JP2001158564A - Paper processing device, image forming device, and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To conduct more efficient processing according to the consolidation condition of paper if they are of the same in size, in a paper processing device having a function of stacking conveyance for high productivity. SOLUTION: This paper processing device, provided with a pre-stack part (conveyance passage D) for conveying paper in a stacking condition, a staple tray 121 accumulating the conveyed paper sheets and conducting prescribed post-processing, e.g. stapling, a delivering claw 110a delivering paper bundle which have undergone post-processing in the staple tray 121, and a delivering belt 110 as well as a delivering roller 103, is so formed that it may be selected whether the stacking conveyance is conducted according to a difference in the length of a previous paper from the subsequent paper in the conveying direction thereof. A post-processing device 1 is inputted with information on a difference in the length as a mode input from the main body side of a copying machine 2 or size information in the conveyance direction of the paper.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a paper processing apparatus for performing processing such as binding, punching, and stamping on paper, and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile or the like which is integrated with or provided with the paper processing apparatus. The present invention relates to an apparatus and an image forming system including the sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A sheet processing apparatus for performing processing such as binding, punching for filing, folding, and the like on a sheet on which an image is recorded by an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile. Has been provided in the past.

In such a paper processing apparatus, it is required to reduce the waiting time between jobs by processing as much as possible in order to increase productivity. Therefore, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. Hei 6-99070 discloses that, when a process of binding sheets copied by a copying machine with staples is performed, first copy paper is retained in a normal transport path to improve productivity, and second copy paper is stored. To the overlapping conveyance path, prestack the first copy paper of the preceding section so as not to disturb the stapling operation of the previous job, and pass the subsequent second copy paper to the exit conveyance section of the normal conveyance path and the superimposed conveyance path. , And discharge it to the stack tray. It has also been proposed to minimize the waiting time between jobs by feeding a first copy sheet and a second copy sheet in a stacked state after a sheet bundle stapled and discharged from the staple tray.

Further, when post-processing, for example, staple processing, is performed on the sheets stacked on the stack tray, it is necessary to ensure alignment accuracy not only in the sheet width direction but also in the sheet conveyance direction. The ejection claw used to lift the lower end of the bundle and eject it from the stack tray to the paper ejection tray is rotated in the direction opposite to the moving direction at the time of ejection, and the paper is moved by the back of the ejection claw, in other words, the bottom of the ejection claw. It has been proposed to hold the upper surface and abut against a rear end fence provided at the lower end position of the stack tray to align the edges of the sheets.

[0005]

However, when staple processing is performed on a sheet bundle on which sheets having at least different sizes in the sheet conveyance direction are mixed, the above-described ejecting claws are reversed to perform the sheet alignment operation. Even if the sheets are aligned, only the sheet having the maximum length in the transport direction can be aligned, and the aligning operation cannot be performed on sheets smaller than the maximum length.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a paper processing apparatus having a function of performing overlapping conveyance in order to improve productivity, and to realize a sheet of mixed size. However, the present invention is intended to enable predetermined processing.

Another object of the present invention is to make it possible to perform processing more efficiently in the case where sheets are of the same size and mixed.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus such as a copier, a printer, a facsimile or the like having a paper processing apparatus capable of processing paper even if paper sizes are mixed, or a combination of the paper processing apparatus and an image An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system including a forming apparatus.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a first means comprises a superimposing conveying means for superimposing and conveying a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet, and a stack tray for stacking sheets. A sheet processing device comprising: a sheet processing means for performing a predetermined process on a sheet bundle stacked on a stack tray; and a sheet discharging means for discharging sheets processed by the sheet processing means. In this case, it is possible to select whether or not to carry out the overlap conveyance according to the difference in the length of the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet conveyed in the conveyance direction.

In this case, the superimposing and conveying means includes a pre-stack section for pre-stacking the paper and a normal conveying section for conveying the paper without stopping, and the superimposing and conveying means superimposes and conveys the paper. In this case, the preceding sheet is guided to the pre-stack section to perform pre-stacking, and then the subsequent sheet is guided to the normal transport section, and the preceding sheet is sent out from the pre-stack section in accordance with the subsequent transport, so that the preceding sheet is formed. Subsequent sheets are stacked and transported.

In this case, when the lengths of the paper in the transport direction are the same, the overlap transport is selected. Further, a detection unit for detecting the size of the sheet being conveyed is further provided, and the selection may be performed based on the difference in the length detected by the detection unit. The selection may be performed based on the length difference information obtained based on the direction and the input document size, the document direction, and the length difference obtained based on the magnification. The selection may be made based on information.

The length difference information is based on mode information input or selected from an image forming apparatus that discharges a sheet to the sheet processing apparatus. The mode information includes, for example, a mixed size mode in which sheets having different sizes in the sheet conveying direction are mixed.

According to the length difference information, if the lengths of all sheets of the first copy in the transport direction are the same,
For the second and subsequent copies of a plurality of jobs, the overlap conveyance is selected.
For the second and subsequent copies of a plurality of jobs when performing the superimposition conveyance, the first sheet is made to stand by in the prestack section when the first copy is in the stapling operation to prevent interference with the stapling operation. This is to minimize the waiting time between sheets.

Similarly, according to the length difference information, if the first sheet and the second sheet are the same, two
Since the first sheet and the second sheet after the copy can be aligned in the sheet conveyance direction even when the sheets are overlapped and conveyed, the selecting unit can execute the second job of the plurality of jobs even if the third sheet and the subsequent sheets have different sheet sizes. Overlapping conveyance is selected for the subsequent copies.

Further, in performing the sheet processing, it is necessary to align the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction in addition to the operation of aligning the sheet conveying direction. It is desirable to provide means for aligning the paper in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the paper, and further provide means for aligning the paper in the transport direction on the stack tray. For example, a jogger is used as means for aligning paper in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and a release claw described later can be used as means for aligning paper in the transport direction. That is, the sheet processing means is composed of stapling means for performing a binding operation on the sheet, the sheet discharging means lifts the lower end of the bundled sheet and discharges the sheet, and a moving means for moving the discharging claw upward. The discharge claw is driven in the anti-discharge direction, and the rear surface of the discharge claw causes the sheet to be aligned on the stack tray in the transport direction.

The second means is the one in which the sheet processing device of the first means is provided in the image forming apparatus itself.

The third means is a sheet processing apparatus having the structure of the first means, an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet based on input image information, and an image formed by the image forming means. One image forming system is constituted by an image forming apparatus including a sheet conveying means for guiding a sheet to the sheet processing apparatus.

When an image forming system is configured, a so-called online system in which an image forming apparatus and a paper processing apparatus are electrically connected, and communication is performed between the two to execute control,
There is a so-called off-line system in which there is no electrical connection between the image forming apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus, and both control independently. In the former case, the size information and the paper transport information are accurately transmitted to the paper processing apparatus in relation to the image forming apparatus main body or the document feeding apparatus provided in the image forming apparatus. It is possible to determine whether or not the overlap conveyance is possible based on the obtained information.

Specifically, the sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus are electrically connected via communication means, and the length difference information is transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the sheet processing apparatus. In such a case, the image forming apparatus may be provided with an input unit for setting a mode in which the overlapping conveyance is prohibited. As the input means, for example, a touch panel and keys are used.

The mode in which the overlapping conveyance is prohibited is, for example, a mode in which sheets of different sizes in the sheet conveyance direction are mixed, or a pressure plate mode in which an operator places each sheet on the pressure plate to form an image. And so on.

When the operator performs staple as a sheet process in the pressure plate mode in which an image is formed by placing sheets on the pressure plate one by one, the size of the sheet is unknown. Do not select superimposed conveyance. On the other hand, if it is known that all the sheets have the same size, even in the pressure plate mode, the selection unit selects the overlap conveyance for the second and subsequent copies of the plurality of jobs, and performs the processing efficiently. . Similarly, when the first and second sheets are the same, the selecting unit determines that the second and subsequent sheets of the plurality of jobs have the same size even if the third and subsequent sheets have different paper sizes. The superposition conveyance is selected for the sheet of the eye, and the processing is also performed efficiently in this case.

On the other hand, the apparatus further comprises a detecting means for detecting the size of the paper being conveyed, wherein the control means determines whether or not to carry out the superimposed conveyance based on the difference in the length detected by the detecting means. A paper processing device for selecting
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet based on input image information; and a sheet conveying unit that guides the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit to the sheet processing apparatus. In an image forming system in which the paper processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus are electrically independent, that is, an image forming apparatus configured as an off-line, the paper processing apparatus is configured to perform processing based on the length difference information detected by the detection unit. Select whether or not to perform superimposed conveyance.

