JP4996170B2 - Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus, and is particularly suitable for application to a sheet processing apparatus used in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser beam printer.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is provided a bookbinding machine that performs saddle stitching of sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a laser beam printer for each sheet bundle, and creates a booklet that is folded in half by a folding roller.

  However, when a bookbinding process is performed on a sheet bundle having a large number of sheets or a sheet having high rigidity using such a sheet processing apparatus, as shown in FIG. In some cases, the quality may deteriorate.

Therefore, in order to suppress such bulging of the fold portion, as shown in FIG. 17, the fold portion is pressed by moving the press roller (press roller pair 1201) on the fold portion, and the crease (crease strengthening) is performed. ) To reduce the swelling (see Patent Document 2). This patent document 2 describes a technique for suppressing the swelling of a sheet bundle that is folded in half. Further, in Patent Document 3, a pressurization operation is performed from an HP located on the side opposite to the above-described HP when the pressurization operation end point of the previous part is set as the pressurization operation start point (HP) of the next part. The control of the speed of the additional folding roller is described.
JP 2003-182928 A Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-089100 JP 2004-059304 A

  However, in recent years, even in an image forming apparatus connected to a sheet processing apparatus, high productivity is demanded regardless of the sheet size. Furthermore, it is necessary to minimize the sizes of the image forming apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus.

  FIG. 18A shows a state from the side where the sheet bundle S100 which is folded in the width direction and is long is discharged by the discharge roller pair 827. FIG. The right side of FIG. 18A is the front side of the apparatus, and the left side is the back side. In the conventional press operation, when the standby position of the press unit 1200 is on the back side (left side in FIG. 18) of the apparatus, the sheet bundle S100 first enters the press unit 1200. The sheet bundle S100 advances to the front side (right side in FIG. 18) while the folded portion of the sheet bundle S100 is pressed by the press roller pair 1201.

  After the pressing operation is finished, in order to discharge the sheet bundle to the paper discharge tray, as shown in FIG. 18C, the press unit 1200 is moved to the front position of the apparatus where the sheet bundle S100 can be discharged. However, in this state, the length of the apparatus in the width direction is increased by the size L1 of the press unit 1200, and the apparatus is increased in size.

  On the other hand, there is a method of returning the press unit 1200 to a position (the back of the apparatus) where the sheet bundle S100 can be discharged. However, when this method is adopted, it takes time to return to the original position, resulting in a decrease in productivity.

  Therefore, the object of the present invention is to improve the appearance quality of the bookbinding produced by suppressing the swelling of the folded sheet bundle, and to prevent the decrease in productivity without increasing the size of the sheet processing apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus.

In order to achieve the above object, the first invention of the present invention provides:
Folding means for performing folding processing on a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets;
A sheet bundle capable of pressurizing the folded portion while moving from one end to the other end of the sheet bundle or from the other end to the one end along the folded portion of the sheet bundle folded by the folding means. A pressing unit, a pair of gears for applying a driving force to the sheet bundle pressing unit, and the sheet bundle pressing unit from the center of the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the sheet bundle pressing unit to one side,
A sheet bundle pressing unit having a housing that moves the gear pair toward the other side and supports the pair of gears, and
A discharge means for discharging the sheet bundle whose folded portion is pressed by the sheet bundle pressing means;
And a control means for controlling the movement of the pre-Symbol sheet bundle pressing unit, a
The sheet bundle pressing unit, said be discharged from the receiving position for receiving a sheet bundle that has been transported under the heading of the folded portion from the folding means, the sheet bundle after being pressurized the discharge means housing a possible move to the sheet bundle discharge possible position that does not interfere is,
Wherein, when the direction of the sheet size that is orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet bundle to be processed is less than a predetermined size, wherein the sheet bundle ejectable position to both one end side and other end side of the sheet bundle When the sheet bundle pressurizing unit is moved to the set sheet bundle dischargeable position when discharging the sheet bundle, and the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the processed sheet bundle is larger than the predetermined size the sheet bundle ejectable position of the one end and the other end of the sheet bundle is set to the sheet bundle pressing means is closer to the sheet bundle than the gear pair end portion side, the at sheet bundle discharge a sheet processing apparatus which is characterized in that so that the control is moved to the sheet bundle discharging possible position set the sheet bundle pressing unit.
In order to achieve the above object, according to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the control means has a sheet size in a direction orthogonal to a receiving direction of continuously processed sheet bundles. In either case, the sheet processing apparatus controls the moving direction of the sheet bundle pressing unit when the sheet bundle pressing unit is pressed so as to be in both directions orthogonal to the sheet bundle receiving direction. .
In order to achieve the above object, according to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the control means has a sheet size in a direction perpendicular to the receiving direction of the sheet bundle to be continuously processed. When both are smaller than a predetermined size, the sheet bundle dischargeable position of the preceding sheet bundle and the sheet bundle receiving position of the succeeding sheet bundle are controlled to be set to the same end side of the sheet bundle. A sheet processing apparatus.

The fourth invention of the present invention is:
Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects that performs processing on an image-formed sheet.

The fifth invention of the present invention is:
Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
Folding means for performing a folding process on a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of image-formed sheets;
A sheet bundle capable of pressurizing the folded portion while moving from one end to the other end of the sheet bundle or from the other end to the one end along the folded portion of the sheet bundle folded by the folding means. A pressing unit, a pair of gears for applying a driving force to the sheet bundle pressing unit, and the sheet bundle pressing unit from the center of the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the sheet bundle pressing unit to one side, A sheet bundle pressing unit having a housing that moves the gear pair toward the other side and supports the pair of gears, and
A discharge means for discharging the sheet bundle whose folded portion is pressed by the sheet bundle pressing means;
And a control means for controlling the movement of the pre-Symbol sheet bundle pressing unit, a
The sheet bundle pressing unit, said be discharged from the receiving position for receiving a sheet bundle that has been transported under the heading of the folded portion from the folding means, the sheet bundle after being pressurized the discharge means housing a possible move to the sheet bundle discharge possible position that does not interfere is,
Wherein, when the direction of the sheet size that is orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet bundle to be processed is less than a predetermined size, wherein the sheet bundle ejectable position to both one end side and the other end side of the sheet bundle When the sheet bundle pressurizing unit is moved to the set sheet bundle dischargeable position when the sheet bundle is discharged, and the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the receiving direction of the sheet bundle to be processed is larger than a predetermined size the sheet bundle ejectable position of the one end and the other end of the sheet bundle is set to the sheet bundle pressing means is closer to the sheet bundle than the gear pair end portion side, the at sheet bundle discharge an image forming apparatus, characterized by so that the control is moved to the sheet bundle discharging possible position set the sheet bundle pressing unit.
In order to achieve the above object, according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the control means has a sheet size in a direction perpendicular to the receiving direction of the sheet bundle to be continuously processed. In either case, the image forming apparatus controls the moving direction of the sheet bundle pressing unit when the sheet bundle pressing unit is pressed so as to be in both directions orthogonal to the sheet bundle receiving direction. .
In order to achieve the above object, according to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the control means has a sheet size in a direction orthogonal to the receiving direction of the continuously processed sheet bundle. When both are smaller than a predetermined size, the sheet bundle dischargeable position of the preceding sheet bundle and the sheet bundle receiving position of the succeeding sheet bundle are controlled to be set to the same end side of the sheet bundle. An image forming apparatus.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the appearance quality of the bookbinding produced by suppressing the swelling of the folded sheet bundle, and to improve the productivity without increasing the size of the sheet processing apparatus. It is possible to prevent the decrease.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In all the drawings of the following embodiment, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals.

