JP5988153B2 - Crimp binding apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a crimping and binding apparatus that crimps and binds a bundle of sheets composed of a plurality of sheets, and an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a copying machine, and a facsimile machine including the crimping and binding apparatus.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a pressure-bonding type paper binding device in which a paper bundle composed of a plurality of papers is held by a pair of concavo-convex members that can engage with each other without using a needle or a clip, thereby binding the papers together. Are known.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a pressure-bonding apparatus in which a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel, and a sheet bundle is sandwiched by a pair of concave and convex members that can engage with each other. Have been described.

  FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of a binding portion by a crimping binding device using a pair of concavo-convex members in which a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel. As shown in FIG. 7A, when the upper left end of the sheet bundle is bound by the crimping and binding device, the binding portion 1 held by the uneven member is formed. FIG. 7B is an enlarged view of a portion surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. In the binding portion 1, marks are formed in which the concave portions 2 and the convex portions 3 are alternately arranged in parallel corresponding to the shape of the concavo-convex member. FIG. 7C is a perspective view in which the portion surrounded by the dotted line in FIG. 7B is further enlarged and the binding portion 1 is viewed microscopically. For example, when the concave and convex portions of the concavo-convex member are mountain-shaped, the concave portions 2 and the convex portions 3 form a plurality of parallel grooves 4 that are sawtooth-shaped concavo-convex portions in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle. Then, on each inclined surface of the concave portion 2 and the convex portion 3 forming the groove 4, a crimping portion 5 in which the sheets are fixed at the fiber level is formed. As described above, in the crimping and binding apparatus, by binding the sheet bundle with the concavo-convex member, the binding unit 1 including the concavo-convex groove 4 and the crimping portion 5 in which the sheets are pressure-bonded by the inclined surface of the groove 4 is formed on the sheet bundle. The paper bundle is formed and crimped and bound.

  When the sheet bundle thus crimped is turned, an external force is applied to the binding portion. For example, in FIG. 7C, when an external force is applied from the direction parallel to the groove of the binding portion 1 (the direction of arrow a in the figure), the external force is dispersed by the side surfaces of the plurality of sawtooth-shaped grooves. For this reason, it is suppressed that an external force is directly applied to the crimping part 5, and the crimping part 5 becomes difficult to peel off. On the other hand, when an external force is applied from a direction perpendicular to the groove of the binding portion 1 (the direction of arrow b in the figure), the external force is directly applied to one inclined surface of the end portion. For this reason, an external force is directly applied to the crimping portion 5 formed on one slope of the end portion, and the crimping portion 5 is easily peeled off. When the crimping part 5 at the end is peeled off, the external force is applied to the crimping part 5 formed on one slope of the adjacent groove, and the crimping part 5 is peeled off. If this is repeated, the sheet bundle will eventually peel off. As described above, the conventional crimping and binding apparatus has a problem that the sheet bundle is easily peeled off depending on the direction of the external force applied to the binding portion.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a crimping and binding apparatus that presses and binds sheets together by holding a sheet bundle with a pair of concave and convex members, regardless of the direction in which an external force is applied. It is an object of the present invention to provide a pressure binding device and an image forming apparatus in which a sheet bundle is hardly peeled off.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention of claim 1 comprises a pair of concavo-convex members in which a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel and can engage with each other. By sandwiching the sheet bundle by a pair of concavo-convex members, a binding portion comprising a plurality of concave and convex grooves on the sheet bundle and a crimping portion where the sheets are pressed against each other at the slope of the groove is formed. In the binding device for binding,
The concavo-convex member has a plurality of portions in which a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel, and the plurality of portions include a plurality of parallel grooves in the binding portion of the sheet bundle. A plurality of groove groups are formed, and the grooves of each groove group are installed so as to be directed to the respective sides serving as the outer peripheral portion of the binding portion.

  In the present invention, a groove group composed of a plurality of parallel grooves is formed in the binding portion of the sheet bundle that is held between the concavo-convex members, and is directed to each side that is the outer peripheral portion of the binding portion. For this reason, the side surface of the some groove | channel formed by each groove group is formed in each edge part of the outer peripheral part of a binding part. Even if an external force is applied to such a binding portion from any direction, the external force is dispersed by the side surfaces of the plurality of grooves formed at each end of the binding portion, and directly applied to the crimping portion formed on the slope of the groove. This is suppressed. This can make it difficult for the pressure-bonded portion to be peeled off regardless of the direction in which the external force is applied, as compared with a configuration in which only a conventional end portion in one direction has side surfaces of a plurality of concave and convex grooves.

  Advantageous Effects of Invention According to the present invention, an excellent effect that a sheet bundle can be made difficult to peel off regardless of the direction in which an external force is applied in a crimping and binding device that binds and binds sheets by holding the sheet bundle with a pair of concavo-convex members. There is.

The principal part sectional drawing of the crimping | binding crimping apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is the schematic which shows the uneven | corrugated shape of an uneven | corrugated member, (a) is a top view, (b) is sectional drawing. Explanatory drawing of the binding part by the uneven | corrugated member of Example 1. FIG. Explanatory drawing of the binding part by the uneven | corrugated member of Example 2. FIG. Explanatory drawing of the binding part at the time of performing an end binding process with the uneven | corrugated member of Example 3. FIG. Explanatory drawing of the binding part at the time of performing two places binding processing with the uneven | corrugated member of Example 3. FIG. Explanatory drawing of the binding part by the conventional press binding apparatus.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied will be described.
An image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer according to the present embodiment, which forms an image on a sheet in an image forming unit, and performs a binding process on the sheet on which an image discharged from the image forming unit is formed 100.

  As an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment, although not particularly illustrated, a known electrophotographic image forming unit including an image processing circuit, a photoreceptor, an optical writing device, a developing device, a transfer device, and a fixing device. It is. The image processing circuit converts image data read by a scanner unit when the image forming unit is a copying machine or image data input from an external device such as a personal computer into printable image data, and converts the converted image data Output to the optical writing device. The optical writing device performs optical writing on the photoconductor based on the image signal output from the image processing circuit to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the photoconductor. The developing device develops toner on the electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photoreceptor by optical writing. The transfer device transfers the toner image on the surface of the photoreceptor visualized by the developing device onto the paper P. The fixing device fixes the toner image transferred onto the paper P onto the paper P.

  The sheet P on which the toner image is fixed in the image forming unit is sent to the crimping and binding device, and the binding process is performed by the crimping and binding device. The crimping binding device is a device that binds a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets without using a needle or a clip. This crimping and binding apparatus has a pair of concavo-convex members that can engage with each other. The pair of concavo-convex members are provided so as to be movable in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle, and hold the sheet bundle and apply pressure, thereby fixing the sheets to each other at the fiber level and binding the sheet bundle.

  FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of a crimping binding device 50 according to the present embodiment. The crimping binding device 50 includes a concavo-convex member 52 including an upper crimping tooth 52a and a lower crimping tooth 52b that can engage with each other. The upper and lower pressing teeth 52a and 52b of the concavo-convex member 52 are attached to the upper teeth 51a and the lower ends of the lower teeth 51b, respectively, and the lower teeth 52b rotate around the arm rotation center 53. To do. The rotational operation is performed by rotating the gear 54 by a drive source (not shown), rotating the cam drive gear 55, and causing the lower tooth push cam 57 fixed to the cam drive gear center 56 to perform a non-linear rotational motion. The base of the lower press-fit tooth 52b of the lower tooth arm 51b is pushed down. As a result, the lower crimping tooth 52b attached to the tip of the lower tooth arm 51b moves upward and meshes with the upper crimping tooth 52a. Further, the lower tooth arm 51 b is fixed to the pedestal 59 via the lower tooth return spring 54 in order to return the lower crimp tooth 52 b to the original position.

  The concavo-convex member 52 has a plurality of portions in which concave portions and convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel. The plurality of portions are arranged so that the direction in which the concave portion and the convex portion are arranged in parallel is directed to each side of the outer peripheral portion of the concavo-convex member 52. Hereinafter, the crimping and binding process by the uneven member 52 will be described based on examples.

<Example 1>
The concavo-convex member 52 of Example 1 has a portion in which the concave portions and the convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel and vertically arranged, and a portion in which the convex portions and the concave portions are alternately arranged in parallel and side by side. . And it arrange | positions so that the part arrange | positioned by the said vertical alignment and the part arrange | positioned by the said horizontal alignment may be exposed to the outer peripheral part of an uneven | corrugated member. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a binding portion formed by the uneven member according to the first embodiment. In the following illustration of the binding portion, the binding trace shape is simplified, and the line indicates the convex trace. In the binding portion 10, the groove group 11 arranged in the vertical arrangement and the groove groups 12 and 13 arranged in the horizontal arrangement are formed. Thereby, on the outer peripheral portion of the binding portion 10, a sawtooth-shaped slope oriented in the vertical direction by the groove group 11 arranged in the vertical direction is directed in the vertical direction by the groove groups 12 and 13 arranged in the horizontal direction. Each sawtooth-shaped slope is formed.