At this time, the sheet processing apparatus does not carry out the overlap conveyance when it is found that the two sheets of the first job have different lengths in the sheet conveyance direction from the first sheet. Discharge paper sequentially. Further, for the second and subsequent jobs, the sheet processing apparatus delays the transport timing of the first sheet until the sheet bundle of the previous job stacked on the stack tray does not interfere with the first sheet of the next job. To do. The non-interference timing is set based on at least one of the processing mode, the length of the sheet in the transport direction, and the number of sheets to be bound.

[0024]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of an image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the image forming system according to the present embodiment includes a post-processing device 1 as a sheet processing device and a digital copying machine as an image forming device.

Referring to FIG. 1, the digital copying machine mainly includes a copying machine 2 main body, an automatic document feeder (ADF) 3 and a paper feeding device 4, and is provided at a discharge port of the digital copying machine 2 main body. The paper feeding port of the post-processing device 1 is connected, and the main body of the copying machine 2 and the post-processing device 1 operate integrally. The copying machine 2 further includes an image reading unit 21, an optical writing unit 22, and an image forming unit 2.
3, a duplex unit 24, and a paper feed tray 25 in the main body.

The image reading section 21 is of a known type which optically reads a document conveyed and placed on a contact glass 211 and guides it to a CCD 212 for photoelectric conversion. The photoelectrically converted read signal is subjected to image processing by an image processing unit (not shown) and stored in an image storage unit. The stored signal is read out, and the laser light-modulated by the light writing unit 22 is written on the photosensitive drum 231 of the image forming unit 23 by the polygon mirror 221 to form a latent image. Development and transfer device 2
The fixing device 234 transfers the image to the sheet conveyed at 33 and fixes the image at the fixing device 234. The paper on which the image has been fixed
If not transported to the duplex unit 24 side, the post-processing device 1
Side, and stacking and sorting operations are performed.
A stapling operation is also performed as needed. When an image is formed on both sides of one sheet, the duplex unit 24 is a known unit that reverses the image and transports it to the transfer device 233 again. The paper feed tray 25 in the main body is provided in the main body, and stacks paper of a predetermined size and transports the paper to the image forming unit 23 side. When preparing a wide variety of paper sizes or preparing a large number of papers of the same size. If necessary, a paper feeder 4 is separately provided as shown in the figure, and paper is supplied from the paper feeder 4. In this embodiment, the paper feeding device 4 has three paper feeding stages. Further, a manual feed table 26 is provided on a side surface of the copying machine 2, and paper can be supplied manually.

The post-processing apparatus 1 is connected to the main body of the copying machine 2 via a paper entrance 101. At the entrance of the paper entrance 101, an entrance sensor 13 for detecting the introduction of paper is provided.
6. A pair of entrance rollers 115 for carrying paper into the interior,
A punching device 150 for punching a filing hole in a sheet,
Two branch claws 108a and 108b for switching the conveyance path so as to convey the paper in any one of the three directions, and the branch claw 1 for feeding the paper fed by the entrance roller pair 115.
A conveying roller pair 102a that leads to the feed roller 08a is provided.
The paper conveyed to the proof tray 114 and the other papers are separated by the branch claw 108a, and the paper is conveyed to the discharge tray 1 through the conveyance path A by the branch claw 108b further downstream.
The paper going in 12 directions and the paper going to the staple device 111 through the transport path B are separated. The punching device 150 is, for example, a rotary punch.

In the transport path A in the direction of the discharge tray 112, the paper passing through the transport path A from the branching claw 108b is discharged.
2, a paper discharge sensor 138 for detecting a sheet conveyed by the upper conveying roller pair 102b and a stapled sheet bundle;
A discharge roller 103 for discharging a sheet to a discharge tray 112,
A pulling roller 107 for collecting sheets at a predetermined position on the sheet discharge tray 112, a sheet lever 1 for detecting the upper surface of the sheet discharge tray 112 or the upper surface of the sheet on the sheet discharge tray 112.
13, paper surface sensors 132 and 133 for detecting the position of the paper surface lever 113, and the like. The discharge tray 112 is provided with a tray elevating (up / down) motor 751
(FIG. 7), the sheet is moved up and down in accordance with the amount of loaded paper, and when the shift function is used for sorting, the shift motor 752
According to FIG. 7, the sheet is moved in the direction orthogonal to the sheet discharging direction for each job to change the sheet stacking position, and sorting is performed.

The paper from the branching claw 108b is supplied to the transport path B in the direction of the staple device 111 by the staple device 111.
A pair of transport rollers 102c, a lower transport roller pair 104, and a staple entrance sensor 137 for detecting a sheet transported by the lower transport roller pair 104 are provided. Further, in the transport path B, the branch claws 108
c, and a normal transport section C for transporting the paper directly to the staple device 111 without stopping, and a prestack section D for temporarily stacking the transported paper.
And is divided into The lower transport roller pair 104 is driven by a transport motor 754 (FIG. 7). A transport roller pair 116 driven by a prestack transport motor 758 (FIG. 7) is arranged in the prestack section D. In this embodiment, one sheet of paper is pre-stacked,
Although only one system is provided for the pre-stack unit D in order to convey two sheets in a superposed manner, if the processing time of the post-processing unit becomes long, a desired number of pre-stack units ( A transport path) may be added to transport three or more sheets in an overlapping manner.

The staple device 111 driven by the staple motor 756 shown in FIG. 7 is provided below the staple tray (stack tray) 121, and the staple tray 121 shown in FIG.
As shown in the perspective view of the section and the perspective view showing the configuration near the staple device 111 in FIG. 4, the jogger fence 109 for aligning the paper, the return roller 105 also functioning as a hit roller, and the paper bundle in FIG. As can be seen from the perspective view showing the discharging state, the discharging belt 110 is located behind the sheet bundle and lifts and discharges the bound sheet bundle.
Are arranged respectively. The release belt 10 has a function of lifting the sheet bundle and discharging the sheet bundle, and a function of aligning the sheet in the transport direction.
Is attached. At a predetermined position near the discharge belt 110, a discharge belt home position sensor 139 for detecting that the discharge belt 110 is located at the home position is provided.

As shown in FIG. 2, the jogger fence 109 is driven by a jogger motor 726 which can be rotated forward and backward through a jogger belt 149 in a reciprocating direction. The return roller 105 is swingably supported by a hitting solenoid 730 so as to come into contact with and separate from the staple tray 121. Reference numeral 147 denotes a transport motor 75 for one of the lower transport roller pair 104 and the paper feed roller pair 106.
4 (FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 3, a rear end fence 119 is provided below the jogger fence 109 for abutting the rear end (in the transport direction) of the sheet. As shown in FIG. 4, the rear end fence 119 is provided as a pair of left and right sides, that is, separately as 119-1 and 119-2, each of which is engaged with the stapler and moved. The trailing edge fence 119 is provided at the lower end of the staple tray 121 on which sheets are stacked when the sheets are aligned, and the trailing edge of the sheet is linearly brought into contact with the trailing edge fence 119 to form the sheet. The positions in the transport direction are aligned.

As shown in FIG. 4, the stapling apparatus 111 is moved in the direction of an arrow (a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction) via the staple belt 151 by the driving of a stapler moving motor 727 capable of rotating forward and backward. The binding operation such as front binding, back binding, and two-point binding is performed. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 122 denotes a home position sensor for detecting the home position of the stapler device 111. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, the discharge belt 110 is moved in a direction parallel to the sheet conveyance direction by a discharge motor 757 that can be rotated forward and backward, and is moved in the direction of arrow U when discharging a sheet bundle, and during alignment operation in the sheet conveyance direction. It is driven in the direction of arrow D. At the time of the aligning operation in the sheet conveying direction, in addition to the aligning operation by the return roller 105 described above, that is, the aligning operation to the rear end fence 119, when the paper size is the same, the discharging belt 110 is used.
And the back (lower end surface) 100b of the release claw 100a
Is brought into contact with the leading end of the sheet in the sheet conveying direction, and the rear end fence 11
9 is pressed against the rear end of the sheet in the transport direction to align the sheets. When the sheet is superimposed and conveyed, the return roller 105 cannot be brought into contact with the first sheet, so that the sheet alignment by the ejection claw 100a is indispensable.

The ADF 3, the copier body 2, and the paper feeder 4 constituting the digital copier shown in FIG. 1 are known and have general configurations. The detailed description of the operation and the control of is omitted.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a control system of the image forming system according to this embodiment. The control of the entire system is executed by a main control unit 60 including a CPU 601, a ROM 602, a RAM 603, a nonvolatile RAM 604, a serial interface 605, a timer 606, and the like. The main control unit 60 includes a motor for driving the photoconductor, various AC loads 610 such as a paper feeding motor and a clutch in the paper feeding device 4 and the duplex unit 640,
The inputs of various DC loads 620 and various sensors 630 such as a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the fixing roller are connected. The ADF 3, the post-processing device 1, and the operation display unit 6
50 is connected via a serial interface 605, and exchanges necessary control data by serial communication.