FIG. 1 shows a copying apparatus 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The copying apparatus 1000 according to this embodiment includes an original feeding unit 100, an image reader unit 200, and a printer unit 30.
0, a folding processing unit 400, a finisher 500 as a sheet processing apparatus, and an inserter 900.

  In FIG. 1, it is assumed that a document is set on the tray 1001 of the document feeding unit 100 in an upright state as viewed from the user and in a face-up state (the surface on which an image is formed is upward). . The binding position of the document is assumed to be located at the left end portion of the document. Documents set on the tray 1001 are conveyed one by one from the first page to the leading edge in the left direction (the arrow direction in FIG. 1) by the document feeding unit 100. That is, the document is conveyed with the binding position at the leading edge.

  Further, the original is conveyed from the left to the right on the platen glass 102 through a curved path, and is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 112. At this time, the scanner unit 104 is held in a predetermined position. Then, the document is read when the document passes over the scanner unit 104 from left to right. This reading method is referred to as “original flow reading”.

  Then, when the document passes over the platen glass 102, the document is irradiated by the lamp 103 of the scanner unit 104. The reflected light from the original is guided to the image sensor 109 via the mirrors 105, 106, 107 and the lens 108.

  The document conveyed by the document feeder 100 is temporarily stopped on the platen glass 102, and the scanner unit 104 is moved from left to right in this state. As a result, a document reading process is performed. This reading method is called “original fixed reading”. When reading a document without using the document feeding unit 100, the document feeding unit 100 is lifted by the user, the document is set on the platen glass 102, and “document fixed reading” is executed.

  The document image data read by the image sensor 109 is subjected to predetermined image processing and is conveyed to the exposure control unit 110. Laser light corresponding to the image signal is output from the exposure control unit 110. The laser beam is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 111 while being scanned by the polygon mirror 110a. As a result, an electrostatic latent image corresponding to the scanned laser beam is formed on the photosensitive drum 111.

  The electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 111 is developed by a developing device and visualized as a toner image. On the other hand, the recording paper is conveyed to the transfer unit 116 from the cassettes 114 and 115, the manual paper feeding unit 125 or the double-sided conveyance path 124. In the transfer unit 116, the visualized toner image is transferred to a recording sheet. The fixing unit 117 performs a fixing process on the recording paper after the transfer.

  The recording paper that has passed through the fixing unit 117 is once conveyed to the path 122 by the flapper 121. Then, after the trailing edge of the recording paper passes through the flapper 121, it is switched back and conveyed to the discharge roller 118 by the flapper 121.

  The recording paper is discharged from the printer unit 300 by the discharge roller 118. Thus, the toner image is discharged from the printer unit 300 with the surface on which the toner image is formed facing downward (face down). This is referred to as “reversed paper discharge”.

As described above, by ejecting the recording paper face-down outside the apparatus, the page order can be aligned when image forming processing is performed sequentially from the first page. Here, examples of the case where the image forming process is performed in order from the first page include the case where the image forming process is performed using the document feeder 100 and the case where the image forming process is performed on the image data from the computer. . When a hard sheet such as an OHP sheet is conveyed from the manual sheet feeding unit 125 and image forming processing is performed, the sheet is not guided to the path 122. Accordingly, the sheet in this case is discharged from the printer unit 300 by the discharge roller 118 with the surface on which the toner image is formed facing upward (face up).

  When image forming processing is performed on both sides of the recording paper, the recording paper is guided straight from the fixing unit 117 toward the discharge roller 118. Immediately after the trailing edge of the sheet exits the flapper 121, the sheet is switched back and guided to the duplex conveyance path by the flapper 121.

  The sheet discharged from the printer unit 300 by the discharge roller 118 is fed to the folding processing unit 400. In the folding processing unit 400, folding processing is performed so that the sheet is folded in a Z shape. For example, when an A3 size or B4 size sheet and a folding process are specified from the operation unit, the folding process is performed on the sheet discharged from the printer unit 300. On the other hand, in other cases, the sheet discharged from the printer unit 300 is fed to the finisher 500 without being folded.

  Next, a method for controlling the copying apparatus will be described. FIG. 8 shows a configuration of a control circuit of the copying apparatus 1000 configured mainly with the CPU circuit unit 150. The CPU circuit unit 150 includes a CPU (not shown) as information processing means. The CPU circuit unit 150 includes a ROM 151 as a read-only recording unit and a RAM 152 as a rewritable recording unit.

  The CPU circuit unit 150 is configured to be able to execute various controls in accordance with a control program stored in the ROM 151 and a setting signal supplied from the operation unit 1. That is, the CPU circuit unit 150 controls the document feeding control unit 101, the image reader control unit 201, the image signal control unit 202, the printer control unit 301, the folding processing control unit 401, the finisher control unit 501, and the external I / F 203. The

  The document feeding control unit 101 controls the document feeding unit 100. The image reader control unit 201 controls the image reader unit 200. The printer unit 300 is controlled by the printer control unit 301. The folding processing control unit 401 controls the folding processing unit 400. The finisher controller 501 controls the finisher 500.

  The operation unit 1 includes a plurality of keys for setting various functions relating to image formation, a display unit for displaying a setting state, and the like. A key signal corresponding to each key operation by the user is supplied from the operation unit 1 to the CPU circuit unit 150. On the contrary, corresponding information is displayed on the display unit provided in the operation unit 1 based on the signal from the CPU circuit unit 150. In the present embodiment, when the user performs an operation toward the operation unit 1, the direction of the device facing the user is referred to as the front of the device, and the opposite side is referred to as the back of the device.