  Even if a lateral or longitudinal external force is applied to such a binding portion 10, the external force is dispersed by any of the saw-shaped side surfaces, so that the external force is not directly applied to a specific crimping portion. . For this reason, compared with the crimping | compression-bonding binding apparatus with which the binding part which has the sawtooth-shaped inclined surface which faced one direction is formed conventionally, a crimping | compression-bonding part becomes difficult to peel regardless of the direction of the external force concerning the binding part 10. FIG. In addition, about the number of the groove | channels of each groove group 11,12,13, FIG. 3 is an example to the last, and is not this limitation.

<Example 2>
2A and 2B are schematic views showing the concavo-convex shape of the concavo-convex member of Example 2, wherein FIG. 2A is a view of the concavo-convex shape from above, and FIG. 2B is a cross-section in the A view and B view shown in FIG. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2A, the concavo-convex member 52 of Example 2 has two regions in which the concave portions 2 and the convex portions 3 are alternately arranged in parallel and provided in a U-shape. However, the folding directions of the two characters in the two regions are arranged to face each other. As shown in A view of FIG. 2B, the concave portion 2 and the convex portion 3 are formed in a mountain shape. Further, as shown in B view of FIG. 2B, the direction in which the concave portion 2 and the convex portion 3 of the above region are arranged in parallel is obliquely directed to each side of the outer peripheral portion of the concavo-convex member 52. Has been.

  FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a binding portion using the uneven member according to the second embodiment. In the binding portion 20 formed by the concavo-convex member 52, the groove groups 21 and 22 having a U-shape are formed facing each other. Thereby, on the outer peripheral portion of the binding portion 20, sawtooth-shaped inclined surfaces directed in an oblique direction are symmetrically formed by the groove groups 21 and 22 of the character shape. Even if an external force is applied to the binding portion 20 as described above, the external force is dispersed by any of the saw-shaped side surfaces, and it is possible to prevent the external force from being directly applied to a specific crimping portion. For this reason, compared with the crimping | compression-bonding binding apparatus with which the binding part which has the sawtooth-shaped inclined surface which faced one direction is formed conventionally, it becomes difficult to peel a crimping | compression-bonding part irrespective of the direction of the external force concerning the binding part 20. FIG. Further, the concavo-convex member of Example 2 is advantageous in that the meshing portion can be formed with a simple configuration as compared with the concavo-convex member of Example 1.

<Example 3>
The concavo-convex member of Example 3 has two regions in which the convex portions and the concave portions of Example 2 are arranged in parallel and arranged alternately in a dogleg shape. In the configuration in which the folding directions of the characters are opposed to each other, the number of the concave portions and the convex portions that are alternately arranged in the two regions is different. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a binding portion when an end binding process is performed using the uneven member according to the third embodiment. Edge binding processing is performed on the upper left portion of the paper, and the groove groups 31 and 32 of the V-shape are formed opposite to each other in the upper left binding portion 30. Here, compared with the number of concave portions and convex portions constituting the dog-shaped groove group 31 arranged on the left side in the drawing, the concave portions and convex portions constituting the square groove group 32 arranged on the right side in the drawing are shown. The number of departments is increased. This is because when an edge binding process is performed on the upper left corner of the paper, an external force is easily applied from the lower right direction in the figure by turning the paper. For this reason, the number of the concave portions and convex portions constituting the groove group 32 of the dogleg shape arranged on the right side in the drawing is increased, and a long sawtooth shape oriented in a direction in which external force is easily applied to the outer peripheral portion of the binding portion 30. Form the side. As a result, the external force is effectively dispersed by the side surface of the sawtooth shape, and the sheet bundle can be made more difficult to peel off.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the binding portion when the two-part binding process is performed using the uneven member according to the third embodiment. Binding processing is performed at two places on the left and right of the top of the paper, and two left and right binding portions 33 and 34 are formed. The left-side binding portion 33 is formed with face-to-face groove groups 35 and 36 facing each other, and the right-side binding portion 34 is formed with face-to-face groove groups 37 and 38 facing each other. Here, in the left-side binding portion 33, compared to the number of concave portions and convex portions constituting the character-shaped groove group 36 arranged on the right side in the drawing, the character-like groove group arranged on the left side in the drawing. The number of concave portions and convex portions constituting 35 is increased. Further, in the right binding portion 34, the dog-shaped groove group 38 arranged on the left side in the drawing is compared with the number of concave and convex portions constituting the dog-shaped groove group 37 arranged on the left side in the drawing. The number of concave portions and convex portions constituting the is increased. As shown in FIG. 6, when the binding process is performed at two places on the left and right of the upper part of the sheet, the left binding part 33 is likely to be subjected to an external force from the lower left direction in the figure by turning the sheet. External force is easily applied to the portion 34 from the lower right direction in the figure. For this reason, the number of the concave portions and the convex portions constituting the groove group 32 of the dogleg shape arranged on the right side in the drawing is increased to form a long side surface having a sawtooth shape in a direction in which an external force is easily applied. As a result, the external force can be more efficiently distributed by the saw-shaped side surface, and the sheet bundle can be made more difficult to peel off.

  In the present exemplary embodiment, the configuration in which the image forming apparatus integrally includes the crimping and binding apparatus is illustrated. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be a crimping and binding apparatus that can be attached to and detached from the image forming apparatus. good. The same effect can be obtained by applying the present invention to this sheet binding apparatus.

What has been described above is an example, and the present invention has the following effects specific to each embodiment.
(Aspect A)
A plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel and provided with a pair of concavo-convex members that can engage with each other's concavo-convex portions. This is a crimping and binding device that binds a bundle of sheets by forming a binding portion 1 including a plurality of concave and convex grooves 4 and a crimping portion 5 on which the sheets are crimped by slopes of the grooves. The concavo-convex member has a plurality of portions in which a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel. The plurality of portions of the concavo-convex member form a plurality of groove groups composed of a plurality of parallel grooves in the binding portion of the sheet bundle, and the grooves of the groove group are directed to the respective sides serving as the outer peripheral portion of the binding portion. Installed. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, in the crimping and binding device that binds and binds the sheets by holding the sheet bundle with the pair of concavo-convex members, the sheet bundle is hardly peeled regardless of the direction in which the external force is applied. There is an excellent effect that can be done.

(Aspect B)
In (Aspect A), the grooves of the groove groups 10, 11, and 12 of the binding portion 10 formed in the sheet bundle are perpendicular to the sides that are the outer peripheral portions of the binding portion. According to this, as described in the first embodiment, there is an excellent effect that the sheet bundle can be made difficult to peel off regardless of the direction in which the external force is applied.

(Aspect C)
In (Aspect A), the grooves of the groove groups 21 and 22 of the binding portion 20 formed in the sheet bundle have a letter-like shape in which the folding directions are opposed to each other. According to this, as described in the second embodiment, there is an excellent effect that the sheet bundle can be hardly peeled regardless of the direction in which the external force is applied. Furthermore, compared with Example 1, the uneven | corrugated | grooved part of an uneven | corrugated member can be made into a simple structure.

(Aspect C)
In (Aspect B), depending on the position where the binding portion of the sheet bundle is formed, the number of the dog-shaped grooves differs from the facing position. According to this, as described in the third embodiment, it is possible to provide a pressure-bonding apparatus that takes into consideration the difficulty of peeling off a portion where an external force is easily applied according to the sheet binding position.

(Aspect D)
In the image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and a binding unit that performs a binding process on the sheet after the image is formed by the image forming unit, the binding processing unit includes: A crimping and binding device according to any one of A) to (Aspect C) is used. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, in the crimping and binding device that binds and binds the sheets by holding the sheet bundle with the pair of concavo-convex members, the sheet bundle is hardly peeled regardless of the direction in which the external force is applied. There is an excellent effect that can be done.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Binding part 2 Concave part 3 Convex part 4 Groove 5 Crimp part 10 Binding part (Example 1)
11, 12, 13 Groove group 20 Binding portion (Example 2)
21, 22 groove-shaped groove group 30 binding portion (Example 3)
31, 32 U-shaped groove group 50 Crimp binding device 51a Upper tooth arm 51b Lower tooth arm 52 Concavity and convexity member 52a Upper crimp tooth 52b Lower crimp tooth 53 Arm rotation center 54 Lower tooth return spring 59 Base

JP 2010-208854 A

Claims (5)

A plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel and provided with a pair of concave and convex members that can engage with each other, and the sheet bundle is sandwiched between the pair of concave and convex members. In the crimping and binding apparatus for binding the paper bundle by forming a binding portion including a plurality of grooves that are uneven in the bundle and a crimping portion where the sheets are crimped on the slope of the groove,
The concavo-convex member has a plurality of portions in which a plurality of concave portions and a plurality of convex portions are alternately arranged in parallel, and the plurality of portions include a plurality of parallel grooves in the binding portion of the sheet bundle. A crimping and binding apparatus, wherein a plurality of groove groups are formed, and the grooves of each groove group are installed so as to face each side that is an outer peripheral portion of the binding portion.   2. The crimping and binding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the grooves of the groove group formed in the sheet bundle are perpendicular to each side that is an outer peripheral portion of the binding portion.   2. The crimping and binding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the grooves of the groove group formed in the sheet bundle are in the shape of a dogleg with opposite folding directions.   4. The crimping and binding apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the number of groove-shaped grooves differs from the facing position depending on a position where the binding portion of the sheet bundle is formed. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and a binding unit that performs a binding process on the sheet after the image is formed by the image forming unit.
An image forming apparatus using the crimp binding apparatus according to claim 1 as the binding processing means.

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