 6, the jogger fence 53 moves from the home position and waits at a standby position that is 7 mm away from the sheet width discharged to the staple processing tray F (step S405). . When the paper is conveyed by the staple paper discharge roller 11 and the rear end of the paper passes through the staple paper discharge sensor 305 (step S409), the jogger fence 53 moves inward by 5 mm from the standby position and stops.
[0075]
Further, the staple paper discharge sensor 305 detects that when the trailing edge of the paper passes, and the signal is input to the CPU 360. The CPU 360 counts the number of pulses transmitted from a not-shown staple transport motor that drives the staple paper discharge roller 11 from the time of receiving this signal, and hits the SOL 170 after transmitting a predetermined pulse (step S412). The tapping roller 12 performs a pendulum motion by turning on and off the tapping SOL 170. When the tapping roller 12 is on, the tapping roller 12 strikes the paper and returns it to the lower side, and abuts against the rear end fence 51 to align the paper. At this time, every time a sheet stored in the staple processing tray F passes the entrance sensor 301 or the staple discharge sensor 305, the signal is input to the CPU 360, and the number of sheets is counted.
[0076]
After a lapse of a predetermined time after the beating SOL 170 is turned off, the jogger fence 53 is further moved inward by 2.6 mm by the jogger motor 158, temporarily stops, and the horizontal alignment is finished. The jogger fence 53 then moves outward by 7.6 mm, returns to the standby position, and waits for the next sheet (step S412). This operation is performed up to the last page (step S413). After that, it moves again inward by 7 mm and stops (step S414), and both sides of the sheet bundle are pressed to prepare for the stapling operation. Thereafter, after a predetermined time, the end face binding stapler S1 is actuated by a staple motor (not shown), and the binding process is performed (step S415). If two or more bindings are designated at this time, after one binding process is completed, the staple movement motor 159 is driven, and the end face binding stapler S1 is moved to an appropriate position along the rear edge of the sheet. The second stitching process is performed. If the third and subsequent locations are specified, this is repeated.
[0077]
When the binding process is completed, the discharge motor 157 is driven, and the discharge belt 52 is driven (step S418). At this time, the paper discharge motor is also driven, and the shift paper discharge roller 6 starts to rotate so as to accept the sheet bundle lifted by the discharge claw 52a (step S417). At this time, the jogger fence 53 is controlled differently based on the paper size and the number of sheets to be bound. For example, when the number of sheets to be bound is less than the set number or smaller than the set size, the trailing edge of the sheet bundle is hooked and conveyed by the discharge claw 52a while the sheet bundle is pressed by the jogger fence 53.
[0078]
Then, after a predetermined pulse from the detection by the paper presence sensor 310 or the discharge belt HP sensor 311, the jogger fence 53 is retracted by 2 mm, and the restriction on the paper by the jogger fence 53 is released. This predetermined pulse is set after the discharge claw 52a comes into contact with the rear end of the paper and passes through the front end of the jogger fence 53.
[0079]
When the number of sheets to be bound is larger than the set number or larger than the set size, the jogger fence 53 is retracted in advance by 2 mm and discharged. In any case, when the sheet bundle passes through the jogger fence 53, the jogger fence 53 further moves outward by 5 mm and returns to the standby position (step S422) to prepare for the next sheet. It is also possible to adjust the binding force according to the distance of the jogger fence 53 to the paper.
[0080]
(5) Saddle stitch binding mode:
In this mode, the sheet is conveyed to the staple processing tray F via the conveyance path A and the conveyance path D, and after alignment and center binding are performed in the staple processing tray F, the sheet is further folded in the middle folding processing tray G and then folded in half. In this mode, the sheet bundle is discharged to the lower tray 203 through the conveyance path H. In this mode, both the branch claw 15 and the branch claw 16 rotate counterclockwise, and the path from the transport path A to D is opened. Further, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide plate 55 are closed as shown in FIG. 24 to be described later, and the sheet bundle is guided to the middle folding processing tray G, and the middle folding is performed. The processing procedure at this time is shown in FIG.
[0081]
In this mode, when the operation is started and the sheet is brought into the state from the image forming apparatus PR side, the entrance roller 1 and the conveyance roller 2 of the conveyance path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the conveyance roller 7 of the conveyance path D, 9, 10 and the staple discharge roller 11 and the hitting roller 12 of the staple processing tray F start to rotate (step S501). Then, the solenoid for driving the branch claw 15 is turned on (step S502), and the branch claw 15 is rotated counterclockwise.
[0082]
Next, the home position of the discharge belt 52 is also detected by the discharge belt HP sensor 311, and after confirming the position, the discharge motor 157 is driven to place the discharge belt 52 in the standby position, and the jogger fence 53 is also a jogger fence HP sensor. After detecting the home position, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 are further moved to the home position, respectively, to the standby position (steps S503, S504, and S505).
[0083]
If the entrance sensor 301 is turned on / off (steps S506 and S507), the staple paper discharge sensor 305 is turned on (step S508), and the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned off (step S509), paper is loaded on the staple processing tray F. Since the sheet is ejected and the sheet is present, the tapping solenoid 170 is turned on for a predetermined time, the tapping solenoid 12 is brought into contact with the sheet, and is urged toward the rear end fence 51 to align the rear end of the sheet (step S510). . Next, by driving the jogger motor 158, the jogger fence 53 is moved inward by a predetermined amount to perform the aligning operation in the paper width direction (direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction), and then returned to the standby position (step S511). . As a result, the vertical and horizontal directions of paper fed to the staple processing tray F (the direction perpendicular to the direction parallel to the transport direction) are aligned.
[0084]
These operations from step S506 to step S512 are repeated for each sheet, and when the final sheet of the copy is obtained (step S512-Y), the jogger fence 53 is moved inward by a predetermined amount so that the end face of the sheet does not shift (step S513). In this state, the discharge motor 157 is turned on to rotate the discharge belt 52 by a predetermined amount (step S514), and the sheet bundle is raised to the binding position of the saddle stitching stapler S2. Then, the saddle stitching stapler S2 is turned on at the center of the sheet bundle, and saddle stitching is performed (step S515). Next, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 are displaced by a predetermined amount to form a path toward the center folding processing tray G (step S516), and rotation of the lower 71 and 72 on the bundle conveying rollers of the center folding processing tray G is performed. Is started, and the home position of the movable rear end fence 73 provided in the middle folding processing tray G is detected, and then the movable rear end fence 73 is moved to the standby position.
[0085]
In this way, when the sheet bundle receiving system of the half-fold processing tray G is prepared, the discharge belt 52 is further rotated by a predetermined amount (step S519) and added to the discharge roller 56 and the pressure roller 57 to perform the middle folding process. The sheet bundle is conveyed to the tray G side. When the leading edge of the sheet reaches the bundle arrival sensor 321 position (step S520), the folding roller 81 is reversed (step S521), and the sheet is conveyed downward without being folded at the Q portion shown in FIG. Thereafter, the folding roller 81 is stopped when a predetermined time has passed when it is considered that the leading edge of the sheet has completely passed through the Q portion (step S522). When the predetermined distance has been conveyed, the rotation of the lower 71 and 72 on the bundle conveying roller is stopped (step S523), and the pressurized state of the lower bundle conveying roller 72 is released (step S524). Next, the folding operation by the folding plate 74 is started (step S525), and the rotation of the folding rollers 81 and 82 and the lower paper discharge roller 83 is started (step S526). Then, the passage of the folded sheet bundle is monitored by the folding section passage sensor 323 (steps S527 and S528). When the trailing end of the sheet bundle passes through the position of the folding section passage sensor 323 (step S528-Y), the bundle conveyance is performed. The lower roller 72 is pressurized (step S529), and the folding plate 74, the branch guide plate 54, and the movable guide plate 55 are moved to the home position (steps S530 and S531).
[0086]
In this state, the passage of the sheet bundle is monitored by the lower sheet discharge sensor 324 (steps S532 and 533), and when the rear end of the sheet bundle passes through the lower sheet discharge sensor 324 (step S533-Y), the folding rollers 81 and 82, The paper discharge roller 83 is further rotated for a predetermined time and then stopped (step S534). Next, the discharge belt 52 and the jogger fence 53 are moved to the standby position (steps S535 and S536). Then, it is checked whether or not it is the final part of the job (step S537). If it is not the final part of the job, the process returns to step S506 and the subsequent processing is repeated. If it is the final part, the discharge belt 52 and the jogger fence 53 are set to the home position. (Steps S538 and S539), the rotation of the entrance roller 1, the transport rollers 2, 7, 9, 10, the staple discharge roller 11 and the tapping roller 12 is stopped (step S540), and the branch solenoid of the branch claw 15 is turned off. It is turned off (step S541), and all the processes are returned to the initial state to finish the process.
[0087]
In this way, the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus are saddle-stitched in the staple processing tray F, folded in the middle folding processing tray G, and then the sheet bundle folded in the lower tray 203 is discharged. To load.
[0088]
3.1 Details of binding operation and folding operation in the middle folding mode
The binding operation and folding operation in the middle folding mode will be described in more detail.