The operation display section 650 of the main body of the copying machine 2 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG.
1, various function keys 652 such as a sort key, a double-sided key, an enlargement / reduction key, a paper setting key, and a variable-magnification key are arranged below the key. On the right side of the display unit 651, a numeric keypad 653 for inputting numerical values, a clear stop key 654, a start key 655, a power switch 656, a mode switching key, and the like are arranged.
A facsimile operation unit 657 for performing a facsimile operation such as a character input or a facsimile number call is provided. In the lower left portion of the figure, a group of keys 658 for setting various operations are provided independently of the fax operation unit 657 or superimposed on the fax operation unit 657. Generally, the fax operation unit 657 is optional.

The display section 651 is constituted by a touch panel, displays user guidance as shown in FIG. 8, and when a mode key 659 is pressed, the display switches to a mode setting screen as shown in FIG. Various modes such as a mixed mode, a staple mode, and a non-stipple mode can be set and switched from this screen.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing details of the electrical configuration of the post-processing apparatus in FIG. The post-processing device 1 includes:
An I / F board 701 for interfacing with the main body of the copying machine 2, a switch board 702 for switches of various DIP switches (DIP SW) in the above-described post-processing apparatus,
The sensor input board 703 of various sensors in the post-processing device described above, the ROM 70 storing various controls and data.
4 and various signals from a clock circuit 705 that outputs a clock signal serving as an operation reference are input to a central processing unit (hereinafter, referred to as a CPU) 700 composed of a microcomputer or the like. The input sensor signal is
Connect to the interrupt port as needed. CPU 700
Are motor drivers 706 and 706 according to the input signal.
707 or driver 708 for various solenoids
Output the signal.

The motor driver 706 includes an inlet roller pair 1
And a transport motor 753 for driving the transport roller pairs 102a, 102b, 102c, a transport motor 754 for driving the transport roller pair 104 and the return roller 105, a punch motor 760 for driving the punching device, and the paper discharge roller 10.
3 and a paper discharge motor 75 for driving the shift roller 107
5. A motor constituted by a stepping motor such as a jogger motor 726 for moving the jogger fence 109, a stapler moving motor 727 for moving the stapling device 111, a stapler diagonal motor 759, and a discharge motor 757 for driving the discharge belt 110. To output a control signal. On the other hand, the motor driver 707
Paper ejection tray 11 which is a motor other than a stepping motor
Tray motor 751 and shift motor 75 for
2. Output control signals to a staple motor 756 for driving the staple device 111 and a transport motor 758 for driving the transport roller pair 116 for transporting the sheet to the prestack unit D. In addition, the driver 708 is connected to the branch claw 108a.
Solenoid 7 that performs the switching operation of and 108b
Control signals are output to the switching solenoids 743 and 743 which perform a switching operation of the tapping solenoid 730 for driving the return roller 105 and the branch claw 108c for switching the transport path to the prestack portion D side.

The post-processing apparatus 1 performs various processes such as sorting, staples, and punching on copy sheets discharged from the copying machine, and various operation modes for performing these processes. Is set.

There are three modes for discharging paper directly to the paper discharge tray 112 without discharging paper to the staple tray 121, namely, a non-staple mode, a sort mode, and a stack mode.

The non-staple mode is a mode in which the sheets are discharged to the discharge tray 12 without performing the binding and sorting operations. In the above-described configuration, first, when the non-staple mode in which the stapling is not performed is selected by the pressing operation of the mode key 659 and the touch panel (display unit) 651, paper is placed on the staple tray (also referred to as a stack tray) 121. Output tray 11 without transport
Directly discharged to 2. That is, the sheet discharged from the main body of the copying machine 2 and carried in from the sheet carrying-in entrance 101 is received by the entrance roller pair 115, and
The paper is discharged from the discharge roller 103 onto the paper discharge tray 112 through the transport path A by the reference numerals 02a and 102b. At this time, the sheets are aligned in the sheet conveyance direction by the shifting roller 107 and stacked on the sheet discharge tray 112. Also,
When the copied sheets are sequentially discharged, the height of the upper surface of the stacked sheets is determined by the sheet lever 113 and the sheet sensor 13.
2 and 133, and controls the driving of the up / down motor 151 so as to maintain the height within a predetermined range.
2 is lowered to adjust the height. It should be noted that if all the sheets are removed, the ascent is raised to a home position (not shown).

The sort mode is a mode for sorting one copy, and the stack mode is a mode for sorting one document per sheet. When the sort mode or the stack mode is similarly selected by pressing the mode key 659 and the touch panel 651, an instruction signal is sent from the CPU 601 of the copying machine 2 to the post-processing apparatus 1 in accordance with the selection operation from the touch panel 651. And a predetermined control is executed by the instruction signal.

Sorting in both the sort mode and the stack mode is performed by moving the discharge tray 112 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. That is, in the case of the sort mode, the shift motor 752 is operated each time the discharge of one copy of the sheet to the discharge tray 112 is completed, and the discharge tray 112 is moved in the direction described above. The parts are alternately shifted in the transport direction so that the parts can be distinguished.

Similarly, in the case of the stack mode, the original 1
The desired number of sheets is set as one set for each
Each time a set of sheets is discharged to the discharge tray 112, the same operation as in the sort mode is performed, and sorting is performed for each sheet bundle corresponding to each document.

On the other hand, when the staple mode (not the mixed size mode described later) is selected by pressing the mode key 659 and the touch panel 651, the paper is conveyed to the staple tray 121 side. At that time, as shown in FIG. 2, the jogger fence 109 moves from the home position and waits at a position 9 mm away from the paper width on one side. The signal indicating the sheet size is sent when a job is started from the copying machine 2 and every time a sheet is discharged from the copying machine 2. Jogger fence 109
Determines the moving distance based on the paper size signal sent when the job is started.

When the staple mode is selected, the copy sheet is sent to the staple tray 121, and the branch claws 108a and 108b are switched so as to feed the sheet to the conveyance path B side. In the first job (first copy), no copy sheets are stacked on the staple tray 121,
The branch claw 108c opens the normal transport unit C side and guides both the first copy sheet and the second copy sheet to the normal transport unit C side. Similarly, the subsequent copy sheets are also conveyed from the normal conveyance section C to the staple tray 121, are accumulated on the staple tray 121, and are stapled by the staple device 111 after the alignment operation is completed. After completion of the stapling, the sheet is lifted to the position of the discharge roller 103 by the above-described discharge claw 110a and the discharge belt 110, and is discharged by the discharge roller 112 by the transport roller 103.
Released to the side.

In the meantime, the second job (2
A copy sheet of the second job is conveyed from the copying machine 2. At this time, since the processing of the copy sheet bundle of the first job has not been completed, the first copy sheet (first copy sheet) of the second job is sent to the prestack unit D. That is, when the final copy sheet of the first job passes through the normal transport unit C, the branch claw 108c closes the normal transport unit C side,
Switching is performed so as to open the prestack portion D side.
As a result, the first sheet of the second job is guided to the prestack portion D side, and is transported in the prestack portion D by the transport roller pair 116. At this time, the pre-stack transport motor 758 is stopped at a preset timing, and the first copy sheet waits while being nipped by the nip of the transport roller pair 116.

The second copy sheet of the second job is also conveyed from the main body of the copying machine 2 during this time, but at least before the leading end reaches the branch claw 108c, the branch claw 108c
Is switched to the side where the normal transport section C is opened, and the second copy sheet advances through the normal transport section C as it is. on the other hand,
The prestack conveyance motor 758 restarts rotation when the leading edge of the second copy sheet and the leading edge of the first copy sheet coincide or when the first copy sheet slightly moves backward. , So that the conveying roller pair 1
16 starts rotating, the first and second copy sheets are overlapped in the normal transport section C at the exit merging section of the pre-stack section D, and are transported together by the lower transport roller 104 to the staple tray 121 side. Is done. It should be noted that the processing when the sheets are superimposed and conveyed will be described later with reference to FIGS.
Are described in detail in the flowchart of FIG.

When the trailing edge of the two superposed sheets passes through the staple entrance sensor 137, the jogger fence 109 moves inward from the standby position by 7 mm and stops.
Further, the staple entrance sensor 137 detects this at the time of passing the trailing edge of the sheet, inputs the signal to the CPU 700,
The PU 700 starts conveying motor 75
The driving pulse of No. 4 is counted, and after counting a predetermined number of pulses, the tapping solenoid 730 is turned on. Simultaneously with the turning on of the hitting solenoid 730, the discharge motor 757 is rotated in the reverse direction (in the direction opposite to the discharge direction of the sheet bundle). Return roller 10
Reference numeral 5 indicates the on / off state of the tapping solenoid 730, which causes the sheet to move toward and away from the copy sheet on the staple tray 121. When the tapping solenoid 730 is turned on, the copy sheet is hit and returned downward. Back 110
b is brought into contact with the leading end of the copy sheet in the sheet transport direction, and the copy sheet is pushed back to the rear end fence 119 side. Thereby, paper alignment in the paper transport direction is performed. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the beating solenoid 730 is turned off, the jogger fence 109 is moved to 2.6 by the jogger motor 726.
mm inward (a state in which the sheet is cut by 0.6 mm from the sheet width) and temporarily stopped, and the sheets are aligned in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The jogger fence 109 is then 9.6
mm, and wait for the next copy sheet to be discharged. From the third sheet of the second job to the last sheet of the second job,
Since the stapling operation is not performed on the staple tray 121, the sheet is discharged from the normal conveyance path C onto the staple tray 121 without performing pre-stacking, and the jogging operation described above is performed each time the sheet is discharged.

