JP2001316026A - Paper sheet post-treating machine and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent disturbance of a matched state of a recording paper even when a work to solve a paper jam is carried out in the middle of matching of a recording paper and to perform following post-treatment operation without any trouble. SOLUTION: In a combined copying machine having a staple unit 65, when a paper jam occurs at a spot situated upper stream from a staple tray 64, movable guides 68B and 68C for matching are forcibly advanced and recording paper P, P, etc., recovered to a position above the staple tray 64 and matched are held. Then a paper jam occurs at the internal part of the staple tray 64, the mobile guides 68B and 68C are forcibly moved backward and the recording paper P, P, etc., are released from a holding state.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus. In particular, the present invention is provided with a post-processing mechanism that performs post-processing such as stapling (binding) on a plurality of sheets stacked after image formation, and when a conveyance abnormality such as paper jam occurs. The improvement of the operation of.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an example of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a post-processing mechanism for aligning and stacking a plurality of recording sheets after image formation and performing post-processing such as stapling on these sheets. Some have.

As a general configuration of this type of post-processing mechanism, as shown in FIG. 17, a post-processing tray a is provided in an inclined manner, and a plurality of recording papers p, p, p after image formation are provided.
Are stacked on the post-processing tray a. Post-processing tray a
Are inclined, so that the recording papers p, p,... Are aligned at the lower end position of the post-processing tray a by their own weight. In this state, the stapling process is performed by the stapling means b. After this stapling process is performed, the recording papers p, p,... Are discharged onto the paper discharge tray c.

However, in such a post-processing mechanism, a post-processing tray a which is inclined is required separately from the paper discharge tray c, and each of the trays a and c independently records. .. Must be large enough to place the sheets p, p,. For this reason, there is a limit in reducing the size of the entire apparatus. That is, as shown in FIG.
If the inclination angle of the post-processing tray a is increased, the width dimension (dimension t1 in the figure) of the post-processing mechanism is reduced and the installation space of the entire apparatus is reduced, but the height dimension of the apparatus (dimension h in the figure) is reduced.
1) becomes large. Conversely, as shown in FIG. 17B, when the inclination angle of the post-processing tray a is reduced, the height of the apparatus (dimension h2 in the figure) is reduced, but the width of the post-processing mechanism (dimension t2 in the figure) is reduced. ) Becomes large, and a large installation space is required.

[0005] To solve this problem, there is a copying machine disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 2583594.
In this publication, a post-processing tray and a paper discharge tray are arranged adjacent to each other in the conveying direction of recording paper, and when post-processing is required, the recording paper is placed over both trays. A technical idea of performing stapling in a state is disclosed. According to this configuration, the tray can be commonly used both when the stapling process is required and when it is not required. As a result, a separate tray for each case is not required, the post-processing tray can be reduced in size, and the size of the entire apparatus can be reduced.

[0006]

However, in the copying machine disclosed in the above publication, when post-processing of the recording paper is required, one of the recording papers placed over both trays is used. The part (the part placed on the paper discharge tray) is exposed to the outside. For this reason, the user may inadvertently touch the recording paper in the process of alignment (the recording paper placed on the tray while the required number of image forming operations has not been completed yet), If the removal operation is performed on the recording paper still remaining on the paper output tray after the image formation is performed by the operation, the alignment state of the recording paper during the alignment may be disturbed, and a paper jam or a staple defect may occur. There is a possibility of causing troubles such as.

In order to avoid this problem, it is necessary to provide a structure for preventing the recording paper being aligned from being exposed to the outside. That is, a post-processing tray for aligning and stacking recording media in a copying machine is provided.

In order to realize this configuration, when a paper jam occurs near the post-processing tray, it is necessary to be able to easily remove the stagnant (stuck) recording paper. . For example, the rear end of the post-processing tray (the side opposite to the operation side of the copier) is supported rotatably about a horizontal axis, and when a paper jam occurs, the post-processing tray is moved to the horizontal axis. Rotate downward around to open the inside of this post-processing tray to the front side of the device,
An example is to allow a user to easily remove a recording sheet.

However, in this case, the post-processing tray is inclined, and the alignment state of the recording sheets stacked in the post-processing tray (the recording sheets normally collected in the post-processing tray) is disturbed. (So-called paper scattering may occur). That is, there is a possibility that the misalignment of the recording paper during the alignment may be disturbed due to the operation of eliminating the paper jam, and thereafter, a trouble such as a paper jam or a staple defect may be caused.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing, and it is an object of the present invention to disturb the alignment state of recording paper even if a paper jam is eliminated during the alignment of recording paper. Therefore, it is possible to perform the subsequent post-processing operation without any trouble.

[0011]

Means for Solving the Problems-Summary of the Invention-In order to achieve the above object, the present invention holds a recording sheet (sheet) that is in the process of being aligned when a paper jam occurs, and prevents paper scattering. In this state, the paper jam can be cleared.

-Solution Means- Specifically, it is assumed that a sheet post-processing machine is provided with post-processing means for post-processing a plurality of sheets stacked at a predetermined stacking position after image formation. The sheet post-processing apparatus is provided with alignment means that can move between an alignment position in which the sheets stacked at the stacking position are brought into contact with each other to align each sheet and a non-alignment position in which the sheets are not brought into contact. Also, stagnation detecting means capable of detecting that the conveyance of the sheet has stagnated before the sheet is conveyed to the stacking position, and receiving the output of the stagnation detecting means, forcibly setting the alignment means to the alignment posture at the time of the stagnation. And matching control means.

