JP2008179439A - Post-processor - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a post-processor shortened in the post-processing time, restricting increase in size of the device, and capable of sufficiently corresponding to a high-speed machine. <P>SOLUTION: This post-processor for performing a predetermined post-processing to a bundle of paper sheets P1 formed by stacking paper sheets P fed from an image forming device 19 in order comprises an intermediate tray main body 32 for receiving the paper sheets P fed from the image forming device 19 in order and for stacking them to from the bundle of paper sheets P1, and an elevating endless belt 36 arranged over and under the intermediate tray main body 32 in the state of pinching the intermediate tray main body 32 so as to be circulated between an upper driven roller 353a and a driving roller 352. The elevating endless belt 36 is provided with a paper sheet receiver member 37 for supporting the bundle of paper sheets P1 on the intermediate tray main body 32, and at least two paper sheet receiver members 37 are provided so as to be positioned on a back side surface of the intermediate tray main body 32 near the upper driven roller 353a and the driving roller 352. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a post-processing apparatus that performs predetermined processing on a sheet fed from an image forming apparatus.

  Conventionally, a post-processing apparatus as described in Patent Document 1 is known. This post-processing device performs predetermined post-processing (alignment processing and stapling processing) on sheets sequentially fed from the image forming apparatus. Such a post-processing apparatus includes a processing tray (an intermediate plate 75 in Cited Document 1) disposed obliquely and a pair of support members disposed so as to sandwich the processing tray (Patent Document 1). 1 includes an endless belt (conveying belt 77 in Patent Document 1) having discharge claws 77a and 77b), a stapler for performing a stapling process on a bundle of sheets stacked on a processing tray and supported by a support member. Yes.

  Then, a predetermined number of sheets are sequentially discharged from the image forming apparatus onto the processing tray, and the sheet bundle formed by being received by one of the support members is lowered to the position of the stapler by the endless belt. Then, the stapling process is performed on the sheet bundle. The sheet bundle after the stapling process is raised along the processing tray by the movement of the support member by the rotation of the endless belt, and is discharged to the outside.

  The one support member after discharging the sheet bundle goes around the end of the endless belt and turns to the back side of the processing tray, while the other supporting member moves to the front side of the processing tray, and the next job sheet is transferred to the processing tray. Be prepared to be sent to.

By providing the pair of support members on the endless belt, it is possible to quickly cope with the paper fed from the image forming apparatus, and the processing efficiency of the post-processing apparatus is improved.
JP 2003-128293 A

  However, when the paper is received by the stapler, the support member needs to move to the back side retracted position. In this case, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1 (see FIG. 4 of Patent Document 1), the upper support member is required. The member moves and protrudes toward the sheet placement surface side of the processing tray. In this state, when a large size paper is carried onto the processing tray, the base size paper may interfere with the support member, thereby disturbing the consistency of the paper bundle.

  In order to avoid such inconvenience, it is necessary to increase the distance between the rollers so that the paper does not interfere with the support member even if a large-size paper is carried onto the processing tray. However, if this is done, the processing tray must be lengthened as the distance between the rollers increases, which raises the material cost and raises the new problem of reversing the downsizing of the post-processing apparatus. Is done.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and efficiently suppresses the bundle of sheets in a state in which the consistency of the bundle of sheets is not hindered while suppressing the increase in apparatus cost and the downsizing of the apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a post-processing apparatus that can be used for post-processing.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a post-processing device that performs a predetermined process on a sheet bundle formed by laminating sheets sequentially fed from the image forming apparatus, the sheets sequentially fed from the image forming apparatus. A processing tray for receiving and forming a stacked sheet bundle, and an endless belt that is looped between a pair of rollers disposed in the processing tray and circulates between the pair of rollers. Is provided with a supporting member for supporting the sheet bundle on the processing tray, and the supporting members can be simultaneously positioned on the surface of the processing tray opposite to the sheet placing surface in the vicinity of the pair of rollers. Are provided with at least two.

  According to such a configuration, when the post-processing is performed on the sheet bundle, at least two support members are respectively positioned on the back side of the processing tray in the vicinity of the upper and lower rollers (the surface opposite to the sheet placement surface). There is no inconvenience that the upper support member turns around to the front side of the processing tray and pushes the upper part of the sheet bundle upward. Accordingly, there is no problem that the alignment state of the sheet bundle is disturbed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the invention, at least two endless belts are arranged in parallel to each other, and the at least two pressing members are respectively provided on the endless belts. It is characterized by.

  According to this configuration, since at least two support members are respectively provided on the two endless belts, one end of the support member and the other end of the support member are independent from each other according to the circulation of each endless belt. Each of the supporting members can be moved, thereby increasing the degree of freedom of correspondence of the supporting members to the sheet.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least two support members are positioned on the opposite surfaces in the vicinity of the corresponding pair of rollers. Is set to be equal to or shorter than the maximum sheet length.

  According to such a configuration, since the distance between the rollers is set to be equal to or less than the maximum sheet length, if the two support members are on the back side of the processing tray in this state, the distance between the support members is also inevitably required. As a result, the distance between the rollers is shorter, which contributes to the downsizing of the post-processing apparatus.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the endless belt is wound around the pair of rollers and the front side of the processing tray is on the back side. It is set longer, and the two support members are respectively provided at intermediate positions of the second endless belt.

  According to such a configuration, the two support members are provided at the respective intermediate positions of the second endless belt that is longer on the back side than on the front side. In the state of being located in the vicinity of the back side, the other support member is necessarily in the state of being located in the vicinity of the back side of the other roller.

