JP2009051644A - Post-processing device and image forming system with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a post-processing device capable of easily performing repairs of such as supply of a material for a post-processing unit and release of defective operation, and simplifying a structure of a device therefor. <P>SOLUTION: The post-processing device comprises a first stack tray for stacking and storing sheets, a sheet stacking means for stacking sheets, a saddle-stitching staple unit for stitching center portions of a sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacking means, a second stack tray for stacking and storing treated sheets from the sheet stacking means, and a tray elevating/lowering means for supporting the first stack tray in an elevating/lowering manner. The first stack tray and the second stack tray are vertically arranged in this order. The sheet stacking means is arranged at an intermediate position between the first stack tray and the second stack tray. An opening/closing cover for repairing the saddle stitching staple unit is provided on an exterior cover between the first stack tray and the second stack tray. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing such as binding processing, punching processing, and stamp processing on a sheet carried out from an image forming apparatus or the like, and has an apparatus configuration that facilitates work when maintaining the post-processing unit. Regarding improvements.

  In general, this type of post-processing apparatus is widely known as an apparatus that performs stapling, punching, stamping, and the like on sheets stacked on a tray. An apparatus configuration is known in which sheets transported from an image forming apparatus or the like are stacked on a tray, and a processing unit is disposed on the stacking tray so as to staple, punch, and seal the bundle of sheets after stacking.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that a sheet from an image forming apparatus is bundled into a bundle, stapled, stapled, and discharged to a first stack tray, and a sheet is stapled and folded into a booklet. In addition, an apparatus configuration including a second sheet path for discharging to the second stack tray is disclosed.

  Further, in Patent Document 2, an end binding stapler that binds the edge of the sheet is disposed on the first stack tray that is located on the upper side in the same sheet conveyance path, and the second stack tray that is located on the lower side is provided with the sheet stacking path. A saddle stitch stapler for binding the center portion is disposed. In the first stack tray, the edge (rear edge) of the stacked sheet bundle is bound and discharged to the downstream stacker, and in the second stack tray, the center portion of the stacked sheets is saddle stitched. Is disclosed in which the apparatus is folded and discharged to a downstream stacker.

As described above, post-processing units such as staplers arranged at one place or a plurality of places are not disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, but need to be repaired by the user. In the repair, for example, in the case of a stapler, it is necessary to operate a unit inside the apparatus from the outside when replenishing staple needles (cardridges) when there is no staple or when a malfunction such as staple jam occurs. In the case of a puncher, it is necessary to install a device from the outside when removing scraps of paper or when a malfunction such as punch jam occurs. For this reason, in the conventional apparatus, the post-processing unit is pulled out from the exterior cover.
JP 2007-045620 A (FIG. 2) JP 2002-214973 A (FIG. 1)

  As described above, when replenishing a needle to a post-processing unit such as a stapler disposed inside the apparatus or removing a jammed needle, the post-processing unit is conventionally configured to be pulled out from the inside of the apparatus. . In this case, there are known a configuration in which the unit is pulled out and a configuration in which the unit and the surrounding paper feed mechanism are simultaneously pulled out of the apparatus.

  However, when the post-processing unit is configured to be drawn out of the apparatus, there is a problem that the drawing mechanism is complicated and large. On the other hand, a configuration in which an opening / closing cover is provided on the exterior cover without pulling out the post-processing unit, and a user repairs the internal unit from the opening / closing cover is also conceivable. In this case, the work of repairing the unit located on the back side inside the apparatus is troublesome and at the same time dangerous. Therefore, the opening / closing cover is preferably disposed on the exterior cover closest to the post-processing unit disposed inside.

  Accordingly, the present inventor provides an opening / closing cover for repairing a post-processing unit (stapler) for performing post-processing on a sheet carried out to a second stack tray positioned on the lower side of the upper and lower two-stage configuration. It came to the idea of placing it on the exterior cover located in the middle. As a result, there is no need to pull out the unit, and repairs such as needle replenishment and jam needle removal can be easily performed from the outside.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a post-processing apparatus in which repair of the post-processing unit disposed inside the apparatus is easy, such as replenishment of materials and cancellation of malfunction, and at the same time, the apparatus structure is simple.
Further, in the present invention, when the post-processing is performed on each of the sheets carried out on the trays arranged in the upper and lower two stages, the post-processing unit located on the lower stage side can be easily repaired, and the structure for that is simple. Is the issue.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration. A sheet carry-in path, a first stack tray for stacking and storing sheets from the sheet carry-in path, a sheet stacking means for stacking sheets from the sheet carry-in path, and the center of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacking means A saddle stitching staple unit for binding the sections, a second stack tray for stacking and storing processed sheets from the sheet stacking means, and a tray lifting / lowering means for supporting the first stack tray so as to be movable up and down. The first stack tray and the second stack tray are arranged one above the other in this order, and the sheet stacking means is arranged at an intermediate position between the first stack tray and the second stack tray. The sheet carry-in path includes a first sheet path that guides the sheet to the first stack tray and a second sheet path that guides the sheet toward the sheet stacking unit, and the saddle stitching staple unit includes the first sheet path. Place in 2 sheet path. The exterior cover between the first stack tray and the second stack tray is provided with an opening / closing cover for repairing the saddle stitching staple unit.

  The first stack tray is arranged so as to move up and down along the exterior cover, and the open / close cover is arranged within the movement locus of the first stack tray that moves up and down.

The tray lifting and lowering means includes a control means for moving the first stack tray so as to be retracted above or below the opening / closing cover based on a needle empty signal and / or an abnormal operation signal of the saddle stitching staple unit.

  A processing tray for stacking sheets is provided between the sheet carry-in path and the first stack tray, and an end-binding staple unit for binding the edges of the stacked sheets is disposed on the processing tray.

  The exterior cover includes a front cover located on the front side of the apparatus and a side cover located on the side of the apparatus, and a first opening / closing cover for repairing the saddle stitching staple unit is disposed on the side cover, A second opening / closing cover for repairing the end binding staple unit is disposed on the front cover.

  An image forming system according to the present invention includes an image forming apparatus that sequentially forms an image on a sheet and a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing such as stapling, punching, and stamping on the sheet from the image forming apparatus. The processing apparatus has the above-described configuration.

  According to the present invention, an opening / closing cover for repairing a saddle stitching staple unit that binds sheets reaching the lower second stack tray is disposed at an intermediate position between the first stack tray and the second stack tray disposed above and below. Since it is a thing, it has the following effects.

  By disposing the staple unit in the vicinity of the tray for carrying it out, the internal unit can be easily repaired from the open / close cover at an intermediate position between the first and second stack trays. In addition, since the work area is secured by removing the stacked sheets of the second stack tray located on the lower side, the structure is simple and the repair work is easy.

  Further, the first stack tray positioned on the upper side of the upper and lower stack trays is configured to be movable up and down, and an open / close cover for repairing the staple unit of the sheet reaching the second stack tray is moved up and down the first stack tray. By arranging it inside, during the repair work, the first stack tray can be moved above or below the opening / closing cover to secure a work area, and the repair work is safe and easy. Therefore, the apparatus can be configured to be small and compact.

  Further, the first stack tray can be automatically retracted above or below the opening / closing cover by a staple empty signal and an operation failure signal of the staple unit.

The present invention will be described in detail below based on the preferred embodiments of the present invention shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an image forming system including an image forming apparatus A and a post-processing apparatus B according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a detailed configuration of the post-processing apparatus B. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of the tray lifting mechanism, and FIG. 4 is a layout configuration diagram of the first processing unit (edge binding stapler) and the second processing unit (saddle stapler).

[Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus]
The image forming system shown in FIG. 1 includes an image forming apparatus A and a post-processing apparatus B. The first and second stack trays are formed by stapling sheets formed by the image forming apparatus A using the post-processing apparatus B. It is comprised so that it may accommodate in 21 and 22. The image forming apparatus A sends a sheet from the paper feeding unit 1 to the image forming unit 2, prints the sheet on the image forming unit 2, and then carries the sheet out from the main body discharge port 3. The sheet feeding unit 1 stores sheets of a plurality of sizes in sheet feeding cassettes 1 a and 1 b, and separates specified sheets one by one and feeds them to the image forming unit 2. The image forming unit 2 includes, for example, an electrostatic drum 4, a print head (laser light emitting device) 5 and a developing device 6 arranged around the electrostatic drum 4, a transfer charger 7, and a fixing device 8. An electrostatic latent image is formed by the light emitting device 5, toner is adhered to the developing device 6, an image is transferred onto the sheet by the transfer charger 7, and heat fixing is performed by the fixing device 8. The sheets on which images are formed in this way are sequentially carried out from the main body discharge port 3. 9 is a circulation path, and the sheet printed on the front side from the fixing device 8 is turned upside down through the main body switchback path 10 and then fed again to the image forming unit 2 to print on the back side of the sheet. This is the path for duplex printing. The sheet printed on both sides in this way is turned upside down by the main body switchback path 10 and then carried out from the main body discharge port 3.

  11 is an image reading apparatus, which scans a document sheet set on a platen 12 with a scanning unit 13 and electrically reads it with a photoelectric conversion element (not shown). The image data is digitally processed by an image processing unit, for example, and then transferred to the data storage unit 14 to send an image signal to the laser emitter 5. 15 is a document feeder, which is a feeder device that feeds document sheets stored in the stacker 16 to the platen 12.

  The image forming apparatus A configured as described above is provided with a control unit (controller) 50 shown in FIG. 8, and image forming conditions such as sheet size designation, color / monochrome printing designation, print number designation, single-sided / double-sided printing from the control panel 18. Printout conditions such as designation and enlargement / reduction printing designation are set. On the other hand, in the image forming apparatus A, image data read by the scan unit 13 or image data transferred from an external network is accumulated in the data storage unit 17, and the image data is transferred from the data storage unit 17 to the buffer memory 19. The data signal is sequentially transferred from the buffer memory 19 to the laser emitter 5.

  From the control panel 18, post-processing conditions are also input and specified simultaneously with the image forming conditions. As the post-processing conditions, for example, “print-out mode”, “staple binding mode”, “sheet bundle folding mode”, or the like is selected.

[Configuration of post-processing equipment]
As shown in FIG. 2, the post-processing apparatus B receives a sheet on which an image is formed from the main body discharge port 3 of the image forming apparatus A, and (1) whether the sheet is accommodated in the first stack tray 21 (described above). (2) Whether the sheets from the main body discharge port 3 are aligned in a bundle and stapled, and then stored in the first stack tray 21 (the above-mentioned “staple binding mode”) (3) Sheets from the main body discharge port 3 are aligned in a bundle and stapled at the center, and then folded into a booklet and stored in the second stack tray 22 (the aforementioned “sheet bundle folding mode”). ) Is configured to.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the post-processing apparatus B includes a casing (exterior cover) 20 including the first stack tray 21 and the second stack tray 22. The first stack tray 21 is configured to move up and down according to the sheet stacking amount. For this reason, as shown in FIG. 3, guide rollers 21r are provided at the upper and lower portions of the base end portion of the first stack tray 21. The guide rollers 21r are attached to an elevating guide 91 provided on an apparatus frame (not shown). The mating is supported. The base end portion of the first stack tray 21 is connected to an elevating belt 92, and the elevating belt 92 is supported by a pair of upper and lower pulleys 93a and 93b. A lifting motor Ms is connected to one (driving pulley) 93a of this pulley. Accordingly, by controlling the rotation of the lifting motor Ms, the first stack tray 21 moves up and down according to the amount of sheets stacked.

  The second stack tray 22 is fixed to an apparatus frame (not shown), and is disposed so as to protrude outside the casing 20. In addition, 20c shown in FIG. 3 is the opening / closing cover provided in the exterior cover (casing) 20, and forms the opening part for the maintenance of the 2nd processing unit 40 mentioned later.

  In the casing 20, a sheet carry-in path P <b> 1 having a carry-in port 23 connected to the main body discharge port 3 is provided. The illustrated sheet carry-in path P <b> 1 is configured by a linear path that is substantially horizontal to the casing 20. The sheet carry-in path P <b> 1 includes a first sheet path SP <b> 1 that guides the sheet from the carry-in entrance 23 to the first stack tray 21 and a second sheet path SP <b> 2 that guides the sheet to the second stack tray 22. . As shown in the drawing, the first sheet path SP1 is disposed above the apparatus and the second sheet path SP2 is disposed below the apparatus.

  In such a path configuration, the carry-in roller 24 and the paper discharge roller 25 are arranged in the sheet carry-in path P1, and these rollers are connected to a drive motor M1 (not shown) that can be rotated forward and backward. A path switching piece (not shown) for guiding the sheet to the second sheet path SP2 is disposed in the sheet carry-in path P1. A post-processing unit 28 is provided between the carry-in port 23 and the carry-in roller 24 to perform post-processing such as stamping (stamping means) and punching (punching means) on the sheet from the image forming apparatus A.

[Configuration of the first sheet path]
The first sheet path SP1 described above is configured as follows. A discharge roller 25 and a discharge port 25a are provided at the exit end of the sheet carry-in path P1, and a processing tray 29 (first tray means; hereinafter the same) is provided below the discharge port 25a with a step. ing. The processing tray 29 is composed of a tray member that stacks and stores sheets from the sheet discharge outlet 25a. Above the processing tray 29, a forward / reverse roller 30 is disposed so as to be movable up and down between a position (operating position) in contact with the sheet on the tray and a separated standby position. A forward / reverse motor (not shown) is connected to the forward / reverse roller 30 and rotates in the paper discharge direction when a sheet enters the processing tray 29, and is opposite to the paper discharge direction after the rear end of the sheet enters the tray. It is controlled so as to rotate (right direction in FIG. 2).

  With the above configuration, the sheet from the paper discharge outlet 25a enters the processing tray 29 and is transferred toward the first stack tray 21 by the forward / reverse rotation roller 30, and the rear end of the sheet enters the processing tray 29 from the paper discharge outlet 25a. After that, when the forward / reverse rotation roller 30 is rotated in the reverse direction (counterclockwise in the figure), the sheet on the tray is transferred in the direction opposite to the paper discharge direction.

  At the rear end of the processing tray 29 in the paper discharge direction, a rear end regulating member 32 for regulating the position of the rear end of the sheet and a first processing unit (edge binding stapling apparatus; the same applies hereinafter) 33 are disposed. The illustrated first processing unit 33 is configured by an end binding stapler device that binds the end edges of the sheets stacked on the processing tray 29, and staples one or a plurality of the rear end edges of the sheet bundle. Although not shown, the processing tray 29 is provided with a bundle carry-out mechanism for transferring the bound sheet bundle to the first stack tray 21 on the downstream side. The configuration of the edge-binding staple device 33 will be described later.

  Further, the processing tray 29 is provided with a side aligning plate (not shown) for aligning the width direction of the sheets accumulated on the tray, and this side aligning plate is a pair of left and right aligning so as to align the sheets with the center reference. The plate is configured to approach and separate from the center of the sheet.

  When the first sheet path SP1 configured as described above is in the “staple binding mode”, the sheets from the sheet discharge outlet 25a are aligned on the processing tray 29, and this sheet bundle is rearranged by the edge binding stapler 33. Stitch one or more edges. In the “print-out mode”, the sheet fed from the sheet discharge outlet 25a is not stacked on the processing tray 29, and the sheet fed along the tray is transferred between the forward / reverse roller 30 and the driven roller 30b. It is carried out to the stack tray 21. In this way, the illustrated apparatus is characterized in that the apparatus is made compact by supporting the sheets to be stapled by the processing tray 29 and the first stack tray 21 in a bridge manner.

[Configuration of the second sheet path]
The configuration of the second sheet path SP2 branched from the first sheet path SP1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the second sheet path SP2 is disposed in a substantially vertical direction on the casing 20, and a transport roller 36 is disposed at the path entrance and a transport roller 37 is disposed at the path exit. An accumulation guide 35 (second tray means; the same applies hereinafter) for aligning the sheets fed from the conveyance path is provided on the downstream side of the second sheet path SP2. The illustrated accumulation guide 35 is constituted by a conveyance guide for conveying a sheet. A second processing unit (saddle stitching apparatus; the same applies hereinafter) 40 and folding roll means 45 are disposed in the accumulation guide 35. Hereinafter, these configurations will be sequentially described.

  First, the accumulation guide 35 is formed by a guide member that guides conveyance of the sheet, and is configured to stack and store the sheet on the guide. The illustrated stacking guide 35 is connected to the second sheet path SP2 and is disposed substantially vertically in the center of the casing 20. As a result, the apparatus is made compact and compact. The accumulation guide 35 is formed in a length shape that accommodates the maximum size sheet therein, and in particular, the illustrated guide is bent or bent so as to protrude to the side where the second processing unit 40 and the folding roll means 45 described later are disposed. It is configured in shape.

  A switchback entry path 35a that overlaps the exit end of the second sheet path SP2 is connected to the rear end side of the stacking guide 35 in the conveying direction. This is because the leading edge of the loaded (following) sheet sent from the conveying roller 37 in the second sheet path SP2 and the trailing edge of the stacked (preceding) sheet supported by the stacking guide 35 are overlapped. This is for securing the page order. Further, a leading end stopper 38 for regulating the leading end of the sheet is arranged on the downstream side of the guide on the collecting guide 35. The leading end stopper 38 is supported on a guide rail or the like so as to be movable along the collecting guide 35, and shift means (not shown). 2), the position is moved between Sh1, Sh2, and Sh3.

  When the leading end stopper 38 is positioned at the illustrated position Sh3, the rear end of the sheet (bundle) supported by the stacking guide 35 enters the switchback entry path 35a, and in this state, the subsequent sheet sent from the second sheet path SP2 is It is surely stacked above the accumulated sheets. When the leading end stopper 38 is positioned at the illustrated position Sh2, the center of the sheet (bundle) supported by the stacking guide 35 is positioned at a binding position X of a saddle stitching staple device (second processing unit) 40 described later. Similarly, when the leading end stopper 38 is positioned at the illustrated position Sh1, the center of the sheet bundle that is stapled and supported by the stacking guide 35 is positioned at a folding position Y of a folding roll means 45 described later. Accordingly, the illustrated positions Sh1, Sh2, and Sh3 are set to optimum positions according to the sheet size (length in the conveyance direction).

  A sheet side edge aligning member 39 is disposed on the accumulation guide 35 on the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction. The sheet side edge aligning member 39 is aligned so that the position in the width direction of the sheet loaded into the stacking guide 35 and supported by the leading end stopper 38 is matched. That is, the sheet side edge is aligned by the sheet side edge alignment member 39 in a state where the sheet front end stopper 38 is positioned at the position Sh3 and the entire sheet is supported by the accumulation guide 35. In the illustrated apparatus, the sheet side edge aligning member 39 is composed of a pair of left and right aligning plates so that the sheets are aligned with respect to each other based on the center reference. The sheet bundle supported on the sheet is aligned and aligned. For this reason, the sheet side edge alignment member 39 is connected to an alignment motor (not shown).

[Configuration of stapling device]
Next, the configurations of the above-described edge-binding stapler (first processing unit) 33 and saddle stitching stapler (second processing unit) 40 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the edge-binding staple device 33 is disposed on the processing tray (first tray means) 29, and the saddle-stitching staple device 40 is disposed on the stacking guide 35. As shown in the figure, the stapling apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as “processing unit”) has a first processing unit 33 on the upper side and a second processing unit 40 on the lower side.

[Configuration of First Processing Unit (Edge Binding Stapling Device)]
The first processing unit 33 is composed of a driver 70 and a clincher 60 as shown in FIG. The driver 70 includes a head member 70a for inserting staples into a sheet bundle set at the binding position, a cartridge 71 containing the staples, a drive cam 77, and a staple motor MD for driving the drive cam 77. Has been. The clincher 60 includes a bending groove 62 for bending the tip of the staple needle inserted into the sheet bundle. In the first processing unit 33, the driver 70 and the clincher 60 are integrally attached to the unit frame. The head member 70a is reciprocated by a drive cam 77 in the vertical direction of FIG. 5A, and a former 73 and a bending block 74 are contained therein. Is built-in. Since the former 73 and the bending block 74 are the same as those of the second processing unit 40 described later, the structure is shown in FIG.

[Configuration of Second Processing Unit (Saddle Stapling Device)]
The configuration of the second processing unit 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). The second processing unit 40 includes a driver 70 and a clincher 60 in the same manner as the first processing unit 33 described above. The driver 70 includes a head member 70a for inserting staples into a sheet bundle set at the binding position, a cartridge 71 containing the staples, a drive cam 77, and a staple motor MD for driving the drive cam 77. Has been. As shown in FIG. 6B, the driver 70 has a driver member 72, a former 73, and a bending block 74 built in the vertical direction in the head member 70a of the frame. The driver member 72 and the former 73 are slidably supported by the head member 70a so as to reciprocate up and down between the top dead center and the bottom dead center, and the bending block 74 has a straight staple. It is fixed to the head member 70a as a mold that can be bent into a letter shape.

  A cartridge 71 containing a staple is mounted inside the frame, and the staple is sequentially supplied to the bending block 74. The driver member 72 and the former 73 are connected to a drive lever 76 that is swingably attached to the frame, and is driven up and down between a top dead center and a bottom dead center. The frame is provided with an accumulator spring (not shown) for driving the drive lever 76 up and down, a drive cam 77 for accumulating the accumulator spring, and a drive motor MD for driving the drive cam 77. .

  The clincher 60 is disposed at a position facing the driver 70 configured as described above across the sheet bundle. The clincher 60 is pivotally supported by the driver 70 so as to be swingable, or has a structure separated from the driver 70. The illustrated apparatus is constituted by a unit in which the clincher 60 is separated from the driver 70. The clincher 60 bends the needle tip inserted into the sheet bundle by the driver 70. For this reason, the clincher 60 is composed of an anvil member having a bending groove for bending the tip of the staple needle. The illustrated clincher 60 is constituted by an anvil member having folding grooves 62a and 62b disposed at positions facing the driver 70 across the sheet bundle. In particular, in the illustrated apparatus, a plurality of folding grooves are formed in the anvil member so that the pair of left and right folding grooves 62a and 62b are positioned at predetermined intervals at two positions in the width direction of the sheet bundle supported by the accumulation guide 35. It is a feature. With this configuration, it is possible to staple the two left and right portions in a state where the clincher 60 is fixed to the sheet bundle supported on the stacking guide 35 without moving.

  In addition, the clincher 60 is provided with a wing member (not shown) for bending the staple tip of the staple needle, and the wing member is oscillated and rotated in synchronization with the needle tip inserted into the sheet bundle by the driver 70. It is also possible to adopt a configuration. In this case, a pair of folding wings are pivotally supported on the frame of the clincher 60 so as to be swingable at positions facing both ends of the U-shaped needle. Then, the pair of folding wings are swung in conjunction with the operation of inserting the staple needle into the sheet bundle by the driver 70. By swinging the pair of wings, the staple tip of the staple needle is bent in a flat state along the back surface of the sheet bundle. In other words, the needle tip is bent in a U shape (glasses clinch) when bent in the above-described bending groove, and the needle tip is bent in a straight line (flat clinch) when bent by a wing member described later. Any of the configurations can be adopted in the present invention.

  With such a configuration, the driver member 72 and the former 73 built in the head member 70a rotate the staple motor MD so that the drive cam 77 causes the drive lever 76 to move downward from the top dead center to the bottom dead below. Press on a point. As the drive lever 76 is lowered, the driver member 72 and the former 73 connected thereto are moved from the top dead center to the bottom dead center. The driver member 72 is constituted by a plate-like member so as to push down the back portion of the staple needle bent in a U-shape, and the former 73 is constituted by a U-shaped member as shown in FIG. The staple is folded in a U-shape with the block 74. That is, staples are supplied from the cartridge 71 to the bending block 74, and the linear staples are press-formed between the former 73 and the bending block 74 in a U-shape, and then folded into this U-shape. The staple member is pushed into the sheet bundle by the driver member 72 toward the sheet bundle.

[Movement mechanism of processing unit]
The driver 70 and the clincher 60 of the first processing unit 33 and the second processing unit 40 described above must be configured to be movable in the sheet width direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 6B) with respect to the sheet bundle on the tray unit. There is. The movement in the sheet width direction is as follows: (1) In the case of an apparatus configuration in which the processing unit is moved from the home position to a predetermined binding position after a sheet bundle is loaded and set on the tray means, and a binding operation is executed. Or (2) Necessary when the processing unit is moved in the sheet width direction and the binding processing is performed at two or more different locations. The unit movement in the sheet width direction includes an apparatus configuration (first processing unit 33) for moving the driver 70 and the clincher 60 integrally at the same time, and an apparatus configuration (second processing unit) for fixing one of them and moving the other. 40).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the first processing unit 33 and the second processing unit 40 that are adjacently arranged in the vertical direction are guide rails 80 a and 80 b (guides) that are respectively disposed on the apparatus frames 85 a and 85 b (see FIG. 7B). Means; the same shall apply hereinafter) is slidably supported. In this case, in the first processing unit 33, a unit frame 33f including a driver 70 and a clincher 60 is supported by guide rails 80a and 80b (first guide means). In the second processing unit 40, a unit frame 40f having a driver 70 is supported by guide rails 80a and 80b (second guide means). Therefore, the first and second processing units 33 and 40 are supported so as to be movable in the sheet width direction on the tray means along the two guide rails 80a and 80b arranged in parallel to each other.

[Configuration of driving means]
As described above, each of the first processing unit 33 and the second processing unit 40 that are movably mounted in the sheet width direction is provided with a driving unit. A lead screw 86 is arranged in the first processing unit 33 and a lead screw 87 is arranged in the second processing unit 40 in parallel with the guide rails 80a and 80b, respectively, and formed on the unit frames 33f and 40f of the respective processing units. The engaged protrusion 82 is engaged with the screw groove 86a. The lead screw 86 of the first processing unit 33 and the lead screw 87 of the second processing unit 40 are connected to a drive motor M. The transmission mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. 7A. The first unit driving means MD1 for moving the first processing unit 33 to a predetermined post-processing position (staple position) is a lead screw 86 and rotationally drives it. The first transmission means G1 and the drive motor M are configured. Similarly, the second unit driving means MD2 for moving the second processing unit 40 to a predetermined post-processing position is composed of a lead screw 87, a second transmission means G2 for rotating this, and a driving motor M.

  In the present invention, the first unit driving unit MD1 that moves the first processing unit 33 in the sheet width direction and the second unit driving unit MD2 that moves the second processing unit 40 in the sheet width direction are combined into a single unit. It is characterized by comprising drive means (drive motor) M. Therefore, the first processing unit 33 can be moved in the sheet width direction by rotating the drive motor M from the home position by a predetermined amount, and at the same time, the second processing unit 40 is moved in the sheet width direction by the rotation control of the drive motor M. It becomes possible to move to.

  As described above, when the positions of the first and second processing units 33 and 40 are controlled by the single drive means (drive motor) M, the movement strokes St of the respective processing units may be different. For example, as shown in FIG. 7A, the first processing unit 33 described above has a position P1a for stapling the left corner of the sheet, a position P1b for stapling the right corner, and a position P2a for stapling the center of the sheet. , P2b and the home position HP, and the staple needle replacement position P3, reciprocate with a movement stroke St01. The second processing unit 40 reciprocates between the positions P4a and P4b for stapling the center portion of the sheet, the left end position P5a, and the right end position P5b with a movement stroke St02. In this case, St01> St02.

  Therefore, the present invention positions the first processing unit 33 at each of the above positions (HP, P1a, P2a, P2b, P1b, P3) by rotation control of a single driving means (driving motor) M, and sets the second processing unit 40 to Positioning is performed at each of the above positions (P5a, P4a, P4b, P5b). For this reason, the reduction gear ratios of the transmission gear G1 constituting the first transmission means and the transmission gear G2 constituting the second transmission means are different. That is, the first processing unit 33 moves between the strokes St01 by the predetermined rotation of the driving means (driving motor) M, and the reduction ratio of the transmission gear G1 and the transmission gear G2 is set so that the second processing unit 40 moves between the strokes St02. It is set. With this configuration, the two processing units 33 and 40 having different strokes can be controlled by the single drive motor M without using a special clutch.

  Therefore, the present invention is characterized in that the following configuration is adopted to repair the second processing unit 40 (saddle stitching staple unit; the same applies hereinafter). As described above, the saddle stitching staple unit 40 is configured in two upper and lower stages, and is disposed in the second sheet path SP2 for carrying out sheets (bundles) to the second stack tray 22 positioned on the lower side. The second processing unit is configured to staple the central portion of the sheets stacked and stored in the stacking guide (sheet stacking means) 35 provided in the path.

  The stapler 40 needs to remove the jammed needle by expanding the head part 70a when the cartridge 75 containing the staple is exchanged when the staple is exhausted or when a staple jam occurs during the staple operation. . An open / close cover 20c that opens and closes when such a stapling apparatus is repaired is disposed on the exterior cover 20 constituting the apparatus casing. As shown in FIG. 2, the opening / closing cover 20 c is disposed between the first stack tray 21 and the second stack tray 22. The configuration shows a case in which the exterior cover 20 is constituted by a door member having one end hinged. As described above, the present invention is characterized in that the opening / closing cover 20 c for repairing the saddle stitching staple unit 40 is arranged on the exterior cover 20 between the first stack tray 21 and the second stack tray 22. Thus, when repairing the saddle stitching staple unit 40, for example, the work area can be secured by removing the stacked sheets (bundles) of the second stack tray 22 located below the cover.

  The opening / closing cover 20c is arranged in a moving locus (shown as “Tray shifting stroke” in FIG. 3) of the first stack tray 21 that moves up and down. The present invention is characterized in that an opening / closing cover 20c is arranged in the up-and-down movement locus of the first stack tray 21 located above. With this configuration, when the saddle stitching staple unit 40 is repaired, the first stack tray 21 positioned above the opening / closing cover 20c is made to wait upward so that the opening / closing cover 20c is exposed to the outside, and the first Since the stack tray 21 is retracted upward (for example, the upper limit position), a work area can be secured.

  Waiting upward (or downward) of the first stack tray 21 is controlled as follows. The first of these controls is the “operator instructs tray standby (retraction)” and the second is the “automatically standby (retract) tray” method. When the first control method is adopted, the operator instructs the tray to be retracted by an input means (control panel) 53 prepared in a control CPU (tray lifting means; hereinafter the same) 61 described later. With this command signal, the lifting motor Ms described above is rotationally driven to move the first stack tray 21 to the upper limit position (or lower limit position). Although not shown, a normal upper limit (lower limit) position detection sensor is arranged at the upper limit position (or lower limit position) of the first stack tray 21. In this way, the first stack tray 21 is moved to the upper limit position or the lower limit position in response to an operator input signal.

  In the case of adopting the second control method, the lifting motor Ms described above is driven to rotate by a signal from a needle-free detection sensor (not shown) or a needle jam detection sensor provided in the saddle stitching staple device 40 described above. 1 stack tray 21 is retracted to the upper limit position or the lower limit position. In this case as well, the upper limit sensor and the lower limit sensor are arranged on the first stack tray 21 as described above.

As described above, when the first stack tray 21 is retracted upward or downward from the position of the opening / closing cover 10c by the staple empty detection signal and / or the staple jam detection sensor of the staple device 40, the tray is moved by the following procedure. Is preferred. When the control CPU 61 receives the needle empty signal and / or the abnormal operation signal, it first issues a warning prompting the operator to “removal the sheet on the tray”. Then, the removal of the sheet on the tray is detected by, for example, a paper presence / absence detection sensor, and after confirming that the sheet on the tray has been removed, the first stack tray 21 is controlled to move.
When the tray is not raised (or lowered) after removing the sheet on the tray in this way, a side guide that expands and contracts in accordance with the vertical movement of the tray is disposed on the side of the first stack tray 21. As a result, the loaded sheets on the tray do not collapse due to vibration or impact when the opening / closing cover 10c is opened to maintain the stapling apparatus 40.

[Configuration of folding roll means]
A folding roll means 45 for folding the sheet bundle and a folding blade 46 for inserting the sheet bundle at the nip position of the folding roll means 45 are provided at the folding position Y arranged on the downstream side of the second processing unit 40 described above. Yes. As shown in FIG. 2, the folding roll means 45 is composed of rolls 45a and 45b that are in pressure contact with each other, and each roll is formed to have a substantially maximum sheet width.

  The pair of folding rolls 45a and 45b is formed of a material having a relatively large friction coefficient such as a rubber roller. This is because the sheet is bent and transferred by a soft material such as rubber, and may be formed by lining the rubber material. The folding rolls 45a and 45b are formed in an uneven shape, and a gap is formed in the sheet value width direction. This gap is arranged so as to coincide with the unevenness of the folding blade 46 described later, and consideration is given so that the tip of the folding blade can easily enter between the roll nips. In other words, the pair of folding rolls pressed against each other is formed in a concavo-convex shape having a gap (gap) in the sheet width direction, and the stapled portion of the sheet and the blade edge of the folding blade similarly formed in the concavo-convex shape enter this gap. It is like that.

  Next, the operation of folding the sheet by the folding roll means 45 will be described with reference to FIGS. The pair of folding rolls 45a and 45b are positioned on the curved or bent protruding side of the stacking guide 35, and a folding blade 46 having a knife edge is provided at a position facing the sheet bundle supported by the stacking guide 35. ing. The folding blade 46 is supported by the apparatus frame so as to be able to reciprocate between the standby position in FIG. 9A and the nip position in FIG.

  Therefore, the sheet bundle supported by the stacking guide 35 in the form of a bundle is locked by the leading edge regulating means 38 in the state shown in FIG. 5A, and the fold position is positioned at the folding position Y in the stapled state. Upon obtaining this sheet bundle setting end signal, the drive control means (sheet bundle folding operation control section 64d described later; the same applies hereinafter) turns off the clutch means.

  Therefore, the drive control means 64d moves the folding blade 46 from the standby position toward the nip position at a predetermined speed. 9B, the sheet bundle is bent at the fold position by the folding blade 46 and inserted between the rolls. At this time, the folding rolls 45 a and 45 b are driven and rotated continuously with the sheet moved by the folding blade 46. The drive control means 64d stops the blade drive motor (not shown) after the expected time for the sheet bundle to reach the predetermined nip position, and stops the folding blade 46 at the position shown in FIG. Around this time, the drive control means 64d switches the clutch means to the ON state to drive and rotate the folding rolls 45a and 45b. Then, the sheet bundle is sent out in the feeding direction (left side in the figure). Thereafter, the drive control means 64d moves and returns the folding blade 46 located at the nip position to the standby position in parallel with the feeding of the sheet bundle by the folding rolls 45a and 45b in the state shown in FIG.

  When the sheet bundle thus folded is first engulfed between the pair of folding rolls 45a and 45b, the sheet in contact with the roll surface is not drawn between the rolls by the rotating roll. That is, since the folding rolls 45a and 45b follow (follow) the inserted sheet (rotate) and rotate, only the sheet in contact with the roll is not first wound. Further, since the roll follows and rotates following the inserted sheet, the roll surface and the sheet in contact with the roll are not rubbed, and the image is not rubbed.

[Description of control configuration]
The control configuration of the above-described image forming system will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The image forming system shown in FIG. 1 includes a control unit (hereinafter referred to as “main body control unit”) 50 of the image forming apparatus A and a control unit (hereinafter referred to as “post-processing control unit”) 60 of the post-processing apparatus B. The main body control unit 50 includes an image formation control unit 51, a paper feed control unit 52, and an input unit 53. Then, the “image forming mode” and “post-processing mode” are set from the control panel 18 provided in the input unit 53. As described above, the image forming mode sets the number of printouts, sheet size, color / monochrome printing, enlargement / reduction printing, duplex / single-sided printing, and other image formation conditions. Then, the main body control unit 50 controls the image formation control unit 51 and the paper feed control unit 51 according to the set image forming conditions, and after the image is formed on a predetermined sheet, the sheets are sequentially carried out from the main body discharge port 3. .