According to this specific matter, in a situation where the sheet is conveyed well, the sheets stacked at the stacking position are satisfactorily aligned by the aligning means being in the alignment posture. When the conveyance of the sheet is stagnated before the sheet is conveyed to the stacking position, that is, when a paper jam occurs, the alignment unit is forced to the alignment posture. That is, the alignment means comes into contact with and holds the stacked sheets. In this state, the user removes the stagnant sheet. In this operation, even if the sheet mounting surface is inclined, these sheets are held by the alignment means, so that the alignment state is not disturbed, and the subsequent sheet conveyance operation and post-processing operation can be performed well. I can do it.

The following are examples of configurations for easily removing a stagnant sheet. That is, a stacking position for stacking a plurality of sheets is provided on the post-processing tray. Further, when performing the work of removing the sheet whose conveyance has been stagnated, the post-processing tray is rotated downward around the horizontal axis to open the conveyance path.

As described above, when the post-processing tray is rotated downward so that the sheet can be removed, the alignment state of the stacked sheets is easily disturbed because the post-processing tray is inclined. However, in the present invention, since the alignment means holds these sheets, the alignment state is not disturbed. Therefore, it is possible to both simplify the sheet removing operation and maintain the sheet alignment.

Other functions of the matching control means include the following. First, when a sheet is conveyed to a stacking position, an abnormality detecting means capable of detecting stacking abnormality of the sheet is provided. Then, the alignment control means receives the output of the abnormality detection means and forcibly moves the alignment means to the non-alignment posture when the stacking is abnormal. Also,
When the abnormality detecting means detects a stacking abnormality and the alignment means is in a non-aligned posture, the alignment control means prohibits the movement of the alignment means.

According to these specific items, when a sheet stacking error occurs at the stacking position, the aligning unit assumes a non-aligned posture, so that the sheet having the stacking error no longer is held by the aligning unit. For this reason, it is possible to easily perform the work of removing the sheet having the stacking abnormality.

An image forming apparatus provided with the above-described sheet post-processing machine has the following configuration. That is, it is assumed that the image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit and a post-processing unit that post-processes a plurality of sheets stacked at a predetermined stacking position by forming an image by the image forming unit. The image forming apparatus is provided with alignment means that can move between an alignment position in which the sheets stacked in the stacking position are brought into contact with each other to align each sheet and a non-alignment position in which the sheets are not contacted. Further, a stagnation detecting means capable of detecting that the conveyance of the sheet has stagnated before the sheet is conveyed to the stacking position, and receiving the output of the stagnation detecting means,
Alignment control means for forcibly bringing the alignment means into the alignment posture.

According to this specific matter, during the removal operation of the stagnant sheet, even if the sheet mounting surface is inclined, the subsequent sheet conveyance operation and post-processing are performed without disturbing the alignment of these sheets. It is possible to provide an image forming apparatus capable of performing an operation favorably.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present embodiment, a case will be described in which the present invention is applied to a facsimile multifunction copying machine having both a facsimile function and a copying function as an image forming apparatus.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the internal configuration of a multifunction copier 30 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the multifunction copier 30 includes:
The image forming apparatus includes a copying machine main body 30A and a sheet post-processing unit 30B attached to the paper discharge side of the copying machine main body 30A. The copying machine main body 30A includes a scanner unit 31, a laser recording unit 32 as an image forming unit for forming an image on a recording sheet P as a sheet according to the present invention, and a transport unit 33 for transporting the recording sheet P. . Hereinafter, each unit will be described.

<Description of Scanner Unit 31> Scanner Unit 31
Includes a document table 35 made of transparent glass or the like, and a double-sided automatic document feeder (RADF) 36 for feeding a document onto the document table 35.
5 is a part for reading the image of the original on 5 and creating image data.

The RADF 36 is provided with an automatic paper feed tray 36a for automatically feeding a plurality of set documents one by one onto the document table 35. Also, this RA
The DF 36 can read one side or both sides of a document by a scanner unit 40 described later according to a user's selection. More specifically, it has a transport path for transporting the document on the automatic paper feed tray 36a onto the document table 35, and a reversing path for reversing the document so that the scanner unit 40 reads both sides of the document. When only one side of the document is read, only the transport path is used. On the other hand, when both sides of the document are read, the document transported onto the document table 35 via the transport path is reversed in the reverse path. The document is conveyed onto the document table 35 again. Since the configuration of each path is well known in the related art, a detailed description is omitted.

The scanner unit 31 includes the scanner unit 40 for reading an image of a document conveyed on the document table 35. The scanner unit 40 includes a lamp reflector assembly 41, a plurality of reflection mirrors 42a, 42b, 42c, an optical lens body 43,
A photoelectric conversion element (CCD) 44 is provided.

The lamp reflector assembly 41 includes:
The light source irradiates the original placed on the original placing table 35 with light. Each reflection mirror 42a, 42b, 42c
As shown in FIG. 1, the reflected light from the original is reflected once to the left in the figure, then reflected downward, and then toward the optical lens body 43 as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. It reflects in the direction.

As a document image reading operation, when a document is placed on the document table 35, the first scanning unit 40a including the lamp reflector assembly 41 and the reflection mirror 42a is moved in the horizontal direction along the document table 35. To irradiate the entire original with light. At this time, the reflection mirror 4
The second scanning unit 40b composed of 2b and 42c
The scanning unit 40a moves in the same direction at a speed of a predetermined ratio with respect to the scanning unit 40a. Each of the reflection mirrors 42a, 42b,
The light reflected by 42c and passing through the optical lens body 43 is
The light is guided to the photoelectric conversion element 44, where the reflected light is converted into an electric signal (original image data).

<Description of Laser Recording Unit 32> The laser recording unit 32 includes a laser writing unit 46 and a photosensitive drum 48. When the composite copying machine 30 operates as a copying machine, the laser writing unit 46 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 with a laser beam based on the document image data converted by the photoelectric conversion element 44. When the multifunction copier 30 operates as a facsimile machine, the laser writing unit 46 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 with a laser beam based on facsimile reception data.