  According to the post-processing apparatus of the present invention, the support member that supports the sheet bundle attached to the endless belt to hold the sheet on the processing tray is opposite to the sheet placing surface of the processing tray in the vicinity of the upper and lower rollers. Since at least two members are provided so as to be located on the surface of the processing tray, it is possible to avoid a state in which the two supporting members are simultaneously positioned on the surface side of the processing tray.

  As a result, when the post-processing is performed on the sheet bundle on the processing tray, one of the supporting members that has been supporting the sheet bundle until now avoids the interference with the post-processing, so that the back side of the lower roller (sheet mounting) The other support member is located on the back side of the upper roller and does not protrude to the front side of the processing tray even if it is in a state of wrapping around the surface on the opposite side of the placement surface. It is possible to prevent the members from pushing up the sheet bundle on the processing tray in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the inconvenience that the post-processing is performed in a state where the alignment state of the sheet bundle is disturbed. Can be prevented.

  Accordingly, it is not necessary to lengthen the length of the processing tray in order to prevent the other support member from pushing up the upper end portion of the sheet bundle, and accordingly, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the post-processing apparatus. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in apparatus cost and obstacles to downsizing.

  First, the post-processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention will be described from the exterior. FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of a post-processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (A) shows a state in which a processing unit 20 is housed in a housing 11, FIG. B) shows a state in which the processing unit 20 is pulled out from the housing 11, and FIG. 1C shows a state in which the processing unit 20 is pulled out and the bypass tray 40 of the processing unit 20 is opened. In FIG. 1, the XX direction is referred to as the left-right direction, and the YY direction is referred to as the front-rear direction. In particular, the -X direction is referred to as the left, the + X direction is referred to as the right, the -Y direction is referred to as the front, and the + Y direction is referred to as the rear.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the post-processing device 10 is configured by mounting various post-processing members that perform post-processing on the paper P in a box 11 that has a box shape in appearance. Yes. The casing 11 is erected from a front plate 111 erected from a front edge portion of a bottom plate (not shown), a right side plate member 112 erected from a right edge portion of the bottom plate, and a rear edge portion of the bottom plate. An unillustrated back plate, an unillustrated left side plate standing from the left edge of the bottom plate, and a ceiling constructed to cover the front plate 111, the right side plate member 112, the left side plate, and the upper edge of the back plate. A plate member 113 and a rectangular parallelepiped shape are provided.

  The height of the front plate 111 from the bottom plate is set to approximately 1/3 of the height of the post-processing apparatus 10. Staple processing, stacking, alignment, shifting, and the like are performed on the paper P on the front plate 111. A storage space V for storing the processing unit 20 for processing is provided, and a front door 121 for closing the storage space V is provided. Incidentally, FIGS. 1A to 1C show a state in which the front door 121 is opened.

  A paper receiving opening 13 for receiving the paper P (see FIG. 2) sent from the image forming apparatus 19 is provided on the upper side of the right side plate member 112, and the inside of the post-processing apparatus 10 is passed through the paper receiving opening 13. A punching process for punching a fastening hole, a stapling process for fastening the sheet bundle P1 (see FIG. 2), and the like are performed on the paper P introduced into the sheet.

  A main tray 14 is provided on the left side surface of the post-processing apparatus 10, and a sub-tray 15 is provided on the left side of the top plate member 113. The main tray 14 is for receiving the sheet bundle P1 (see FIG. 2) subjected to the stapling process. The main tray 14 is configured to be lifted and lowered by driving a predetermined lifting means, and the number of copies of the discharged sheet bundle P1 is increased. Are sequentially lowered from the highest position. On the other hand, the sub-tray 15 is for receiving paper that is discharged without being subjected to post-processing by the post-processing device 10 or paper that has been subjected only to punching processing of the fastening holes.

  On the upper right side in the housing 11, a punch unit 16 is provided for punching a fastening hole in the paper P immediately after being fed into the housing 11 from the image forming device 19 through the paper receiving opening 13. In addition, an upper frame plate 114 that supports various rollers is provided on the left side of the punch unit 16 so as to face the front opening of the storage space V. Below the upper frame plate 114 and on the left side in the post-processing apparatus 10, a triangular frame plate 115 having a substantially triangular shape is provided facing the front opening of the storage space V. The triangular frame plate 115 is formed such that the right edge portion is inclined downward from the upper left in the post-processing apparatus 10 toward the right.

  At a right position of the triangular frame plate 115 below the upper frame plate 114, a predetermined number of sheets P fed from the image forming apparatus 19 are temporarily stored and then fastened to the formed sheet bundle P1. A processing unit 20 that performs stapling with a needle is provided, and at a position below the processing unit 20 is a sheet bundle P1 of paper P that has passed through the processing unit 20 without being subjected to stapling. A so-called center folding unit 17 is provided for performing stapling processing at the center position in the transport direction and folding the center position as a boundary.

  The processing unit 20 is rotatable with respect to the staple tray 30 so as to be along a staple tray 30 disposed obliquely on the right side of the triangular frame plate 115 and an oblique surface on the right side of the staple tray 30. And an attached bypass tray 40.

  The staple tray 30 includes a pair of first frame plates 31 in the front-rear direction, and an intermediate tray body (processing tray) 32 (see FIG. 2) that is obliquely installed between the pair of first frame plates 31. . On the other hand, the bypass tray 40 includes a pair of second frame plates 41 in the front-rear direction, and a bypass tray body 42 (see FIG. 2) that is laid in parallel with the intermediate tray body 32 between the pair of second frame plates 41. I have.

