JP2001130827A - Sheet treatment device and imaging device provided therewith - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet treatment device improved in sheet jam treatment in a treatment means unit area where a punching unit exists. SOLUTION: The sheet treatment device using the punching unit 40 in a treatment means unit 61 for giving selective punching treatment to sheets to be carried has the treatment means unit 61 provided to be opened/closed to a treatment device body 60. Jammed sheets in the treatment means unit area are thus easily removed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus, and more particularly, to a sheet processing apparatus, for example, which sequentially prints sheets such as recording sheets carried out from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, etc. And a sheet processing apparatus for selectively performing sheet processing such as punching on the sheet and an image forming apparatus including the same.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine performs sheet processing such as a punching process and a binding process on a sheet on which an image is recorded in order to reduce the time required for a sheet process after copying. An image forming apparatus is configured such that a sheet processing apparatus for selectively performing application is attached, and by connecting these to an image forming apparatus main body, sheet processing is efficiently performed. .

In the above-mentioned sheet processing apparatus, in order to perform the above-described sheet processing, a punch means for punching a sheet is provided upstream of a processing apparatus main body having a stacking means for stacking sheets.

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional example, when a sheet to be conveyed is punched by a punch means when the sheet is carried into a processing apparatus main body,
When a sheet is jammed in the transport path including the punching means, the processing apparatus main body must be separated from the image forming apparatus main body and the sheet must be pulled out, and the jammed sheet is jammed. was there.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet processing apparatus capable of easily removing a jammed sheet when the sheet is jammed in a transport path including a punch means, and an image forming apparatus having the same. It is assumed that.

[0006]

The invention according to claim 1 is
Punching means for selectively perforating a conveyed sheet, a processing means unit incorporating the punching means, and a processing apparatus main body having a stacking means for stacking sheets conveyed from the processing means unit The processing means unit is provided so as to be openable and closable with respect to the processing apparatus main body.

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the processing means unit is openable and closable about one end side in the width direction of the sheet conveyed to the processing apparatus main body.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, when the processing means unit and the processing device main body are closed with respect to the processing device main body, the processing means unit can be engaged with and held by the processing device main body. It is characterized by having means.

[Operation] Based on the above configuration, when a conveyed sheet is conveyed to the processing apparatus main body of the sheet processing apparatus via the punch means, and the sheet is jammed,
The jammed sheet can be easily removed by opening the processing means unit upward with respect to the processing apparatus main body incorporating the sheet processing means.

Further, when the processing unit in the open state is closed at a predetermined position of the processing apparatus main body, the processing unit is engaged with and held by the processing apparatus main body by the engaging means, so that the position accuracy of the punch means can be improved. The influence of vibration during the operation of the holding and the device can be prevented.

[0011]

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of a copying machine which is an example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. The reading unit 2 and the sheet processing apparatus B are connected to each other.

Here, first, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus will be schematically described, and then the configuration of the sheet processing apparatus B will be described in detail.

[Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus] The image forming apparatus main body A optically reads a document automatically fed from a document feeding apparatus 1 mounted on an upper portion of the apparatus by a reading unit 2 as optical means. The image information is transmitted as a digital signal to the image forming means 3 and is recorded on a recording sheet such as plain paper or an OHP sheet.

A plurality of sheet cassettes 4 containing sheets P of various sizes are mounted below the image forming apparatus main body A. Sheets P fed from the sheet cassette 4 and conveyed by the conveying rollers 5 are The image is recorded in the image forming means 3 by an electrophotographic method. That is, based on the image information read by the reading unit 2, a laser beam is irradiated from the light irradiation unit 3a to the photosensitive drum 3b to form an electrostatic latent image, which is developed by the developing unit 3c to form a toner image. The image is transferred to a sheet P, and the sheet P is conveyed to the fixing device 6 and the image is permanently fixed by applying heat and pressure.

The sheet P is sent to the sheet processing apparatus B in the case of the single-sided recording mode, and is conveyed to the re-feed path 7 by switchback in the case of the double-sided recording mode. Is conveyed to the image forming means 3 again to form an image on the other surface, and then sent to the sheet processing apparatus B by the main body discharge roller (main body discharge means) 9.

The sheet processing apparatus B is configured as shown in FIG. 2. When discharging the sheet P, the sheet processing apparatus B performs a discharging process according to each mode such as a punch mode and a staple mode in addition to a normal discharging mode. It is possible.

The punch mode is a mode in which holes are punched one by one. The staple mode is a mode in which the sheets P are stacked and aligned on the staple tray 12 when the sheets P are sorted and discharged for each copy. Stapler 13
This is an operation mode in which the stapling is performed, and the sheets are stapled and discharged for each copy.

When discharging the sheet P, the sheet P
In addition to the normal discharge control in which two sheets P are discharged one by one, two-sheet discharge control capable of simultaneously discharging two sheets P is possible. This two-sheet discharge control is an operation in which a sheet P sent from the image forming apparatus main body A to the sheet processing apparatus B is retained in the buffer path 14, and two sheets P are discharged simultaneously with the next discharged sheet P. Control.

The sheet P punched in the punch mode
Can be stacked on the staple tray 12 and stapled.

Next, the configuration of each section of the sheet processing apparatus B will be described in detail.

From the image forming apparatus main body A to the sheet processing apparatus B
The sheet P discharged to the processing unit 61 is carried into the processing unit 61 provided in the processing apparatus main body 60 by the entrance guide 70. This processing means unit 61 includes a punch unit (punch means) 4 as a sheet processing means described later with reference to FIG.
0 is built in. A lower portion of the punch unit 40 has a pair of frames 40e which constitute a guide for the sheet P carried in. The lower frame 40e has
The sheet P is provided with a plurality of punch holes.

In the normal mode, the conveyed sheet P is conveyed by conveyance rollers 15 as a sheet conveyance roller pair, and an upper discharge roller pair 16 and a lower discharge roller pair as a sheet conveyance roller pair. At 17, the sheet is discharged to the stack tray 18.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower discharge roller pair 17 has a drive motor 208 and a dedicated drive source, respectively, and the transport roller 15, the upper discharge roller pair 16, and the buffer roller 23 are common. Discharge motor 2 as drive source
05 is driven.

The driving operation of these driving means 205 and 208 is controlled by a control device (control means) 200 described later with reference to FIG. The transport roller 15, the upper and lower discharge rollers 16, 17 and the like are a sheet transport roller pair for transporting the sheet P.

In the above-described two-sheet ejection control, as shown in FIG. 5, the leading sheet P2 waiting in the buffer path 14 and the leading edge of the succeeding sheet P3 ejected from the image forming apparatus main body A are used. It is necessary to convey the sheet so that the deviation amount is constant. Therefore, when the following sheet P3 passes through the position of the entry sensor 27 shown in FIG. After a lapse of a predetermined clock after that, the rotation of the buffer roller 23 is started so that the amount of deviation between the leading end of the preceding sheet P2 and the leading end of the following sheet P3 is constant.

For this reason, the buffer roller 23 having the same drive source as the conveying roller 15 and the upper discharge roller pair 16 is used to determine whether the following sheet P3 passes through the entry sensor 27 or the following sheet P3 detects the entry sensor 27. It stops until a predetermined clock elapses after passing.

A plurality of stack trays 18 are provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and are moved in the vertical direction by a stacker motor 209 (FIG. 10) built in the lower part thereof. For sort discharge,
By sequentially moving the plurality of stack trays 18 to the discharge port, the sheets P can be discharged in a state of being sorted for each copy. In the staple mode, a stapled sheet bundle can be discharged onto the stack tray 18 in a sorted state.

The punch mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 8, and 9.