More specifically, the laser writing unit 46 includes a semiconductor laser for irradiating laser light corresponding to original image data or facsimile reception data stored in a memory (not shown), and a polygon mirror for deflecting the laser light at an equal angular velocity. Correction is performed so that the laser beam deflected at a constant angular velocity is deflected at a constant angular velocity on the photosensitive drum 48.
A −θ lens and the like.

The photosensitive drum 48 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1, and is irradiated with laser light from the laser writing unit 46 so that an electrostatic latent image is formed on its surface. I have.

An electrophotographic processing unit 47 is provided around the photosensitive drum 48. The electrophotographic process unit 47 includes a charging device 47a, a developing device 47b, a transfer device 47c, a peeling device, a cleaning device, a static eliminator 47d, and a fixing device 47e. The charger 47a charges the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 to a predetermined potential before an electrostatic latent image is formed. Developing unit 47b
Develops an electrostatic latent image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 into a visible image with toner. Transfer device 47c
Is for transferring the toner image formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 to the recording paper P. The fixing device 47e fixes the toner image transferred to the recording paper P on the recording paper P by heating. The peeler and the cleaner remove the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 after the toner transfer. Static eliminator 47
d removes residual charges on the surface of the photosensitive drum 48.

Thus, when an image is formed on the recording paper P, the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 is charged to a predetermined potential by the charger 47a, and the laser writing unit 46
Irradiates a laser beam based on document image data or facsimile reception data onto the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 to form an electrostatic latent image. Thereafter, the developing device 47 b develops a visible image with toner on the surface of the photosensitive drum 48, and transfers the recording paper P fed by the transport unit 33 to the transfer device 4.
The toner image is transferred by 7c. Thereafter, the recording paper P is heated by the fixing device 47e, and the toner image is fixed. On the other hand, the toner remaining on the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 is removed by a peeling device and a cleaning device, and the residual charge on the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 is removed by the charge removing device 4.
7d. This completes one cycle of the image forming operation (printing operation) on the recording paper P. By repeating this cycle, it is possible to continuously form an image on a plurality of recording sheets P, P,.

<Explanation of the Transport Unit 33> The transport unit 33 includes a paper cassette 51 and a multi-manual tray 54.
Are transported one by one to cause the laser recording unit 32 to form an image, and the recording paper P on which the image has been formed is passed through a sheet post-processing unit 30B. The first and second discharge trays 341,
The sheet is discharged to the paper discharge tray 342 or to a main body discharge tray 343 provided above the paper cassette 51.

A pickup roller 58 is provided at an upstream end of the conveyance path 56 for conveying the recording paper P (a part facing the discharge side of the paper cassette 51 and the manual tray 54). Immediately downstream of each pickup roller 58, a sheet separating section 59 for feeding the taken out recording sheet P to the transport path 56 is provided. The sheet separating section 59 is composed of a combination of a roller 59a and a friction sheet 59b. In addition, the sheet separating section 59
May be configured by a combination of a forward rotation roller and a reverse rotation roller. Immediately upstream of the transfer unit 47c, the recording paper P is aligned with the toner image on the photosensitive drum 48 (the leading edge of the toner image is aligned with the leading edge of the recording paper P). A registration roller 57 for feeding P to the electrophotographic processing unit 47 is provided.

The transport path 56 branches off downstream of the fixing device 47e. One first branch path 56 </ b> A extends to the main body discharge tray 343. The other second branch 56B
Extend to a paper discharge switching unit 60 disposed below the scanner unit 31. A first switching gate G1 for switching the transport path of the recording sheet P is provided at a branch portion between the first branch path 56A and the second branch path 56B. When the first switching gate G1 is switched to the state shown by the solid line in FIG.
The sheet is conveyed to the sheet discharge switching unit 60 via B.
On the other hand, when the first switching gate G1 is switched to the state of the imaginary line in FIG.
The paper is discharged to the main body discharge tray 343 through A. For example, a case where post-processing (stapling processing or the like) is performed on the recording paper P after image formation or an offset discharge of the recording paper P (a paper discharge state in which the discharge positions of the stacked recording papers P are shifted from each other) is considered. In the case of performing a large amount of paper discharge, the first switching gate G1 is switched to the state indicated by the solid line in FIG.
It is transported toward zero. In the discharge state other than the above, the first switching gate G1 is switched to the state of the imaginary line in the figure, and the recording paper P is discharged to the main body discharge tray 343.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a view showing a part of the sheet discharge switching unit 60 and the sheet post-processing unit 30B),
The paper discharge switching unit 60 includes a first transport path 61 and a second transport path 62 that branch up and down the second branch path 56B. A second switching gate G2 for switching the transport path of the recording sheet P is provided at a branch portion between the first transport path 61 and the second transport path 62. When the second switching gate G2 is switched to the state shown by the solid line in the figure, the recording paper P is transported to the second transport path 62. On the other hand, when the second switching gate G2 is switched to the state indicated by the imaginary line in the figure, the recording paper P is transported to the first transport path 61. For example, when a sheet that does not require stapling such as special paper or small-size sheet is conveyed, or when a large amount of sheets are discharged and stapling is not possible, the second switching gate G2 is used.
Is switched to the state of the imaginary line in FIG.
It is transported to the transport path 61. On the other hand, when performing the stapling process on the recording paper P, the second switching gate G2 is switched to the state shown by the solid line in the figure, and the recording paper P is transported to the second transport path 62.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the paper discharge switching unit 60 for forming the above-described transport paths 61 and 62 and details of the transport paths 61 and 62 will be described.

FIG. 3 is an external view of the paper discharge switching unit 60. The paper discharge switching unit 60 is positioned such that the near side in the figure is the operation side (the front side of the apparatus) of the multi-functional copying machine 30. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG. 3. As shown in these figures, the paper discharge switching unit 60 is
A first horizontal wall 60A forming the upper wall of the first transport path 61; a second horizontal wall 60B forming the lower wall of the first transport path 61 and the upper wall of the second transport path 62;
A third horizontal wall 60 </ b> C that forms a lower wall of the second transport path 62 is provided. A rear wall 60D extending vertically downward is integrally attached to a rear edge (left side edge in FIG. 4) of the first transport path 61, and the respective transport paths 61 and 62 are attached by the rear wall 60D.
Is closed at the back. The second horizontal wall 60B is rotatably connected to the inner wall 60D by a hinge member 60a. Similarly, the third horizontal wall 60C also
It is rotatably connected to the inner wall 60D by a hinge member 60b. That is, the second horizontal wall 60B and the third horizontal wall 60C are in the horizontal posture as shown in FIG. 4 to form the respective transport paths 61 and 62, and the hinge members 60a and 60b as shown in FIG. Is pivoted downward about the center of rotation to open each of the transport paths 61 and 62 to the front side (the right side in FIG. 5) of the multifunction copying machine 30.

The front side edge of the third horizontal wall 60C (the right side edge in FIG. 4) extends vertically upward.
0E is integrally attached, and the front side of each of the transport paths 61 and 62 is closed by the front wall 60E. At the upper end of the front wall 60E, a locking hook 60c is provided which is detachable from the front end of the first horizontal wall 60A. The locking hook 60c is hingedly connected to the front wall 60E. At the front end of the first horizontal wall 60A,
An opening 60d through which the locking hook 60c can be inserted and a locking portion 60e through which the locking hook 60c can be locked are formed. That is, when the third horizontal wall 60C is rotated upward from the state shown in FIG. 5, the locking hook 60c is locked by the locking portion 60e after passing through the opening 60d. By locking the locking hook 60c to the locking portion 60e in this manner, the second horizontal wall 60B and the third horizontal wall 60C are in a horizontal posture, and the locking of the locking hook 60c is released. As a result, the second horizontal wall 60B and the third
The horizontal wall 60C is rotatable downward. FIG. 5 shows a state in which both the second horizontal wall 60B and the third horizontal wall 60C are rotated downward, and shows a state in which the first transport path 61 is open to the front side of the multifunction copier 30. FIG. 6 shows the third horizontal wall 6.
0C is rotated downward, and the second transport path 6
2 shows a state in which it is open to the front side of the multifunction copier 30.

Hereinafter, the configuration inside each of the transport paths 61 and 62 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first transport path 61 is provided with a pair of transport rollers 63, 63,... At a predetermined interval in the transport direction. This transport roller pair 6
The recording paper P sent to the first conveyance path 61 by the rotation of the sheets 3, 63,.
It is supplied to.

The sheet post-processing unit 30B has a first
Discharge paths 71 and 72 connected to the transport path 61 and having a downstream side branched vertically are provided. The downstream end of the upper paper discharge path 71 faces the first paper discharge tray 341. That is,
The recording paper P conveyed through the upper paper discharge path 71 is discharged to a first paper discharge tray 341. The downstream end of the lower discharge path 72 faces the second discharge tray 342. That is, the recording paper P conveyed through the lower paper discharge path 72 is discharged to the second paper discharge tray 342. Note that a pair of paper discharge rollers 71a, 72a are provided at downstream ends of the paper discharge paths 71, 72.

A third switching gate G3 for switching the transport path of the recording sheet P is provided at a branch portion between the upper discharge path 71 and the lower discharge path 72. When the third switching gate G3 is switched to the state shown by the solid line in the figure, the recording paper P is discharged to the first discharge tray 341 via the upper discharge path 71. On the other hand, when the third switching gate G3 is switched to the state of the virtual line in the figure, the recording paper P is discharged to the second discharge tray 342 via the lower discharge path 72. ing. In addition, this second
The paper discharge tray 342 can move up and down between a position indicated by a solid line and a position indicated by a virtual line in FIG. As a result, a large amount of recording papers P, P,
Are discharged, the height position of the second paper discharge tray 342 is changed to lower the paper discharge path above the upper end of the recording paper P stacked on the second paper discharge tray 342. The discharge operation can be performed favorably by positioning the 72 discharge ports.

The second transport path 62 is provided with a staple tray 64 as a post-processing tray. When the recording paper P is to be stapled, the staple tray 64 stores the target recording paper P in a stacked state, and the staple tray 65 is provided as a post-processing means provided in the sheet post-processing unit 30B. It is for doing.

The staple tray 64 holds the recording paper P
The paper mounting surface 64a is inclined downward toward the upstream side in the transport direction.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a peripheral portion of the staple tray 64. As shown in this figure, a pair of left and right stoppers 66, 66 are provided at the downstream end of the staple tray 64 in the sheet transport direction. This stopper 6
6, 66 are staple trays 64 as shown in FIG.
The posture can be changed by an actuator 66a disposed below the. Specifically, a state in which the recording sheets P, P,... Project upward from the openings 64b, 64b formed in the staple tray 64 to regulate the positions of the recording sheets P, P,. P,
The posture can be changed between the state where the position regulation of P,... Is released.

Further, sheet pressing levers 67, 67,... Are provided on both sides of each of the stoppers 66, 66. The paper holding levers 67, 67,.
By pressing down on the upper surface of the recording paper P whose position is regulated by 66, the positional deviation is prevented.
The upper end of the paper pressing lever 67 is supported by a rotating shaft (not shown) extending in the horizontal direction. For this reason, the paper pressing lever 67 is rotated in accordance with the number of stacked recording papers P on the staple tray 64, so that the upper surface of the recording paper P can be constantly pressed down.
The paper pressing lever 67 is provided with a biasing force by a biasing means (such as a spring) (not shown) so as to press the upper surface of the recording paper P with a predetermined pressing force.

