JP2011084047A - Booklet post-processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a booklet post-processing device which can perform both forming process to flatten the spine of a center-folding booklet by pressing and perforating process to perforate the center-folding booklet and also, can save an installation space thereof. <P>SOLUTION: In the booklet post-processing device, a grasping mechanism 112 grasps the face and back of a booklet 2 and a pressing mechanism performs a forming process by flattening the spine of the grasped booklet 2 by pressure. The grasping mechanism 112 includes an upper grasping member 130 and a lower grasping member 132. When performing both forming process and perforating process to one booklet 2, the pressing mechanism and a perforating mechanism 300 execute both forming process and perforating process to the booklet 2 which is grasped by the upper grasping member 130 and the lower grasping member 132 are kept steady at a grasping position. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a booklet post-processing apparatus, and more particularly to a booklet post-processing apparatus capable of performing both a forming process for flattening the back of a center-folded booklet and a punching process for punching a center-folded booklet.

  A saddle-stitched booklet created by binding the center of a sheet bundle and folding it at the binding position is known. In order to further file such a saddle-stitched booklet, an apparatus for performing a punching process for making a plurality of holes in the saddle-stitched booklet has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). However, such a saddle-stitched booklet generally tends to swell around the crease, so that when the number of pages of the booklet increases, it may be difficult to pass the metal fitting for filing through the booklet hole. Further, after the filing, the booklet may occupy the thickness direction due to the swelling of the booklet, which may affect the appearance and the total number of filings.

  Here, a booklet processing method is proposed in which the folded booklet is gripped and fixed by a clamping jaw adjacent to the back, and the back is flattened by running the forming roller along the length of the back. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2). By flattening the back of the booklet in this way, swelling around the back of the booklet can be suppressed.

JP 2008-120535 A JP 2001-260564 A

  Saddle-stitched booklets can be created more easily than general bookbinding by gluing. For this reason, there is a demand for installing a saddle-stitched booklet or a device for post-processing a saddle-stitched booklet not only in a large bookbinding factory but also in a relatively small office. Therefore, it is required that such a device can be installed in a narrow place, and space saving of the device is a big problem.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and the purpose thereof is to execute both a forming process for pressing and flattening the back of the center folded booklet and a punching process for punching the center folded booklet. The purpose is to save space for a possible booklet post-processing apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a booklet post-processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a gripping unit that grips the front and back sides of a half-folded booklet and a molding process that presses and flattens the back of the gripped middle-folded booklet. Forming means for executing, and punching means for executing a punching process of punching the punched blade through the gripped half-fold booklet. Each of the forming means and the punching means performs a forming process and a punching process on the half-folded booklet in which the gripped position is maintained.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress a space necessary for executing both processes as compared with the case where the forming process and the punching process are performed on the booklet at different positions. For this reason, space saving of a booklet post-processing apparatus can be achieved.

  The gripping means may have a pair of gripping members that grip the front and back of the center folded booklet around the back. The forming unit and the punching unit may perform each of the forming process and the punching process on the half-folded booklet held by the pair of holding members.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to execute both the forming process and the punching process using a common pair of gripping members. For this reason, compared with the case where a mutually different holding member is provided, the cost which a holding member requires can be suppressed.

  The punching means passes the punching blade through the half-folded booklet held by the pair of gripping members before the forming process, and the forming means executes the forming process on the medium-folded booklet with the punching blade penetrated. Also good.

  According to this aspect, it is possible to suppress the movement of the paper inside the booklet by executing the forming process. For this reason, the positional shift between pages in the booklet after the forming process can be suppressed, and a booklet with a good appearance can be created.

  One of the pair of gripping members may have a blade housing portion that houses the perforating blade so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the half-fold booklet gripped by the pair of gripping members.

  Generally, in the punching process, a portion around the back of the booklet is punched. According to this aspect, it is possible to appropriately grip the folded booklet even during the punching process. For this reason, a pair of holding members can be appropriately shared in both the forming process and the perforating process.

  When the punching process is performed, the punching means abuts against the second surface opposite to the first surface with which the punching blade first contacts, out of the front and back of the half-folded booklet gripped by the pair of gripping members. You may further have the die | dye which supports. The die may be provided so as to advance from a separated position separated from the second surface to a contact position that contacts the second surface when the punching process is performed on the half-folded booklet gripped by the pair of gripping members. .

  Such a die is generally provided with a blade insertion hole for inserting a drilling blade, and it is difficult to provide a curved surface at the edge of the opening of the hole in order to achieve appropriate drilling. . For this reason, when a die is pressed against a booklet that does not execute the punching process, there is a possibility that the blade insertion hole remains. According to this aspect, since the die is brought into contact with the booklet when the punching process is performed, it is possible to avoid leaving a mark on the booklet by retracting the die when the forming process is performed. For this reason, a booklet with a good aesthetic appearance can be created.

  The booklet post-processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention regulates the relative positions of the pair of gripping members in a direction parallel to the surface of the gripped middle folded booklet when the pair of gripping members grip the center folded booklet. A positioning mechanism may be further provided.

  According to this aspect, for example, when both a forming process and a punching process are performed on one booklet, a situation in which a relative shift occurs between a pair of gripping members due to one process and an influence on the other process is avoided. can do. For this reason, both a shaping | molding process and a punching process can be performed more appropriately.

  The gripping means has a pair of forming gripping members that grip the front and back of the center folded booklet around the back and a pair of punching gripping members that grip the front and back of the center folded booklet around the portion to be punched. May be. The forming means may execute a forming process on the half-fold booklet gripped by the pair of forming gripping members, and the punching means may execute a punching process on the center-folded booklet held by the pair of punching gripping members. .

  According to this aspect, an appropriate portion of the booklet can be gripped in each of the forming process and the punching process. Further, when one of the forming process and the punching process is performed on the booklet, it is only necessary to drive the gripping member for the process, so that the drive control in such a case can be simplified.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to save a space for a booklet post-processing apparatus capable of performing both a forming process for pressing and flattening the back of a half-fold booklet and a punching process for punching a center-fold booklet.

It is a typical whole block diagram of the bookbinding system which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structure of the shaping | molding punching mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A) is a front view of the gripping mechanism and the punching mechanism according to the first embodiment, and (b) is a right side view of the gripping mechanism and the punching mechanism according to the first embodiment. It is PP sectional drawing of Fig.3 (a) which shows the structure of the punching mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is QQ sectional drawing of FIG.3 (b) which shows the structure of the drilling mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is sectional drawing of die | dye. It is QQ sectional drawing of FIG. 3 when a perforation blade is made to penetrate a booklet. (A) is a front view of the locking mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment, (b) is a right view of the locking mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a front view of the press mechanism concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a top view of the press mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the shaping | molding punching process by the shaping | molding punching mechanism which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is QQ sectional drawing of FIG. 3 which shows the structure of the holding | grip mechanism and punching mechanism which concern on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state by which the booklet was hold | gripped with the upper holding member and the lower holding member. It is a figure which shows the state by which the booklet was hold | gripped by the upper holding member and die | dye, and the holding of the booklet by the upper holding member and the lower holding member was cancelled | released. It is a figure which shows a state when a booklet is punched with the punching blade from the state of FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the press mechanism which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a front view of the press mechanism which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of the press mechanism which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the press mechanism which concerns on 4th Embodiment from the viewpoint R of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the press mechanism which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is the figure which looked at the press mechanism which concerns on 5th Embodiment from the viewpoint S of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of a bookbinding system 10 according to the first embodiment. The bookbinding system 10 includes a collation device 18, a saddle stitch folding device 20, a cutting device 22, a booklet post-processing device 24, and a management device 28.

  The collating device 18 has a plurality (six in the first embodiment) of paper feed trays 50. The paper feed trays 50 are arranged in the vertical direction. Each of the paper feed trays 50 is provided so as to be moved up and down by operating a motor (not shown). Sheets on which images are formed by various image forming methods as described above are also stacked on the sheet feed tray 50. Therefore, the paper feed tray 50 also functions as a paper storage unit that stores paper. In each of the sheet feed trays 50, a group of sheets in which a plurality of sheets on which images are formed overlap is set by a bookbinding operator.

  The separation feeding mechanism 52 is provided corresponding to each of the paper feed trays 50. The separation feeding mechanism 52 separates and sends out the uppermost sheet among the sheets stacked on the corresponding sheet feeding tray 50. The separation feeding mechanism 52 employs an air suction type. Since the air suction type separation and feeding mechanism is known, its detailed description is omitted. Of course, a so-called friction type separation / feed mechanism may be provided instead of the air suction type separation / feed mechanism. As described above, each combination of the paper feed tray 50 and the separation feeding mechanism 52 functions as a paper feeding unit that feeds the paper.

  The collating device 18 conveys the sheets fed from the sheet feeding tray 50 one by one through the sheet conveying path 54 and sends them to the saddle stitch folding device 20. Note that the collating device 18 may superimpose the sheets sent out from the paper feed tray 50 on the sheet conveying path 54 and convey them as a sheet bundle and send them out to the saddle stitch folding apparatus 20.

  The saddle stitch folding device 20 performs a saddle stitch folding process on the paper fed from the collating device 18. The sheet fed into the saddle stitch folding device 20 is transported along the transport path 60. The saddle stitch folding device 20 includes a binding mechanism 62, a folding mechanism 72, and a non-folding stacker 73. The binding mechanism 62 and the folding mechanism 72 are disposed around the conveyance path 60.

  The binding mechanism 62 includes a side jogger 66, a stitcher 70, a binding stopper 64, and a back jogger 68. Prior to the binding process, the binding mechanism 62 stacks the sheets sent from the collating device 18 in the order in which they are sent, and the number of sheets input by the user as the total number of sheets included in one booklet. Create a stack of sheets with overlapping. Therefore, the binding mechanism 62 also functions as a sheet bundle creating unit.

  A pair of side joggers 66 are provided, and each of the side joggers 66 abuts against a side edge of the sheet bundle in the binding mechanism 62 and positions the position of the sheet bundle in the sheet width direction which is a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction. The binding stopper 64 and the back jogger 68 are in contact with the front end portion and the rear end portion of the sheet bundle prepared by stacking sheets, and position the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction. The stitcher 70 performs a binding process on the sheet bundle positioned by the binding stopper 64, the side jogger 66, and the back jogger 68.

  The folding mechanism 72 is provided on the downstream side of the binding mechanism 62. The folding mechanism 72 performs a folding process for folding the sheet bundle at the bound position on the sheet bundle on which the binding process has been performed by the binding mechanism 62. The folding mechanism 72 has a pair of folding rollers 78, a folding knife 76, and a folding stopper 74.

  When the binding process is performed by the binding mechanism 62, the binding stopper 64 is retracted downward, and the bound sheet bundle is sent to the folding mechanism 72. The sheet bundle sent to the folding mechanism 72 is positioned in the sheet conveying direction when the front end portion contacts the folding stopper 74. Above the transport path 60, a pair of folding rollers 78 are juxtaposed in the paper transport direction so that the axial direction is perpendicular to the paper transport direction.

  The folding knife 76 can move up and down between the pair of folding rollers 78 and below the conveying path 60 by operating a motor (not shown). When the folding knife 76 is raised in a state where the sheet bundle is positioned in the sheet conveying direction by the folding stopper 74, the sheet bundle is wound between the pair of folding rollers 78. The pair of folding rollers 78 folds the sheet bundle by rotating to convey the sheet bundle upward while pinching the sheet bundle with a strong force. The booklet that has been creased by the pair of folding rollers 78 is sent to the belt conveyance mechanism 80 through the binding folded booklet conveyance path 82 that extends upward from the nip portion of the pair of folding rollers 78. The belt conveyance mechanism 80 sends the created booklet to the paper conveyance path 92 of the cutting device 22.

  The folding stopper 74 can be moved back and forth in the transport path 60 by turning on and off the solenoid. When the bookbinding by the saddle stitch folding process is not selected by the user and the bookbinding by the binding process is selected, the binding stopper 64 and the folding stopper 74 are retracted from the conveyance path 60. In this case, the sheets subjected to the binding process by the binding mechanism 62 are stacked on a non-folding stacker 73 provided downstream of the folding stopper 74.

  The cutting device 22 has a three-way cutting mechanism 84. The three-way cutting mechanism 84 cuts the booklet sent from the saddle stitch folding device 20 or three sides of the booklet, the top, and the ground to create a final booklet. The three-way cutting mechanism 84 includes a fore-edge cutting blade 90, a sheet pressing portion 88, a fore-edge cutting stopper 86, a side guide (not shown), and a pair of top and bottom cutting blades (not shown).

  The fore-edge trimming stopper 86 can be moved forward and backward in the paper conveyance path 92 by turning on and off a solenoid (not shown). When cutting a small edge of a booklet, the cutting apparatus 22 causes the small edge cutting stopper 86 to protrude into the paper conveyance path 92 at the timing when the booklet is sent. As a result, the front end of the booklet sent to the cutting device 22 comes into contact with the fore edge cutting stopper 86 and is positioned in the paper transport direction.

  The pair of side guides are arranged on the upstream side in the paper conveyance direction (hereinafter, simply referred to as “upstream side”) with respect to the small edge cutting blade 90, and the cutting device is arranged so that the centers of the booklets conveyed at the center of each interval substantially overlap each other. One is arranged in front of and behind 22. Each of the pair of side guides is formed in a plate shape, extends in the paper transport direction, and protrudes upward from the paper transport path 92. For the pair of side guides, a so-called center distribution method is adopted in which one moves in the paper width direction and the other moves the same distance in the opposite direction. The booklet guided by the side guide and passed between them is aligned to the top and bottom positions that should be aligned before cutting.

  The sheet pressing portion 88 is disposed above the sheet conveyance path 92 on the upstream side from the fore edge cutting stopper 86, and is lowered by operating a motor (not shown). The fore edge cutting blade 90 is provided above the sheet conveyance path 92 on the upstream side of the sheet pressing portion 88 and is lowered when a fore edge cutting motor described later operates. The small edge cutting blade 90 is configured to be movable in the paper conveyance direction via a ball screw mechanism or the like by a small edge cutting blade moving motor described later. One top-and-bottom cutting blade is provided above each sheet conveyance path 92 at the front and rear of the sheet pressing portion 88, and is lowered by operating a top-and-bottom cutting motor described later. The pair of top and bottom cutting blades are also movable in a direction away from or close to each other by a center distribution method. The pair of top and bottom cutting blades move in a direction away from or close to each other via a gear mechanism or the like when a top and bottom cutting blade moving motor described later operates.

  By passing between the side guides, the top and bottom positions are aligned, and the paper pressing portion 88 is lowered and presses the booklet in a state where the paper cutting direction is positioned by the edge cutting stopper 86. With the booklet pressed in this manner, the fore edge cutting blade 90 first cuts the fore edge, and then a pair of top and bottom cutting blades cuts the top and bottom of the booklet. The booklet that has been subjected to the cutting process is conveyed to the booklet post-processing device 24.

  The booklet post-processing device 24 has a forming punching mechanism 93 inside. The forming and punching mechanism 93 is a so-called “angle forming process” in which the back is flattened by pressing the back while holding the front and back of the back of the saddle-stitched booklet including the saddle-stitched booklet, and the back periphery is punched Both of the perforating processes to be executed are provided. Hereinafter, the folded booklet is simply referred to as “booklet”. The configuration of the forming punching mechanism 93 will be described later. The booklet that has been subjected to the forming process in the booklet post-processing device 24 is conveyed onto the binding and folding stacker 26.