  The RAM 152 is used as an area for temporarily storing control data and a work area for operations associated with control. An external I / F 203 is an interface between the copying apparatus 1000 and an external computer 204. The external I / F 203 develops the print data from the computer 204 into a bitmap image and supplies it to the image signal control unit 202 as image data.

  Further, the image of the original read by the image sensor 109 is supplied from the image reader control unit 201 to the image signal control unit 202. The image data supplied from the image signal control unit 202 by the printer control unit 301 is supplied to the exposure control unit 110.

  Next, the configuration of the finisher 500 shown in FIG. 1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the finisher 500 is for executing sheet post-processing such as processing for bundling sheets. That is, the recording paper from the printer unit 300 is taken into the finisher 500 via the folding processing unit 400, and a plurality of sheets are aligned and bundled into a sheet bundle.

  Further, the finisher 500 is configured to be capable of executing post-processing such as stapling processing (binding processing) for stapling the rear end side of the sheet bundle, sorting processing, non-sorting processing, or bookbinding processing.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, a punch unit 550 may be provided in the sheet conveyance path in the finisher 500 to perform punching processing (punching processing) on the sheet from the inserter 900 or the printer unit 300.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the finisher 500 includes an entrance roller pair 502. The entrance roller pair 502 is for taking in the sheet from the printer unit 300 conveyed through the folding processing unit 400 into the finisher 500. A switching flapper 551 for guiding the sheet to the finisher path 552 or the first bookbinding path 553 is provided on the downstream side of the inlet roller pair 502.

  The sheet guided to the finisher path 552 is conveyed to the buffer roller 505 via the conveying roller pair 503. The transport roller pair 503 and the buffer roller 505 are configured to be able to rotate forward and backward.

  An inlet sensor 531 is provided between the inlet roller pair 502 and the conveying roller pair 503. Note that the second bookbinding path 554 branches from the finisher path 552 in the vicinity of the upstream of the inlet sensor 531. Hereinafter, this branch point is referred to as branch A.

  Branch A is a branch to the conveyance path for conveying the sheet from the inlet roller pair 502 side to the conveyance roller pair 503 side. Further, when the conveyance roller pair 503 is rotated in the reverse direction and the sheet is conveyed from the conveyance roller pair 503 side to the entrance sensor 531 side, a one-way mechanism is provided so that the sheet is conveyed only to the second bookbinding path 554 side. It becomes a branch.

  Sheets from the first bookbinding path 553 or the second bookbinding path 554 pass through the bookbinding entrance sensor 817 and are stored in the storage guide 820 via the bookbinding roller pair 813. Note that the sheet conveyed by the bookbinding roller pair 813 is conveyed until the leading end of the sheet comes into contact with the movable sheet positioning member 823.

  Further, two pairs of staplers 818 are provided on the downstream side of the bookbinding roller pair 813, that is, in the middle position of the storage guide 820. An anvil 819 is provided at a position facing the stapler 818. The stapler 818 is configured to bind the center of the sheet bundle S100 in cooperation with the anvil 819.

  On the downstream side of the stapler 818, a folding roller pair 826 that constitutes a folding means is provided. Further, a protruding member 825 that constitutes a folding means is provided at a position facing the folding roller pair 826. By projecting the projecting member 825 toward the sheet bundle stored in the storage guide 820, the sheet bundle is pushed out between the pair of folding rollers 826. The extruded sheet bundle S100 is conveyed while being folded by the folding roller pair 826.

  Thereafter, the conveyance of the sheet bundle is temporarily stopped. Subsequently, the press unit 1200 as the sheet bundle pressing unit is moved in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. Thereafter, a crease (press) process is performed to crush the folded portion at the leading end of the sheet bundle. The press unit 1200 includes a press roller pair 1201, a support column and an exterior that support the press roller pair 1201.

  Thereafter, the sheet bundle S100 is discharged onto a discharge tray 832 serving as a stacking unit via a pair of discharge rollers 827 serving as a discharge unit. A bookbinding paper discharge sensor 830 is disposed on the downstream side of the paper discharge roller pair 827. On the discharge tray 832, a stack completion detection sensor 1100 is disposed as a stack end detection unit.

  As shown in FIG. 3, if the press unit 1200 is moved before the completion of the stacking detection by the stacking completion detection sensor 1100, the sheet bundle collides with the press unit 1200, and a stacking defect occurs in the discharge tray 832.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the movement of the press unit 1200 is executed after the trailing end of the sheet bundle is detected by the stacking completion detection sensor 1100.

  Further, when the sheet bundle bound by the stapler 818 is folded, the positioning member 823 is moved from the position at the time of the stapling process so that the staple position of the sheet bundle comes to the center position (nip point) of the folding roller pair 826 after the stapling process is completed. Descent a predetermined distance. As a result, the sheet bundle can be folded around the position where the stapling process is performed.

(Finisher control unit)
Next, the finisher control unit 501 for driving and controlling the finisher 500 will be described. FIG. 9 shows a configuration of the finisher control unit 501 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the finisher control unit 501 includes a CPU circuit unit 510 including a CPU 511, a ROM 512, a RAM 513, and the like as information processing means. The CPU circuit unit 510 performs data conversion by communicating with the CPU circuit unit 150 provided on the image forming apparatus main body side via the communication IC 514. In addition, various programs stored in the ROM 512 are executed based on instructions from the CPU circuit unit 150, and drive control for the finisher 500 is executed. The CPU circuit unit 510 has a jam timer (not shown) for detecting a jam.

  When driving control of the finisher 500 is performed, detection signals are input to the CPU circuit unit 150 from various sensors. The various sensors include an entrance sensor 531, a bookbinding entrance sensor 817, a bookbinding discharge sensor 830, and a stacking completion detection sensor 1100.

  Also, as shown in FIG. 9, a driver 520 is connected to the CPU circuit unit 510. The driver 520 drives various motors, solenoids, and clutches based on signals from the CPU circuit unit 510. In this embodiment, the finisher control unit 501 is provided in the finisher 500, but may be provided integrally with the CPU circuit unit 150 provided on the image forming apparatus main body side.

The finisher 500 can be equally driven and controlled in either case directly from the CPU circuit unit 150 provided on the image forming apparatus main body side or via the finisher control unit 501 provided in the finisher 500. However, it is more preferable to provide the optional finisher 500 because the control unit on the image forming apparatus main body side can be minimized.