When this unloading operation is repeated, each time a copy sheet stored in the staple tray 121 passes through the staple entrance sensor 137, a sheet detection signal is input to the CPU 700 and the number of sheets is counted.
This is compared with the number of originals. Then, when the copy sheet of the last page is discharged to the staple tray 121, the jogger fence 109 moves inward by 9.1 mm (a state in which the jog fence 109 cuts in by 0.1 mm from the sheet width) and presses both ends of the sheet bundle to staple. Prepare for operation. Thereafter, the staple device 111 operates at a timing according to the program stored in the ROM 704, and a binding process such as a front binding, a back binding, an oblique binding, or a two-point binding is performed. At this time, if binding at two places is designated, after the binding operation at one place is completed,
The staple moving motor 727 is driven, the staple device 111 is moved to an appropriate position along the trailing edge of the sheet, and the second binding process is performed. When the binding process is completed, the ejection motor 757 is driven to rotate the ejection belt 110 in the sheet ejection direction. At the same time, the paper discharge motor 755 is also driven, and starts rotating to receive the sheet bundle lifted by the discharge claw 110a.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing C controlling the post-processing device of FIG.
9 is a flowchart illustrating a main routine for paper processing of a PU 700.

This main routine includes n subroutines for each of the first to nth copies of each copy. Here, control of the first sheet (step S1), control of the second sheet (step S2), control of the third sheet (step S3), and
Only the control of the sheet (step S4) is shown. When the sheet is conveyed from the copying machine 2 into the post-processing device 1,
Control is assigned such that control of the first copy is performed first (step S1), control of the second copy is performed next (step S2), and the contents of each subroutine are the same. I have. In the processing of each subroutine, first, the paper size is checked, and the paper size conveyed to the staple tray 121 is stored for each job.

Here, a mode in which the size of the paper conveyed from the main body of the copying machine 2 to the post-processing apparatus 1 is not the same in at least the paper conveyance direction, that is, a group of documents of different sizes for one job is placed on the ADF 3 Originals of different sizes included in the original group are read on an original platen, so this is referred to as mixed size. In such mixed size loading, the paper size information is sent from the main control unit 60 of the copying machine 2 to the C of the post-processing device 1 every time the paper is discharged.
Since the sheet is sent to the PU 700, the post-processing apparatus 1 can check the sheet size each time the sheet is received.

However, when the first copy sheet of the copy is received, it cannot be determined whether or not the second and subsequent copy sheets are the same size as the first copy sheet. The first copy sheet is transported to the pre-stack section D described above. Then, when the paper check at the time of receiving the second copy paper is the same size as that of the first copy paper, the paper is guided to the normal transport section C as described above, and is overlapped with the first copy paper. At the same time, the sheets are discharged to the staple tray 121 with the leading ends of the sheets aligned (preferably, the first copy sheet is slightly retracted from the second copy sheet). In the case of the first job,
As described above, since the sheet bundle is not processed in the staple tray 121, the staple trays 12 are sequentially sent without being sent to the prestack unit D from the first sheet.
The sheet is conveyed to the first side and discharged.

On the other hand, when the size of the second copy sheet is different from that of the first copy sheet, the size of the second copy sheet can be confirmed, and at the same time, the size of the first copy sheet in the pre-stack section D can be reduced. To the staple tray 121
And the second copy sheet is independently conveyed to the staple tray 121 with a delay from the first copy sheet.
As described above, the stipple tray 121 is also used alone after the first sheet.
Transported to the side. In other words, in such a case, the conveyance is performed while the double-sheet conveyance by the prestack of the copy sheets is prohibited. In this case, after the size of the second copy sheet is determined, the user can select whether to convey the sheets in a stack of two sheets or to convey the sheets alone. The paper may catch up with the first copy paper, causing a problem such as a jam. Therefore, regarding the ejection of the second copy sheet of the job, it is necessary to delay the ejection timing on the copying machine 2 side. Controlling the discharge timing in this way not only complicates the control, but also requires a longer processing time for the delay. Therefore, when the sizes are mixed, the control may be performed according to the mixed sizes. The selection between the two-sheet conveyance and the single-sheet conveyance may be made by the CPU 700 of the post-processing apparatus 1 or by the CPU 601 of the main controller 60 of the copying machine 2.

In the case of such a mixed size, the method of transporting the document cannot be determined unless the size of the second document is detected as described above. It is possible to specify that items that are not the same are included, that is, that the sizes are mixed. The copy mode performed when it is indicated that such sizes are mixed is called a mixed size mode.

As described with reference to FIG. 9, such a mixed size mode is displayed on the touch panel 651 in a mode selected by the mode key 659 of the operation unit 650 of the copying machine 2. Is set.

Whether the sizes are mixed or not is determined by
Not only when the mixed size mode is selected, but also when the size difference is detected based on the detection result of the detecting means for detecting the size of the conveyed paper, the mixed size can be processed. As the detection means, for example, the entrance sensor 136 can be used. That is, the CPU 70 determines the time when the leading edge and the trailing edge of the sheet are detected by the entrance sensor 136 (on / off time) and the transport speed.
It can be obtained by calculating with 0. The size in this case refers to the size in the paper transport direction from the relationship between the overlapping transport and the aligning operation of the staple tray 121 in the paper transport direction. Although the size can be detected by using the detecting means as described above, A4 and B5 transmitted from the copying machine 3 to the post-processing apparatus 1 can be used.
It can also be detected based on size such as the size and direction information such as length and width. Paper information sent from the main body of the copying machine 2 to the post-processing device 1 based on the size of the original transmitted from the ADF 3 to the main body of the copying machine 2, the direction of the original, and the magnification set in the main body of the copying machine 2. It is also possible to detect from.

In the post-processing of the paper, if the paper is the same size, the above-described pre-stack operation is performed from the second job. When the size is mixed, the sheets are conveyed one by one from the normal conveyance path C to the staple tray 121 side without performing the overlap conveyance in principle. 1st sheet and 2 even if mixed size
When the first and second sheets are the same size, the first sheet after the second job is conveyed to the pre-stack section D to perform a pre-stack operation, and the second sheet is conveyed to the normal conveyance section C for superimposed conveyance. . In the case of mixed size loading, when the size of the conveyed paper in the transport direction is detected and processed only by the paper processing device, the post-processing device is notified that the size is mixed from the copier. In the case where the post-processing apparatus is configured to process according to this notification, such a mixed size is used, but the first and second sheets have the same paper size, and so on. Different control is performed according to.

For example, the flowchart shown in FIG. 11 shows a processing procedure for first checking the paper size and then determining whether to perform pre-stacking based on the number of the paper. I have.

That is, in this process, when the copied paper is sent from the copying machine 2, the transport state of the copy paper is controlled based on the “first copy control” subroutine of step S 1. In this subroutine,
First, the paper size is checked (step S10).
1). Next, it is checked whether or not the first sheet is the first sheet (step S102).
The switching solenoid 743 for performing the switching operation is turned on (step S103), and the prestack conveyance motor 758 is turned on (step S104). As a result, the copy sheet is guided to the pre-stack unit D, and the pre-stack unit D performs a predetermined transport operation. Thereafter, when a predetermined time elapses after the entrance sensor 136 is turned on (step S105), the CPU 700 stops the prestack conveyance motor 58 (step S106), and waits for a copy sheet at a predetermined position of the prestack unit D. Let it.

The process returns from step S106 and waits for the next sheet to enter. When the second sheet is sent from the copying machine 2 (step S107), it is determined whether the second sheet is the first copy. A determination is made (step S108). If it is the first copy, there is no need to perform the pre-stack operation, so the process jumps to step S111 and drives the pre-stack transport motor 58 stopped in step S106 to drive the transport roller pair 1
16 to start conveying the first sheet. The sheet is not superimposed by the pair of lower transport rollers 104 and the pair of paper feed rollers 106 without being overlapped.
Is discharged. At this time, the paper transport position is confirmed by turning on / off the staple entrance sensor 137 (steps S112 and S113). When the sheet exits the staple entrance sensor 137, the prestack conveying motor 58 is turned off to stop the conveyance from the prestack unit D, and the sheet discharged onto the staple tray 121 is jogged (step S115). ).

