JP2003165666A - Method and device for post-processing sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a post-processing method capable of conducting stapling suitable for side stitch and saddle stitch respectively. <P>SOLUTION: In this sheet post-processing method for stapling the plural sheets, the sheets are conveyed to be stopped in a side stitch position and at least one stapler exclusive for the side stitch is moved to a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet to conduct the stapling, in the side stitch of the sheets, and the sheets are conveyed to be stopped in a saddle stitch position and two staplers exclusive for the saddle stitch are moved to the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet to conduct the stapling, in the saddle stitch of the sheets. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing method and sheet post-processing apparatus, and more particularly to a sheet post-processing method and apparatus for side-stitching or saddle-stitching a plurality of sheets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a sheet post-processing method and sheet post-processing apparatus for stapling (sheet-stitching processing) an image-formed sheet, one type of stapler can perform side stitching and saddle stitching. It is known that the sheet is moved to the side-stitching position and stapled during the side-stitching, and the sheet is moved to the center-stitching position and stapled during the saddle-stitching of the sheet.

[0003]

However, since a saddle-stitching stapler generally folds a sheet in two after stapling, it is difficult to fold it in two if the number of stapled sheets is large. It is about half the size of flat stitching. Therefore, there is a problem that if a staple that is suitable for the number of staples that can be stapled is used, it becomes unsuitable for saddle stitching, and conversely, if a staple that is suitable for the number of staples that can be stapled for saddle stitching becomes unsuitable for flat stitching. .

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to independently set the maximum number of sheets to be bound by using a stapler suitable for both side stitching and saddle stitching. It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet post-processing method and apparatus capable of forming a binding needle having a size suitable for binding.

[0005]

The above object can be achieved by any of the following means.

(1) In a sheet post-processing method for stapling a plurality of sheets, at the time of side-stitching the sheets, the sheets are conveyed and stopped at a side-stitching position, and at least one stapler dedicated to side-stitching is used for the sheets. When the saddle stitching of the sheet is performed, the sheet is conveyed and stopped at the saddle stitching position, and two staplers dedicated to the saddle stitching are orthogonal to the sheet conveying method. A post-processing method for a sheet, which comprises moving the sheet in a direction to perform stapling.

(2) In a sheet post-processing apparatus for stapling a plurality of sheets, sheet conveying means for conveying the sheets and stopping them at a side stitching position or a saddle stitching position, and at least one side stitching dedicated to side stitching A stapler, two saddle stitching staplers dedicated to saddle stitching, a side stitch stapler is moved in a direction orthogonal to a transport direction of the sheet when the sheet is stapled, and a saddle stitch stapler is moved when the sheet is stapled. A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising: a stapler moving unit that causes the stapler moving unit.

(3) In the sheet post-processing apparatus according to (2), the side stitch stapler is arranged upstream in the sheet conveying direction, and the saddle stitch stapler is arranged downstream of the side stitch stapler in the sheet conveying direction. Further, it is arranged on the center line side of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction from the side stitch stapler, and during the side stitching of the sheet, the side stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle stitch stapler is A sheet post-processing apparatus that is retracted to the center line side, while the saddle stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the flat stitch stapler is retracted in a direction away from the center line during saddle stitching of the sheets. .

(4) In the sheet post-processing apparatus according to (2), the side stitch stapler is arranged upstream in the sheet conveying direction, and the saddle stitch stapler is arranged downstream of the side stitch stapler in the sheet conveying direction. Further, it is arranged on the center line side of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction from the side stitch stapler, and during the side stitching of the sheet, the side stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle stitch stapler is The sheet is characterized in that it is retracted in a direction away from the center line side, while the saddle stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position during saddle stitching of the sheet, and the side stitch stapler is retracted to the center line side. Processing equipment.

(5) In the sheet post-processing apparatus according to (2), the flat stitch stapler and the saddle stitch stapler are arranged adjacent to each other in series in a direction orthogonal to the sheet transport direction, and the flat sheets of the sheet are flattened. At the time of binding, the side stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle stitch stapler is retracted in one of the orthogonal directions, and at the time of saddle stitching of the sheets, the saddle stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position. A sheet post-processing apparatus that retracts the side-stitching stapler to the other side in the orthogonal direction.

(6) In the sheet post-processing apparatus according to (2), one set of the side stitch stapler and one set of the saddle stitch stapler are alternately arranged in series in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, When the side-stitching is performed, the side-stitching stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle-stitching stapler is retracted in the orthogonal direction, and when the sheet is saddle-stitched, the saddle-stitching stapler is moved to a predetermined position. A sheet post-processing apparatus that retracts the side-stitching stapler in the orthogonal direction.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS First, a sheet post-processing method and an image forming apparatus to which the apparatus is applied will be described. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the arrangement of an image forming apparatus equipped with the sheet post-processing apparatus of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus A includes a sheet post-processing apparatus B and an automatic document feeder ADF. The image forming apparatus A includes an image reading unit 1, an image processing unit 2, an image writing unit 3, an image forming unit 4, a cassette paper feeding unit 5, a large-capacity paper feeding unit 6, a fixing device 7, a paper ejection unit 8, an automatic double-sided unit. A copy paper feeding unit 9 and the like are provided. In addition, the image forming apparatus A
An automatic document feeder ADF is mounted on the upper part of the. On the left side of the image forming apparatus A shown in FIG.
The sheet post-processing device B is connected.

The document d placed on the document table of the automatic document feeder ADF is conveyed in the direction of the arrow and an image on one side or both sides of the document is read by the optical system of the image reading unit (scanning exposure device) 1. It is read by the CCD image sensor 1A.

The analog signal photoelectrically converted by the CCD image sensor 1A is subjected to analog processing, A / D conversion, shading correction, image compression processing, etc. in the image processing section 2 and then sent to the image writing section 3. .

In the image writing section 3, the output light from the semiconductor laser irradiates the photosensitive drum of the image forming section 4 to form a latent image. In the image forming unit 4, charging,
Processing such as exposure, development, transfer, separation, and cleaning is performed, and the image is transferred to the recording paper (also referred to as paper) S conveyed from the cassette paper feeding unit 5 or the large-capacity paper feeding unit 6. The recording sheet S carrying the image is fixed by the fixing device 7 and sent to the sheet post-processing device B from the paper output unit 8. Alternatively, the single-sided image-processed recording sheet S fed into the automatic double-sided copy sheet feeding section 9 by the conveyance path switching plate 8A is again subjected to the double-sided image processing in the image forming section 4 and then from the sheet discharging section 8 to the sheet post-processing apparatus B. Sent in.

In the sheet post-processing device B, as shown in FIG. 1, the sheet feeding device 40, the fixed sheet discharge section 60, the movable sheet discharge section 65, the shift punching section 50, the first folding section 20, the second folding section. 25, an intermediate tray unit 70, a stapling mechanism 80, a center folding unit 90, a center folding discharge unit 96, and the like are arranged. Further, at the upper right side of the sheet post-processing apparatus B in the drawing, the entrance conveyance section 3 is provided.
0 is placed.

The paper feeding device 40 is a device for feeding the cover paper K, and the fixed paper discharging portion 60 is a paper discharging portion for discharging the shift-processed (width-aligned) paper, the first folded paper, and the second folded paper. Therefore, the movable discharge unit 65 discharges the shift-processed (width-aligned) sheets, the first folded sheet, the second folded sheet, the side-stitched (including edge-stitched) sheet, and the saddle-stitched sheet. The paper unit, and further the center-folded paper discharge unit 9
Reference numeral 6 denotes a paper discharge unit for discharging the center-folded paper.

In the sheet post-processing apparatus B, the receiving section 31 for receiving the recording sheet S carried out from the image forming apparatus A has the image forming apparatus A.
The position and height are adjusted so as to match the sheet discharge section 8 of the above.

The conveying path of the recording sheet S connected to the sheet conveying of the receiving section 31 is branched into three systems of an upper first conveying path, an intermediate second conveying path and a lower third conveying path, and is switched. The recording paper S is fed to one of the transport paths by selecting the angle occupied by the members G1 and G2.

(1) First conveying path (non-staple, non-sort mode, paper is discharged to the fixed paper discharge tray 61) The recording paper S on which the image is formed and discharged from the image forming apparatus A is introduced into the receiving portion 31. , Shift punch 50,
After passing through the first folding section 20, being transported by the transport roller pair 32, passing through the first switching member G1 above,
The sheet is sandwiched between the pair of upper transport rollers 33 and the pair of transport rollers 34, transported and lifted, discharged onto the fixed sheet discharge tray 61 on the upper outside of the machine, and sequentially stacked. In this paper transport process,
The switching member G1 closes the passage 36 and opens the passage 35 to allow the recording paper S to pass through the fixed paper ejection tray 61. It should be noted that the fixed discharge tray 61 has a maximum of about 20
It is possible to accommodate 0 sheets of recording paper S, and the paper can be easily taken out from the top of the paper post-processing device B. (2) Second conveyance path (offset mode or non-sort mode, paper is ejected to the movable paper ejection tray 66) When this conveyance mode is set, the switching member G1
The passage 35 is closed and the passage 36 is held in the open state, so that the recording paper S can pass through the passage 36.

The image-formed recording sheet S discharged from the image forming apparatus A is introduced into the receiving section 31, passes through the shift punching section 50 and the first folding section 20, and is conveyed by the pair of conveying rollers 32. , The first switching member G1 above
Through the passage 36 formed in the lower open state, sandwiched by the conveying roller pair 37, passing through the passage 38A above the second switching member G2, and the conveying roller pair 39, The discharge roller pair 6 is sandwiched between the conveyance roller pair 67 and
The sheet 8 is discharged and placed on the movable sheet discharge tray 66 outside the machine.
A large amount of recording paper S can be accommodated in the movable paper ejection tray 66. (3) Third transport path (staple mode, movable sheet discharge tray 6
The recording sheet S on which the image has been formed, which is ejected from the image forming apparatus A, is introduced into the receiving section 31, and the shift punching section 50,
After passing through the first folding section 20, the conveyance roller pair 32 conveys the first folding member 20, passes through the first switching member G1, passes through the passage 36 formed in the lower open state, and then is conveyed to the conveyance roller pair 37. It is sandwiched and passes through the passage 38B below the second switching member G2, and further, the third switching member G
3 through the passage 38C, and the downstream conveying roller pair 73A,
It is nipped and conveyed by the conveying roller pair 73B. 2
When the sheets are conveyed, the first sheet passes through the passage 38C and the second sheet passes through the passage 38D, and the two sheets are stacked. It is discharged to the sheet front end holding portion 72a of the conveyor belt 72 that is arranged at an inclination,
After that, after the trailing edge of the recording sheet S is ejected from the conveying roller pair 73B, the recording sheet S starts to descend due to its own weight,
In the case of the side binding, which slides down on the inclined surface of the intermediate tray 75, the rear end portion of the recording paper S comes into contact with the movable contact portion (paper contact surface) 87 formed in the vicinity of the stapling mechanism 80 and stops.

Numeral 74 is an aligning means movably provided on both side surfaces of the intermediate tray 75. A pair of plates of the aligning unit 74 is movable in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. When the recording sheet S is received on the intermediate tray 75, it is opened wider than the sheet width and slides on the intermediate tray 75. Then, when the recording sheet S comes into contact with the movable contact portion 87 and stops, the side edge of the recording sheet S in the width direction is tapped to align the width of the sheet bundle (width alignment). At this stop position, when a predetermined number of recording sheets S are stacked and aligned on the intermediate tray 75, the stapling mechanism 80 performs stapling processing to bind the bundle of sheets.

A cutout is formed in a part of the sheet stacking surface of the intermediate tray 75, and a plurality of conveyor belts 77 wound around a driving pulley 76a and a driven pulley 76b are rotatably driven. A part of the conveyor belt 77 has a discharge claw 77.
a and 77b are integrally formed, and the tip portion thereof draws an elliptical locus.

With respect to the stapled sheet bundle, the rear end portion of the recording sheet S is pushed by the discharge claws 77a or 77b of the conveying belt 77, slides on the placing surface of the intermediate tray 75, and is pushed up obliquely upward. It advances to the position of the discharge roller pair 68. The sheet bundle nipped by the pair of rotating discharge rollers 68,
It is discharged and stacked on the movable sheet discharge tray 66. The cover sheet K described later is also conveyed to the third conveying path. (4) Fourth Conveying Path (Cover Paper Feeding Mode) Paper storage unit 41 that stores cover paper (also referred to as paper) K
The cover sheet K on the uppermost surface of the sheet is fed by contacting the feed roller 44 and the feed roller 44 is rotated. The front end of the cover sheet K is abutted against the abutting portion 41a for abutting the front end of the cover sheet K to form a loop (flexure),
By detecting the formation of the loop, the loop forming portion of the cover sheet K is adsorbed and held, the feeding roller 44 is stopped from feeding and separated from the cover sheet K, and the loop forming portion is temporarily adsorbed and held to convey the sheet. The cover sheet K is conveyed to the upstream side to release the abutting of the front end of the cover sheet K, the cover sheet K is suction-held and conveyed to the downstream side of the sheet conveyance, and the cover sheet K is further gripped and conveyed by the conveyance roller pair 491. .

One cover sheet K fed from the sheet storage section 41 passes through the passage 49 and is conveyed to the pair of conveying rollers 492, 4.
It passes through 93 and is conveyed. The shift tray 50, the first folding section 20, the third transport path, and the intermediate plate 75.
To reach the top.

(5) Fifth Conveying Path (Saddle Stitching Mode) When the saddle stitching mode is set, the movable contact portion 87 near the stapling position of the stapling mechanism 80 retracts from the conveying path, and at the same time, downstream thereof. The movable contact portion 89 of is activated.

When the size (length in the carrying direction) of the cover sheet K and the recording sheet S is set or detected, the movable contact portion 89 moves to a predetermined position and stops.

The recording sheet S carried out from the image forming apparatus A after the cover sheet K is placed at a predetermined position on the intermediate tray 75.
From the entrance conveying section 30 of the sheet post-processing apparatus B through the third conveying path and are sequentially stacked on the upper surface of the cover sheet K placed on the intermediate tray 75, and the rear end of the recording sheet S moves. The abutting portion 87 is abutted and positioned. After the final recording sheet S is positioned and placed on the intermediate tray 75, the staple mechanism 80 performs saddle stitching processing on the sheet bundle including the cover sheet K and all the pages of the recording sheet S. By this saddle-stitching process, staples are driven into the central portions of the cover sheet K and the recording sheet S in the transport direction. The cover sheet K may be omitted and only the recording sheet S may be used. (6) Sixth transport path (center folding processing mode) After the saddle stitching processing, the movable contact portion 89 opens the passage downstream of the passage 88. The sheet bundle including the cover sheet K and the recording sheet S subjected to the saddle stitching is stopped at a predetermined position when the rear end of the sheet bundle contacts the movable contact portion 89. The movable contact portion 89 can be moved to a predetermined position by setting or detecting the paper size and driving means. The central part of the sheet bundle in the transport direction in the stopped state,
That is, the center folding unit 90 is installed diagonally below the saddle stitching position.

The protruding plate 92 has a thin knife shape, and its tip has an acute angle. The front end portion of the protruding plate 92 protruding obliquely downward in the drawing has a cover sheet K and a recording sheet S.
The central portion of the sheet bundle made of is pressed, and the sandwiching portion of the pair of folding rollers 93 and 94 is spread and swung and separated via the sheet bundle.

After the tip of the ejecting plate 92 has passed through the nipping portion, the ejecting plate 92 retracts and the central portion of the sheet bundle is pinched by the pair of folding rollers 93 and 94 to form a fold line. This fold line substantially coincides with the position where the staple is driven into the sheet bundle by the saddle stitching process described above. The center-folded sheet bundle is transported by the transport rollers 95 and discharged to the center-folded sheet discharge unit 96.

The types of staples will now be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the types of staples. Figure 2
(A) is a plan view showing the side-stitching process, which is a side-stitching process in which the side-stitching stapler strikes the stapling needles SP at two locations in the central distribution in the vicinity of the side edges of the sheet bundle Sa (plurality of sheets). Further, FIG. 2B is a plan view showing an edge stitching process which is a kind of side stitching, and is a side stitching process of stapling a stitching staple SP with a side stitch stapler at one location near a corner of the sheet bundle Sa. Further, FIG. 2C is a plan view showing the saddle stitching process.
This is a side stitching process in which the staples SP are stapled by the saddle stitch stapler at two locations in the center of the sheet bundle Sa.

(Embodiment 1) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to Embodiment 1 will be described. The sheet post-processing apparatus is mechanically the same as that in FIG. 1 except for the stapling mechanism, and therefore the stapling mechanism will be mainly described. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the staple mechanism in the side-stitching state in the sheet post-processing apparatus, and FIG.
Is a sectional view of the stapling mechanism of FIG. 3 taken along the line WW, and FIG. 5 is a plan view of the stapling mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus in the saddle stitching state.

As shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5, the stapling mechanism 80A is composed of a sheet conveying means, a side stitch stapler, a saddle stitch stapler, a stapler moving means and the like.

The sheet conveying means drops the sheet bundle Sa on an inclined surface to move the movable contact portion 87 at the side binding position (FIG. 3).
Then, the sheet bundle Sa is dropped on the inclined surface and stopped at the movable contact portion 89 (FIG. 5) which is the saddle stitching position.

The side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 are side-stitching staplers disposed on the upstream side in the sheet transport direction Y. Two sets of flat stitching staplers 81 and 82 are arranged in a direction X orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction Y, and the staples SP are struck at two centrally distributed locations in the vicinity of the side edges, and are supported so as to be swingable and rotatable. Correspondingly, the binding needle S is placed at one corner
It is supposed to hit P. Also, a flat stitch stapler 8
1 and 82 are the stapling mechanisms 81A and 82A and the needle receiving mechanism 81.
B and 82B are non-separated. The number of sheets that can be stapled by the side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 is 100.

Next, the saddle stitching staplers 83 and 84 are arranged downstream of the flat stitch stapler in the sheet conveying direction Y and on the side of the center line L of the sheet in the direction X from the stitching stapler. The saddle stitch staplers 83 and 84 are dedicated to saddle stitching,
The saddle-stitching staplers 83 and 84 are movable in the direction X and are arranged in two sets so that the staples SP are struck at two locations in the central portion. In addition, the saddle stitch stapler 83 has a stapling mechanism 83.
A and the needle receiving mechanism 83B are separated and independent. Similarly, the saddle-stitching stapler 84 has a structure in which a stapling mechanism 84A and a staple receiving mechanism 84B are separated and independent. A fifth conveyance path (FIG. 4) through which the paper S can pass is formed in the middle. The number of sheets that can be stapled by the saddle stitch stapler is 5
It is 0.

Next, the stapler moving means moves the side-stitching stapler to a predetermined position and retracts the saddle-stitching stapler toward the center line L when the sheets are side-stitched. Also,
The side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 move in the direction X along the guide shafts 85a and 85b.

On the other hand, during saddle stitching of sheets, the saddle stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the flat stitch stapler is retracted in a direction away from the center line L. In addition, the stapling mechanisms 83A and 84A of the saddle stitch staplers 83 and 84 are connected to the guide shaft 85.
Move in direction X along b, 85c. Similarly, the needle receiving mechanisms 83B and 84B move in the direction X along the guide shafts 85e and 85d.

Here, the operation of the side-stitching mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.
4 will be described. When the side-stitching mode is set, the sheets stacked on the intermediate tray 75 are sequentially stacked on the upper surface of the sheet, and the leading end of the sheet contacts the movable contact portion 87 and is positioned.
Next, the saddle stitch staplers 83 and 84 are moved in the direction X shown in FIG.
Retract to the position on the center line L side of. Flat stitch stapler 8
1, 82 move to a predetermined position. In this embodiment, the binding needle SP is driven into the corner of the sheet bundle Sa. The binding staple SP is driven from the staple driving mechanism 82A on the binding needle driving side toward the staple receiving mechanism 82B.

Next, the operation of the saddle stitching mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to FIG. When the saddle stitching mode is set, the movable contact portion 87 retracts from the transport path, and at the same time, the movable contact portion 89 downstream thereof moves in the direction of the extension surface of the fifth transport path. When the size (length in the transport direction) of the sheet is set or detected, the movable contact portion 89 moves to a position where it comes into contact with the lower end of the sheet bundle Sa for saddle stitching and stops.
The final sheet is positioned on the intermediate tray 75. Next, the side stitch staplers 81, 82 are retracted to the positions shown in FIG. 5, and the saddle stitch staplers 83, 84 are moved to predetermined positions. The binding needle SP is driven into the central portion in the paper transport direction Y. In addition, the staple SP is the staple driving mechanism 83 on the staple drive side.
It is driven from A and 84A toward the needle receiving mechanisms 83B and 84B.

As described above, by using the stapler which is suitable for both side stitching and saddle stitching, the maximum number of sheets to be bound can be set independently, and the binding needles of the sizes suitable for binding can be obtained.

(Second Embodiment) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described. The sheet post-processing apparatus is mechanically the same as that of FIG. 1 except for the stapling mechanism, and has a structure in which the positions of the side stitch stapler and the saddle stitch stapler in the first embodiment are interchanged, and therefore different points will be mainly described. . FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another stapling mechanism in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 6, the stapling mechanism 80B
Is composed of a sheet conveying means, a side stitch stapler, a saddle stitch stapler, a stapler moving means, and the like.

The side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 are staplers exclusively for side-stitching, which are arranged on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction Y, and two sets are arranged in the direction X orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction Y, and are distributed to the center near the side edges. The stapling needle SP is struck at two locations, and is supported so as to be capable of swinging rotation, so that the stapling needle SP is struck at one location on the corner portion in accordance with the paper size.
Further, the side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 are the stapler mechanisms 81A and 82A and the staple receiving mechanisms 81B and 82B in this embodiment.
And are configured independently of each other, and the sheet bundle Sa can pass in the middle thereof. The number of sheets that can be stapled by the side stitch staplers 81 and 82 is 100.

Next, the saddle-stitching staplers 83 and 84 are arranged on the downstream side of the side-stitching stapler in the sheet conveying direction Y, and are arranged on the side of the center line L of the sheet in the direction X orthogonal to the sheet-stitching stapler in the sheet conveying direction Y. I am doing it. The saddle stitching staplers 83 and 84 are dedicated to saddle stitching, and
Two sets are arranged on the downstream side in the paper transport direction Y from Nos. 1 and 82, and two sets are arranged in the direction X, and the staples SP are struck at two locations in the central portion in the paper transport direction Y. The saddle-stitching staplers 83 and 84 include the stapling mechanisms 83A and 84A and the staple receiving mechanism 83.
B and 84B are separated and independent, and a sheet bundle S is placed in the middle.
a can pass through.

Explaining the stapler moving means,
During side-stitching of sheets, the side-stitching stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle-stitching stapler is retracted in a direction away from the center line L side. On the other hand, during saddle stitching of sheets, the needle striking mechanisms 81A and 82A of the flat stitch stapler 81, which moves the saddle stitch stapler to a predetermined position and retracts the flat stitch stapler to the center line L side, follow the guide shafts 85b and 85d. The staple receiving mechanism 8 of the side-stitching stapler 81.
1B and 82B are in the direction X along the guide shafts 85a and 85c.
Move to. In addition, the stapler mechanism 81 of the flat stitch stapler
A and 82A are conveyed by the conveyor 86b having an endless wire. In addition, the staple receiving mechanisms 81B, 8
2B is transported by the transport unit 86a having an endless wire.

A stapling mechanism 83A of the saddle stitch stapler 83,
84A moves in the direction X along the guide shafts 85d and 85f, and the needle receiving mechanisms 83B and 84B move in the direction X along the guide shafts 85c and 85e. The stapling mechanisms 83A and 84A of the saddle-stitching stapler are conveyed by a conveying section 86d having an endless wire. Further, the staple receiving mechanism 83 of the saddle stitch stapler
B and 84B are transported by the transport unit 86c having an endless wire.

Next, the operation of the side binding mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another stapling mechanism in the sheet post-processing apparatus. When the flat binding mode is set, the sheets are sequentially stacked on the upper surface of the sheets placed on the intermediate tray 75 (FIG. 1), and the leading end portions of the sheets are brought into contact with the movable contact and positioned. The final sheet is positioned on the intermediate plate. Move the side-stitching staplers 81, 82 to predetermined positions,
The saddle stitch staplers 83 and 84 are retracted in the direction X in the direction away from the center line L in the left and right directions. By this flat binding process,
The binding needle SP is driven into the end of the sheet bundle Sa in the sheet transport direction Y.

Next, the saddle stitching mechanism will be described. When the saddle stitching mode is set, the movable contact portion 89 moves to a position where the size (length in the transport direction) of the sheet is set or detected and the movable contact portion 89 comes into contact with the lower end portion of the sheet bundle Sa to be saddle stitched. And stop. After the final sheet is positioned and placed on the intermediate tray 75 (FIG. 1), the saddle stitching process causes the staple SP to be driven into the central portion of the sheet in the transport direction.

As described above, by using the stapler which is suitable for both side stitching and saddle stitching, the maximum number of sheets to be stapled can be set independently, and the stapler has a simple structure which is suitable for each stitching. Enables side stitching, saddle stitching, and saddle stitching.

(Third Embodiment) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to the third embodiment will be described. The paper post-processing apparatus is mechanically the same as FIG. 1 except for the stapling mechanism, and the description of the mechanically same parts as those in the first embodiment will be omitted. Figure 7
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the stapling mechanism showing a side-stitching state in the sheet post-processing apparatus, FIG. 8 is a side sectional view of WW in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a plan view of the stapling mechanism showing a saddle-stitching state in the sheet post-processing apparatus. .

As shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the stapling mechanism 80C is composed of a sheet conveying means, a side stitch stapler, a saddle stitch stapler, a stapler moving means and the like. A side-stitching stapler and a saddle-stitching stapler are arranged adjacent to each other in series in a direction X orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction Y.

The side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 are dedicated side-stitching staplers, and two sets are arranged in the direction X. The stapler SP is struck at two centrally distributed locations near the side edges and is swingably supported. The binding needle SP is struck at one corner corresponding to the sheet size. In the third embodiment, the staple SP is struck at one corner. The side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 are provided with a stapling mechanism 81, respectively.
A and 82A and the needle receiving mechanisms 81B and 82B have a non-separated configuration (see FIGS. 7 and 8).

Next, saddle-stitching staplers 83 and 84 are dedicated to saddle-stitching and are arranged in two sets in the direction X.
The staples SP are struck at two places in the central part of the. The saddle-stitching staplers 83 and 84 are the stapler mechanism 8
3A and 84A and the needle receiving mechanisms 83B and 84B are separated and independent, and the sheet bundle Sa can pass through the middle (see FIG. 9).

Next, the stapler moving means will be explained. When the sheets are side-stitched, the side-stitching stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle-stitching stapler is retracted in one of the orthogonal directions. Stapling mechanism 81 of flat stitch stapler 81
A moves in the direction X along the guide shafts 85b and 85d by the conveyor 86a having an endless belt. The needle receiving mechanism 81B moves integrally with the needle driving mechanism 81A. Similarly, the staple receiving mechanism 82B of the side-stitching stapler 82 is connected to the guide shaft 8
Conveying unit 86b having endless belts along 5b and 85d
To move in direction X. The needle receiving mechanism 82B moves integrally with the needle driving mechanism 82A (see FIG. 9).

During saddle stitching of paper, the saddle stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the flat stitch stapler is retracted in the other direction orthogonal to each other. The stapling mechanism 83A of the saddle-stitching stapler 83 moves along the guide shafts 85b and 85d by the transport unit 86d, and the staple receiving mechanism 83B moves to the guide shaft 85a.
The transfer unit 86c moves along the line 85c. Similarly, the stapling mechanism 84A of the saddle stitch stapler 84 is moved by the conveying section 86f along the guide shafts 85b and 85d, and the staple receiving mechanism 84B is moved along the guide shafts 85a and 85c.
6e moves (see FIG. 9).

Next, the operation of the side binding mechanism will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, when the side binding mode is set,
The sheets are sequentially stacked on the upper surface of the sheets placed on the intermediate tray 75 (FIG. 1), the leading edge of the sheets abuts the movable contact portion 87 near the side stitching processing position, and the final sheet is placed in the intermediate tray. Positioned and placed on top. The saddle stitch staplers 83, 84 are moved to the side stitching position shown in FIG. 7 by the transport units 86a, 86b. In this embodiment, the staple SP is struck at one corner.

Next, the operation of the saddle stitching mechanism will be described. As shown in FIG. 9, when the saddle stitching mode is set,
When the size (length in the transport direction) of the sheet is set or detected, the movable contact portion 89 moves to a position where it comes into contact with the lower end of the sheet bundle Sa for saddle stitching and stops. After the final sheet is positioned and placed on the intermediate tray 75 (FIG. 1), saddle stitching processing is performed on the sheet bundle Sa. By this saddle stitching process,
The binding needle SP is driven into the central portion of the sheet bundle Sa in the sheet transport direction Y.

As described above, by using the stapler which is suitable for both side stitching and saddle stitching, the maximum number of sheets to be bound can be set independently, and the binding needles of the sizes suitable for binding can be obtained.

(Embodiment 4) A sheet post-processing apparatus according to Embodiment 4 will be described. The paper post-processing apparatus is mechanically the same as FIG. 1 except for the stapling mechanism, and the description of the mechanically same parts as those in the first embodiment will be omitted. Figure 1
0 is a plan view of another stapling mechanism in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 10, the stapling mechanism 80
D is composed of a sheet conveying means, a side stitch stapler, a saddle stitch stapler, a stapler moving means, and the like.

In the direction X orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction Y, one set of side stitch staplers and one set of saddle stitch staplers are alternately arranged in series.

The side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 are staplers exclusively for side-stitching, two sets are arranged in the direction X, the stapling needles SP are struck at two locations near the side edges, and the sheets are supported so as to be swingable and rotatable. A staple S at one corner depending on the size
It is supposed to hit P. Also, a flat stitch stapler 8
1 and 82, the stapling mechanisms 81A and 82A and the needle receiving mechanisms 81B and 82B are configured separately and independently, and the sheet bundle Sa can pass in the middle thereof.

The saddle-stitching staplers 83, 84 are staplers exclusively for saddle-stitching, two sets are arranged in the direction X, and the stapling needles SP are struck at two locations in the central portion in the paper transport direction Y. There is. The saddle-stitching staplers 83 and 84 include stapling mechanisms 83A and 84A and staple receiving mechanisms 83B and 84, respectively.
B and B are configured separately from each other, and the sheet bundle Sa can pass through the middle thereof.

Next, the stapler moving means moves the side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 to predetermined positions and retracts the saddle-stitching staplers 83 and 84 in the orthogonal direction X when the sheets are side-stitched. Further, during saddle stitching of sheets, the saddle stitch staplers 83 and 84 are moved to predetermined positions and the side stitch staplers 81 and 82 are retracted in the direction X orthogonal to each other.

Stapling mechanisms 81A, 82A, 83 of the side stitch staplers 81, 82 and the saddle stitch staplers 83, 84
A and 84A move along the guide shafts 85b and 85d.
As for the movement, the four stapling mechanisms are integrally moved by the carrying section 86b having an endless wire. Further, the needle receiving mechanisms 81B, 82B, 83B, 84B of the side stitch staplers 81, 82 and the saddle stitch staplers 83, 84 are provided with a guide shaft 85.
Move along a and 85c. As for the movement, the four needle receiving mechanisms are integrally moved by the carrying section 86a having the endless wire.

Here, the operation of the side-stitching mechanism will be described with reference to FIG.
Will be described. When the side binding mode is set, the sheets are sequentially stacked on the upper surface of the sheets placed on the intermediate tray 75 (FIG. 1), and the leading end portions of the sheets are brought into contact with the movable contact portion 87 and positioned. The side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 are moved to the side-stitching position shown in FIG. 10 by the conveyance units 86a and 86b, and the binding staple SP is driven into the end of the sheet bundle Sa in the sheet conveyance direction Y.

Next, the operation of the saddle stitching mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. When the saddle stitching mode is set, when the size of the sheet is set, the movable contact portion 89 moves to a position where it comes into contact with the lower end of the sheet bundle Sa to be saddle-stitched, and then stops. Are positioned on the intermediate plate 75 (FIG. 1).

The saddle stitch staplers 83 and 84 are moved to predetermined positions by the transport portions 86a and 86b, and the binding needle SP is driven into the central portion in the paper transport direction Y.

As described above, by using the stapler suitable for both side stitching and saddle stitching, the maximum number of sheets to be stapled can be set independently, and it is possible to use a staple having a size suitable for each stitching. it can. Further, the side-stitching staplers 81 and 82 and the saddle-stitching staplers 83 and 84 are integrally moved in the X direction to a predetermined position, and the side-stitching mode,
The saddle stitching mode can be easily switched.

[0071]

The above-mentioned structure has the following effects.

According to the method and the apparatus according to the first and second aspects, the maximum number of sheets to be bound can be set independently by using the stapler which is suitable for the side stitching and the saddle stitching, and the size suitable for each binding is provided. A binding needle can be used.

According to the apparatus described in claims 3 and 4, the use of the stapler suitable for the side stitching and the saddle stitching enables the maximum number of sheets to be set independently, and the binding needles of the sizes suitable for the respective bindings. Can be used, and the size of the stapler mechanism in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction can be reduced.

According to the apparatus of claim 5, side stitching,
By using a stapler suitable for saddle stitching, the maximum number of sheets to be bound can be set independently, the staples of the size suitable for each binding can be used, and the size of the stapler mechanism in the paper transport direction is small. You can

According to the apparatus of claim 6, side stitching,
By using a stapler suitable for each saddle stitch, you can set the maximum number of staples independently, you can use staples of the size suitable for each binding, and it is easy to switch between flat stitch and saddle stitch. The size of the stapler mechanism in the paper transport direction can be reduced.

According to the invention described in claim 7, since at least one guide shaft is shared by the flat stitch guide shaft and the saddle stitch guide shaft, the structure of the guide shaft is simplified.

According to the invention described in claim 8, the maximum processable number of side stitches can be increased as compared with the maximum processable number of saddle stitches.

According to the ninth aspect of the invention, since the stapling mechanism and the staple receiving mechanism are separate and independent, the sheet can be conveyed between the staple driving mechanism and the staple receiving mechanism.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, since the stapling mechanism and the staple receiving mechanism of the flat stitch stapler are not separated,
The paper abutting portion can be provided with a simple structure.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus including a sheet post-processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating types of staples.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the staple mechanism in the side-stitching state in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

4 is a WW side sectional view of the stapling mechanism of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the staple mechanism in the saddle stitching state in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing another stapling mechanism in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the stapling mechanism showing a side stitching state in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

8 is a WW side sectional view of the stapling mechanism of FIG. 7. FIG.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the stapling mechanism showing a saddle stitching state in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a plan view of another stapling mechanism in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

41a Abutting portion 80A, 80B, 80C, 80D Stapling mechanism 81, 82 Flat stitch stapler 83, 84 Saddle stitch stapler 85a, 85b, 85c, 85d, 85e, 85f Guide axis S Recording paper (paper)

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Hiroyuki Wakabayashi             2970 Ishikawa-cho, Hachioji-shi, Tokyo Konica stock             In the company F-term (reference) 3F108 GA01 GB01 GB03 GB07 HA02                       HA33 HA36 HA39

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A paper post-processing method for stapling a plurality of paper sheets, wherein at the time of the side-stitching of the sheets, the sheet is conveyed and stopped at a side-stitching position, and at least one dedicated to the side-stitching is used.
One stapler is moved in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction to perform stapling, and when saddle stitching the sheet, the sheet is conveyed and stopped at the saddle stitching position, and two staplers dedicated to the saddle stitching are used. The sheet post-processing method, characterized in that the sheet post-processing is performed by moving the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding method. 2. A sheet post-processing apparatus for stapling a plurality of sheets, a sheet conveying unit that conveys the sheets and stops at a side stitching position or a saddle stitching position, and at least one side stitching stapler dedicated to side stitching. And two saddle-stitching staplers dedicated to saddle stitching, the side stitching stapler is moved in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the sheet when the sheet is stapled, and the saddle stitching stapler is moved when the sheet is stapled. A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising: a stapler moving unit. 3. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side stitch stapler is arranged on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction, and the saddle stitch stapler is located on the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction from the side stitch stapler. It is arranged on the center line side of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction from the side stitch stapler, and when the side stitch of the sheet is performed, the side stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle stitch stapler is set at the center. A sheet post-processing apparatus that is retracted to the line side, while the saddle stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the flat stitch stapler is retracted in a direction away from a center line during saddle stitching of the sheet. 4. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side stitch stapler is arranged on the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction, and the saddle stitch stapler is located on the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the side stitch stapler. It is arranged on the center line side of the sheet in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction from the side stitch stapler, and when the side stitch of the sheet is performed, the side stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle stitch stapler is set at the center. The sheet post-processing is characterized in that the sheet is retreated in the direction away from the line side, while the saddle stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position during the saddle stitching of the sheet and the side stitch stapler is retracted to the center line side. apparatus. 5. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side-stitching stapler and the saddle-stitching stapler are arranged adjacent to each other in series in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and the side-stitching of the sheet is performed. When the saddle stitching stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle stitching stapler is retracted in one of the orthogonal directions, and when the saddle stitching of the sheet is moved, the saddle stitching stapler is moved to a predetermined position and A sheet post-processing apparatus for retracting a side-stitching stapler in the other of the orthogonal directions. 6. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the flat stitch stapler and the saddle stitch stapler are alternately arranged in series in a direction orthogonal to the sheet transport direction, and the sheet stapler and the saddle stitch stapler are arranged in series. At the time of side stitching, the side stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and the saddle stitch stapler is retracted in the orthogonal direction, and at the time of saddle stitching of the sheet, the saddle stitch stapler is moved to a predetermined position and A sheet post-processing apparatus for retracting a side stitch stapler in the orthogonal direction. 7. A guide shaft for guiding the movement of the side-stitching stapler or a guide shaft for guiding the movement of the saddle-stitching stapler in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and the guide shaft is for side-stitching. 7. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein at least one sheet is shared for saddle stitching. 8. The number of sheets that can be bound at one time by the side-stitching stapler is larger than the number of sheets that can be bound at one time by the saddle stitching stapler according to any one of claims 2 to 7. Paper post-processing device. 9. The side stitching stapler or the saddle stitching stapler is characterized in that a stapling mechanism and a staple receiving mechanism are separate and independent, and a sheet can be conveyed between the staple driving mechanism and the staple receiving mechanism. The sheet post-processing device according to any one of claims 2 to 7. 10. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the side-stitching stapler has a stapling mechanism and a staple receiving mechanism which are non-separated and has an abutting portion for the sheet. .