JP2007022746A - Paper post-processing device, and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To correctly carry out post-processing of paper even when various conditions related to the paper are varied. <P>SOLUTION: This paper post-processing device 3 is connected to an image forming device main body 2 to receive paper delivered from the image forming device main body 2, and deliver it after post-processing the paper by a post-processing means 12. At an end of a main carrying passage 11 to guide the paper fed from the image forming device main body 2 to the post-processing means 12, an angle varying means 17 to vary an advance angle of the paper being carried to the post-processing means 12 is disposed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus that processes a sheet after image formation, and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, a plotter, a printing machine, and a multifunction peripheral having the same.

  In image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, printers, facsimiles, plotters, printing machines, and multifunction machines, sheet post-processing apparatuses that perform post-processing such as stapling on sheets after image formation are widely used. There are various types of paper post-processing apparatuses of this type. For example, in the paper post-processing apparatus disclosed in “Patent Document 1”, a predetermined angle is set so that the rear end in the paper transport direction is on the lower side. After the image forming paper is discharged to the staple tray, the rear end in the paper transport direction is brought into contact with the rear end fence by free fall to align the paper transport direction, and then the paper is moved by the jogger. The paper is stapled in the width direction.

JP 2001-199616 A

  In the technique disclosed in “Patent Document 1”, when an image-formed sheet is discharged to a staple tray, the discharge angle is fixed. In such a paper post-processing apparatus, the behavior of the paper when entering the processing tray for post-processing varies depending on its thickness, size, number of transported sheets, transport speed, leading edge state, etc. In some cases, the approach angle when entering the processing tray is too tight, and the tip is buckled or a transport jam occurs.

  The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides a sheet post-processing apparatus capable of accurately performing sheet post-processing even when various conditions relating to the sheet change, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet post-processing apparatus. Objective.

  The invention according to claim 1 is connected to the image forming apparatus main body, and can accept a sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus main body and perform a post-processing on the sheet by a post-processing unit to discharge the sheet. In the paper post-processing apparatus, a main transport path that guides the paper fed from the image forming apparatus main body to the post-processing means, and a paper that is disposed at the end of the main transport path and is transported to the post-processing means. And an angle changing means for changing the approach angle.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the paper post-processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the angle changing means further includes a paper discharge guide plate for directing the paper to the post-processing means, and the change of the entry angle is the discharge This is performed by changing the angle of the paper guide plate.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the paper post-processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the main transport path further includes a sub-transport path formed by branching from the main transport path and capable of storing a plurality of sheets. And a sheet conveying means that can rotate in a normal rotation direction that leads the arranged and conveyed paper to the post-processing means or a reverse rotation direction that leads to the sub-conveying path.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the entry angle is changed based on a thickness of the paper.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the entry angle is changed based on a paper size.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the entry angle is further changed based on the number of conveyed sheets.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, the entry angle is changed based on a paper conveyance speed.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, the entry angle is further changed based on a curve direction of the paper.

  A ninth aspect of the invention is an image forming apparatus having the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects.

  According to the present invention, the sheet changing jam and the leading edge of the sheet when the sheet is discharged to the post-processing unit by the angle changing unit changing the entry angle of the sheet to the post-processing unit according to various conditions of the sheet. The occurrence of folding can be effectively prevented, and the post-processing operation of the paper can be performed accurately and continuously even when various conditions relating to the paper are changed.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an image forming apparatus employing an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, an image forming apparatus 1 is configured by integrally connecting an electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 as a main body of an image forming apparatus and a sheet post-processing apparatus 3. The electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 has a known configuration including a photosensitive drum, a developing device, an image reading device, an exposure device, a transfer device, a fixing device, a paper feeding device, a paper discharging device, and the like. The left side of the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 is provided with a discharge port for discharging the sheet on which the image has been formed. The sheet post-processing apparatus 3 is integrally connected to the left side by a connecting member (not shown). .

  The sheet post-processing apparatus 3 has a sheet receiving port 3a on the right side and a sheet discharging port 3b on the left side, and the sheet receiving port 3a communicates with the sheet discharging port of the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2. To the electrophotographic copying machine 2. On the left side of the sheet discharge port 3b, a sheet discharge tray 3c for stacking sheets on which images have been formed is disposed so as to freely move up and down.

  The sheet post-processing device 3 has a sheet conveying path 4 connecting the sheet receiving port 3a and the sheet discharging port 3b therein, and a pair of inlet rollers 5 and a conveying roller are provided on the sheet receiving path 3a side of the sheet conveying path 4. A pair 6 and an inlet sensor 7 are disposed on the side of the sheet discharge port 3 b of the sheet conveyance path 4.

  The inlet roller pair 5 and the conveying roller pair 6 are respectively constituted by a driving roller that is rotationally driven by a driving means (not shown) and a driven roller that is disposed in pressure contact with the driving roller, and are rotationally driven at the same rotational peripheral speed in synchronization with each other. . The inlet sensor 7 outputs a signal to a control means (not shown) when detecting the leading edge of the paper fed from the paper receiving port 3a.

  The paper discharge roller pair 8 is composed of a driving roller that is rotationally driven by a driving means (not shown) and a driven roller that is disposed in pressure contact with the driving roller, and is the same as the inlet roller pair 5 and the conveying roller pair 6 by the operation of the driving means (not shown). It is driven to rotate at the rotational peripheral speed. The exit sensor 9 outputs a signal to a control unit (not shown) when the trailing edge of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharge port 3b is detected.

  In the middle of the sheet conveyance path 4, a first position indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 guides the sheet received from the sheet receiving port 3a directly to the sheet discharge port 3b via the sheet conveyance path 4. A guide which selectively occupies the second position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 for guiding the sheet received from the sheet receiving port 3a to the sheet discharge port 3b via the main transport path 11 and the post-processing means 12 which will be described later. A plate 10 is provided. The guide guide plate 10 selectively occupies the first position and the second position by the operation of a solenoid (not shown).

  A main transport path 11 is disposed below the right side of the paper transport path 4, and a post-processing unit 12 is disposed below the left side of the paper transport path 4. The main transport path 11 is configured by combining a plurality of guide plates, and transport roller pairs 13, 14, 15 and a switching plate 16 are disposed in the transport path, and an angle changing means 17 is disposed at the end thereof. It is installed.

  The conveying roller pairs 13, 14, and 15 are respectively constituted by a driving roller that is rotationally driven by a driving means (not shown) and a driven roller that is disposed in pressure contact with the driving roller. The conveying roller pair 13 includes the inlet roller pair 5 and the conveying roller pair 6 respectively. The conveying roller pairs 14 and 15 are driven to rotate at the same rotational peripheral speed in synchronization with each other. Each of the transport roller pairs 14 and 15 is configured to be rotatable in a forward rotation direction for transporting the paper toward the post-processing means 12 and a reverse rotation direction for transporting the paper toward a sub-transport path 18 to be described later. Each pair of conveying rollers 14 and 15 constitutes a sheet conveying means 19.

  A switching plate 16 is disposed on the main conveyance path 11 located between the conveyance roller pair 13 and the conveyance roller pair 14. The switching plate 16 has a base end rotatably supported on a side plate (not shown) of the sheet post-processing device 3, and an acute-angled tip end portion is formed by a biasing means such as a torsion coil spring (not shown). 11 is held in a state of abutting on a guide plate constituting the motor 11. When the leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveying roller pair 13 comes into contact with the leading edge, the switching plate 16 has its leading edge with a biasing force that allows the leading edge to swing to allow the paper to advance. Is in contact with the guide plate.

  The angle changing means 17 includes a paper discharge guide plate 20, a conveyance roller pair 21, a cam 22 and the like. The sheet discharge guide plate 20 has an arc shape to guide the sheet conveyed downward by the conveying roller pair 15 upward, and rotates between side plates (not shown) of the sheet post-processing device 3. A plurality of support shafts 23 that are freely supported are integrally fixed at a predetermined interval.

  The conveying roller pair 21 has a driving roller 21 a and a driven roller 21 b, and each of the rollers 21 a and 21 b is formed in a chopped shape so as to enter between the discharge guide plates 20. The drive roller 21a is rotatably supported between side plates (not shown) of the sheet post-processing device 3, and is driven to rotate by a drive unit (not shown). The driven roller 21b is rotatably supported between the respective paper discharge guide plates 20, and a support shaft (not shown) is urged by an urging means (not shown), so that the driven roller 21b has a peripheral surface around the drive roller 21a. It is placed in pressure contact with the surface.

  One of the paper discharge guide plates 20 is attached with the other end of a tension spring 24 having one end fixed to the main body of the paper post-processing device 3. A rotational biasing force in the direction of arrow A in FIG. Near the lower left side of the paper discharge guide plate 20, a cam 22 having a shape portion 22b at the other end is rotatably supported on the main body of the sheet post-processing apparatus 3 by a support shaft 22a. Yes. The discharge guide plate 20 has its side edge always in contact with the shape portion 22b by the urging force of the tension spring 24, and the cam 22 is rotated by a support shaft 22a by a stepping motor (not shown) in FIG. It is swung left and right.

  A detection sensor 25 that detects the trailing edge of the conveyed paper is disposed in the main transport path 11 located downstream of the transport roller pair 15 in the paper transport direction. The detection sensor 25 outputs a detection signal toward a control unit (not shown) when the trailing edge of the conveyed paper passes.

  A sub-transport path 18 for temporarily storing sheets transported through the main transport path 11 is disposed above the transport roller pair 14 and on the right side of the switching plate 16. The sub-conveying path 18 mainly includes a plurality of guide plates and a rotation guide 26, and is configured to be capable of temporarily storing a plurality of sheets. This storage operation will be described later.

  The post-processing means 12 has a processing tray 27, a transfer conveyor 28, and the like. The processing tray 27 includes an end fence 29, an alignment fence 30, a stapling device 31 as a post-processing device, a return roller 34, and the like. The end fence 29 is fixed to the apparatus main body of the post-processing apparatus 3 at a predetermined angle, and the alignment fence 30 is configured to reciprocate in the paper surface direction of FIG. The stapling device 31 performs a stapling process on the rear end in the conveyance direction of a plurality of sheets that are in contact with the end fence 29. The return roller 34 is rotatably supported by a swingable arm, and is driven to rotate counterclockwise in FIG. 1 by a driving means (not shown).

  The conveyor 28 has an endless belt 32 that is stretched between a plurality of rollers, and the endless belt 32 is configured to be movable when any of the rollers is rotationally driven by a driving means (not shown). Two discharge claws 33 are integrally fixed to the endless belt 32. The intervals between the discharge claws 33 are set to be equal and larger than the length of the sheet to be conveyed.

Based on the above configuration, the operation of the sheet post-processing apparatus 3 will be described below.
On the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 side, when the paper post-processing device 3 is set not to perform paper post-processing, a solenoid (not shown) is activated and the guide guide plate 10 occupies the first position. Thereafter, when the sheet is fed into the sheet post-processing device 3 from the sheet receiving port 3a, the inlet sensor 7 detects the leading edge of the sheet, and the inlet roller pair 5, the conveying roller pair 6, and the discharge roller pair 8 are the same. Starts rotation at the rotating peripheral speed. The fed paper is conveyed leftward in FIG. 1 by each roller pair 5 and 6, and is guided to the downstream side of the paper conveyance path 4 by the guide guide plate 10 occupying the first position. 8 is discharged onto the discharge tray 3c. When it is detected that the trailing edge of the sheet has passed through the exit sensor 9, the operations of the roller pairs 5, 6, and 8 are stopped, and the sheet post-processing device 3 enters a standby state.

  On the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 side, when the paper post-processing device 3 is set to perform paper post-processing, a solenoid (not shown) is activated and the guide guide plate 10 occupies the second position. Thereafter, when the sheet is fed into the sheet post-processing device 3 from the sheet receiving port 3a, the inlet sensor 7 detects the leading edge of the sheet, and the inlet roller pair 5, the conveying roller pair 6, the discharging roller pair 8, and each conveying roller. The pairs 14, 15, and 21 start rotating at the same rotational peripheral speed. At this time, the sheet conveying means 19 rotates in the forward direction, and the sheet passes through the switching plate 16 and is conveyed toward the post-processing means 12.

  The sheet discharged toward the processing tray 27 by the conveyance roller pair 21 falls downward due to its own weight, and is moved downward by the rotational force of the return roller 34 moved to a position where it comes into contact with the back surface of the sheet by the swing of the arm. Then, the rear end in the transport direction is brought into contact with the end fence 29 to perform alignment in the transport direction. Then, after the detection sensor 25 detects the trailing edge of the sheet, when it is determined that the trailing edge in the sheet transport direction has contacted the end fence 29 after a predetermined time has elapsed, the alignment fence 30 moves and the sheet Alignment in the width direction is performed.

  Thereafter, the above operation is repeated until the set number of sheets is reached, and when the set number of sheets is stored in the processing tray 27, the endless belt 32 rotates clockwise in FIG. The leading ends of the plurality of sheets stored in the transport direction are hit, the sheets are aligned again in the transport direction, and the stapling device 31 is activated to staple the plurality of stored sheets. The plurality of stapled sheets are pushed upward by the other discharge claw 33 when the endless belt 32 rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 1, and is placed on the discharge tray 3c by the discharge roller pair 8. Discharged.

  Even during the above-described stapling operation, the sheet is continuously fed from the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 side. Therefore, when the sheet discharging speed from the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 is high, the sheet is processed by the sheet post-processing apparatus 3. Jam inside. In order to prevent this, it is necessary to stop the discharge of the sheet from the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 until the post-processing operation for the sheet is completed on the sheet post-processing apparatus 3 side, but this greatly increases the work efficiency. It will decline. Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the sheets are continuously discharged from the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 even when the stapling apparatus 31 is operated, and the sheets fed into the sheet post-processing apparatus 3 are sub-conveyance path 18. To temporarily store. Hereinafter, this operation will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the operation of storing sheets in the sub-conveying path 18, the interval between sheets output from the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 is constant, and the interval between jobs is also constant. When the first sheet is output from the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2, signals such as the sheet size, number of sheets, conveyance speed, and processing mode are sent to the sheet post-processing apparatus 3. When this signal is input by a control means (not shown) of the sheet post-processing device 3, the number of sheets to be stored, an acceleration point, an acceleration linear velocity, a backflow point, a stop position at the time of storage, and the like are determined.

  After the solenoid (not shown) is activated and the guide guide plate 10 occupies the second position, when the first sheet P1 is fed into the sheet post-processing device 3 from the sheet receiving port 3a, one sheet of the inlet sensor 7 is provided. The leading edge of the eye paper P1 is detected, and the entrance roller pair 5, the transport roller pair 6, the paper discharge roller pair 8, and the transport roller pairs 14, 15, and 21 start to rotate at the same rotational peripheral speed. At this time, the sheet conveying means 19 rotates in the forward direction, and the first sheet P 1 passes through the switching plate 16 and is conveyed toward the post-processing means 12.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the control means (not shown) detects that the trailing edge of the first sheet P1 has passed through the switching plate 16 at the timing after the signal input from the inlet sensor 7, After the operation of the roller pairs 14, 15, and 21 is stopped, the sheet conveying means 19 rotates in the reverse direction, and the first sheet P1 is sent upward. At this time, the rotation guide 26 is also rotated clockwise in FIG. 3, and the sheet is guided by the switching plate 16 and sent into the sub-transport path 18.

  Then, based on a signal from the inlet sensor 7 or a timer (not shown), the leading end in the transport direction of the first sheet P1 is held by the pair of transport rollers 14 and occupies a predetermined position as shown in FIG. If the control means (not shown) determines that there is, the operation of the paper transport means 19 and the rotation guide 26 is stopped.

  Thereafter, the second sheet P2 is conveyed by the conveying roller pair 13, and the leading end of the second sheet P2 in the conveying direction is based on the detection information from the entrance sensor 7 as shown in FIG. When the control means (not shown) determines that the paper has been transported to a predetermined position before 14, the paper transport means 19 rotates in the normal rotation direction, and the rotation guide 26 and the transport roller pair 21 rotate to move the first paper P1 downward. Sent to. Since the first sheet P1 is transported from the state of being sandwiched by the transport rotor pair 14, the leading end in the transport direction precedes the leading end in the transport direction of the second sheet P2 toward the post-processing means 12. Are transported. The two transported sheets P1 and P2 are discharged to the processing tray 27 by the transport roller pair 21 and sent downward by the self-weight and the return roller 34 in the same manner as described above, and the rear end in the transport direction is sent to the end fence 29. After aligning in the transport direction by contact, the alignment fence 30 moves and aligns in the paper width direction.

  Thereafter, when the operation of the stapling device 31 is completed, the sheets are sent one by one to the processing tray 27 as described above, and when the set number of sheets is stored in the processing tray 27, one of the discharge claws 33 is The leading ends of the plurality of sheets stored in the back are tapped (see FIG. 3D), and the alignment in the transport direction of each sheet is performed again and the stapling device 31 is activated to store the stored sheets. The sheets are stapled by the stapling device 31. The plurality of stapled sheets are pushed upward by the other discharge claw 33 and discharged onto the discharge tray 3c by the discharge roller pair 8.

  In the above-described operation, a configuration in which one sheet P1 is stored in the sub-transport path 18 and two sheets P1 and P2 are simultaneously discharged to the processing tray 27 is shown. A configuration may be adopted in which the above sheets are stored in the sub-transport path 18 and three or more sheets are simultaneously discharged to the processing tray 27. In the above-described configuration, when the leading end of the second sheet P2 in the transport direction is transported to a predetermined position before the pair of transport rollers 14, the sheet transport means 19 is rotated in the forward rotation direction, and the rotation guide 26 and the transport roller are rotated. The pair 21 is rotated to transport the first sheet P1, but this predetermined position is that the leading end of the second sheet P2 in the transport direction enters the transport roller pair 14 while the transport roller pair 14 is slowing up. In this embodiment, the position is set as close to the conveying roller pair 14 as possible (approximately 10 mm in this embodiment).

  According to the above-described configuration, it is possible to continuously perform the post-processing of the paper without temporarily stopping the image forming apparatus, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in productivity. In the above-described embodiment, the rotation guide 26 is rotationally driven. However, the rotation guide 26 may be driven and rotated as the paper is conveyed.

  In the above-described sheet post-processing apparatus 3, when the sheet is discharged from the conveying roller pair 21 toward the processing tray 27, as described in the “Problems to be solved by the invention” column, If the paper entrance angle is fixed, there is a problem that the front end of the paper buckles or a conveyance jam occurs. In order to solve this problem, the sheet post-processing apparatus 3 of the present invention includes an angle changing means 17. The operation of the angle changing means 17 will be described below.

  The paper discharge guide plate 20 is set to the home position shown in FIG. 4A or FIG. 5A at an optimal position when discharging plain paper without a curve to the processing tray 27. When the thickness of the paper discharged to the processing tray (hereinafter referred to as “discharged paper”) is thicker or thinner than a predetermined standard value through careful observation by the present inventors, the transported length of the discharged paper is a predetermined standard value. If it is shorter or longer, if the number of ejected sheets is large, if the ejection speed of the ejected paper is faster or slower than a predetermined standard value, or if the ejected paper is curved, the above-mentioned problems occur. It has been confirmed that

  Therefore, the angle changing means 17 is operated according to various conditions of the discharged paper, thereby changing the entrance angle of the discharged paper into the processing tray 27. The discharge paper condition input is performed on the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 side, and for example, the thickness, size, number of transported sheets, transport speed, and bending direction are input. On the side of the sheet post-processing apparatus 3, the condition input by the control means (not shown) is judged, and an operation command is sent from the control means (not shown) to the stepping motor (not shown) according to this condition, and the cam 22 is moved from the home position to FIG. It is rotated by a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow B shown in a) or in the direction of arrow C shown in FIG. When the cam 22 is rotated in the direction of arrow B from the home position, the discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are in the state shown in FIG. 4B, and the entry angle of the discharged paper into the processing tray 27 becomes tight. When the cam 22 is rotated in the direction of the arrow C from the home position, the discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are in the state shown in FIG. 5B, and the entry angle of the discharged paper into the processing tray 27 becomes loose.

  Here, when the thickness of the discharged paper is thicker and thinner than a predetermined standard value, the discharged paper guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are set to the state shown in FIG. 5B, respectively. As a result, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the leading edge from being bent due to a thin sheet coming into contact with the processing tray 27 at a steep angle and the occurrence of a paper jam due to a thick sheet coming into contact with the processing tray 27 at a steep angle. Note that the entry angle of the discharged paper into the processing tray 27 accompanying the movement of the paper discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b is appropriately set according to the thickness of the paper.

  If the transport direction length of the discharged paper is shorter than a predetermined standard value, the discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are set to the state shown in FIG. If it is longer than the standard value, the paper discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are brought into the state shown in FIG. As a result, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the occurrence of a conveyance jam on a short sheet and the occurrence of a leading edge break on a long sheet.

  Further, when the number of discharged paper sheets is large, the paper discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are in the state shown in FIG. 5B, thereby preventing the occurrence of a paper jam. At this time, it is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a conveyance jam by reducing the approach angle each time the number of discharged sheets is increased.

  Further, when the discharge paper conveyance speed is higher than a predetermined standard value, the paper discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are in the state shown in FIG. 4B, and the discharge paper conveyance speed is higher than the predetermined standard value. When it is late, the paper discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are set to the state shown in FIG. Thereby, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the occurrence of a conveyance jam.

  When the leading edge of the discharged paper is curved in the direction opposite to the processing tray 27, the discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are in the state shown in FIG. 4B, and the leading edge of the discharged paper is the processing tray 27. In the case where the sheet is curved toward the end, the sheet discharge guide plate 20 and the driven roller 21b are brought into the state shown in FIG. As a result, it is possible to satisfactorily prevent the occurrence of a conveyance jam and tip breakage.

  Further, in the above-described example, the configuration is shown in which the angle changing unit 17 is operated for each thickness, size, number of sheets to be conveyed, conveyance speed, and curve direction to change the entry angle of the discharged sheets into the processing tray 27. Further, it is possible to adopt a configuration in which these conditions are determined in combination and the angle changing means 17 is operated, whereby the entry angle of the discharged paper into the processing tray 27 is appropriately changed.

  According to the above-described configuration, the angle changing unit 17 changes the paper entrance angle to the post-processing unit 12 according to various conditions of the paper, so that the paper is conveyed when the paper is discharged to the post-processing unit 12. It is possible to effectively prevent the occurrence of a jam and the leading edge of the paper, and the paper post-processing operation can be performed accurately and continuously even when various conditions regarding the paper are changed. .

  In the above embodiment, the electrophotographic copying apparatus 2 is used as the image forming apparatus main body to which the paper post-processing apparatus 3 is connected. However, the image forming apparatus 1 may be configured by connecting the sheet post-processing apparatus 3 to a printer, a facsimile machine, a plotter, a printing apparatus, a multifunction machine, or the like. In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the paper post-processing device 3 that performs stapling processing is used as post-processing has been described. However, the present invention can also be applied to a paper post-processing device that performs other post-processing.

1 is a schematic partial front view of an image forming apparatus employing an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic explaining the main conveyance path used in one Embodiment of this invention, a post-processing means, and an angle change means. It is the schematic explaining the paper conveyance process using the sub conveyance path in one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic in the case of tightening the approach angle of the paper to a post-processing means by the angle change means in one Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic in the case of making the entrance angle of the paper into a post-processing means loose by the angle change means in one Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Image forming apparatus 2 Image forming apparatus main body (electrophotographic copying machine)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Paper post-processing apparatus 11 Main conveyance path 12 Post-processing means 17 Angle change means 18 Sub conveyance path 19 Paper conveyance means 20 Paper discharge guide plate

Claims (9)

In a paper post-processing apparatus that is connected to an image forming apparatus main body and that can accept paper discharged from the image forming apparatus main body and perform post-processing on the paper by post-processing means;
A main conveyance path that guides the sheet fed from the main body of the image forming apparatus to the post-processing unit, and an angle that changes an entrance angle of the sheet disposed and conveyed at the end of the main conveyance path to the post-processing unit And a sheet post-processing apparatus. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The angle changing means has a paper discharge guide plate for directing the paper to the post-processing means, and the change of the entry angle is performed by changing the angle of the paper discharge guide plate. apparatus. In the paper post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
A sub-transport path formed by branching from the main transport path and capable of storing a plurality of sheets, and a normal rotation direction or the sub-transport to guide the sheets disposed and transported in the main transport path to the post-processing means A paper post-processing apparatus, comprising: a paper transporting means capable of rotating in a reverse direction leading to a path. In the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the change in the approach angle is performed based on a sheet thickness. In the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the change in the approach angle is performed based on a sheet size. In the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the change in the entry angle is performed based on a number of sheets conveyed. In the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the change in the entry angle is performed based on a sheet conveyance speed. In the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
The paper post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the change in the entry angle is performed based on a curve direction of the paper. An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1.

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