JP2014177344A - Post-processing device and image formation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a post-processing device configured to prevent a following form from getting jammed by continuing a post-processing operation on condition that the post-processing operation can be performed when a driving source used for the post-processing operation is returned to its home position owing to some abrupt factor.SOLUTION: There is provided a post-processing device which performs a binding process on a plurality of stacked forms by pressing and deforming a part of the form bundle into an uneven shape using a reversible driving source. The post-processing device includes a timer which detects the time of the binding process time by reverse driving of the driving source, and a control part which has an operation part for inputting at least the number and thickness of bound forms connected to its input side and also has the driving source and a shift movement driving part for the forms connected to its output side. The control part reverses the driving source when abnormality of the driving source is detected during the binding process, and normally rotates the driving source again to retry the binding process when the reversing process is completed normally.

Description

  The present invention relates to a post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a mechanism that prevents post-processing such as a binding process from being interrupted unintentionally.

Sheets printed out by an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a printing machine, in addition to being discharged from the image forming apparatus, are partly bundled with a stapler in a state where a predetermined number of sheets are collected. Post-processing may be performed.
As a device for this purpose, a sheet binding processing device connected to the paper discharge unit of the image forming apparatus is used.

Staples are generally used for the binding process, but recently, from the viewpoint of resource saving, ecology, and recyclability, a so-called apparatus that does not use staples and does not use metal products has been desired.
As one of the above-described apparatuses, a binding apparatus that performs binding processing between sheets by performing deep drawing of concave and convex shapes such as tooth shapes on a sheet group using a tooth profile member capable of holding and pressing a group of sheets stacked together. Has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).

By the way, in post-processing operations, a motor is often used as a drive source for punching or binding sheets.
If the number and thickness of sheets used for post-processing are thick, the operation of a punch or binding tool driven by a motor is locked in the middle, and the entire sheet bundle cannot be punched. The binding tool may remain stuck in the paper.
Conventionally, as a response to the above-described accident, a detection unit that detects the end of various processing steps using a driving source and the driving source is provided, and the driving source is turned on when the processing end state determination result within a predetermined time does not end. A configuration for returning to the initial position has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 2).
The reason for returning the drive source to the initial position, the so-called home position, is to prevent the abnormal state from proceeding further if the forward rotation is performed at the time of abnormality when performing post-processing such as binding processing when the drive source is rotated forward. It is to reverse and return to the initial position.

The reasons why each process of the post-processing work does not end within a predetermined time are due to a sudden increase in the load on the drive source, for some reason, as well as due to the type of paper as disclosed in Patent Document 2 described above. There is a false detection in the detection means due to the occurrence of noise.
If the work is not completed within a predetermined time due to the above-described causes when each process of the post-processing work is performed, the drive source is forcibly returned to the initial position as disclosed in Patent Document 2, A new problem arises.
That is, even when the end of post-processing within a predetermined time cannot be detected, for example, if the binding operation is performed again, the operation is interrupted even though the binding operation may be completed.
Unlike the increase in the load on the drive source depending on the type of paper, such a problem is caused by the fact that work can be interrupted due to the above-mentioned sudden factor even though post-processing on the paper itself is possible. To do.
For this reason, if post-processing such as binding processing at the time of execution of one job is interrupted, there is a possibility that the subsequent paper may jam.

  The object of the present invention is to continue the post-processing work if the post-processing work is possible when the drive source used for the post-processing work is returned to the home position due to a sudden factor. An object of the present invention is to provide a post-processing apparatus having a configuration for preventing jamming.

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention is a post-processing apparatus that performs a binding process by pressing and deforming a part of a sheet bundle into a concavo-convex shape using a drive source capable of forward and reverse rotation for a plurality of stacked sheets. A timer for detecting a binding processing time by forward / reverse rotation of the drive source and an operation unit capable of inputting at least the sheet thickness binding number of sheets are connected to the input side, and the output side includes the drive source and the sheet A control unit is connected to the shift movement drive unit, and when the drive source abnormality is detected during the binding process, the control unit drives the precursor drive source in reverse, and the reverse process ends normally. In this case, the post-processing apparatus is characterized in that the driving source is rotated forward again to retry the binding process.