Along the side of the staple tray 64 (front side in FIG. 7), a fixed guide 68A for contacting the side edges of the recording sheets P, P,... To regulate the position of the recording sheets P, P,. Is provided. Further, a movable guide 68B in the width direction as alignment means is provided at a position facing the fixed guide 68A with the recording paper P interposed therebetween. The width-direction movable guide 68B can be moved forward and backward toward the recording sheet P by an actuator (not shown) (FIG. 8 is a plan view of a peripheral portion of the staple tray 64).
Arrow)). That is, when the width-direction movable guide 68B advances toward the recording paper P (in the alignment posture in the present invention) and comes into contact with the side edge of the recording paper P, P,. Are sandwiched between the fixed guide 68A and the fixed guide 68A, whereby the positions in the width direction of the recording sheets P, P,.

On the other hand, a longitudinally movable guide 68C as alignment means is provided at a position facing the stoppers 66 with the recording paper P interposed therebetween. The longitudinal movable guide 68C is also movable toward and away from the recording paper P by an actuator (not shown) (see the arrow in FIG. 8). In other words, when the longitudinal movable guide 68C advances toward the recording sheets P, P,... (Becomes the alignment posture in the present invention) and comes into contact with the edges of the recording sheets P, P,. Are sandwiched between the recording papers P, P,... Between the stoppers 66, 66, whereby the longitudinal positions of the recording papers P, P,. Note that these movable guides 68B, 68
The retracted position of C is the non-aligned posture referred to in the present invention.

The movable guides 68B and 68C are moved forward and backward each time the recording paper P is collected on the staple tray 64. That is, when the recording paper P is collected on the staple tray 64, the movable guides 68B, 68C
Is retracted, and after the recording paper P is collected, each movable guide 68B,
68C moves forward and the already collected recording papers P, P,...
Are arranged to be aligned (aligned). Further, the forward position and the backward position are variable according to the size of the recording paper P. As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, on the upstream side of the longitudinal movable guide 68C, the recording paper P conveyed toward the staple tray 64 is passed above the longitudinal movable guide 68C and the staple tray is moved. A guide roller pair 68 </ b> D for guiding on the guide 64 is provided.

The staple unit 65 is disposed on the side of the fixed guide 68A (downstream in the sheet transport direction). The stapling unit 65 includes a stapler 65a that can move in the vertical direction. When a predetermined number of recording sheets P, P,... Are collected on the staple tray 64, the stapler 65a descends, and P,
.. Are stapled.

A pair of feed rollers 69 are provided below the staple tray 64. The feed rollers 69 are used for recording sheets P, P,
Are discharged to the second discharge tray 342. When the recording papers P, P,.
66 is in a retracted state.

Above the staple tray 64, a feed unit 80A for feeding the recording paper P conveyed on the staple tray 64 to a position where it comes into contact with the stoppers 66, 66 is provided. As shown in FIG. 9, the feeding unit 80A includes a feeding roller 80A.
Are rotatably supported by the holding arm 81.
The holding arm 81 has a point O in FIG. 9 as a center of rotation, and an actuator 83 via an L-shaped lever 82.
It is connected to. Therefore, this actuator 83
9A, the feeding roller 80 is lowered on the staple tray 64 as shown in FIG. 9A, and the feeding roller 80 is positioned above the staple tray 64 as shown in FIG. It can be moved to and from the closed state. That is, the feed roller 80 is lowered onto the staple tray 64 in a state where the recording paper P is placed on the staple tray 64, and the feed roller 8
By rotating 0 in the clockwise direction in the figure, the recording paper P can be fed to a position where it contacts the stoppers 66, 66. FIG.
In the state shown in (a), the pressing arm 81 presses the recording sheet P, and even if the recording sheet P is curled, it can be sent to a position where it comes into contact with the stoppers 66 while eliminating the curl. it can. Normally, the holding arm 81 is in a state of being lowered onto the staple tray 64 as shown in FIG. 9A, and the actuator 83 is driven only when the recording paper P is conveyed to the staple tray 64. As shown in FIG. 9 (b), the posture of the staple tray 64 is turned upward.

A feeding unit 80B similar to that described above is also provided upstream of the staple tray 64 in the second transport path 62 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The feed unit 80B is for transporting the recording paper P sent from the second branch path 56B to the second transport path 62 downstream (toward the staple tray 64).

Sensors for detecting the passage or presence of the recording paper P are provided at a plurality of locations on each transport path. S1 to S8 in FIGS. 1 and 2 are passage detection sensors for detecting the passage of the recording paper P. S9 in FIGS. 1 and 2 corresponds to the recording paper P on the staple tray 64.
Is a paper sensor for detecting whether or not a sheet exists. S11 in FIG. 7 is a paper jam sensor for detecting a paper jam inside the staple tray 64.

<Description of Configuration of Control System> FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control system of the multifunction copier 30 provided in the copier main body 30A. As shown in this figure, the multifunction copier 30 controls the controller 91 for controlling the entire copier, the staple controller 92 for controlling execution and non-execution of stapling, and the laser recording unit 32 to perform an image forming operation. Image forming controller 93, scanner unit 31
An image reading controller 94 for reading an image of an original, a memory 95 for recording image data,
An operation panel transmission / reception unit 96 is provided for receiving an operation signal of an operation panel disposed on the upper surface of the multifunction copier 30 and displaying the operation panel.

The multifunction copier 30 also operates as a facsimile machine, so that the
A U (Network Control Unit) 97 and a modem 98 are provided. That is, when facsimile data is received from the calling side facsimile apparatus via the NCU 97 and the modem 98, the control unit 91 stores the facsimile reception data in the memory 95. When the facsimile reception is completed, the facsimile reception data stored in the memory 95 is transmitted to the laser writing unit 46, and the laser writing unit 46 irradiates the surface of the photosensitive drum 48 with a laser beam based on the facsimile reception data. As a result, an electrostatic latent image is formed.

As a feature of the present embodiment, the control unit 91 includes a stagnation detecting means 91A capable of detecting the occurrence of a paper jam in the transport paths 61 and 62, and detecting the occurrence of a paper jam in the staple tray 64. A possible abnormality detecting means 91B and a matching control means 91C for controlling the operations of the movable guides 68B and 68C are provided. Hereinafter, each means will be described.

The stagnation detecting means 91A receives signals from each of the passage detection sensors S1 to S6 and the paper sensor S9, and
When the switching gate G2 is in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 2, staples are made despite the fact that the recording paper P has been conveyed to the second conveyance path 62 (passage detection has been performed by the passage detection sensors S1 to S6). When a situation occurs in which the recording paper P is not collected in the tray 64, it is detected that a paper jam has occurred upstream of the staple tray 64. If the recording paper P is not collected on the staple tray 64 even after a predetermined time has elapsed after the image forming operation by the laser recording unit 32 is performed, the staple tray 64
May be determined that a paper jam has occurred on the upstream side. Further, as shown by a virtual line in FIG. 7, a paper jam sensor S10 is provided upstream of the staple tray 64, and the output of the paper jam sensor S10 indicates that a paper jam has occurred on the upstream side of the staple tray 64. You may make it detect.

Further, when the second switching gate G2 is in the state shown by the imaginary line in FIG. 2, the stagnation detecting means 91A detects the sheet P despite the recording paper P being conveyed to the first conveyance path 61. When the passage of the recording paper P is not detected by the passage detection sensors S7 and S8 in the post-processing unit 30B, the occurrence of a paper jam in the first transport path 61 is detected.

On the other hand, the abnormality detecting means 91B is provided with the paper jam sensor S11 disposed on the staple tray 64.
Is detected, the occurrence of a paper jam inside the staple tray 64 is detected.

When the stagnation detecting means 91A or the abnormality detecting means 91B detects a paper jam, the stagnation detecting means 91A and the abnormality detecting means 91B transmit the detection signal to the matching control means 91B and the operation panel transmitting / receiving section 96. . At this time, a signal from the operation panel transmitting / receiving unit 96 is displayed on an operation panel (not shown) of the multi-function copier 30.
It is displayed that a paper jam has occurred. The display state includes a case where a paper jam occurs on the upstream side of the staple tray 64 and a case where a paper jam occurs inside the staple tray 64 based on the type of signal from the stagnation detecting unit 91A or the abnormality detecting unit 91B. The display contents are different between the case where the paper jam has occurred and the case where the paper jam has occurred in the first conveyance path 61. In other words, the user can easily recognize where the paper jam has occurred.

The matching control means 91C includes the stagnation detecting means 91
A and the output from the abnormality detecting means 91B can be received. Then, when an output is received from the stagnation detecting means 91A due to a paper jam occurring on the upstream side of the staple tray 64, the movable guides 68B and 68C are forcibly moved forward. That is, by driving an actuator (not shown) for moving the movable guides 68B, 68C, the movable guides 68B, 68C are brought into contact with the recording sheets P, P,..., And the recording sheets P, P,. I have.

On the other hand, when the alignment control means 91C receives an output from the abnormality detecting means 91B due to the occurrence of a paper jam in the staple tray 64, it forces the movable guides 68B and 68C to move. It is designed to move backward. That is, an actuator (not shown) for moving the movable guides 68B, 68C is driven to release the state in which the movable guides 68B, 68C hold the recording sheets P, P,. The matching control unit 91C receives the output from the abnormality detecting unit 91B,
When the movable guides 68B and 68C are already at the retracted position, the movement of the movable guides 68B and 68C is prohibited.

With such a configuration, the sheet post-processing unit 30B, the stagnation detecting means 91A, the abnormality detecting means 9
1B and the alignment control means 91C constitute a sheet post-processing machine according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the stagnation detecting unit 91A, the abnormality detecting unit 91B, and the matching control unit 91
Although C is provided in the copying machine main body 30A, these units may be provided in the sheet post-processing unit 30B.

Description of Operation When Paper Jam Occurs Next, in the multifunction copier 30 configured as described above,
An operation when a paper jam occurs and an operation for clearing the paper jam will be described.

When a paper jam occurs on the upstream side of the staple tray 64 and when a paper jam occurs in the first transport path 61, the stagnation detecting means 91A detects the occurrence of the paper jam and sends a detection signal to the matching control means. Send to 91C. On the other hand, when a paper jam occurs inside the staple tray 64, the abnormality detecting unit 91B detects the occurrence, and
The detection signal is transmitted to the matching control unit 91B. Hereinafter, the operation when each paper jam occurs will be described individually.

<Case where a Paper Jam Occurs on the Upstream Side of the Staple Tray 64> First, an operation when a paper jam occurs on the upstream side of the staple tray 64 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 11A, the recording paper P conveyed along the second conveyance path 62, nipped by the guide roller pair 68D, and conveyed toward the staple tray 64 as shown in FIG. 11B. , Staple tray 6
When a paper jam has occurred on the upstream side of the movable guide 6, as shown in FIG.
8B and 68C are forcibly moved forward (FIG. 11 (c)).
Arrow)). That is, the movable guides 68B, 68C are brought into contact with the recording sheets P, P,.
... is held.