  A connecting shaft 33 provided between a pair of first frame plates 31 is provided at a right lower portion of the staple tray 30. The bypass tray 40 has a lower end portion of a pair of second frame plates 41 connected to the connecting shaft. By being through-connected to 33, forward and reverse rotation about the connecting shaft 33 is possible. The bypass tray main body 42 can be changed in posture between a closing posture S1 shown in FIG. 1B with the intermediate tray main body 32 closed and an open posture S2 shown in FIG. 1C with the intermediate tray main body 32 opened. It has become.

  A post-processing space V1 having a predetermined gap size for storing the paper P is formed between the intermediate tray main body 32 and the bypass tray main body 42, and a predetermined number of sheets P are in the post-processing space V1. Staple processing is performed on the sheet bundle P1 (see FIG. 2) formed by sequentially feeding.

  When a paper jam occurs in the post-processing space V1 of the processing unit 20, the processing unit 20 is pulled out from the storage space V of the post-processing device 10 (FIG. 1B). Thus, the posture is changed from the closing posture S1 (FIG. 1B) to the open posture S2 (FIG. 1C), and the jammed paper P is exposed to the outside. As a result, the jammed paper P can be easily removed.

  In the present embodiment, the processing unit 20 is guided with respect to the storage space V of the post-processing apparatus 10 by being guided by a pair of left and right guide members 34 provided slightly below the central portion in the vertical direction of the staple tray 30. It is inserted and removed. The guide member 34 includes a stationary rail 341 fixed to the inner surface side of the right side plate member 112 and the left side plate member of the housing 11 so as to extend in the front-rear direction, and the staple tray 30 so as to face the stationary rail 341. A movable rail 342 fixed to the side and a retainer 343 interposed between the stationary rail 341 and the movable rail 342 are provided.

  According to the guide member 34, when the staple tray 30 is inserted into and removed from the storage space V of the post-processing device 10, the movable rail 342 is stationary via the retainer 343 that moves between the stationary rail 341 and the movable rail 342. The staple tray 30 can be moved forward and backward while being guided by the rail 341, whereby the staple tray 30 can be smoothly pulled out from the storage space V and smoothly stored toward the storage space V.

  A handle band 311 made of a flexible material such as a synthetic resin sheet is provided at an appropriate position on the front first frame plate 31. The handle band 311 is gripped and pulled toward the front, so that the storage space V can be drawn. The stored processing unit 20 (FIG. 1A) can be pulled out (FIG. 1B).

  Next, the internal structure of the post-processing apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view illustrating an embodiment of the internal structure of the post-processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention. Note that the direction display by X in FIG. 2 is the same as in FIG. 1 (−X: leftward, + X: rightward). As shown in FIG. 2, in the post-processing device 10, a paper transport path R that transports the paper P sent from the image forming device 19 to various places according to the purpose is formed.

  The sheet transport path R includes an entrance-side transport path R1, a sub-tray transport path R2, a processing tray transport path R3, a main tray transport path R4, a staple tray transport path R5, a bypass tray transport path R6, and a half-fold unit. It is composed of a direct conveyance path R7.

  The entrance-side transport path R1 is provided so as to extend from the sheet receiving opening 13 of the post-processing apparatus 10 to the left and to the substantially central position in the left-right direction of the post-processing apparatus 10.

  The sub-tray transport path R2 is provided so as to branch from the downstream end of the entrance-side transport path R1 and extend toward the sub-tray 15.

  The processing tray transport path R3 is provided to branch from the downstream end of the inlet side transport path R1 and extend toward the post-processing space V1 of the processing unit 20.

  The main tray transport path R4 is provided so as to extend from the upper end of the post-processing space V1 toward the main tray.

  The staple tray transport path R5 is provided so as to branch leftward from the downstream end of the processing tray transport path R3 and head toward the staple tray 30.

  The detour tray transport path R6 is provided so as to branch from the downstream end of the processing tray transport path R3 and go rightward.

  The conveyance path R <b> 7 for the middle folding unit is provided so as to pass through the bypass tray 40 toward the middle folding unit 17.

  The punch unit 16 is provided at a position above the entrance-side transport path R1. The paper P introduced into the entrance-side transport path R1 through the paper receiving opening 13 is provided with a fastening hole at an appropriate position by punching processing by driving the punch unit 16 in a temporarily stopped state.

  At the downstream end of the entrance-side transport path R1, a switching guide 18 for switching the transport destination of the paper P between the transport path R2 for the sub-tray and the transport path R3 for the processing tray is provided, and processing such as stapling is performed on the paper P. When not applied, the sheet P is discharged to the sub-tray 15 via the sub-tray transport path R2 by setting the switching guide 18 in a predetermined posture. On the other hand, when processing such as stapling is performed on the sheet P, the sheet P is sent to the processing unit 20 through the processing tray transport path R3 by changing the posture of the switching guide 18, and a predetermined number of sheets P are transferred to the post-processing space V1. The sheet bundle P1 is stapled in a state where the sheet bundle P1 is formed and stored. The sheet bundle P1 after the stapling process is discharged toward the main tray 14 via the main tray transport path R4.

  The center folding unit transport path R7 extends downward from a substantially intermediate position in the vertical direction of the bypass tray 40, and after the sheet P for the center folding process passes over the bypass tray main body 42, the center folding The unit is introduced into the half-folding unit 17 through the unit transport path R7. The lower part of the conveyance path R <b> 7 for the middle folding unit is formed so as to be lowered downward from the lower end of the processing unit 20 toward the left and is directed toward the middle folding unit 17.