  At the same time, the post-processing mode is set by input from the control panel 18. The post-processing mode is set to, for example, “print-out mode”, “staple binding finishing mode”, “sheet bundle folding finishing mode”, or the like. Therefore, the main body control unit 50 transfers the post-processing finishing mode, the number of sheets, the upper number of copies, and the binding mode (one-position binding or two or more bindings) information to the post-processing control unit 60. At the same time, the main body control unit 50 transfers a job end signal to the post-processing control unit 60 every time image formation is completed.

  The post-processing control unit 60 includes a control CPU 61 that operates the post-processing apparatus B in accordance with a designated finishing mode, a ROM 62 that stores an operation program, and a RAM 63 that stores control data. The control CPU 61 includes a sheet conveyance control unit 64a that performs conveyance of the sheet sent to the carry-in entrance 23, a sheet accumulation operation control unit 64b that performs sheet accumulation operation, and a binding operation control that performs sheet binding processing. A unit 64c and a sheet bundle folding operation control unit 64d that executes a sheet bundle folding operation.

  The sheet conveyance control unit 64a is connected to the control circuit of the driving motor M1 of the conveyance roller 24 and the discharge roller 25 of the sheet conveyance path P1 and receives a detection signal from the sheet sensor S1 disposed in this path. It is configured as follows. Further, the sheet stacking operation control unit 64b is connected to a drive circuit of a forward / reverse rotation motor of the forward / reverse rotation roller 30 and a discharge motor of a rear end regulating member in order to stack sheets on the processing tray 29. Further, the binding operation control section 64c is a drive built in the saddle stitching staple device (second processing unit) 40 of the edge binding staple device (first processing unit) 33 and the second tray means 35 of the first tray means 29. Wired to the drive circuit of the motor MD.

  The sheet bundle folding operation control unit 64d is connected to a drive circuit of a drive motor that drives and rotates the folding rolls 45a and 45b and a drive circuit of the clutch means. Further, the sheet bundle folding operation control unit 64d is connected to a control circuit of shift means for controlling the movement of the conveying rollers 36 and 37 of the second sheet path SP2 and the leading end regulating member 38 of the stacking guide 35 to predetermined positions. It is wired so as to receive a detection signal from a sheet sensor arranged in the route.

The control unit configured as described above causes the post-processing apparatus B to execute the next processing operation.
"Printout mode"
In this mode, the image forming apparatus A forms an image of a series of documents from, for example, the first page, and sequentially unloads the sheet from the main body discharge port 3 face down, and the sheet sent to the sheet carry-in path P1 is guided to the discharge roller 25. It is burned. Therefore, after the expected time that the leading edge of the sheet reaches the forward / reverse roller 30 of the processing tray 29 based on the signal that the leading edge of the sheet is detected at the paper discharge port 25a, the sheet conveyance control unit 64a moves the forward / reverse roller 30 from the upper standby position onto the tray. The roller is lowered and rotated in the clockwise direction in FIG. Then, the sheet that has entered the processing tray 29 is carried out toward the first stack tray 21 by the forward / reverse rotation roller 30 and stored on the tray. The successive sheets are sequentially carried out to the first stack tray 21 and accumulated and stored on the tray.

  Accordingly, in this printout mode, sheets formed with an image by the image forming apparatus A are accommodated in the first stack tray 21 via the sheet carry-in path P1 of the post-processing apparatus B. The pages are stacked and stored in the order of the pages. In this mode, no sheet is guided to the first sheet path SP1 and the second sheet path SP2.

"Staple binding finish mode"
In this mode, the image forming apparatus A forms an image of a series of documents from the first page to the nth page in the same manner as in the above-described mode, carries out a face-down state from the main body discharge port 3, and sends it to the sheet carry-in path P1. The sheet thus fed is guided to the paper discharge roller 25. Therefore, after the expected time that the leading edge of the sheet reaches the forward / reverse roller 30 of the processing tray 29 based on the signal that the leading edge of the sheet is detected at the paper discharge port 25a, the sheet conveyance control unit 64a moves the forward / reverse roller 30 from the upper standby position onto the tray. Then, the forward / reverse roller 30 is rotated clockwise in FIG. Next, the sheet conveyance control unit 64a drives the forward / reverse rotation roller 30 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 2 after the estimated time when the trailing edge of the sheet is carried onto the processing tray 29. Then, the sheet that has entered from the paper discharge port 25a is switched back and conveyed onto the processing tray 29 along the first sheet path SP1. By repeating this sheet conveyance, a series of sheets are stacked on the processing tray 29 in a face-down state.

  Each time the sheets are stacked on the processing tray 29, the control CPU 61 operates a side alignment plate (not shown) to align the width direction positions of the stacked sheets. Next, the control CPU 61 operates the edge binding and stapling device (first processing unit) 33 in response to the job end signal from the image forming apparatus A to bind the trailing edge of the sheet bundle stacked on the processing tray. After this stapling operation, the control CPU 61 moves the rear end regulating member 32 that also serves as a bundle carrying-out means. Then, the staple-bound sheet bundle is carried out and stored in the first stack tray 21. As a result, a series of sheets formed by the image forming apparatus A is stapled and stored in the first stack tray 21.

"Sheet fold finish mode"
In this mode, the image forming apparatus A forms an image on the sheet, and the post-processing apparatus B finishes the booklet. The sheet sent to the sheet carry-in path P1 is guided to the sheet discharge roller 25, where the control CPU 61 passes the path switching piece (not shown) based on the signal that the sheet sensor S1 detects the sheet rear end. At this timing, the paper discharge roller 25 is stopped. Then, the paper discharge roller 25 is reversed. Then, the sheet that has entered the sheet carry-in path P1 is reversed in the conveyance direction and guided from the path switching piece to the second sheet path SP2. Then, it is guided to the accumulation guide 35 by the conveying rollers 36 and 37 arranged in this path.

The control CPU 61 moves the leading edge regulating member 38 to the lowermost Sh1 position at the timing when the sheet is carried into the stacking guide 35 (second tray means) from the second sheet path SP2. Then, the entire sheet is supported by the accumulation guide 35. In this state, the control CPU 61 operates the above-mentioned sheet side edge aligning member 39 to align the sheets by width alignment. (Note that this width-alignment alignment does not have to be performed on the first sheet, and does not have to be performed every time the sheet enters).
Next, the control CPU 61 moves the front end regulating member 38 to a position Sh3 where the rear end of the sheet enters the switchback entry path 35a. Then, the rear end of the sheet supported by the accumulation guide 35 moves backward to the switchback entry path 35a. In this state, the subsequent sheets are fed from the second sheet path SP2 onto the stacking guide 35, and the subsequent sheets are stacked on the preceding sheet. Then, the leading edge regulating member 38 is moved from the Sh3 position to the Sh1 position in accordance with the carry-in of the subsequent sheet.

  Next, the sheet side edge aligning member 39 is operated in the same manner as described above, and the loaded sheet and the sheet supported on the stacking guide are aligned and aligned. By repeating such an operation, the sheets on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus A are aligned on the stacking guide 35 through the second sheet path SP2. Therefore, when receiving the job end signal, the control CPU 61 moves the leading edge regulating member 38 to the position Sh2, and sets the center of the sheet to the binding position X.

  Therefore, the control CPU 61 operates the saddle stitching stapling device (second processing unit) 40 to staple one or a plurality of locations in the center of the sheet. In response to this operation completion signal, the control CPU 61 moves the leading edge regulating member 38 to the position Sh1, and positions and sets the center of the sheet at the folding position Y. Therefore, the sheet bundle is folded in the sequence shown in FIGS. 9A to 9D and the sheet bundle is carried out to the second stack tray 22.

  In the present invention, the saddle stitching apparatus (second processing unit) 40 is disposed at the binding position X on the stacking guide 35 described above. However, the sheet processing path is defined by the stacking guide, the binding position, and the folding position. The arrangement may be such that the stacking guide means, then the stapling device, and the sheet folding means are arranged downstream of the stacking guide means. Further, it is also possible to fold the sheet bundle and carry it out to the second stack tray 22 without performing the binding process with the saddle stitching stapler.

1 is an overall configuration diagram illustrating an image forming system including an image forming apparatus A and a post-processing apparatus B according to the present invention. It is explanatory drawing of the detailed structure of a post-processing apparatus, and the stapling apparatus is integrated as a unit. FIG. 3 is an enlarged explanatory view of a main part of the apparatus of FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a layout configuration of a first processing unit and a second processing unit in the apparatus of FIG. 2. FIG. 5 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of a first processing unit in FIG. 4, (a) shows a schematic configuration of the unit, and (b) shows a moving mechanism that moves the unit in the sheet width direction. FIG. 5 is a conceptual explanatory diagram of a second processing unit in FIG. 4, (a) is a schematic configuration of the unit, and (b) is an explanatory diagram of a unit moving mechanism. Explanatory drawing of the transmission mechanism of the 1st processing unit and the 2nd processing unit in the unit movement mechanism of FIG. Explanatory drawing of the control structure in the system of FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams of a sheet bundle folding operation in the apparatus of FIG. 2, in which FIG. 2A is a state where the sheet bundle is set at a folding position, FIG. 2B is an initial state of the folding operation, and FIG. (D) shows the unloading state after folding the sheet bundle.

Explanation of symbols

P1 sheet carry-in path SP1 first sheet path SP2 second sheet path 21 first stack tray 22 second stack tray 24 carry-in roller 25 paper discharge roller 29 processing tray 32 rear end regulating member 33 first processing unit (edge binding) Staple device)
33f Unit frame 35 stacking unit (stacking guide)
38, leading edge regulating member 40, second processing unit (saddle stitching apparatus)
40f Unit frame 45 Folding roll means 50 Paper mount 60 Clinch unit 61 Control CPU (tray lifting means)
70 Driver unit 70a Head member 71 Cartridge 72 Driver member 73 Former member 82 Projection 84s Rotating shaft 84c Torque limiter 85a Frame right frame (right limit stopper member)
85b Frame left frame (left limit stopper)
86 (first) lead screw 86a screw groove 87 (second) lead screw 87a screw groove A image forming apparatus B post-processing apparatus

Claims (6)

Sheet carry-in route,
A first stack tray for stacking and storing sheets from the sheet carry-in path;
Sheet stacking means for stacking sheets from the sheet carry-in path;
A saddle stitching staple unit for binding the central portion of the sheet bundle stacked on the sheet stacking means;
A second stack tray for stacking and storing processed sheets from the sheet stacking means;
Tray elevating means for supporting the first stack tray so as to be movable up and down;
With
The first stack tray and the second stack tray are arranged vertically in this order,
The sheet stacking means is disposed at an intermediate position between the first stack tray and the second stack tray,
The sheet carry-in path includes a first sheet path for guiding sheets to the first stack tray,
A second sheet path for guiding the sheet toward the sheet stacking means,
The saddle stitching staple unit is disposed in the second sheet path;
A post-processing apparatus, wherein an exterior cover between the first stack tray and the second stack tray is provided with an opening / closing cover for repairing the saddle stitching staple unit. The first stack tray is arranged to move up and down along the exterior cover,
The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the opening / closing cover is disposed within a movement locus of the first stack tray that moves up and down. The tray lifting / lowering means includes control means for moving the first stack tray so as to retreat above or below the open / close cover based on a needle empty signal and / or an abnormal operation signal of the saddle stitching staple unit. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 2. A processing tray for stacking sheets is provided between the sheet carry-in path and the first stack tray,
2. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an end-binding staple unit that binds the edges of the stacked sheets is arranged on the processing tray. The exterior cover includes a front cover located on the front side of the apparatus, and a side cover located on the side of the apparatus,
A first opening / closing cover for repairing the saddle stitching staple unit is disposed on the side cover, and a second opening / closing cover for repairing the end binding staple unit is disposed on the front cover. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 4. An image forming apparatus for sequentially forming images on sheets;
A post-processing device that performs post-processing such as stapling, punching, and stamping on a sheet from the image forming apparatus;
Consisting of
An image forming system comprising the post-processing apparatus having the configuration according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images