JP2005035765A - Paper aligning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper aligning device capable of surely aligning a paper bundle even when a stacking position for the paper bundle is shifted to a place a certain fixed distance away. <P>SOLUTION: The paper aligning device is connected to a rear stage of an image forming device, and constituted of a paper stacking member on which paper discharged from the image forming device is stacked in a bundle state, and a standard aligning member and a shift aligning member that can come closer to each other or separate from each other from both sides of the paper stached on the paper stacking member. The paper stacking member can be vertically moved, and the aligning members can be horizontally moved. The standard aligning member is supported by an elastic member to press an upper face of the paper bundle which a lower end of the standard aligning member contacts. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet aligning device provided in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and a composite device thereof.

  FIG. 2 is a schematic top view showing a conventional sheet bundle aligning apparatus, FIG. 6 to FIG. 9 are schematic front views, and FIG. 4 is a schematic side view.

  5 and 6, the aligning member 1a is moved to a reference position selected according to the paper size or the like by a driving means 2a such as a motor or a belt, and thereafter, although not shown, by an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer. The sheet fed in the direction of the arrow 7 is moved by the driving means 2b in the direction of the alignment member 1b, the sheets are aligned one by one or a plurality of sheets, and the sheet bundle 3 is first stacked.

  Next, when outputting a plurality of copies by the same job, or when outputting by a plurality of jobs, if the first output sheet bundle 3 is separated from the next output sheet bundle, the first sheet bundle 3 is aligned. Thereafter, the alignment members 1a and 1b are retracted, and the stacking member 4 is moved to a position where it does not interfere with the sheet bundle 3 by the movement operation of the alignment members 1a and 1b by driving means (not shown) such as a motor and a belt as shown in FIG. Then, the alignment members 1a and 1b are moved in the direction of the arrows by the driving means 2a and 2b. At this time, unlike the alignment of the first sheet bundle 3, the alignment member 1b moves to the reference position selected according to the sheet size or the like and becomes the reference alignment member, and the alignment member 1a becomes the shifting member.

  Thereafter, the sheet stacking member 4 is raised again, and as shown in FIG. 8, the sheet stacking member 4 stops when it comes into contact with the first sheet bundle 3 and the lower end of the reference aligning member 1b, and the aligning member 1a is moved in the direction of the arrow. The sheets are aligned for each sheet or a plurality of sheets, and the next stack of sheets 5 is stacked at a certain distance from the sheet bundle 3. When stacking a plurality of job sets, alignment and stacking of sheet bundles are performed according to the job order.

  When a plurality of copies are output by the same job in the sheet bundle aligning device, or when output is performed by a plurality of jobs, when the first sheet bundle 3 is separated from the next sheet bundle, the first sheet bundle 3 is aligned and first The next sheet bundle is stacked at a position away from the sheet bundle by a certain distance. However, as shown in FIG. 4, since the top surface of the first sheet bundle 3 is curled by printing, a gap 8 may be formed between the first sheet bundle 3 and the reference alignment member 1b. Immediately after switching to a certain distance away, the sheet fed in the direction of arrow 7 from the image forming apparatus enters the gap 8 between the reference alignment member 1b and the upper surface of the first sheet bundle 3, and is sandwiched in some cases. To the jam. Even when the jam does not occur, as shown in FIG. 39, when aligning the sheet bundle, the alignment member may push the sheet 9 into the gap 8 and the alignment of the sheet bundle may be disturbed.

  Similarly, when the sheet bundle is aligned and stacked with the third, fourth, fifth, etc., the sheet curled is affected by the sheet curl, and the fed sheet has a gap 8 between the reference aligning member 1b and the upper surface of the first sheet bundle 3. There is a disadvantage that the paper bundles are caught and jammed in some cases, and especially the alignment of the sheet bundle is disturbed.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet aligning device that eliminates the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks and can reliably align a sheet bundle even when the stacking position of the sheet bundle is switched to a location that is a certain distance away.

  The purpose is to interfere with the movement of the alignment member when the first sheet bundle is separated from the next sheet bundle when multiple copies are output by the same job, or when output is performed by multiple jobs. After moving the paper stacking member down to a position where it does not move, and moving the reference and alignment member to a location a certain distance away from the first paper bundle, the lower end of the first paper bundle and the reference alignment member A configuration in which the upper surface of the sheet bundle is pressed by supporting the reference alignment member with an elastic member so as not to generate a gap under the influence of the sheet curl between the first sheet bundle and the reference alignment member when it is raised to the contact position. To achieve this.

  According to the present invention, the sheet bundle can be reliably aligned without being affected by the sheet curl in the mechanism capable of switching and stacking the sheet bundle at a certain distance away.

  1 to 3 are schematic side views showing one embodiment of a sheet aligning device according to the present invention. The present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3 with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the stacking member 4 is moved down to a position where it does not interfere with the sheet bundle by the movement operation of the alignment members 1a and 1b by driving means (not shown) such as a motor and a belt, and thereafter the driving means 2a and 2b. The alignment members 1a and 1b are moved in the arrow direction. At this time, unlike the alignment of the first sheet bundle 3, the alignment member 1b moves to the reference position selected according to the sheet size or the like and becomes the reference alignment member, and the alignment member 1a becomes the shifting member.

  Next, the sheet stacking member 4 is raised again, and as shown in FIG. 6, the sheet stacking member 4 stops when it contacts the first sheet bundle 3 and the lower end of the reference aligning member 1b, and the aligning member 1a is moved in the direction of the arrow. Then, the sheets are aligned for each sheet or a plurality of sheets, and the second sheet bundle 5 is stacked. When stacking a plurality of jobs, the third, fourth, fifth, and so on are aligned and stacked in the same manner as the alignment and stacking of the first and second sheet bundles.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plate-like member 10 having elasticity is provided on the reference matching member. Since the reference alignment member 1b supported by the plate member 10 having elasticity is in contact with the upper surface of the sheet bundle 3 and pressed downward vertically as indicated by an arrow 11, the reference alignment member 1b and the sheet bundle are 3 The gap 8 between the upper surfaces can be eliminated. The plate-like member 10 having an elastic force supports the reference alignment member 1b as an effective means in addition to the one-point support in FIG. 1 and the two-point support in FIG. As a one-point support method, a compression coil spring 12 as shown in FIG. 3 may be used.

  By using the above mechanism, even when the alignment member 1a moves in the direction of the arrow as shown in FIG. 3C, it is possible to prevent disturbance such as deviation during sheet bundle alignment without being affected by the sheet curl. .

1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a sheet aligning device of the present invention. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a sheet aligning device of the present invention. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of a sheet aligning device of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a schematic side view showing a conventional sheet aligning device. FIG. 6 is a schematic top view showing a conventional sheet aligning device. FIG. 10 is a front view showing a first sheet bundle alignment state of a conventional sheet alignment apparatus. FIG. 10 is a front view showing the movement operation of the sheet stacking member and the alignment member after the first sheet bundle alignment of the conventional sheet alignment apparatus. FIG. 9 is a front view showing a state in which a second sheet bundle is aligned and stacked at a certain distance from the first sheet bundle of a conventional sheet aligning apparatus. FIG. 10 is a front view illustrating a gap after the first sheet bundle alignment is completed in a conventional conventional sheet alignment apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

1a and 1b are alignment members, 2a and 2b are driving means, 3 is a first sheet bundle, 4 is a sheet stacking member, 5 is a second sheet bundle, 7 is an arrow indicating the sheet conveyance direction, and 8 is a reference alignment member. 9 is a sheet member, 10 is a plate-like member having elasticity, 11 is an arrow indicating that a force is applied vertically downward, and 12 is a compression coil spring.

Claims (3)

  A sheet stacking member that is connected to the subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus and on which sheets fed from the image forming apparatus are stacked in a bundle, and a reference alignment member that can approach and separate from both sides of the sheets stacked on the sheet stacking member The sheet stacking member is movable in the vertical direction, the alignment member is also movable in the horizontal direction, the reference alignment member is supported by an elastic member, and the lower end of the reference alignment member A sheet aligning device characterized in that the upper surface of the sheet bundle in contact with the sheet is pressed.   The sheet aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a plate-like material having an elastic force. The sheet aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member is a compression coil spring.

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