  As various motors driven by the driver 520 described above, an entrance motor M1, a conveyor motor M2, and a press motor M3 are provided. The entrance motor M1 is a drive source for the entrance roller pair 502, the transport roller pair 503, and the transport roller pair 906. The conveyor motor M2 is a motor that drives a belt that conveys the sheet bundle of the discharge tray 832. The press motor M3 is a motor that moves the press unit 1200 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

  Further, a conveyance motor M10, a positioning motor M11, and a folding motor M12 are provided as various motors driven by the driver 520 described above. The conveyance motor M <b> 10 is a drive source for the bookbinding roller pair 813. The positioning motor M11 is a drive source for the sheet positioning member 823. The folding motor M12 is a drive source for the protruding member 825, the folding roller pair 826, and the folding paper discharge roller pair 827.

  Of the motors, the inlet motor M1 is a stepping motor. Thus, the excitation pulse rate applied to the inlet motor M1 is controlled, and the roller pair driven by each motor can be rotated at a constant speed or can be rotated at a unique speed. In addition, the inlet motor M1 is configured to be driven by the driver 520 in forward and reverse rotation directions.

  Each of the conveyor motor M2, the transport motor M10, and the positioning motor M11 is a stepping motor. The folding motor M12 and the press motor M3 are each composed of a DC motor. The conveyance motor M10 is configured to be able to convey the sheet in synchronization with the inlet motor M1. Further, the press motor M3 is configured to be capable of speed control. Further, as the solenoid, a solenoid SL10 for switching the switching flapper 551 is provided.

(Bookbinding processing and image formation processing in bookbinding mode)
Next, the bookbinding process will be described. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram for explaining image forming processing in the bookbinding mode in the copying apparatus 1000 according to the embodiment. In this embodiment, a case where the number of read originals is eight will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 14A, when the bookbinding mode is designated, first, the document set on the tray 1001 of the document feeding unit 100 is sequentially read from the first page. The read image of the original is sequentially stored in auxiliary storage means such as a hard disk (not shown) in the image signal control unit 202 (see FIG. 8), and the number of read originals is counted.

When the document reading process is completed, the read document image is classified by the following equation (1). Then, the image forming order and image forming position of the document image are determined.
M = n × 4-k (1)
(M: the number of documents, n: an integer equal to or greater than 1 and the number of sheets used when forming an image of the document, k = 0, 1, 2, 3).

  Then, when the document image data (R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8) for 8 pages is stored in the hard disk in the order of reading, the respective image data R1 to R8 are An image forming order and an image forming position are determined. As a result, as shown in FIG. 14B, an R4 image is formed on the left half of the first surface (front surface) of the sheet P1 of the first page, and an R5 image is formed on the right half. Is done. Note that the image formed on the sheet is an image after the mirror image processing is performed.

  The sheet P1 on which the images of the image data R4 and R5 are formed is fed again to the transfer unit 116 (both see FIG. 1) via the duplex conveyance path 124. Further, on the second surface (back surface) of the sheet P1, an image of the image data R6 is formed on the left half, and an image of the image data R3 is formed on the right half. The sheet P1 on which images are formed on both sides is discharged from the printer unit 300 as it is, that is, in the state of the back side, and is conveyed to the first bookbinding path 553 in the finisher 500.

  When the sheet P1 is conveyed from the printer unit 300 to the finisher 500, as shown in FIG. 14C, the second surface on which the image of the image data R6 and the image data R3 are formed faces upward and the image data The image is conveyed in the arrow direction in FIG. At this time, the image data R5 image is formed at the back side portion of the image data R6 image portion, and the image data R4 is formed at the back side portion of the image data R3 image portion.

  Thereafter, the process for the second page is performed following the process described above. As shown in FIG. 14B, an image of the image data R2 is formed on the left half and an image of the image data R7 is formed on the right half of the first surface (front surface) of the sheet P2 of the second page. Note that the image formed on the sheet is an image after the mirror image processing is performed as described above.

  The sheet P <b> 2 on which the image data R <b> 2 and the image data R <b> 7 are formed is fed again to the transfer unit 116 via the duplex conveyance path 124. On the second surface (back surface) of the sheet P2, an R8 image is formed on the left half, and an R1 image is formed on the right half. The sheet P2 on which images are formed on both sides is discharged from the printer unit 300 as it is, that is, with the back side, and is conveyed to the first bookbinding path 553 of the finisher 500.

  When the sheet P2 is conveyed from the printer unit 300 to the finisher 500, as shown in FIG. 14C, the second surface on which the image of the image data R8 and the image data R1 are formed faces upward, and the image data The image is transported in the direction of the arrow in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14C, an image of the image data R7 is formed on the back side of the portion where the image of the image data R8 is formed, and a back side of the portion where the image of the image data R1 is formed. The image of the image data R2 is formed.

  The sheet P1 and the sheet P2 are sequentially guided and stored in the storage guide 820 via the first bookbinding path 553 of the finisher 500 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 14D, the sheet P1 is stored on the protruding member 825 side in the storage guide 820, and the subsequent sheet P2 is stored on the folding roller pair 826 side.

  Further, the first surfaces (front surfaces) of the respective sheets P1, P2 are stored so as to face the protruding member 825 side. The positioning of the sheets P1 and P2 in the storage guide 820 is performed by the positioning member 823.

  After the plurality of sheets P1, P2,... Are stored in the storage guide 820, the protrusion member 825 protrudes from the sheet bundle as shown in FIG. As a result, the sheet bundle is pushed out toward the folding roller pair 826. The sheet bundle pushed out to the folding roller pair 826 side is folded at the central portion (image boundary portion of the image surface) by the folding roller pair 826 and discharged to the saddle discharge tray 832.

In the folded sheet bundle, the images of the sheets P1, P2,... Are arranged in the page order as shown in FIG. Thereby, these sheets P1, P2, and
The orientations of the respective images of ... match.

(Finisher drive control)
Next, processing related to the drive control of the finisher 500 will be described. FIG. 10 shows a flowchart regarding the operation mode determination processing for the finisher 500. The drive control process according to this embodiment is executed by the CPU circuit unit 510 in the finisher control unit 501 based on a signal supplied from the CPU circuit unit 150.

  As shown in FIG. 10, first, in step S2301, it is determined whether or not a finisher start signal for instructing the finisher 500 to start operation is input to the finisher control unit 501. Note that this step S2301 is repeated until the user presses the start key on the operation unit 1 to instruct the start of copying, and a finisher start signal is input from the CPU circuit unit 150 to the finisher control unit 501.

