JP2007145537A - Sheet processing device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrict occurrence of a discharge failure (jam) without increasing dimension of a machine. <P>SOLUTION: The sheet processing device has a staple tray to be loaded with conveyed paper sheets P and a function for discharging the paper sheets on the staple tray with a delivery roller after holding up the paper sheets on the staple tray with a rear end fence, a jogger fence 36, a stapler for stapling the arranged paper sheet bundle, and a discharging claw 38a. When discharging the bundle of the unstapled paper sheets P, the discharging claw 38a is positioned at a position closer to the delivery roller 4 than the case of discharging the bundle of stapled paper sheets P. In the case wherein the number of paper sheets is less than a predetermined number, the jogger fence 36 is retreated to a position, in which the jogger fence 36 is not brought in contact with the paper sheets P. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a sheet-like recording medium that has been carried in and discharges it, and a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile equipped with this sheet processing apparatus, or a digital multifunction machine that combines these functions. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

  As this type of technology, for example, the invention described in Patent Document 1 is known. The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus including a stapling unit that receives a conveyed sheet and staples a plurality of sheets, and a vertically movable sheet discharge tray on which a bundle of stapled sheets is stacked. A control unit that temporarily raises the discharge tray to a predetermined upper position when the discharged sheet bundle is discharged onto the discharge tray, and the control unit sets a predetermined number of stapled bundles of sheets. When the number is larger than the number of sheets, the predetermined upper position is adjusted to a further upper position, or when the paper size of the stapled sheet bundle is larger than the predetermined size, the predetermined upper position is adjusted. Furthermore, it is characterized by adjusting to an upper position.

  In this sheet post-processing apparatus, when the staple mode is selected, the jogger fence moves from the home position and stands by at a position 7 mm away from the sheet width. When the sheet is conveyed by the lower conveying roller and the trailing end of the sheet passes the sheet discharge sensor, the jogger fence jogs inward by 5 mm from the standby position. The paper discharge sensor detects when the trailing edge of the paper has passed, and inputs the signal to the CPU. The CPU counts the transmission pulse from the carry motor from the reception of this signal, and returns it after transmitting the predetermined pulse. Turn on the solenoid.

  The return roller performs a pendulum motion by turning on and off the return solenoid. When the return solenoid is turned on, the return roller is struck to return downward, and abuts against the rear end fence to vertically align the paper. Each time a sheet stored in the staple tray passes through the entrance sensor, a signal is input to the CPU, and the number of sheets is counted. After a predetermined time has elapsed after the return solenoid is turned off, the jogger fence is moved inward by 2 mm by the jogger motor, and is temporarily stopped. The jogger fence then returns 7 millimeters and waits for the next sheet. This operation is performed up to the last page. On the last page, 7 mm jogging is performed again to prepare for the stapling operation by pressing both ends of the sheet bundle.

Thereafter, the stapling device is activated after a predetermined time, and the binding process is performed. At this time, if a plurality of bindings are designated, after the binding process at one place is completed, the staple moving motor is driven, and the staple device is moved to an appropriate position along the rear end of the sheet, so that the second binding process is performed. Is done. When the binding process is completed, the discharge motor is driven to drive the discharge belt. At this time, the paper discharge motor is also driven to start rotating to receive the sheet bundle lifted by the discharge claw.
Japanese Patent No. 3614274

  In the post-processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, when stapling the paper, the jogger moves to a position slightly away from the side surface of the paper, and the discharge claw moves to the upper limit position where the paper surface does not rise from the staple tray (the paper surface is stapled). When the paper floats from the tray, the paper comes into contact with the jogger and discharge becomes defective.) After that, the paper is discharged by the paper discharge roller. Some post-processing devices execute this operation even when stapling is not performed. In other words, some conventional techniques perform the above operation regardless of whether or not the sheet is stapled.

  By the way, when the paper is discharged by the paper discharge roller without stapling the paper, the inner paper tends to slip without being affected by the paper discharge roller, and there is a possibility that a discharge failure (jam) may occur. In order to avoid this, in the prior art, the discharge path (jam) is prevented by loosening the angle of the conveyance path from the staple tray to the paper discharge roller. However, if the conveyance path is loosened, the horizontal direction is increased accordingly. Since the dimensions would be extended, the machine had to be enlarged in the paper transport direction by the amount of extension.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a state of the art, and an object thereof is to minimize the possibility of occurrence of a discharge failure (jam) without increasing the size of the machine.

  In order to achieve the above object, the first means includes a stacking means for stacking the conveyed sheet-like recording medium, an aligning means for aligning the sheet-like recording medium on the stacking means, and an aligned sheet-like recording medium In a sheet processing apparatus having a binding means for binding a bundle of sheets and a function of discharging the sheet-shaped recording medium by a paper discharge roller after lifting the sheet-shaped recording medium with a claw-shaped member, when discharging a bundle of unbound sheet-shaped recording media, The claw-like member is positioned closer to the paper discharge roller than when a bundle of bound sheet-like recording media is discharged.

  When the second means releases the bundle of unbound sheet-like recording media in the first means, the aligning member of the aligning means aligns the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet-like recording medium. It is characterized by retreating to a position where it does not come into contact with the sheet-like recording medium.

  The third means is characterized in that, in the second means, whether the alignment member is retracted is set according to the number of sheet-like recording media to be discharged.

  A fourth means is characterized in that, in the third means, when the number of sheet-like recording media is less than a predetermined number, the alignment member is not retracted.

  A fifth means is characterized in that the image forming apparatus includes the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth means.

  In the embodiment described later, the stacking means is the discharge tray 4, the alignment means is the rear end fence 33 and the jogger fence 36, the binding means is the stapler 35, the claw-like member is the discharge claw 38a, and the discharge roller is Reference numeral 23 denotes an alignment member corresponding to the jogger fence 36, the image forming apparatus corresponds to reference numeral A, and the sheet post-processing apparatus corresponds to reference numeral B.

  According to the present invention, when discharging a bundle of unbound sheet-like recording media, the discharge claw is positioned closer to the paper discharge roller than when discharging a bundle of bound sheet-like recording media. As a result, the conveyance angle of the sheet-like recording medium to the paper discharge roller can be made gentle, thereby minimizing the possibility of a discharge failure without increasing the size of the apparatus.

  Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. An image forming system according to the present embodiment includes an image forming apparatus A composed of any one of a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine, or a digital multifunction peripheral, and an on-sheet recording medium (hereinafter referred to as an image forming apparatus A) on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus A. A sheet (post) processing apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a paper post-processing apparatus) B having a function of performing post-processing such as sorting, alignment, and binding is connected to the paper (hereinafter simply referred to as paper).

  In the same figure, the sheet post-processing apparatus B is directed to an introduction path 1 for receiving the image-formed sheet P discharged from the image forming apparatus A, and two paths branched from the introduction path 1, that is, toward the sheet discharge tray 4. It has a transport path 2 and a lower transport path 3 for performing stapling.

  The paper P is conveyed to the entrance guide 44 and is carried into the paper post-processing apparatus B by the entrance roller 10. When stapling is not performed on the paper P, the paper P is moved in front of or behind the apparatus by a shift roller 21 that moves a predetermined amount in a direction orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction if the sorting is not set. Is then discharged to the paper discharge tray 4. In the paper discharge tray 4, the paper is returned to the side surface of the paper post-processing apparatus B by the return roller 24 and sequentially stacked. The upper surface of the stacked paper P is detected by the filler 41 and the paper surface sensors 42 and 43. By performing the control, the height of the paper surface is always set so as to keep the paper lines 42 and 43 off.

  When stapling the paper P, a solenoid (not shown) that drives the branch claw 20 is turned on, the upper transport path 2 side is closed, and the lower transport path 3 is opened, and the paper P is guided to the lower transport path 3.

  A lower conveyance roller 30, a paper discharge sensor 31, and a brush roller 32 are arranged in the lower conveyance path 3, and a staple unit 5 is arranged at the end position of the lower conveyance path 3. The staple unit 5 includes a stapling device 35 that moves in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction, a staple tray 34, and a jogger fence 36 that moves in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction and aligns the paper on the staple tray 34. And a return roller 37, a discharge belt 38, a discharge claw 38a, and the like. The sheet conveyed through the lower conveyance path 3 by the lower conveyance roller 30 is discharged onto the staple tray 34 by the brush roller 32, and the position in the width direction (direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction) is aligned by the jogger fence 36. Further, the return roller 37 strikes the upper surface of the paper P discharged by performing a pendulum motion, and conveys the end portion on the rear end side with respect to the conveyance direction to the rear end fence 33 side, thereby bringing the paper into contact therewith. Align the paper transport direction (length direction) position of the bundle. The bundle of sheets thus aligned is bound by the stapling device 35 moving in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and stapling a suitable position at the lower edge of the sheet bundle. The sheet bundle that has received the staple is pushed upward by rotating the discharge belt 38 in the counterclockwise direction in the figure while the lower edge (rear end) of the sheet bundle is supported by the discharge claw 38a, and is temporarily stopped. The paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 4 by the paper discharge roller 23. Reference numeral 11 denotes an inlet sensor, and reference numeral 22 denotes a paper discharge sensor.

  The positional relationship between the discharge claw 38a and the jogger fence 36 when the paper P is stapled and discharged is as shown in FIG. That is, when the paper P is discharged by the paper discharge roller 23 without being stapled, the inner paper tends to slip without being affected by the paper discharge roller 23, and a discharge failure (jam) may occur. . Therefore, when discharging without stapling, as shown in FIG. 3, the discharge claw 38a is temporarily stopped above the position shown in FIG. To do.

  However, as shown in FIG. 3, when the inclination of the paper P becomes gentle, the upper surface of the paper P comes into contact with the upper portion 36a of the U-shaped jogger fence 36, and a resistance force is generated. Therefore, the jogger fence 36 is extended to a position where it does not contact the paper P as shown in FIG. As a result, the paper P can be discharged normally. However, when discharging is performed by the method of FIG. 4, the width direction of the paper P is shifted and discharged.

  When discharging 10 sheets or less of paper P without stapling, the thickness of the paper bundle is small, so even if the jogger fence 36 is in the state shown in FIG. 3, no discharge failure (jam) occurs. Therefore, when discharging 10 sheets or less of paper P without stapling, the discharge claw 38a is temporarily stopped above the normal so that the inclination of the paper P becomes gentle. In other words, the state where the upper portion of the jogger fence 36 is covered on the paper P is maintained. As a result, the paper P can be discharged without disturbing the width direction.

1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the state of the paper bundle push-up position by the discharge | release nail | claw at the time of binding in the past and this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state of the push-up position of the sheet | seat bundle | flux which has not bound the discharge claw in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the jogger fence and discharge claw of a small number of unbound paper bundle in this embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

4 Discharge tray 23 Discharge roller 33 Rear end fence 34 Staple tray 35 Stapler 36 Jogger fence 38 Discharge belt 38a Discharge claw A Image forming apparatus B Paper post-processing apparatus P Paper

Claims (5)

Stacking means for stacking conveyed sheet-like recording media, aligning means for aligning sheet-like recording media on the stacking means, binding means for binding a bundle of aligned sheet-like recording media, and the sheet-like recording medium In a sheet processing apparatus having a function of discharging with a paper discharge roller after lifting with a claw-like member,
When discharging a bundle of unbound sheets of recording media, the claw-shaped member is positioned closer to the paper discharge roller than when discharging a bundle of bound sheets of recording media. Sheet processing device.   When discharging a bundle of unbound sheet-like recording media, the aligning member that aligns the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the sheet-like recording medium of the aligning means moves back to a position where it does not contact the sheet-like recording medium. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1.   3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein whether or not the alignment member is retracted is set according to the number of sheet-like recording media to be discharged.   4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the number of sheet-like recording media is less than a predetermined number, the alignment member is not retracted. An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1.

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