  According to the present invention, the binding process is retried if the return state of the drive source is normal even when it is determined that the drive source is abnormal during the post-processing step and the post-process is interrupted. It is possible to prevent a situation in which a sheet jams due to interference with a sheet bundle that has been stagnated due to work interruption.

1 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration of an image forming system including an image forming apparatus using a post-processing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a top view which shows an example of the post-processing apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows an example of the post-processing apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a main part of the sheet post-processing apparatus with the branching claw as a center when the branching claw in FIG. 3 is in a paper transport state. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a main part of the sheet post-processing apparatus centering on the branching claw when the branching claw in FIG. 3 switches the paper back. It is a figure which shows the state at the time of the non-binding of a binding tool. It is a figure which shows the state at the time of binding of the binding tool of FIG. FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when an initial operation is completed when online binding is performed by the sheet post-processing device. FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory view showing a state immediately after the first sheet is discharged from the image forming apparatus and carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus from the state of FIG. 8; FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the rear end of the sheet has separated from the nip of the entrance roller and exceeded the branch path from the state of FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the paper is switched back from the state of FIG. 10 to align the paper transport direction. FIG. 12 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the first sheet is waited on the branch path from the state illustrated in FIG. 11 and the next second sheet is carried in; It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows a state when the 2nd sheet | seat is carried in from the state of FIG. FIG. 14 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a state when the final sheet is aligned from the state of FIG. 13 to form a sheet bundle. It is operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows a state when performing the binding operation | movement time from the state of FIG. FIG. 16 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the sheet bundle is discharged from the state of FIG. 15. It is a schematic diagram for demonstrating the conveyance part structure of the post-processing apparatus used for the image forming system which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the conveyance form of the paper implemented in the post-processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram for demonstrating the structure of the control part used for the post-processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure and effect | action of a binding tool drive motor home sensor connected to the control part shown in FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating one effect | action performed by the control part shown in FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating another effect | action performed by the control part shown in FIG. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the other effect | action performed with the control part shown in FIG. FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining yet another operation executed by the control unit shown in FIG. 19. FIG. FIG. 20 is a flowchart for explaining still another operation executed by the control unit shown in FIG. 19. FIG.

The present invention is characterized in that a state where an abnormality has occurred during the execution of the post-processing step is determined, and when it is determined that the binding process can be continued, the binding process is retried.
First, before describing the characteristics of the present embodiment, the post-processing apparatus of the present embodiment and an image forming system using the same will be described based on the illustrated examples.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing two aspects of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. An image forming system 100 according to the present embodiment includes an image forming apparatus 101 and a sheet post-processing apparatus (finisher) 201 as a post-processing apparatus.
The sheet post-processing apparatus 201 is a so-called conveyance path binding apparatus in which a binding device is provided in a sheet conveyance path from the image forming apparatus 101. FIG. 1A shows a mode installed in the conveyance path of the image forming apparatus 101, and FIG. 1B shows a mode installed outside the conveyance path. The sheet post-processing apparatus 201 has an alignment function for overlapping and aligning sheets in the conveyance path, and a binding function for binding the aligned sheet bundle in the conveyance path.
The mode of FIG. 1A is also called an in-cylinder processing apparatus because it is post-processed in the cylinder of the image forming apparatus 101.

The image forming apparatus 101 includes an image forming engine unit 102, a reading engine unit 103 that converts image data by reading an image, and an automatic document feeder (ADF) 104 that automatically sends a document to be read to the reading engine unit 103. I have. The image forming engine unit 102 includes an image forming processing unit and a paper feeding unit.
In the configuration shown in FIG. 1A, the paper after image formation is discharged into the cylinder of the image forming apparatus 101, and in the configuration shown in FIG. 1B, the paper after image formation is outside the image forming apparatus 101. Each is provided with a paper discharge unit.

2 is a plan view of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view.
In FIG. 1, a paper post-processing apparatus 201 includes an inlet sensor 202, an inlet roller 203, a branching claw 204, a binding tool 210 corresponding to a deep drawing mechanism, and a paper discharge roller 205 from the inlet side along a paper conveyance path 240. Yes.
The entrance sensor 202 detects the leading edge, the trailing edge, and the presence / absence of a sheet discharged from the discharge roller 102 of the image forming apparatus 101 and carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. As the entrance sensor 202, for example, a reflection type optical sensor is used. Note that a transmissive optical sensor may be used instead of the reflective optical sensor.
The entrance roller 203 is located at the entrance of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201, and has a function of receiving a sheet discharged by the sheet discharge roller 102 of the image forming apparatus 101 and carrying it into a binding position where deep drawing is performed. As will be described later, a drive source (drive motor) capable of controlling stop, rotation, and conveyance amount and a control unit 400 (see FIG. 19) for controlling the drive source are also provided. The entrance roller 203 abuts the leading end of the sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus 101 side to the nip with the pair of rollers, and also performs skew correction.