  If it is determined in step S2301 that the finisher start signal has been input to the finisher control unit 501 (S2301: YES), the process proceeds to step S2302, and driving of the inlet motor M1 is started.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S2303, and it is determined whether there is a paper feed request to the inserter 900 based on the data from the communication IC 514 shown in FIG. A paper feed request to the inserter 900 is sent to the finisher control unit 501 when an inserter is selected by the user.

  If it is determined in step S2303 that there is a paper feed request for the inserter 900 (S2303: YES), the process proceeds to step S2304, and the pre-inserter paper feed process is executed. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S2305. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2303 that there is no paper feed request to the inserter 900 (S2303: NO), the process proceeds to step S2305 without proceeding to step S2304.

  In step S 2305, a paper feed signal is supplied to the CPU circuit unit 150 of the copying apparatus 1000 through the communication IC 514. In the CPU circuit unit 150 to which the paper feed signal is supplied, the image forming process is started.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S2306, and it is determined whether the operation mode set in the operation unit 1 is the bookbinding mode based on the post-processing mode data supplied from the CPU circuit unit 150 through the communication IC 514. . If it is determined in step S2306 that the set operation mode is the bookbinding mode, the process proceeds to step S2307, and a bookbinding process is executed. Details regarding the bookbinding process in step S2307 will be described later. After the bookbinding process in step S2307 is completed, the process returns to step S2301.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S2306 that the set operation mode is not the bookbinding mode (S2306: NO), the process proceeds to step S2313.

  In step S2313, it is determined whether the punch mode is set by the user. When the punch mode is set (S2313: YES), the process proceeds to step S2314. Then, after the punch mode flag is turned on in step S2314, the process proceeds to step S2308. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2313 that the punch mode is not set (S2313: NO), the process proceeds to step S2308 without performing the process in step S2314.

  In step S2308, it is determined which of the non-sort mode, the sort mode, and the staple sort mode is the set operation mode. If it is determined in step S2308 that the set operation mode is the non-sort mode, the process proceeds to step S2309 and non-sort processing is executed. If it is determined in step S2308 that the set operation mode is the sort mode, the process proceeds to step S2310 and the sort process is executed. If it is determined in step S2308 that the set operation mode is the staple sort mode, the process advances to step S2311 to execute the staple sort process.

  When the non-sort process in step S2309, the sort process in step S2310, or the staple sort process in step S2311 is completed, the process proceeds to step S2312, and the driving of the inlet motor M1 is stopped. At the same time, if the punch mode flag is turned on in step S2314, the punch mode flag is also turned off. Thereafter, the process returns to step S2301, and the input of a finisher start signal is waited.

  Note that the following processing is performed when any one of Step S2307, Step S2309, Step S2310, and Step S2311 is performed. That is, when any of the above processes is performed and it is determined in step S2303 that there is a paper feed request to the inserter 900, first, the pre-inserter paper feed process in step S2304 is executed.

(Binding process)
Next, the bookbinding process described above in the bookbinding mode according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of the bookbinding process according to this embodiment. This process is executed when it is determined in step S2306 in FIG. 10 that the operation mode is the bookbinding mode.

  In the bookbinding process according to this embodiment, first, in step S2801, it is determined based on the size information whether the size of the sheet conveyed from the printer unit 300 to the finisher 500 is a size suitable for bookbinding. If it is determined in step S2801 that the sheet size is not suitable for bookbinding, this process ends, and the process returns to step S2301 shown in FIG.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2801 that the sheet size is suitable for bookbinding (S2801: YES), the process proceeds to step S2802, and bookbinding initial operation is executed.

  In the bookbinding initial operation in step S2802, the conveyance motor M10 is driven to rotate the bookbinding roller pair 813 so that the sheet can be conveyed. At the same time, the switching solenoid SL10 is driven to switch the switching flapper 551 to the first bookbinding path 553 side. Further, the sheet from the printer unit 300 is guided to the storage guide 820. Further, the width adjusting member (not shown) is positioned so as to have a width having a predetermined margin with respect to the sheet width. Along with this positioning, the positioning motor M11 is rotated by a predetermined number of steps so that the distance from the sheet positioning member 823 to the staple position of the stapler 818 is ½ of the length in the sheet conveying direction.

Next, in step S2803, it is determined whether a sheet from the printer unit 300 has been conveyed into the storage guide 820 based on a signal from the bookbinding entrance sensor 817. As a result, if the sheet is not conveyed into the storage guide 820, the process returns to step S2802.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2803 that the sheet from the printer unit 300 has been conveyed into the storage guide 820 (S2803: YES), the process proceeds to step S2804. In step S2804, the width adjusting member (not shown) is operated after a predetermined time has elapsed. Thereby, the alignment operation in the sheet width direction with respect to the sheet stored in the storage guide 820 is executed.

  Thereafter, in step S2805, it is determined whether or not the sheet processed in step S2804 is the final sheet of the sheet to be bound as one bundle. If this sheet is not the final sheet, the process returns to step S2802.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2805 that this sheet is the final sheet (S2805: YES), the process proceeds to step S2806. In step S2806, an image formation prohibition signal is output to the CPU circuit unit 150 so that the sheet is not conveyed from the printer unit 300 toward the finisher 500.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S2807, and it is determined whether or not the user has designated paper feed from the inserter 900. If it is determined that paper feed from the inserter 900 is designated (S2807: YES), the process proceeds to step S2808. After the inserter paper feed process is executed in step S2808, the process proceeds to step S2809. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2807 that the sheet feeding from the inserter 900 is not designated (S2807: NO), the process proceeds to step S2809.

  In step S2809, a stapling process is performed using the stapler 818 (see FIG. 2) on the sheet bundle aligned in the storage guide 820. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S2810, and a bundle conveyance process (bundle movement process) is executed. In the bundle conveyance process in step S2810, the sheet bundle is transferred by the distance between the staple position of the stapler 818 and the nip position of the folding roller pair 826. For this transfer, the positioning motor M11 is driven to lower the sheet positioning member 823, and the transport motor M10 is driven again to rotate the bookbinding roller pair 813.

  After execution of the process of step S2810, the process proceeds to step S2811, and the folding control process is executed. In the folding control process in step S2811, the clutch CL1 is driven and the folding motor M12 is driven to move the protruding member 825 toward the folding roller pair 826 (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 15A).

  By the folding control processing, the center of the sheet bundle S100, that is, the stapling position on the sheet is guided to the nip point of the folding roller pair 826, and is folded into two by the folding roller pair 826. The protruding member 825 is configured to be able to reciprocate by a cam mechanism. When a sensor (not shown) detects that the protruding member 825 has reciprocated once, the clutch CL1 is driven. Stopped.

  After executing the folding control process in step S2811, the process proceeds to step S2812, where it is determined whether the press roller is prohibited from moving. The prohibition of the movement of the press roller pair 1201 in step S2812 is performed to prohibit the movement of the press roller pair 1201 during the discharge of the sheet bundle to the stacking tray. The prohibition of movement of the press roller pair 1201 is set in step S2815 described later.

When the movement of the press roller is prohibited (S2812: YES), the process waits until the movement prohibition of the press roller pair 1201 is released. In this embodiment, the bookbinding processing sequence is activated for each sheet and processed in parallel. In other words, the determination process in step S2812 is a process of confirming whether or not the prohibition of press roller movement set during discharging of the preceding sheet bundle is released.

  Further, when the movement of the press roller is not prohibited (S2812: NO), the process proceeds to step S2813, and the press roller pair 1201 is moved in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction to crease (press) the crushing portion of the sheet bundle. Is executed.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 13, the moving speed of the press roller pair 1201 when moving in the press process is changed according to the number of sheet bundles so that a good crease is always obtained. In this embodiment, the moving speed of the press roller pair 1201 is changed according to the number of sheet bundles, but can be changed according to the rigidity of the sheet and the sheet size.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S2814 shown in FIG. 11, and a paper discharge process for discharging the sheet bundle to the stacking tray is executed. Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S2815, where the press roller is set to prohibit movement. That is, the movement of the press roller pair 1201 is on standby. Subsequently, the process proceeds to step S2816.

  In step S2816, it is determined whether or not to finish stacking the sheet bundle. In this embodiment, the stacking of sheets is finished when it is detected that the trailing edge of the sheet bundle has passed the stacking completion detection sensor 1100. In addition to the method employed in this embodiment, the detection method of the end of stacking of the sheet bundle includes a method of detecting by the feed amount of the discharge roller pair 827 after discharging the sheet bundle, and starting discharge of the sheet bundle. There is also a method of judging based on the elapsed time.

  Next, when it is determined in step S2816 that the end of stacking of the sheet bundle is detected (S2816: YES), the process proceeds to step S2817 and the prohibition of movement of the press roller pair 1201 is released.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S2818, and the press roller retracting process is executed. The press roller retracting process is a process of moving the press roller pair 1201 to the press roller movement start position of the next sheet bundle.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 13, during the press roller retracting process, there is no paper, the load is light, and the height of the folded portion is not affected. Therefore, the moving speed of the press roller is set to be faster than the moving speed of the press process. Thereby, processing time is shortened.

  Next, the process proceeds to step S2819 in FIG. 11, and the driving of the folding motor M12 is stopped. Thereafter, in step S2820, it is determined whether or not this sheet bundle is the last sheet bundle to be bound.

  If it is determined in step S2820 that the sheet bundle is the last sheet bundle to be bound (S2820: YES), the process proceeds to step S2821, and bookbinding mode end processing is executed.

In the bookbinding mode end process in step S2821, the above-described width adjusting member and the sheet positioning member 823 are each moved to predetermined standby positions. Further, the switching flapper 551 is switched to the finisher path 552 side, and the bookbinding mode ends. After executing the processing of step S2815, step S2 of the flowchart shown in FIG.
Return to 301.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2820 that it is not the last sheet bundle to be bound (S2820: NO), the process proceeds to step S2822. In step S2822, the image formation inhibition signal is canceled, and after the cancellation signal is supplied to the CPU circuit unit 150, the process returns to step S2802. This completes the bookbinding process according to this embodiment.

  As described above, according to this embodiment, the stacking completion detection sensor 1100 that detects the discharge of the sheet bundle S100, that is, the completion of stacking, is provided. Then, by moving the press roller pair 1201 after the sheet bundle S100 is reliably discharged, the contact between the sheet bundle S100 and the press roller pair 1201 can be prevented, and the stacking on the discharge tray 832 can be kept good.

(Press unit operation)
Next, the operation of the press unit 1200 for each sheet size will be described. FIG. 5 shows an operation when pressing by pressing a large size such as A3.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, when the sheet size is a large size such as A3, the press unit 1200 is moved from the back standby position at the start of the copying operation toward the right side (the front side of the apparatus). Then, as shown in FIG. 5B, the press unit 1200 moves to a sheet receiving position on the front side of the apparatus, which is preset according to the sheet size. The sheet receiving position is set at a position corresponding to the sheet size so that the nip portion 1201n of the press roller pair 1201 and one end S100a in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the conveyed sheet bundle S100 do not interfere with each other. In addition, this position is such that when the crease (press) process is started, the folded portion of the sheet bundle S100 is pinched by the nip portion 1201n as soon as the press roller pair 1201 moves. That is, in the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle S100, the position corresponds to the stop position of the folding portion of the sheet bundle S100, and as close as possible to the one end S100a of the sheet bundle S100 in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle S100. Position. Further, the sheet receiving position takes into account a deviation in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the one end S100a of the conveyed sheet bundle shown in FIG.

  Thereafter, as shown in FIGS. 5C and 5D, the sheet bundle S100 enters the press unit 1200. At this time, as shown in FIG. 5D, the discharge roller pair 827 is stopped when the leading end of the sheet bundle S100 reaches the moving region of the press roller pair 1201. Subsequently, as illustrated in FIG. 5E, the folded portion of the sheet bundle S <b> 100 is moved toward the back side of the apparatus while being pressed in the nip portion 1201 n of the press roller pair 1201. The press unit 1200 can stop at the sheet receiving position with the leading end of the sheet bundle S100 entering the press unit 1200, but discharging the sheet bundle S100 to the discharge tray 832 at this position. Can not. Therefore, when continuously folding (pressing) a large-size sheet bundle, the press unit 1200 must always wait for the sheet bundle S100 to be discharged at the back standby position. For this reason, the crease (press) process is performed by moving in one direction from the sheet receiving position to the standby position on the back of the apparatus. This back standby position is a position where the sheet bundle can be discharged. The sheet bundle dischargeable position is a position where the sheet bundle S100 is discharged without interfering with the press unit 1200. Thus, by setting the standby position (position where the sheet bundle can be discharged) only on the back side of the apparatus, the apparatus width can be narrowed by the interval L1 ′ shown in FIG. 5B on the front side of the apparatus.