The transmission type sensor unit 41 (FIG. 9)
It is fixed to a punch unit (sheet processing means) 40 and has transmission sensors 41b, 41c, 41d, and 41e. The transmission sensors 41b, 41c, 41d, 41
“e” is arranged so that the lateral end of the sheet P can be detected according to the paper size of the sheet P discharged from the image forming apparatus main body A. In the present embodiment, B5, B5R, A4,
It is arranged at the position of the lateral end of the sheet P of A4R.

The punch unit 40 (FIG. 8)
0a, a cam 40b, a vertically movable sliding frame 40c,
The punch 40d, and the cam 40
b, the lower frame 40 urged by a spring (not shown)
e, and a punch motor 40f shown in FIG. The cam 40b is fixed to the drive shaft 40a, and the punch 40d is fixed to the slide frame 40c. When the punch motor 40f is driven, the drive is transmitted to the drive shaft 40a and the cam 40b also rotates, and the slide frame 40c The punch 40d moves up and down. The punch 40d is arranged so as to penetrate a punch hole provided in a lower frame of a pair of frames 40e constituting a guide by moving up and down, and punches a sheet P (sheet processing).

The rack unit 40g (FIG. 9) provided on the punch unit 40 is engaged with the pinion 42a of the slide motor 42, so that the punch unit 40 can be slid in the direction of arrow C in the figure. Rack part 40
The slide home sensor 43 can be shielded from light by a flag formed in a part of g.

The control of the lateral registration correction of the punch unit 40 in the punch mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, in response to a sheet P sheet size signal sent from the image forming apparatus main body A, transmission sensors 41b, 41c, 41d, 41e arranged at the lateral ends of the respective sheet sizes.
Which sensor to detect the lateral edge of the sheet P is determined.

Specifically, the transmission sensor 41b is a B5R,
41c detects A5 and A4R, 41d detects B5 and B4, and 41e detects A4 and A3 (S1).

Thereafter, the leading edge of the sheet P sent from the image forming apparatus main body A can be detected by the transmission sensor 41a (S2), and when a position 100 mm from the rear end of the sheet passes over the transmission sensor 41a (S3). ), Slide motor 42
And the punch unit 40 and the transmission sensor unit 4
1 is moved in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 9 (S4), and when the transmission sensor determined before is shielded, the slide motor 42 is stopped.

Since the punch unit 40 moves in synchronization with the transmission sensor unit 41, the position of the punch unit 40 can be corrected according to the lateral registration of the sheet P sent from the image forming apparatus main body A ( S5, S6).
When the punching process is completed in the sheet P by the punch unit 40 (S7), the slide motor 42 is driven in the direction opposite to the rotation operation (S8), and the punch unit 40 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow C to move the slide home. When the sensor 43 is shielded from light (S9), the slide motor 42 is stopped (S9).
10). This control is performed from the image forming apparatus main body A to the sheet P
Is repeatedly performed each time is sent.

Next, the mounting configuration of the processing means unit 61 will be described.

The processing means unit 61 incorporating the punch unit 40 as the above-mentioned punch means is supported by a support shaft 62 at one end of the conveyed sheet P in the width direction (the end on the far side in FIG. 2). It is attached to the processing apparatus main body 60 so as to be freely opened and closed. A punch waste box 71 for storing punch waste is disposed below the processing unit 61. FIG. 3 shows a state where the processing unit 61 is opened.

4 shows the outline of the opening operation of the processing means unit 61. A bracket 63 having a downwardly engaging member 65 is provided on a wall surface of the processing means unit 61 on the processing device main body 60 side. Further, the processing apparatus main body 6
0 is a positioning hole 66 engageable with the engagement member 65.
When the processing unit 61 is closed from the open position to a predetermined position, the positioning pins 65 are provided.
And the positioning hole 66, the processing unit 61 and the punch unit 40 incorporated therein are accurately held at an appropriate position, and the effect of vibration on the operation of the apparatus is prevented.