  The management device 28 includes a management PC (Personal Computer) 94, a display 96, a mouse 98, and a keyboard 97. The management PC 94 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a hard disk, and the like, and is connected to the management device 28, the saddle stitch folding device 20, the cutting device 22, and the booklet post-processing device 24 so as to be able to transmit and receive data. A display 96, a keyboard 97, and a mouse 98 are connected to the management PC 94.

  The management PC 94 displays a setting screen on the display 96 so that various settings can be input by the user. The user can input various settings using the keyboard 97 and the mouse 98 on this setting screen. When the start button displayed on the display 96 is clicked, the management PC 94 transmits information indicating the setting contents to each of the collating device 18, the saddle stitch folding device 20, the cutting device 22, and the booklet post-processing device 24. At the same time, a start signal indicating that the bookbinding process is to be started is transmitted. Each of the collating device 18, saddle stitch folding device 20, cutting device 22, and booklet post-processing device 24 has a control unit that has a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM and controls the operation of the internal mechanism. Is received, bookbinding processing based on the received setting content is performed. These control units and management PC 94 will be described below as the electronic control unit 100 as a whole.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the forming and punching mechanism 93 according to the first embodiment. The forming punching mechanism 93 includes a belt conveyance mechanism 110, a gripping mechanism 112, a punching mechanism 300, and a movable unit 114. The movable unit 114 includes a locking mechanism 116, a pressing mechanism 118, and a belt conveying mechanism 120.

  The belt conveyance mechanism 110 is configured by a pair of belt units in which a belt 122 is engaged with a pair of rollers 124 vertically. The belt conveyance mechanism 110 conveys the booklet carried in from the cutting device 22 to the gripping mechanism 112 while being sandwiched between the pair of belts 122.

  The locking mechanism 116 contacts the back of the booklet conveyed by the belt conveyance mechanism 110 and positions the booklet. The gripping mechanism 112 grips the front and back of the booklet positioned by the locking mechanism 116. The pressing mechanism 118 flattens the gripped booklet by pressing the booklet so that the pressed portion moves along the back. Therefore, the pressing mechanism 118 functions as a forming unit that executes a forming process of pressing and flattening the back 2a of the gripped booklet 2. The movable unit 114 is configured to be movable up and down by, for example, a ball screw mechanism. When the booklet spine forming process by the pressing mechanism 118 is completed, the electronic control unit 100 lowers the movable unit 114. The belt conveyance mechanism 120 is configured similarly to the belt conveyance mechanism 110. When the booklet is lowered until the booklet is positioned between the pair of belts 122 of the belt conveyance mechanism 120, the electronic control unit 100 stops the lowering of the movable unit 114. The belt 122 sends the booklet that has been subjected to the forming process to the binding and stacking unit 26.

  3A is a front view of the gripping mechanism 112 and the punching mechanism 300 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 3B is a right side of the gripping mechanism 112 and the punching mechanism 300 according to the first embodiment. FIG.

  The gripping mechanism 112 includes an upper gripping member 130, a lower gripping member 132, a connecting rod 134, a crank disk 136, and a crankshaft 142. The lower holding member 132 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped block shape, and is fixed to the casing of the booklet post-processing device 24. The upper gripping member 130 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped block shape and is disposed above the lower gripping member 132. The upper gripping member 130 is configured to be advanced toward the lower gripping member 132 by a guide (not shown). The booklet carried in from the belt conveyance mechanism 110 is gripped by the gripping surface 130a of the upper gripping member 130 and the gripping surface 132a of the lower gripping member 132 when the upper gripping member 130 is lowered.

  An upper end of a connecting rod 134 is rotatably connected to each of the front side and the rear side of the upper gripping member 130 via a shaft 138. The lower end of each connecting rod 134 is connected to each of the two crank disks 136 via a shaft 140 so as to be rotatable. At this time, the connecting rod 134 is connected at a position shifted from the center of the crank disk 136. The two crank disks 136 are fixed to both ends of the crankshaft 142 so as to be coaxial.

  With the above configuration, when the crankshaft 142 rotates, the upper gripping member 130 moves upward or downward via the connecting rod 134. The crankshaft 142 is connected to a crank motor (not shown) via a transmission mechanism (not shown). The electronic control unit 100 controls gripping of the booklet by the gripping mechanism 112 by controlling the operation of the crank motor.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line P-P in FIG. 3A, showing the configuration of the drilling mechanism 300 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line QQ in FIG. 3B, showing the configuration of the drilling mechanism 300 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of the drilling mechanism 300 will be described with reference to both FIG. 4 and FIG.

  The punching mechanism 300 includes a punching blade 302, a punching blade driving mechanism 304, a die 306, a die driving mechanism 308, and a positioning mechanism 360. The perforating blade 302 is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape. In the first embodiment, the punching mechanism 300 is provided to punch two places around the back of the booklet. For this reason, two drilling blades 302 are provided. Needless to say, the number of perforating blades 302 is not limited to two, and a plurality of three or more perforating blades 302 may be provided.

  The upper gripping member 130 is provided with a blade accommodation hole 130b which is a round hole penetrating in the vertical direction. The blade accommodation hole 130b has an inner diameter that is slightly larger than that of the perforating blade 302, and accommodates the perforating blade 302 so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the gripped booklet 2. The blade accommodation hole 130b is not limited to a hole, and may be formed in a groove shape, for example. A curved surface 130c is formed at the edge of the blade receiving hole 130b on the gripping surface 130a side. Thereby, it is possible to avoid a trace from being left on the booklet 2 when the gripping surface 130a is pressed against the booklet 2.

  The drilling blade drive mechanism 304 includes a shaft 320, a rod 322, a support member 324, a fulcrum shaft 326, a cam follower 328, a cam 330, a rotation shaft 332, a coil spring 334, and a motor 336. The shaft 320 is rotatably attached to the upper ends of the two drilling blades 302. One end of the rod 322 is rotatably attached to the center of the shaft 320. A support member 324 is fixed to the upper surface of the upper gripping member 130. The other end of the rod 322 is rotatably attached to the support member 324 via a fulcrum shaft 326.

  The cam follower 328 is formed in a disc shape and is rotatably attached to the central side surface of the rod 322. The cam 330 is arranged so that the outer periphery thereof is in contact with the cam follower 328. The cam 330 is supported by the upper gripping member 130 so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 332 as an eccentricity. Both ends of the coil spring 334 are fixed to the top surfaces of the rod 322 and the upper gripping member 130, respectively, and give a biasing force to the rod 322 in a direction of separating from the top surface of the upper gripping member 130. By rotating the cam 330 in this manner, the rod 322 rotates about the fulcrum shaft 326, and the two drilling blades 302 simultaneously move up and down via the shaft 320.

  The motor 336 is connected to the rotating shaft 332 via a transmission mechanism (not shown). The electronic control unit 100 operates the motor 336 to rotate the cam 330, thereby moving the drilling blade 302 in the vertical direction and executing the drilling process.

  When the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132 grip the booklet 2, the positioning mechanism 360 has a relative position between the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132 in a direction parallel to the surface of the gripped booklet 2. To regulate. Specifically, the positioning mechanism 360 includes a pair of guide shafts 362 and a pair of guide holes 130 d provided in the upper gripping member 130.

  Each of the pair of guide shafts 362 has a lower end fixed to the periphery of the edge of the gripping surface 132a of the lower gripping member 132 so as to extend in the vertical direction. The pair of guide holes 130d are provided in the upper gripping member 130 so as to penetrate in the vertical direction around the edge of the gripping surface 130a. Each of the pair of guide shafts 362 has an outer diameter that is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of each of the pair of guide holes 130d. Each of the pair of guide shafts 362 is slidably fitted into each of the pair of guide holes 130d. As a result, while the upper gripping member 130 moves from the position separated from the lower gripping member 132 to the gripping position for gripping the booklet 2, the positioning mechanism 360 causes the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132 to move relative to each other in the horizontal direction. The general position.

  Thereby, for example, it is possible to avoid a situation where the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132 cannot be sufficiently flattened due to the horizontal displacement of the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132 during the molding process. Further, since the relative position in the horizontal direction between the drilling blade 302 and the blade insertion hole 306a of the die 306 can also be restricted, the drilling blade 302 can be appropriately inserted into the blade insertion hole 306a. Further, for example, when both the forming process and the punching process are performed on one booklet, a situation in which one process causes a relative shift in the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132 and affects the other process. It can be avoided. For this reason, both a shaping | molding process and a punching process can be performed more appropriately.

  FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the die 306. The die 306 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the die 306 by a plane including the central axis. Of the front and back sides of the booklet 2 gripped by the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132, when the surface on which the perforating blade 302 is first abutted is the first surface, the die 306 is the first when the perforating process is performed. The booklet 2 is supported in contact with the second surface opposite to the surface. In the first embodiment, the first surface is an upper surface and the second surface is a lower surface.

  The die 306 is provided with a blade insertion hole 306a coaxially with the central axis. The blade insertion hole 306a is provided so as to penetrate from the support surface 306b that supports the booklet 2 to the lower surface 306c that is the back surface. The blade insertion hole 306a is a round hole whose inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the drilling blade 302, and is provided so that the drilling blade 302 can slide inside.

  A curved surface 306 d is provided at the edge of the support surface 306 b of the die 306. Thus, when the support surface 306b of the die 306 is brought into contact with the booklet 2, it is avoided that a mark remains on the booklet 2 due to the edge of the support surface 306b.

  Returning to FIG. 4 and FIG. The die drive mechanism 308 includes a support plate 340, a cam follower 342, a cam 344, a rotation shaft 346, a coil spring 348, and a motor 350. In the support plate 340, the lower surfaces 306c of the two dies 306 are fixed to the periphery of both ends of one surface. The support plate 340 is provided with a relief hole 340 a that penetrates the blade pierced through the blade insertion hole 306 a of the die 306. The sheet extracted by the punching process is discharged downward from the escape hole 340a. The lower gripping member 132 is provided with a bottomed receiving hole 132d that opens downward. Two sliding holes 132b that are slightly larger than the outer diameter of the die 306 are provided on the upper surface of the accommodation hole 132d. The support plate 340 is accommodated in the accommodation hole 132d, and each of the two dies 306 fixed to the upper surface is slidably fitted in each of the sliding holes 132b.

  A curved surface 132c is formed at the edge of the opening on the gripping surface 132a side of the sliding hole 132b. Thereby, when the booklet 2 is gripped by the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132, it is possible to avoid leaving a mark on the booklet 2.

  The cam follower 342 is formed in a disk shape and is rotatably attached to the center of the support plate 340. The cam 344 is arranged so that the outer periphery is in contact with the cam follower 342. The cam 344 is supported by the lower gripping member 132 so as to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 346 as an eccentricity. Both end portions of the coil spring 348 are fixed to the lower surface of the support plate 340 and the periphery of the opening of the accommodation hole 132d, respectively, and apply a biasing force to the support plate 340 in a direction away from the lower surface of the lower gripping member 132. As the cam 344 rotates in this manner, the two dies 306 simultaneously move up and down via the support plate 340.

  The motor 350 is connected to the rotating shaft 346 via a transmission mechanism (not shown). The electronic control unit 100 operates the motor 350 to raise the support plate 340 until it hits the upper surface of the accommodation hole 132d, thereby raising the die 306 to a contact position that contacts the lower surface of the gripped booklet 2. The electronic control unit 100 further operates the motor 350 to lower the support plate 340, thereby lowering the die 306 to a spaced position separated from the lower surface of the gripped booklet 2. In this way, the die 306 is provided so as to be able to advance and retract between the separation position and the contact position with respect to the lower surface of the gripped booklet 2.

  In the booklet post-processing device 24 according to the first embodiment, the electronic control unit 100 controls the driving of the die 306 so as to advance from the separated position to the contact position when the punched booklet 2 is punched. To do. Therefore, for example, when the forming process is performed but the punching process is not performed, the electronic control unit 100 maintains the die 306 in the separated position without operating the die driving mechanism 308.

  The die 306 is provided with a curved surface 306d at the edge of the support surface 306b, but is not provided with a curved surface at the edge of the blade insertion hole 306a for proper perforation. For this reason, if the support surface 306b of the die 306 is brought into contact with the booklet 2 when the punching process is not performed, a mark may remain on the booklet 2 due to the edge of the blade insertion hole 306a. In this way, when the punching process is not executed, by keeping the die 306 in the separated position, it is possible to prevent the trace from remaining in the booklet 2.

  The piercing mechanism 300 executes a piercing process that pierces through the piercing blade 302. In the booklet post-processing apparatus 24 according to the first embodiment, each of the pressing mechanism 118 and the punching mechanism 300 is formed on the booklet 2 held by the upper holding member 130 and the lower holding member 132 and maintained in the holding position. Each of the process and the drilling process is executed. Thereby, compared with the case where each of a shaping | molding process and a punching process is performed to the booklet 2 hold | gripped in another position, the space-saving of the booklet post-processing apparatus 24 can be achieved.

  In addition, each of the pressing mechanism 118 and the punching mechanism 300 performs a molding process and a punching process on the booklet 2 gripped by the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132. By using the upper gripping member 130 and the lower gripping member 132 in common for both the forming process and the punching process, the cost required for the gripping member can be suppressed as compared with the case where separate gripping members are provided for each process. .

  FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line QQ in FIG. 3 when the punching blade 302 is passed through the booklet 2. When performing the punching process, first, the electronic control unit 100 operates the motor 350 to rotate the cam 344 to push the support plate 340 upward, and advances the die 306 so that the support surface 306 b contacts the lower surface of the booklet 2. Let Next, the electronic control unit 100 operates the motor 336 to rotate the cam 330 to rotate the rod 322 downward, and lowers the drilling blade 302 until it is inserted into the blade insertion hole 306 a of the die 306. Next, the electronic control unit 100 operates the motor 336 and the motor 350 at the same time to raise the punching blade 302 and remove it from the booklet 2 and move the die 306 from the contact position to the separation position.

  FIG. 8A is a front view of the locking mechanism 116 according to the first embodiment, and FIG. 8B is a right side view of the locking mechanism 116 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of the locking mechanism 116 will be described with reference to both FIG. 8 (a) and FIG. 8 (b).

  The locking mechanism 116 includes a movable unit 160 and two ball screws 162. The movable unit 160 has a stopper 164 and a support member 166. The stopper 164 is provided with two guide holes 164b extending in the vertical direction. On the other hand, the support member 166 is provided with two guide pins 168. By inserting each of the two guide pins 168 into each of the two guide holes 164b, the stopper 164 is supported by the support member 166 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. The stopper 164 is connected to a solenoid (not shown), and moves upward when the solenoid is turned on. Three locking portions 164 a are provided on the top of the stopper 164. When the stopper 164 advances upward, the locking portion 164a contacts the back of the booklet fed from the belt transport mechanism 110 to position the booklet.

  Two nuts 170 are provided on the support member 166. Each of the two ball screws 162 is screwed into each of the nuts 170. The ball screw 162 is connected to a motor (not shown). The electronic control unit 100 controls the operation of the motor, thereby adjusting the position of the locking unit 164a and adjusting the position of the booklet in the direction perpendicular to the spine. Specifically, the electronic control unit 100 adjusts the position of the booklet so that the back of the booklet approaches a pressing member described later as the number of sheets forming the booklet input by the user increases. Further, the electronic control unit 100 may acquire the paper type input by the user. The electronic control unit estimates the thickness of the booklet to be created using the number of sheets forming the booklet and the paper type forming the booklet. The thicker the estimated booklet, the later the booklet will be described later. You may adjust the position of a booklet so that it may approach a press member. Note that the electronic control unit 100 may adjust the position of the stopper 164 so that the back of the booklet is positioned at the position input by the user.

  FIG. 9 is a front view of the pressing mechanism 118 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a top view of the pressing mechanism 118 according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the configuration of the pressing mechanism 118 will be described with reference to both FIG. 9 and FIG.

  The pressing mechanism 118 includes a support unit 200, a pressing member 222, and a cam unit 204. The support unit 200 includes a pair of support brackets 210 and four guide members 212. The pair of support brackets 210 are juxtaposed in the vertical direction so as to face each other, and both ends are fixed to the casing of the booklet post-processing device 24 via each of the pair of main brackets 244. Each of the support brackets 210 is disposed so as to extend in parallel to the spine 2 a of the booklet 2 held by the holding mechanism 112. Similarly, the guide member 212 is fixed to the support bracket 210 so as to extend in parallel with the spine 2 a of the booklet 2.

  A plurality (17 in the first embodiment) of the pressing units 202 are provided. Each of the pressing units 202 includes a main body bracket 220, a pressing member 222, a first guide pin 224, a second guide pin 226, and a bearing 230. The main body bracket 220 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and is disposed between the pair of support brackets 210. At this time, the upper and lower surfaces of each of the main body brackets 220 are in contact with the guide member 212 and the movement in the vertical direction is restricted.

  A pressing member 222 is fixed to the surface of the main body bracket 220 facing the booklet 2. The pressing member 222 is formed in a flat plate shape, and is fixed to the main body bracket 220 so that the pressing surface that presses the spine 2a is perpendicular to the front and back of the booklet 2 gripped by the gripping mechanism 112 and parallel to the spine 2a. The main body bracket 220 is arranged so that the pressing members 222 are arranged at equal intervals in parallel with the spine 2 a of the booklet 2. Thereby, each of the plurality of pressing members 222 can press each of the plurality of pressed portions along the back 2 a of the back 2 a of the booklet 2. Note that the pressing member 222 is provided with a curved portion at the end in the extending direction of the spine so that a trace when pressed is difficult to put on the back.

  The second guide pin 226 and the first guide pin 224 are fixed to the main body bracket 220 so that the upper end and the lower end protrude. The support bracket 210 is provided with a long hole extending in the advancing / retreating direction of the pressing unit 202, and the upper end and the lower end of the first guide pin 224 and the second guide pin 226 protruding are inserted into the long hole. As a result, the pressing unit 202 can move in a direction perpendicular to the spine 2a.

  A coil spring 228 is provided between each of the upper end and the lower end of the first guide pin 224 and the support bracket 210. The coil spring 228 is a tension spring and urges the pressing member 222 in a direction away from the spine 2 a of the booklet 2. A bearing 230 is supported on the main body bracket 220 on the opposite side of the surface to which the pressing member 222 is fixed, so as to be rotatable about an axis parallel to the spine 2a.

  The same number of cams 240 as the pressing units 202 (17 in the first embodiment) is provided. Each of the plurality of cams 240 is fixed to a camshaft 242 whose axial direction is parallel to the spine 2a of the booklet 2 gripped by the gripping mechanism 112. The camshaft 242 is attached to each of the pair of main brackets 244 so that both ends thereof are rotatable via bearings. At this time, each of the plurality of cams 240 is disposed so as to contact the bearing 230 of the pressing unit 202 at the same interval as the interval at which the pressing unit 202 is disposed. The camshaft 242 is connected to the cam drive motor 246 via a transmission mechanism, and the camshaft 242 rotates when the cam drive motor 246 operates.

  Each of the cams 240 pushes the pressing unit 202 toward the spine 2a of the booklet 2 as the cam shaft 242 rotates. In this way, each of the booklet post-processing devices 24 advances each of the pressing members 222 toward the back 2a of the booklet 2, and causes the pressing member 222 to press the back 2a to make it flat. In this way, the pressing mechanism 118 sequentially presses each of the plurality of pressed locations along the spine 2a of the grip 2 of the booklet 2 along the spine 2a by the pressing member 222, thereby pressing the locations. Presses the spine 2a of the booklet 2 so as to move along the spine 2a.

  Here, the plurality of cams 240 are fixed to the camshaft 242 with a phase difference from each other so that the pressing members 222 are advanced toward the back 2a of the booklet 2 at different timings. Thus, by giving the cams 240 a phase difference from each other, the timing at which each of the pressing members 222 presses the spine 2a can be shifted. Therefore, the force which presses the spine 2a can be suppressed, and an increase in cost due to increasing the rigidity of the pressing mechanism 118 can be avoided. Thus, even when the cam 240 has a phase difference, in the step of rotating the camshaft 242, all the pressing members 222 can be advanced to complete the pressing of the spine 2a.

  In addition, it is not necessary to give a phase difference to all the cams 240 so that the timing which pushes the spine 2a of all the pressing members 222 may differ, for example, some two or more pressing members 222 among all the pressing members 222 are included. A phase difference may be provided in the cam 240 so as to press the spine 2a at the same timing. Also by this, the pressing mechanism 118 can press each of the plurality of pressed portions pressed by the pressing member 222 at any of a plurality of timings.

  Further, the cam 240 may have a phase difference so that the pressing force applied to the spine 2a of the booklet 2 can be balanced across the spine 2a. For example, the cam 240 may be provided with a phase difference so as to press two places having the same distance from the center of the spine 2a. At this time, for example, the cam 240 may be provided with a phase difference so that the two pressing points are gradually separated from the center of the back 2a as the cam shaft 242 rotates, and the two pressing points are provided on the back 2a. The cam 240 may have a phase difference so as to gradually approach each other from both ends toward the center. By balancing the pressing force in this way, it is possible to suppress the inclination of the booklet 2 when the back 2a is pressed.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the forming punching process by the forming punching mechanism 93 according to the first embodiment. The processing in this flowchart is started each time a booklet is sent to the booklet post-processing device 24 when the user presses the start button and bookbinding processing is started.

  The booklet post-processing device 24 is provided with an optical sensor that detects the loading of the booklet. When the electronic control unit 100 detects that the booklet is carried into the booklet post-processing device 24, the electronic control unit 100 turns on the solenoid to raise the stopper 164, abuts the back of the booklet on the locking unit 164a, and the booklet by the stopper 164 Is positioned (S10). The electronic control unit 100 lowers the upper gripping member 130 at a timing when the back of the booklet comes into contact with the stopper 164, and grips the booklet on the front and back of the back (S12). When the holding of the booklet by the holding mechanism 112 is completed, the electronic control unit 100 turns off the solenoid and retracts the stopper 164 downward (S14).

  Next, the electronic control unit 100 operates the cam drive motor 246 to sequentially advance each of the plurality of pressing members 222 toward the back of the booklet, and executes the forming process, the punching process, or both (S16). The user can use the keyboard 97 and the mouse 98 to select whether to execute the forming process, the punching process, or both processes for the booklet 2 to the management PC 94. ing. The electronic control unit 100 acquires the selection result input by the user, and determines whether to perform the forming process on the booklet 2, the punching process, or both processes.

  Here, when both the forming process and the punching process are performed on one booklet 2, the electronic control unit 100 first advances the die 306 toward the booklet 2 so that the support surface 306 b contacts the lower surface of the booklet 2. Let When the die 306 is advanced, the electronic control unit 100 controls the operation of the punching mechanism 300 so that the booklet 2 penetrates the punching blade 302 before the molding process is executed. Next, the electronic control unit 100 controls the operation of the pressing mechanism 118 so as to execute the forming process by pressing the back 2a of the booklet 2 in a state where the punching blade 302 is penetrated. The electronic control unit 100 controls the operation of the punching mechanism 300 so that the punching blade 302 is raised and extracted from the booklet 2 after the completion of the forming process. In this way, by performing the forming process while the booklet 2 is pierced by the punching blade 302, the movement of the paper inside the booklet due to the forming process can be suppressed.

  Note that the electronic control unit 100 may perform the punching process after performing the molding process on the gripped booklet 2. Thereby, the deformation | transformation of the hole drilled by the shaping | molding process can be suppressed. In addition, the electronic control unit 100 may execute the forming process after performing the punching process on the gripped booklet 2 and extracting the punching blade 302 from the booklet 2.

  When the punching process is executed for one booklet 2 but the forming process is not executed, the electronic control unit 100 first advances the die 306 toward the booklet 2 so that the support surface 306b contacts the lower surface of the booklet 2. When the die 306 is advanced, the electronic control unit 100 controls the operation of the punching mechanism 300 so that the punching blade 302 is extracted from the booklet 2 immediately after the punching blade 302 has penetrated the booklet 2.

  When the forming process is performed on one booklet 2 but the punching process is not performed, the electronic control unit 100 presses and flattens the spine 2a of the booklet 2 held by the upper holding member 130 and the lower holding member 132. The operation of the pressing mechanism 118 is controlled so as to make it happen. At this time, the electronic control unit 100 maintains the die 306 in the separated position without operating the die driving mechanism 308. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the booklet 2 from being marked by the edge of the blade insertion hole 306a of the die 306.

  The user can input the booklet size to be bound as the finishing size before starting the bookbinding process. The electronic control unit 100 acquires the finishing size thus input. Therefore, the electronic control unit 100 functions as a size acquisition unit that acquires the finished size of the booklet. This finishing size includes the back length of the booklet and the top and bottom length.

  When executing the molding process, the electronic control unit 100 determines the rotation angle of the camshaft 242 that is sufficient to advance the pressing member 222 that presses the length of the back indicated by the acquired finish size. The electronic control unit 100 supplies a drive signal to the cam drive motor 246 to rotate the cam shaft 242 by the determined angle, and completes the spine shaping process. In this way, the electronic control unit 100 controls the pressing mechanism 118 so that a plurality of pressing members 222 that press the acquired length of the back among all the pressing members 222 are advanced toward the back of the booklet. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the press member 222 which performs what is called idling can be suppressed, and a shaping | molding process can be completed rapidly.

  When the spine forming process is completed, the electronic control unit 100 lowers the movable unit 114 (S18), operates the motor of the gripping mechanism 112, moves the upper gripping member 130 upward, and releases the gripping of the booklet ( S20). When the gripping of the booklet is released, the electronic control unit 100 discharges the booklet that has been subjected to the forming process and has been flattened to the binding / folding stacker 26 by the belt conveyance mechanism 120 (S22).

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line QQ in FIG. 3 showing the configuration of the gripping mechanism 420 and the punching mechanism 500 according to the second embodiment. Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified, the configuration of the bookbinding system according to the second embodiment is the same as that of the bookbinding system 10 according to the first embodiment. Further, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted.

  The gripping mechanism 420 according to the second embodiment is the same as the gripping mechanism 112 according to the first embodiment except that an upper gripping member 430 is provided instead of the upper gripping member 130. Therefore, the gripping mechanism 420 grips the front and back of the booklet 2 by the gripping surface 430 a of the upper gripping member 430 and the gripping surface 132 a of the lower gripping member 132.

  The punching mechanism 500 according to the second embodiment is configured in the same manner as the punching mechanism 300 according to the first embodiment except that an upper gripping member 502, a drive mechanism 504, and a housing 510 are provided. . The casing 510 is formed in a thick flat plate shape, and is fixed inside the booklet post-processing device 24 so as to extend in the horizontal direction. In the second embodiment, the lower ends of the support member 324 and the coil spring 334 are fixed to the housing 510 instead of the upper gripping member 430.

  The upper gripping member 502 is formed in an elongated cylindrical shape. The upper gripping member 502 is disposed so as to extend in the vertical direction, and the lower surface at this time becomes a gripping surface 502 a for gripping the booklet 2. Further, the upper gripping member 502 is formed with a blade receiving hole 502b having an inner diameter that is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the drilling blade 302 so as to pass through coaxially with the central axis. The blade accommodation hole 502b accommodates the drilling blade 302 so as to be slidable in the axial direction.

  The casing 510 is provided with a pair of sliding holes 510a each having an inner diameter slightly larger than the outer diameter of the upper gripping member 502 so as to penetrate in the vertical direction. Each of the upper gripping members 502 is accommodated in each of the pair of sliding holes 510a so as to be slidable in the vertical direction.

  The upper gripping member 430 is configured in the same manner as the upper gripping member 130, except that the height is lower than that of the upper gripping member 130 and an escape hole 430b is provided instead of the blade accommodation hole 130b. The upper grip member 430 is disposed below the housing 510. Each of the escape holes 430b is provided coaxially with each of the pair of sliding holes 510a provided in the casing 510, so that the upper gripping member 502 does not come into contact with the upper gripping member 502 when moving in the vertical direction. The inner diameter is larger than that of the upper gripping member 502. By avoiding contact between the upper gripping member 430 and the upper gripping member 502 in this manner, the horizontal position of the upper gripping member 502 and the punching blade 302 is affected by the displacement of the upper gripping member 430 in the horizontal direction. Can be avoided. Note that a curved surface 430c is provided at the edge of the escape hole 430b on the gripping surface 430a side so that no trace remains on the booklet 2 when the booklet 2 is gripped by the upper gripping member 430.

  The drive mechanism 504 is provided so that the upper gripping member 502 can be driven in the vertical direction. The drive mechanism 504 is configured in the same manner as the die drive mechanism 308 except that it is turned upside down. Therefore, detailed description of the drive mechanism 504 is omitted.

  The pressing mechanism 118 performs the forming process on the booklet 2 that is positioned by the locking mechanism 116 and is gripped by the upper gripping member 430 and the lower gripping member 132. Therefore, the upper gripping member 430 functions as a gripping member for molding that grips the booklet 2 to perform the molding process.

  On the other hand, the upper gripping member 502 grips the front and back of the booklet 2 around the portion to be punched together with the die 306. In the punching mechanism 300, the back 2 a is positioned by the locking mechanism 116, and a punching process is performed on the booklet 2 gripped by the upper gripping member 502 and the die 306. Therefore, the upper gripping member 502 and the die 306 function as a punching gripping member that grips the booklet 2 to execute the punching process.

  In S <b> 16 of FIG. 11, when the forming process is performed on one booklet 2 but the punching process is not performed, the electronic control unit 100 performs the back 2 a of the booklet 2 gripped by the upper gripping member 430 and the lower gripping member 132. The operation of the pressing mechanism 118 is controlled so as to press and flatten. At this time, the electronic control unit 100 maintains the die 306 in the separated position without operating the die driving mechanism 308. In addition, the electronic control unit 100 maintains the upper gripping member 502 in the separated position without operating the driving mechanism 504. Thereby, it is possible to avoid the booklet 2 from being marked by the edge of the blade insertion hole 306a of the die 306 and the edge of the blade accommodation hole 502b of the upper gripping member 502.

  When the punching process is executed for one booklet 2 but the forming process is not executed, the electronic control unit 100 does not hold the booklet 2 with the upper holding member 430 and the lower holding member 132 in S12 of FIG. The booklet 2 is gripped by 306 and the upper gripping member 502. Specifically, the electronic control unit 100 operates the die drive mechanism 308 so as to advance to a contact position where the support surface 306 b contacts the lower surface of the booklet 2. In addition, the electronic control unit 100 operates the drive mechanism 504 to advance the drive mechanism 504 downward so that the gripping surface 502a contacts the upper surface of the booklet 2 and applies pressure downward. By providing the upper gripping member 502 in this way, it is possible to appropriately grip the periphery of the portion to be drilled and to drive the upper gripping member 430.

  When the booklet 2 is gripped, the electronic control unit 100 advances the die 306 to the contact position, passes the punching blade 302 through the booklet 2, and immediately removes the punching blade 302 from the booklet 2. Control the operation of At this time, the electronic control unit 100 removes the punching blade 302 and simultaneously retracts the die 306 to the separated position.

  Here, the case where both a shaping | molding process and a punching process are performed with respect to one booklet 2 is demonstrated in relation to FIGS. When both the forming process and the punching process are performed on one booklet 2, the electronic control unit 100 uses the upper gripping member 430 and the lower gripping member 132 to move the booklet 2 whose back 2 a is positioned by the locking mechanism 116. The operation of the gripping mechanism 420 is controlled to grip.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the booklet 2 is gripped by the upper gripping member 430 and the lower gripping member 132. At this time, the electronic control unit 100 does not operate the drive mechanism 504 and the die drive mechanism 308 and maintains each of the upper gripping member 502 and the die 306 in the separated position.

  Next, the electronic control unit 100 operates the die driving mechanism 308 and the driving mechanism 504, grips the booklet 2 with the die 306 and the upper gripping member 502, and operates the gripping mechanism 420 to operate the upper gripping member 430 and the lower gripping member. The holding of the booklet 2 by 132 is released.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the booklet 2 is gripped by the upper gripping member 502 and the die 306 and the gripping of the booklet 2 by the upper gripping member 430 and the lower gripping member 132 is released. Note that the booklet 2 may be continuously held by the upper holding member 430 and the lower holding member 132.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a state when the booklet 2 is punched by the punching blade 302 from the state of FIG. When the booklet 2 is gripped by the upper gripping member 502 and the die 306, the electronic control unit 100 operates the punching blade driving mechanism 304 to lower the punching blade 302 to punch the booklet 2.

  Finally, the electronic control unit 100 operates the punching blade drive mechanism 304 again to raise the punching blade 302 and remove it from the booklet 2. At the same time, the electronic control unit 100 operates the die drive mechanism 308 to retract the die 306 from the contact position to the separation position.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 16 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a pressing mechanism 700 according to the third embodiment. FIG. 17 is a front view of a pressing mechanism 700 according to the third embodiment. The configuration of the bookbinding system according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the bookbinding system 10 according to the first embodiment except that a pressing mechanism 700 is provided instead of the pressing mechanism 118. Hereinafter, the same portions as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The pressing mechanism 700 is configured similarly to the pressing mechanism 118 according to the first embodiment except that an indirect pressing member 702 and a pressing elastic member 704 are provided instead of the pressing member 222. In FIG. 16, only a part of the indirect pressing member 702 provided side by side is illustrated, and the cam unit 204 and the like are not illustrated.

  A plurality of indirect pressing members 702 are formed in a flat plate shape having a rectangular outer shape, and a plurality of indirect pressing members 702 are arranged along the spine 2a of the booklet 2 to be formed so that the adjacent members are in contact with each other or a minute gap is formed. One surface of the indirect pressing member 702 is fixed to the main body bracket 220.

  A concave portion 702a is provided on the surface of the indirect pressing member 702 opposite to the surface fixed to the main body bracket 220. As shown in FIG. 17, the indirect pressing member 702 is formed to be recessed so that the indirect pressing member 702 has a U shape when viewed from the front. For this reason, when the plurality of indirect pressing members 702 are arranged in parallel, the concave portions 702a of the plurality of indirect pressing members 702 are aligned in a straight line and extend along the back 2a of the booklet 2 to be formed.

  The pressing elastic member 704 is formed in a band shape by an elastic body such as rubber. As a material constituting the pressing elastic member 704, for example, wear-resistant urethane, nitrile rubber (NBR), or chloroprene rubber (CR) may be used. The pressing elastic member 704 preferably has a Shore hardness measured by a durometer A type based on JIS-K6253 of A60 or more, and more preferably A90 or more.

  The pressing elastic member 704 is inserted into the recesses 702a aligned in a straight line as described above, and is fixed to each of the plurality of indirect pressing members 702 arranged at the both ends. By inserting the concave portion 702a in this way, it is possible to regulate downward bending of the pressing elastic member 704.

  Thus, the pressing elastic member 704 is arranged so as to extend along the spine 2 a of the booklet 2. The plurality of indirect pressing members 702 advance and retreat toward the back 2a of the booklet 2 at different timings as the cam unit 204 rotates. Thereby, the pressing elastic member 704 accommodated in the recessed part 702a presses each of the to-be-pressed parts in the spine 2a of the booklet 2 at different timings while being elastically deformed, thereby forming a square shape. Without the pressing elastic member 704, the indirect pressing member 702 alone cannot press the back 2a of the booklet 2. Therefore, in the third embodiment, the pressing elastic member 704 functions as a pressing member that presses the back 2a of the booklet 2. To do.

  Instead of the pressing elastic member 704, for example, a plurality of plate-like members connected to each other via a rotatable link may be accommodated in the recess 702a. Also by this, by rotating the cam unit 204, each of the plurality of pressed portions on the back 2a of the booklet 2 can be pressed at different timings while each of the plurality of plate-like members is deformed.

  It is to be noted that each of the pressing mechanism 700 and the punching mechanism performs the molding process and the punching process on the booklet 2 in which the gripped position is maintained, as in the above-described embodiment. As a result, the booklet post-processing device 24 can be further downsized as compared with the case where the booklet 2 held at different positions is subjected to the punching process.

(Fourth embodiment)
FIG. 18 is a perspective view illustrating a configuration of a pressing mechanism 750 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 19 is a view of the pressing mechanism 750 according to the fourth embodiment as viewed from the viewpoint R of FIG. The configuration of the bookbinding system according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that of the bookbinding system 10 according to the first embodiment except that a pressing mechanism 750 is provided instead of the pressing mechanism 118. Hereinafter, the same portions as those in the above-described embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The pressing mechanism 750 is configured in the same manner as the pressing mechanism 118 according to the first embodiment except that a pressing member 752 is provided instead of the pressing member 222. The pressing members 752 are formed in a flat plate shape having a rectangular outer shape, and a plurality of the pressing members 752 are arranged in parallel along the spine 2a of the booklet 2 to be formed so that the adjacent members contact each other or a minute gap is left. One surface of the pressing member 752 is fixed to the main body bracket 220.

  Of the pressing member 752, the surface opposite to the surface fixed to the main body bracket 220 is a pressing surface that presses the spine 2 a of the booklet 2. A tapered portion 752a is provided on the pressing surface. The tapered portion 752a is formed so as to chamfer the edge portion on the adjacent pressing member 752 side. Each of the plurality of pressing members 752 presses each of the plurality of pressed portions on the spine 2a of the booklet 2 at different timings. Thus, the unevenness | corrugation which arises in the spine 2a of the booklet 2 after shaping | molding can be reduced by making the some press member 752 mutually adjoin. Further, by providing the tapered portion 752a on the pressing surface of the pressing member 752 as described above, it is possible to avoid the trace of the edge portion of the pressing member 752 remaining on the spine 2a of the booklet 2 after molding.

  The point that each of the pressing mechanism 750 and the punching mechanism executes the molding process and the punching process on the booklet 2 in which the gripped position is maintained is the same as in the above-described embodiment.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a pressing mechanism 800 according to the fifth embodiment, and FIG. 21 is a diagram of the pressing mechanism 800 according to the fifth embodiment viewed from the viewpoint S of FIG. The configuration of the bookbinding system according to the fifth embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment except that a pressing mechanism 800 is provided instead of the pressing mechanism 118. Hereinafter, the same parts as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof is omitted.

  The pressing mechanism 800 includes a roller 802, a roller shaft 804, and a pair of guide members 806. The guide member 806 is formed in an elongated shape, and a guide hole 806a longer than the spine 2a of the booklet 2 to be formed is formed. The pair of guide members 806 are juxtaposed in the vertical direction so as to extend in parallel with the spine 2a of the booklet 2 on which the guide holes 806a are gripped on the downstream side of the gripping mechanism 112.

  A roller shaft 804 is coaxially inserted into the roller 802. The roller 802 is rotatably supported by the roller shaft 804. Both ends of the roller shaft 804 are inserted into each of the guide holes 806a of the guide member 806 arranged in parallel vertically. In this way, the roller 802 is guided by the guide member 806 so as to move in parallel with the back 2 a of the gripped booklet 2.

  The roller shaft 804 is connected to a motor (not shown) via, for example, a rack gear mechanism or a ball screw mechanism. The pressing mechanism 800 drives the roller 802 in parallel with the spine 2a when the motor operates, and presses the roller 802 along the spine 2a while pressing the roller 802 against the spine 2a of the booklet 2 gripped by the gripping mechanism 112. By moving, the back 2a of the booklet 2 is flattened. Therefore, the roller 802 functions as a pressing member that presses the spine 2 a of the booklet 2.

  Instead of the roller 802, a pressing member that presses the spine 2a while sliding on the spine 2a may be employed. The pressing surface that slides on the spine 2a in the pressing member may be a curved surface. Even if the non-rotating member is slid on the spine 2a in this way, the flattening process of the spine 2a can be executed.

  Alternatively, the position of the roller 802 may be fixed and the gripping mechanism 112 may be moved in parallel with the spine 2a. Also by this, the roller 802 and the gripped booklet 2 can be relatively moved along the spine 2a, and the portion to be pressed by the roller 802 is moved along the spine 2a to flatten the spine 2a. be able to.

  It is to be noted that each of the pressing mechanism 800 and the punching mechanism performs the molding process and the punching process on the booklet 2 in which the gripped position is maintained, as in the above-described embodiment.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and an appropriate combination of the elements of each embodiment is also effective as an embodiment of the present invention. Various modifications such as design changes can be added to each embodiment based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, and embodiments to which such modifications are added can also be included in the scope of the present invention. Here are some examples.

  In a certain modification, the shaping punching mechanism 93 includes a moving unit that relatively moves the plurality of pressing members 222 and the booklet 2 along the spine 2a. The electronic control unit 100 presses the plurality of pressed portions of the spine 2a with the plurality of pressing members 222, and then relatively moves the plurality of pressing members 222 and the booklet along the back and presses the plurality of pressed members. The space between the portions is further pressed by a plurality of pressing members 222. Thereby, the part which is not pressed can be eliminated, and the quality of the booklet subjected to the molding process can be improved.

  In another variation, the shaped piercing mechanism 93 has a single pressing member 222. The forming punching mechanism 93 has moving means for relatively moving the pressing member 222 and the booklet 2 along the spine 2a. Specifically, the pressing member 222 or the gripping mechanism 112 is configured to be movable in parallel with the spine 2a of the booklet 2 to be gripped by a motor via a ball screw mechanism or the like. The electronic control unit 100 is configured so that the step of pressing any part of the back with the pressing member 222 and the step of relatively moving the pressing member 222 and the booklet 2 along the back 2a are alternately repeated. Each motor of the moving means is controlled. Thus, by pressing a part of the spine 2a sequentially along the spine 2a, the single press member 222 can flatten the wide range of the spine 2a.

  In another modification, the booklet 2 whose back 2a is flattened by the pressing mechanism 118 is transported in a direction parallel to the back 2a and discharged. This eliminates the need for the pressing mechanism 118 and the locking mechanism 116 to be retracted downward after the spine 2a of the booklet 2 is subjected to a molding process, thereby reducing the cost for providing such an elevating mechanism. .

  In another modification, the booklet 2 subjected to the saddle stitch folding process is first subjected to a forming process for flattening the spine 2a by the booklet post-processing device 24, and then subjected to a cutting process such as a fore edge by the cutting device 22. Thus, the booklet post-processing device 24 and the cutting device 22 are arranged. When the forming process for flattening the spine 2a is performed, the spine 2a is deformed, which may affect the edge of the paper on the edge side. By performing the cutting process after the forming process of the spine 2a in this way, it is possible to suppress a decrease in the aesthetic appearance on the fore edge side due to the forming process, and it is possible to create the booklet 2 with the prepared fore edges.

  In another modification, the cutting device 22 is provided on the downstream side of the booklet post-processing device 24. The cutting device 22 cuts the fore edge or top of the booklet 2 on which the forming process has been performed by the booklet post-processing device 24. By providing the cutting device 22 on the downstream side of the booklet post-processing device 24 in this way, it is possible to suppress, for example, the shift of the edge of the paper edge caused by the forming process. For this reason, a booklet with better aesthetics can be created.

  2 booklets, 2a spine, 10 bookbinding system, 20 saddle stitch folding device, 24 booklet post-processing device, 62 binding mechanism, 72 folding mechanism, 93 shaping punching mechanism, 100 electronic control unit, 112 gripping mechanism, 116 locking mechanism, 118 Press mechanism, 130 upper gripping member, 130a gripping surface, 130b blade receiving hole, 130c curved surface, 132 lower gripping member, 132a gripping surface, 132b sliding hole, 132c curved surface, 132d receiving hole, 300 punching mechanism, 302 punching blade, 304 Drilling blade drive mechanism, 306 die, 306a blade insertion hole, 306b support surface, 306d curved surface, 360 positioning mechanism, 430 upper gripping member, 430a gripping surface, 430b escape hole, 430c curved surface, 500 punching mechanism, 502 upper gripping member, 5 2a gripping surface, 502b blade accommodation hole, 502c curved.

Claims (7)

Gripping means for gripping the front and back of the half-fold booklet;
Molding means for performing a molding process of pressing and flattening the back of the gripped middle folded booklet;
A perforation means for performing a perforation process for perforating by passing a perforation blade through the gripped middle folded booklet;
With
Each of the forming unit and the punching unit performs the forming process and the punching process on the half-folded booklet in which the gripped position is maintained. The gripping means has a pair of gripping members for gripping the front and back of the center folded booklet around the back,
2. The post booklet according to claim 1, wherein each of the forming unit and the punching unit performs the forming process and the punching process on the half-folded booklet held by the pair of holding members. Processing equipment. The punching means passes the punching blade through the half-folded booklet gripped by the pair of gripping members before the execution of the molding process,
The booklet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the forming unit performs the forming process on a half-folded booklet in a state where the perforating blade passes therethrough.   The one of the pair of gripping members has a blade housing portion that houses the punching blade so as to be capable of moving forward and backward with respect to the half-fold booklet gripped by the pair of gripping members. Booklet post-processing equipment. The punching means is in contact with a second surface opposite to the first surface with which the punching blade first contacts, of the front and back of the half-fold booklet gripped by the pair of gripping members when the punching process is performed. A die that supports the folded booklet;
When the punching process is performed on the half-folded booklet gripped by the pair of gripping members, the die advances from a spaced position spaced from the second surface to a contact position that contacts the second surface. The booklet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the booklet post-processing apparatus is provided.   And a positioning mechanism that regulates a relative position of the pair of gripping members in a direction parallel to a surface of the gripped center folded booklet when the pair of gripping members grips the center folded booklet. The booklet post-processing apparatus according to claim 2. The gripping means includes a pair of forming gripping members that grip the front and back of the center folded booklet around the back, and a pair of punching gripping members that grip the front and back of the center folded booklet around the portion to be punched. Have
The molding means performs the molding process on the half-fold booklet gripped by the pair of molding gripping members,
2. The booklet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the punching unit performs the punching process on a half-fold booklet gripped by the pair of punching gripping members.

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