A branching claw 204 is disposed at the subsequent stage of the entrance roller 203.
In FIG. 3, the branching claw 204 is provided to guide the rear end of the sheet to the branching path 241. In this case, after the trailing edge of the sheet exceeds the branching claw 204, the branching claw 204 rotates in the clockwise direction in the drawing and transports the sheet in the direction opposite to the carry-in direction. As a result, the rear end side of the sheet is guided to the branch path 241 side. As will be described later, the branch claw 204 is driven by a solenoid to perform a swinging operation.
A motor can be used instead of the solenoid. The branching claw 204 is driven in the counterclockwise direction shown in the figure, and can rotate a sheet or a sheet bundle against the conveyance surface of the branching path 241 when rotated. Thereby, the branching claw 204 can fix the sheet or the sheet bundle by the branching path 241.

The paper discharge roller 205 is located immediately before the final exit of the transport path 240 of the paper post-processing apparatus 201 and has a function of transporting, shifting, and discharging the paper. Further, similarly to the entrance roller 203, a drive source (drive motor) capable of controlling the stop, rotation, and conveyance amount of the paper discharge roller 205 is provided, and this drive source is controlled by the control unit 400 described in detail later.
The paper discharge roller 205 is shifted by a shift mechanism 205M shown in FIG.
The shift mechanism 205M includes a shift link 206, a shift cam 207, a shift cam stud 208, and a shift home position sensor 209.

In FIG. 2, a shift link 206 is provided at the shaft end 205a of the paper discharge roller 205 and receives a moving force during shifting.
The shift cam 207 has a shift cam stud 208 and is a rotating disk-shaped component. The sheet discharge roller 205 movably inserted into the shift link long hole portion 207a through the shift cam stud 208 by the rotation of this component is moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction (hereinafter also referred to as “sheet width direction”). Let
This movement is a so-called shift. The shift cam stud 208 functions in conjunction with the shift link elongated hole portion 207 a to convert the rotational motion of the shift cam 207 into the linear motion of the paper discharge roller 205 in the axial direction.
The shift home position sensor 209 detects the position of the shift link 206, sets the position detected by the shift home position sensor 209 as the home position, and executes rotation control of the shift cam 207 with reference to the home position. This control is executed by the control unit 400.

In FIG. 2, a binding tool 210 (hereinafter simply referred to as a binding tool 210) that forms a deep drawing mechanism includes a sheet end detection sensor 220, a binding tool home position sensor 221, and a guide rail 230 for moving the binding tool.
The binding tool 210 is a mechanism for binding the sheet bundle PB and is called a so-called stapler. In this embodiment, the sheet is sandwiched between a pair of tooth molds 261 and has a function of deforming the sheet by pressurizing and binding the fibers of the sheet and binding, and this type of binding is also referred to as crimp binding.

In addition to this binding method, a hand stapler that uses a binding tool such as half-punching, cutting, bending, and passing through a hole is also known.
In any case, supply consumption can be greatly reduced by restraining supply consumption or making it easier to recycle, as well as being shredded. For this reason, even in a paper post-processing apparatus, a so-called finisher, it is desired to mount a stapler that can perform binding processing on a single sheet, such as crimp binding, without using a metal needle. As a hand stapler for performing crimp binding, for example, a binding tool disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 36-13206 (Reference 1) is known. Further, as a hand stapler that is cut and bent, and further bound through a hole, for example, a binding tool disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 37-7208 (Reference Document 2) is known.

  The sheet edge detection sensor 220 detects the side edge of the sheet, and aligns the sensor detection position with the reference when aligning the sheets. The binding tool home position sensor 221 is a sensor that detects the position of the binding tool that is movable in the paper width direction. The home position is a position where the binding tool 210 is located at a position that does not interfere with the conveyance of the maximum size paper. The position is detected.