As described above, the processing unit 61 including the frame 40e (indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. 2) can be opened upward, so that, for example, the processing apparatus main body 60 can be opened.
When the sheet P conveyed to the printer jams at a position including the frame 40e, the processing unit 61 is opened upward, so that the jammed sheet is processed.
The sheet is also lifted upward, so that the sheet can be easily jammed. Further, since the jam sheet can be removed without separating the processing apparatus main body 60 from the image forming apparatus main body A, the jam removability is improved.

Next, control of the transport system in the punch mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, after a specified clock after the transmission sensor 41a shields the light, the transport speed is reduced (S11, S12).
After transporting L1 mm after the transmission sensor 41a receives the light, the drive motor 208 is stopped and the lower discharge roller pair 17 is stopped (S13, S14). After the drive motor 208 stops, L2m
Then, the discharge motor 205 is stopped, and the conveying roller 15, the upper discharge roller pair 16, and the buffer roller 23 are stopped (S15). After the discharge motor 205 is stopped, the sheet P is conveyed L3 mm, and the conveyance of the sheet P is stopped (S16).

At this time, the sheet P is looped in the path between the rollers, but the transport amounts L2 and L3 are determined so that the loop of the sheet P does not become larger than the path (thickness of the path). Alternatively, the transport amounts L2 and L3 may be determined so that the path between the roller pairs is shaped in consideration of the loop of the sheet P, and the sheet P is positively looped.

As described above, by giving a time difference to the stop timing of each roller, the sheet P becomes a loop between the rollers. Therefore, when the sheet conveying roller pair is stopped, the sheet P is transferred between the rollers. The pulling and the adverse effects due to this will not occur.

After stopping the sheet P, the punch unit 40 punches a hole in the sheet P (S17). After perforating the sheet P, after conveying the fixed amount, the conveying roller 15 is driven (S18), and after conveying the fixed amount, the upper discharge roller pair 16 is driven (S19), and the perforated sheet P is conveyed. The sheet is discharged to the stack tray 18 by the upper discharge roller pair 16 and the lower discharge roller pair 17 (S20).

In the staple mode, FIGS.
As shown in the figure, the swing guide 20 which is rotatable around the swing shaft 20a is opened, and the upper discharge roller pair 16 is opened.
After the sheet P is ejected to the staple tray 12 by a and 16b, the knurled belt 32, which is rotated by the driving of the paddle 31 and the upper ejection roller pair 16 provided on the swing guide 20, is rotated in the direction of the arrow, and The end is returned to a position where it comes into contact with the rear end stopper 33.

After the sheet P is pushed to one side by the side guide 11 and aligned, the stapler 13
(Binding means) staples the sheet bundle. Thereafter, the knurl belt 32 is retracted from the upper surface of the sheet by the retracting roller 35, the swing guide 20 is lowered, and the sheet P bundle stapled by the lower discharge roller pair 17 is discharged to the stack tray 18.

The level detection of the uppermost surface of the sheet P or the sheet bundle stacked on the stack tray 18 is performed by a distance measuring sensor 54 provided above the swing guide 20. The distance measuring sensor 54 has a light emitting unit that irradiates a light beam such as an infrared ray to the sheet P bundle and a light receiving unit that receives a light beam irregularly reflected by the sheet P bundle. Then, the level of the discharged sheet (or sheet bundle) is detected by measuring the angle of the reflected light.

The three stack trays 18 are fixed to the tray frame 58, respectively, so that the three stack trays 18 can move up and down (up and down) integrally with the sheet processing apparatus B. This tray frame 58
The vertical movement of the stack tray 18, ie, the vertical movement of the stack tray 18, controls the forward / reverse rotation of the stacker motor 209 by a pinion gear (not shown) provided on a part of the tray frame 58.
By transmitting the signal to a, it is configured to move up and down.
With such a configuration of the sheet processing apparatus B, the uppermost surface of the sheets P stacked on the stack tray 18 can be detected, and the stack tray 18 can be moved to a position where the sheet discharge port is not blocked. It has become.