On the other hand, if it is not the first copy in the check in step S108, it is checked whether or not the size is mixed (step S109). If the size is not mixed, the prestacking operation is performed. After waiting for the time when the eye sheet is conveyed (step S110),
The CPU 700 drives the prestack conveyance motor 58 to perform the above-described superposition (step S111), and superimposes and conveys the first and second sheets at the junction of the normal conveyance unit C and the prestack unit D. , Superimposed,
The processing after step S112 is executed. At this time, the state where the leading edges of the second and first copy sheets are almost aligned, (1
(It is desirable that the leading edge of the second copy sheet is slightly receded from the leading edge of the second copy sheet.) The two copy sheets are superimposed, transported at the same time, and discharged to the staple tray 21.

On the other hand, if the size of the second copy sheet is mixed with a size different from that of the first copy sheet, the process jumps from step S109 for superimposing and transports to step S111 to drive the prestack transport motor 758, and The first sheet waiting in the pre-stack section is conveyed to the staple tray 121 alone, and the second copy sheet is conveyed to the staple tray 121 with a delay. That is, 1
If the size of the second copy sheet is different from the size of the second copy sheet, the two sheets are not simultaneously transported by the pre-stack.

The timing of step S105 is such that the rear end of the first copy sheet is placed in the pre-stack section D so as not to prevent the second copy sheet from entering the normal transport section C.
The timing of step S110 is set to a timing at which the leading edge of the first copy sheet overlaps with the leading edge of the second copy sheet in the positional relationship. ing.

Steps S112 and S113
When the copy paper conveyed by superimposing two sheets passes through the staple entrance sensor 137, the pre-stack conveyance motor 758 is turned off (step S114), and the copy paper conveyed by superimposition of two sheets or conveyed one by one The discharged copy paper is discharged to the staple tray 121,
When the paper is discharged to the staple tray 121, step S1 is performed.
At 15, a jog control subroutine is executed, and the above-described paper alignment operation is performed.

When the third copy sheet is sent from the copying machine 2 (step S107: no), the process proceeds to step S107.
Steps S1 through S111 are skipped.
The process jumps to step 12. And the stipple entrance sensor 1
After passing through No. 37, steps S114 and S115
And returns. When the number of copy sheets sent from the copying machine 2 becomes the fourth or subsequent copy sheet, processing is performed in the same steps as for the third copy sheet.

In the paper size check processing in step S101, the case based on the information on the paper size transmitted from the copying machine 2 side and the case where the entrance sensor 136 is used.
Such information may be based on information on the paper size detected by a detection unit provided on the post-processing apparatus 1 side. The information about the paper size is sent from the main body of the copying machine 2 as in the former case when the main body of the copying machine 2 and the post-processing device 1 are connected online. Acquisition of information on the paper size by only 1 corresponds to the case where the post-processing apparatus 1 is used in a stunt-alone manner, in other words, the case where the post-processing apparatus 1 is used offline.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a main routine executed by the CPU 601 of the copying machine 2 and shows only parts relevant to the present invention. This main routine includes subroutines for mode check (step S201) and document size check (step S202).

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the mode check subroutine. This mode check routine is a routine for checking a copy mode, and checks information from any input device on the operation display unit 650 or the like. As for this routine, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown. In this mode check,
When the copy start button 655 is pressed (step S301: yes), first, it is checked whether the "mixed size mode" is selected (step S30).
2). The mixed-size mode is a mode selected by recognizing that one job includes documents having different document sizes as described above. If the "size mixed mode" is selected in this check, the CPU 601 of the copying machine 2 transmits a "pre-stack prohibition command" to the post-processing device 1 (step S303), and sets a "pre-stack prohibition command transmission flag". (Step S304). By transmitting this command, the post-processing device 1 that has received the command does not use the pre-stack as described above in step S140 (FIG. 14) described later, and uses the staple tray 121 for each sheet.
Control to convey the paper to the printer.

In step S302, "size mixed loading mode"
Is not selected, and after setting the "pre-stack prohibition command transmission flag" in step S304,
Whether the mode is the staple mode (step S305)
Is checked, and if the mode is not the stipple mode, the processing shifts to another processing (omitted because it has nothing to do with this embodiment). On the other hand, in step S305, if the mode is the stipple mode, it is further checked whether the mode is the ADF mode (step S306). If the mode is not the ADF mode, a copy mode using a pressure plate (so-called pressure plate mode)
That is, there is no possibility that the first sheet collides with the sheet bundle during the staple operation in the staple tray 121, so the pre-stack prohibition command is transmitted (step S307), and the pre-stack prohibition command transmission flag is set. And proceed to the next process. If the mode is the ADF mode in step S306, the process proceeds to the next process (not shown).

The platen mode is a mode in which the operator does not automatically feed the document by the ADF 3, but places the sheets one by one on the contact glass and presses the platen to perform the copying operation. It is called the pressure plate mode with respect to the ADF mode.

In this pressure plate mode, the copied copy sheet may be further stapled. When staples are performed in the pressure plate mode in this manner, the size of each document (size in the transport direction) is unknown unless all the originals have been read. It is possible to determine whether to perform pre-stacking or not to perform pre-stacking, whereby different controls can be performed for the first copy and the second copy.

That is, when copying is performed in the platen mode and the stipple mode, the copying machine 2 forcibly transmits a "pre-stack prohibition command". The command is sent at the start of the job. When the post-processing apparatus 1 receives the “pre-stack prohibition command”, the first copy sheet is guided to the normal transport section C and discharged one by one to the staple tray 121 alone. I do.

In the case of this mode, after the “staple mode” is determined in the determination of step S305 in FIG.
In step S306, it is checked whether the mode is the “ADF mode”. If it is not "ADF mode" in this check, in other words, if it is "pressing plate mode", a "pre-stack prohibition command transmission" is transmitted in step S307, and a "pre-stack prohibition command transmission flag" is set in step S308. By transmitting this command to the post-processing apparatus 1, the post-processing apparatus 1 does not perform the pre-stacking as described above, and performs the staple tray 121 for each sheet.
Control to convey the paper to the printer.

When all the originals are copied by the pressure plate, and the paper sizes of all the originals (sizes in the transport direction) are the same (the size is not mixed), the main body of the copying machine 2 at that point in time Send a “pre-stack release command” to the post-processing device 1. The post-processing device 1 side
When the "pre-stack release command" is received, the first sheet from the next copy is pre-stacked and overlapped with the second sheet, and the two sheets are conveyed.

Also, even if not all originals are read,
If the paper size is the same when the first and second document sizes are read, the copying machine 2 transmits a "pre-stack prohibition release command" at that time, and if pre-stacking is possible, one sheet Prestack the copy paper of the eyes,
It can also be conveyed while being superimposed on a second copy sheet. In this case, when the post-processing device 1 receives the "pre-stack prohibition release command" transmitted from the copying machine 2, the transport position of the sheet in the post-processing device 1 is confirmed in the same manner as described above, and If the first copy sheet is located on the upstream side of the branch claw 108c in the transport direction, the first copy sheet is transported to the pre-stack section D to perform a pre-stack operation, and two sheets are stacked together with the second copy sheet. Discharge.
On the other hand, if the leading edge of the first copy sheet has passed the branching claw 8c, the copy sheet is conveyed to the staple tray 121 alone.

This control is executed even from the first copy. In other words, when the last part of the previous job is stopped at two places, or when the stapling device 111 is rotated to perform stapling, it takes more time until the stapling operation is completed. If the prestack operation is performed even from the first copy, the post-processing can be executed more efficiently. Specifically, the processing procedure enters the routine of FIG. 18 according to the “pre-stack prohibition command transmission flag” set in step S308 of the routine of FIG.
When the post-processing apparatus 1 receives the “pre-stack prohibition flag off” of step S 507, if the first copy sheet can be pre-stacked, the post-processing apparatus 1 starts the pre-stack operation.

In this embodiment, the paper carry-in port 101 of the post-processing apparatus 1 is connected to the paper discharge port of the body of the copying machine 2 and is also electrically connected so that both control systems can be integrally controlled. However, the post-processing apparatus 1 may be integrated into the body of the copying machine 2 to form a single copying machine. Also, here, a digital copying machine having a facsimile function is exemplified as the body of the copying machine 2, but it naturally has a printer function. Further, instead of the copying machine, it is also possible to use only a printer device and a facsimile device.