[0089]
The paper sorted by the branching claw 15 and the branching claw 16 from the conveyance path A is guided to the conveyance path D and discharged to the staple processing tray F by the conveyance rollers 7, 9 and 10 and the staple discharge roller 11. In the stipple processing tray F, the sheets sequentially discharged by the discharge rollers 11 are aligned in the same manner as in the stipple mode (4), and the same operation is performed until just before stapling (see FIG. 22). Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 23, the sheet bundle is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by a distance set for each sheet size by the discharge claw 52a, and the center thereof is bound by the saddle stitching stapler S2. The bound sheet bundle is conveyed by a discharge claw 52a to the downstream side in the conveyance direction for a predetermined distance set for each sheet size, and temporarily stops. This moving distance is managed by the drive pulse of the discharge motor 157.
[0090]
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 24, the leading end of the sheet bundle is sandwiched between the discharge roller 56 and the pressure roller 57, and the path formed by the rotation of the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55, that is, the middle folding. The paper is again transported downstream by the discharge claw 52a and the discharge roller 56 so as to pass through the path guided to the processing tray G. As described above, the discharge roller 56 is provided on the drive shaft of the discharge belt 52 and is driven in synchronization with the discharge belt 52. Then, as shown in FIG. 25, the sheet bundle is moved from the home position to a position corresponding to the sheet size in advance by the upper bundle conveying roller 71 and the lower bundle conveying roller 72 to guide the lower end face. It is transported to the stopped movable rear end fence 73. At this time, the discharge claw 52a stops at the position where the other discharge claw 52a ′ arranged at the position facing the outer periphery of the discharge belt 52 reaches the vicinity of the rear end fence 51, and the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 returns to the home position and prepares for the next sheet.
[0091]
On the other hand, in the process of transporting the sheet bundle from the state shown in FIGS. 24 to 25, as described above, the folding roller 81 rotates in the direction opposite to the sheet folding direction (the arrow direction in FIG. 25). When contacting, the leading edge is guided downward in the drawing so that the leading edge of the sheet does not break.
[0092]
As shown in FIG. 26, the sheet bundle thus guided and abutted against the movable rear end fence 73 is released from the pressurization of the lower bundle conveying roller 72, and then, as shown in FIG. The vicinity of the needle portion is pushed in a substantially right angle direction by the folding plate 74 and guided to the nip of the opposing folding roller 81. The folding roller 81 rotating in advance folds the center of the sheet bundle by conveying the sheet bundle guided to the nip under pressure. As shown in FIG. 28, the front end of the folded sheet bundle enters the nip portion of the second folding roller 82. At this time, the first folding roller 81 and the second folding roller 82 stop rotating, After a predetermined time has elapsed, the paper is conveyed again. The predetermined time can be changed according to the number of sheets and the size. If the number of sheets is large, there is much time until the bundle of the next part enters the folding part. Therefore, by adding the time to the predetermined time, If the pressure is applied without reducing the productivity of the image forming apparatus, the folding is further strengthened. Further, within the predetermined time, the folding rollers 81 and 82 are repeatedly rotated forward and backward by an amount that does not allow the leading edge of the sheet bundle to be removed from the nip having a width of several millimeters in the second folding roller 82, and the folding is further performed by squeezing the fold. It can also be strengthened.
[0093]
Then, as shown in FIG. 29, the sheet is discharged to the lower tray 203 by the lower discharge roller 83. At this time, when the rear end of the sheet bundle is detected by the folding portion passage sensor 323, the folding plate 74 and the movable rear end fence 73 are returned to the home position, and the pressurization of the lower bundle conveying roller 72 is restored, and the next sheet is detected. Prepare for. If the next job is the same sheet size and the same number of sheets, the movable rear end fence 73 may stand by at that position.
[0094]
In addition, since the paper storage unit E is provided in which the paper is retained in the conveyance path D that guides the paper to the staple processing tray F, and two or more sheets are stacked and discharged to the staple processing tray F. Thus, it is possible to delay the entry of the first sheet of the next section into the staple processing section, and to ensure high productivity without forcibly shortening the alignment binding processing time.
[0095]
In addition, by adding a short conveyance path C, it is possible to discharge paper to the same paper discharge tray (shift tray 202) regardless of whether or not binding is performed, and two types of paper discharge modes are supported at a minimum cost. be able to.
[0096]
Further, by separating the end-face stitching stapler S1 and the saddle stitching stapler S2, there is always a stapler suitable for binding processing in the vicinity of the alignment position by the jogger fence 53, and the overall processing time for alignment and binding can be shortened. Productivity can be secured. Further, since the sheet bundle can be freely moved upstream and downstream in the transport direction using the discharge belt 52 and the discharge claw 52a, the binding position can be finely adjusted, and the binding to the position intended by the user is possible. Easy to operate.