Details of the press unit 1200 are shown in FIG. That is, FIG. 6A and FIG.
) And FIG. 6C are partial perspective views of the press unit 1200 as seen from the back, the side, and the front, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 6, the press unit 1200 includes gears 1302a and 1302b that are driven integrally with a press roller pair 1201 as a sheet bundle pressing unit . Further, a gear pair 1301 for applying a driving force to the gears 1302a and 1302b is provided adjacent to the gears 1302a and 1302b, respectively. The press roller pair 1201, the gears 1302a and 1302b, and the gear pair 1301 are covered with a housing 1303, and a press unit 1200 as a sheet bundle pressing unit is configured. The gears 1302a and 1302b and the gear pair 1301 are each supported by a housing 1303. Therefore, the press roller pair 1201 provided coaxially with the gears 1302a and 1302b is disposed at a position offset from the housing center to one side with respect to the housing 1303. Therefore, the sheet bundle dischargeable position described above is determined by the relationship between the end portion of the housing 1303 and the end portion in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet bundle S100. When standby positions (sheet bundle dischargeable positions) are provided on the front side and the back side of the apparatus, the standby positions of the press roller pair 1201 are asymmetric positions with respect to the sheet conveyance center. When the standby position is provided only on one of the front side and the back side of the apparatus, the standby position of the press roller pair 1201 is set by waiting with the press roller pair 1201 offset to the side near the end of the sheet bundle. The amount of movement becomes smaller and the processing time can be shortened.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, the press roller pair 1201 of the press unit 1200 is disposed so as to approach one side from the center of the press unit 1200. Thereby, the part which the press unit 1200 protrudes to the apparatus front side (right side of FIG. 5) is made small as much as possible. In this embodiment, the standby position (sheet bundle dischargeable position) is provided on the rear side of the apparatus in order to reduce the apparatus width on the front side of the apparatus. However, for the purpose of reducing the entire apparatus width, the standby position is It may be provided on the front side and the apparatus width on the back side may be reduced.

  Next, a case where a sheet bundle having a small size such as A4 size is pressed will be described. FIG. 7 shows a paper discharge roller pair 827 and a press unit 1200 when a small-size sheet bundle is pressed.

  First, as shown in FIG. 7A, the press unit 1200 is in the standby position on the back side of the apparatus. Thereafter, at the timing when the sheet bundle is conveyed, as shown in FIG. 7B, the press unit 1200 is moved to the sheet receiving position of the sheet bundle S101. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7C, the press unit 1200 adds the sheet bundle S101 toward the front side of the apparatus (right side in FIG. 7) in a state where the sheet bundle S101 is received by the press roller pair 1201. Move while pressing.

As shown in FIG. 7C, when the sheet bundle S101 to be pressed is a small sheet of about A4, for example, when the press unit 1200 moves to the most front side as well as when it is at the back side standby position. However, the sheet bundle S101 can be discharged onto the discharge tray 832. In the present embodiment, since a large-size retracting position (sheet bundle dischargeable position) is not set on the front side of the apparatus, the position has entered at least the distance L1 ′ shown in FIG. 5B. Becomes a retracted position for small size (position where the sheet bundle can be discharged). Further, when the sheet bundle to be discharged next has the same small size as the previously discharged sheet bundle, the press unit 1200 only moves from the position shown in FIG. 7C to the position shown in FIG. 7D. Thus, the acceptance of the sheet bundle is completed. That is, in the case of a small-size sheet bundle, the sheet receiving position of the press unit 1200 is switched between the back side and the front side of the apparatus every time the sheet bundle is conveyed part by part, and a crease (press) process is performed. Is possible. Since each sheet receiving position is a position that matches the small size, without increasing the device width,
Further, standby positions can be provided on the outer sides in the width direction. Therefore, the sheet bundle after processing can be discharged at the standby position (position where the sheet bundle can be discharged) of the press unit 1200 on the back side and the front side. In this way, in the case of a small size sheet bundle, the processing time is significantly shortened compared to the case of a large size sheet bundle.

  As described above, in the embodiment of the present invention, the home position (HP) of the press unit 1200 is switched in accordance with the sheet size, thereby reducing the apparatus width and reducing the apparatus size.

(Press unit control)
Next, control of the press unit 1200 will be described. FIG. 12 shows a control flowchart of the press unit 1200 according to this embodiment.

  That is, for example, when the bookbinding function is selected by the CPU circuit unit 150 by the bookbinding process in step S2307 in FIG. 10, the control of the press unit shown in FIG. 12 is started.

  First, in step S3001, the CPU circuit unit 150 determines whether or not the sheet width size in the discharged sheet bundle is larger than L set in advance.

  If it is determined in step S3001 that the width of the sheet bundle to be bound is larger than the preset width L (S3001: YES), the process proceeds to step S3002. Then, the press unit 1200 is moved to the large size sheet receiving position (see FIG. 5) on the front side of the apparatus.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S3001 that the width of the sheet bundle to be bound is smaller than the preset width L (S3001: NO), the process proceeds to step S3006. In step S3006, the press unit 1200 is moved to the nearest small size sheet receiving position (see FIG. 7). Here, the nearest sheet receiving position is the back side of the apparatus close to the home position of the press unit 1200 when the power is turned on. In addition, when there is a next job to be described later, the nearest sheet receiving position in the next job is a sheet closer to the standby position (position where the sheet bundle can be discharged) when the crease processing is completed in the previous job. This is the receiving position. For each job, the sheet receiving position and the standby position (position where the sheet bundle can be discharged) are switched between the apparatus back side and the apparatus front side.

  Thereafter, in either case, the process proceeds to step S3003. In step S3003, the process waits until the sheet bundle is accommodated in the press unit 1200. Thereafter, when the sheet bundle is carried into the press unit 1200, the process proceeds to step S3004.

  In step S3004, the press unit 1200 is moved to press the folded portion of the sheet bundle. When the folded portion of the sheet bundle is pressed, the process proceeds to step S3005, and the CPU circuit unit 150 determines whether there is a next job.

  If it is determined in step S3005 that there is a next job, the process returns to step S3001, and the necessary processing in steps S3001 to S3006 similar to the above is repeatedly executed until there is no job. In step S3005, when it is determined that there is no next job, the finisher control ends.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been specifically described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications based on the technical idea of the present invention are possible. For example, the number of sheets, the sheet bundle, and the configuration of the image forming apparatus described in the above-described embodiment are merely examples, and may be different as necessary.

  Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, the standby position of the press unit 1200 during standby is the back side, but the configuration of the press unit 1200 can be changed to the front side.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a copying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of the finisher by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a basic diagram which shows the state by which the sheet bundle was carried in to the press unit by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a basic diagram which is pressing the sheet | seat bundle with the press unit by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a basic diagram which shows the press operation | movement of the sheet | seat bundle (large width size) by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a basic diagram for demonstrating the inside of the press unit by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the press operation | movement of the sheet | seat bundle (small width size) by one Embodiment of this invention. 1 is a block diagram of a copying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the finisher control part by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the operation mode judgment process in the sheet processing apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the bookbinding process in the sheet processing apparatus by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart explaining control of a press unit. It is a speed table which shows the moving speed of the shift roller by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a basic diagram for demonstrating the bookbinding process by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a basic diagram for demonstrating the bookbinding process by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a basic diagram which shows the swelling of the folding part of a sheet bundle. It is a basic diagram which shows the process which presses a folding part. It is a basic diagram for demonstrating a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Operation part 100 Document feeding part 101 Document feeding control part 102 Platen glass 103 Lamp 104 Scanner unit 105,106,107 Mirror 108 Lens 109 Image sensor 110a Polygon mirror 110 Exposure control part 111 Photosensitive drum 112 Paper discharge tray 114,115 Cassette 116 Transfer unit 117 Fixing unit 118 Discharge roller 121 Flapper 122 Pass 124 Double-sided conveyance path 125 Paper feed unit 150 Circuit unit 200 Image reader unit 201 Image reader control unit 202 Image signal control unit 203 External I / F
204 Computer 206 Hard disk 209 Image sensor 300 Printer unit 301 Printer control unit 400 Processing unit 401 Processing control unit 500 Finisher 501 Finisher control unit 502 Entrance roller pair 503 Conveying roller pair 505 Buffer roller 510 Circuit unit 514 Communication IC
520 Driver 531 Entrance sensor 550 Punch unit 551 Flapper 552 Finisher path 553 Bookbinding path 554 Bookbinding path 813 Conveying roller pair 817 Bookbinding inlet sensor 818 Stapler 819 Anvil 820 Storage guide 823 Sheet positioning member 825 Extruding member 826 Roller pair 827 Discharging roller pair 830 Bookbinding discharge sensor 832 Saddle discharge tray 832 Discharge tray 900 Inserter 906 Transport roller pair 1000 Copying apparatus 1001 Tray 1100 Loading completion detection sensor 1200 Press unit 1201 Press roller pair 1201n Nip portion 1301 Gear pair 1302a, 1302b Gear 1303 Housing

Claims (7)

Folding means for performing folding processing on a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets;
A sheet bundle capable of pressurizing the folded portion while moving from one end to the other end of the sheet bundle or from the other end to the one end along the folded portion of the sheet bundle folded by the folding means. A pressing unit, a pair of gears for applying a driving force to the sheet bundle pressing unit, and the sheet bundle pressing unit from the center of the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the sheet bundle pressing unit to one side, A sheet bundle pressing unit having a housing that moves the gear pair toward the other side and supports the pair of gears, and
A discharge means for discharging the sheet bundle whose folded portion is pressed by the sheet bundle pressing means;
And a control means for controlling the movement of the pre-Symbol sheet bundle pressing unit, a
The sheet bundle pressing unit, said be discharged from the receiving position for receiving a sheet bundle that has been transported under the heading of the folded portion from the folding means, the sheet bundle after being pressurized the discharge means housing a possible move to the sheet bundle discharge possible position that does not interfere is,
The control means sets the sheet bundle dischargeable position on both one end side and the other end side of the sheet bundle when the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet bundle to be processed is equal to or smaller than a predetermined size. When the sheet bundle is discharged, the sheet bundle pressing unit is moved to the set sheet bundle dischargeable position, and when the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet bundle to be processed is larger than a predetermined size, The sheet bundle dischargeable position is set to an end side of the one end and the other end of the sheet bundle where the sheet bundle pressing unit is closer to the sheet bundle than the gear pair , and the sheet is discharged when the sheet bundle is discharged. sheet processing apparatus, characterized by so that the control is moved to the TabaKa圧unit set the sheet bundle discharging possible position. When the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the receiving direction of continuously processed sheet bundles is equal to or less than a predetermined size, the control means determines the movement direction of the sheet bundle pressurizing unit during pressurization. 2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is controlled so as to be in both directions orthogonal to the receiving direction. When the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the receiving direction of continuously processed sheet bundles is equal to or less than a predetermined size, the control means is configured to discharge the sheet bundle discharge position of the preceding sheet bundle and the sheet of the succeeding sheet bundle. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bundle receiving position is controlled to be set to the same end portion side of the sheet bundle.   An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 that performs processing on the image-formed sheet. Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
Folding means for performing a folding process on a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of image-formed sheets;
A sheet bundle capable of pressurizing the folded portion while moving from one end to the other end of the sheet bundle or from the other end to the one end along the folded portion of the sheet bundle folded by the folding means. A pressing unit, a pair of gears for applying a driving force to the sheet bundle pressing unit, and the sheet bundle pressing unit from the center of the direction orthogonal to the moving direction of the sheet bundle pressing unit to one side, A sheet bundle pressing unit having a housing that moves the gear pair toward the other side and supports the pair of gears, and
A discharge means for discharging the sheet bundle whose folded portion is pressed by the sheet bundle pressing means;
And a control means for controlling the movement of the pre-Symbol sheet bundle pressing unit, a
The sheet bundle pressing unit, said be discharged from the receiving position for receiving a sheet bundle that has been transported under the heading of the folded portion from the folding means, the sheet bundle after being pressurized the discharge means housing a possible move to the sheet bundle discharge possible position that does not interfere is,
Wherein, when the direction of the sheet size that is orthogonal to the discharge direction of the sheet bundle to be processed is less than a predetermined size, wherein the sheet bundle ejectable position to both one end side and other end side of the sheet bundle When the sheet bundle pressurizing unit is moved to the set sheet bundle dischargeable position when the sheet bundle is discharged, and the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the receiving direction of the sheet bundle to be processed is larger than a predetermined size the sheet bundle ejectable position of the one end and the other end of the sheet bundle is set to the sheet bundle pressing means is closer to the sheet bundle than the gear pair end portion side, the at sheet bundle discharge an image forming apparatus characterized in that so that the control is moved to the sheet bundle discharging possible position set the sheet bundle pressing unit. When the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the receiving direction of continuously processed sheet bundles is equal to or less than a predetermined size, the control means determines the movement direction of the sheet bundle pressurizing unit during pressurization. 6. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the image forming apparatus is controlled to be in both directions orthogonal to the receiving direction.   When the sheet size in the direction orthogonal to the receiving direction of continuously processed sheet bundles is equal to or less than a predetermined size, the control means is configured to discharge the sheet bundle discharge position of the preceding sheet bundle and the sheet of the succeeding sheet bundle. 7. The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the bundle receiving position is controlled to be set to the same end portion side of the sheet bundle.

Images