[Configuration of Control System] Here, the configuration of the control system in the sheet processing apparatus B will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral 200 denotes an MPU 200 as control means. The MPU 200 includes a carry-in sensor 28, an entry sensor 27, a buffer sensor 26, a discharge sensor 29, a distance measurement sensor 54, a stack sensor 53, and a drive motor 40. Signals from the drive motor rotation detection sensor 55, the transmission type sensor 41, the paper size signal 201, the slide home sensor 43, and the like for detecting the number of rotations are input.

Then, based on the signal, the first flapper solenoid 202 for switching the first flapper 22, the second flapper solenoid 203 for switching the second flapper 25, the buffer roller 23, and the like via the drivers D 2 to D 12. Discharge roller pair 16 and knurl belt 32
Motor 205 for driving the paddle 31 and rotating the paddle 31, a side guide motor 207 for sliding the side guide 11, swinging of the swing guide 20 and the downstream discharge roller 17.
a, a stacker motor 209 for moving the stack tray 18 up and down, and a stapler motor 21 for binding the stapler 13 and feeding the staples.
0, a stapler moving motor 211 for moving the position of the stapler 13, a punch motor 40f for making holes, a slide motor 42 for moving the position of the punch unit, and the like.

Further, the MPU 200 interrupts the drive between the discharge motor 205 on the downstream side and the transport roller 15, the upper discharge roller 16, and the buffer roller 23, and the connection between the drive motor 208 and the lower discharge roller pair 17. It also controls a plurality of clutches (drive cutoff means) 215 that cut off drive.

The motors 211, 205, and 208 are
In response to a control input pulse or an encoder input for detecting the rotation amount, the movement amount of the peripheral surface of the first and second sheet conveyance roller pairs 10 and 15 and the upper and lower discharge rollers 16 and 17 (the sheet conveyance amount ), Speed, etc. are controlled.

[0056]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the processing unit including the punching unit for punching the conveyed sheet is made openable and closable with respect to the processing apparatus main body, it is possible to easily perform the jam processing of the sheet jammed in the processing unit unit.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view of an image forming apparatus to which a sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of a finisher as a sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the processing unit in the open state.

4A and 4B are schematic views of the opening operation of the processing means unit, wherein FIG. 4A is a side view and FIG. 4B is a perspective view.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a buffer path unit for retaining a preceding sheet during a two-sheet discharge control and a plurality of sheet conveying rollers.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional side view of a swing guide of a finisher and a staple tray 12;

FIG. 7 is a front view of a staple tray unit and a sheet width matching unit.

FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional side view of the punch unit.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of a punch unit and a transmission sensor.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram schematically showing a control system of the finisher unit.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of correcting lateral registration of a punch unit in a punch mode.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a sheet conveyance system in a punch mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Image Forming Apparatus Body B Finisher (Sheet Processing Apparatus) P Sheet P2 Previous Sheet P3 Trailing Sheet 3 Image Forming Unit 9 Main Body Discharge Roller (Main Body Discharge Means) 40 Punch Unit (Punch Means) 40e Frame Having Sheet Guide Function 61 Processing Means unit 62 Support shaft 65 Positioning pin (engaging member) 66 Positioning hole 65, 66 Engaging means 200 MPU (control means)

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takeshi Yamada 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo F-term in Canon Inc. (reference) 3F108 GA02 GA03 GA04 GB01 GB07 HA02 HA46

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A processing apparatus comprising: a punch unit for selectively punching a sheet to be conveyed; a processing unit including the punch unit; and a stacking unit for stacking the sheet conveyed from the processing unit. A sheet processing apparatus, comprising: a main body; and wherein the processing unit is provided to be freely opened and closed with respect to the processing apparatus main body. 2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is openable and closable about a widthwise end of the sheet conveyed to the processing apparatus main body. 3. The processing means unit and the processing apparatus main body have an engaging means capable of engaging and holding the processing means unit with the processing apparatus main body when the processing means unit is closed with respect to the processing apparatus main body. 3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is configured to form an image on a sheet based on image information, and the sheet processing apparatus performs processing on the sheet formed by the image forming apparatus. An image forming apparatus, comprising: