JP2008094612A - Paper loading device, paper after-treatment device and image forming apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper loading device, preventing disorder of a stack, a blotch, bruise and rubbing noise due to rubbing of the trailing end of a paper sheet with an end fence by moving the end fence according to the elevating operation of a paper delivery tray. <P>SOLUTION: The end fence 12 is movable in the paper loading device 11 loaded with paper sheets from a paper post-treatment device B for performing post-treatment for a paper sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus, a sheet stacking apparatus, and an image forming apparatus that perform post-processing on sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a copying apparatus and a printer.

The paper stacking device in the paper post-processing device that performs post-processing on the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus has a plurality of paper discharge trays, and the paper discharge tray is fixed to an end fence that aligns the rear ends of the discharged paper. If it is set, it is effective when the paper discharge tray is switched.
For this reason, conventionally, a technology for fixing a paper discharge tray to an end fence in a paper stacking device in a paper post-processing device has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 3600030

However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, the end fence does not operate during the paper discharge operation, and only the paper discharge tray is used when the paper is stacked and when the paper is divided and removed from the paper discharge tray. Was moving up and down, and the end surface of the paper that contacted the end fence was rubbed against the end fence.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to take into account the above-mentioned situation, and by making the end fence movable in accordance with the lifting and lowering operation of the paper discharge tray, the stack state is disturbed by rubbing the rear edge of the paper against the end fence, It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper stacking device that prevents dirt, scratches, rubbing sounds, and the like.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a discharge tray that stacks and lifts a stack of sheets discharged from the sheet post-processing device, and a first drive that drives the discharge tray. A paper stacking apparatus comprising: a drive source; and an end fence that aligns a rear end of the sheet bundle, wherein the end fence moves up and down in accordance with the lifting and lowering of the paper discharge tray. It is characterized by.
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the end fence has a belt-like shape.
The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the end fence is driven by the first drive source to move up and down.
The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 further includes a second drive source for driving the end fence.

The invention according to claim 5 is provided with a drive source for raising and lowering the paper discharge tray, and the end fence is raised and lowered by friction with the sheet bundle loaded on the paper discharge tray that is raised and lowered. Alternatively, the paper stacking device described in 2 is characterized.
The invention according to claim 6 is characterized in that the end fence is fixed to the sheet discharge tray, and the sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 is characterized.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a paper post-processing device including the paper stacking device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects.
According to an eighth aspect of the invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus including the paper post-processing apparatus according to the seventh aspect.

  According to the present invention, the end fence is made movable in accordance with the lifting / lowering operation of the paper tray, thereby controlling the portion of the paper stacked on the paper discharge tray that contacts the end fence, so that the paper during the paper discharge tray lifting / lowering operation can be controlled. Can alleviate the burden.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a sheet post-processing apparatus provided with a sheet stacking apparatus to which the present invention is applied. The paper discharged from the copying apparatus A passes through the entrance guide plate 1 and is carried into the paper post-processing apparatus B by the transport rollers 2 and 3.
The sheet carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus B is branched by the branching claws 4 and 5 into a proof conveyance path, a sort conveyance path, and a staple conveyance path. The sheet carried into the proof conveyance path is discharged to the proof tray 8 by the conveyance roller 6 and the discharge roller 7.
The paper carried into the sorting transport path is discharged to the paper discharge tray 11 by the transport rollers 9 and the paper discharge rollers 10, returned to the end fence 12, and then stacked on the paper discharge tray 11.
The paper carried into the staple conveyance path is discharged to the staple tray 17 by the conveyance rollers 13, 14, 15 and the staple discharge roller 16, dropped onto the reference fence 19 by the tapping roller 18, and then aligned by the jogger fence 20. The

Here, in the case of edge binding, binding is performed at a predetermined position by the stapler 21, the sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 11 by the discharge claw and the discharge roller 10, and the sheet bundle returns to the end fence 12.
In the case of saddle stitching, the paper is aligned by the jogger fence 20, bound by the saddle stitching stapler 22 to the center of the paper, conveyed to the paper folding stopper 25 of the paper folding section by the discharge claw, the discharge roller 23, and the conveyance roller 24, and the paper. The paper is folded in half by the folding blade 26 and the paper folding roller 27, and discharged to the saddle stitching tray 29 by the paper discharge roller 28.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the sheet bundle 30 is stacked on the first embodiment of the sheet stacking apparatus. FIG. 3 is a right side view of the paper stacking apparatus of FIG. According to FIGS. 2 and 3, the paper discharge tray 11 is fixed to the timing belt 31 by the fixing plate 32, and the power from the tray driving gear (first driving source) 33 depends on the loading amount of the stacked paper 30. Is transmitted, and the discharge tray 11 moves up and down.
Further, the timing belt 35 extends from the tray driving gear 33 to the end fence driving gear 36 in order to operate the belt-shaped end fence 34 with the same drive as the paper discharge tray 11. Accordingly, the end fence 34 also operates.
As described above, the end fence 34 is belt-like, so that the end fence 34 can be made into a continuous ring state, and the structure can be simplified if there are at least two rollers. it can.
Further, since the end fence 34 is the same drive source as the raising and lowering of the discharge tray 11, the end fence 34 can be operated in synchronization with the raising and lowering operation of the discharge tray 11 without being controlled.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which sheets are stacked in the second embodiment of the sheet stacking apparatus. In FIG. 4, a bundle of discharged sheets 30 is stacked on a discharge tray 11 which is a sheet stacking device. The end-fence 37 in the form of a single ring has a second drive source (not shown) different from the raising / lowering operation of the paper discharge tray 11, and the power is transmitted to the pulley 38. Operate.
As described above, the end fence 37 having a continuous ring shape, that is, the belt-like end fence 37 has an independent drive source, so that the end fence 37 can be freely operated regardless of the lifting / lowering operation of the discharge tray 11. be able to.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a state in which a bundle of sheets is stacked on the third embodiment of the sheet stacking apparatus. The belt-shaped end fence 39 does not have a drive source, and the pulley 40 can freely rotate.
The end fence 39 freely moves along with the sheet 30 due to friction of a portion where the sheet bundle 30 contacts the end fence 39 when the sheet discharge tray 11 loaded with the sheet bundle 30 moves up and down.
As described above, since the end fence 39 does not have a drive source, a mechanism for driving the end fence 39 is not required, and the end fence 39 can be freely operated by the stack of sheets 30 stacked when the discharge tray 11 is moved up and down. Can do.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a state in which sheets are stacked in the fourth embodiment of the sheet stacking apparatus. In FIG. 6, a sheet bundle 30 is stacked on a sheet discharge tray 11 which is a sheet stacking device. The belt-like end fence 41 is fixed to the paper discharge tray 11 by screws 42, and thus the end fence 41 always operates simultaneously with the raising / lowering operation of the paper discharge tray 11.
As described above, the movable end fence 41 is fixed to the paper discharge tray 11. Therefore, the end fence 41 can be adapted to the lifting and lowering operation of the paper discharge tray 11 without any complicated mechanism or special control. Can always work.
The paper stacking device of the present invention can be applied to a paper post-processing device. The sheet post-processing apparatus can be applied as a part of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a facsimile machine.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a sheet post-processing apparatus including a sheet stacking apparatus to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 3 is a front view showing a state in which sheets are stacked on the first embodiment of the sheet stacking apparatus. FIG. 3 is a right side view of the paper stacking apparatus of FIG. 2. The front view which shows the state in which the paper is loaded in 2nd Embodiment of a paper stacking apparatus. The front view which shows the state in which the paper is loaded in 3rd Embodiment of a paper stacking apparatus. The front view which shows the state in which the paper is loaded in 4th Embodiment of a paper stacking apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  A image forming device, B paper post-processing device, 10 paper discharge roller, 11 paper stacking device (paper output tray), 12, 34, 37, 39, 41 end fence, 30 paper bundle, 31 timing belt, 32 fixing plate, 33 Tray drive gear, 35 Timing belt, 36 End fence drive gear, 42 Screw

Claims (8)

A paper discharge tray that stacks and moves up and down a stack of paper discharged from the paper post-processing device; a first drive source that drives the discharge tray; and an end fence that aligns the rear ends of the paper bundle. In the paper loading device,
The sheet stacking apparatus, wherein the end fence is raised and lowered in accordance with the raising and lowering of the discharge tray.   The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end fence has a belt shape.   3. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end fence is driven by the first driving source to move up and down.   The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second drive source that drives the end fence.   3. The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end fence moves up and down by friction with the sheet bundle loaded on the sheet discharge tray that moves up and down.   The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the end fence is fixed to the sheet discharge tray.   A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising the sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1.   An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 7.

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