JP2010006530A - Post-processing device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a stable carrying effect by making a paddle certainly abut on paper regardless of the size or state of the paper. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of paddles 51 pressing the paper and aligning one end in a carrying direction of the paper, and an adjusting member 52 moving in a width direction orthogonal to the carrying direction of the paper and adjusting the paper in the width direction are provided. With the movement of the adjusting member 52, the paddles 51 are moved in the width direction. The adjusting member 52 and the paddles 51 are coupled by a coupling member 73. The coupling member 73 integrally formed on the adjusting member 52 is hooked to the paddles 51. When the adjusting member 52 moves in the width direction of the paper according to the size of the paper, the coupling member 73 pulls and pushes the paddles 51, so that the paddles 51 move in the width direction so as to oppose to a side edge of the paper. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a post-processing apparatus that aligns conveyed sheets for staple processing and the like.

  A post-processing device provided in the image processing apparatus performs post-processing such as stapling and punching on the stacked paper. The sheets discharged from the image processing apparatus are stacked on the stacking tray, the sheets bundled on the stacking tray are subjected to predetermined post-processing, and the sheets are conveyed from the stacking tray and discharged to the discharge tray.

In the post-processing apparatus, the sheets stacked on the stacking tray are aligned before performing post-processing. The post-processing apparatus includes a plurality of paddles that align and align the sheets toward one end in the transport direction, and an alignment member that aligns the sheets in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction. For example, Patent Documents 1 to 4 disclose post-processing apparatuses having paddles and alignment members.
JP 2004-277158 A JP 2007-76860 A JP 2007-76913 A JP 2006-8370 A

  The paddle rotates and contacts the paper, and pushes the paper into the back side of the stacking tray. In a conventional post-processing apparatus, a plurality of paddles are arranged at regular intervals in the width direction, and the paddles are fixed at a certain position. By the way, various sheets are used in the image processing apparatus, and sheets of different sizes are conveyed to the stacking tray. Therefore, the position where the paddle abuts differs depending on the paper.

  In a narrow paper, the paddle abuts on both sides in the width direction, but in a wide paper, the paddle abuts near the middle in the width direction. For wide paper, the paddle is concentrated at the center in the width direction and scrapes the paper. Since the paddle force is not sufficiently applied to both sides in the width direction of the sheet, the sheet may be conveyed obliquely. That is, the conveyance effect by the paddle differs depending on the paper size, and the reliability as the post-processing apparatus is impaired.

  Further, if the paper is curled or wavy, the paddle may protrude beyond the side edge of the paper and the paddle may not contact the paper. As a result, one side of the paper in the width direction is pushed in, causing a problem of one-side feeding.

  In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a post-processing device in which a paddle can be surely brought into contact with a sheet regardless of the size and state of the sheet and a stable conveyance effect can be obtained.

  The present invention is a stacking tray for placing the conveyed paper, a plurality of paddles that press the paper and align one end in the paper conveyance direction, and moves in the width direction orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction, An alignment member that aligns the sheet in the width direction, and an interlocking unit that moves the paddle in the width direction in conjunction with the movement of the alignment member.

  When aligning sheets, the aligning member moves according to the size of the sheets. By interlocking the paddle with the alignment member, the paddle automatically moves in the width direction according to the paper. Therefore, the plurality of paddles are appropriately arranged according to the paper, and the paper can be stably aligned.

  The plurality of paddles are arranged along the width direction, and at least the paddle on one side in the width direction is movable. The paddle to be moved is determined according to the position of the sheet placed on the stacking tray. When the paper is placed with reference to the center of the stacking tray, the alignment member aligns both sides of the paper in the width direction. In this case, the paddles located on both sides in the width direction are movable, and the paddles located in the center in the width direction are fixed at fixed positions.

  The moving paddle is positioned so as to face the side edge of the paper according to the paper. Regardless of the size and state of the paper, the paddle can press the side edge of the paper and can stably transport the paper.

  When the paddle moves, the paddle is away from the loading tray. When the paddle moves smoothly and the paper is placed on the stacking tray, the alignment member moves in the width direction to perform alignment, but even if the paddle moves at the same time, it does not touch the paper. Don't disturb.

  The interlocking portion has a connecting member that connects the alignment member and the paddle, and the paddle moves as the alignment member moves in the width direction according to the paper. The paddle and the alignment member can be mechanically connected by the connecting member, and both can be interlocked with a simple mechanism.

  The paddle is slidably fitted on a rotating shaft that rotates when aligning one end of the paper, and the connecting member is hooked on the paddle so as not to rotate as the paddle rotates. When the paddle aligns the paper, the paddle rotates, but this rotational force is not transmitted to the alignment member.

  The post-processing device includes a stapling device that binds sheets stacked on a stacking tray. The post-processing device is provided in the image processing device.

  According to the present invention, the paddle can be positioned so as to hit the paper regardless of the size and state of the paper by moving the paddle in conjunction with the alignment member positioned according to the paper size. Accordingly, the sheet can be reliably moved in the transport direction by the paddle, and a post-processing apparatus having a stable transport effect can be realized.

  An image processing apparatus having the post-processing apparatus of this embodiment is shown in FIG. The image processing apparatus 1 includes a document reading unit 2, an image forming unit 3, and a paper feeding unit 4. The image processing apparatus 1 is provided with a post-processing apparatus 5.

  The document reading unit 2 is placed on a document placing table 11 made of transparent glass, a double-sided automatic document feeder (RADF) 12 for automatically feeding a document onto the document placing table 11, and the document placing table 11. An image reading unit for scanning and reading a document image, that is, a scanner unit 13 is included.

  The RADF 12 is a known device that automatically feeds a plurality of documents set on a document tray one by one onto the document placement table 11 of the scanner unit 13. In order for the scanner unit 13 to be able to read one or both sides of the original according to the user's selection, the RADF 12 is provided with a conveyance path for a single-sided original, a conveyance path for a double-sided original, a conveyance path switching mechanism, and the like. have.

  The scanner unit 13 includes a lamp reflector assembly that exposes the surface of the document, and a first scanning unit 14 that includes a first reflection mirror that guides a reflected light image from the document to a photoelectric conversion element (CCD) 17 that converts an image signal into an image signal. , A second scanning unit 15 equipped with second and third reflecting mirrors, and an optical lens body 16 for forming a reflected light image on the CCD 17. The first scanning unit 14 travels along the document placement table 11 from the left to the right in the drawing at a constant speed V, and the second scanning unit 15 travels in the same direction at a speed of V / 2.

  In the document reading unit 2, the documents to be read are sequentially placed on the document placing table 11 by operations related to the RADF 12 and the scanner unit 13. The scanner unit 13 moves along the lower surface of the document table 11 so that images of the document placed on the document table 11 are sequentially formed on the CCD 17 line by line, and the document image is read.

  Image data obtained by reading the document image with the scanner unit 13 is subjected to various processes and then temporarily stored in the memory. In response to the output instruction, the image data is output from the memory to the image forming unit 3. The image forming unit 3 reproduces a visible image on the photosensitive drum 22 and then transfers the toner image onto a sheet to form an image.

  The image forming unit 3 includes a laser writing unit (LSU) 21 and an electrophotographic process unit 20 for forming an image. The laser writing unit 21 is a semiconductor laser that emits laser light in accordance with image data read from a memory or image data transferred from an external device such as a personal computer, a polygon mirror that deflects the laser light at a constant angular velocity, and a constant angular velocity deflection. It has an f-θ lens that corrects the laser beam so that it scans the photosensitive drum 22 at a constant speed. In the electrophotographic process unit 20, a charging device 23, a developing device 24, a transfer device 25, a peeling device 26, a cleaning device 27, and a charge eliminating device are arranged around the photosensitive drum 22, and further on the downstream side of the photosensitive drum 22. The fixing device 28 is arranged.

