JP2006044860A - Sheet processing device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To cause no buckling to a sheet sheaf when the sheet sheaf collides with a bias feed correcting plate. <P>SOLUTION: This sheet processing device B is provided with an inlet roller 30 and a rotating roller 31 capable of conveying a sheet, a sheet sheaf, or the like while holding both sides thereof; a base 80 for supporting the sheet or the like conveyed by the inlet roller 30 and the rotating roller 31; a sheet pressing device G for pressing the sheets or the like stacked on the base 80, to the base 80; a cutting edge 81 having a function of cutting the sheets or the like pressed to the base 80 by the sheet pressing device G, and a function of receiving the tips of the sheets or the like conveyed by the inlet roller 30 and the rotating roller 31; and a pressure control device F capable of adjusting the sheet holding force of the inlet roller 30 and rotating roller 31 to be weaker as the thickness of the sheet or the like is thinner. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that cuts sheets or sheet bundles, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet processing apparatus.

  2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, sheet processing apparatuses such as sorters that sort image-formed sheets that can be optionally installed in the main body of an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a laser beam printer have been developed. Moreover, this type of sheet processing apparatus has not only a sorting function but also a stapler function by a stapler that stacks, aligns, and staples sheets and sheet bundles (hereinafter collectively referred to as “sheets”). It has a punching function with a punching device that punches files for punching sheets, and after binding a sheet bundle, it is folded in half to create a booklet like a weekly magazine. There was also a case.

  Furthermore, the sheet processing apparatus may not be able to align the opening side of the sheet or the like when a folded sheet or the like is created by the bookbinding apparatus. May be provided with a sheet cutting function for trimming the edges.

  Here, a sheet cutting unit having a conventional sheet cutting function will be described. A sheet cutting unit that is widely used is configured to manually remove cutting waste such as a sheet each time by manually reciprocating a cutting blade. Also, there are some that automatically cut a sheet or the like with a cutting blade (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

  A sheet cutting unit that automatically cuts sheets and the like will be described with reference to FIG. The sheet cutting unit U conveys the sheet bundle conveyed from the bookbinding apparatus V to the conveyance unit W, the cutting unit X, and the second conveyance unit Y, and is arranged in the vicinity of the second conveyance unit Y. The sheet is abutted against the sheet correction plate Z to correct the skew during conveyance of the sheet bundle, and then the cutting unit X is operated to cut the end portion on the open side of the sheet bundle.

  The skew correction mechanism for correcting the skew of the sheet bundle will be described in detail. The skew correction mechanism includes a second conveyance unit Y that conveys a sheet bundle using belt pairs provided above and below the conveyance path, and a skew that receives the leading end of the sheet bundle disposed in the vicinity of the second conveyance unit Y. A row correction plate Z and the like are provided. The skew correction by the skew correction mechanism is performed with the leading end of the sheet bundle received by the skew correction plate Z. For this reason, the belt used in the second transport unit Y can transport the sheet bundle until the leading edge of the sheet bundle contacts the skew correction plate Z, and the leading edge of the sheet bundle is skew corrected. When it is received by the plate Z, it slides on the surface of the sheet bundle so that the leading end of the sheet bundle abuts against the skew correction plate Z with a conveying force that does not cause buckling of the sheet bundle. Μ (friction coefficient) Must have. When the sheet bundle is received by the skew feeding correction plate Z, the conveyance by the belt is stopped, and the sheet bundle is cut by the cutting unit X.

JP 2000-198613 A JP 2001-240296 A

  However, the belt of the conventional skew correction mechanism can convey the sheet bundle until the leading edge of the sheet bundle contacts the skew correction plate Z, and the leading edge of the sheet bundle is received by the skew correction plate Z. In this case, a limited specific value of μ (friction coefficient) that slides on the surface of the sheet bundle must be obtained, which increases the cost.

  In addition, since the conventional skew correction mechanism uses a belt, it becomes large, requires a large installation space, and the sheet cutting unit itself has to be enlarged.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus that prevents buckling of a sheet bundle when the sheet bundle is abutted against a skew correction plate.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus that prevents buckling of a sheet bundle when the sheet bundle is abutted against a skew feeding correction plate without using a belt as a conveying means for conveying the sheet. It is said.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image forming apparatus including a sheet processing apparatus that prevents a sheet bundle from buckling when the sheet bundle is abutted against a skew correction plate.

  In order to achieve the above object, the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention is capable of adjusting the conveying means for conveying a sheet or a sheet of a sheet bundle and the holding force for holding the sheet etc. as the thickness of the sheet etc. decreases. Holding force adjusting means.

  In order to achieve the above object, a sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveying unit having a pair of rotating bodies that can be conveyed across both sides of a sheet or a sheet of a sheet bundle, and the conveyance unit conveys the sheet. A supporting means for supporting a sheet, a pressing means for pressing the sheet or the like stacked on the supporting means against the supporting means, and a cutting blade for cutting the sheet or the like pressed against the supporting means by the pressing means And a skew correction member that receives the leading edge of the sheet or the like conveyed by the conveying means, and the clamping force with which the pair of rotating bodies clamp the sheet or the like is adjusted to be weaker as the thickness of the sheet or the like is smaller. Possible clamping force adjusting means.

  In order to achieve the above object, a sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveying unit having a pair of rotating bodies that can be conveyed across both sides of a sheet or a sheet of a sheet bundle, and the conveyance unit conveys the sheet. A supporting means for supporting a sheet, a pressing means for pressing the sheet or the like stacked on the supporting means against the supporting means, and a cutting blade for cutting the sheet or the like pressed against the supporting means by the pressing means A skew correction member for receiving the leading edge of the sheet or the like conveyed by the conveying means, and a drive of the pair of rotating bodies after the leading edge of the sheet or the like contacts the skew correction member. And an idling means for idling the rotating body.

  In the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention, the rotating body is a roller.

  In the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention, the cutting blade and the skew feeding correction member are combined.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, and a sheet processing device that cuts a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit or a sheet of a sheet bundle. , And the sheet processing apparatus is any one of the sheet processing apparatuses described above.

  In order to achieve the above object, an image forming apparatus of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, a transport unit that transports a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit, a sheet bundle, or the like, And a holding force adjusting means that can adjust the holding force for holding the sheet or the like so that the thinner the sheet or the like is, the thinner the sheet is.

  In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention can convey an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and both sides of a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit or a sheet of a sheet bundle. Conveying means having a pair of rotating bodies, supporting means for supporting the sheets and the like conveyed by the conveying means, and pressing means for pressing the sheets and the like stacked on the supporting means to the supporting means A cutting blade for cutting the sheet or the like pressed against the support means by the pressing means, a skew correction member for receiving a leading edge of the sheet or the like conveyed by the conveying means, and the pair of rotating bodies Includes a clamping force adjusting means that can adjust a clamping force for clamping the sheet or the like as the thickness of the sheet or the like is reduced.

  In order to achieve the above object, the image forming apparatus of the present invention can convey an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and both sides of a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit or a sheet of a sheet bundle. Conveying means having a pair of rotating bodies, supporting means for supporting the sheets and the like conveyed by the conveying means, and pressing means for pressing the sheets and the like stacked on the supporting means to the supporting means A cutting blade for cutting the sheet or the like pressed against the support means by the pressing means, a skew correction member for receiving the leading edge of the sheet or the like conveyed by the conveying means, and a leading end of the sheet or the like. And a slipping means for slipping the drive rotating body of the pair of rotating bodies after contacting the skew feeding correcting member.

  In the sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention, the clamping force by which the pair of rotating bodies clamps the sheet or the like is weakened as the thickness of the sheet or the like decreases by the clamping force adjusting means. The skewed sheet or the like can be straightened by being brought into contact with the correction member with almost no buckling, and the subsequent processing can be performed accurately.

  In the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention, the driving rotating body of the pair of rotating bodies can be idled after the leading edge of the sheet or the like abuts against the skew feeding correction member by the idling means. The sheet or the like can be brought into contact with the skew correction member with almost no buckling so that the skewed sheet or the like can be straightened, and the subsequent processing can be performed accurately.

  When the rotating body is a roller, the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention can be structurally simple, space-saving, and low-cost compared to a conventional apparatus that uses a belt.

  In the sheet processing apparatus of the present invention, when the cutting blade and the skew correction member are used together, the skew correction plate and the drive mechanism for retracting and appearing the skew correction plate on the conveyance path are not required, and the cost is low and the cost is reduced. A space device can be provided.

  Since the image forming apparatus of the present invention includes a sheet processing apparatus that performs processing accurately, it is possible to improve productivity without wasting a sheet due to a processing error of the sheet processing apparatus.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention is simple, space-saving, and low-cost, and is small in size and cost.

  Hereinafter, a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and an image forming apparatus including the sheet processing apparatus in an apparatus main body, for example, a copying machine will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The image forming apparatus is not limited to a copying machine. A printer, a facsimile machine, and a multifunction machine of these are also included. The recording method of the image forming apparatus of the present embodiment employs an electrophotographic method, but is not limited to this. For example, an inkjet method may be used. Further, the sheet processing apparatus of the present embodiment is connected to the side of the apparatus main body of the copying machine, but may be incorporated in the apparatus main body. Further, although the sheet processing apparatus of the present embodiment is configured to bind the sheet bundle by the stitcher unit, the sheet bundle may be bound by gluing.

(Copier)
FIG. 1 is a schematic front sectional view of, for example, a copying machine which is an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The copying machine K is configured by coupling a sheet processing apparatus B to a copying machine main body A. In addition, the sheet processing apparatus B includes a finisher unit C that can process sheets of images recorded by the copying machine main body A for each number of copies, a stitcher unit D that binds and folds a plurality of sheets, and a bound sheet. And a sheet cutting unit E for performing makeup cutting.

  The copying machine main body A is an image forming unit that optically reads a document automatically supplied from a document feeding device 1 mounted on the upper portion of the apparatus by a reading unit 2 and uses the image information as a digital signal. The image is transmitted to the forming unit 3 and the original image is copied onto a recording sheet such as plain paper or an OHP sheet. A plurality of sheet cassettes 4 for storing sheets of various sizes are provided at the bottom of the copying machine main body A.

  The copying machine main body A records an image by the electrophotographic method in the image forming unit 3 on the sheet carried out from the sheet cassette 4 by the conveying roller 5. That is, the copying machine main body A forms a latent image by irradiating the photosensitive drum 3b with laser light from the light irradiation unit 3a based on the information read by the reading unit 2, and developing the latent image on a sheet by developing the toner. Transcript. Then, the copying machine main body A conveys the sheet to the fixing device 6 and applies heat and pressure to the sheet to permanently fix the toner image. Thereafter, the copying machine main body A is fed to the sheet processing apparatus B in the single-sided recording mode for recording an image on one side of the sheet, and turned over by switchback conveyance in the double-sided recording mode for recording an image on both sides of the sheet. Then, the image is conveyed to the retransmission path 7 and again conveyed to the image forming unit 3 to form an image on the other surface. Thereafter, the copying machine main body A sends the sheet on which images are formed on both sides to the sheet processing apparatus B. Note that the sheet can be fed not only from the sheet cassette 4 but also from the multi-tray 8.

(Sheet processing equipment)
Next, a sheet processing apparatus B according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 is a schematic front sectional view of the finisher unit. FIG. 3 is a schematic front sectional view of the stitcher unit D. Note that the finisher unit C and the stitcher unit D are not the main part of the present invention, and are therefore only described to the extent outlined.

(Finisher unit C of sheet processing apparatus B)
As shown in FIG. 2, the finisher unit C in the sheet processing apparatus B performs discharge processing according to each mode such as the offset mode and the staple mode in addition to the normal discharge mode when discharging the sheet. ing. Here, in the offset mode, when the sheets are sorted and discharged for each number of copies, when the first sheet of each portion is discharged, the side guide 11 is moved by a predetermined amount in the sheet width direction (perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction). This is an operation mode in which the position of each part is normally discharged when the second and subsequent sheets of each part are discharged so that the boundary between the parts can be recognized by the first sheet whose position is shifted. It is. In the staple mode, when the sheets are sorted and discharged, the sheets are stacked and aligned on the staple tray 12, stapled by the stapler 13, bound to each number of copies, and discharged to the stack tray 18. It is a mode.

  The finisher unit C can perform two-sheet discharge control for discharging two sheets simultaneously, in addition to the normal discharge control for discharging the sheets one by one when discharging the sheets. In the two-sheet discharge control, the sheet sent from the copying machine main body A to the sheet processing apparatus B is retained in the buffer path 14 provided in the finisher unit C, and overlapped with the next discharged sheet. It is the operation control that discharges at the same time.

(Stitcher unit for sheet processing equipment)
As shown in FIG. 3, the stitcher unit D in the sheet processing apparatus B aligns the sheets discharged from the copying machine main body A in units of copies, holds the staples with a stapler 61, and folds the sheets in two. Bookbinding. An outline of the bookbinding operation will be described. The vertical path 60 of the stitcher unit D conveys the sheet discharged from the copying machine main body A to the stopper 62. The stopper 62 receives and aligns the lower end of the conveyed sheet. When a predetermined number of sheets are received in a bundle by the stopper 62, the stapler 61 is stapled at two central positions in the sheet length direction (sheet conveyance direction). Thereafter, the stopper 62 is lowered to lower the sheet bundle so that the binding position of the sheet bundle reaches the nip of the folding roller pair 78. Then, the pushing plate 79 pushes the binding position of the sheet bundle and pushes the sheet bundle into the pair of folding rollers 78. The pair of folding rollers 78 is conveyed in the discharging direction while being rotated and folded in half. In this manner, the stitcher unit D binds the sheet bundle at the center in the sheet length direction, folds it into a booklet, and conveys it to a sheet cutting unit E described later.

  Here, the folding operation of the sheet bundle by the stitcher unit D will be described with reference to FIGS. First, when the pushing plate 79 projects the center of the sheet bundle bound by the stapler 61 and pushes it into the folding roller pair 78, the folding roller pair 78 has a D portion (flat portion) as shown in FIG. ) 78f stands by at a position facing it. As shown in FIG. 4B, the pair of folding rollers 78 rotates so that the pushing plate 79 projects the sheet bundle and presses against each other before the sheet bundle reaches the folding position 77 to form a nip. After pushing the sheet bundle into the nip, the pushing plate 79 moves backward and returns to the standby position. The folding roller pair 78 continues to rotate, nipping and conveying the sheet bundle while weaving it in two, and delivering it to the sheet cutting unit E (FIG. 5A). At this time, since the inclined portion (arc portion) 78g is formed at the boundary between the round portion (arc-shaped portion) 78e and the D portion (flat portion) 78f, which are the circumference of the pair of folding rollers 78, Since the pressure applied to the roller pair 78 is gradually released, sudden load fluctuations can be avoided and impact noise can be reduced. After the D home sensor (not shown) detects the D portion (flat portion) 78f, the folding roller pair 78 stops rotating at the standby position where the D portion (flat portion) 78f of the folding roller pair 78 is opposed (see FIG. 5 (b)).

  As shown in FIG. 5B, when the folding roller pair 78 is nipped and conveyed between the entrance roller 30 and the rotary roller 31 in the sheet cutting unit E, the D roller (flat portion) 78f is opposed to the folding roller pair 78. Therefore, the conveying force of the folding roller pair 78 disappears. Instead, the entrance roller 30 conveys the sheet bundle P. As a result, the skew correction before the sheet bundle is cut is performed.

(Sheet cutting unit of sheet processing equipment)
A sheet cutting unit E in the sheet processing apparatus B will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 6 to 9. As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet cutting unit E is provided downstream of the folding roller pair 78. The sheet cutting unit E includes, for example, an entrance roller 30 that is a conveying unit, a pressure control device F that is a clamping force adjusting unit, an entrance sensor 38, a sheet pressing unit G that is a pressing unit, a cutting unit H, and the like. .

  The entrance roller 30 sandwiches and conveys the sheet bundle P carried by the pair of folding rollers 78 with the rotary roller 31. The pressure control device F has a rotating roller 31 and is provided at a position facing the entrance roller 30. The entrance sensor 38 detects the leading edge of the sheet bundle P, and in cooperation with the CPU 101 shown in FIG. 12, controls the skew correction operation of the sheet bundle P and performs stop control for stopping the sheet bundle at a predetermined cutting position. It is like that. The sheet pressing device G is configured to reliably press the sheet bundle P stopped at a predetermined cutting position to, for example, a base 80 that is a support means. The cutting device H includes a cutting blade 81 that cuts the sheet bundle P, and cuts the sheet bundle. The entrance roller 30 and the rotating roller 31 are an example of a pair of rotating bodies, and the entrance roller 30 is an example of a driving rotating body.

  The open / close guide 39 is configured to drop sheet cutting waste generated after cutting. The dust box 40 is configured to receive sheet cutting waste. The bulge suppressing roller pair 42 is configured to suppress bulging before the sheet bundle P is cut. Further, the bulge suppressing roller pair 42 conveys and discharges the cut sheet bundle P and stacks it on the stack tray 49.

  The cutting device H of the sheet cutting unit E will be described. FIG. 6 is a view of the cutting device H as seen from the conveyance direction. The cutting blade 81 for cutting the sheet bundle P is plate-shaped and has a blade surface only on one side. The length of the cutting blade 81 is longer than the maximum sheet width to be cut. That is, since the cutting blade 81 moves in the longitudinal direction, it always has a length to be placed on the sheet bundle P. For example, the length of the cutting blade 81 needs to be A4 sheet width ((297 mm) + length equal to or longer than the moving distance of the cutting blade 81) when the maximum sheet width is obtained when the longitudinal direction of A4 is cut. When the cutting blade 81 cuts the sheet, the cutting is performed while reciprocating in parallel with the cut surface. A similar movement is when a tree is cut with a saw.

  The cutting blade 81 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction by the following longitudinal drive mechanism. The cutting blade 81 is fixed to a translation member 82 that can slide only parallel to the cut surface of the bound sheet bundle P. The translation member 82 is formed with butts 84a and 84b. The parallel moving member 82 is supported by rollers 83a and 83b on the vertical moving member 88 via abutments 84a and 84b. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 7, the cutting blade 81 and the parallel moving member 82 move only in parallel to the cut surface by guidance with the abutments 84a and 84b and 83a and 83b. The parallel movement is performed by a horizontal motor 85. The rotation of the horizontal motor 85 is converted into a reciprocating motion of the translation member 82 by engagement between the roller 100 on the rotation cam 86 and a rotation receiver 87 which is a vertically long hole formed in the translation member 82. The speed of the reciprocating motion can be changed by providing an encoder in the horizontal motor 85.

  The cutting blade 81 and the translation member 82 are moved in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle P by a vertical movement member 88. The vertical moving member 88 is moved (lifted / lowered) in the vertical direction by the engagement guide between the pins 102 on the vertical moving member 88 and the long grooves 89c and 89d of the columns 89a and 89b erected on the base 80. ing. The amount of movement of the vertical moving member 88 in the vertical direction is restricted by the pin 102 and the long grooves 89c and 89d. The vertical moving member 88 includes rollers 83 a and 83 b that support the parallel moving member 82. For this reason, when the vertical moving member 88 moves up and down, the parallel moving member 82 and the cutting blade 81 move in the vertical direction with respect to the sheet bundle. Further, tension springs 90a and 90b are provided between the vertical moving member 88 and the support columns 89a and 89b. The cutting blade 81 is always urged downward by the tension springs 90a and 90b. By these mechanisms, the cutting blade 81 cuts the sheet bundle by reciprocating while moving in the sheet bundle thickness direction.

  The vertical movement member 88 is provided with a blade position flag 97b. Further, the support 89a is provided with a blade position sensor 97a for detecting the blade position flag 97a. The blade position flag 97a and the blade position sensor 97a constitute a detection mechanism that detects that the cutting blade 81 has reached a predetermined position from a mat 91 described later. A mat 91 as a receiving member is disposed below the cutting blade 81 of the base 80 for the purpose of preventing the cutting blade 81 from being damaged. The material of the mat 91 is preferably a soft material, and rubber, mold, urethane or the like is used. Further, the mat 91 is formed in a roller shape, and the cutting waste after cutting is rotated and dropped into the dust box 40 (see FIG. 9). Further, when the cutting blade 81 comes into contact with the mat 91 many times so that the trace of the cutting blade 81 is formed as a groove in the mat 91, the lowest sheet of the sheet bundle (a sheet that is in direct contact with the mat 91). There is a problem that the cut surface of the surface becomes tattered or cannot be cut. However, since the mat 91 is formed in a roller shape, the mat 91 is slightly rotated before the groove is formed in the mat 91 so that the position where the cutting blade 81 contacts is shifted so that the groove is not formed. This ensures that the lowest sheet can be cut. Further, since the mat 91 is slightly rotated before the grooves are formed in the mat 91, the mat 91 can be used for a long period of time with minimal damage to the mat 91.

  Next, the sheet pressing device G that reliably presses the sheet bundle against the base 80 when the sheet bundle is cut will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic front sectional view of the sheet pressing device G. The cam 94 shown in FIG. 8A is rotated by the vertical motor 99, and the bracket 95 is lowered by operating the link 95, and the sheet presser 98 is also lowered. Even after the sheet presser 98 abuts against the sheet bundle, the bookbinding sheet bundle P is pressed against the base 80 by the elastic force of the sheet presser spring 96 by the rotation of the vertical motor 99. In this mechanism, as shown in FIG. 8B, when the sheet presser 98 is raised, the bracket 103 hits the abutting portion 88 a of the vertical moving member 88, and the cutting blade 81 is moved through the vertical moving member 88. It also serves as a mechanism for increasing the thickness of P.

  Next, the configuration of the skew correction device Q that corrects the skew of the sheet bundle P before cutting the sheet bundle will be described. FIG. 9 is a longitudinal front view of the skew feeding correction apparatus. The skew correction device Q includes an entrance roller 30, a pressure control device F, a cutting blade 81, and the like. The entrance roller 30 is configured to carry the sheet bundle P conveyed from the folding roller pair 78 of the stitcher unit D into the sheet cutting unit E with a rotary roller 31 described later. Above the entrance roller 30, a rotating roller 31, a rotating roller holder 32 that supports the rotation of the rotating roller 31, a rotating roller spring 33, and a rotating arm 34 are provided. The rotation arm 34 is configured to rotate about a rotation shaft 35. The rotating arm 34 rotates in the direction of the up and down arrows in FIG. 9 to expand and contract the rotating roller spring 33, thereby changing the vertical drag by the rotating roller 31, and the entrance roller 30 and the rotating roller 31 change the sheet. The conveying force for conveying the bundle P is changed. The mechanism for rotating the rotation arm 34 is configured to rotate by rotating a rotation gear 36 meshed with a rack 34 a of the rotation arm 34 by a rotation motor 37.

  When the sheet bundle P sandwiched and conveyed between the entrance roller 30 and the rotary roller 31 is skewed by the leading end of the sheet bundle P hitting the cutting blade 81, the leading end is parallel to the cutting blade 81. And the skew is corrected. An entrance sensor 38 is provided in the vicinity of the entrance roller 30. The entrance sensor 38 detects the leading end of the sheet bundle P, controls the skew correction operation of the sheet bundle P in cooperation with the CPU 101, and stops the sheet bundle at a predetermined cutting position. . The open / close guide 39 can be rotated by an open / close solenoid 41 (see FIG. 12). The open / close guide 39 is normally in the position indicated by the solid line and supports the sheet bundle P to be conveyed. However, when the cutting apparatus H performs the cutting operation, the opening / closing guide 39 is rotated to the position indicated by the dotted line and is generated by cutting. The cutting waste is dropped into the dust box 40. The cutting blade 81 is an example of a skew feeding correction member because it receives the leading end of the sheet bundle as described above.

  The bulge-suppressing roller pair 42 is configured to suppress the bulge of the sheet bundle P when the sheet bundle is conveyed to the cutting position after the skew correction. The reason why the swelling of the sheet bundle P is reduced is to prevent the position of the rear end portion to be cut from being out of order. The upper roller of the bulge suppressing roller pair 42 is biased downward by a spring 104. The bulge suppressing roller pair 42 meshes with gears 43a and 43b provided on the shafts of the upper and lower rollers, and further has a pulley portion on which the belt 44 is hung on the lower gear 43b. The belt 44 is hung on the transport gear 45. The conveyance gear 45 meshes with a gear provided in the conveyance motor 46, and receives the rotational force of the conveyance motor 46 to rotate the bulge-reducing roller pair 42 via the bell and 44. Further, the rotational force of the transport motor 46 is also transmitted to the entrance gear 48 provided on the shaft of the entrance roller 30 via the transport gear 45 and the belt 47, and the entrance roller 30 is also rotated by the transport motor 46. ing. The stack tray 49 is configured to receive the sheet bundle P conveyed and discharged by the bulge suppressing roller pair 42 after the cutting process is completed. The presence / absence sensor 50 detects whether or not a sheet bundle is stacked on the stack tray 49.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit of the sheet cutting unit E in the sheet processing apparatus B. The CPU 101 has a ROM 105 therein, and the ROM 105 stores programs corresponding to control procedures shown in FIGS. The CPU 101 performs control while reading this control program. The CPU also has a RAM 106 in which work data and input data are stored, and the CPU 101 performs control with reference to data stored in the RAM 106 based on the above-described program.

  Further, an input port of the CPU 101 includes an entrance sensor 38 for detecting the leading end of the sheet bundle P discharged from the pair of folding rollers 78, a blade position sensor 97a for detecting the approach of the cutting blade 81 to the mat 91, and a stack tray 49 The presence / absence sensor 50 for detecting the presence / absence of a sheet and the CPU 110 of the sheet processing apparatus B are connected. The CPU 101, based on these various sensors and various signals from the CPU 110 of the sheet processing apparatus B, according to the above-mentioned program, a rotation motor 37 that rotates the rotation gear 36 connected to the output port, and an opening / closing guide. 39, an opening / closing solenoid 41 for opening / closing operation 39, a conveying motor 46 for rotating the bulge-pressing roller pair 42 and the entrance roller 30, a horizontal motor 85 for moving the cutting blade 81 and the parallel moving member 82 in the horizontal direction, and a mat 91 are rotated. Each load such as a vertical motor 99 for raising and lowering the mat motor 92 and the sheet presser 96 and raising the cutting blade 81 is controlled.

  Next, the operation of the sheet processing apparatus when the cutting process mode according to the present invention is selected will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 1 to 12 and FIGS.

  The vertical path 60 of the stitcher unit D conveys the sheet discharged from the discharge roller 9 of the image forming apparatus A to the stopper 62. The stopper 62 receives and aligns the lower end of the conveyed sheet. When a predetermined number of sheets are received in a bundle by the stopper 62, the stapler 61 is stapled at two central positions in the sheet length direction (sheet conveyance direction). Thereafter, the stopper 62 is lowered to lower the sheet bundle so that the binding position of the sheet bundle reaches the nip of the folding roller pair 78. Then, the pushing plate 79 pushes the binding position of the sheet bundle and pushes the sheet bundle into the pair of folding rollers 78. The pair of folding rollers 78 is conveyed in the discharging direction while being rotated and folded in half. In this manner, the stitcher unit D binds the sheet bundle at the center in the sheet length direction, folds it into a booklet, and conveys it to a sheet cutting unit E described later.

  Here, the CPU 101 rotates the rotation motor 37 in order to set the pinching force for sandwiching the folded sheet bundle between the rotating roller 31 and the entrance roller 30 to an optimum sandwiching pressure according to the thickness of the sheet bundle. Control (S101). Note that the clamping pressure is adjusted substantially in proportion to the thickness of the sheet bundle. This clamping pressure will be described later in detail.

  Next, the CPU 101 controls the rotation of the vertical motor 99 (S102), and lowers the bracket 103 that receives the vertical moving member 88 including the cutting blade 81. As the bracket 103 is lowered, the cutting blade 81 is pulled down by the tension springs 90a and 90b (S103) and received by the mat 91. The lowering of the cutting blade 81 is detected by the blade position sensor 97a (S104). The CPU 101 stops the detection vertical motor 99 by the detection operation of the blade position sensor 97a (S105). As a result, the cutting blade 81 remains received by the mat 91.

  The CPU 101 starts the conveyance motor 46 and rotates the entrance roller 30 (S106). At this time, the sheet bundle is fed between the entrance roller 30 and the rotary roller 31 with the folded portion being the head, and the entrance roller 30 and the rotary roller 31 convey the sheet bundle toward the cutting blade 81. To do. The entrance roller 30 starts rotating before the sheet bundle P is carried in. For example, the entrance roller 30 may start rotating in synchronization with the folding roller pair 78 starting to rotate in order to fold the sheet bundle in two. Further, since the folding roller pair 78 is stopped by facing the D portion (flat portion) 78f, there is no force for conveying the sheet bundle of the folding roller pair 78, but instead only by the conveying force of the entrance roller 30. Then, the conveyance of the sheet bundle P is continued (see FIGS. 5B and 9).

  Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9, when the entrance sensor 38 detects the leading end of the sheet bundle P (S107), the feed amount α is set to the feed amount that abuts against the cutting blade 81 that has been lowered to the mat 91 in advance. The sheet bundle is conveyed by the added amount (S108). By conveying the sheet bundle P by an extra amount α, when the sheet bundle is skewed, the skew can be corrected.

  The skew correction mechanism will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a plan view of the entrance roller 30 and the cutting blade 81 that perform skew correction. Assume that the sheet bundle P sandwiched between the entrance roller 30 and the rotary roller 31 and conveyed is skewed as shown in FIG. As a result of experiments conducted by the inventor, the skew feeding amount of the sheet bundle P discharged from the folding roller pair 78 is about 5 mm to about 6 mm at the maximum. The tip X portion of the sheet bundle P first strikes the cutting blade 81. Here, the entrance roller 30 has rubber portions at two locations 30a and 30b, and the rotary roller 31, the rotary roller holder 32, and the rotary roller spring 33 are also provided at two locations so as to be paired therewith. Since there is, continue the conveyance as it is. The rubber part 30a side close to the tip X part slips with respect to the surface of the sheet bundle P. The rubber part 30b side close to the tip Y part that does not abut against the cutting blade 81 continues to convey the sheet bundle P as it is. As a result, the front end Y of the sheet bundle P rotates around the front end X in the direction of the arrow A in the figure, hits the cutting blade 81, and the front end of the sheet is aligned in parallel with the cutting blade 81.

  After that, the entrance roller 30 is still somewhat rotated, but the rubber portions 30a and 30b of the entrance roller 30 slide with the surface of the sheet bundle P, so that the sheet bundle P is in a state in which the skew correction is performed. Retained. Then, the CPU 101 stops the rotation of the conveyance motor 46, temporarily stops the entrance roller 30, and stops conveyance of the sheet bundle P (S109). Incidentally, when the sheet bundle P is skew-corrected, the leading edge of the sheet bundle moves between the entrance roller 30 and the cutting blade 81 by nipping and conveying the sheet bundle P by the entrance roller 30 and the rotary roller 31. Since the folding roller pair 78 is stopped with the D portion (flat portion) 78f of the folding roller pair 78 facing the sheet bundle (see FIG. 9), the sheet bundle is influenced by the conveying force of the folding roller pair 78. The skew correction will be performed without receiving.

  In addition, when the sheet bundle is skew-corrected, the feed amount for α added to the feed amount that the entrance roller 30 conveys until the sheet bundle P hits the cutting blade 81 is a folding roller according to the results of experiments conducted by the present inventors. In consideration of the skew amount of the sheet bundle as it comes out of the pair 78 and the amount by which the entrance roller 30 slips with respect to the sheet bundle during conveyance, about 10 mm to about 20 mm is necessary. However, this value needs to be changed as appropriate depending on the material of the corresponding sheet bundle and the corresponding stitcher unit D. Further, the sheet bundle P has different waist strengths depending on the number of sheets to be bound. For example, a large number of sheets are strong and a small number of sheets are weak. For this reason, when the entrance roller 30 transports the sheet bundle P with its leading edge abutted against the cutting blade 81 during the skew feeding correction operation, the sheet bundle is larger than the sheet transport force of the entrance roller 30 in many sheets. Therefore, the entrance roller 30 slides on the surface of the sheet bundle P without causing deformation of the sheet bundle, and skew correction processing can be performed. However, in the case of a small number of sheets, since the waist of the sheet bundle is weaker than the sheet conveying force, the sheet bundle P is not slipped between the entrance roller 30 and the surface of the sheet bundle P as shown in FIG. , Buckling may occur and skew correction may not be performed.

  Therefore, as described in S101, when the number of sheet bundles P is a small number, the CPU 101 controls the rotation of the rotation motor 37 of the pressure control device F provided above the entrance roller 30 to rotate. The arm 34 is moved in the upward arrow direction in FIG. 11 and the rotary roller spring 33 is extended. As a result, the pressing force by the rotating roller 31 is reduced, the clamping force by the rotating roller 31 and the entrance roller 30 is also reduced, and the conveying force for conveying the sheet bundle P is reduced. As a result, even if the number of sheets in the sheet bundle is small, the conveying force by the rotating roller 31 and the entrance roller 30 can be made weaker than the waist strength of the sheet bundle, causing the sheet bundle P to buckle. Without this, the entrance roller 30 can slide with respect to the surface of the sheet bundle P, and skew correction can be performed.

  Even if the mechanism for changing the sheet conveying force is merely configured by the relationship between the thickness of the rotating roller spring 33 and the sheet bundle without using the pressure control device F, the spring constant of the rotating roller spring 33 is increased. In addition, since the thickness of a small number of sheets and a large number of sheets in the sheet bundle are only about a few millimeters, it may be difficult to adjust mechanically.

  When the skew correction of the sheet bundle is completed, the CPU 101 starts the vertical motor 99 to raise the bracket 103 and raise the cutting blade 81 (S110). Then, the CPU 101 restarts the conveyance motor 46 to rotate the entrance roller 30 and the bulge suppressing roller pair 42 to carry the sheet bundle P that has been stopped once into the sheet cutting unit E (S111). . The pair of bulge-suppressing rollers 42 presses the bulge of the sheet bundle P that influences the cutting while holding and conveying the sheet bundle P, and leveling up to the cutting position based on the detection signal of the entrance sensor 38 in S106. It is transported and stopped (S113).

  The CPU 101 controls the vertical motor 99 to press the sheet bundle P with the sheet presser 98 shown in FIG. 8 (S114). Following the sheet presser 98, the vertical moving member 88 and the cutting blade 81 are lowered by the pulling force of the tension springs 90a and 90b (S115). The cutting blade 81 contacts the sheet bundle P (S116). When the sheet presser 98 presses the sheet bundle P, the rotation of the vertical motor 99 stops (S117). Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the horizontal motor 85 rotates in one direction (S118), and the rotating cam 86 is rotated. By the engagement between the roller 100 provided on the rotary cam 86 and the rotary receiver 87, the rotary motion of the horizontal motor 85 is converted into a linear reciprocating motion, and the cutting blade 81 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction of the blade.

  At this time, the stroke of the cutting blade 81 is determined by the distance from the center of the rotating cam 86 to the roller 100. When the cutting blade 81 reciprocates in the direction parallel to the sheet surface, the sheet bundle P is cut, and along with this, the cutting blade 81 is pulled by the tension springs 90a and 90b, and moves (lowers) in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle P. (S119). That is, the moving amount of the cutting blade 81 in the sheet thickness direction is the thickness of the cut sheet. The vertical movement member 88 is provided with a blade position flag 97b, and the support 89a is provided with a blade position sensor 97a for detecting this. The blade position flag 97b and the blade position sensor 97a constitute detection means for detecting that the cutting blade 81 has reached a predetermined distance from the mat 91. For example, assuming that the cutting blade 81 is set to be 1 mm above the mat 91 when the blade position sensor 97a detects the blade position flag 97b (S120), assuming that the thickness of the sheet is 0.1 mm, It is necessary to cut about 10 sheets from the detection. Here, if the cutting blade 81 can cut six sheets in one reciprocation, the reciprocating operation is terminated at the time of two reciprocations from the detection (after a predetermined time). Thus, by operating the cutting blade 81, the number of times the mat 91 and the cutting blade 81 are rubbed immediately after the cutting blade 81 cuts the sheet bundle P can be minimized. The cutting blade 81 and the mat 91 can be used for a long period of time. At the end of cutting the sheet bundle P, the rotation of the horizontal motor 85 is stopped (S121).

  Thereafter, the CPU 101 restarts the vertical motor 88 (S122), raises the sheet presser 98, and releases the press of the sheet bundle by the sheet presser 98. As the sheet presser 98 rises, the cutting blade 81 also rises, and the cutting blade 81 moves away from the mat 91 (S123). Sheet cutting waste generated after cutting remains on the open / close guide 39 and the mat 91. The CPU 101 excites the open / close solenoid 41 to rotate the open / close guide 39 to the position indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 9, and also drives the mat motor 92 to rotate the mat 91 connected thereto through gears and the like. As a result, the sheet cutting waste is forcibly dropped into the dust box 40 (S124). Thereafter, the CPU 101 restarts the transport motor 46. The pair of swelling suppression rollers 42 rotates, and the sheet bundle P after the cutting process is conveyed to the stack tray 49 and discharged (S125). The CPU 101 confirms the subsequent sheet bundle presence / absence signal from the CPU of the sheet processing apparatus B (S126). If there is a subsequent sheet bundle, the CPU 101 returns to the processing of S101 to correct and cut the skew of the subsequent sheet bundle. Process. If there is no subsequent sheet bundle, the process ends.

(Sheet processing apparatus according to another embodiment)
In the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment described above, when the sheet bundle is abutted against the cutting blade 81 and skew correction is performed, the pressure control device F causes the sheet to be formed by the rotating roller 31 and, for example, the entrance roller 30 as a driving rotating body. The bundle clamping pressure is adjusted so that the entrance roller 30 does not slide and buckle against the sheet bundle. Instead of the pressure control device F, the shaft 30c of the entrance roller 30 shown in FIG. For example, a torque limiter 30d as an idling means is provided between the rubber part 30a and the rubber part 30b, and the rotary roller 31 is pressed against the entrance roller 30 by the rotary roller spring so that the leading end of the sheet bundle contacts the cutting blade 81. Thereafter, the rotation of the rubber portions 30a and 30b may be stopped, and the shaft 30c may be idled so that the sheet bundle does not buckle. Even in this case, the same effect as that provided by the pressure control device F can be obtained. The torque limiter 30d is configured to idle the rubber portions 30a and 30b when a load greater than a predetermined value is applied to the rubber portions 30a and 30b.

  The cutting blade descends while reciprocating in the horizontal direction to cut the sheet bundle, but as shown in FIG. 15, the cutting blade 81 reciprocates in the horizontal direction with respect to the surface of the sheet bundle. The sheet bundle may be cut (moved down) in the substantially vertical direction without moving, and the sheet bundle is cut like a guillotine. In the above embodiment, the cutting blade 81 is also used as a skew correction member that receives the leading end of the sheet bundle, but the skew correction member may be provided separately.

  In the sheet processing apparatus B according to the present embodiment described above, the clamping force by which the pair of rotating bodies, for example, the entrance roller 30 and the rotating roller 31 clamp the sheet bundle is clamped by, for example, the pressure controller F that is the clamping force adjusting unit. Since the thinner the sheet bundle, the weaker the sheet bundle, the sheet bundle is brought into contact with the skew feeding correction member, for example, the cutting blade with almost no buckling, and the skewed sheet is straightened. Thus, the subsequent processing can be performed accurately.

  The sheet processing apparatus B according to the present embodiment can idle the entrance roller of the entrance roller 30 and the rotary roller 31 after the leading end of the sheet bundle comes into contact with the cutting blade by, for example, a torque limiter which is an idling means. Since the sheet bundle is brought into contact with the cutting blade with almost no buckling, the skewed sheet or the like can be straightened and the subsequent processing can be performed accurately. It is like that.

  Since the sheet processing apparatus B of this embodiment is a roller as a rotating body, it is structurally simple, space-saving, and low-cost compared to a conventional apparatus using a belt. Be able to. Note that the rotating body does not need to be a roller when only considering that the sheet bundle can be brought into contact with the cutting blade with almost no buckling as described above and skewing can be straightened. It may be a belt.

  Since the sheet processing apparatus B of the present embodiment also serves as a cutting blade and a skew correction member, a skew correction plate and a drive mechanism for retracting and appearing the skew correction plate on the conveyance path are not necessary. A low-cost and space-saving device can be realized.

  Since the copier K of the present embodiment includes the sheet processing apparatus B that performs processing accurately, sheets due to processing errors of the sheet processing apparatus B are not wasted, and productivity can be improved.

  The copying machine K of the present embodiment is structurally simple, space-saving, and includes the low-cost sheet processing apparatus B, so that it can be reduced in size and cost.

1 is a schematic front cross-sectional view of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, for example, a copying machine. It is a schematic front sectional view of a finisher unit. It is a schematic front sectional view of a stitcher unit. It is a figure for demonstrating folding operation | movement of the sheet bundle by a stitcher unit. FIG. 6A is a state diagram before a sheet bundle is folded in half. FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating a state in which the sheet bundle is pushed into the pair of folding rollers with the pushing plate. FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a sheet bundle folding operation by the stitcher unit following FIG. 4. (A) It is a figure of the state which is conveying the sheet | seat bundle with a folding roller pair, an entrance roller, and a rotating roller. (B) It is a figure of the state which is conveying the sheet | seat bundle with an entrance roller and a rotating roller. It is the figure which looked at the cutting apparatus from the sheet conveyance direction. It is a figure for operation | movement description of a cutting device. (A) It is a state diagram in which the cutting blade is located on the right side and starts cutting the sheet bundle. (B) It is a state figure in the middle of the cutting blade moving from right to left. (C) It is the state figure which the cutting blade moved to the left side. It is a schematic front sectional view of the sheet pressing device. (A) It is a state figure before pressing a sheet bundle with a sheet press and starting cutting a sheet bundle with a cutting blade. (B) It is a figure of the state which the cutting blade rose after cutting a sheet bundle. It is a vertical front view of a skew feeding correction device. It is a top view of an entrance roller, a cutting blade, etc. which perform skew feeding correction. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which buckling occurs in the sheet bundle before slippage occurs between the entrance roller and the surface of the sheet bundle. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit of a sheet cutting unit in the sheet processing apparatus. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the sheet processing apparatus. It is a flowchart following FIG. It is a figure which shows the other cutting state by a cutting blade. It is a figure for demonstrating the conventional sheet cutting process mechanism.

Explanation of symbols

P Sheet bundle A Copier body (image forming device body)
B Sheet processing device C Finisher unit D Stitcher unit E Sheet cutting unit (sheet processing device)
F pressure control device (holding force adjusting means)
G Sheet holding device H Cutting device K Copying machine (image forming device)
Q skew correction device 1 document feeding device 3 image forming unit (image forming means)
30 Entrance roller (conveying means, a pair of rotating bodies, a driving rotating body)
30a Rubber part 30b Rubber part 30c Shaft 30d Torque limiter (idling means)
31 Rotating rollers (conveying means, a pair of rotating bodies)
33 Rotating roller spring 34 Rotating arm 34a Rack 35 Rotating shaft 36 Rotating gear 37 Rotating motor 61 Stapler 80 Base (support means)
81 Cutting blade (skew correction member)
82 Translation member 88 Vertical movement member 110 CPU of sheet processing apparatus B

Claims (9)

Conveying means for conveying sheets or sheets of sheet bundles;
A clamping force adjusting means capable of adjusting the clamping force for clamping the sheet or the like so that the thinner the thickness of the sheet or the like is,
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: A conveying means having a pair of rotating bodies that can be conveyed across both sides of a sheet or a sheet of a sheet bundle;
Support means for supporting the sheet and the like conveyed by the conveyance means;
Presser means for pressing the sheets and the like stacked on the support means against the support means;
A cutting blade for cutting the sheet or the like pressed against the supporting means by the pressing means;
A skew correction member for receiving the leading edge of the sheet or the like conveyed by the conveying means;
A clamping force adjusting means capable of adjusting the clamping force with which the pair of rotating bodies clamp the sheet or the like as the thickness of the sheet or the like is reduced; and
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: A conveying means having a pair of rotating bodies that can be conveyed across both sides of a sheet or a sheet of a sheet bundle;
Support means for supporting the sheet and the like conveyed by the conveyance means;
Presser means for pressing the sheets and the like stacked on the support means against the support means;
A cutting blade for cutting the sheet or the like pressed against the supporting means by the pressing means;
A skew correction member for receiving the leading edge of the sheet or the like conveyed by the conveying means;
An idling means for idling a drive rotator among the pair of rotators after a leading end of the sheet or the like abuts the skew correction member;
A sheet processing apparatus comprising:   The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the rotating body is a roller.   The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the cutting blade and the skew feeding correction member are combined. Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
A sheet processing apparatus for cutting a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit or a sheet of a sheet bundle, and the like,
An image forming apparatus, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
A conveying unit configured to convey a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit or a sheet of a sheet bundle;
A clamping force adjusting means capable of adjusting the clamping force for clamping the sheet or the like so that the thinner the thickness of the sheet or the like is,
An image forming apparatus comprising: Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
A transport unit having a pair of rotating bodies capable of transporting both sides of a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit or a sheet of a sheet bundle;
Support means for supporting the sheet and the like conveyed by the conveyance means;
Presser means for pressing the sheets and the like stacked on the support means against the support means;
A cutting blade for cutting the sheet or the like pressed against the supporting means by the pressing means;
A skew correction member for receiving the leading edge of the sheet or the like conveyed by the conveying means;
A clamping force adjusting means capable of adjusting the clamping force with which the pair of rotating bodies clamp the sheet or the like as the thickness of the sheet or the like is reduced; and
An image forming apparatus comprising: Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
A transport unit having a pair of rotating bodies capable of transporting both sides of a sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit or a sheet of a sheet bundle;
Support means for supporting the sheet and the like conveyed by the conveyance means;
Presser means for pressing the sheets and the like stacked on the support means against the support means;
A cutting blade for cutting the sheet or the like pressed against the supporting means by the pressing means;
A skew correction member for receiving the leading edge of the sheet or the like conveyed by the conveying means;
An idling means for idling a drive rotator among the pair of rotators after a leading edge of the sheet or the like abuts the skew correction member;
An image forming apparatus comprising:

Images