In this state, the user releases the paper discharge switching unit 60 and performs the work of removing the recording paper P caught. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the locking of the locking hook 60c is manually released, and only the third horizontal wall 60C is rotated downward, so that the second transport path 62 is moved to the front side of the multifunction copier 30. Let open. Thereby, the recording paper P can be easily removed. At this time, the third horizontal wall 60C of the sheet discharge switching unit 60, that is, the member forming the staple tray 64 is in the inclined posture. However, as described above, since the movable guides 68B, 68C are forcibly moved forward to hold the recording sheets P, P,..., The alignment state of the recording sheets P, P,. Is maintained. That is, the recording paper P, P,.

Thereafter, the third horizontal wall 60C is rotated upward to lock the locking hook 60c with the locking portion 60e, and the paper jam clearing operation is completed.

<When a Paper Jam Occurs Inside the Staple Tray 64> Next, an operation when a paper jam occurs inside the staple tray 64 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 12A, the recording paper P is conveyed through the second conveyance path 62, nipped by the guide roller pair 68D, and conveyed toward the staple tray 64.
When the recording paper P is placed on the staple tray 64 without causing a paper jam, as shown in FIG. 12B, the movable guides 68B, 68C face the recording papers P, P,. , And align the recording papers P, P,. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 12C, when a paper jam occurs inside the staple tray 64, the alignment control unit 91C controls the movable guides 68B and 68.
C is forcibly moved backward (see the arrow in FIG. 12C). That is, the movable guides 68B, 68C are retracted from the recording sheets P, P,..., And the holding state of the recording sheets P, P,.

In this state, the user releases the paper discharge switching unit 60 and performs the work of removing the recording paper P caught. That is, similarly to the above case, the locking hook 60c
Is manually released, and only the third horizontal wall 60C is pivoted downward to open the second transport path 62 to the front side of the multifunction copier 30. At this time, since the recording paper P causing the paper jam is not held by the movable guides 68B and 68C, the recording paper P can be easily removed.

Thereafter, the third horizontal wall 60C is rotated upward, the locking hook 60c is locked to the locking portion 60e, and the paper jam clearing operation is completed.

<When a paper jam occurs in the first transport path 61> When a paper jam occurs in the first transport path 61, the recording paper P is being transported in the second transport path 62. Absent. That is, the recording paper P is not conveyed to the staple tray 64. Therefore, the movable guides 68B and 68C do not move forward and backward as described above. Then, the user checks the display on the operation panel and recognizes that a paper jam has occurred in the first transport path 61.

At this time, the user operates the paper discharge switching unit 60
Is released to remove the caught recording paper P. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the locking of the locking hook 60c is manually released, the second horizontal wall 60B and the third horizontal wall 60C are rotated downward, and the first transport path 61 is moved to the multifunction copier. 30 to the front side. Thereby, the recording paper P can be easily removed.

-Effects of Embodiment- As described above, in this embodiment, the staple tray 6
When a paper jam occurs on the upstream side of No. 4, each movable guide 68B, 68C is forcibly moved forward to hold the recording paper P, P,. For this reason, the staple tray 6 at the time of removing the stuck recording paper P is removed.
4 can be satisfactorily maintained in alignment with the recording papers P, P,.
.. Can be prevented. As a result, the conveyance operation and the stapling operation of the recording paper P after the paper jam clearing operation can be favorably performed.

When a paper jam occurs inside the staple tray 64, the movable guides 68B, 68B
C is forcibly moved backward to release the holding state of the recording sheets P, P,. For this reason, it is possible to easily take out the recording paper P that has caused the paper jam,
The paper jam clearing operation can be simplified.

-Modification- Next, a description will be given of a modification of the means for detecting a paper jam in the transport paths 61 and 62. FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the paper discharge switching unit 60 of this embodiment has the paper jam detection unit 100 mounted on the second horizontal wall 60B. The paper jam detection unit 100 includes a light emitting unit 10
1 (for example, composed of a light emitting diode) and a light receiving unit 102 (for example, composed of a photodiode). When the recording paper P passes, the light emitting unit 101 irradiates the light to the light receiving unit 102. First and second two arms 103 for blocking the optical path of
104 is provided. These arms 103 and 104 are rotatably supported on the same rotation axis.

The first arm 103 is for detecting passage of the recording paper P in the first transport path 61. That is, the first arm 103 is located at the base end side of the rotation fulcrum (FIG. 13) so that the tip end thereof always faces the first transport path 61.
The center of gravity is located on the lower right side in FIG. Further, as shown in FIG. 15, the first arm 103
When the recording paper P passes through 1, the recording paper P rotates in the counterclockwise direction in accordance with the contact of the recording paper P (see the arrow A in FIG. 15B), and the optical path is interrupted. I have.

On the other hand, the second arm 104 is
2 is for detecting the passage of the recording paper P at 2.
That is, the center of gravity of the second arm 104 is located on the distal end side (lower left side in FIG. 13) of the rotation fulcrum so that the distal end thereof always faces the second transport path 62 and substantially contacts the third horizontal wall 60C. Is located. The second arm 10
4, as shown in FIG. 16, when the recording paper P passes through the second conveyance path 62, the recording paper P rotates clockwise in FIG. 16 in accordance with the contact of the recording paper P (arrow in FIG. 16B). B), the optical path is blocked.

Regardless of which transport path 61 or 62 transports the recording paper P, if the optical path is interrupted for a predetermined time, it is recognized that a paper jam has occurred. ing. That is, when the second switching gate G2 is in the state shown by the solid line in FIG. 2 and the light path is interrupted for a predetermined time, it is recognized that a paper jam has occurred in the second transport path 62. You. On the other hand, when the second switching gate G2 is in the state shown by the phantom line in FIG. 2 and the light path is interrupted for a predetermined time, it is recognized that a paper jam has occurred in the first transport path 61. Will be done.