  The paper feed unit 4 includes first to third cassettes 31 to 33, an LCC (Large Capacity Cassette) 34, and a manual feed tray 35. The first cassette 31 is a tandem tray that accommodates two trays, and both trays can be simultaneously pulled out from the apparatus main body. Each of the second cassette 32 and the third cassette 33 includes a tray. That is, four trays are provided in three cassettes. The paper feed unit 4 includes paper feed conveyance units 37 and 38. The sheet feeding / conveying units 37 and 38 include a sheet feeding roller, a conveying roller, and a registration roller for conveying a sheet from each tray to a transfer position between the photosensitive drum 22 and the transfer device 25.

  In each tray of the first to third cassettes 31 to 33 in the sheet feeding unit 4, a sheet is stored for each size. When the user selects a cassette or tray that stores sheets of a desired size, the sheets are fed one by one from the bundle of sheets in the tray, and the sheet feeding / conveying units 37 and 38 feed the sheets through the conveying path. It is sequentially conveyed toward the electrophotographic process unit 20.

  A paper discharge path 29 for discharging paper to the center tray 39 is provided downstream of the fixing device 28 in the paper transport direction. The paper discharge path 29 is branched into a paper discharge transport path 41 of the post-processing apparatus 5 and a transport section 42 for duplex copying.

  In the laser writing unit 21 and the electrophotographic processing unit 20, the laser writing unit 21 scans the surface of the photosensitive drum 22 with a laser beam according to the image data read from the memory. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum 22. The electrostatic latent image is visualized with toner by the developing device 24, and the toner image is electrostatically transferred by the transfer device 25 onto the surface of the paper conveyed from the paper feeding unit 4 and fixed by the fixing device 28. The

  The sheet on which the image is formed in this manner is discharged from the fixing device 28 to the center tray 39, sent to the post-processing device 5, or conveyed to the conveying unit 42. The paper sent to the post-processing device 5 is subjected to predetermined processing such as sorting or stapling as necessary, and is stacked on the first discharge tray 43 or the second discharge tray 44. Further, the sheet sent to the conveyance unit 42 is reversed here, and is conveyed again to the electrophotographic process unit 20 to form an image on the back surface of the sheet, and is discharged after fixing.

  The post-processing device 5 includes an alignment device 45 that aligns the sheets and a stapling device 46 that binds the sheets. The aligning device 45 stacks and aligns the sheets conveyed through the paper discharge conveyance path 41. The stapling device 46 binds the aligned sheets. The bound sheets are discharged to the first discharge tray 43. The post-processing device 5 has a shifter device. The shifter device 47 executes an offset process for sorting the sheets, and shifts the sheets and discharges them to the first discharge tray 43.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the image processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 48 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus including the post-processing apparatus 5. The control unit 48 includes a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, various interfaces, and the like, and the operations of the document reading unit 2, the image forming unit 3, the paper feeding unit 4, the stapling device 46, the alignment device 45, and the shifter device 47. To perform image formation and post-processing.

  Here, the matching device 45 in the post-processing device 5 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the aligning device 45 includes a stacking tray 50 on which the transported paper is placed, a plurality of paddles 51 that press the paper and align one end in the paper transport direction, An alignment member 52 that moves in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction and aligns the sheet in the width direction is provided.

  The stacking tray 50 is disposed in the middle between the paper discharge conveyance path 41 and the first discharge tray 43, and is inclined so that one end side is downward. A stopper 53 for receiving paper is provided at one end of the stacking tray 50, and one end of the paper transported on the stacking tray 50 comes into contact with the stopper 53 to align the end in the paper transport direction. A stapling device 46 is disposed on one end side of the stacking tray 50, and the stapling device 46 binds one end of a stack of stacked sheets.

  A paddle 51 is disposed above the stacking tray 50 and below the discharge roller 54 of the discharge conveyance path 41. The plurality of paddles 51 are arranged in a line along the width direction (front-rear direction). The paddle 51 has a flexible blade 56 attached to a cylindrical support portion 55, and rotates counterclockwise. When the paddle 51 rotates, the blades 56 are pressed against the sheets on the stacking tray 50, and the sheets are conveyed toward one side in the conveying direction.

  The alignment member 52 is provided in a pair of front and rear with respect to the stacking tray 50. The alignment member 52 is positioned on the other end side of the paddle 51, and the other end of the alignment member 52 protrudes beyond the other end of the stacking tray 50.

  As shown in FIG. 7, an arm 60 formed integrally with the alignment member 52 is attached to a rack 61. The rack 61 meshes with the pinion 62, and the pinion 62 is connected to the motor 63. The rack and pinions 61 and 62 and the motor 63 constitute a moving mechanism for the alignment member 52. By driving the motor 63, the rack 61 is moved in the width direction, and the pair of front and rear alignment members 52 are synchronously moved back and forth on the stacking tray 50 in the front and rear direction.

  In the figure, 65 is a pair of upper and lower paper discharge rollers, 66 is a swing guide, 67 is a paper discharge belt, and P is paper. In FIG. 7, 68 is a home position sensor, and 69 is a light shielding plate.

  The paddle 51 is movable in the width direction, and an interlocking portion that moves the paddle 51 in the width direction in conjunction with the movement of the alignment member 52 is provided. As shown in FIG. 8, a key 70 is formed on the support portion 55 of the paddle 51, a key groove 72 is formed on the rotation shaft 71, and the support portion 55 is slidably fitted on the rotation shaft 71. The rotating shaft 71 is rotated by a motor (not shown), and each paddle 51 rotates as the rotating shaft 71 rotates. Among the plurality of paddles 51, the paddles 51 on both sides move in the width direction in conjunction with the alignment member 52, and the center paddle 51 is fixed at a fixed position.

  The interlocking portion has a connecting member 73 that connects the arm 60 of the alignment member 52 and the support portion 55 of the paddle 51, and a moving mechanism of the alignment member 52 is used as a moving mechanism for moving the paddle 51. Corresponding to the paddles 51 on both sides, connecting members 73 are integrally formed on the front and rear arms 60, respectively. The connecting member 73 extending from the arm 60 is hooked on the support portion 55 of the paddle 51. A circumferential groove 74 is formed in the support portion 55, and the tip of the connecting member 73 enters the groove 74.

  When the paddle 51 rotates, the connecting member 73 slides in the groove 74, and the connecting member 73 does not rotate. When the connecting member 73 moves in the width direction as the aligning member 52 moves, the paddle 51 moves in the width direction in conjunction with the connecting member 73 pushing or pulling the support portion 55 in the width direction. With such a structure, the moving mechanism of the alignment member 52 can be shared, and no additional parts need be added.

  The control unit 48 controls the operation of the alignment device 45 when executing the staple process. An image is printed on the paper, discharged from the paper discharge conveyance path 41, and placed on the stacking tray 50. Before the paper is discharged, the control unit 48 operates the aligning device 45 based on the size of the paper. The alignment member 52 moves to a position corresponding to the paper size. In conjunction with this, the paddle 51 also moves in the same direction. The posture of the paddle 51 is determined so that the blades 56 of the paddle 51 are not in contact with the stacking tray 50 when the paddle 51 is waiting and moving. The posture of the paddle 51 can be determined by detecting the rotational position of the rotary shaft 72.

  The alignment member 52 stops about 5 mm outside the paper size. Thereby, the alignment member 52 functions as a guide for the conveyed sheet. The paddles 51 on both sides are positioned so as to face the side edges in the width direction of the paper.

  When the paper detection sensor detects that the discharged paper is placed on the stacking tray 50, the control unit 48 operates the paddle 51. As shown in FIG. 5, the paddle 51 rotates, the blades 56 strike the upper surface of the paper, and the blades 56 rotate while pushing the paper, whereby the paper is conveyed to one side. Since the paddle 51 rotates twice, the sheet is tapped twice. The sheet comes into contact with the stopper 53. Each time a sheet is discharged, the paddle 51 rotates once to convey the sheet, and one end in the conveyance direction of each sheet is aligned.

  Since the paddle 51 is moved according to the size of the paper, the paddle 51 always presses the center and both side edges of the paper. For this reason, a force is applied evenly in the width direction of the paper, and stable conveyance can always be performed. Even if the actual width of the paper is smaller than the paper size due to curling or waving, the paddles 51 on both sides are located closer to the center than both ends of the paper. Can touch the paper and scratch it.

  Thereafter, the control unit 48 operates the alignment member 52. The alignment members 52 on both sides move to both ends of the sheet and align both ends in the width direction of the sheet by hitting both sides of the sheet simultaneously. At this time, the blades 56 of the paddle 51 are separated from the sheet, and the paddle 51 also moves in the width direction in this state.

  When a predetermined number of sheets are stacked, the control unit 48 operates the stapling device 46. As shown in FIG. 4, one end of the stacked sheets is bound, and the bundle of sheets is conveyed and discharged to the first discharge tray 43. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, while the swing guide 66 is lowered, the upper paper discharge roller 65 is also lowered, and the upper and lower paper discharge rollers 65 pinch a bundle of paper. When the upper and lower paper discharge rollers 65 rotate in opposite directions, a bundle of sheets is conveyed toward the other side. In synchronization with the rotation of the roller 65, the paper discharge belt 67 rotates. The claw provided on the paper discharge belt 67 pushes one end of the sheet bundle, and the sheet bundle is discharged to the first discharge tray 43. Similarly, when a sorting process or an offset process is performed instead of performing a stapling process on the sheets placed on the stacking tray 50, when a predetermined number of sheets are stacked on the stacking tray 50, the bundle of sheets is changed to the first stack. 1 is conveyed toward the discharge tray 43.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Of course, many corrections and changes can be added to the said embodiment within the scope of the present invention. The alignment member is aligned by sandwiching both sides of the paper. However, an alignment member may be provided only on one side and aligned toward the other side. In this case, the moving paddles are one side and a center paddle.

  A motor for moving the paddle may be provided separately from the motor for the alignment member. When the aligning member moves according to the paper size, both motors are driven in synchronism, and the paddle moves in conjunction with the aligning member.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an image processing apparatus according to the present invention. Control block diagram of image processing apparatus Schematic configuration diagram of the post-processing device when placing the conveyed paper Schematic configuration diagram of the post-processing device when a stack of paper is loaded Diagram for explaining the operation when aligning one end of the paper Diagram for explaining the operation when discharging a stack of paper The figure which shows the movement mechanism of the alignment member (A) The figure which shows the structure of an interlocking | linkage part, (b) AA sectional drawing

Explanation of symbols

5 Post-processing device 50 Loading tray 51 Paddle 52 Alignment member 60 Arm 61 Rack 62 Pinion 71 Rotating shaft 73 Connecting member P Paper

Claims (9)

A stacking tray on which the conveyed paper is placed, a plurality of paddles that press the paper and align one end in the paper transport direction, and move in the width direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction to move the paper in the width direction A post-processing apparatus, comprising: an alignment member that aligns the paddle and moving the paddle in the width direction in conjunction with the movement of the alignment member. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of paddles are arranged along the width direction, and at least one paddle on the width direction side is movable. 3. A post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the paddles located on both sides in the width direction are movable, and the paddle located in the center in the width direction is fixed at a fixed position. 4. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the moving paddle is positioned so as to face a side edge of the paper according to the paper. 4. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when the paddle moves, the paddle is separated from the stacking tray. The interlocking portion has a connecting member that connects the alignment member and the paddle, and the paddle moves as the alignment member moves in the width direction according to the paper. A post-processing device according to claim 1. 7. The paddle is slidably fitted on a rotating shaft that rotates when aligning one end of the paper, and the connecting member is hooked on the paddle so as not to rotate as the paddle rotates. Post-processing equipment. The post-processing device according to claim 1, further comprising a stapling device for binding sheets stacked on the stacking tray. A post-processing device that performs post-processing on the discharged paper is provided, and the post-processing device presses the paper in the transport direction of the paper by loading the paper that has been transported and placed on the paper. Multiple paddles that align one end, an alignment member that moves in the width direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction and aligns the paper in the width direction, and an interlock that moves the paddle in the width direction in conjunction with the movement of the alignment member And an image processing apparatus.

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