The guide rail 230 is a rail that guides the movement of the binding tool 210 so that the binding tool 210 can move stably in the paper width direction.
The guide rail 230 is installed so that the binding tool 210 can move the full width orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction of the conveyance path 240 of the paper post-processing apparatus 201 from the home position.
The binding tool 210 moves along the guide rail 230 by a moving mechanism including a drive motor (not shown). A sheet passing space is formed on the binding tool home position sensor 221 side of the binding tool 210 so that the binding tool 210 and the paper sheet P or the paper bundle PB do not interfere during the movement.

In FIG. 3, a conveyance path 240 is a conveyance path for conveying and discharging the received paper, and penetrates from the inlet side to the outlet side of the paper post-processing apparatus 201.
The branch path 241 is a transport path that is carried in from the rear end side by the switchback of the paper, and branches from the transport 240. The branch path 241 is provided to align and align the sheets, and functions as a stacking unit. The abutting surface 242 is a reference surface that is provided at the end of the branch path 241 and abuts and aligns the rear end of the sheet.
In this embodiment, the tooth mold 261 is a pressure-holding material having a shape in which a pair of protrusions and recesses mesh with each other, and has the above-described crimp binding function by sandwiching and pressing a sheet bundle.

4 and 5 are diagrams showing the main part of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 centering on the branching claw 204. FIG. 4 shows the case where the branching claw 204 is in sheet conveyance, and FIG. 5 shows the case where the sheet is switched back. Details of each related mechanism are shown below.
In FIG. 4, the branching claw 204 is provided so as to be able to swing within an angle range set in advance with respect to the support shaft 204 b in order to switch the paper transporting path to either the transporting path 240 or the branching path 241. The branch claw 204 is a position where the paper received from the right side in the figure can be conveyed downstream without resistance, that is, the position shown in FIG. 4 is the home position, and is always elastically pressed counterclockwise by the spring 251. Has been.

The spring 251 is hung on the branch claw movable lever portion 204a, and the plunger of the branch solenoid 250 is connected to the branch claw movable lever portion 204a. In addition, the branch path conveyance surface 241 and the branch claw 204 hold the sheet in the branch conveyance path 241 in the nipped state when the sheet is conveyed to the branch conveyance path 241 in the state of FIG. be able to.
When the branch solenoid 250 is turned on, the branch claw 204 rotates in the direction of the arrow R1 in FIG. 5 to guide the sheet to the branch path 241 by closing the transport path 240 and opening the branch path 241. Can do.

6 and 7 are diagrams showing details of the binding tool 210 according to the present embodiment. The binding tool 210 includes a tooth mold 261, a pressure lever 262, a link group 263, a drive motor 265, an eccentric force m 266, and a cam home position sensor 267 as components.
The tooth mold 261 is a pressurizing member having a shape in which the upper and lower pairs are engaged with each other. The tooth mold 261 is located at the operating end of the link group 263 combined in plural, and is contacted and separated by the pressurizing and releasing operation of the pressurizing lever 262 which is the operating end.

The pressure lever 262 is rotated by the rotating eccentric force 266. The eccentric force 266 rotates with a driving force applied from the driving motor 265, and the rotational position of the cam is controlled based on the detection information of the cam home position sensor 267.
The rotational position defines the distance between the rotating shaft 266a of the eccentric force 266 and the cam surface, and the pressing amount of the pressure lever 262 is determined based on this distance.
The position where the cam home position sensor 267 detects the filler 266b, which is the detection target of the eccentric force 266, is the home position. As shown in FIG. 6, when the rotational position of the eccentric force m 266 is at the home position, the tooth mold 261 is in an open state. In this state, the binding process is impossible and the sheet bundle can be received.

  When binding a sheet bundle, as shown in the inside of the ellipse in FIG. 6, with the tooth mold 261 open, the sheet bundle is inserted between the tooth molds 261 and the drive motor 265 is rotated. When the drive motor 265 starts to rotate, the eccentric force m 266 rotates in the direction of arrow R2 in FIG. In response to this rotation, the cam surface of the eccentric force m 266 is displaced, and the pressure lever 262 rotates in the direction of arrow R3 in the figure. The rotational force increases through the link group using the lever and is transmitted to the tooth pattern 261 at the moving end.

When the eccentric force 266 rotates by a certain amount, the upper and lower tooth molds 261 mesh with each other, pinch the sheet bundle and pressurize it. The sheet bundle is deformed by this pressurization, and the fibers of adjacent sheets are entangled and bound.
Thereafter, the drive motor 265 rotates in the reverse direction and stops at the detection information of the cam home position sensor 267. As a result, the upper and lower tooth molds 261 return to the state shown in FIG. 6, and the sheet bundle can be moved. Further, the lever 262 has a spring property, and when an overload is applied, the lever 262 is bent to release the overload.

FIG. 8 to FIG. 16 are operation explanatory views showing the online binding operation by the binding tool 210 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. In each figure, (A) is a plan view and (B) is a front view. Further, in the present embodiment, the online binding means that a sheet post-processing device 201 is installed in the paper discharge tray of the image forming apparatus 101 as shown in FIG. This means that the data is continuously received in 201, matched, and bound.
On the other hand, manual binding, which will be described later, is to bind the image forming apparatus 201 or a separately printed sheet with the binding tool 210 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. Manual binding is not included in the off-line binding because it is not performed by continuous operation from the paper discharge of the image forming apparatus 201.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state when the initial operation of the online binding operation is completed. When the output of the sheet on which the image is formed from the image forming apparatus 101 is started, each unit moves to the home position and completes the initial. FIG. 8 shows the state at this time.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a state immediately after the first sheet Pl is discharged from the image forming apparatus 101 and carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. Before the sheet Pl is carried from the image forming apparatus 101 to the post-processing apparatus 201, the CPU 201a of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 receives mode information and sheet information related to the post-processing control mode from the CPU 201a of the image forming apparatus 101, and the information Based on this, it will be in an acceptance waiting state. The sheet information includes, for example, a sheet size, a sheet type, a sheet thickness, and the number of booklets (sheets to be bound).

  In the control mode, three modes, a straight mode, a shift mode, and a binding mode, are set. In the straight mode, the entrance roller 203 and the paper discharge roller 205 start to rotate in the paper conveyance direction in the acceptance standby state, and after the paper Pl,..., Pn are sequentially conveyed and discharged and the final paper Pn is discharged, The entrance roller 203 and the paper discharge roller 205 are stopped. Note that n is a positive integer of 2 or more.

  In the shift mode, the entrance roller 203 and the paper discharge roller 205 start to rotate in the transport direction in an acceptance standby state. In the shift paper discharge operation, the paper Pl is received and conveyed, and when the rear end of the paper Pl passes through the entrance roller 203, the shift cam 207 rotates by a certain amount, and the paper discharge outlet-roller 205 moves in the axial direction. At this time, the paper Pl also moves with the movement of the paper discharge roller 205. When the paper P1 is discharged, the shift cam 207 rotates to return to the home position, and prepares for the next paper P2. This shifting operation of the paper discharge roller 205 is repeated until the discharge of the paper Pn of the same portion is completed. Thus, a part (one volume) of the sheet bundle PB is discharged and stacked while being shifted to one side. When the first sheet P1 of the next part is carried in, the shift cam 207 rotates in the opposite direction to the previous part, and the sheet Pl moves to the opposite side to the previous part and is discharged.

In the binding mode, the entrance roller 203 is stopped in the acceptance standby state, and the paper discharge roller 205 starts to rotate in the transport direction. Further, the binding tool 210 moves to a standby position that is retracted by a certain amount from the sheet width and stands by.
In this case, the entrance roller 203 also functions as a registration roller. That is, when the first sheet Pl is carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 and the inlet sensor 202 detects the leading edge of the sheet, the leading edge of the sheet hits the nip of the inlet roller 203.
The paper Pl is conveyed by the paper discharge roller 102 of the image forming apparatus 101 by a distance that causes a certain amount of stagnation. After being transported by the distance, the entrance roller 203 starts to rotate. Thereby, the skew correction of the paper Pl is performed. FIGS. 9A and 9B show the state at this time.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state when the rear end of the sheet has left the nip of the entrance roller 203 and has exceeded the branch path 241. The conveyance amount of the sheet Pl is counted from the detection information by the entrance sensor 202 at the rear end of the sheet, and the position information of the sheet conveyance position is grasped by the CPU 201a. When the trailing edge of the paper passes through the nip of the entrance roller 203, the entrance roller 203 stops rotating to receive the next paper P2. At the same timing, the shift cam 207 rotates in the direction of arrow R4 (clockwise in the figure) in FIG. 10, and the paper discharge roller 205 starts moving in the axial direction with the paper Pl being nipped. As a result, the sheet Pl is conveyed while being skewed in the direction of the arrow Dl in FIG. After that, when the paper end detection sensor 220 installed or incorporated in the binding tool 210 detects the paper P, the shift cam 207 stops and then reverses, and the shift cam 207 stops when the paper end detection sensor 220 does not detect the paper P. To do. Then, the operation is completed, and the paper discharge roller 205 stops at a predetermined position where the rear end of the paper has passed the front end of the branching claw 204.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state when the paper Pl is switched back to align the transport direction of the paper Pl. From the state shown in FIG. 10, the branch claw 204 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow R5 to switch the conveyance path to the branch path 241, and then the paper discharge roller 205 is rotated in the reverse direction. As a result, the paper Pl is switched back in the direction of the arrow D <b> 2, and the rear end of the paper is carried into the branch path 241 and further abutted against the abutting surface 242.
The abutting of the trailing edge of the sheet aligns the trailing edge of the sheet with the abutting surface 242 as a reference. When the paper Pl is aligned, the paper discharge roller 205 stops. At this time, the paper discharge roller 205 slips when the paper Pl abuts against the abutting surface 242 so that no conveying force is applied. That is, it is set so that the paper P1 is switched back and hits the abutting surface 242, and when the rear end of the paper is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, it is further conveyed and the paper is not buckled.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state where the first sheet Pl is placed on the branch path 241 and the next second sheet P2 is carried in. After the preceding first sheet Pl is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, the branch claw 204 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R6 in the figure. As a result, the contact surface 204c, which is the lower surface of the branch claw 204, strongly presses the rear end of the sheet positioned in the branch path 241 against the surface of the branch path 241 so that it does not move and stands by. When the subsequent second sheet P2 is carried in from the image forming apparatus 101, skew correction is performed by the entrance roller 203 in the same manner as the preceding sheet Pl. Next, at the same time as the rotation of the entrance roller 203 starts, the paper discharge roller 205 also starts to rotate in the transport direction.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state when the second sheet P2 is carried in.
The operations shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 are also performed when the second sheet P2 and the third and subsequent sheets P3,..., Pn are conveyed from the state of FIG. Accordingly, the sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus 101 are sequentially moved to a preset position and overlapped, and the aligned sheet bundle PB is stacked (accumulated) in the conveyance path 240.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state where the final sheet Pn is aligned to form the sheet bundle PB.
In the figure, when the operation of the final sheet Pn as the aligned sheet bundle PB is completed, the discharge roller 205 is rotated by a certain amount in the transport direction and stopped. This operation eliminates the boundary that occurs when the trailing edge of the sheet is abutted against the abutting surface 242. Thereafter, the branching claw 204 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow R5, and the contact surface 204c is separated from the branching path 241 to release the pressure applied to the sheet bundle PB. As a result, the sheet bundle PB is released from the restraining force by the branch claw 204 and can be conveyed by the paper discharge roller 205.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state during the binding operation.
The paper discharge roller 205 is rotated in the transport direction from the state shown in FIG. 14, and the paper bundle PB is transported by a distance where the position of the tooth mold 261 of the binding tool 210 matches the binding position of the paper bundle PB, and stopped at that position. As a result, the processing position of the sheet bundle PB in the transport direction matches the position of the tooth mold 261 in the transport direction. Then, the binding tool 210 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow D3 by the distance that the position of the tooth mold 261 of the binding tool 210 coincides with the processing position of the paper, and stops. As a result, the processing position in the width direction of the sheet bundle PB matches the position of the tooth mold 261 in the transport direction and the width direction. At this time, the branching claw 204 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow R6 and returns to the paper receiving state. Thereafter, the binding tool driving motor 265 is turned on, the sheet bundle PB is pressurized by the tooth mold 261, and crimped by binding. In the present embodiment, an example using the binding tool 210 that performs crimp binding is illustrated, but a binding tool such as half-punching, cutting, bending, and passing through a hole is used. It goes without saying that it is also good.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a state when the sheet bundle PB is discharged.
The sheet bundle PB bound as shown in FIG. 15 is discharged by the rotation of the discharge roller 205. After the sheet bundle PB is discharged, the shift cam 207 is rotated in the direction of arrow R7 to return to the home position (position in FIG. 8). In parallel with this, the binding tool 201 is moved in the direction of the arrow D4 in the figure to return to the home position (position in FIG. 8). Thereby, the binding operation is completed for the alignment operation of a part (one book) of the sheet bundle PB. If there is a next part, the operations shown in FIGS. 8 to 16 are repeated, and a part of the sheet bundle PB that is crimped and bound is created in the same manner.

On the other hand, an apparatus used for the binding process in the post-processing apparatus also has a configuration shown in FIG.
In FIG. 17, the sheet processing apparatus 300 includes a processing tray unit 302 including a stapler 301 capable of binding processing with metal needles.
The processing tray unit 302 is provided with a conveyance path 303 through which a sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus 101 or a sheet bundle that has been stapled by the stapleless binding processing apparatus can be moved. Conveying roller pairs 304 to 307 are arranged in the conveying path 303.

In the middle of the conveyance path 303, a folded branch path 308 is connected. At the branch position, a conveyance direction switching claw 309 and a reversing roller 310 that desires a circumferential surface of both conveyance paths 303 are arranged.
The paper introduced into the paper processing apparatus 300 is nipped and conveyed by the conveyance rollers 304 and 305, and passes through a conveyance path switching claw 309 positioned in the middle of the conveyance path while being pushed downward in the drawing by its own weight. To.

In the processing tray part 302, it falls in the direction shown by the arrow B, and the end part on the upstream side in the dropping direction is stopped by the rear end fence 311 and the edges are aligned. Regarding the edge alignment, the side fence 312 also aligns the edges in the width direction perpendicular to the falling direction.
The side fence 312 performs edge alignment each time the sheet bundle is conveyed, and this operation is started by a signal from the passage sensor S2 disposed in the conveyance path 303. Note that the passage sensor S1 disposed in the conveyance path on the sheet introduction side in the sheet processing apparatus 300 is used to start driving each conveyance roller.

The processing tray unit 302 is provided with a discharge belt 313 for binding the sheet bundle stacked on the rear end fence 311 using a metal needle with the stapler 301 and then discharging the bundle to the outside of the sheet processing apparatus 300. .
The discharge belt 313 is movable in the direction indicated by the arrow C, and the discharge claw 313A provided at a part thereof moves the sheet bundle after the processing tray unit 302 binding process in the direction indicated by the arrow D, thereby discharging the discharge roller. The sheet is discharged to the discharge tray 316 via the 314 and the driven roller 315.

The discharge tray 316 is provided so as to be movable up and down, and aligns the position of the stacking surface with the position discharged from the discharge roller 314 and the driven roller 315 in accordance with the change in the stack amount of the discharged sheet bundle. Yes.
A driven roller 315 that cooperates with the discharge roller 314 is supported by a swinging end of a swingable arm 315A so that the sheet bundle or the sheet can be nipped and conveyed regardless of the change in the thickness of the sheet bundle. .

In the paper processing apparatus 300, the paper transport path is made different depending on whether or not the stapleless binding process is performed.
The conveyance path for the sheet bundle that is not subjected to the stapleless binding process by the pressure squeezing is a path through which the sheet bundle can be discharged with the edges aligned in the above-described configuration.

The binding process performed with the configuration shown in FIG. 17 uses the procedure shown in FIG.
18A, the leading edge of the sheet bundle S introduced into the sheet processing apparatus 300 reaches the position in front of the processing tray unit 302 in the conveying path 303 when the conveying rollers 304 to 307 are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows. . In this positioning, the rotation amount of each conveyance roller is set based on the detection of the passage sensor S2.

When the rear end of the sheet bundle S in the moving direction is detected by the passage sensor S2, the conveyance of the sheet bundle S is stopped, and between the conveyance rollers 306 and 307 and the reverse roller 310 between which the sheet bundle S is sandwiched. Starts rotating in the opposite direction.
Simultaneously with the reverse rotation of these rollers, the sheet bundle S that moves in the direction opposite to the introduction direction is introduced into the branch path 308 by the conveyance path switching claw 309.
The sheet bundle S introduced into the branch path 308 moves and stops until the rear end in the moving direction is detected by the passage sensor S2.