  The sheet bundle P1 formed by sequentially introducing the sheets P into the center folding unit 17 is formed at the lower left end of the housing 11 after being subjected to a predetermined center folding process in the center folding unit 17. Then, the sheet is discharged toward the center folding tray 171.

  Hereinafter, an outline of the structure of the processing unit 20 will be described based on FIG. 3 and with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 as necessary. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a corresponding portion of FIG. 2 for explaining the processing unit 20. 4 and 5 are perspective views showing an embodiment of the staple tray 30, FIG. 4 is a view of the staple tray 30 as viewed from the front side, and FIG. It is the figure seen from the surface on the opposite side of a mounting surface. 3 to 5 are the same as those shown in FIG. 2 (X is the left-right direction (-X: leftward, + X: rightward), Y is the front-rear direction (-Y: forward, + Y). : Back)).

  As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, a belt motor 35 has a drive shaft 351 on the back side of the intermediate tray body 32 in a portion corresponding to a predetermined position below the staple tray 30 which is a component of the processing unit 20. Are arranged in the state of facing in the front-rear direction. The driving rotation of the driving shaft 351 of the belt motor 35 is transmitted to a driving roller 352 provided at a predetermined position below the intermediate tray main body 32 via a connecting belt 351a.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, an operation handle 352 c is provided at the front end of the roller shaft 352 b that rotates concentrically with the drive roller 352. For example, when a paper jam occurs in the processing unit 20, the operation handle 352c is pulled out of the casing 11 (see FIGS. 1B and 1C), and the operation handle 352c is operated in this state. It is rotated by operation. As a result, the lifting endless belt 36, which will be described later, circulates through the driving roller 352 due to the rotation around the axis of the roller shaft 352b, thereby moving the jammed paper P, and this movement is used to eliminate the paper jam. Contribute.

  Further, a sensor 352d for detecting a sheet receiving member (supporting member) 37, which will be described later, provided on the elevating endless belt 36 is provided in the vicinity of the driving roller 352, and the sheet receiving member 37 is detected by the sensor 352d. The home position is detected.

  A plurality of driven shafts are laid between the pair of first frame plates 31 at appropriate positions on the upper end position of the intermediate tray body 32 and the back side of the intermediate tray body 32 (the surface opposite to the sheet placement surface). Driven roller 353 is provided, and an endless belt 36 for elevating is wound around the driving roller 352 and each driven roller 353.

  As the driven roller 353, an upper driven roller 353a provided corresponding to the upper side of the intermediate tray main body 32 and a lower portion of the intermediate tray main body 32 on the back side, provided slightly above the driving roller 352. A lower driven roller 353b and an intermediate driven roller 353c provided at an intermediate position between the upper and lower driven rollers 353a and 353b are employed.

  The upper driven roller 353a is pivotally supported around an upper shaft 353d provided between the pair of first frame plates 31 so as to be relatively rotatable. The lower driven roller 353b is pivotally supported so as to be relatively rotatable around the lower shaft 353e. Further, the intermediate driven roller 353c is pivotally supported so as to be relatively rotatable around the intermediate shaft 353f.

  The lifting endless belt 36 is provided with a pair of paper receiving members 37. The sheet receiving member 37 receives the sheets P sequentially sent from the image forming apparatus 19 and forms a sheet bundle P1 per job on the intermediate tray main body 32.

  Each of the sheet receiving members 37 includes a flat plate portion 371 that is tightly fixed to the lifting endless belt 36, and a hook portion 372 that has a retaining shape for receiving the paper P formed at the tip of the flat plate portion 371. ing. The hook portion 372 is open in the circumferential direction when the endless belt 36 for lifting is rotated counterclockwise when viewed from the front. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 2, the paper P supplied to the intermediate tray main body 32 with the paper receiving member 37 positioned on the front side (right side) of the intermediate tray main body 32 has the opening of the hook portion 372 on the top. It is received and stopped by the sheet receiving member 37 in the facing state.

  With the pair of sheet receiving members 37 positioned at the home position, the upper one is positioned on the back side (left side) of the intermediate tray main body 32 in the vicinity of the upper driven roller 353a as shown in FIG. In addition, the relative installation position is set so that the lower one can be positioned on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32 in the vicinity of the drive roller 352.

  Therefore, when the endless belt 36 for raising and lowering starts counterclockwise starting from the state where each paper receiving member 37 is located at the home position, the lower paper receiving member 37 can immediately move onto the intermediate tray main body 32. .

  Further, when the endless belt 36 for raising and lowering is rotated clockwise starting from the state where each paper receiving member 37 is located at the home position, the upper paper receiving member 37 can immediately move onto the intermediate tray main body 32.

  As described above, since the upper and lower paper receiving members 37 can quickly move to the surface side of the intermediate tray main body 32 according to the size of the paper P, the paper receiving members 37 are used as the image receiving members 37. The paper P of the next job sent from the forming device 19 can be ready to be received immediately according to its size.

  A stapler 38 for performing a stapling process on the sheet bundle P1 is provided at a position facing the lower end portion of the intermediate tray main body 32. The stapler 38 performs a stapling process on the edge of the sheet bundle P1 in a state where the sheet bundle P1 supported by the sheet receiving member 37 by the circulation of the endless belt 36 for raising and lowering is positioned at the lower end portion of the intermediate tray body 32. Is to be applied.

  In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, the two sheet receiving members 37 are positioned on the back side (surface opposite to the sheet placing surface) in the vicinity of the upper driven roller 353a and the driving roller 352, respectively. In this state, the linear distance L1 between the pair of sheet receiving members 37 is set to be equal to or less than the sheet length L2 of the sheet P of the maximum size (A3 size in the present embodiment) that can be processed by the processing unit 20.

  In this way, the two trays 37 are located on the back side (the side opposite to the sheet placement surface) in the vicinity of the upper driven roller 353a and the driving roller 352, respectively, so that the intermediate tray main body is located. The length dimension of 32 does not become unnecessarily long, and can contribute to the downsizing of the post-processing apparatus 10 correspondingly.

  Incidentally, in the present embodiment, the lower driven roller 353b and the intermediate driven roller 353c are provided on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32, so that the lifting endless belt 36 is located on the back side (left side) of the intermediate tray main body 32. In the state where the return belt is longer than the forward belt on the same surface side (right side), and provided at each intermediate position that bisects the lifting endless belt 36 in the lifting endless belt 36, It is convenient that the two sheet receiving members 37 can be simultaneously positioned on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32. Further, by allowing the two paper receiving members 37 to be positioned on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32, even if the shape of the paper receiving member 37 is slightly larger, the paper placement surface ( There is an advantage that it does not come out on the right side).

  The bypass tray 40 includes a bypass tray main body 42, a cover plate 43, a branch guide 44, a hitting member 45, a valve roller pair 46, a second switching guide 47 and a third switching guide 48.

  The bypass tray main body 42 is configured to form a post-processing space V1 between the bypass tray 40 and the intermediate tray main body 32 in a state where the bypass tray 40 is set in the closed posture S1 (see FIG. 1B). 32 is provided between the pair of second frame plates 41 so as to face the pair.

  The cover plate 43 is installed between the pair of second frame plates 41 so as to face the right surface side of the bypass tray main body 42.

  The branch guide 44 allows the sheet P from the processing tray transport path R3 provided slightly above the upper end of the cover plate 43 to pass between the post-processing space V1 of the staple tray 30 and the retreat space V2 of the bypass tray 40. It is something to sort by.

  The branch guide 44 is provided between the staple tray transport path R5 and the detour tray transport path R6, and post-processes the paper P sent from the processing tray transport path R3 by forward and reverse rotation about a predetermined axis. It goes to the space V1 or goes to the evacuation space V2. In FIG. 3, the state where the branch guide 44 is tilted to the right and the sheet P is guided to the post-processing space V1 is indicated by a solid line, and the state where the branch guide 44 is tilted to the left and is guided to the retreat space V2 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Yes.

  The hitting member 45 is provided in the vicinity of the upper end position of the cover plate 43, and hits the paper P from the entrance-side transport path R1 toward the branch guide 44, thereby causing the paper P to follow the branch guide 44. It is.

  The valve roller pair 46 temporarily stores the paper P sent from the entrance-side transport path R1 to the retreat space V2, and transports the paper P downward by driving.

  The second switching guide 47 is provided immediately below the valve roller pair 46, and the conveyance destination of the paper P introduced into the detour tray 40 is a post-processing space V1 for the staple tray 30 and a conveyance path R7 for the center folding unit. To switch between.

  When the large-size (for example, A3 size) paper P is introduced into the post-processing space V1, the third switching guide 48 is tilted to the left as shown by a solid line in FIG. 3 to hold down the large-size paper P. On the other hand, when a small-size (for example, A4 size) paper P is introduced into the post-processing space V1 through the evacuation space V2, it is tilted to the right as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  The bypass tray main body 42 is set to have a short length so that the lower end portion is positioned at a substantially central portion in the vertical direction of the intermediate tray main body 32, whereas the lower end portion of the cover plate 43 has a connecting shaft 33. Accordingly, the sheet P is fed to the lower part of the cover plate 43 by being driven by the valve roller pair 46 and is guided to the lower part of the cover plate 43 so as to be positioned at a slightly upper position. Can be received reliably.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, a receiving roller pair 131 for receiving the paper P from the paper receiving opening 13 is provided at the upstream end of the entrance-side transport path R1, and the paper P is provided at the downstream end. A discharge roller pair 132 is provided for discharging the toner to the downstream side. The paper P delivered by the delivery roller pair 132 is delivered toward either the sub-tray transport path R2 or the processing tray transport path R3 in accordance with the set attitude of the switching guide 18.

  An introduction roller pair 133 is provided at the downstream end of the processing tray transport path R3 so as to face the upper part of the bypass tray main body 42 and guide the paper P from the entrance-side transport path R1 to the upper part of the processing unit 20. It has been.

  The bypass tray main body 42 has an upper edge portion positioned substantially directly below the introduction roller pair 133 via the branch guide 44, and a lower edge portion positioned substantially in the vertical direction of the intermediate tray main body 32. The length is set as follows. Meanwhile, the upper edge of the cover plate 43 is set at substantially the same height level as the upper edge of the bypass tray body 42, and the lower edge is positioned below the lower edge of the bypass tray body 42. In addition, the size and shape are set so that the paper P can be guided onto the intermediate tray main body 32.

  A retreat space V <b> 2 for temporarily retreating the detoured paper P is formed between the detour tray body 42 and the cover plate 43 above the valve roller pair 46.

  The center folding unit transport path R <b> 7 is formed on the back side of the cover plate 43 at a position below the valve roller pair 46.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the staple tray 30 of the post-processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. Incidentally, FIG. 6 shows a case where the paper P is of a large size (A3 size in the present embodiment) so as to explain the features of the present invention. 6 and 7 is the same as that shown in FIG.

  6 and 7 are explanatory views for explaining the action of the sheet receiving member 37 on the sheet bundle P1 formed on the intermediate tray main body 32 of the staple tray 30, and FIG. FIG. 7 shows a case where the paper P is of a large size (A3 size in the present embodiment).

  6A and 7B, (A) shows a state in which the sheet P sequentially sent from the image forming apparatus 19 is received by the sheet receiving member 37 and the sheet bundle P1 is being formed on the intermediate tray main body 32. (B) shows a state in which the stapling process is being performed on the sheet bundle P1 formed on the intermediate tray main body 32, and (C) shows a state in which the sheet bundle P1 after the stapling process is being discharged to the outside. Show. Incidentally, the direction indication by X in FIGS. 6 and 7 is −X: leftward and + X: rightward) as in the case of FIG. 2.

  First, when the paper P is of a small size, as shown in FIG. 6A, the branch guide 44 is tilted to the left and the pair of paper receiving members 37 is driven by the lower one. On the back side of the roller 352, the upper part is set at a so-called home position, which is located on the back side of the upper driven roller 353a.

  In this state, the paper P from the image forming apparatus 19 is introduced into the processing unit 20 via the entrance-side transport path R1, the processing tray transport path R3, and the introduction roller pair 133. The paper P introduced into the processing unit 20 is carried to the bypass tray 40 side by the branch guide 44, supplied to the intermediate tray body 32 through the bypass tray body 42 and the valve roller pair 46, and a predetermined value of the stapler 38. Received by the arm.

  When the feeding of the sheet P of one job from the image forming apparatus 19 to the processing unit 20 is completed, the predetermined arm of the stapler 38 is made up of a predetermined number of sheets P as shown in FIG. A sheet bundle P1 is formed. In this state, the staple process by the stapler 38 is performed on the leading end side (lower end side) of the sheet bundle P1.

  Then, after the stapling process is performed on the sheet bundle P1, the sheet bundle P1 wraps around the surface side of the intermediate tray main body 32 of the lower sheet receiving member 37 by the counterclockwise rotation of the elevating endless belt 36. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6B, the sheet receiving member 37 is transferred from the arm of the stapler 38. Subsequently, the endless belt 36 for elevating / lowering is continuously turned counterclockwise, so that the sheet bundle P1 supported by the sheet receiving member 37 is transported to the main tray as shown in FIG. 6C. Is discharged toward the main tray 14 (FIG. 2).

  At this time, the upper sheet receiving member 37 descends on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32 around the elevating endless belt 36 and moves toward the lower home position. Therefore, in order to receive the paper P of the next job by the paper receiving member 37, the endless belt 36 for lifting and lowering can be used with a small amount of rotation for the paper receiving member 37 positioned at the lower home position. The processing efficiency of the post-processing apparatus 10 can be improved.

  Next, when the paper P is of a large size, as shown in FIG. 7A, both the branch guide 44 and the third switching guide 48 are tilted to the right.

  In this state, the paper P from the image forming apparatus 19 is introduced into the processing unit 20 via the entrance-side transport path R1, the processing tray transport path R3, and the introduction roller pair 133. The paper P introduced into the processing unit 20 is carried into the staple tray 30 side by the branch guide 44, descends on the intermediate tray main body 32, and is received by a predetermined arm of the stapler 38.

  When the feeding of the sheet P of one job from the image forming apparatus 19 to the processing unit 20 is completed, the intermediate tray body 32 is supported by a predetermined arm of the stapler 38 as shown in FIG. A sheet bundle P1 composed of a predetermined number of sheets P is formed. In this state, a stapling process is performed on the lower end portion of the sheet bundle P1.

  Then, after the stapling process is performed on the sheet bundle P1, the sheet bundle P1 wraps around the surface side of the intermediate tray main body 32 of the lower sheet receiving member 37 by the counterclockwise rotation of the elevating endless belt 36. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7B, the sheet receiving member 37 is transferred from the arm of the stapler 38. Subsequently, the endless belt 36 for elevating / lowering is continuously turned counterclockwise, so that the sheet bundle P1 supported by the sheet receiving member 37 is transported to the main tray as shown in FIG. 7C. Is discharged toward the main tray 14 (FIG. 2).

  As described above in detail, the post-processing apparatus 10 according to the present invention performs a predetermined process on the sheet bundle P1 formed by laminating the sheets P sequentially fed from the image forming apparatus 19 to form an image. An intermediate tray body 32 that receives sheets P sequentially fed from the apparatus 19 to form a stacked sheet bundle P1, and upper driven rollers disposed above and below the intermediate tray body 32 with the intermediate tray body 32 sandwiched therebetween. An elevating endless belt 36 that circulates between 353a and the driving roller 352 is provided. The lifting endless belt 36 is provided with a sheet receiving member 37 that supports the sheet bundle P1 on the intermediate tray main body 32.

  Since at least two sheet receiving members 37 are provided on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32 in the vicinity of the upper and lower upper driven rollers 353a and the driving roller 352, the sheet receiving members 37 are sequentially provided from the image forming apparatus 19. The fed paper P is received by one of the paper receiving members 37 to form a paper bundle P1, and subsequently the paper bundle P1 is lowered to the lowest position by the driving orbit of the lifting and lowering endless belt 36. In this state, the paper bundle P1 is lowered. The sheet bundle P1 after the stapling process is lifted along the intermediate tray body 32 and discharged to the outside by reversely driving the lifting endless belt 36 after predetermined post-processing. At this time, the other sheet receiving member 37 is lowered on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32 and is positioned below the lifting endless belt 36, so that the sheet P of the next job is sent from the image forming apparatus 19. When this occurs, it is possible to cope with receiving the next sheet P by a short distance movement, which improves the processing efficiency of the post-processing apparatus.

  When post-processing the sheet bundle P1, at least two sheet receiving members 37 are positioned on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32 in the vicinity of the upper and lower rollers 353a and 352, respectively. There is no inconvenience that the member 37 moves to the surface side of the intermediate tray main body 32 and pushes the upper part of the sheet bundle P1 upward, and post-processing (stapling process) is performed without disturbing the alignment state of the sheet bundle P1. ).

  Accordingly, it is not necessary to lengthen the length of the intermediate tray body 32 in order to prevent the other sheet receiving member 37 from pushing up the upper end portion of the sheet bundle P1, and the size of the post-processing apparatus 10 is increased accordingly. This can be avoided, and as a result, an increase in the device cost of the post-processing device 10 can be suppressed.

  On the other hand, the conventional pair of support members (for example, the support member described in Patent Document 1 above) is endless so that the distance between the two along the endless belt is substantially the same on one side and the other side. By being provided on the belt, one of the supporting members that support the sheet bundle in the circumference of the endless belt descends and reaches the stapler, and after the supported sheet bundle is delivered to the stapler, it does not interfere with the stapling process. Thus, in the state where it wraps around the back side of the processing tray, the other support member protrudes from the surface of the processing tray.

  When the other support member protrudes from the surface of the processing tray, the upper end of the sheet bundle supported by the stapler for the stapling process is pushed upward, so that the alignment state of the sheet bundle is destroyed. There is a disadvantage that the stapling process is performed on the sheet bundle without obtaining a satisfactory alignment state.

  In order to eliminate such an inconvenience, the length of the processing tray is set to be sufficiently long, so that the other support member is positioned on the surface side of the processing tray while the sheet bundle is supported by the stapler. However, it is conceivable that the upper end of the sheet bundle does not interfere with the other support member.

  However, if this is done, the post-processing apparatus must be enlarged by the length of the processing tray, which raises the cost of the apparatus and raises the new problem of going against the downsizing of the apparatus. Is done.

  As described above, the post-processing device 10 according to the present invention can solve such problems.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and includes the following contents.

  (1) FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the staple tray 30 ′ showing the second embodiment of the staple tray 30 ′ of the post-processing apparatus 10 as viewed from the back side. The direction display by X and Y in FIG. 8 is the same as in FIG. 5 (X is the left-right direction (−X: leftward, + X: rightward), Y is the front-rear direction (−Y: forward, + Y: rearward). )).

  In the staple tray 30 ′ of the second embodiment, two endless belts for raising and lowering (the same as the endless belt 36 for raising and lowering as in the previous embodiment and the rear endless belt 36 arranged in parallel with the endless belt for raising and lowering 36). 2 endless belt 36 ') for raising and lowering is employed.

  The second elevating endless belt 36 'is a second drive roller 352' that is concentrically and integrally fitted to the drive shaft 351, and a second drive roller that is coaxially supported by the upper shaft 353d so as to be relatively rotatable. An upper driven roller 353a ', a second lower driven roller 353b' that is coaxially supported by the lower shaft 353e so as to be relatively rotatable, and a second intermediate driven that is supported by the intermediate shaft 353f so as to be relatively rotatable. It is wound around the roller 353c '.

  The elevating endless belt 36 is provided with only one sheet receiving member 37, while the second elevating endless belt 36 ′ has a second sheet receiving member 37 ′ similar to the sheet receiving member 37. Is provided.

  Each sheet receiving member 37, 37 'is positioned at the home position as shown in FIG. 8, and the sheet receiving member 37 is in the vicinity of the upper driven roller 353a on the back side (left side) of the intermediate tray body 32. On the other hand, the installation positions of the second sheet receiving members 37 ′ are set so as to be positioned in the vicinity of the second drive roller 352 ′ on the back side of the intermediate tray main body 32.

  According to the staple tray 30 ′ of the second embodiment, the second elevating endless belt 36 ′ is employed in addition to the elevating endless belt 36 of the previous embodiment, and one sheet provided on the elevating endless belt 36. Since the positional relationship between the receiving member 37 and the second paper receiving member 37 ′ provided on the second elevating endless belt 36 ′ is the same as that of the two paper receiving members 37 in the previous embodiment, the operation and effect thereof is as follows. The same as in the previous embodiment.

  (2) FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the staple tray 30 ″ of the post-processing apparatus 10 showing the third embodiment of the staple tray 30 ″ as viewed from the back side. The direction display by X and Y in FIG. 9 is the same as in FIG. 8 (X is the left-right direction (−X: leftward, + X: rightward), Y is the front-rear direction (−Y: forward, + Y: rearward). )).

  The staple tray 30 ″ of the third embodiment is a modification of the staple tray 30 ′ of the second embodiment, and a second belt motor that drives and rotates the upper shaft 353d of the second embodiment about the axis. The second embodiment is different from the second embodiment in that a second endless belt 36 'for raising and lowering is provided so that the second endless belt 36' can be rotated independently of the endless belt 36 for raising and lowering.

  To this end, in the third embodiment, the second drive roller 352 ′ that rotates integrally with the lower shaft 353e is the one corresponding to the lower driven roller 353b of the second embodiment, and the second embodiment. A portion corresponding to the second driving roller 352 ′ in the form is a lowermost driven roller 353 g that rotates relative to the driving shaft 351. The second lifting endless belt 36 ′ is wound around the second driving roller 352 ′, the second intermediate driven roller 353 c ′, the second lower driven roller 353 b ′, and the lowermost driven roller 353 g, The belt motor 35 'is driven to rotate independently of the lifting endless belt 36.

  According to the staple tray 30 of the third embodiment, each of the sheet receiving members 37 and 37 ′ provided on the two lifting endless belts 36 and 36 ′ is set independently of the others. Therefore, the degree of freedom for supporting the paper P is improved, it becomes possible to cope with the paper P of various sizes in the shortest time, and more efficient post-processing can be executed. .

  (3) In the above embodiment, a large size paper P (for example, A3 size paper P) is directly introduced into the post-processing space V1, while a small size paper P (for example, A4 size paper P) is The paper is once passed through the bypass tray 40 and then introduced into the post-processing space V1. Instead of this, all the paper P is directly introduced into the post-processing space V1 without going to the bypass tray 40. It may be.

  (4) In the above embodiment, the sheet receiving member 37 may be used for a pressing process for pressing and aligning the upper edge of the sheet bundle P1. In this case, when the sheet bundle P1 is supported by the stapler 38 for stapling (see FIG. 7B), the upper sheet receiving member 37 is moved to the sheet bundle by the clockwise rotation of the endless belt 36 for raising and lowering. The sheet is moved to the upper end of P1, and the upper edge of the sheet bundle P1 is pressed by the hook portion 372 of the sheet receiving member 37, so that the alignment process is executed. Staple processing is performed on the sheet bundle P1 after the alignment processing. By doing so, the sheet bundle P1 can be more reliably aligned.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing an embodiment of the post-processing apparatus according to the present invention, where (A) is a state in which the staple unit is housed in the housing, and (B) is a state in which the staple unit is pulled out from the housing. (C) shows a state in which the bypass tray of the staple unit is opened by being pulled out from the casing. It is explanatory drawing of front sectional view which shows one Embodiment of the internal structure of the post-processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a corresponding portion of FIG. 2 for explaining a staple unit. It is the perspective view which shows one Embodiment of a staple tray, and is the figure which looked at the staple tray from the surface side. It is the perspective view which looked at the staple tray shown in FIG. 4 from the back side. (A)-(C) are explanatory drawings for demonstrating operation | movement of the paper pressing member and the raising / lowering mechanism performed with respect to the paper bundle formed on the intermediate tray main body of a staple tray, and a paper is small size. The case where it is a thing is shown. (A)-(C) is explanatory drawing for demonstrating operation | movement of the paper pressing member and raising / lowering mechanism performed with respect to the paper bundle formed on the intermediate tray main body of a staple tray, and the paper P is large size. The case where it is is shown. It is the perspective view which looked at the staple tray which shows 2nd Embodiment of the staple tray of a post-processing apparatus from the back side. It is the perspective view which looked at the staple tray which shows 3rd Embodiment of the staple tray of a post-processing apparatus from the back side.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Post-processing apparatus 11 Case 111 Front plate 112 Right side plate member 113 Top plate member 114 Upper frame plate 115 Triangle frame plate 121 Front door 13 Paper receiving opening 131 Accepting roller pair 132 Discharging roller pair 133 Introducing roller pair 14 Main tray 15 Subtray Reference Signs List 16 Punch Unit 17 Middle Fold Unit 171 Middle Fold Tray 18 Switching Guide 19 Image Forming Device 20 Processing Unit 30 Staple Tray 31 Frame Plate 311 Handle Band 32 Intermediate Tray Body (Processing Tray)
33 connecting shaft 34 guide member 341 stationary rail 342 movable rail 343 retainer 35 belt motor 351 driving shaft 351a connecting belt 352 driving roller 352b roller shaft 352c operation handle 352d sensor 353 driven roller 353a upper driven roller 353b lower driven roller 353c intermediate driven roller 353c 353d Upper shaft 353e Lower shaft 353g Lowermost driven roller 36 Endless belt for raising and lowering 37 Paper receiving member (supporting member)
371 Flat plate portion 372 Hook portion 38 Stapler 40 Detour tray 41 Frame plate 42 Detour tray main body 43 Cover plate 44 Branch guide 45 Striking member 46 Valve roller pair 47 Second switching guide 48 Third switching guide P Paper P1 Paper bundle R Paper transport path R1 Entrance side transport path R2 Sub-tray transport path R3 Processing tray transport path R4 Main tray transport path R5 Staple tray transport path R6 Detour tray transport path R7 Middle folding unit transport path S1 Closed posture S2 Open attitude V Storage space V1 Post-processing space V2 Retraction space L1 Linear distance L2 between paper receiving members Paper length

Claims (4)

A post-processing device that performs a predetermined process on a sheet bundle in which sheets sequentially fed from an image forming apparatus are stacked,
A processing tray for receiving sheets sequentially fed from the image forming apparatus and forming a stacked sheet bundle;
An endless belt that is hung between a pair of rollers disposed in the processing tray and circulates between the pair of rollers,
The endless belt is provided with a support member for supporting the sheet bundle on the processing tray,
The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the support members are provided so as to be simultaneously positioned on a surface opposite to the sheet placement surface of the processing tray in the vicinity of the pair of rollers. At least two of the endless belts are arranged in parallel to each other,
The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least two support members are provided on each endless belt.   The distance between each of the rollers is set to be equal to or less than a maximum sheet length in a state where the at least two support members are positioned on the opposite surface in the vicinity of the corresponding pair of rollers. Item 3. A post-processing apparatus according to item 1 or 2. The endless belt is set so that the front side of the processing tray is longer than the back side in a state of being hung between the pair of rollers,
4. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the two support members are provided at respective intermediate positions of the second endless belt. 5.

Images