JP2010215397A - Sheet processing device, image forming system, sheet processing method, and sheet processing control program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve an alignment accuracy of fold-processed sheets in the case where a fold position is changed. <P>SOLUTION: When a Z-shaped fold position is adjusted (S101) by an SP mode, a Z-shaped fold position adjustment value is obtained (S102) from an image forming device, and the value is converted (S103) into the sheet length. When a starting signal to an distal end stopper is obtained (S104), the distal end stopper is moved (S105) to a standby position corresponding to the equivalent value converted in S103; the sheets are aligned (S106) after receiving them; a binding process is performed (S107) with an end-surface binding stapler after the completion of the alignment with a jogger fence. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus for aligning a sheet-like recording medium such as paper, recording paper, transfer paper, or OHP sheet (hereinafter simply referred to as “sheet”), and the sheet processing apparatus and copying machine. The present invention relates to an image forming system including an image forming apparatus such as a printer, a facsimile, or a digital multifunction peripheral, a sheet processing method, and a sheet processing control program.

  When performing edge binding on a sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus, the sheets received in the finisher are stacked on a staple tray, and at that time, alignment in the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction is performed. It was. For the alignment in the transport direction, two mechanisms are employed: a mechanism that strikes and aligns the surface of the sheet stacked on the staple tray with a roller, and a mechanism that aligns the leading edge of the sheet with a tip stopper.

  In the mechanism that aligns with the tapping roller, the tapping roller is made of sponge material, and it will slip to the paper to some extent. After tapping the paper and dropping it onto the reference fence, the sponge section of the tapping roller and the paper slide. This reduced the damage caused by over-conveying the paper.

  Further, in the mechanism using the front end stopper, the paper is dropped to the reference fence by hitting the front end of the paper discharged to the staple tray, and the conveyance direction is aligned. As an apparatus for hitting the tip, for example, an invention described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-027802) is known. According to the present invention, a stack unit for stacking a plurality of sheets (paper sheets) and only one side of the sheets stacked in the stack unit are pressed to align the edges of the plurality of sheets.

  For alignment in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, a member generally called a jogger fence is brought into contact with the side surface of the sheet from the direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, and the sheet is aligned from both sides to the center in the sheet conveyance direction. Like to do.

  By the way, among the sheets that are aligned and stapled in the staple tray, there are Z-folded sheets in addition to sheets having different sizes and thicknesses. Conventionally, even for this Z-folded paper, the tapping roller and the leading end stopper improve the alignment accuracy in the conveying direction. Conventionally, if the A3 (420 mm) size sheet is Z-folded, A4 (210 mm) size It was operating at the timing and alignment position with respect to the sheet.

  In the case of Z-folding, for example, if a sheet of A3 (420 mm) size is Z-folded, the length of A4 is 210 mm, but the Z-folding position can be changed and adjusted from the SP mode (serviceman program mode) input means of the image forming apparatus. It has become. When the Z-folding position is changed, the length of the sheet is also changed, and the length is changed by adjusting the Z-folding position with respect to the A4 length of 210 mm.

  Conventionally, even when the Z-folding position is changed and the length of the sheet is changed accordingly, the alignment timing has not been changed. Therefore, since the proper alignment operation has not been performed for the paper whose Z-folding position has been changed, the alignment accuracy for the Z-folded paper may deteriorate. The folded paper has the same problem because the length in the transport direction varies depending on the folding position.

  Therefore, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to improve the alignment accuracy of the folding processing sheet when the folding position is changed.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the first means includes a stacking unit that stacks the loaded sheets, and an alignment unit that abuts against an end portion of the sheets stacked on the stacking unit and aligns the conveyance direction of the sheets. And a control means for controlling the operation of the aligning means, wherein the control means changes the aligning position of the aligning means in accordance with the length of the folded sheet in the conveyance direction. It is characterized by doing.

  The second means includes a detecting means for detecting the passage of the leading edge and the trailing edge when the folded sheet is conveyed in the first means, and the folding process based on the detection result of the detecting means. Measuring means for measuring a length, wherein the control means changes the alignment position of the alignment means based on the length information of the folded sheet obtained from the measurement means. To do.

  The third means is characterized in that, in the second means, the alignment position of the alignment means to be changed is a position capable of being in contact with the end portion of the folded sheet.

  A fourth means is characterized in that, in any of the first to third means, the folding processing is Z-folding.

  The fifth means is characterized by an image forming system in which the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fourth means is connected to the subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus.

  A sixth means is the fifth means, wherein the image forming apparatus includes an input means for setting and inputting a Z-fold position of the sheet to be folded, and the control means is set and input by the input means. A conversion means for converting the length of the folded sheet based on the information is provided.

  A seventh means is the sixth means, wherein the control means changes the alignment position of the alignment means based on the sheet length converted by the conversion means.

  According to an eighth means, in the seventh means, when the sheet length converted by the conversion means is longer than the default, the control means sets the alignment position of the alignment means downstream from the default position in the discharge direction. It is characterized by changing to the side.

  According to a ninth means, in the seventh means, when the sheet length converted by the conversion means is shorter than the default, the control means sets the alignment position of the alignment means upstream of the discharge position from the default position. It is characterized by changing to the side.

  A tenth means is a sheet processing apparatus comprising: a stacking unit that stacks a sheet that has been carried in; and an aligning unit that contacts an end of the sheet stacked on the stacking unit and aligns the conveyance direction of the sheet. In the sheet processing method in which the length of the folded sheet in the conveyance direction is detected by the sheet detection means in the conveyance path, and the alignment position of the alignment means is changed according to the detected sheet length. Features.

  An eleventh means is a sheet processing apparatus comprising: a stacking unit that stacks the loaded sheets; and an aligning unit that contacts an end portion of the sheets stacked on the stacking unit and aligns the conveyance direction of the sheets. Is a sheet processing control program for executing sheet processing control in a computer by a procedure for detecting the length of the folded sheet in the conveyance direction by the sheet detection means in the conveyance path, and the detected sheet length And a procedure for changing the alignment position of the alignment means accordingly.

  In the embodiment described later, the stacking means is in the end face binding processing tray F, the alignment means is in the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b, the control means is in the CPU 360, the detection means is in the staple paper discharge sensor 305, and the measurement means is in the CPU 360. The sheet processing apparatus corresponds to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the image forming apparatus corresponds to PR, and the input unit corresponds to an operation panel (not shown) of the image forming apparatus.

  According to the present invention, the aligning position of the aligning unit is changed according to the length of the folded sheet in the conveyance direction, so that the sheet can be reliably aligned by contacting the end of the folded sheet. Thus, the alignment accuracy can be improved.

1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a system including a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus as a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic block diagram which looked at the end surface binding processing tray from the stacking surface side of the tray. It is a figure which shows the principal part structure of the jogger fence part which aligns the width direction of a sheet | seat. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of an end surface binding processing tray and its attachment mechanism. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of the control apparatus of a sheet | seat post-processing apparatus. It is a principal part perspective view for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of alignment of an end surface binding processing tray, and shows the state at the time of alignment by the jogger fence after sheet discharge. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining an operation at the time of alignment of the end surface binding processing tray, and shows an operation at the time of alignment by a leading end stopper after sheet discharge. It is a principal part perspective view for demonstrating the operation | movement after alignment of an end surface binding process tray, and shows the state at the time of performing a binding process in the state which hold | maintained the sheet bundle by the front-end | tip stopper and a jogger fence. FIG. 5 is a front view of the tray binding processing tray for explaining the operation when aligning the end surface binding processing tray, and shows a state when alignment is performed by the jogger fence after the alignment operation by the front end stopper. FIG. 7 is a front view of the tray after the alignment of the end-face binding processing trays, viewed from the stacking surface side, and shows a state when binding processing is performed with the sheet bundle held by the tip stopper and the jogger fence. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the matching process in embodiment of this invention.

  In the present invention, for example, when the folding position of a Z-folded sheet is changed, the alignment operation of the leading end stopper is changed according to the change amount so that the alignment operation can always be performed at an appropriate position. is there. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a system including a sheet post-processing apparatus PD and an image forming apparatus PR as a sheet processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

In FIG. 1, the sheet post-processing apparatus PD is attached to the side portion of the image forming apparatus PR, and the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus PR is guided to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD. The sheet has a conveyance path A having post-processing means for performing post-processing on one sheet (in this embodiment, a punch unit 100 as a punching means), and a conveyance path that leads to the upper tray 201 through the conveyance path A. B, a branch claw 1 to a conveyance path C leading to the shift tray 202, and a conveyance path D leading to a processing tray F for performing alignment, stapling, and the like (hereinafter also referred to as “end face binding processing tray”).
5 and the branching claw 16 are arranged.

The image forming apparatus PR includes an image processing circuit that converts input image data into printable image data (not shown), and an optical writing apparatus that performs optical writing on a photoconductor based on an image signal output from the image processing circuit. A developing device for developing the latent image formed on the photosensitive member by optical writing, a transfer device for transferring the toner image visualized by the developing device to the sheet, and a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred on the sheet At least the sheet on which the toner image is fixed is sent to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, and desired post-processing is performed by the sheet post-processing apparatus PD. Here, the image forming apparatus PR is an electrophotographic system as described above.
Any known image forming apparatus such as an ink jet system or a thermal transfer system can be used. In this embodiment, the image processing circuit, the optical writing device, the developing device, the transfer device, and the fixing device constitute image forming means.

The sheet guided to the end-face binding processing tray F through the transport paths A and D, and aligned, stapled, and the like in the end-face binding processing tray F is guided to the shift tray 202 by the guide member 44. Are arranged so as to be distributed to the saddle stitching / folding processing tray G (hereinafter simply referred to as “saddle stitching processing tray”), and the sheet subjected to folding or the like in the saddle stitching processing tray G passes through the conveyance path H. Guided from the paper discharge roller 83 to the lower tray 203. Further, a branching claw 17 is disposed in the conveyance path D, and is held in the state shown in the figure by a low load spring (not shown). After the trailing edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller 7 passes through the branching claw 17. , At least the transport roller 9 among the transport rollers 9 and 10 and the staple discharge roller 11 is reversed,
The sheet is moved backward along the turn guide 8. As a result, the sheet is guided from the rear end of the sheet to the sheet storage unit E (prestack conveyance path) to stay (prestack), and can be conveyed while being overlapped with the next sheet. By repeating this operation, 2
It is also possible to convey more than one sheet by overlapping them. Reference numeral 304 denotes a prestack sensor for setting a reverse feed timing when the sheets are prestacked.

In the conveyance path A common to the upstream of the conveyance path B, the conveyance path C, and the conveyance path D, an inlet sensor 301 that detects a sheet received from the image forming apparatus PR, an inlet roller 1, a punch unit 100, Punch scraper hopper 101, transport roller 2, branch claw 15 and branch claw 1
6 are sequentially arranged. The branching claws 15 and 16 are held in the state shown in FIG. 1 by a spring (not shown). When the solenoid (not shown) is turned on, the branching claws 15 and 16 are driven to change the combination of the two. The sheet is distributed to the path B, the conveyance path C, and the conveyance path D.

When the sheet is guided to the conveyance path B, the solenoid is kept OFF in the state of FIG. 1 (initial state), and the sheet is discharged from the conveyance roller 3 to the upper tray 201 via the discharge roller 4. When the sheet is guided to the conveyance path C, the branch claws 15 are turned upward and the branch claws 16 are turned downward by turning on the solenoids of the branch claws 15 and 16 from the state shown in FIG. Thus, the sheet is conveyed to the shift tray 202 side through the conveying roller 5 and the discharge roller pair 6 (6a, 6b). When the sheet is guided to the conveyance path D, the branching claw 16 is in the state shown in FIG. 1 and the solenoid is turned off, and the branching claw 15 is turned upward from the state shown in FIG. Guided from the roller 2 to the transport path D by the transport roller 7.

In this sheet post-processing apparatus, punching (punching unit 100), sheet alignment + edge binding (jogger fence 53, end surface binding stapler S1), sheet alignment + saddle binding (saddle stitch upper jogger fence 250a, Saddle stitch lower jogger fence 250b, saddle stitch stapler S2), sheet sorting (shift tray 202), center fold (fold plate 74)
Each process such as the folding roller 81) can be performed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the shift tray discharge portion located at the most downstream portion of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD includes a shift discharge roller pair 6 (6a, 6b), a return roller 13, and a paper surface detection sensor 330.
A shift tray 202, a shift mechanism (not shown) that reciprocates the shift tray 202 in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction, and a shift tray lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the shift tray 202.

The sheets guided to the end face binding processing tray F by the staple paper discharge roller 11 are sequentially stacked on the end face binding processing tray F. In this case, alignment in the vertical direction (sheet conveyance direction) is performed by the tapping roller 12 for each sheet, and alignment in the horizontal direction (direction also orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction—also referred to as sheet width direction) is performed by the jogger fence 53. Job breaks, ie
Between the last sheet of the sheet bundle and the first sheet of the next sheet bundle, the end-face stitching stapler S1 is driven by the staple signal from the control device 350 (see FIG. 5), and the binding process is performed. The sheet bundle subjected to the binding process is immediately sent to the shift discharge roller 6 by the discharge belt 52 (see FIG. 2) on which the discharge claw 52a protrudes, and the shift tray 2 set at the receiving position.
02 is discharged.

The discharge belt 52 is positioned at the alignment center in the sheet width direction, is stretched between pulleys 52c, and is driven by a discharge motor. A plurality of discharge rollers 56 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the discharge belt 52, are provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the drive shaft, and function as driven rollers.

The release claw 52 a is configured such that the home position is detected by a release belt HP sensor 311, and this release belt HP sensor 311 is turned on / off by a discharge claw 52 a provided on the discharge belt 52. Two discharge claws 52a are arranged at opposing positions on the outer periphery of the discharge belt 52, and the sheet bundle stored in the end face binding processing tray F is moved and conveyed alternately.

Further, if necessary, the discharge belt 52 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the discharge claw 52a waiting to move the sheet bundle from now on and the back side of the discharge claw 52a on the opposite side of the sheet bundle accommodated in the end face binding processing tray F It is also possible to align the tips in the transport direction.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 110 denotes a rear end pressing lever, which is positioned at the lower end of the rear end fence 51 that can press the rear end of the sheet bundle SB accommodated in the rear end fence 51.
It reciprocates in a direction substantially perpendicular to the end face binding processing tray F. Sheets discharged to the end surface binding processing tray F are tapped for each sheet and aligned in the vertical direction (sheet conveying direction) with the rollers 12, but the trailing edge of the sheets stacked on the end surface binding processing tray F is curled. When the waist is weak, the rear end tends to buckle and swell due to the weight of the seat itself. Furthermore, as the number of stacked sheets increases, the gap in which the next sheet enters the rear end fence 51 is reduced, and the vertical alignment tends to deteriorate. Therefore, the trailing edge pressing mechanism 110 reduces the swelling of the trailing edge of the sheet so that the sheet can easily enter the trailing edge fence 51, and the trailing edge pressing lever 110 directly presses the sheet.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the end face binding processing tray F as viewed from the stacking surface side of the tray. In the same figure, the alignment in the width direction of the sheet received from the upstream machine is performed by the jogger fences 53a and 53b, and the longitudinal direction is the rear end fence 51a by the front end stoppers 512a and 512b driven by the stopper drive belts 511a and 511b. , 51b (reference numeral 51 in FIG.
To match). After the alignment operation is completed, the binding process is performed by the end surface binding stapler S1, and the sheet bundle after the binding process is lifted by the movable fences 57a and 57b. Note that the receiving portion for scooping the sheet bundle of the movable fence is located slightly below the receiving portion for receiving the sheet bundle of the rear end fences 51a and 51b, and the front end stoppers 512a and 51b.
2b is arranged so as not to be an obstacle when the sheet bundle is abutted against the rear end fences 51a and 51b to perform vertical alignment. After the sheet bundle is lifted by the movable fences 57a and 57b, the discharge belt 52 is driven counterclockwise, and the sheet lifted by the movable fences 57a and 57b by the discharge claw 52a attached to the discharge belt 52. The bundle is scooped and the discharging operation from the end face binding processing tray F is performed. Reference numerals 64a and 64b are a front side plate and a rear side plate. Further, this operation can be performed in the case of an unbound bundle that is not subjected to the binding process after the alignment process.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a main configuration of a jogger fence unit that aligns the width direction of the sheet. The jogger fences 53a and 53b are moved in the direction of the arrow by a drive motor (not shown), respectively, to perform alignment in the sheet width direction. Further, two mylars 531 and 532 are disposed on the jogger fences 53a and 53b, respectively, to prevent the sheet discharged to the end face binding processing tray F from being bent due to curling or the like. The mylars 531 and 532 are for large size and small size, respectively, and the mounting positions, lengths, and elasticity of the two mylars 531 and 532 are conveyed when the sheet is conveyed into the stacking means. It is determined taking into consideration that it does not become a resistance at the time, can suppress the vicinity of the leading end of all sheet sizes that can be received in the end face binding processing tray F, and does not become an obstacle at the time of sheet lateral alignment. ing.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the end face binding processing tray F and its attached mechanism. As shown in the figure, the sheets guided to the end-face binding processing tray F by the staple paper discharge roller 11 are sequentially stacked on the end-face binding processing tray F. At this time, when the number of sheets discharged to the end face binding processing tray F is one sheet, the sheet is aligned in the vertical direction (sheet conveying direction) with the tapping roller 12 for each sheet, and the jogger fences 53a and 52b are arranged in the width direction ( Alignment in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction is performed. The hitting roller 12 hits around the fulcrum 12a SOL17
The pendulum motion is given by 0 and acts intermittently on the sheet fed to the end-face binding processing tray F so that the sheet abuts against the rear end fence 51. Note that the hitting roller 12 itself rotates counterclockwise.

The jogger fence 53 is provided with a pair of front and rear (53a, 53b) as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and is driven through a timing belt by a jogger motor 158 capable of forward and reverse rotation, and reciprocates in the sheet width direction.

A sheet bundle deflection mechanism is provided on the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction of the end-face binding processing tray F. As shown in FIG. 1, a conveying path for conveying a sheet bundle from the end-face stitching processing tray F to the saddle-stitching processing tray G, and from the end-face stitching processing tray F to the shift tray 202, and a conveying means for conveying the sheet bundle include a sheet bundle. A conveying mechanism 35 that applies a conveying force, a discharge roller 56 that turns the sheet bundle, and a guide member 44 that performs a guide for turning the sheet bundle.

Each detailed configuration will be described. The driving force of the driving shaft 37 is transmitted to the roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 by a timing belt. The roller 36 and the driving shaft 37 are connected and supported by an arm, and driven. The shaft 37 can be swung about the rotation fulcrum. The roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 is driven to swing by a cam 40. The cam 40 rotates about a rotating shaft 41 and is driven by a motor (not shown).

In the transport mechanism 35, a driven roller 42 is disposed at a position opposite to the roller 36, and a sheet bundle is sandwiched between the driven roller 42 and the roller 36 and pressed by an elastic material to give a transport force.

A conveyance path for turning the sheet bundle from the end face binding processing tray F to the saddle stitching processing tray G is formed between the discharge roller 56 and the inner surface of the guide member 44 on the side facing the discharge roller 56. The guide member 44 rotates around a fulcrum, and the drive is transmitted from the bundle branch drive motor 161.

In the transport path for transporting the sheet bundle from the end surface binding processing tray F to the shift tray 202 serving as a stacking unit, the guide member 44 rotates around the fulcrum in the illustrated clock method, and the outer surface of the guide member 44 (
The space between the surface not facing the discharge roller 56) and the outer guide plate is used as a conveyance path.

When the sheet bundle P is sent from the end surface binding processing tray F to the saddle stitching processing tray G, the trailing edge of the sheet bundle aligned on the end surface binding processing tray F is pushed up by the discharge claw 52a, and the roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 and A sheet bundle is sandwiched between the opposed driven rollers 42 facing each other, and a conveying force is applied. At this time, the roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 stands by at a position where it does not hit the leading end of the sheet bundle P.

Next, after the front end of the sheet bundle P passes, the roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 is brought into contact with the sheet surface to apply a transport force. At this time, the guide member 44 and the discharge roller 56 form a guide for the turn conveyance path, and convey the sheet bundle P to the downstream saddle stitching processing tray G.

As shown in FIG. 1, the saddle stitch processing tray G is provided on the downstream side of the sheet bundle deflection mechanism including the conveyance mechanism 35, the guide member 44, and the discharge roller 56. Saddle stitching processing tray G
The sheet bundle deflecting mechanism is provided substantially vertically on the downstream side. The center folding mechanism is disposed at the center, the bundle conveying guide plate upper 92 is disposed above, and the bundle conveying guide plate lower 91 is disposed below. Yes.

Further, an upper bundle conveying roller 71 is provided above the upper bundle conveying guide plate 92, and a lower bundle conveying roller 72 is provided below the upper bundle conveying guide plate 92. A saddle stitch upper jogger fence 250a is arranged on both sides along the side surface of 92. Similarly, the saddle stitching lower jogger fence 250b on both sides along the side surface of the bundle conveying guide plate lower 91.
The saddle stitching stapler S2 is disposed at a place where the saddle stitching lower jogger fence 250b is installed. The saddle stitching upper jogger fence 250a and the saddle stitching lower jogger fence 250b are driven by a driving mechanism (not shown) and perform an alignment operation in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction (sheet width direction). The saddle stitching stapler S2 is a pair of a clincher portion and a driver portion, and two pairs are provided at a predetermined interval in the sheet width direction.

A movable rear end fence 73 is arranged so as to cross the lower bundle conveyance guide plate 91, and can be moved in the sheet conveyance direction (vertical direction in the figure) by a moving mechanism including a timing belt and its driving mechanism. . As shown in FIG. 1, the drive mechanism includes a drive pulley and a driven pulley on which the timing belt is stretched, and a stepping motor that drives the drive pulley. Similarly, a rear end tapping claw 251 and its drive mechanism are provided on the upper end side of the upper bundle transport guide plate 92. The trailing edge tapping claw 251 can reciprocate in a direction away from the sheet bundle deflecting mechanism and a direction pushing the trailing edge of the sheet bundle (the side that contacts the trailing edge when the sheet bundle is introduced) by a timing belt 252 and a driving mechanism (not shown). ing.

The center folding mechanism is provided at a substantially central portion of the saddle stitching processing tray G, and includes a folding plate 74, a folding roller 81, and a conveyance path H that conveys the folded sheet bundle. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 326 denotes a home position sensor for detecting the home position of the rear end tapping claw 251, reference numeral 323 denotes a folded portion passage sensor for detecting a folded sheet, and reference numeral 321 denotes a sheet bundle. A bundle detection sensor 322 for detecting that the center folding position has been reached is a working rear end fence home position sensor for detecting the home position of the movable rear end fence 73.

In this embodiment, a detection lever 501 for detecting the stacking height of the sheet bundle folded in the lower tray 203 is provided swingably by a fulcrum 501a.
Is detected by the paper surface sensor 505, and the lower tray 203 is moved up and down and the overflow is detected.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an outline of a control device 350 equipped with a microcomputer having a CPU 360, an I / O interface 370, and the like. The control device 350 includes switches on the control panel of the image forming apparatus main body (not shown), an upper paper discharge sensor 302,
Signals from sensors such as the paper presence sensor 310, the staple paper discharge sensor 305, and the paper surface detection sensor 330 are input to the CPU 360 via the I / O interface 370, and the CPU 3
Reference numeral 60 denotes a front end stopper 512, a discharge belt 52, and a movable fence 5 based on the input signal.
The drive motor for controlling the mechanism such as 7 and the solenoids such as the hitting SOL are controlled.

The control is executed based on a program defined by the program code while the CPU 360 reads a program code stored in a ROM (not shown) and uses a RAM (not shown) as a work area and a data buffer.

6 to 8 are perspective views of essential parts for explaining the alignment operation of the end face binding processing tray F, FIG.
10 is a front view of the main part.

The sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus PR to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD is conveyed to the end face binding processing tray F along the conveyance path ADF shown in FIG. In the case of a normal sheet, it is possible to perform pre-stack conveyance in which the sheet is conveyed to the pre-stack conveyance path E after being conveyed through the conveyance path D, and the sheet is retained together with the subsequent sheet and conveyed to the end face binding processing tray F. .

Here, the alignment operation in the end face binding processing tray F will be described.
The sheet bundle accumulated in the prestack conveyance path E is conveyed to the staple tray by the prestack conveyance, hits the sheet surface with the tapping roller 12, and is pressed against the rear end fence 51 to perform alignment processing in the sheet conveyance direction. The tapping roller 12 rotates in a direction to move the sheet toward the rear end fence 51, and the alignment process is executed by bringing the tapping roller 12 into and out of contact with the sheet by a solenoid.

  In the present embodiment, the front end stoppers 512 a and 512 b are provided, and the front end stoppers 512 a and 512 b hit the front end of the sheet bundle discharged to the end surface binding processing tray F and drop the sheet bundle into the rear end fence 51. The matching process is performed. Further, the sheet bundle conveyed to the end face binding processing tray F is subjected to a jogging operation in the lateral direction of the sheet bundle by the jogger fences 53a and 53b, thereby performing alignment processing in the sheet bundle lateral direction.

  In the stipple mode in which the binding process is performed, the sheet guided to the conveyance path D is discharged to the end face binding processing tray F as described above. The discharged sheets are first aligned in the discharge direction in the end face processing tray F. By bringing the tapping roller 12 shown in FIG. 6 into contact with the surface of the discharged sheet, the sheet is knocked down in the direction opposite to the discharging direction. The time for knocking down (the time for contact) is set such that the rear end of the sheet reaches the rear end fence 51. However, in some cases, the sheet cannot be dropped to a desired position due to the influence of the type of sheet, the curl state, the number of sheets stacked on the end face binding processing tray F, and the like. In such a case, the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b shown in FIG. 7 are moved in the direction of the arrow, and the trailing end of the sheet is reliably reached at the trailing end fence 51 by tapping the leading end of the sheet bundle. .

  By aligning the hitting roller 12 and the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b, the conveying direction is aligned in the end surface binding processing tray F. After the alignment in the paper discharge direction, an alignment operation in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction is performed. This alignment operation is performed by sandwiching the sheet between the jogger fences 53a and 53b.

  When the alignment operation by the jogger fences 53a and 53b is completed, the jogger fences 53a and 53g return to the receiving position and are ready to receive the next sheet. This series of operations is repeated for the number of discharged sheets to align the final sheet, and then stapling is performed, and the bound sheet bundle is discharged to the shift tray 202.

  7 shows an operation at the time of alignment by the front end stopper after the sheet is discharged, FIG. 8 shows a state when the binding process is performed with the sheet bundle held by the front end stopper and the jogger fence, and FIG. 9 shows the front end stopper. FIG. 10 shows a state in which the sheet bundle is held by the leading end stopper and the jogger fence after the alignment operation is performed.

  By the way, in the alignment operation by the front end stoppers 512a and 512b, the standby position of the front end stoppers 512a and 512b and the movement amount from the standby position are determined based on the size information from the image forming apparatus PR. When the length of the sheet is different, the leading edge position of the sheet discharged to the end face binding processing tray F is different, so that the standby positions of the leading edge stoppers 512a and 512b are different. In the case of Z-folding of an A3 size sheet, the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b stand by as A4 size. However, in the present embodiment, when the Z-folding position is changed (adjusted) by the SP mode on the image forming apparatus side, the leading edge of the sheet is aligned at an optimum position corresponding to the length of the sheet. That is, if the Z-folding position is changed, the information is sent from the image forming apparatus PR to the post-processing apparatus PD. The post-processing apparatus PD converts the Z-folding position into a length, and the leading end stopper is converted from the conversion result. The standby positions of 512a and 512b are determined. Since the amount of movement from the standby position is always set to be constant, the tapping pressure (contact pressure) of the front end stoppers 512a and 512b with respect to the sheet front end is also adjusted by adjusting the length converted from the Z-fold position adjusted only for the standby position. It is always constant and stable alignment is performed.

  On the other hand, the default Z-fold position varies depending on the curl state of the sheet, the paper thickness, and the like. For this reason, Z-folding of A3-sized sheets is not always accurate to the length of A4. In such a case, even if the Z-folding position is adjusted in the SP mode, if the length of the sheet varies in the first place, the leading edge of the sheet cannot be beaten with the leading edge stoppers 512a and 512b at an appropriate position.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the Z-folded sheet are detected by a sensor disposed in the conveyance unit in the post-processing apparatus PD, and the sheet length is calculated based on the detection timing and the conveyance linear velocity. . Any sensor can be used as long as the sensor is provided in the conveyance path for conveying the Z-folded sheet. However, in the present embodiment, for example, the sensor is provided immediately before the sheet is discharged to the end surface binding processing tray F. The staple paper discharge sensor 305 is used. Then, the standby positions of the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b are determined from the calculated length of the Z-fold sheet. For this reason, it becomes possible to strike and align the tips accurately with respect to the length of the sheet, leading to an improvement in accuracy.

  The processing procedure of the CPU 360 at this time is shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure of the CPU 360. In the figure, a service person is called first, and when the Z-folding position is adjusted by the SP mode executed by the service person (step S101), the Z-folding position adjustment value is acquired from the image forming apparatus (step S102), and the sheet The length is converted (step S103). Then, when the activation signals for the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b are acquired (step S104), the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b are moved to the standby positions corresponding to the converted values converted in step S103 (step S105). After the alignment (step S106) and the alignment by the jogger fences 53a and 53b are completed, the binding process is executed by the end surface binding stapler S1 (step S107).

As described above, according to the present embodiment,
1) The standby positions of the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b are adjusted according to the length of the Z-folded sheet, and moved from the standby position to strike and align the leading ends of the sheets. Can do. Thereby, the alignment accuracy of the sheet bundle mixed with the Z-fold paper is improved.
2) Since the input information for changing the Z-folding position in the SP mode of the image forming apparatus is converted into the sheet length, the standby position of the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b is adjusted from the converted length information to perform the alignment operation. be able to.
3) When the sheet length is shorter or longer than the default length, the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b can be moved to the standby position according to the sheet length.

4) As a result of 2) and 3), since the sheet can always be hit at the optimum position with respect to the sheet leading edge, the alignment accuracy of the sheet bundle mixed with the Z-fold sheet is improved.
5) Since the length of the Z-folded sheet is measured directly using the sensor in the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, even if there is a variation in the default Z-fold position or the position after the Z-fold adjustment in the SP mode, The sheet length can be measured accurately. Therefore, it is possible to move the tip stoppers 512a and 512b to the standby position according to the length. As a result, the sheet can always be hit at the optimum position with respect to the sheet leading end, and the alignment accuracy of the sheet bundle mixed with the Z-fold sheet is improved.
There are effects such as.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, All the technical matters contained in the technical idea of the invention described in the claim are object.

  The present invention can be applied not only to size-mixed sheets but also to alignment processing of sheet bundles in which Z-folded sheets are mixedly loaded.

305 Stipple discharge sensor 360 CPU
512a, 512b Front end stopper F End surface binding processing tray PD Sheet post-processing device PR Image forming device

JP 2006-027802 A

Claims (11)

A stacking means for stacking the loaded sheets;
An alignment unit that abuts against an end of the sheet stacked on the stacking unit and aligns the conveyance direction of the sheet;
Control means for controlling the operation of the matching means;
A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
The sheet processing apparatus, wherein the control unit changes an alignment position of the alignment unit according to a length in a conveyance direction of the folded sheet. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1,
Detecting means for detecting the passage of the leading edge and the trailing edge when conveying the folded sheet;
Measuring means for measuring the length of the folded sheet based on the detection result of the detecting means;
Further comprising
The sheet processing apparatus, wherein the control unit changes the alignment position of the alignment unit based on the length information of the folded sheet obtained from the measurement unit. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the alignment position of the alignment unit to be changed is a position that can be in contact with an end portion of the folded sheet. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
A sheet processing apparatus, wherein the folding processing is Z-folding.   5. An image forming system, wherein the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 is connected to a subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus. The image forming system according to claim 5,
The image forming apparatus includes input means for setting and inputting a Z-fold position of the sheet to be folded.
The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes a conversion unit that converts the length of the folded sheet based on information set and input by the input unit. The image forming system according to claim 6,
The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit changes the alignment position of the alignment unit based on the sheet length converted by the conversion unit. The image forming system according to claim 7,
The control unit changes the alignment position of the alignment unit to the downstream side in the discharge direction from the default position when the sheet length converted by the conversion unit becomes longer than the default. . The image forming system according to claim 7,
The control means changes the alignment position of the alignment means to the upstream side in the discharge direction from the default position when the sheet length converted by the conversion means becomes shorter than the default. . A stacking means for stacking the loaded sheets;
An alignment unit that abuts against an end of the sheet stacked on the stacking unit and aligns the conveyance direction of the sheet;
A sheet processing method in a sheet processing apparatus comprising:
The length of the folded sheet in the conveyance direction is detected by the sheet detection means in the conveyance path,
A sheet processing method, wherein the alignment position of the alignment unit is changed in accordance with the detected sheet length. A stacking means for stacking the loaded sheets;
An alignment unit that abuts against an end of the sheet stacked on the stacking unit and aligns the conveyance direction of the sheet;
A sheet processing control program for executing sheet processing control in a sheet processing apparatus comprising:
A procedure for detecting the length of the folded sheet in the conveyance direction by a sheet detection means in the conveyance path;
A procedure for changing the alignment position of the alignment means according to the detected sheet length;
A sheet processing control program comprising:

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