-Other Embodiments- In the above embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to a facsimile multifunction copying machine having both a facsimile function and a copying function has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and can also be applied to a facsimile dedicated machine, a copy dedicated machine, and the like.

In the above-described embodiment, the sheet post-processing unit 30B is described as an example that performs stapling processing. However, the present invention is not limited to this. You may.

Further, as a method of aligning the recording sheets P, P,... Stacked on the staple tray 64, the recording sheets P, P,.
The case where two movable guides 68B and 68C which move forward and backward in the direction of extension of the paper surface of P,.
The present invention is not limited to this, and may be provided with one or three or more movable guides. Further, the recording paper P,
The present invention is also applicable to a case where the recording papers P, P,.

[0084]

As described above, according to the present invention, when a sheet is stagnated and conveyed, the sheet being aligned is held by the aligning means, and the stagnated sheet can be removed in a state where the sheet is prevented from scattering. Like that. That is, when the stagnation of the sheet is detected before the sheet is conveyed to the stacking position, the alignment unit is forcibly set to the alignment posture, and the sheet is held by the alignment unit. Therefore, the stagnant sheet can be removed without disturbing the alignment of the sheets, and the subsequent sheet transport operation and post-processing operation can be performed satisfactorily.

In particular, when the post-processing tray is rotated downward so that the sheet can be removed, the alignment of the stacked sheets tends to be disordered because the post-processing tray is inclined. However, in the present invention, since the alignment means holds these sheets, the alignment state is not disturbed. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both the simplification of the sheet removing operation and the maintenance of the sheet alignment state.

In the state where the sheet is conveyed to the stacking position, when the aligning means is forcibly moved to the non-alignment posture when the stacking abnormality of the sheet is detected, the stacking abnormality occurs. Sheet is no longer held by the alignment means. Therefore, it is possible to easily perform the work of removing the sheet in which the stacking abnormality has occurred, and it is possible to improve the workability of the sheet removal work.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a multifunction copier according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a part of a sheet discharge switching unit and a sheet post-processing unit.

FIG. 3 is an external view of a discharge switching unit.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IV-IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4, showing an open state of a first conveyance path.

FIG. 6 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 4, showing an open state of a second conveyance path.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a peripheral portion of a staple tray.

FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a peripheral portion of a staple tray.

FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the feeding unit.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the multifunction copier.

FIG. 11 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8 for explaining an operation when a paper jam occurs on the upstream side of the staple tray;

FIG. 12 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8 for explaining an operation when a paper jam occurs inside the staple tray;

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a paper jam detection unit according to a modification.

FIG. 14 is a diagram in which a part of the paper jam detection unit is broken.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a recording sheet passes through a first conveyance path in a modified example.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an operation when a recording sheet passes through a second conveyance path in a modified example.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an arrangement state of a post-processing mechanism in a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 30 multifunctional copying machine (image forming apparatus) 32 laser recording unit (image forming means) 61 first transport path 62 second transport path 64 staple tray (post-processing tray) 65 staple unit (post-processing means) 68B width-direction movable guide ( Alignment means) 68C Longitudinal movable guide (alignment means) 91A Stagnation detection means 91B Abnormality detection means 91C Alignment control means P Recording paper (sheet)

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Yasumasa Morimoto 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Inside (72) Inventor Susumu Hashimoto 22-22 Nagaikecho, Abeno-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka Sharp In-house F-term (reference) 3F048 AA02 AA04 AB01 BA22 BA23 BB03 BB07 DA07 DB01 DC12 EB04 3F054 AA01 AC02 BA04 BB07 BE02 BE04 BG02 BG04 BH02 BH13 BH15 BJ11 CA07 CA08 CA32 CA37 DA01 3F108 GA02 GA03 HA01 HA02 HA39

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A sheet post-processing machine having a post-processing means for post-processing a plurality of sheets stacked at a predetermined stacking position after image formation is performed, the sheet post-processing device comprising: The alignment means is capable of moving between an alignment position for aligning each sheet and a non-alignment position not in contact with the sheet, while the conveyance of the sheet is stagnant before the sheet is conveyed to the stacking position. A sheet post-processing machine comprising: a stagnation detecting unit capable of detecting the stagnation; and an alignment control unit that receives an output of the stagnation detecting unit and forcibly sets the alignment unit to an alignment posture when the stagnation occurs. 2. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a stacking position for stacking a plurality of sheets is provided on a post-processing tray, and the post-processing tray is configured to hold a sheet whose conveyance has been stagnated. A sheet post-processing machine characterized in that, when performing a removing operation, the conveying path is opened by rotating downward around a horizontal axis. 3. The sheet post-processing machine according to claim 1, further comprising an abnormality detection unit capable of detecting a stacking abnormality of the sheet while the sheet is conveyed to the stacking position, wherein the alignment control unit includes A sheet post-processing device configured to receive an output of an abnormality detection unit and to forcibly move an alignment unit to a non-alignment posture when stacking is abnormal. 4. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the alignment control means inhibits movement of the alignment means when the alignment means is in a non-aligned posture when the abnormality detection means detects a stacking abnormality. A sheet post-processing machine characterized in that the sheet post-processing machine is configured to perform the following. 5. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit; and a post-processing unit configured to post-process a plurality of sheets stacked at a predetermined stacking position on which an image is formed by the image forming unit. An alignment unit is provided which can move between an alignment position in which the sheets stacked in the stacking position are brought into contact with each other to align each sheet and a non-alignment position in which the sheets are not contacted, while the sheet is conveyed to the stacking position. A stagnation detecting means capable of detecting that the conveyance of the sheet has stagnated before, and an alignment control means for receiving the output of the stagnation detecting means and forcibly setting the aligning means to the alignment posture when the stagnation occurs. An image forming apparatus comprising: