JP2005059517A - Sheet processor, image forming system, sheet processing method, computer program and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet processor which can realize saddle stitching and middle folding function by a compact mechanism and is excellent in reliability and productivity. <P>SOLUTION: In a sheet processor having a processing means which applies a specific process to the sheet after forming an image, a staple tray 10 for accumulating the sheet; a stapler 5 for carrying out stitching process of a sheet bundle integrated in the staple tray 10; a transfer mechanism of the stapler for transferring the stapler 5 in a direction crossing at right angles a carrying direction of the sheet; and a controller for controlling the stapler 5 and the transfer mechanism are provided. The controller inserts the form or a bundle of the sheet with the stapler to transfer it in the direction crossing at right angles the carrying direction of the form. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention is provided integrally or separately in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a printing machine, and performs predetermined processing such as sorting, stacking, binding, and saddle stitching on an image-formed sheet (recording medium). A sheet processing apparatus that performs bookbinding and discharges paper, an image forming system including the sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus, and predetermined processing such as sorting, stacking, binding, and the like on an image-formed sheet (recording medium) The present invention relates to a sheet processing method for performing saddle stitching and discharging, a computer program for executing the sheet processing method, and a recording medium storing the computer program.

  In recent years, in image forming apparatuses such as copying, faxing, and printers, there has been an increasing demand for post-processing on documents output from them, and in stapling processing, in addition to end binding that binds a predetermined number of sheets along one edge. Thus, there is an increasing demand for saddle stitching at a plurality of locations (generally, two locations) at predetermined intervals along a center line that bisects the paper. In addition, conventionally, functions such as saddle stitching and folding in relatively high-speed machines have been required for low-speed machines, and there is an increasing need to provide them at a lower price and space saving.

  Therefore, for example, in Patent Document 1, as means for performing end face binding and saddle stitching, a conveyance roller that can be pressed and separated is provided before and after the stapler, and the conveyance roller is combined with pressure and separation operations and conveyance. An invention is disclosed in which a sheet bundle is conveyed to a staple position.

Similarly, in Patent Document 2, transport rollers that can be pressed and separated in front and rear are provided before and after the stapler, and the transport of the sheet bundle to the staple position can be achieved by combining the transport rollers with pressure contact and separation. Further, there is disclosed an invention in which a folding unit is further provided on the downstream side to carry the sheet up to the folding position. In Patent Document 3, a leading edge stopper that regulates the leading edge of the sheet is provided as a saddle stitching and folding positioning method, and the leading edge stopper is moved back and forth along the transport path to move to the position of the stapling and folding means. In the invention, saddle stitching and folding are disclosed.

Furthermore, Patent Document 4 discloses an invention in which stackability is improved by shifting a bound sheet bundle.
JP-A-10-250909 JP 2001-72328 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-193162 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-263516

  However, in the invention disclosed in Patent Document 1, the conveyance is performed via the two conveyance rollers, and in order to ensure the conveyance quality (feeding accuracy and bundle misalignment accuracy) (conveyance switching between the conveyance rollers). It is difficult to ensure accuracy at the time), the control of the two transport rollers (pressure contact / separation, transport timing) becomes complicated, and a sensor for detecting the edge of the paper must be provided near each transport roller. There are drawbacks such as complicated configuration and operation.

  In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 2, the paper always passes through the conveyance roller before reaching the folding portion, and there is a possibility of wrinkles occurring in the binding portion due to squeezing by the conveyance roller. Since the transport distance also becomes long, the folding position accuracy tends to vary easily.

  In the invention disclosed in Patent Document 3, the binding position and the folding position of the sheet bundle are always determined with reference to the leading end, and the positional relationship between the two tends to vary due to the curled state or bending of the sheet. It cannot be denied that it is difficult to secure this. Thus, in order to ensure the accuracy, a sheet presser or the like for limiting the position of the sheet between the guide plates can be added, but there are drawbacks such as a complicated mechanism. Further, the leading end stopper has a drawback that the mechanism must secure a moving amount corresponding to the maximum size of the paper, and the machine becomes large (long in the transport direction).

  Furthermore, the invention disclosed in Patent Document 4 requires two motors for aligning the sheet bundle in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction), resulting in an increase in the number of parts.

  The present invention has been made in view of the actual situation of the prior art as described above, and an object of the present invention is to realize a sheet processing apparatus or an image that can achieve saddle stitching and center folding functions with a compact mechanism and is excellent in reliability and productivity. To provide a forming system at a low cost.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing method, a computer program, and a recording medium that can be operated with excellent reliability and productivity for a sheet processing apparatus or image forming system having saddle stitching and center folding functions. There is.

  In order to achieve the above object, the first means is a paper processing apparatus having a processing means for performing a predetermined process on the paper after image formation. A binding unit that performs a binding process on a sheet; a driving unit that moves the binding unit in a direction orthogonal to a conveyance direction of the sheet; and a control unit that controls the binding unit and the driving unit. The sheet or sheet bundle is sandwiched by the binding means and moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction.

  The second means is that in the first means, the control means causes the binding needle to be ejected when the binding means sandwiches the sheet bundle and moves it in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. It is characterized by not.

  The third means is characterized in that, in the first means, the control means causes the binding means to sandwich the sheet for each sheet aligning operation.

  The fourth means further comprises an aligning means for aligning the sheet bundle in the first to third means, and the control means has one bundle aligning portion parallel to the sheet conveying direction of the aligning means for the one of the sheet bundles. It is made to contact | abut on the side facing a bundle matching part.

  The fifth means further comprises a conveying means for carrying out the sheet bundle from the stacking means in the first to fourth means, and the control means does not bind the sheet bundle by the binding means. It is made to carry out from.

  The sixth means is characterized in that the first to fifth means further comprises a folding means for folding the sheet bundle.

  A seventh means is the first to sixth means, wherein the control means is less than or equal to the maximum number of stacked sheets when the number of sheets discharged without binding at one time exceeds the maximum number of stacked sheets of the stacking means. For each predetermined number of sheets, the sheet bundle is sandwiched by the binding means and moved in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction to discharge the sheet bundle, and the orthogonality is maintained until the discharge of the preset number of sheets is completed. The movement in the direction to be continued is continued without changing to the next part.

  In an eighth means according to the first to seventh means, the control means causes the binding means to wait in a paper bundle binding position in advance, and the binding means sandwiches the paper for each paper alignment operation, and the paper bundle is bound. When the number of sheets is reached, the sheet is not sandwiched after the sheet aligning operation, and the binding operation is performed.

  A ninth means is the seventh or eighth means, wherein the control means changes the amount of sheet bundle pinching according to the number of stacked sheets.

  A tenth means is characterized in that an image forming system is constituted by the sheet processing apparatus according to the first to ninth means and the image forming apparatus provided integrally or separately with the sheet processing apparatus.

  An eleventh means is a paper processing method for performing predetermined processing on paper after image formation, and stacking the paper bundles stacked in the stacking process without binding them by the binding means. And a shift step of moving the binding means in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction.

  A twelfth means is the eleventh means, in the eleventh means, when the number of sheets discharged without binding at one time in the shift step exceeds the maximum number of stacked sheets stacked in the stacking step. For each predetermined number of sheets, the sheet bundle is sandwiched by the binding means and moved in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction to discharge the sheet bundle, and the orthogonality is maintained until the discharge of the preset number of sheets is completed. The movement in the direction to be continued is continued without changing to the next part.

  The thirteenth means is characterized in that the computer program includes a procedure for executing the paper processing method according to the eleventh or twelfth means by the computer.

  A fourteenth means is characterized in that a computer program according to the thirteenth means is read by a computer and recorded on a recording medium so as to be executable.

  In the following embodiments, the stacking means is the staple tray 10, the alignment means is the jogger fence 12, the binding means is the staple unit 5, the control means is the control device 350 and the CPU 360, and the unloading means is the discharge claw 11. Correspond.

  According to the present invention, a saddle stitching and center folding function can be realized with a compact mechanism, and a sheet processing apparatus or an image forming system excellent in reliability and productivity can be provided at low cost.

  Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to operate the sheet processing apparatus or the image forming system having the saddle stitching and center folding functions with excellent reliability and productivity.

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

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sheet post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system including the sheet post-processing apparatus shown in FIG. .

  The form shown in FIG. 2 shows an outline of a system as a copying machine, and includes an image forming apparatus PR, a paper feeding apparatus PF that supplies paper to the image forming apparatus, a scanner SC for reading an image, and a circulating automatic document. It consists of a feeding device ARDF. The sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus PR is conveyed to the entrance guide plate of the finisher FR via the relay unit CU.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a printer-type system without the scanner SC and the circulation type automatic document feeder ARDF, and other configurations are the same as those of the copying machine. The sheet post-processing device indicated as the finisher FR is attached to the side portion of the image forming apparatus PR as described above, and the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus PR is guided to the paper post-processing device FR, and the rear of the paper Various post-processing are performed by the function of the processing device FR. The image forming apparatus PR may be any apparatus having a known image forming function, such as an apparatus for an electrophotographic image forming process or an apparatus having an inkjet print head. .

  In the paper post-processing apparatus FR as the paper processing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 1, the paper received from the image forming apparatus PR is a post-processing means that performs post-processing on one paper (in the embodiment, a punch unit as a punching means). 3) branch claw to an upper conveyance path B that leads to the proof tray 18, an intermediate conveyance path C that leads to the shift roller 9, and a lower conveyance path D that leads to the staple tray 10 that performs alignment and stapling. 24, the turn guide 36, the branch claw 25, and the turn guide 37. The paper transported onto the staple tray 10 by the transport rollers 33, 34, and 35 is aligned on the staple tray 10 in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction by the jogger fence 12. It is matched to the standard. Thereafter, the bundle conveyance roller 13b supported by the bundle conveyance guide plate 28 that rotates about one axis of the staple discharge roller pair 35 is moved toward the bundle conveyance roller 13a by the rotation of the bundle conveyance guide plate 28, The rear end fence 27 is retracted to the position of the broken line while holding the sheet bundle. In the case of end-face binding, stapling is performed at a predetermined position, conveyed upward by the discharge claw 11, and discharged and stacked on the discharge tray 17 by the discharge roller 15. FIG. 10 shows an outline of the drive portion of the discharge claw 11. A drive shaft 103 is connected to the timing pulley 101 on the drive side of the timing pulleys 101 and 102 around which the discharge belt 14 is wound. The driving force is obtained from the stepping motor 106 through the gear trains 104 and 105 provided on the drive shaft.

  On the other hand, in the case of saddle stitching, after the sheet bundle is aligned, the bundle is transported downward by the bundle transport roller pair 13a and 13b, and the binding process is performed at the saddle stitching position. When the saddle stitching process is completed, the bundle conveying rollers 26a and 26b carry the sheet to the folding position, the folding plate 19 and the folding roller pair 20 perform the middle folding process, and the middle folding discharge roller 22 performs the middle folding discharge. The paper is discharged onto the paper tray 23 and stacked.

  A common inlet conveyance path A upstream of the upper conveyance path B, intermediate conveyance path C, and lower conveyance path D has an inlet sensor 301 that detects a sheet received from the image forming apparatus PR, and a conveyance roller 31 downstream thereof. The punching unit 3 and the branching claw 24 and the turn guide 36 are sequentially arranged downstream thereof.

  The branching claw 24 is held in the state of the solid line in FIG. 1 by a spring (not shown). When the solenoid (not shown) is turned on, the branching claw 24 is rotated counterclockwise in the figure (in the state of the one-dot chain line). If the solenoid is OFF, the paper is distributed to the upper conveyance path B. The branching claw 25 is held in a solid line state in FIG. 1 by a spring (not shown). When the solenoid (not shown) is turned on, the branching claw 25 is rotated clockwise (in a one-dot chain line state), and the sheet is fed to the intermediate conveyance path C. Distribute. If the solenoid is OFF, the sheet is sent to the lower conveyance path D as it is and conveyed by the conveyance rollers 33 and 34. The turn guides 36 and 37 have a function of helping to sort the paper by the branch claws 24 and 25, respectively. The turn guides 36 and 37 have a function of reducing the sheet conveyance resistance at the small-diameter branching portion by being rotated by the sheet bent in the conveyance direction by the branch claws 24 and 25.

  The intermediate transport path C is provided with a shift roller 9 that can move the paper by a fixed amount in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction. The shift roller 9 exhibits a shift function by being moved in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction by a driving means (not shown). The sheet sent to the intermediate conveyance path C through the conveyance roller 32 and the turn roller 37 moves by a certain amount in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction while being conveyed by the shift roller 9, so that the sheet becomes a certain amount in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. In this state, the paper is discharged by the discharge roller 15 and stacked on the paper discharge tray 17. The timing is determined based on paper detection information of the roller shift sensor 303, paper size information, and the like.

  A staple tray discharge sensor 305 is provided in the lower transport path D, and serves as a trigger for the alignment operation when the paper is present in the transport path and the paper is discharged to the staple tray 10. The sheets sent to the conveyance path D are sequentially conveyed by the conveyance rollers 33, 34, and 35 and are aligned after being stacked on the staple tray 10.

  The trailing edge of the sheet discharged to the staple tray 10 is aligned with reference to the trailing edge fence 27. The rear end fence 27 is configured to be rotatable around the central axis of the bundle conveying roller 13a as shown in FIG. 14, and the solenoid-side end portion 27a of the rear end fence 27 is driven by the solenoid 70, The tip is retracted from the transport path. Thereby, it is comprised so that conveyance of a sheet bundle may not be prevented.

  The sheets stacked on the staple tray 10 are dropped down by the hitting roller 8 at any time and the lower ends are aligned. As shown in FIG. 4, which is a perspective view showing the mechanism around the staple tray 10 with the fulcrum 8a as the center, the tapping roller 8 is given a pendulum motion by the tapping solenoid 8s and intermittently applied to the paper fed into the staple tray 10. Acting on the rear end fence 27. The hitting roller 8 is rotated counterclockwise by the timing belt 8t in a direction in which the paper is moved to the trailing edge fence 27. The jogger fence 12 aligns the sheets stacked on the staple tray 10 in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. The jogger fence 12 is driven via a timing belt 12b by a jogger motor 12m capable of forward / reverse rotation shown in FIG. 4, and reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. By performing an operation of pressing the end face of the paper by this movement, the paper is aligned at right angles to the transport direction. This operation is performed at any time during loading of sheets and after loading of the final sheet. A sensor 306 provided in the staple tray 10 is a so-called paper detection sensor that detects the presence or absence of paper on the staple tray 10. The tapping roller 8, the rear end fence 27, and the jogger fence 12 constitute an aligning unit that aligns the sheet bundle in a direction orthogonal to a direction parallel to the sheet conveying direction.

  The bundle conveying rollers 13a, 13b and 26a, 26b can be pressurized and released by the mechanism shown in FIG. 12, and after passing the sheet bundle in the released state, pressurize and convey the sheet bundle. . The bundle conveying rollers 13a, 13b and 26a, 26b can be freely pressed and separated by a pressure release motor 63. The transport rollers 13a, 13b and 26a, 26b are rotationally driven by a stepping motor 50, a pulley 51, and a timing belt 52. By controlling the rotation speed of the stepping motor 50, the transport amount of the sheet bundle is controlled. Each of the bundle conveying rollers 13a, 13b and 26a, 26b can be independently pressed and moved apart. Since the pressure release mechanism of each bundle conveying roller is the same, the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b will be described in detail.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the bundle transport rollers 13a and 13b are connected to a drive system so that the rotation directions are opposite and rotate at the same speed. The drive is transmitted to a timing pulley 53 and a gear pulley 54 that are arranged coaxially with the bundle conveying roller 13a using the stepping motor 50 as a drive source. Further, the drive is transmitted from the gear pulley 54 via the idler pulley 55 to the timing pulley 58 that is connected by the arm 56 and coaxially with the bundle conveying roller 13b via the timing belt 57, and the bundle conveying roller 13b rotates. It will be. The arm 56 is rotatable about the gear pulley 55 and is elastically biased in a direction in which it is pressed against the sheet by a tension spring 64 provided on the shaft of the bundle conveying roller 13b. Further, a link 59 is connected to the shaft of the bundle conveying roller 13b, and a long hole 59a is provided on the other side of the link, so that it can freely rotate on a convex portion 60p provided on the circumference of the gear 60. It is fitted. A sensor 61 is provided at one end of the gear 60 for detecting the open state of the bundle conveying rollers 13 a and 13 b by the filler 60 a, and the pressure release motor 63 is rotated counterclockwise and clockwise. By driving the gear 60, pressure contact and pressure release are performed. FIG. 12A shows a pressure release state, and FIG. 12B shows a pressure contact state.

  The staple unit 5 includes a stitcher unit 5a that strikes the needle and a clincher unit 5b that bends the tip of the needle that is driven into the sheet bundle. In the staple unit 5 in the present embodiment, the stitcher 5a and the clincher 5b are configured separately, and can be moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet bundle conveying direction by the stapler moving guide 6, and the stitcher 5a and the clincher 5b are not shown. A relative positioning mechanism and a moving mechanism are provided. The stapling position in the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle is performed by conveying the sheet bundle by the bundle conveyance rollers 13a and 13b. Thus, stapling can be performed at various positions of the sheet bundle.

  The middle folding mechanism portion is located downstream of the staple unit 5 in the sheet conveyance direction (downstream side when folding the sheet, and lower side in position). This is composed of a pair of folding rollers 20, a folding plate 19, a stopper 21, and the like until the sheet bundle stapled at the center in the sheet conveying direction in the upstream staple unit 5 hits the stopper 21 by the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b. By conveying and temporarily releasing the nip pressure of the bundle conveying roller 13b, the position of the folding reference position of the sheet bundle is determined. Thereafter, the nip pressure of the bundle conveying rollers 26a and 26b is applied to hold the sheet bundle, the stopper 21 moves backward and comes off from the rear end of the sheet bundle, and the necessary distance is determined by the sheet size signal sent from the image forming apparatus main body. It is conveyed and the folding position is put out. The sheet bundle conveyed to the folding position (usually the center in the sheet bundle conveying direction) is pushed into the nip of the pair of folding rollers 20 by the folding plate 19, and the pair of folding rollers 20 presses and rotates the sheet bundle. It is folded more than that. At this time, if the paper size is large, the paper bundle is sent downstream of the stopper 21 in the paper transport direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the end of the sheet bundle is guided in the horizontal direction by curving the conveyance path downstream from the position where the stopper 21 is disposed. With this configuration, it is possible to transport a sheet even if it is a large sheet size, and it is possible to make the size of the sheet post-processing device 2 in the height direction compact.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the stopper 21 is configured to be rotatable about the central axis of the bundle conveying roller 26a, and the solenoid-side end 21a is driven by the solenoid 72 so that the tip end portion extends from the conveying path. It has a configuration to avoid. The folded sheet bundle is discharged and stacked on the half-fold discharge tray 23 by the half-fold discharge roller 22. The sensors 310 and 311 at the folded portion detect the presence or absence of paper. In addition, the sensor 313 of the half-folded paper discharge tray 23 detects the presence or absence of a paper bundle on the middle-folded paper discharge tray 23, and counts the number of paper bundles discharged from the state where there is no paper bundle. This is used to detect the fullness of the paper discharge tray 23 in a pseudo manner. The folding end stopper position detection sensor 312 detects the operation of the stopper 21 and the end position of the sheet bundle when the stopper is released.

  FIG. 16 shows the control circuit of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present embodiment together with the image forming apparatus. The control apparatus 350 is composed of a microcomputer having a CPU 360, an I / O interface 370, etc., and the main body of the image forming apparatus PR. Each switch of the control panel, etc., inlet sensor 301, upper paper discharge sensor 302, roller shift sensor 303, staple paper discharge sensor 305, staple tray paper presence sensor 306, discharge claw position detection sensor 307, paper discharge sensor 308, paper surface detection Signals from sensors such as the sensor 309, the folding unit paper presence / absence detection sensor 310, the folding roller arrangement detection sensor 311, the folding end stopper position detection sensor 312, and the paper presence / absence detection sensor 313 are input to the CPU 360 via the I / O interface 370. Is done. The CPU 360 controls various motors and solenoids based on the input signal. The punch unit 3 also performs punching according to the instruction of the CPU 360 by controlling the clutch and the motor.

  The sheet post-processing device 2 is controlled by the CPU 360 executing a program written in a ROM (not shown) while using a RAM (not shown) as a work area.

Hereinafter, an actual post-processing operation will be described using a specific post-processing mode as an example. (1) No-processing mode (proof discharge)
The paper output from the image forming apparatus 1 passes through the entrance conveyance path A, is guided to the upper conveyance path B by the first branching claw 24, is punched if necessary, and is discharged to the proof tray 18 by the paper discharge roller 7. The paper is ejected.

(2) Shift stacking mode Even when a bundle of sheets is output in units of copies, when stapling is not performed, the stacks are shifted and stacked for each unit, making it easy to understand the determination of the units. In this mode, the paper output from the image forming apparatus 1 passes through the entrance conveyance path A and is guided in the lower conveyance path D direction by the first branching claw 24. At this time, a punch hole is made at the end of the sheet by the punch unit 3 according to the user's selection. Thereafter, the sheet is guided to the intermediate conveyance path C by the second branch claw 25, conveyed while being shifted in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction by the shift roller 9, guided to the sheet discharge guide plate 16, and discharged to the sheet discharge tray 17 by the discharge roller 15. The paper is discharged and stacked. The punch residue after the punch hole is opened by the punch unit 3 is accommodated in the hopper 4.

(3) End surface binding mode The end surface binding mode is a mode in which staple binding is performed on the end surface of the sheet bundle in units of copies. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the end face binding mode.

  The paper output from the image forming apparatus passes through the entrance conveyance path A and is guided in the lower conveyance path D direction by turning on the first branching claw 24 (step S101), and drives each conveyance roller and the discharge roller 35. (Steps S102 and S103) and move along the transport path D. At this time, the stacking number counter for counting the sheets stacked on the staple tray 10 is cleared (step S105), and a punch hole is opened at the end of the sheet by the punch unit 3 according to the user's selection (step S106). Thereafter, the sheet is stacked on the staple tray 10 through the lower conveyance path D as it is. The sheets discharged to the staple tray 10 are aligned by the tapping roller 8 with the rear end fence 27 as a reference (sheet bundle is position in FIG. 4-steps S107 and S108).

  The alignment of the sheet bundle in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction is performed by the operation of narrowing the width of the sheet stacking portion of the staple tray 10 by the jogger fence 12 (position of the sheet bundle in FIG. 4-step S109). When the aligning operation is completed, the stacking number counter is counted up (step S110), and after the necessary number of sheets are stacked on the staple tray 10 (step S111), the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b hold the lower end of the sheet bundle. Then, the sheet is held (step S112), and the trailing edge fence 27 is retracted from the sheet stacking surface (step S113).

  The position of the staple unit 5 in the moving direction is first detected from the home position by the staple unit home position sensor 314 (FIG. 5) and detected from the amount of movement from the home position (the number of drive pulses of the staple unit moving stepping motor not shown). The If the edge is bound at one end and the width is larger than the A4 vertical size or the A4 vertical size (when the staple unit 5 and the trailing edge fence 27 are not in contact), the staple unit 5 waits in advance at the binding position (step) S104) After the necessary number of sheets are stacked on the staple tray 10, the stapler binding is performed at the place. When the binding position is on the opposite side of the home position of the staple unit 5 with the rear end fence 27 interposed therebetween, the rear end fence 27 is retracted before starting the first aligning operation, and the staple unit 5 is moved to the rear end fence 27. Move to the binding position in the opposite direction. Thereafter, the rear end fence 27 is returned, and after the necessary number of sheets are stacked on the staple tray 10, the stapler binding is performed at the place (see the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 17).

  When the size is narrower in the width direction than the A4 vertical size by binding at one end (in the case of the binding position where the staple unit 5 and the rear end fence 27 are in contact), the staple unit 5 is previously positioned in the A4 vertical binding position (with the staple unit 5). After the necessary number of sheets are stacked on the staple tray 10, the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b hold the lower end of the sheet bundle and hold the sheet. The end fence 27 moves backward from the sheet loading surface. Thereafter, the stitcher 5a and the clincher 5b are moved by the stapler moving guide 6 in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction while maintaining the relative position according to the size, thereby performing stapler binding. When the binding position is opposite to the home position of the staple unit 5 with the rear end fence 12 in between, the rear end fence 12 is retracted before the first alignment operation is started, and the staple unit 5 is moved to the rear end fence 12. To the standby position in the opposite direction (the nearest position on the opposite side of the home position where the staple unit 5 and the rear end fence 27 do not contact). Thereafter, the rear end fence 12 is returned, and after the necessary number of sheets are stacked on the staple tray 10, the stapler binding is performed in the same manner as described above (FIG. 7).

  In the case of binding at two end faces, the staple unit 5 waits in advance at the A4 vertical binding position (the nearest position where the staple unit 5 and the rear end fence 27 do not contact) in the same manner as the one-position binding small size described above. After the necessary number of sheets are stacked on the sheet 10, the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b hold the lower end of the sheet bundle, the rear end fence 27 moves backward from the sheet stacking surface, and the staple unit 5 moves and binds. When the two bindings are completed, the staple unit 5 moves to the opposite standby position across the rear end fence 12 with respect to the previous standby position in preparation for binding of the next bundle (FIG. 8).

  The bundle of sheets is stapled at the binding position by the staple unit 5 (normal edge binding is 5 mm in the sheet conveyance direction) (step S114). The stapler binding position in the end binding mode can be mainly selected from the front, two locations, and the back. The stitcher 5a and the clincher 5b are positioned relative to each other by the stapler moving guide 6 according to the selected binding position. The stapler binding is performed by moving in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction while maintaining the above. The staple unit 5 is divided into a stitcher 5a for punching a needle and a clincher 5b for performing a process of bending a needle penetrating the sheet bundle, and the sheet can pass between the stitcher 5a and the clincher 5b. It is a feature. Reference numerals 205 and 206 denote a pair of stays fixed between the side plates of the staple unit 5.

  When the end face binding is completed in this way, the discharge claw 11 moves in the paper discharge direction (step S115), and at the same time as coming into contact with the paper edge, the pressure contact state of the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b is released (step S116). When the binding process is completed, the paper discharge guide plate 16 is opened by a predetermined angle (step S117), and the bound sheet bundle is lifted upward by the discharge claw 11 that moves together with the discharge belt 14. The discharge claw 11 can lift the sheet bundle to the upper end of the staple tray 10 by the discharge belt 14. When the sheet bundle enters between the sheet discharge guide plates 16, the sheet discharge guide plate 16 is closed, and the sheet bundle is discharged from the discharge roller 15. (Step S118), the sheet is discharged and stacked on the discharge tray 17 (step S119). The discharge guide plate 16 can be adjusted with respect to the discharge roller according to the thickness of the sheet bundle.

  When the paper discharge is completed, the discharge roller 15 is stopped (step S119), and the discharge belt 14 is driven until the discharge position detection sensor is turned on, that is, until the discharge claw 11 is located at the home position (step S120). Stop when the position is reached (step S121). This operation is repeated from step S104 until the predetermined number of copies is completed.

  FIG. 11 shows the end face binding operation. In FIG. 11A, the rear end portion in the sheet conveyance direction and the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction are aligned (steps S107 and S108), and the required number of sheets of one sheet is aligned (step S110). From this state, as shown in FIG. 11 (b), it is inserted into the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b (step S111), and the rear end fence 27 is moved backward as shown in FIG. 11 (c) (step S112). 5 moves to the binding position, and the binding operation is performed at the binding position as shown in FIG. 11D (step S113).

(4) Saddle Stitching Mode The saddle stitching mode is a mode in which staple binding is performed at the center of the sheet bundle. FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the saddle stitching mode. In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to operations equivalent to those in the end face binding mode. In this saddle stitch binding mode, the stapling process step of step S114 in the end face binding mode is replaced with the process of steps S121 to S127. The end face binding mode is from step S101 to step S113 and from step S115 to step S122. Since this is the same as the above, overlapping explanation is omitted, and only different points will be explained.

  In step S101, the first branch claw 24 is turned on to guide in the lower conveyance path D direction. In step S111, the bundle conveyance rollers 13a and 13b add the lower end of the sheet bundle. The bundle transport rollers 13a and 13b further transport the sheet bundle downward (step S121). The sheet bundle is stopped at the binding position by the staple unit 5 (at the center of the length in the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle during saddle stitching) (steps S122 and S123), and stapled by the staple unit 5 (step S124).

  In the saddle stitching mode, the stapler usually has two binding positions. According to the binding position, the stitcher 5a and the clincher 5b are moved by the stapler moving guide 6 in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction while maintaining the relative position of each other. Then, stapler binding is performed (FIG. 9). The bundle of sheets for which the binding process has been completed is conveyed upward by the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b (step S125), and when returned to the sheet bundle alignment position (step S126), the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b are stopped (step S127). ), The paper is discharged upward by the discharge claw 11 (step S115). And the process after step S115 is performed.

(5) Saddle-stitched bookbinding (saddle-stitching / saddle-folding) mode The saddle-stitching bookbinding mode is a mode in which the central portion of a sheet bundle is stapled and folded in two at the center to perform simple bookbinding like a so-called weekly magazine. FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the saddle stitch binding mode. In the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to operations equivalent to those in the end face binding mode. In this saddle stitch binding mode, steps S101 to S113 are the same as in the end face binding mode, and therefore, a duplicate description will be omitted and only different points will be described.

  In step S101, the first branch claw 24 is turned on to be guided in the lower conveyance path D direction. In step S104, the staple unit 5 is moved to the standby position. In step S112, the bundle conveyance rollers 13a and 13b move the lower end of the sheet bundle. In addition, in step S113, the trailing edge fence 27 is retracted from the sheet stacking surface. The alignment in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle is performed by the operation of narrowing the width of the sheet stacking portion of the staple tray 10 by the jogger fence 12. At this time, similarly to the above-described two-point binding, the staple unit 5 waits in advance at the A4 vertical binding position (the nearest position where the staple unit 5 and the rear end fence 27 do not contact). After the necessary number of sheets are stacked on the staple tray 10, the bundle transport rollers 13a and 13b hold the lower end of the sheet bundle, the rear end fence 27 moves backward from the sheet stacking surface, and the staple unit 5 moves to the binding position. (Steps S131-S133).

  Next, the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b convey the sheet bundle downward (step S134). The sheet bundle is stopped at the binding position by the staple unit 5 (at the center of the length in the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle during saddle stitching) (steps S135 and S136), and stapled by the staple unit 5 (step S137).

  When the two bindings are completed, the staple unit 5 moves to the original standby position. In the saddle stitching mode, the stapler usually has two binding positions. According to the binding position, the stitcher 5a and the clincher 5b are moved by the stapler moving guide 6 in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction while maintaining the relative position of each other. Then, stapler binding is performed (FIG. 11). The bundle of sheets for which the binding process has been completed is conveyed by the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b until it further abuts against the stopper 21 (steps S138 to S139).

  The sheet bundle is once positioned by abutting the rear end position by the stopper 21 (step S139), and the center of the sheet bundle in the conveyance direction is again brought into contact with the folding plate 19 by the bundle conveyance rollers 26a and 26b. It is sent to the position (steps S140-S146). Thereafter, the folding plate 19 pushes the sheet bundle toward the nip of the pair of middle folding rollers 20 (step S147), releases the pressure applied by the bundle conveying roller 26 (step S148), and enters the nip of the middle folding roller 20. The sheet bundle is pressed between the nips by a spring force (not shown) applied to the pair of folding rollers 20 (step S149), folded in half, and discharged to the folded folding tray 23 by the folded folding roller 22 immediately thereafter. And loaded (step S150). Then, the center folding roller 20 is stopped (step S151), and the rear end fence 27 is returned to the aligned position (step S152). This operation is repeated from step S105 until the predetermined number of copies is completed.

  The operation of saddle stitching is shown in FIG. In FIG. 13A, the rear end portion in the paper transport direction and the direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction are aligned (steps S108 and S109), and the required number of sheets of one copy is aligned (step S111). From this state, as shown in FIG. 13B, the sheet is held by the bundle conveying rollers 13a and 13b (step S112), the rear end fence 27 is retracted (step S113), and the sheet bundle is moved toward the folding plate 19 (downward). Transport. Then, the sheet bundle is stopped at the center (L / 2) of the conveyance direction length of the sheet bundle, which is the binding position by the staple unit 5 and is saddle-stitched.

  As shown in FIG. 13C, the saddle-stitched sheet bundle is further conveyed downward, positioned after contacting the stopper 21 (steps S138 and S139), and then the binding position is the position of the folding plate 19 (folding). It is further conveyed until it reaches (position). Then, as shown in FIG. 13D, the sheet bundle is stopped at the position, and the folding plate 10 is protruded and pushed into the nip into the folding roller 20 (steps S147 to S149). In this way, it can be folded in half at the binding position. If the folding plate 19 is protruded at the tip of the folding plate 19 so as to come into contact with the sheet bundle, the staple is brought into contact with the folding plate 19 when the folding position is reached, so that the position accuracy of the folding position can be ensured.

(6) End face binding mode (1 place binding with shift operation))
In this mode, productivity is improved by causing the stapler to perform a shift operation in the saddle stitch binding mode.

  In the binding mode, one or two staples are stapled by the staple unit 5. FIG. 21 is a side view showing an initial state when performing end-face binding, and is supported by the rear-end fence 27 in a state where the direction perpendicular to the sheet transport direction is pressed by the jogger fence 12 on the tray 10 for stacking sheets. Yes. The stapler 5 stands by so as to sandwich the sheet bundle at the rear end of the sheet. At this time, the staple binding control is stopped halfway as shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 at the time of the first stapling when binding at one place and the second stapling when binding at two places, and the sheet bundle is sandwiched by the stapler 5. In this state, the stapler is moved in the direction opposite to the previous shift position (FIGS. 24 and 25), and after the movement, the binding is completed. Can be shifted (FIG. 26). This operation is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

The flowchart in FIG. 20 is obtained by replacing the staple control subroutine of the staple unit 5 in step S114 in the flowchart shown in FIG. 17 with the processes in steps S114-1 to S114-9. Other processing is the same as in the case of the end face binding mode in FIG.
Only the processing in steps S114-1-S114-9 will be described, and the processing in other steps will be omitted.

  When the rear end fence 27 is retracted in step S113, the staple unit 5 is moved to the binding position (step S114-1), and when the staple unit 5 reaches the binding position (step S114-2), the binding operation of the staple unit 5 is performed. Start (step S114-3). When the staple unit 5 sandwiches the sheet bundle (step S114-4), the staple unit 5 stops the binding operation (maintains the state where the sheet bundle is sandwiched) (step S114-4), and adds the bundle conveying roller 13. The pressure is turned off to allow the sheet bundle to move freely (step S114-6), and the staple unit 5 is moved to the shift position in the opposite direction to the previous shift operation (step S114-7). As a result, the sheet bundle moves to the current shift position while being held by the staple unit 5. When the movement to the shift position is completed, the pressure of the bundle conveying roller 13 is turned on to pinch the sheet bundle (step S114-8), and the staple unit 5 performs the binding operation of the sheet bundle (step S114-9). When the binding operation of the sheet bundle is completed, the discharge claw 11 is moved in the paper discharge direction (step S115), and the processes after step S116 are executed.

  As described above, when the first binding is performed at one place and the second stapling is performed at the second binding, the staple control is stopped halfway, and the stapler 5 holds the sheet bundle and the previous shift position. When the stapler 5 is moved in the opposite direction and the binding is completed after the movement, the sheet bundle can be shifted with a simple configuration when the sheet bundle is discharged to the tray.

(7) End face binding mode (with one shift operation, stapler separation drive)
In this mode (6), the end-stitched stapler 5 is used, and the staple 5 cannot be moved independently on the front and back sides of the sheet bundle, but the stapler is independent on the front and back sides of the sheet bundle. There are also formats that can be moved. When the stapler can drive the staple driving portion and the needle bending portion independently as described above, the bending portion protrudes and sandwiches the paper so that the paper can be sandwiched without driving the needle. Since the sheet bundle can be shifted by a free position (position not related to the binding position) and can be shifted by simple control, the clincher 5b and the stitcher 5a (FIG. 28) can be moved separately. This is an example of using a type of stapler.

  FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in this mode, FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a stapler of a type in which the stapler 5 can be driven independently by a needle driving portion and a needle bending portion (stitcher 5a, clincher 5b), and FIG. In this example, the protruding portion 5b ′ of the clincher 5b protrudes to hold the sheet bundle. In this example, the sheet stacking portion and the needle bending portion (stitcher 5a, clincher 5b) hold the sheet bundle.

  In the flowchart of FIG. 27, the processes of steps S114-11 to 18 are inserted between step S114 and step S115 of the flowchart shown in FIG. Since the other processes are the same as in the case of the end face binding mode of FIG. 17, only the processes of steps S114-11 to S114-18 will be described, and the processes of other steps will be omitted.

  In this mode, after the staple control of the staple unit 5 is performed in step S114, the staple unit 5 is moved to the position where the sheet bundle is sandwiched (step S114-11). Next, the clincher 5b of the staple unit is driven (Step S114-12), and the staple unit 5 performs the nipping operation of the sheet bundle (Step S114-13). When this sandwiching operation is finished, the action of the clincher 5b is stopped (step S114-14), and the press of the bundle conveying roller 13 is turned off so that the sheet bundle can be moved (step S114-15). Then, the staple unit 5 is moved to the shift position on the opposite side to the previous time (step S114-16), the pressure of the bundle conveying roller 13 is turned on to hold the sheet (step S114-17), and then the clincher 5b. Is moved back to the original position (step S114-18), and the processing after step S115 is executed.

  In this way, the bent portion (clincher 5b) protrudes to pinch the paper, so that it can be pinched at a free position as compared with the mode (6), and the paper bundle can be shifted by simple control.

(8) End face binding mode (1 place binding with shift operation)
In this mode, as shown in FIG. 30, when the bundle aligning portion (jogger fence) is positioned at a position where the sheet bundle is shifted and abuts on one side, when the sheet bundle is conveyed upward by the discharge claw 11, This is to prevent the sheet bundle from being tilted and being unable to be ejected normally.

  FIG. 31 shows a processing procedure for executing this mode. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 31, steps S114-20 to 31 are inserted between step S113 and step S115 in the flowchart shown in FIG. Since the other processes are the same as in the case of the end face binding mode of FIG. 17, only the processes in steps S114-11 to S114-31 will be described, and the processes in other steps will be omitted.

  In this mode, the staple unit 5 is moved to the binding position in step S114-20, and when the staple unit 5 is positioned in the binding position (step S114-21), the staple unit 5 performs the binding operation (step S114-22). Then, the staple unit 5 sandwiches the sheet bundle (step S114-23), and after the sandwiching is finished, the binding operation of the staple unit 5 is stopped (step S114-24). Next, the pressure of the bundle conveying roller 13 is turned off (step S114-25), the staple unit 5 is moved to the shift position opposite to the previous time, and the sheet bundle is shifted (step S114-26). The conveying roller 13 is in a pressurized state (step S114-27), and the binding operation of the staple unit 5 is resumed (step S114-28). Then, the jogger fence 12 is moved to the paper contact position (step S114-29), and the movement is stopped when the jogger fence 12 reaches the paper contact position (steps S114-30, 31), and the side surface of the paper, In other words, the guide is in a direction parallel to the paper transport direction. Thereafter, the process of step S115 is executed.

  In this way, by positioning the jogger fence 12 at a position where the sheet bundle is shifted and abuts on one side, it is possible to prevent the sheet bundle from being tilted during normal conveyance and cannot be discharged normally.

(9) Unbinding discharge mode (with shift operation, without binding, stapler separation drive)
In this mode, when discharging a bundle of sheets without binding, sorting can be performed without providing a dedicated mechanism for shifting the sheets.

  FIG. 32 shows a processing procedure for executing this mode. The flowchart shown in FIG. 32 uses a separation-type stapler, omits step S114 in the end face binding mode shown in FIG. 27, and performs steps S114-11 to S114-18 between steps S113 and S115. A process is inserted. Other processing is the same as in the case of the end face binding mode of FIGS.

  In this process, since the binding process in step S114 is not performed, sorting can be performed without providing a dedicated mechanism for shifting the paper.

(10) Saddle stitching and folding mode (with shift operation)
In this mode, the shift operation can be performed even when the saddle stitch folding is discharged.

  FIG. 33 shows a processing procedure for executing this mode. The flowchart shown in FIG. 33 uses a separation-side stapler, replaces step S132 in the saddle stitching and center folding mode shown in FIG. 19 with step S132-1, and performs step S137-1 between steps S137 and S138. Or the process of step S137-10 is inserted. Since the other processes are the same as those in the saddle stitching and center folding mode in FIG. 19, only the processes in steps S132-1, S137-1 to S137-10 will be described, and the processes in other steps will be described. Is omitted.

  In this process, the staple unit 5 is moved in step S131, and when the staple unit 5 reaches the first binding position (step S132-1), the staple unit 5 is stopped at that position (step S133). After executing the processing from S134 to step S137, the staple unit 5 is moved to the second binding position (steps S137-1, 2, 3). Then, the binding operation is started at that position (step S137-4). Further, the sheet bundle is sandwiched by the staple unit 5 (step S137-5), and the binding operation to the sheet bundle is completed (step S137-6). The pressure on the bundle conveying roller 13 is turned off (step S137-7), and the staple unit 5 is moved to the shift position opposite to the previous shift position (step S137-8). Then, the bundle conveying roller 13 is again pressed (step S137-9), and after the binding operation is resumed (step S137-10), the processing after step S138 is executed.

  By controlling in this way, the shift operation can be performed even when the saddle stitch folding is discharged.

(11) Unbound discharge mode (with shift operation, without binding, stapler separation drive, exceeding the maximum number of sheets)
In this mode, when the number of sheets to be sorted exceeds the maximum number of stacked sheets on the staple tray 10, the sheet bundle is shifted in the same direction for each sheet equal to or smaller than the maximum number of stacked sheets, and is sorted. Even when the number of copies of one copy exceeds the maximum stack number of staple trays 10, sorting can be performed.

  FIG. 34 shows a processing procedure for executing this mode. The flowchart shown in FIG. 34 replaces the process from step S111 to step S114 of the end face binding mode process of FIG. 17 with steps S141 to S156, and performs the process of step S157 after the step S122. Step S105-1 is inserted after S105. Since the other processes are the same as in the case of the end face binding mode of FIG. 17, only the processes of steps S141 to S157 and S105-1 will be described, and the processes of other steps will be omitted.

  In this process, after the stacking number counter is incremented by 1 in step S110, the stacking number counter and the remaining number counter are compared to check whether they match (step S141). And the maximum number of loaded sheets are compared (step S142). If they match, the remaining number counter is set to 0 in step S144. On the other hand, if the maximum number of stacked sheets has not been reached in step S142, the process returns to step S106. If the maximum number has been reached, the value of the remaining number counter is set to a value obtained by subtracting the maximum number of stacked sheets from the remaining number counter in step S143. To do.

  In step S145, the bundle conveying roller 13 is set in a pressurized state, the rear end fence is retracted (step S146), the staple unit 5 is moved to the sheet bundle sandwiching position (step S147), and then the staple unit 5 is driven. (Step S148) The paper is sandwiched by the clincher 5b (Steps S149 and S150). When this sandwiching operation is completed, the pressure of the bundle conveying roller 13 is turned off (step S151), and the sheet bundle can be moved. Then, it is checked whether or not sorting of the same part is being continued (step S152). If it is continuing, the staple unit 5 is placed at the same position as the previous time (step S154). (Step S153), the bundle conveying roller 13 is pressurized (Step S155), the clincher 5b of the staple unit 5 is retracted to the original position (Step S156), and the sheet bundle can be discharged. Then, the processing after step S115 is executed.

  After stopping the discharge claw 11 in step S122, the value of the remaining number counter is checked (step S157). If the remaining number is 0, the process returns to step S105 to clear the loaded number counter, and then step S105-1 Then, the number of sorts is set in the remaining number counter, and the processing from step S106 is executed. On the other hand, if the remaining number counter is not 0 in step S157, the process returns to step S106 and the subsequent processing is executed.

  By controlling in this way, it is possible to sort even when the number of sheets to be sorted exceeds the maximum stack number of staple trays 10.

(12) Edge binding mode (binding at one place, with paper bundle trailing edge pressing by stapler)
In this mode, the consistency of the sheet bundle stacked on the staple tray 10 is improved.

  As described above, the sheets stacked on the staple tray 10 are aligned by the jogger fence 12. At this time, as shown in FIG. 35, due to the deflection of the paper, the lower part of the paper may swell and deteriorate in alignment. Therefore, after the sheets are aligned by the jogger fence 12, as shown in FIG. 36, the staple unit 5 sandwiches the sheets without performing the binding operation, thereby suppressing the swelling at the bottom of the sheet.

  FIG. 37 shows a processing procedure for executing this mode. In the flowchart of FIG. 37, the process of step S107-1 is inserted after step S107 of the end face binding flowchart of FIG. 17, and the process of steps S109-1 to S109-3 is performed between the processes of step S109 and step S110. Is inserted, and the process of step S112-1 is inserted in the subsequent stage of step S112, and the other processes are the same as in the case of the end face binding mode in FIG. .

  In this process, when the paper reaches the paper hitting position in step S107, the clincher 5b of the staple unit 5 is moved to the retracted position in step S107-1, and the hitting roller control (step S108) and the jogger fence 12 are reciprocated ( Step S109) When the paper alignment is completed, the clincher 5b is driven (Step S109-1), the paper bundle is sandwiched (Steps S109-2, 3), and the stacking number counter is incremented by 1 (Step S110). Step S111 The subsequent processing is executed. Further, at the subsequent stage of step S112, the clincher 5b of the staple unit 5 is moved to the retracted position (step S112-1), and the rear end fence 27 is moved backward so that the sheet bundle can be discharged.

  As a result, until the next sheet enters the staple tray 10, the paper is nipped by the staple unit 5, and when the next sheet enters, the staple unit 5 is opened without performing the binding operation to prepare for alignment of the next sheet. Therefore, it is possible to always maintain the integrity of the paper.

(13) Edge binding mode (binding at one place, pressing the trailing edge of the stapler paper bundle, and pressing operation when binding)
This mode is intended to improve sheet bundle consistency and operating efficiency.

  In this mode, the staple unit 5 is made to wait in advance at the sheet bundle binding position, and when the sheet enters the staple tray 10, the staple unit 5 is opened and aligned by the jogger fence 12, and the sheet bundle is sandwiched by the staple unit 5. . When the final sheet to be stapled has entered, the staple unit 5 is opened, aligned with the jogger fence 12, the sheet bundle is sandwiched between the staple units 5, and the binding operation is performed without performing the opening operation. The operation time can be shortened and productivity can be improved.

  FIG. 38 shows a processing procedure for executing this mode. In the flowchart of FIG. 38, the processing of steps S109-4 and 5 is performed between step S109 and step S109-1 of the flowchart of the end face binding mode of FIG. 37, the processing of steps S110 and S111 is omitted, and step S114 is performed. The processing is performed in the preceding stage of step S112, and the other processing is the same as in the case of the end face binding mode in FIG. 37, and thus the description of the processing in other steps is omitted.

  In this process, after the jogger fence 12 is driven back and forth in step S109 to perform the sheet bundle aligning operation, the accumulated number counter is incremented by 1 (step S109-4), and the stack number counter is compared with the required number. (Step S109-5). In this comparison, if the stack number counter matches the required number, the process jumps to step S114. If not, the clincher 5b of the staple unit 5 is driven to sandwich the sheet bundle (step S109-2, 3) Return to the process of step S106.

  In step S114, the subroutine of the staple unit 5 is executed, the bundle conveying roller 13 is pressurized (step S112), the rear end fence 27 is retracted (step S113), and the processing after step S115 is executed.

  By processing in this way, it is possible to improve productivity while maintaining the consistency of the paper.

(14) Edge stitching mode (one-point stitching, pressing the trailing edge of the stapler paper bundle, and pressing amount correction based on the number of stacked sheets)
In this mode, the rear end of the sheet bundle is pressed and processed without completely pinching the sheet bundle.

  In this mode, when entering the staple tray 10, the staple unit 5 is opened, aligned by the jogger fence 12, and then the sheet bundle is sandwiched between the staple units 5. At this time, by changing the amount of sandwiching according to the number of sheets in the sheet bundle, the sheet bundle is not damaged as compared with the case in which it is completely sandwiched. In addition, the consistency can be improved when the number of sheets is small as compared with a case where a certain amount is not sandwiched.

  FIG. 39 shows a processing procedure for executing this mode. In the flowchart of FIG. 39, step S109-2a is used instead of step S109-2 of the end face binding mode of FIG. In step S109-2a, it is checked whether or not the staple unit 5 has a sheet pinching amount corresponding to the number of sheets stacked. If the pinching amount corresponds to the number of sheets (thickness), step S109-3 and subsequent steps are performed. The processing is executed. Note that the amount of sandwiching according to the number of sheets is programmed to an amount set in advance through experiments. Since other processes are the same as those in the end face binding mode of FIG. 37, the description of the processes in other steps is omitted.

  By processing in this way, the consistency can be improved when the number of sheets is small.

(15) No Binding / Folding Mode The no binding / middle folding mode is a mode in which folding processing is performed at the center without performing a binding operation on the sheet bundle. FIG. 40 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the non-binding / middle folding mode.

  This mode is equivalent to the mode in which the saddle stitching operation is deleted from the saddle stitch binding mode described in (5). Therefore, the processing from step S131 to step S137 in the saddle stitch binding mode shown in FIG. 19 is omitted, and after the trailing edge fence 27 is retracted from the sheet placement surface in step S113, the sheet bundle is immediately transported downward. Once the rear end position is abutted and positioned by the stopper 21 (steps S138, S139, S140), a folding operation is performed (steps S141-S152).

  Other operations not specifically described are the same as those in the saddle stitching mode (5).

(16) Staple unit standby position movement control, punch control, tapping roller control, staple unit control and folding plate control Here, “staple unit standby position movement control”, “moving punch control”, “tapping roller control” in each mode "," Stipple unit control "and" folding plate control "subroutines will be mentioned.

  FIG. 41 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of “move staple unit 5 to standby position” in step S104. In this process, first, the position of the stapler unit 5 is checked (step S301). If the staple unit 5 is on the opposite side of the position where the stapler unit 5 is initially stapled (step S301-Yes), the rear end is determined. The fence 27 is retracted (step S302), and if it is on the same side, the staple unit 5 is moved to the designated position side where the stapling is performed without retracting the rear end fence 27 (step S303). In step S304, the movement of the staple unit 5 is stopped (step S305). Next, if the rear end fence 27 remains at the position retracted in step S302 (step S306-Yes), the rear end fence 27 is returned to the original position (step S307). The process ends.

  FIG. 42 is a flowchart showing the punch control processing procedure in step S106. In this process, first, when the paper reaches the punch position (step S401), the presence / absence of a punch request is checked (step S402), and the punch is executed only when there is a punch request (step S403).

  FIG. 43 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure for hitting roller control in step S108. In this process, first, when the paper reaches the strike position (step S501), the strike roller 8 is driven for a predetermined time to move the paper to the rear end fence 27 side (steps S502 and S503), and the operation is stopped (step S501). S504).

  FIG. 44 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the staple unit 5 control in steps S114, S124, and S137. In this process, first, the stapler unit 5 is moved to the binding position (step S601), and when the stapler unit 5 is positioned at the designated binding position (step S602), the stapler unit 5 is stopped (step S603). Then, the stipple operation is executed (step S604). When the stipple at the designated position is completed (step S605), the stipple unit 5 is moved to the next stipple position, and when the stipple at all the stipple positions is completed, the stapler unit 5 is retracted (step S606) and the process is terminated.

  FIG. 45 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure of the folding plate 19 control in step S147. In this process, first, the folding plate 19 is moved in the nip direction of the folding roller 20 (step S701), and when the leading end of the folding plate 19 reaches the nip position of the folding roller 20 (step S702), the folding plate 19 is moved. Is stopped (step S703), and this process ends.

  Here, since the stipple is moved in the subroutine of the stipple unit 5 control, the movement operation of the stipple unit will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a view showing the position of the stipple unit 5 before entering the binding operation. The staple unit 5 stands by at a position that does not contact the rear end fence 27 and that is closest to the next binding position. This position is indicated by a solid line or a two-dot chain line.

  FIG. 8 is a view showing the position of the stipple unit 5 for binding two end faces. In the end-face binding mode, the sheet bundle is staple-bound at a binding position by the staple unit 5 (normal edge-binding is 5 mm in the sheet conveyance direction). The stapler binding position in the end binding mode can be mainly selected from the front, two locations, and the back. The stitcher 5a and the clincher 5b are positioned relative to each other by the stapler moving guide 6 according to the selected binding position. The stapler binding is performed by moving in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction while maintaining the above. At this time, in the case of a binding position where the staple unit 5 and the rear end fence 27 are in contact (small size binding in one place-FIG. 6, FIG. 7, two places binding-FIG. 8, saddle stitching-FIG. 9), The rear end fence 27 moves backward from the sheet stacking surface, and then the staple unit 5 moves in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction to perform stapler binding. This operation is the same in the case of saddle stitching shown in FIG. When the binding mode is two-point binding (end-face two-point binding and saddle stitching), the printer waits at a standby position opposite to the sheet conveyance direction for each bundle. This standby position is the position of the solid line and the two-dot chain line in FIGS. 8 and 9, and these positions alternately become standby positions. Thereby, it is possible to move to the standby position at the shortest distance from the second binding operation.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the paper post-processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the image forming system (copier form) provided with the paper post-processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the image forming system (printer form) provided with the paper post-processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the mechanism around a staple tray. It is a figure which shows the position of the rear end fence before entering binding operation, and the position of a staple unit. It is a figure which shows the position of the rear end fence in the case of large size 1 place binding, and the position of a staple unit. It is a figure which shows the position of the rear end fence in the case of 1 small size binding, and the position of a staple unit. It is a figure which shows the position of the rear end fence in the case of 2 end surface binding, and the position of a staple unit. It is a figure which shows the position of the rear end fence in the case of saddle stitching, and the position of a staple unit. It is a figure which shows the outline of the drive part of a discharge | release belt and a discharge | release nail | claw. It is a figure which shows operation | movement of an end surface binding. It is a figure which shows the contacting / separating mechanism and operation | movement of a bundle conveyance roller. It is a figure which shows the operation | movement of saddle stitching. It is a figure which shows the drive mechanism of a rear-end fence. It is a figure which shows the drive mechanism of a stopper. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a control circuit of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present embodiment together with the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of end surface binding mode. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of saddle stitching mode. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of saddle stitching and center folding mode. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of saddle stitching and center folding mode (next paper reception). FIG. 6 is a front view of a staple tray unit showing a state when binding or shifting a sheet bundle on the staple tray. FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sheet bundle is sandwiched by the stapler from the state of FIG. 21. It is a perspective view which shows the state of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state when shifting from the state of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the state when shifting to the reverse direction from the state of FIG. FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustrating a state when a shifted sheet bundle is discharged. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure when a sheet bundle is conveyed in an end face binding mode (binding at one position with a shift operation, stapler separation driving). FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state during conveyance of a sheet bundle in an end face binding mode (binding at one position with a shift operation, stapler separation driving). FIG. 29 is a diagram illustrating a state where a sheet bundle is sandwiched by a stapler after the state of FIG. 28. It is a perspective view which shows operation | movement of an end surface binding mode (1 place binding with shift operation | movement). It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of end surface binding mode (1 place binding with shift operation). It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of discharge mode without binding (with shift operation, without binding, stapler separation drive). It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of saddle stitching and center folding mode (with shift operation). It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of discharge mode without binding (with shift operation | movement, without binding, a stapler separation drive, and the maximum stacking number excess). FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an operation in an end face binding mode (single place binding, with a sheet bundle trailing edge pressing by a stapler). FIG. 36 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the rear end of the sheet bundle is pressed by the stapler after FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing procedure in an end face binding mode (single binding, with a sheet bundle trailing edge pressing by a stapler). It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of edge surface binding mode (one place binding, stapler paper bundle trailing edge pressing, binding pressing operation omitted). It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of end surface binding mode (1 place binding, staple end bundle end press, the amount correction by the number of stacked sheets). It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of a bindingless / center folding mode. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of the standby position movement of a staple unit. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of punch control. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of tapping roller control. It is a flowchart which shows the processing procedure of staple unit control. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence of folding plate control.

Explanation of symbols

2 Paper Post-Processing Device 5 Staple Units 5a and 5b Stapler 10 Staple Tray 11 Release Claw 12 Jogger Fence 19 Folding Plates 20a and 20b Middle Folding Roller 21 Stopper 26a and 26b Bundled Conveying Roller 27 Rear Edge Fence 350 Control Device 360 CPU

Claims (14)

In a paper processing apparatus having processing means for performing predetermined processing on paper after image formation,
Stacking means for stacking paper;
Binding means for performing a binding process on the paper accumulated in the accumulation means;
Drive means for moving the binding means in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction;
Control means for controlling the binding means and the driving means;
With
The sheet processing apparatus, wherein the control unit sandwiches a sheet or a bundle of sheets by the binding unit and moves the sheet or the sheet bundle in a direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction.   2. The paper according to claim 1, wherein the control unit does not perform a binding needle driving operation when the paper bundle is sandwiched by the binding unit and moved in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction. 3. Processing equipment.   2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit causes the sheet to be sandwiched by the binding unit for each sheet aligning operation.   Aligning means for aligning the sheet bundle is further provided, wherein the control means abuts one bundle aligning portion parallel to the sheet conveying direction of the aligning means on the side of the sheet bundle facing the bundle aligning portion. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   5. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an unloading unit that unloads the sheet bundle from the stacking unit, wherein the control unit unloads the sheet bundle from the stacking unit without binding the sheet bundle. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1.   6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a folding unit that folds the sheet bundle.   When the number of sheets discharged without binding at one time exceeds the maximum number of stacked sheets of the stacking unit, the control unit holds the sheet bundle by the binding unit every predetermined number of sheets equal to or less than the maximum number of stacked sheets. Then, the sheet bundle is discharged by moving it in the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and the movement in the orthogonal direction is continued without changing to the next section until the discharge of the preset number of sheets is completed. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:   The control means waits in advance at the sheet bundle binding position for the binding means, and the binding means pinches a sheet for each sheet aligning operation. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a binding operation is performed without performing the binding operation.   9. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit changes a sandwiching amount of the sheet bundle according to the number of stacked sheets. A sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
An image forming apparatus provided integrally with or separately from the sheet processing apparatus;
An image forming system comprising: In a paper processing method for performing predetermined processing on paper after image formation,
A stacking process for stacking paper;
A shift step of holding the bundle of sheets stacked in the stacking step without binding by the binding means, and moving the binding means in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper;
A paper processing method.   When the number of sheets discharged without binding at one time in the shifting step exceeds the maximum number of stacked sheets stacked in the stacking step, the binding unit performs sheet feeding every predetermined number of sheets equal to or less than the maximum stacking number. Hold the bundle and move it in the direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction to eject the paper bundle, and keep the movement in the perpendicular direction to the next part until the discharge of the preset number of sheets is completed. 12. The paper processing method according to claim 11, wherein the paper processing method is continued.   A computer program comprising a procedure for executing the paper processing method according to claim 11 or 12 on a computer. 14. A recording medium, wherein the computer program according to claim 13 is read by a computer and recorded so as to be executable.

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