When a plurality of copies of paper are processed, the paper size sent from the copying machine 2 is stored in the RAM 709 for each job. It is possible to determine whether they are the same or a mixed size. Therefore, if the copier does not specify the mixed size mode, the RAM 709
By performing the processing in accordance with the paper size stored in the storage area, efficient processing can be performed. That is, the CPU 700
Referring to the paper size stored in the AM 709, if the paper sizes are all the same, that is, if the size is not mixed, the first and second papers are stacked and conveyed by the pre-stack for the second and subsequent copies. By doing so, the waiting time between jobs can be reduced. In other words, even if the mixed-size mode is selected, if the copy sheets are all the same, or if the mixed-size mode is selected, the first and second copy sheets are the same. In this case, when the first and second copy sheets of the second copy and thereafter are conveyed in an overlapping manner, efficient processing can be performed.
The control procedure at this time is shown in the flowchart of FIG.
In the following description, the same processes as those in each of the flowcharts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

In this subroutine, when a sheet is sent from the copying machine 2, first, the size of the copy sheet is checked (step S 101). Next, it is checked whether it is the first copy (step S120), and if it is the first copy, the processing from step S102 is executed. This processing is the same as that of FIG. 115 except for the processing of step S109 in FIG.
Up to the same.

On the other hand, if it is not the first copy in step S120, it is checked in step S121 whether or not the sheets are of mixed size. If the size is not mixed, the process proceeds to step S102, and the processes after step S102 are executed. On the other hand, since the sheet sizes of the second and subsequent copies are all known, it is possible to determine whether or not the sheets are mixed in step S120. If the size is mixed in the check in step S120, it is not possible to carry out the overlapped conveyance.
The processing from 12 to S115 is executed.

In the processing shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, even if the mixed size mode is designated, the post-processing apparatus 1 looks at the sizes of the first and second originals and superimposes them. This is an example in which control is performed by selecting whether or not to carry. Therefore, such control can be applied to either the above-described online control or offline control.

On the other hand, if there is an input indicating mixed size loading from outside (in this embodiment, when the mixed size mode is selected from the copying machine 2 as described above), two sheets are stacked by the prestack. It is also possible to perform control such that no transfer is performed. Therefore, in this mode, a mode in which the superimposed conveyance is prohibited for the post-processing apparatus is set. That is, when the mixed size mode is selected from the mode key 659 and the touch panel 651 from the main body of the copying machine 2 as described above, the main body of the copying machine 2 transmits a “mixed size” command to the post-processing apparatus 1.
The command is transmitted at the start of the job. When the post-processing apparatus 1 receives the “mixed size” command, the post-processing apparatus 1 guides the first copy sheet to the normal transport section C, and discharges it to the staple tray 121 alone. This processing procedure is shown in the flowchart of FIG. In the following description, the same processes as those in each of the flowcharts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

In this subroutine, when the first copy sheet of the first copy is sent from the copying machine 2, first,
First, it is checked whether a "size mixed" command has been transmitted from the copying machine 2 (step S13).
0). If a “size mixed loading” command has been received in this check, the process jumps to step S 112, and the copy paper is led to the normal transport section C one by one, and after the copy paper has passed the staple entrance sensor 137, The process from S113 to S115 is performed, and the process returns.
As described above, when the "size mixed loading" command is received from the copying machine 1, the pre-stacking of the first copy sheet is prohibited, and the sheets are ejected one by one to the staple tray 121 and jogging is performed for each sheet. Vertical alignment when mixed sizes can be reliably performed. In addition, when the post-processing device 1 enters the control of pre-stacking / not-stacking, for example, when the document is pre-read by the ADF 3 or when the paper transport path in the copying machine 2 is long, the “mixed size release command” is received. By doing so, it is possible to perform pre-stack from the first copy,
Further, productivity can be improved.

On the other hand, in step S130, "mixed size"
If the command has not been received, the process proceeds to step S102 to check whether it is the first sheet. If the command is the first sheet, the processing from step S103 is executed. If it is not the first sheet, it is checked whether or not it is the second sheet in step S107. If it is not the second sheet, that is, if it is the third sheet or later, the superposition conveyance is not performed. The process jumps to S112 and executes the processing after this step. If it is the second sheet, at least the sheet size in the sheet conveyance direction is the same, so that the processing after step S110 is executed to perform the overlap conveyance.

The processing shown in FIGS. 13, 14 and 15 can be executed only with the mode information obtained by the mode check routine (step S201) in FIG.

Further, in the processing of FIG.
In step S108, it is determined whether or not the sheet is the first copy. However, there is no input of the mode information, and the sheet size is determined by the post-processing apparatus 1 or by the copying machine 2.
When the determination is made based on the information input from the side, it is determined whether the first sheet and the second sheet are the same size (step S140) instead of step S121 as shown in FIG. Then, it is determined whether the first and second sheets are the same size, and in accordance with these determinations, similarly to the processing of FIG. 14, the process proceeds to step S102 or S112, and further proceeds to step S110 or S111. It is also possible to process as follows.

As described above, in the above-described processing, the processing can be performed only by the mode check or the paper size check. However, there is a method in which the processing is performed according to the size of the document. That is, the processing may be performed according to the processing result of the document size check routine (step S202) of the main routine of FIG.

In this process, a mode check (step S201) and a document size check (step S202) of the main routine of FIG. 12 are executed. Step S20
The mode check routine 1 is the process of FIG. 13 described above. When this process is completed, a document size check routine of step S202 is executed. FIG. 17 shows the processing contents of this routine.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the subroutine of document size check. This subroutine is performed when the “pre-stack prohibition command” is transmitted in the above-described subroutine of FIG. 13 (steps S303 and S303).
307).

In this subroutine, first, the "pre-stack prohibition command transmission flag" is checked (step S401). If the flag is set, the size of each document is checked in step S402. After checking the document size, it is checked whether the document is the first document (step S403). If it is the first document, the size of the first document is stored in the buffer “A” in step S404. This buffer "A" is set in the RAM 709 described above. Further, it can be set in the RAM in the CPU 700 instead of the RAM 709.

If it is not the first sheet, in other words, if it is the second or subsequent sheet, the process proceeds to step S405, where the buffer "A"
Is compared with the size of each original after the first sheet. If the size of each document is the same as the content of buffer "A",
In step S406, if it is not the last document, the flow returns to exit this routine. On the other hand, if the document size is different from the contents of the buffer "A", the "size mixed loading confirmation flag" is set in step S407, and the routine exits. When the final document is determined in step S406, the process proceeds to step S406.
At 408, the "size mixed loading confirmation flag" is checked. If the “size mixed loading confirmation flag” is not set in this check, it means that the paper sizes of the copies are all the same, and thus a “pre-stack prohibition release command” is transmitted (step S409). When the post-processing device 1 receives the “pre-stack prohibition release command”, the post-processing device 1
The control for performing the pre-stacking is changed to the pre-stacking unit D for the first sheet.

On the other hand, if the "size mixed loading confirmation flag" is set in step S408, the process returns. The post-processing apparatus 1 does not perform pre-stacking for the second copy and thereafter, and stores the sheets in the staple tray 121 one by one. Conveys paper. Then, the information on the mixed-size loading is used for the above-described determination processing in step S130 in FIG. 15, and the post-processing apparatus 1 executes the sheet processing according to the processing procedure in FIG.

The "pre-stack prohibited command" is AD
The original is moved to the contact glass 21 of the copying machine 2 by F3.
1 and is also transmitted when the first and second sheets of the document are different in size (at least in the direction of conveyance). FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for performing processing while checking the size of the first and second originals. This processing is also performed following the processing in FIGS.

In this document size check routine, first, in step S501, it is checked whether the "pre-stack prohibition command transmission flag" set in step S304 or S308 in FIG. 13 is set. If the flag is set, the size of each document is checked in step S502. If it is the first document (step S503-yes), the process returns to step S504 by storing the size of the first sheet in the buffer "A". This buffer "A" is the same as in the case of FIG.

If it is not the first sheet, the flow advances to step S505 to check whether it is the second sheet. If it is not the second sheet, return. If it is the second sheet, step S is performed.
In step 506, the contents of the buffer "A" and the size of the second document are checked. If the document size is the same as the content of the buffer "A", the subroutine of step S507 is executed and the "pre-stack prohibition flag command transmission flag OF
F ”is transmitted to the post-processing device 1 side. After receiving this command, the post-processing apparatus 1 determines that the size of the first document and the size of the second document are the same (since the sizes of the first and second documents are at least the same in the transport direction), Change from to control using pre-stack.

On the other hand, in step S506, the buffer "A"
If the content is different from the size of the second document, the process returns and exits this routine. Thereby, the post-processing device 1
Means that control is performed to convey sheets to the staple tray 121 one by one without performing pre-stacking for the second copy and thereafter.

When the size of the first sheet and that of the second sheet are the same at the time when the second document is read in this way, by receiving the “pre-stack prohibition flag OFF” from the copying machine 2 main body, It is necessary to provide a waiting time between jobs for the second and subsequent copies by canceling the pre-stack prohibition from the second copy and after, and pre-stacking the first copy sheet and transporting two sheets even when the size is mixed. And productivity can be improved.

Note that when the “pre-stack prohibition release command transmission” transmitted in step S 409 is received,
If the leading end of the first copy sheet of the second copy has passed the branching claw 8c, the first copy sheet is conveyed to the staple tray 121 without pre-stacking.

When the original of the first copy is conveyed to the image reading position by the ADF 3, the entire size is read as described above and stored in the RAM 603 as size information. Therefore, if all the originals are conveyed by the ADF 3 and all the paper sizes are the same (the size is not mixed), the main body of the copying machine 2 sends a “pre-stack prohibition release command” to the post-processing apparatus 1 at that time. Send. When the post-processing device 1 receives the command,
The first sheet from the next section is pre-stacked and overlapped with the second sheet, and two sheets are conveyed. By controlling in this way, it is not necessary to provide a waiting time between jobs for the second copy and thereafter, and productivity can be improved.

Further, in the post-processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1, a punching device 150 is provided in the transport path immediately after the copy sheet has entered the post-processing apparatus 1.
11 may be configured to have a hole punching function in addition to the staple function. This example is shown in FIG. Since the post-processing device itself having the piercing function in the staple device 111 is publicly known, details of the staple and piercing operations are omitted.

In such a configuration, since the punching operation is added to the stapling operation, it is necessary to set a longer waiting time between jobs (between copies). Therefore, in the image system employing such a mechanism, the image forming timing of the first sheet of the next job is further delayed on the copying machine 2 side than in the above-described embodiment. The time to be delayed is appropriately set according to the time required for the stapling operation and the hole forming operation.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the paper inlet 101 of the post-processing apparatus 1 is connected to the paper outlet of the main body of the copying machine 2 and also electrically connected as shown in FIG. Although a system configured so that both control systems can be integrally controlled is illustrated, the post-processing apparatus 1 and the main body of the copying machine 2 are electrically separated from each other, so that a so-called off-line image forming system may be configured. it can.

When the image forming system is constructed off-line, neither the size information nor the paper information relating to the original is input from the copying machine 2 side. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 20, the main system I / F 701 in the control system in the case of the online control shown in FIG.
Are omitted, and an operation display unit 710 is provided instead. As for the paper size, the sensor input unit 70
3 from the output of the entrance sensor 136 or from the output of the entrance sensor 136 and the output of a paper detection sensor provided in a paper carrying path (not shown) from a copying machine (image forming apparatus) connected to the paper carrying entrance 101. Desired. Therefore, in the image forming system of the post-processing apparatus 1 and the main body of the copying machine 2 which are configured offline, the above-described FIG.
0, FIG. 11, FIG. 14, and FIG. 16, by performing the same control procedure as the routine and performing the superimposed conveyance, it is possible to perform the processing efficiently.

Each part of the post-processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 20 is housed in its own housing or is arranged so as to be exposed from the housing. It goes without saying that the same operation can be performed by transplanting to an image forming apparatus main body such as a copying machine.

[0108]

As described above, according to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention,
Since the selection is made as to whether or not to perform the overlap conveyance according to the difference in the conveyance direction length of the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet conveyed by the overlap conveyance means, the processing is stopped halfway. A predetermined process can be performed on all jobs without any processing.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a pre-stack portion for pre-stacking the paper, and when the paper is conveyed by the superimposing conveyance means, the paper is guided to the pre-stack portion, pre-stacked, and then conveyed. Since the sheet is conveyed while being superimposed on the sheet, the waiting time between jobs can be minimized, thereby enabling more efficient sheet processing.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the overlap conveyance is selected when the lengths of the sheets in the conveyance direction are the same, so that the waiting time between jobs can be minimized.
This makes it possible to perform sheet processing more efficiently.

According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, whether or not to carry out the superimposition conveyance is selected based on the difference in the length detected by the detecting means for detecting the size of the conveyed paper. If the sizes are the same, processing can be performed more efficiently depending on the case of mixed loading.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, whether or not to carry out the overlap conveyance is selected based on the length difference information obtained based on the paper size and direction. In some cases, the processing can be performed more efficiently depending on the case of mixed loading.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, whether or not to carry out the superimposition conveyance is selected according to the length information obtained based on the size of the document, the direction of the document, and the magnification. If the sizes are the same, processing can be performed more efficiently depending on the case of mixed loading.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, since the length difference information is input from an external device that discharges a sheet to a sheet processing apparatus, it is possible to reliably obtain the sheet length information. Thereby, control according to the difference in length can be performed.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, since the length difference information is mode information set in the image forming apparatus, it is possible to reliably obtain sheet length information based on the mode information. Thereby, control according to the difference in length can be performed.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, when the lengths of all the sheets of the first copy in the transport direction are the same according to the length difference information, the selecting means sets the two copies of the plurality of jobs. Since the overlap conveyance is selected after the first time, the waiting time between jobs can be minimized, and efficient processing can be performed.

According to the tenth aspect, when the first and second sheets are the same according to the length difference information, the selecting means determines that the third and subsequent sheets have different sheet sizes. However, since the overlap conveyance is selected for the second and subsequent copies of a plurality of jobs, the waiting time between jobs can be minimized, thereby enabling more efficient sheet processing.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, since means for aligning sheets in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction on the stack tray is further provided, efficient processing can be performed, and the sheet bundle can be cleaned neatly. Alignment and reliable processing are possible.

According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, since means for aligning sheets in the transport direction of the sheets on the stack tray is further provided, in addition to being able to process efficiently, the sheet bundle is aligned neatly and securely. It can be processed.

According to the thirteenth aspect of the present invention, the sheet processing means comprises stapling means for stapling the sheet, and the sheet discharging means lifts and discharges the lower end of the bundled sheet, and the discharging claw. Moving means for moving the claws upward, the aligning control means for driving the ejecting claws in the anti-discharging direction, and performing the aligning operation of the sheet on the stack tray in the conveying direction by the back surface of the ejecting claws. Therefore, in addition to being able to process efficiently, it is possible to arrange the sheet bundle neatly and process it reliably.

According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, since the image forming apparatus includes the sheet processing apparatus, the functions of the sheet processing apparatus according to the first to thirteenth aspects can be added to the image forming apparatus itself. .

According to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper processing apparatus having a function of selecting whether or not to carry out superimposed conveyance in accordance with the length of the paper in the paper conveyance direction, and a method for controlling the superposition conveyance based on input image information. The image forming system comprises an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet by means of an image forming apparatus and a means for guiding the sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming means to the sheet processing apparatus. A system capable of efficiently processing an image-formed sheet by guiding the sheet on which an image is formed by the forming apparatus to a sheet processing apparatus and performing optimal conveyance control according to the difference in length in the sheet conveyance direction. Can be provided.

According to the sixteenth aspect of the present invention, the sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus are electrically connected via the communication means, and the length difference information is transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the sheet processing apparatus. The paper processing device enables efficient paper processing by performing optimal conveyance control on the paper on which image formation has been completed according to the length difference information transmitted from the image forming device. Becomes

According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus is provided with the input means for setting the mode for inhibiting the superimposed conveyance, so that when this mode is set, the sheets are conveyed one by one, and the sheet processing is performed. There is no delay.

According to the eighteenth aspect of the present invention, the input means for setting the mode for prohibiting the superimposed conveyance is made up of the touch panel or the key input means, so that the operator can easily perform the superimposed conveyance from the image forming apparatus side. Prohibition can be set.

According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, the mode in which the overlapping conveyance is prohibited is a mode in which sheets having different sizes in the sheet conveying direction are mixedly loaded. If the mixed mode is selected, a mode for automatically prohibiting the overlapping conveyance is set, and the sheet processing is not interrupted.

According to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, the automatic document feeder is used because the mode for inhibiting the superimposed conveyance is the pressure plate mode in which the operator places each sheet on the pressure plate to form an image. In the case where image formation is performed without setting, a mode for automatically prohibiting overlapping conveyance is set irrespective of the size of the document, so that the sheet processing is not interrupted.

According to the twenty-first aspect of the present invention, when the operator performs staples as a sheet process in the platen mode in which an image is formed by placing sheets one by one on the platen, the sheets of the first copy are overlapped. Since the paper is not conveyed, the paper processing is not delayed even if the size of the document is unknown.

According to the twenty-second aspect of the present invention, when the operator performs staples as a sheet process in the pressure plate mode in which an image is formed by placing sheets one by one on the pressure plate, all sheets have the same size. In this case, the second and subsequent copies of a plurality of jobs are superimposed and conveyed, so that the waiting time between the second and subsequent jobs can be minimized, thereby enabling more efficient paper processing. Becomes

According to the twenty-third aspect of the present invention, when the operator performs staple as a sheet process in the pressure plate mode in which an image is formed by placing sheets one by one on the pressure plate, the first sheet and the second sheet Are the same, even if the third and subsequent sheets have different paper sizes, the second and subsequent copies of the plurality of jobs are superimposed and conveyed, so that the waiting time between the second and subsequent jobs is minimized. This makes it possible to perform the sheet processing more efficiently.

According to the twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, the apparatus further comprises a detecting means for detecting the size of the conveyed sheet, and a function for selecting whether or not to perform the superimposed conveyance based on the detected length difference. Image forming apparatus having an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet based on input image information, and a means for guiding a sheet image formed by the image forming apparatus to the sheet processing apparatus side The paper processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus are electrically independent from each other, and the paper processing apparatus determines whether or not to perform the superimposition conveyance based on the length difference information detected by the detection unit. Is selected, so even if the image forming system is offline, image formation is completed efficiently by performing optimal conveyance control according to the difference in length in the paper conveyance direction. Processing of paper is possible.

According to the twenty-fifth aspect of the present invention, the sheet processing apparatus stacks the second sheet of the first job when it is found that the length of the second sheet is different from that of the first sheet in the sheet conveying direction. Since the paper is sequentially discharged without performing the alignment conveyance,
Paper processing can be efficiently performed without delay.

According to the twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, for the second and subsequent jobs, the sheet processing apparatus waits until the sheet bundle of the previous job stacked on the stack tray and the first sheet of the next job do not interfere with each other. Since the conveyance timing of the first sheet is delayed, jamming does not occur in the stack tray, and efficient processing can be performed.

According to the twenty-seventh aspect, since the timing at which no interference occurs is set based on at least one of the processing mode, the length of the sheet in the transport direction, and the number of sheets to be bound, the occurrence of a jam can be prevented. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an image forming system according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating a main part of a jogger fence unit of the post-processing apparatus of the image forming system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a structure of a lower part of the jogger fence unit of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a jogger fence unit of the post-processing device of FIG. 1 and a main part of a stipple device;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a main part of a discharge belt portion of the post-processing device in FIG. 1 and showing a part of the main part in an enlarged manner.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram schematically illustrating an electrical configuration (control system) of the entire image forming system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating details of an electrical configuration (control system) of the post-processing device in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the operation display unit of FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is a front view showing a mode setting screen of the operation display unit in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an outline of a main routine of a post-processing device of the image forming system of FIG. 1;

11 is a flowchart showing the contents of each subroutine of the main routine of FIG.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an outline of a main routine of a copying machine (image forming apparatus) of the image forming system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing the contents of a subroutine of a mode check of a main routine of the copying machine of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the contents of a subroutine for controlling the n-th copy in the main routine of FIG. 10;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the contents of another subroutine for controlling the n-th copy in the main routine of FIG. 10;

FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the contents of still another subroutine for controlling the n-th copy in the main routine of FIG. 10;

17 is a flowchart showing the contents of a document size check subroutine of the main routine of FIG. 12;

18 is a flowchart showing another example of the contents of a subroutine for document size checking in the main routine of FIG.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment in which a stapler has a punching function.

FIG. 20 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration (control system) of the post-processing device having an offline configuration.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Post-processing apparatus 2 Copier (image forming apparatus) 3 ADF (circulation type automatic document feeder) 4 Paper feeder 60 Main control part 101 Paper inlet 102a, 102b, 102c Transport roller pair 103 Discharge roller 104 Lower transport roller Pairs 108a, 108b, 108c Branch claws 109 Jogger fence 110 Release belt 110a Release claws 110b Back surface 111 Stipple device 115 Inlet roller pair 116 Transport rollers pair (in the prestack section) 121 Stipple tray (stack tray) 136 Inlet sensor 137 Stipple inlet Sensors 630 Various sensors 650 Operation display section 651 Touch panel (display section) 659 Mode key 700 CPU (of post-processing device) 703 Sensor input 743 Pre-stack switching solenoid 758 Pre-stack transport motor C Normal transport section D Pre-stack section

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3F054 AA01 AC02 AC03 AC05 BA04 BG03 BG11 BH03 BH14 BJ13 CA04 DA01 3F108 GA02 GA03 GA04 GB01 GB03 GB07 HA02 HA39 HA46

Claims (27)

[Claims] 1. A superposition conveying means for superimposing and conveying a preceding sheet and a succeeding sheet, a stack tray for stacking sheets, and a sheet for subjecting a sheet bundle stacked on the stack tray to a predetermined process. A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a processing unit; and a sheet discharging unit configured to discharge a sheet processed by the sheet processing unit. A sheet processing apparatus wherein a selection is made as to whether or not to carry out superimposed conveyance in accordance with the difference in the length in the direction. 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said superimposing and conveying means includes a pre-stack section for pre-stacking the paper and a normal conveying section for conveying the paper without stopping, wherein the superimposing and conveying means superposes and transports the paper. Guiding the preceding sheet to the pre-stack section, pre-stacking the sheet, then guiding the succeeding sheet to the normal transport section, and sending out the preceding sheet from the pre-stack section in accordance with the subsequent transport, thereby leading the preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet. 2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheets are conveyed in an overlapping manner. 3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the selection of the overlap conveyance is performed when the lengths of the sheets in the conveyance direction are the same. 4. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising detecting means for detecting a size of the conveyed sheet, wherein the selection is performed based on the difference in the length detected by the detecting means. Paper processing equipment. 5. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difference in the length is determined based on a size and a direction of the sheet. 6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difference in the length is determined based on a size of the document, a direction of the document, and a magnification. 7. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the difference in the length is determined based on information input from an external device other than the sheet processing apparatus. 8. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the difference between the lengths is determined based on mode information set in the image forming apparatus. 9. When the lengths of all the sheets of the first copy in the transport direction are the same according to the length difference information, the selecting means performs the overlap transport of the second and subsequent copies of the plurality of jobs. 9. The paper processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the paper processing apparatus is selected. 10. The first sheet, based on the length difference information,
If the second sheet is the same, the selection unit may determine that the second and third jobs have different sizes even if the third and subsequent sheets have different sizes.
The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, wherein overlapping conveyance is selected for a set and subsequent copies. 11. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for aligning a sheet on the stack tray in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveying direction. 12. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: means for aligning sheets on the stack tray in a sheet conveying direction. 13. The sheet processing means comprises stapling means for stapling a sheet, and the sheet discharging means lifts and discharges a lower end of the bundled sheets, and moves the discharging claw upward. Moving means for driving the ejection claw in the anti-emission direction, and an alignment control means for performing an alignment operation in the transport direction of the paper on the stack tray by a back surface of the ejection claw. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein 14. An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. Description: 15. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet based on input image information, and an image formed by the image forming means. An image forming apparatus comprising: means for guiding a sheet to the sheet processing apparatus. 16. The sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus are electrically connected via a communication unit, and the length difference information is transmitted from the image forming apparatus to the sheet processing apparatus. The image forming system according to claim 15, wherein: 17. An image forming system according to claim 15, wherein said image forming apparatus is provided with an input unit for setting a mode for prohibiting overlapping conveyance. 18. The image forming apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said input means comprises a touch panel or key input means. 19. The image forming system according to claim 17, wherein the mode in which the overlapping conveyance is prohibited is a mode in which sheets having different sizes in the sheet conveying direction are mixed. 20. The pressure plate mode in which the mode in which the overlapping conveyance is prohibited is a pressure plate mode in which an operator places sheets one by one on a pressure plate to form an image.
8. The image forming system according to 7. 21. When the operator performs stapling as a sheet process in a pressure plate mode in which an image is formed by placing sheets one by one on a pressure plate, the selection unit does not select the overlap conveyance for the first sheet. The image forming system according to claim 15, wherein: 22. When the operator performs stapling as a sheet process in a pressure plate mode in which an image is formed by placing sheets one by one on a pressure plate, when all the sheets are of the same size, the selection unit includes: 16. The image forming system according to claim 15, wherein the superimposing conveyance is selected for the second and subsequent copies of the plurality of jobs. 23. When the operator performs staples as a sheet process in a pressure plate mode in which an image is formed by placing sheets one by one on a pressure plate, when the first and second sheets are the same, 16. The image forming system according to claim 15, wherein the selecting unit selects the overlapping conveyance for the second and subsequent copies of the plurality of jobs even if the third and subsequent sheets have different paper sizes. 24. A sheet processing apparatus according to claim 4, image forming means for forming an image on a sheet based on input image information, and a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming means is provided on the sheet processing apparatus side. An image forming apparatus provided with a sheet conveying means for guiding the sheet processing apparatus, and wherein the sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus are electrically independent from each other, and the sheet processing apparatuses have different lengths detected by the detecting means. An image forming system for selecting whether to perform superimposed conveyance based on information. 25. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the second sheet of the first job is found to have a length different from that of the first sheet in the sheet conveyance direction, the sheet processing apparatus does not perform the overlap conveyance. The image forming system according to claim 24, wherein the sheets are sequentially discharged. 26. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, for the second and subsequent jobs, the first sheet of the next job is conveyed at a timing at which the sheet bundle of the previous job and the first sheet of the next job stacked on the stack tray do not interfere with each other. The image forming system according to claim 24, wherein the timing is delayed. 27. The image forming system according to claim 26, wherein the non-interference timing is set based on at least one of a processing mode, a length of a sheet in a conveying direction, and a number of sheets to be bound.