JP2002060113A - Stacking device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a stacking device capable of stably stacking a sheaf of sheet material while improving the stackability of the sheaf of sheet material, and to provide an image forming device. SOLUTION: This stacking device is provided with a stacking tray 215 for stacking booklets formed of at least one or more sheets, and a weight member 219 brought into pressure contact with the booklets on the stacking tray 215 to hold the booklets on the stacking tray 215. It is preferable that a pressure contact point between the weight member 219 and the booklets is positioned near a rotating fulcrum.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stacking apparatus for a sheet bundle composed of at least one sheet material and an image forming apparatus having such a stacking apparatus. A stacking device for a booklet that has been subjected to bookbinding processing by a sheet post-processing device having a simple bookbinding function of performing a middle binding process on a sheet material bundle or a sheet material that has been subjected to post-processing, and performing a folding process. Related to an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method of stacking a booklet which is a kind of sheet material bundle created in a sheet post-processing apparatus and has a simple bookbinding function of this kind, a discharged booklet is used.
There is a method of dropping onto a loading section and performing loading while sequentially stacking.

[0003] Further, as a method of stacking booklets subjected to bookbinding processing, such as a large bookbinding apparatus, a method of discharging booklets on a conveyor belt, sequentially feeding the booklets, and stacking them in a horizontal direction is known. I have.

[0004]

However, in the method in which the booklet is simply dropped onto the basket provided below the discharge port, the booklet is opened by the impact of the drop, and the subsequent booklet is inserted into the open booklet or when the booklet is dropped. In many cases, it is not easy to manage the loading state, and the order of post-processing cannot be known.

In a loading method using a transport belt extending in a substantially horizontal direction, such as a large bookbinding apparatus, a large installation floor area is required, and the transport belt and its driving mechanism are expensive. It is not suitable for a small bookbinding device that requires low cost.

[0006] Under such circumstances, there is a demand for a booklet stacking mechanism that is inexpensive and takes up little space and is suitable for a small bookbinding apparatus.

[0007] In particular, regardless of the increase in booklet loading capacity,
An inexpensive technology that enables stable booklet transport to the loading means has been awaited.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art. It is an object of the present invention to improve the stackability of a sheet bundle and stably stack the sheet bundle. It is an object of the present invention to provide a loading device and an image forming apparatus that can perform the above.

[0009]

In order to achieve the above object, a stacking apparatus according to the present invention comprises a stacking tray for stacking a sheet bundle composed of at least one or more discharged sheet materials; A rotatably supported weight member that presses against the sheet material bundle on the stacking tray and holds the sheet material on the stacking tray.

[0010] Further, the stacking tray is inclined downward toward the downstream of the sheet bundle in the discharging direction.

Further, the loading tray is tilted downward by rotating about the pivot point.

The pressure contact point between the weight member and the sheet material bundle is near the pivot point.

[0013] Further, the rotation fulcrum is arranged below a pressure contact between the weight member and the sheet bundle.

In addition, a rotatably supported sub-tray for stacking the sheet bundle is provided upstream of the stacking tray in the sheet bundle discharging direction.

The sub-tray is locked to the loading tray from above.

A sub-tray rotatably supported by a rotation fulcrum concentric with the rotation fulcrum of the stacking tray for stacking the sheet material bundle is provided upstream of the stacking tray in the sheet material discharging direction. Prepare.

A binding unit for binding the sheet bundle; a transport unit for transporting the sheet bundle bound by the binding unit; a loading tray for loading the sheet bundle transported by the transport unit; A sheet bundle held between the stacking tray and the holding means,
The next sheet bundle is conveyed so as to enter between the holding means.

Further, the conveying means conveys a sheet bundle held between the stacking tray and the holding means, and a next sheet bundle in a direction of entering between the holding means and the holding means.

The conveying means has a pair of rollers, and a common tangent at a nip of the pair of rollers intersects a surface of a sheet bundle held between the stacking tray and the holding means. It is characterized by.

Further, the conveying means conveys the sheet bundle with the end on the bound side first.

Further, the image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes an image forming means for forming an image on the sheet material discharged to the stacking device.

That is, according to the present invention, for example, the sheet material bundle discharged from the sheet post-processing device for post-processing the received sheet material is stacked, and the downstream side in the transport direction of the sheet material bundle is inclined downward. A loading tray is provided.

Further, a weight member having one end rotatably supported and the other end extended toward the tray surface is provided above the loading tray.

The weight member is in contact with or close to the upper surface of the loading tray.

Further, the weight member may be urged against the loading tray by its own weight or an elastic member.

The stacking tray is configured such that the downstream end can be rotated downward about a rotation fulcrum provided below and near the contact point or the proximity point with the weight member.

Further, a sub-tray, which is a member different from the stacking tray, is provided upstream of the stacking tray and substantially below the discharge port.

The sub-tray has one end rotatably supported,
It is urged downward by its own weight or an elastic member.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the weight member is provided above the loading tray, and is in pressure contact with or close to the upper surface of the loading tray so as to be rotatable around a predetermined pivot point.

Thus, the opening of the preceding booklet is prevented,
Extrusion is performed by the subsequent booklet squeezing between the weight members.

Further, since the upper surface of the preceding paper is pressed by the weight member, the preceding paper does not fall downstream due to the inclination of the tray unless the subsequent booklet pushes out.

The stacking tray has a pivot point on the upstream side in the sheet discharging direction, and can be rotated downward with the contact point as an initial position.

Thus, the upper surface of the stacked booklets is kept at a fixed position, and the stack is stacked while forming a new stacked layer above the layer of the first stacked booklet, so that the length of the tray in the transport direction is increased. Without doing so, more booklets can be loaded.

Further, according to the present invention, since the rotation fulcrum of the loading tray is provided in the vicinity of the point where the weight member and the upper surface of the tray are pressed or approached, the loading amount of the booklet increases, and the inclination of the loading tray becomes large. Even so, the relationship between the outlet and the pressure contact point hardly changes.

Further, since the sub-tray which is a member separate from the loading tray is provided upstream of the rotation fulcrum of the loading tray, even if the inclination of the loading tray becomes large, the upstream side which greatly affects the loading performance is provided. The position of the discharge port, the weight member, and the press-contact point of the paper tray does not change, and the upstream side of the stacking tray rises, and the stacking area below the sheet discharge port is not narrowed. Becomes possible.

[0036]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions of the components described in this embodiment,
The materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention only to them unless otherwise specified.

In the following drawings, the same members as those described in the above-mentioned drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals.

(First Embodiment of Loading Device) A first embodiment of a loading device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a loading device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an overall schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus to which the first embodiment is applied, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the stacking device shown in FIG.

In FIG. 1, A is an image forming apparatus main body as an image forming means as a component of the present invention, B is a sheet post-processing apparatus, and C is a rack for storing sheets P as sheet materials.

The paper P stored in the rack C is supplied to the image forming apparatus main body A by the pickup roller 120 and the transport rollers 121 and 122.

Further, from the paper cassette 13, paper P selectively separated and fed one by one from the pickup roller 94 and the transport rollers 95 and 96 is supplied.

The supplied paper P is transferred to a pair of registration rollers 9.
9, the image forming process cartridge 101 including the photosensitive drum 103, the charging device 104, the developing device 105, and the cleaning blade 106 at a predetermined timing.
And the transfer roller 108 into the image forming section.

The sheet P conveyed to the image forming section is discharged from the sheet outlet 111 after a desired image is formed and the image is fixed on the sheet P by the fixing device 109.

The discharged paper P is discharged in the reversing device D as it is or after being reversed.

The reversing device D transports the sheet P to the reversing conveyance path 11.
5 and a reversing conveyance path 115 for reversing and discharging the sheet P.

The sheet post-processing device B is installed so that the sheet P can be carried in from the image forming apparatus main body A via the reversing device D or without the reversing device D. Accordingly, the connection state between the image forming apparatus A and the sheet post-processing apparatus B is constantly monitored.

Image forming apparatus main body A and sheet post-processing apparatus B
When is not connected, it is displayed on the display unit of the image forming apparatus main body A and information is sent to the connected computer.

The sheet P discharged from the image forming apparatus main body A (reversing device D) is fed to the sheet guide
01, the sheet is sent to the entrance roller 202 of the sheet post-processing apparatus B.

The sheet P is sent to a discharge roller 203 further downstream by an inlet roller 202, and is discharged to an intermediate stacking section 204 by the discharge roller 203.

The sheet P discharged to the intermediate stacking unit 204 is
The pull-in paddle 205 pulls in the right direction in the drawing.

Reference numeral 206 denotes a shutter.
The paper transport direction is aligned.

The jogger means 207 is movable in both directions in the width direction of the paper P in the paper width direction (front to back in the drawing), and aligns the paper bundle in the paper width direction.

The sheet bundle is conveyed by a bundle conveying roller 208 which can be pressed and separated. When the alignment of the sheet bundle is completed in the intermediate stacking unit 204, the shutter 206 rotates clockwise and retracts to the position indicated by the dotted line in the drawing.

At the same time, the bundle discharge roller 208 presses the bundle of papers and conveys the bundle of papers downstream. Then, when the intermediate point of the sheet bundle is conveyed to the binding position of the stapler unit 209 as the binding means, the bundle conveyance stops.

Next, the stapler unit 209 performs intermediate stitching of the sheet bundle. After the end of the intermediate batch, the sheet bundle is sent further downstream by the second bundle conveying roller 210, and stops at the position where the middle of the sheet bundle has been sent to the pushing plate 211.

Next, the pushing plate 211 moves the sheet bundle by the arrow 212.
Stick out in the direction. As a result, the sheet bundle is sandwiched by the pair of folding rollers 213 while being folded at the center in the transport direction.

As the folding roller pair 213 rotates,
The sheet bundle (hereinafter referred to as a booklet) folded in half is discharged downstream by a conveying means or a booklet discharge roller pair 214 as a roller pair, and is stacked on a stacking tray 215.

(Description of Loading Tray) Next, the loading tray 215 shown in FIG. 1 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 2, the discharge nip direction of the booklet discharge roller pair 214 is lower on the downstream side than the horizontal direction.

The loading tray 215 also has its downstream side lowered downward in the horizontal direction. A weight member 219 as a holding means is rotatably engaged with a fulcrum 220 as a rotation fulcrum which is a component of the present invention.

The weight member 219 is in contact with the loading tray 215 at the contact point 221 by its own weight. In addition, it may be urged downward by an elastic member or the like.

The booklet Q discharged from the pair of booklet discharge rollers 214 passes between the weight member 219 and the stacking tray 215 and is pushed out to the downstream of the stacking tray 215 as shown in the discharge nip direction. .

Reference numeral 222 denotes a rotation fulcrum of the stacking tray 215, which is provided upstream of the stacking tray 215 in the transport direction.

The loading tray 215 is rotatably engaged with the rotation fulcrum 222. 223 is a stopper.

The stopper 223 includes a round hole 225 that engages with a fulcrum 224 provided on the stacking tray 215 and a long hole 228 that slidably engages with a fulcrum 227 provided on the base frame 226. The rotation range is regulated.

Reference numeral 229 denotes an elastic member. Loading tray 21
5, the stacking tray 215 is held by the elastic member 229 in an initial state, that is, at the position shown in FIG.

When the discharged booklets are released from the conveying force from the booklet discharging roller pair 214, the stacking trays 215 and the stacking trays 215 are separated by the conveying resistance generated between the stacking trays 215 and the booklets due to the pressure contact force from the weight members 219. It stops between the weight members 219.

Next, the subsequent booklet Q2 is the booklet discharge roller pair 2
14, the preceding booklet Q and weight member 2
Enter between 19. The discharge rollers are arranged such that the common tangent of the nip of the booklet discharge roller pair 214 intersects the surface of the preceding booklet from above.

The preceding booklet Q is pushed downstream on the stacking tray by the following booklet Q2. At this time, since the preceding booklet Q1 is placed on the stacking tray having a smaller coefficient of friction than that of the booklets, the preceding booklet Q1 is pushed out by the pushing force received by the surface frictional force of the following booklet Q2 entering while being pressed by the weight member 219. It is done.

As described above, the stacking is repeatedly performed while the subsequent booklet pushes out the preceding booklet.

Further, as the stacking amount of the booklet increases, the load of the stacking booklet becomes out of balance with the urging force of the elastic member 229, the inclination increases further downward, and the stacking tray 215 reaches a position where it is balanced again. Descends.

However, the rotation fulcrum 22 of the loading tray 215
2 is provided in the vicinity of the pressure contact point with the weight member 219, so that the relationship between the discharge port and the pressure contact point hardly changes even when the amount of booklets increases and the inclination of the loading tray 215 increases. .

The relationship between the discharge port and the press-contact point is almost the same even when comparing the case where the amount of the booklet is small and the inclination of the stacking tray 215 is small, and the case where the inclination of the stacking tray 215 is increased due to an increase in the amount of booklet. It does not change.

That is, the subsequent booklet Q2 is
Since the important operation of pushing in the preceding booklet Q while entering between the booklet 9 and the preceding booklet Q and overlapping them can be made substantially uniform, it is possible to stably increase the stacking amount of the booklet.

Further, a sub-tray 230 which is a member separate from the loading tray and which is rotatable about a rotation fulcrum 231 is provided upstream from the vicinity of the weight pressure contact point of the loading tray 215. Does not narrow the stacking area below the discharge port.

Since the sub-tray 230 is hardly affected by the lowering operation of the stacking tray, the path from the booklet discharge roller pair 214 to the weight member 219 and the preceding booklet Q is hardly changed. Can be done.

Further, the sub-tray 230 is moved to the loading tray 2
Since the upper surface 15 is urged by its own weight, it follows small movements of the stacking tray 215, so that stability and reliability can be improved.

(Second Embodiment of Loading Device) Next, a second embodiment of the loading device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a partial configuration diagram of a loading device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

In this embodiment, the sub-tray 240 is a fulcrum 241 concentric with the rotation fulcrum 222 of the loading tray 215.
Is attached to the stacking tray 215 so as to be rotatable around the center.

The other end of the sub-tray 240 is urged by its own weight toward the abutting portion 226a provided on the base frame.

Further, the weight member 219 is in contact with the sub-tray 240. The booklet Q is discharged by the booklet discharge roller pair 214, and enters the pressure contact point between the weight member 219 and the sub-tray 240.

The amount of booklets to be loaded increases, and the loading tray 215
The sub-tray 240 and the weight member 219 do not displace even if the rotation angle of the
There is no effect on the part related to the entry of the booklet.

The rotation fulcrum 24 of the sub-tray 240
1 and the rotation fulcrum 222 of the loading tray 215 are concentric, so that even if the displacement of the loading tray 215 is large, the positional relationship between the loading surfaces is constant.
Delivery of the booklet from 0 to the stacking tray 215 is always performed in the same relationship. In other words, stable loading becomes possible irrespective of the loading amount.

(Embodiment of Image Forming Apparatus) Next, an embodiment of an image forming apparatus according to the present invention will be described. An embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is an embodiment including the first embodiment or the second embodiment of the loading device according to the present invention.

That is, the image reading device is provided with image forming means for reading an image of a document by an image reading device and forming an image on a sheet material based on the read image information, and a bundle of sheet materials on which an image is formed (for example, a booklet). Is an image forming apparatus that discharges the paper to the loading device shown as the first embodiment or the second embodiment.

Further, as an apparatus to which the embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention is applied, a printer, a facsimile, a copying machine and the like can be mentioned.

As the image forming unit, an electrophotographic image forming unit, an ink jet type image forming unit, a bubble jet (registered trademark) type image forming unit, and the like can be applied. Instead, other appropriate image forming means can be applied.

Therefore, in the embodiment of the image forming apparatus according to the present invention, the same effects as those of the above-described loading apparatus according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention can be obtained.

[0089]

As described above, according to the present invention, the stacking tray and the rotatable weight member prevent the preceding booklet from being opened, and the subsequent booklet can reliably enter the preceding booklet. .

Further, by sneaking between the weight member and the preceding booklet, the subsequent booklets are stacked while pushing the preceding booklet downstream so that the booklets overlap.

Further, since the upper surface of the preceding paper is pressed by the weight member, the preceding paper does not fall downstream due to the inclination of the stacking tray.

Further, since the rotation fulcrum of the stacking tray is near the pressure contact point between the weight member and the upper surface of the tray, even if the stacking amount of the booklet is increased and the inclination of the stacking tray is increased, the discharge port and the pressure contact point are not changed. The relationship with has hardly changed.

[0093] For this reason, from the case where the stacking amount of the booklet is small to the case where the stacking amount is increased, the pushing operation while overlapping can be made substantially uniform, so that the stacking amount of the booklet can be stably increased. Becomes

Also, since a rotatable sub-tray is provided at the upstream end of the stacking tray, the weight, the preceding booklet,
In addition, since the approach route to the loading means is hardly changed, it can be further stabilized.

If the sub-tray is urged toward the upper surface of the stacking tray, the sub-tray can follow a minute movement of the stacking tray.
Stability and reliability can be improved.

Further, if the pivot of the sub-tray is made to be concentric with the pivot of the stacking tray and is pressed against the weight member, the positional relationship related to the transfer to the stack tray and the discharge port The positional relationship with the weight member can always be kept constant, and the loading can be further stabilized.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall schematic diagram of an image forming apparatus to which a first embodiment of a loading device according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the loading device shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partial configuration diagram of a loading device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 13 Paper Cassette 94 Pickup Roller 95, 96 Transport Roller 99 Registration Roller Pair 101 Image Forming Process Cartridge 103 Photosensitive Drum 104 Charging Device 105 Developing Device 106 Cleaning Blade 108 Transfer Roller 109 Fixing Device 111 Paper Outlet 113 Inverted Flapper 115 Inverted Transport Path 120 Pickup rollers 121, 122 Transport rollers 201 Entrance guide 202 Entrance rollers 203 Discharge rollers 204 Intermediate stacking section 205 Retraction paddle 206 Shutter 207 Jogger means 208 Bundle transport rollers 209 Stapler unit 210 Second bundle transport roller 211 Thrust plate 213 Folding roller pair 214 Booklet discharge roller pair 215 Stacking tray 219 Weight member 220 Support point 221 Contact point 222 Rotation support point 223 Stopper 2 24 fulcrum 225 round hole 226 base frame 226a abutting portion 227 fulcrum 228 long hole 229 elastic member 230 subtray 231 rotation fulcrum 240 subtray 241 rotation fulcrum A image forming apparatus main body B sheet post-processing apparatus C rack D reversing apparatus P paper Q Booklet Q2 Booklet

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Junichi Sekiyama 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo F-term in Canon Inc. (reference) 3F054 AA01 AA05 AC01 BA03 BA04 BB24 BD02 BD04 BF03 BF07 BF08 BG02 BG04 BH02 BH14 DA01 3F108 GA01 GB01 GB03 HA02 HA32

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A stacking tray for stacking a sheet bundle formed of at least one or more discharged sheet materials, and pressing the sheet bundle on the stacking tray to place the sheet material on the stacking tray. And a weight member rotatably supported to be held by the loading device. 2. The stacking device according to claim 1, wherein the stacking tray is inclined downward toward a downstream side in a discharging direction of the sheet material bundle. 3. The loading device according to claim 2, wherein the loading tray is tilted downward by rotating about a rotation fulcrum. 4. The loading device according to claim 3, wherein a pressure contact between the weight member and the sheet material bundle is near the rotation fulcrum. 5. The loading device according to claim 3, wherein the pivot point is disposed below a pressure contact between the weight member and the sheet bundle. 6. The sub-tray according to claim 1, further comprising a rotatably supported sub-tray for stacking the sheet bundle, upstream of the stack tray in the sheet bundle discharge direction. Loading equipment. 7. The loading device according to claim 6, wherein the sub-tray is locked to the loading tray from above. 8. A sub-tray rotatably supported by a rotation fulcrum concentric with a rotation fulcrum of the stacking tray for stacking the sheet material bundle is provided upstream of the stacking tray in the sheet material discharge direction. 6. Any one of claims 3 to 5 comprising
The loading device according to the paragraph. 9. A binding device for binding a sheet bundle, a transporting device for transporting the sheet bundle bound by the binding device, a loading tray for loading the sheet bundle transported by the transporting device, Nip means for holding the sheet bundle by operating the sheet bundle, wherein the transporting means includes a sheet bundle nipped between the stacking tray and the nipping means, and a next sheet so as to enter between the nipping means. A loading device for transporting a bundle. 10. The sheet conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying unit conveys a sheet bundle sandwiched between the stacking tray and the clamping unit, and a next sheet bundle in a direction of entering between the sheet bundle and the clamping unit. Item 10. The loading device according to Item 9. 11. The conveyance means has a pair of rollers, and a common tangent at a nip of the pair of rollers intersects a surface of a sheet bundle held between the stacking tray and the holding means. The loading device according to claim 10, wherein: 12. The stacking apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the conveying unit conveys the sheet bundle with the end on the side where the sheet bundle is bound first. 13. An image forming apparatus comprising an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet material discharged to the stacking device according to claim 1. Description: