JP2006240788A - Sheet handling device, and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet handling device, and an image forming device, capable of sorting a plurality of sheets into a plurality of bundles without using tab paper or the like. <P>SOLUTION: A punching unit is moved to a first punching position (S11). In a case where paper after image formation by a printer unit is detected (S12: YES), the number of paper is counted (S13), and carrying of the paper is started (S14). In a case where a rear end of paper has passed a rear end of a paper detector (S15: YES), a timer is actuated (S16). In a case where it is determined that a prescribed time interval has passed (S17: YES), carrying of paper is stopped (S18). A punching process is conducted at this position, and the paper after punching is carried and discharged (S21). If it is a sorting position or not is determined based on the counted sheet number (S22), and in a case where it is determined as the sorting position (S22: YES), the punching unit is moved to the next punching position (S23), when the process is returned to the step S12. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus provided with means for sorting a plurality of sheets.

  Conventionally, as an image forming apparatus provided with a post-processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus equipped with a binding processing apparatus that performs stapling processing, a punching apparatus for opening a file hole, and a sorting apparatus that sorts paper into a plurality of bundles is known. ing.

  Among these, in an image forming apparatus equipped with a sorting device that sorts paper into a plurality of bundles, a method is proposed in which a predetermined amount is moved in the direction crossing the paper transport direction when paper is ejected, and sorted by number of copies. Yes.

Further, a method for performing sorting using commercially available tab paper has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). When sorting using tab paper, the tab paper is set in the manual feed tray in advance, and the insertion position of the tab paper is set by the operation panel. Then, at the time of discharging the image-formed sheet, the number of discharged sheets is counted, and it is determined whether or not it is a preset tab sheet insertion position. If it is determined that it is the tab sheet insertion position, the ejection of the sheet on which the image is formed is temporarily stopped and the tab sheet is ejected. In this way, a sheet bundle in which tab sheets are inserted at appropriate positions is created. FIG. 17 is a schematic external view showing a sheet bundle sorted by tab sheets. Since the tab sheets TP1, TP2,..., TP5 are inserted at appropriate positions with respect to a plurality of sheets on which images have been formed, each bundle can be easily recognized.
JP 2002-333895 A

  However, as in the prior art, when paper is ejected, it is moved by a predetermined amount in the direction crossing the paper conveyance direction, and when sorting by number of copies, it is possible to easily sort without using tab paper or the like. However, there is a problem that the sorting is lost unless an appropriate process such as a binding process is performed by a human hand immediately after the sheet is taken out from the sheet discharge tray.

  Further, when sorting using tab paper, it is necessary to prepare the tab paper in advance and set it on a manual feed tray or the like, which has a problem that it takes time. Further, since it is necessary to secure a supply device and a conveyance path for supplying the tab paper, there is a problem that the device becomes large and the manufacturing cost increases.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and provides a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus capable of creating a sheet bundle that can easily sort a plurality of sheets without using tab paper. With the goal.

  The sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention receives information relating to a sorting position when sorting a plurality of sheets into a plurality of bundles in a sheet processing apparatus including means for sorting the fetched sheets into a plurality of bundles. Means, means for forming a notch in each sheet, and means for determining the position on the sheet where the notch is formed by the means for each bundle sorted based on the information, and according to the position determined by the means A feature is that notches are formed in each sheet.

  In the present invention, since the information regarding the sorting position when sorting the plurality of captured sheets into a plurality of bundles is received and the notch is formed at a position determined for each bundle to be sorted, the notch A bundle of sheets is recognized according to the position.

  The sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized by comprising means for setting the position on the sheet forming the notch to a different position for each bundle to be sorted.

  In the present invention, since the formation position of the notch portion is made different for each bundle to be sorted, the bundle of sheets is recognized by the position of the notch portion.

  The sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a punching means for punching a taken-in sheet, and is configured to punch at an end of the sheet so as to form the notch.

  In the present invention, since the notch is formed using the punching means, it is not necessary to mount a dedicated device for forming the notch, and the punching means for punching on the paper is shared. Is possible.

  The sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveyance unit that conveys a captured sheet in a predetermined direction, and a unit that controls the conveyance unit to form a notch at the position.

  In the present invention, the sheet conveying means is controlled so as to form the notch, so that by controlling the sheet conveying position, the position of the notch formed on the sheet is classified for each bundle. It is possible to make it different.

  In the sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of the punching means are arranged in a direction crossing the direction in a plane parallel to the sheet, and the punching means used for punching is selected according to the position. Means are provided.

  In the present invention, a plurality of punching means are arranged in a direction crossing the sheet conveying direction, and the punching means is selected according to the position of the notch formed on the sheet. By using different punching means, the position of the notch formed on the sheet can be made different for each bundle to be sorted.

  The sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveying unit that conveys a captured sheet in a predetermined direction, a moving unit that moves the punching unit in a direction crossing the direction in a plane parallel to the sheet, And a means for controlling the conveying means and the moving means to form a notch at the position.

  In the present invention, since the notch is formed by controlling the sheet conveying means and the moving means for moving the punching means, the sheet conveying position and the relative position of the punching means with respect to the sheet are controlled. Thus, the position of the notch formed on the sheet can be made different for each bundle to be sorted.

  The sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention is characterized in that the information is information on a page indicating a sorting position or the number of sheets in each bundle.

  In the present invention, as the information related to the sorting position, the page indicating the sorting position or the information on the number of sheets of each bundle is received, so the sorting is performed on the page arbitrarily set by the user. .

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes means for receiving image data, means for forming an image on a sheet based on the received image data, and the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of the above-described inventions, A plurality of sheets on which images are formed are taken into the sheet processing apparatus, and the taken sheets are sorted into a plurality of bundles.

  In the present invention, since the image-formed sheet is sorted into a plurality of bundles, it can be applied to a printer device, a copier, a digital multifunction machine, and the like.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes means for forming a predetermined image around a notch formed by the sheet processing apparatus.

  In the present invention, since a predetermined image is formed around the notch, the identification of each bundle is improved.

  The image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes a unit that determines whether or not the bundle to be sorted is switched on the sheet on which the image is formed, and the notch formed in the bundle before the switching when it is determined that the bundle to be sorted is switched. And a means for forming a predetermined image on the sheet in correspondence with the section.

  In the present invention, when it is determined that the bundle to be sorted is switched, a predetermined image is formed on the sheet in correspondence with the cutout portion formed in the bundle before switching, so the cutout portion is formed by the image. Will be easily recognized.

  According to the present invention, information related to the sorting position when sorting a plurality of taken sheets into a plurality of bundles is received, and a notch is formed at a position determined for each bundle to be sorted. Therefore, there is a correspondence between the position of the notch and the sheet bundle, and the sheet bundle can be recognized by the position of the notch without using special paper such as tab paper.

  In the case of the present invention, the formation position of the notch is made different for each bundle to be sorted. Therefore, there is a correspondence between the position of the notch and the sheet bundle, and the sheet bundle can be recognized by the position of the notch without using special paper such as tab paper.

  In the case of the present invention, the notch is formed using the punching means. Therefore, it is not necessary to mount a dedicated device for forming the notch, and it is possible to share the punching means for punching on the paper, thereby minimizing the size of the device and increasing the manufacturing cost. It becomes possible.

  In the present invention, the notch is formed by controlling the sheet conveying means. Therefore, by controlling the sheet conveyance position, the position of the notch formed on the sheet can be made different for each bundle to be sorted.

  In the case of the present invention, a plurality of punching means are arranged in the direction intersecting with the sheet conveying direction, and the punching means is selected according to the position of the notch formed on the sheet. Therefore, by changing the punching means used for punching, the position of the notch formed on the sheet can be made different for each bundle to be sorted.

  In the case of the present invention, the notch is formed by controlling the sheet conveying means and the moving means for moving the punching means. Therefore, by controlling the sheet conveyance position and the relative position of the punching means with respect to the sheet, the position of the notch formed on the sheet can be made different for each bundle to be sorted.

  In the case of the present invention, as information relating to the sorting position, information about the page indicating the sorting position or the number of sheets in each bundle is received. Therefore, sorting can be performed on pages arbitrarily set by the user. Further, the sorting is performed only by inputting the sorting position, and it is possible to save the trouble of preparing the tab sheet in advance or setting the tab sheet in the manual feed tray in advance.

  In the case of the present invention, since the image-formed sheet is sorted into a plurality of bundles, it can be applied to a printer, a copier, a digital multifunction machine, and the like.

  In the case of the present invention, since a predetermined image is formed around the notch, the identification of each bundle can be improved.

  According to the present invention, when it is determined that the bundle to be sorted is switched, a predetermined image is formed on the sheet corresponding to the notch formed in the bundle before switching. Therefore, the image can be visually recognized from the position of the notch, and the distinguishability of each bundle can be improved.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings illustrating embodiments thereof.
Embodiment 1 FIG.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment. The image forming apparatus according to the present embodiment forms an image on a sheet fed from a sheet feeding unit 110 that houses sheets (hereinafter simply referred to as a sheet) such as a sheet, an OHP film, and the like. The printer unit 120 includes a scanner unit 140 that optically reads an image from a document brought in by a user, and a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on a sheet on which an image is formed by the printer unit 120. This image forming apparatus is equipped with a punching device 150 for punching at an appropriate position on a sheet and a binding processing device 180 for performing a binding process on a sheet bundle as post-processing units.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of each unit will be described. The scanner unit 140 optically reads an image of a document placed on a glass document table 141 or a document sequentially taken in by the automatic document feeder 145. For this reason, the light source unit 142 includes a light source for irradiating the original with illumination for reading and a mirror for changing the optical path of reflected light from the original by 90 °, and the optical path of the light guided from the light source unit 142 is further changed by 180 °. Mirror unit 143, an optical reading unit 144 that generates image data based on light guided from the mirror unit 143, and the like. The optical reading unit 144 includes, for example, an imaging lens, an image sensor, an AD converter, a DSP, and the like. The imaging lens focuses the light guided from the mirror unit 143 on the image sensor. The image sensor converts an optical signal input through the imaging lens into an electrical signal in an analog format. The AD converter converts an analog electric signal output from the image sensor into a digital signal. The DSP generates image data by correcting the signal converted into the digital format based on the light distribution characteristic of the light source at the time of document reading, the sensitivity unevenness of the image sensor, and the like. The generated image data is transferred to the printer unit 120 as image formation data.

  The paper feeding unit 110 includes a plurality of paper feeding cassettes 111 to 114 for storing a plurality of types of papers having different sizes, orientations, materials, and the like. Further, a manual feed tray 115 is provided for taking in paper of a type not stored in these paper feed cassettes 111 to 114. A pickup roller is disposed in the vicinity of the front end of the paper stored in each of the paper feed cassettes 111 to 114. By driving the pickup roller, the stored sheets are taken out one by one and conveyed to the printer unit 120 through the sheet conveyance path S1 or S2. The same applies to the manual feed tray 115, and sheets are taken into the apparatus one by one by a pickup roller located in the vicinity of the leading edge of the loaded sheet, and conveyed to the printer unit 120 through the sheet conveyance path S2.

  The printer unit 120 writes an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 121 based on image data input from the photosensitive drum 121, the charger 122 that charges the photosensitive drum 121 to a predetermined potential, the scanner unit 140, and the like. A laser writing unit 123, a developing unit 124 that supplies toner to the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 121 to make it visible, and a toner image generated on the photosensitive drum 121 is supplied from the paper feeding unit 110. A transfer unit 125 for transferring the toner image onto the paper and a fixing unit 126 for thermally fixing the transferred toner image on the paper.

  When the paper on which the image is formed is discharged as it is by the printer unit 120, the paper transport path is controlled by the switching gate 127 and guided to the paper discharge roller 128. Then, the paper discharge roller 128 is driven to rotate, and the conveyed paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 129 in a face-down state. On the other hand, when images are formed on both sides of the paper, the paper on which the image is formed on one side is once gripped by the paper discharge roller 128, and then the paper discharge roller 128 is driven in reverse to switch the switching gates 127 and 131 and the transport roller 130. Is controlled to guide the double-sided document conveyance path S3. Then, the toner image is transferred to the back side of the sheet conveyed through the double-sided document conveying path S3, and the transferred toner image is thermally fixed, thereby completing image formation on both sides of the sheet. The paper on which images are formed on both sides of the paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 129 through the paper discharge roller 128.

  On the other hand, when post-processing is performed on a sheet on which an image is formed by the printer unit 120, the sheet that passes through the fixing unit 126 is first guided to the sheet discharge roller 128, and the sheet is once held by the sheet discharge roller 128. Then, the paper discharge roller 128 is driven in reverse to control the switching gates 127 and 131 and the conveyance roller 130 to guide the paper to the post-processing unit. When perforating paper on the paper in the post-processing unit, the perforation position is determined using the registration roller 154, the transport roller 155, and the like (see FIG. 2), and the perforation device 150 perforates the paper one by one. Further, when the binding process is performed in the post-processing unit, the conveyed sheets are stacked on the tray 181 of the binding processing apparatus 180, and after the number of sheets designated in advance by the user is reached, the binding process is performed. The punched paper is discharged to one of the paper discharge trays 191 and 192, and the sheet bundle subjected to the binding process is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 191.

  FIG. 2 is a side view of the punching device 150, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the same. The punching device 150 includes a punching unit 151 disposed on the upper side of the sheet conveyance path S4 and a pedestal unit 152 disposed on the lower side. Inside the casing of the punching unit 151, a punching blade 1516 for punching paper and a punching motor 1511 as a drive source for reciprocating the punching blade 1516 in the vertical direction are mounted. The perforation motor 1511 is a DC brushless motor, for example, and is fixed in the frame of the perforation unit 151. The perforation motor 1511 may be a stepping motor, an induction motor, or the like.

  A disc 1512 is attached to the output shaft of the drilling motor 1511, and is configured to rotate coaxially with the output shaft of the drilling motor 1511. One end of the eccentric pin 1513a is fixed at a position deviating from the center position of the disc 1512, and the other end of the eccentric pin 1513a is rotatably supported by one end of the connecting rod 1513. One end of a connecting pin 1513b is rotatably supported at the other end of the connecting rod 1513, and the other end of the connecting pin 1513b is attached to the approximate center of the swing lever 1514. The base of the swing lever 1514 is attached to the swing shaft 1515. With the above configuration, the rotation of the perforation motor 1511 is converted into the swing motion of the swing lever 1514.

  A driven pin 1516a protrudes from the upper end of the punching blade 1516, and is inserted into the tip of the swing lever 1514 via the driven pin 1516a. The punching blade 1516 is inserted into a guide hole 1518 formed in the guide portion 1517, and performs a reciprocating linear motion in the vertical direction with respect to the sheet conveyance surface as the swinging lever 1514 swings.

  The pedestal unit 152 includes a die 1521 disposed at a position facing the punching unit 151. This die 1521 is provided with punch holes 1521a to 1521e through which a perforating blade 1516 is inserted to perform perforation processing. These five punch holes 1521a to 1521e are provided at an appropriate interval in the direction crossing the paper conveyance direction, and one punch hole 1521a (or 1521b to 1521e) for inserting the punching blade 1516 is provided. The punching blade 1516 is inserted into the selected punch hole 1521a (or 1521b to 1521e), and a punching process can be performed at a predetermined position on the paper. 2 and 3 show a state in which the punching blade 1516 is inserted through the punch hole 1521b.

  Further, in order to move the punching blade 1516 to a position corresponding to the selected punch hole 1521a (or 1521b to 1521e), the punching device 150 reciprocates the punching unit 151 in a direction crossing the paper transport direction. It has moving means. The moving means includes a conveyor belt 1600, a driving pulley 1601, a driven pulley 1602, and a punching unit moving motor 1610. The perforation unit moving motor 1610 is a DC brushless motor that can rotate forward and backward, and is fixed to the apparatus frame of the post-processing unit. The conveyor belt 1600 is stretched by a driving pulley 1601 attached to the output shaft of the punching unit moving motor 1610 and a driven pulley 1602 that rotates following the driving pulley 1601, and is disposed on the frame of the punching unit 151. The guide 1519 is engaged. With the above configuration, the rotation of the punching unit moving motor 1610 is converted into a linear reciprocating motion in a direction crossing the paper transport direction, and the punching unit 151 is moved in the above direction.

  When a punching process is performed on a sheet conveyed from the printer unit 120 in a face-down state, the sheet is temporarily held by the registration roller 154. At this time, the paper detector 153 installed on the downstream side of the registration roller 154 detects the paper held by the registration roller 154. The paper detector 153 is, for example, a transmissive optical sensor, and a light emitting unit 153a that emits infrared light and a light receiving unit 153b that receives infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 153a are disposed with the paper transport path S4 interposed therebetween. The paper detector 153 is configured to be turned on when the light receiving unit 153b receives infrared rays from the light emitting unit 153a, and to be turned off when the light receiving unit 153b does not receive infrared rays. That is, the registration roller 154 is configured to be turned off when the paper is being gripped, and turned on when the paper is not gripped.

  After gripping the sheet by the registration roller 154, the registration roller 154 is driven to resume the conveyance of the sheet, and the conveyance roller 155 installed on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction is driven. Then, when the trailing edge of the paper to be conveyed passes the paper detector 153, the timer is started by a timer not shown in the figure, and when a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of the timing, the registration roller 154 and the conveyance roller 155 are turned on. Stop. The timing at which the registration roller 154 and the conveyance roller 155 are stopped is set in advance so that the trailing edge of the sheet is positioned at the approximate center of the punch holes 1521a to 1521e. In the present embodiment, a semicircular cutout is formed on the paper by performing perforation processing in this state. It is also possible to make a circular hole for filing by changing the stop timing of the registration roller 154 and the conveyance roller 155 and performing a punching process.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a punching position on the sheet. As described above, the punching device 150 forms a semicircular cutout by punching the rear end of the conveyed paper (the right end of the image forming surface). In the present embodiment, one notch H1 (or notches H2 to H5) is formed for one sheet of paper P. Since the punching apparatus 150 performs the punching process in a face-down state, the notch H1 corresponds to a notch formed using the punch hole 1521e shown in FIG. The same applies to the notches H2, H3, H4, and H5, corresponding to the notches formed using the punch holes 1521d, 1521c, 1521b, and 1521a, respectively. Therefore, the distance d1 between the notch H1 and the next notch H2 is equal to the distance between the punch hole 1521e and the punch hole 1521d, and the same applies to the distances d2, d3, d4 between the other notches. The distance m1 from the upper end of the sheet to the first notch H1 is a substantially constant value regardless of the sheet size, and the distance from the lower end of the sheet to the notch H5 is a value depending on the sheet size.
When two holes for filing are made using the punch hole 1521b and the punch hole 1521d, it is desirable to set the interval (d2 + d3) to a standardized value in advance.

  Hereinafter, an operation when paper is sorted using the image forming apparatus will be described. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the control system of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes a CPU 11 that controls each part of the hardware. The CPU 11 includes a ROM 12, a RAM 13, an operation panel 14, a PCU 15 (PCU: Printer Control Unit), an SCU 16 (SCU: Scanter Control Unit), and a communication IF 17. , Hardware such as a perforation motor drive circuit 18, a perforation unit moving motor drive circuit 19, and a paper detector 153 are connected.

  The ROM 12 stores in advance a control program for controlling various hardware. The RAM 13 temporarily stores data generated during execution of the control program stored in the ROM 12, data input from the outside, and the like. The operation panel 14 includes various hardware keys (14b to 14e) and a display 14a for receiving user operation instructions. The PCU 15 controls each part of the hardware of the printer unit 120 described above based on an instruction from the CPU 11. The SCU 16 controls each hardware unit of the scanner unit 140 described above based on an instruction from the CPU 11. The communication IF 17 includes an interface according to a predetermined communication protocol so that an information processing apparatus such as a personal computer can be connected to the outside. The piercing motor drive circuit 18 is a control circuit for controlling the driving of the piercing motor 1511 described above based on an instruction from the CPU 11. The punching unit moving motor drive circuit 19 is a control circuit for controlling the driving of the punching unit moving motor 1610 described above based on an instruction from the CPU 11.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of the operation panel 14. The display 14a included in the operation panel 14 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and displays information to be notified to the user, information input by the user, and the like. The display 14a is provided with software keys for accepting a selection operation by the user. The hardware keys provided on the operation panel 14 include a numeric keypad 14b for inputting numerical values, a clear key 14c for clearing input information, a full release key 14d for canceling all accepted operations, and a document reading start. An instructing start key 14e is arranged.

  When performing the paper sorting process, the operation panel 14 is operated in a predetermined order to display a setting screen for performing settings relating to the sorting process on the display 14 a of the operation panel 14. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a sorting setting screen. In the sorting setting screen 200 shown in FIG. 7, a page input field 201 for accepting input of a page corresponding to the sorting position, a confirmation key 202 for confirming the number of input pages, and the necessity of coloring for each sorting are set. A color setting unit 203 is arranged. Here, the sorting position refers to the last page of each sheet bundle generated by sorting, and the user inputs an arbitrary page using the numeric keypad 14b. Further, information related to the sorting position that is confirmed when the confirm key 202 is pressed is stored in the RAM 13. In the present embodiment, the last page of the sheet bundle is input as information relating to the sorting position. However, the configuration may be such that the number of sheets in each sheet bundle is input.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure when the sorting process is executed. In the case where the printer unit 120 forms a notch on the image-formed paper and performs the sorting process, the CPU 11 controls the punching unit moving motor drive circuit 19 to drive the punching unit moving motor 1610 to thereby perform the first punching unit. The punching unit 151 is moved to the position (step S11). At this time, the punching blade 1516 of the punching unit 150 is positioned vertically above the punch hole 1521e. Next, the CPU 11 determines based on the output of the paper detector 153 whether or not the paper conveyed from the printer unit 120 has been detected (step S12). If no paper is detected by the paper detector 153 (S12: NO), the process waits until a paper is detected.

  When the paper is detected by the paper detector 153 (S12: YES), that is, when the CPU 11 confirms an output change from on to off of the paper detector 153, the CPU 11 counts the number of paper (step S13). The conveyed paper is once gripped by the registration roller 154. Then, the CPU 11 starts the conveyance of the sheet gripped by the registration roller 154 by rotating the registration roller 154 and the conveyance roller 155 (step S14).

  Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the trailing edge of the paper being conveyed has passed the paper detector 153 (step S15). If the output of the sheet detector 153 remains off, it is determined that the trailing edge of the sheet has not passed the sheet detector 153 (S15: NO), and waits until the trailing edge of the sheet has passed the sheet detector 153. . When the CPU 11 confirms an output change from the OFF state to the ON state of the paper detector 153, it is determined that the rear end of the paper has passed the paper detector 153 (S15: YES), and a timer (not shown) is activated (step) S16), timing is started.

  Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the time measurement was started (step S17). This predetermined time is set as a conveyance time from when the trailing edge of the sheet passes the sheet detector 153 until the trailing edge of the sheet is positioned at the approximate center of the punch holes 1521a to 1521e. It is defined in advance as an internal parameter.

  When it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed (S17: NO), the CPU 11 waits until the predetermined time elapses. If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed (S17: YES), the CPU 11 stops the rotation of the registration roller 154 and the conveyance roller 155, and stops the conveyance of the sheet (step S18). At this time, the rear end of the sheet is positioned at the approximate center of the punch holes 1521a to 1521e. After stopping the conveyance of the paper, the CPU 11 drives the perforation motor 1511 by controlling the perforation motor drive circuit 18 (step S19), and performs a perforation process on the paper to form a semicircular notch. Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the punching on the paper has been completed (step S20). If the CPU 11 determines that the punching has not been completed (S20: NO), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S19.

  When it is determined that the punching on the paper has been completed (S20: YES), the CPU 11 carries and discharges the punched paper (step S21). Then, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the discharged paper is a page corresponding to the sorting position (step S22). The determination as to whether or not it is the sorting position is made based on the setting contents on the sorting setting screen 200 and the number of sheets counted in step S13. When it is determined that the page corresponds to the sorting position (S22: YES), the CPU 11 controls the punching unit moving motor drive circuit 19 to drive the punching unit moving motor 1610 to move to the next punching position. Is moved (step S23), and the process returns to step S12. On the other hand, when determining that it is not the sorting position (S22: NO), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the discharged sheet is the last page (step S24). If it is determined that it is not the last page (S24: NO), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S12, and if it is determined that it is the last page (S24: YES), the process according to this flowchart is terminated.

  9 and 10 are explanatory views for explaining a sheet bundle created by the image forming apparatus. For example, when using the image forming apparatus to sort all 25 pages into a bundle of 5 pages, the user sets the 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th pages as sorting positions. At this time, the punching device 150 performs punching processing on the sheets P, P,..., P from the first page to the fifth page using the punch holes 1521e, and the notches H1, 1 are formed at the same position on the sheet. H1,..., H1 are formed. The user can recognize a series of sheet bundles (sheet bundle 1) by the notch H1. Further, the punching device 150 performs punching processing on the sheets P, P,..., P from the sixth page to the tenth page using the punch holes 1521d, and the notches H2, H2 are formed at the same positions on the sheets. , ..., H2 is formed. The user can recognize a series of sheet bundles (sheet bundle 2) by the cutout portion H2, and can distinguish between the sheet bundle 1 and the sheet bundle 2 by the difference in position between the cutout portion H1 and the cutout portion H2. Become. The case where the sheet bundle 3 to the sheet bundle 5 are created is the same as described above. When all the created sheet bundles 1 to 5 are superimposed, the result is as shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, five punch holes 1521a to 1521e are provided in the die 1521 of the pedestal unit 152, but it is needless to say that the number is not limited to five. When the number of sorting is 6 or more, the punch holes 1521e, 1521d,..., 1521a are sequentially used to form the notches H5, H4,..., H1, and then the punch holes 1521e, 1521d,. By forming the notches H5, H4,..., Six or more distinguishable sheet bundles can be created.

Embodiment 2. FIG.
In the first embodiment, the punching unit 150 is moved to change the formation position of the notch for each sheet bundle. However, a plurality of punching blades are arranged in a direction intersecting with the sheet conveyance direction. The punching blade used for the punching process may be different for each sheet bundle, and the formation position of the notch may be changed. In the present embodiment, the configuration other than the perforating unit is exactly the same as in the first embodiment.

  FIG. 11 is a plan view of the punching unit 160 according to the present embodiment. The piercing device 160 includes a piercing unit 160 and a pedestal unit 152, and five piercing motors 1611 a to 1611 e are mounted in the piercing unit 161. The rotation of the perforation motor 1611a is converted into a swing motion of the swing lever 1614a by the same mechanism as described above. One end of the swing lever 1614a is attached to a swing shaft 1615 arranged in a direction crossing the paper transport direction, and a punching blade 1616a is inserted into the other end. A pedestal unit 152 is installed below the punching unit 161 across the paper transport path S4 (see Embodiment 1), and a punching blade 1616a is inserted into the die 1521 provided in the pedestal unit 152 to perform the punching process. A punch hole 1521a is provided for this purpose. The same applies to the other four drilling motors 1611b to 1611e, and the rotation of each of the drilling motors 1611b to 1611e is converted into the swinging motion of the swing levers 1614b to 1614e, and is inserted into the tips of the swing levers 1614b to 1614e. The perforated blades 1616b to 1616e are configured to reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance surface. The perforating blades 1616b to 1616e are inserted into punch holes 1521b to 1521e provided in the die 1521 to perform perforation processing.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure when the sorting process is executed using the punching unit 161 according to the present embodiment. When forming a notch in the paper on which the image is formed by the printer unit 120 and performing the sorting process, the CPU 11 first selects the punching motor 1611e corresponding to the first punching position (step S31). Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the sheet conveyed from the printer unit 120 has been detected based on the output of the sheet detector 153 (step S32). If no paper is detected by the paper detector 153 (S32: NO), the process waits until a paper is detected.

  When the paper is detected by the paper detector 153 (S32: YES), that is, when the CPU 11 confirms an output change from on to off of the paper detector 153, the CPU 11 counts the number of paper (step S33). The conveyed paper is once gripped by the registration roller 154. Then, the CPU 11 rotates the registration roller 154 and the conveyance roller 155 to start conveyance of the sheet gripped by the registration roller 154 (step S34).

  Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the trailing edge of the sheet being conveyed has passed the sheet detector 153 (step S35). If the output of the sheet detector 153 remains off, it is determined that the trailing edge of the sheet has not passed the sheet detector 153 (S35: NO), and waits until the trailing edge of the sheet has passed the sheet detector 153. . When the CPU 11 confirms the output change of the paper detector 153 from OFF to ON, it is determined that the trailing edge of the paper has passed through the paper detector 153 (S35: YES), and a timer not shown in the figure is activated (step) S36), timing is started.

  Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the time measurement was started (step S37). This predetermined time is set as a conveyance time from when the trailing edge of the sheet passes the sheet detector 153 until the trailing edge of the sheet is positioned at the approximate center of the punch holes 1521a to 1521e. It is defined in advance as an internal parameter.

  When determining that the predetermined time has not elapsed (S37: NO), the CPU 11 waits until the predetermined time elapses. If it is determined that the predetermined time has elapsed (S37: YES), the CPU 11 stops the rotation of the registration roller 154 and the conveyance roller 155 and stops the conveyance of the sheet (step S38). At this time, the rear end of the sheet is located at the approximate center of the punch holes 1521a to 1521b. Next, the CPU 11 drives the selected perforation motor 1611e (or 1611a to 1611d) by controlling the perforation motor drive circuit 18 (step S39), and performs a perforation process on the paper to form a semicircular notch. . Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not punching on the paper has been completed (step S40). If the CPU 11 determines that punching has not been completed (S40: NO), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S39.

  When it is determined that the punching on the paper has been completed (S40: YES), the CPU 11 carries and discharges the punched paper (step S41). Then, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the discharged paper is a page corresponding to the sorting position (step S42). The determination as to whether or not it is the sorting position is made based on the setting contents on the sorting setting screen 200 and the number of sheets counted in step S33. When it is determined that the page corresponds to the sorting position (S42: YES), the CPU 11 selects the drilling motor 1611d (or 1611a to 1611c) corresponding to the next drilling position (step S43), and the process is performed in step S32. Return to. On the other hand, when determining that it is not the sorting position (S42: NO), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the discharged sheet is the last page (step S44). If it is determined that it is not the last page (S44: NO), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S32, and if it is determined that it is the last page (S44: YES), the process according to this flowchart is terminated.

Embodiment 3 FIG.
In the above-described embodiment, the punching blade 1516 (or the punching blades 1616a to 1616e) is inserted into the predetermined punch holes 1521a to 1521e to perform the punching process, and the notches are formed at different positions for each sheet bundle. However, a configuration may be adopted in which a notch is formed at a different position for each sheet bundle by installing a punching device fixed to the apparatus frame of the post-processing unit and changing the position of the sheet to be punched. In the present embodiment, the configuration other than the perforating apparatus is exactly the same as in the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a plan view for explaining a perforating apparatus 170 according to the present embodiment. The punching apparatus 170 according to the present embodiment includes a punching unit 171 disposed on the upper side of the sheet conveyance path S4 and a pedestal unit (not shown) disposed on the lower side. A drilling motor 1711 is mounted in the drilling unit 171. The rotation of the perforation motor 1711 is converted into a swing motion of the swing lever 1714 by the same mechanism as described above. One end of the swing lever 1714 is attached to a swing shaft 1715 arranged in a direction crossing the paper transport direction, and a punching blade 1716 is inserted into the other end. The perforating blade 1716 is disposed so as to be positioned at the end of the paper P to be transported, and is inserted into a punch hole (not shown) provided in the pedestal unit so that the end of the paper P is cut into a semicircle. It is configured.
In the present embodiment, a notch portion is created at a different position for each sheet bundle by relatively changing the stop position of the sheet when the punching process is performed.

  In this embodiment, the paper is transported with the orientation changed by 90 ° and the cutout is formed on the right end side of the paper. However, the orientation is the same as in the first and second embodiments. The sheet may be transported and a notch may be formed at the upper end of the sheet.

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining a processing procedure when the sorting process is executed using the punching apparatus 170 according to the present embodiment. When forming a notch on the paper on which an image is formed by the printer unit 120 and performing the sorting process, the CPU 11 first calculates the first stop timing when stopping the paper (step S51). This stop timing is a timing for stopping the paper in order to perform the punching process at the first punching position, and is based on the punching position on the paper and the transport speed of the paper (that is, the rotation speed of the registration roller 154 and the transport roller 155). This is a value calculated by the CPU 11 based on this. Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the sheet conveyed from the printer unit 120 is detected based on the output of the sheet detector 153 (step S52). If no paper is detected by the paper detector 153 (S52: NO), the process waits until a paper is detected.

  When the paper is detected by the paper detector 153 (S52: YES), that is, when the CPU 11 confirms the output change of the paper detector 153 from on to off, the CPU 11 counts the number of paper (step S53). The conveyed paper is once gripped by the registration roller 154. Then, the CPU 11 starts the conveyance of the sheet gripped by the registration roller 154 by rotating the registration roller 154 and the conveyance roller 155 (step S54).

  Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the trailing edge of the sheet being conveyed has passed the sheet detector 153 (step S55). If the output of the paper detector 153 remains off, it is determined that the trailing edge of the paper has not passed the paper detector 153 (S55: NO), and waits until the trailing edge of the paper passes the paper detector 153. . When the CPU 11 confirms an output change from the OFF state to the ON state of the paper detector 153, it is determined that the rear end of the paper has passed the paper detector 153 (S55: YES), and a timer not shown is activated (step) S56), timing is started.

  Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not it is the paper stop timing based on the elapsed time since the start of time measurement (step S57). If it is determined that it is not the stop timing of the sheet (S57: NO), it waits until the stop timing is reached. When it is determined that it is the paper stop timing (S57: YES), the CPU 11 stops the rotation of the registration roller 154 and the transport roller 155, and stops the paper transport (step S58). After stopping the conveyance of the paper, the CPU 11 drives the perforation motor 1711 by controlling the perforation motor drive circuit 18 (step S59), and performs a perforation process on the paper to form a semicircular notch. Next, the CPU 11 determines whether or not punching on the paper has been completed (step S60). If the CPU 11 determines that punching has not been completed (S60: NO), the CPU 11 returns the processing to step S59.

  When it is determined that the punching on the paper has been completed (S60: YES), the CPU 11 carries and discharges the punched paper (step S61). Then, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the discharged paper is a page corresponding to the sorting position (step S62). The determination as to whether or not it is the sorting position is made based on the setting contents on the sorting setting screen 200 and the number of sheets counted in step S53. When it is determined that the page corresponds to the sorting position (S62: YES), the CPU 11 calculates a stop timing corresponding to the next punching position (step S63), and returns the process to step S52. On the other hand, when determining that it is not the sorting position (S62: NO), the CPU 11 determines whether or not the discharged sheet is the last page (step S64). If it is determined that it is not the last page (S64: NO), the CPU 11 returns the process to step S52, and if it is determined that it is the last page (S64: YES), the process according to this flowchart is terminated.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since the position of the notch on the paper is changed by changing the stop position of the paper with respect to the punching device 170, the position of the notch can be arbitrarily set. It is possible to handle when the number of sorting is large.

Embodiment 4 FIG.
In the above-described embodiment, the notch is formed at a different position for each sheet bundle in order to sort a plurality of sheets. However, in order to further facilitate the recognition of the sheet bundle, the periphery of the notch is colored. May be applied.

  FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an example of the coloring process. For example, when the sheet bundle 1 is created by forming notches H1, H1,... At the right ends of a plurality of sheets P, P,... As shown in FIG. Is previously formed by the printer unit 120. This pattern image C2 is a semicircle having a radius larger than the radius of the notch H1, and is an image that fills the inside of the semicircle with a predetermined color or shade pattern. When the notch H1 is formed by performing the punching process at the position where the pattern image C1 is formed, a part of the pattern image C1 remains around the notch H1. In this way, for all the sheets P belonging to the sheet bundle 1, the pattern image C1 is formed at the position corresponding to the notch H1, and then the punching process is performed to form the notch H1.

  Next, when forming the sheet bundle 2 by forming the notches H2, H2,... At the right end of the sheets P, P,..., The sheet P that is the first page of the sheet bundle 2 corresponds to the notch H1. A pattern image C1 is formed at a position, and a pattern image C2 is formed at a position corresponding to the notch H2. The pattern image C1 is a semicircle having a radius larger than the radius of the notch H2, and is an image that fills the inside of the semicircle with a predetermined color or shade pattern. Note that the pattern image C2 is desirably an image having a different color or shade from the pattern image C1. For the remaining sheets P of the sheet bundle 2, a pattern image C2 is formed at a position corresponding to the notch H2. Then, a part of the pattern image C1 is left around the notch H2 by performing a punching process at the position where the pattern image C2 is formed to form the notch H2. As described above, with respect to the paper P belonging to the paper bundle 2, both the pattern images C1 and C2 are formed only on the first page, and only the pattern image C2 is formed on the remaining pages. H2 is formed. The pattern image and the notch are formed on the sheet bundle 3 and the same as in the sheet bundle 2.

  FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a sheet bundle created after performing a coloring process. As described above, since the pattern image C1 is attached around the notch H1, it is possible to recognize that it is a series of bundles (sheet bundle 1) even when observed from the side of the sheet bundle. . Since the pattern image C2 attached to the first page of the sheet bundle 2 is formed at the position of the notch H1, the pattern image C2 is visible through the notch H1 of the sheet bundle 1, and the boundary between the sheet bundle 1 and the sheet bundle H2. It becomes easy to distinguish.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the sheet bundle can be easily recognized by performing the coloring process on the position of the notch.

1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating an overall configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. It is a side view of a punching device. It is a top view of a punching device. It is explanatory drawing explaining the punching position on a paper. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the external appearance of an operation panel. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a classification setting screen. It is a flowchart explaining the process sequence at the time of performing a classification process. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a sheet bundle created by the image forming apparatus. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a sheet bundle created by the image forming apparatus. It is a top view of the perforation unit concerning this embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the process sequence at the time of performing a sorting process using the punching unit which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a top view explaining the punching apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the process sequence at the time of performing a sorting process using the punching apparatus which concerns on this Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example of a coloring process. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the sheet | seat bundle produced after giving a coloring process. It is a typical external view which shows the paper bundle sorted by the tab paper.

Explanation of symbols

11 CPU
12 ROM
13 RAM
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 14 Operation panel 18 Drilling motor drive circuit 19 Drilling unit movement motor drive circuit 150 Drilling apparatus 151 Drilling unit 152 Base unit 1511 Drilling motor 1516 Drilling blade

Claims (10)

In a sheet processing apparatus provided with means for taking a plurality of sheets and sorting the taken sheets into a plurality of bundles,
Based on the information, a means for receiving information relating to a sorting position when sorting the sheets into a plurality of bundles, a means for forming a notch in each sheet, and a position on the sheet at which the notch is formed by the means. A sheet processing apparatus, characterized in that a notch is formed in each sheet according to a position determined by the means.   The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a unit configured to set a position on the sheet forming the notch to a different position for each bundle to be sorted.   The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a punching unit that punches the taken-in sheet, and is configured to punch the end portion of the sheet so as to form the notch.   The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a conveying unit that conveys the taken sheet in a predetermined direction; and a unit that controls the conveying unit to form a notch at the position.   A plurality of the punching means are arranged in a direction crossing the direction in a plane parallel to the sheet, and the punching means used for punching is selected according to the position. Item 5. The sheet processing apparatus according to Item 4.   In order to form a notch at the position, conveying means for conveying the taken sheet in a predetermined direction, moving means for moving the punching means in a direction crossing the direction in a plane parallel to the sheet, The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: a unit that controls the conveying unit and the moving unit.   The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information is information about a page indicating a sorting position or the number of sheets in each bundle.   A plurality of image forming units, comprising: a unit that receives image data; a unit that forms an image on a sheet based on the received image data; and the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. An image forming apparatus, wherein sheets are taken into the sheet processing apparatus, and the taken sheets are sorted into a plurality of bundles.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a unit that forms a predetermined image around a notch formed by the sheet processing apparatus.   Means for determining whether or not the bundle to be sorted in the sheet for forming the image is switched, and when it is determined that the bundle to be sorted is switched, on the sheet in correspondence with the notch portion formed in the bundle before switching. The image forming apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a unit that forms a predetermined image.

Images