[0097]
In addition, since the function of an end face guide for aligning the lower end face of the sheet is added to the bundle moving means, the configuration is simplified and low cost can be realized. In addition, since the alignment position can be changed according to the paper size, the number of sheets to be bound, etc., it is possible to improve the alignment and the productivity.
[0098]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the rotation direction of the folding roller is switched between the case where the sheet is folded by the folding roller and the case where the sheet is guided to a predetermined position on the conveyance path before the folding. It is possible to guide the leading edge of the sheet bundle in the conveyance direction when the sheet is introduced into the conveyance path, and thus it is possible to prevent the tip from bending without providing a special member such as a shutter. As a result, high-quality folding processing can be performed, and high-quality half-fold binding is possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an image processing system including a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus mainly showing a sheet post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing details of a shift mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a shift tray lifting mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a paper discharge unit to a shift tray of the paper post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a staple processing tray of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying surface.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a staple processing tray and its driving mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a sheet bundle discharging mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an end-face binding stapler of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention together with a moving mechanism.
9 is a perspective view showing an oblique rotation mechanism of the end-face stitching stapler in FIG. 8. FIG.
FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram of a sheet bundle deflection mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state when a sheet or a sheet bundle is discharged to a shift tray.
11 is an operation explanatory view of the sheet bundle deflecting mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where the branch guide plate is rotated to the discharge roller side from the state of FIG.
12 is an operation explanatory view of the sheet bundle deflecting mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the movable guide rotates to the branch guide plate side from the state of FIG. The state which formed the path | route which deflects a bundle | flux is shown.
FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory diagram of a folding plate moving mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state before entering a middle folding operation.
FIG. 14 is an operation explanatory view of a folding plate moving mechanism of the paper post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state when returning to the initial position after the middle folding.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating details of a staple processing tray and a half-fold processing tray of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a control circuit of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention together with the image forming apparatus.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure of non-stipple mode A in the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of non-stipple mode B in the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in sort and stack modes in the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a stipple mode processing procedure in the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in a saddle stitch bookbinding mode in the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 22 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state of a stack of sheets stacked on a staple processing tray in the saddle stitch bookbinding mode.
FIG. 23 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which the sheets are stacked on the staple processing tray and are saddle-stitched in the saddle stitch bookbinding mode.
FIG. 24 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating an initial state in which a sheet bundle that is saddle-stitched by a staple processing tray is deflected by a sheet bundle deflection mechanism in the saddle stitch binding mode.
FIG. 25 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when a sheet bundle that has been saddle-stitched in the staple processing tray is deflected by the sheet bundle deflection mechanism and sent to the half-fold processing tray in the saddle stitching binding mode.
FIG. 26 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the sheet bundle is positioned at the center folding position on the center folding processing tray in the saddle stitch binding mode.
FIG. 27 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the center folding operation is started by operating the center folding plate in the center folding processing tray in the saddle stitch binding mode.
FIG. 28 is an operation explanatory view showing a state when the folding plate is actuated by the folding plate in the saddle stitch binding mode and then folded by the second folding roller after the folding operation of the sheet bundle is started. It is.
FIG. 29 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when a sheet bundle is folded from a center folding processing tray by a center folding roller and discharged in the saddle stitch bookbinding mode.
[Explanation of symbols]
74 Folding plate
75 Folding plate drive cam
76 Link arm
81 First folding roller
82 Second folding roller
83 Bundle conveying roller
91 On the bundle transport guide plate
92 Below the bundle transport guide plate
157 Ejection motor
161 Bundle branch drive motor
166 Folding plate drive motor
350 Controller
360 CPU
370 I / O
F Stipple processing tray
G Folding tray
PD paper post-processing device
PR image forming device
S1 Edge-stitched stapler
S2 saddle stitching stapler

Claims (4)

In a paper processing apparatus having a folding means for performing a folding process on a paper after image formation,
A folding roller that folds the paper while passing through the nip of the pair of rollers;
Drive means for rotationally driving the folding roller;
Control means for controlling the drive of the drive means;
And the control means switches the rotation direction between when the sheet is folded by the folding roller and when the sheet is guided to a predetermined position on the conveyance path before folding. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting unit that adjusts a position pushed by the folding roller, wherein the predetermined position is set by the adjusting unit. A first discharge path for discharging the sheet bundle bound by the binding means as it is;
A sheet bundle deflector that branches from the first sheet discharge path, deflects the sheet bundle by a predetermined angle, and guides the sheet bundle to the transport path;
A second paper discharge path for discharging the sheet bundle folded by the folding roller through the conveyance path;
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: A sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An image forming unit including an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet based on input image information, and a sheet feeding unit that supplies the sheet to the image forming unit;
An image forming system comprising:

Images