Next, as shown in FIG. 18C, the next sheet bundle is introduced into the sheet processing apparatus 300 by the same procedure as that shown in FIG.
When the leading end in the movement direction of the next sheet bundle S ′ is detected by the passage sensor S2, as shown in FIG. 18D, the conveying rollers 306 and 307 and the reverse roller 310 introduce the sheet bundles S and S ′. The rotation is changed.
As a result, the sheet bundle S located in the branch path 308 and the next sheet bundle S ′ are overlapped and conveyed toward the processing tray unit 302, and binding processing is performed in the processing tray unit 302.

The features of the present embodiment will be described below with the above configuration as an object.
As described above, the feature of this embodiment is to determine the state when an abnormality occurs during the post-processing step execution, and when it is determined that the binding process can be continued, the binding process is retried. It is characterized by doing.
As a result, if it is possible to continue the binding process, the binding process is continued to prevent jamming when the target job sheet is transported in the job following the current job. It can be done.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit used to exhibit this feature.
In the figure, the control unit 400 includes a CPU 400A that is communicably connected to a control unit (not shown) of the image forming apparatus as a main part.
An operation panel 402, a current detection circuit unit 403 for detecting a drive current for the binding tool drive motor 404, and a binding tool drive motor home sensor 405 are connected to the CPU 400A via an interface (not shown). Although not shown, a shift home position sensor 209 that is used when the shift process described in FIG. 2 is executed is also connected as a target for detecting the home position.
The operation panel 402 corresponds to an operation unit that can input the paper type, thickness, number of sheets, and the like. In this embodiment, the operation panel on the image forming apparatus 401 side is used. Note that FIG. 19 shows a state in which the control unit 400 is connected to the CPU 400A side for the sake of convenience.
Connected to the output side of the control unit 400 are a motor driver 404A for setting a drive current to the binding tool drive motor 404 and a driver for a discharge roller drive motor in the shift mechanism described in FIG. In addition, the drive motor used for the shift mechanism shown in FIG. 2 is not individually displayed as one of “each stepping motor” shown in FIG.

The binding tool drive motor home sensor 405 is a sensor that detects a home position return state corresponding to the start of forward rotation when binding processing is performed during normal rotation of a forward / reversible binding tool drive motor.
FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram for explaining the configuration of the home position detection mechanism by the binding tool drive motor home sensor 405.
In FIG. 20, a sheet post-processing apparatus 201 (see FIG. 1) includes a binding unit 201A in the upper part, and the binding unit 201A is reciprocated in the vertical direction by a binding tool driving motor used as a drive source so as to be crimped in an uneven manner. I do.
The position of the binding unit 201A corresponds to the position at the start of the binding process, and by detecting this position, it can be determined that the binding tool drive motor has returned to the initial position (home position). For the position detection at the start of the binding process, the above-described binding tool drive motor home sensor 405 provided in the position detection unit denoted by reference numeral 210 in FIG. 20 is used.

The position detection unit 210 includes a filler 211 and a binding tool driving motor home sensor (hereinafter also referred to as a home sensor for convenience) 405.
The detection state of the home sensor 405 is changed by the operation of the filler 211 to detect whether the binding unit 201 is at the home position.
The filler 211 is made of a rotating plate, and a portion (hereinafter referred to as a detected portion) 211 a that partially protrudes from the circumferential portion is formed. Thereby, when the rotating plate rotates, the detected portion 211a can be detected. In the present embodiment, the home position is a position in a predetermined range (position shown in FIG. 20A) where the home sensor 405 detects the detected part 211a.
The filler 211 is synchronized with the rotation mechanism of the binding tool drive motor, and the binding portion 201A is driven by converting the rotational motion of the binding tool drive motor into a reciprocating motion.
The rotational position of the filler 211 and the position of the reciprocating linear motion of the binding unit 201A are set to correspond to each other, and when the filler 211 is at the position of the home sensor 212, the position detection unit 210 performs the binding unit of the binding device 200. It is detected that 201 has returned to the home position.

The solid line arrow a (starting point is a black circle, clockwise in the figure) indicates the operation of the binding unit 201 and the filler 211 when the drive unit is rotated forward in order to perform the binding process. In the binding unit 200, the binding unit 201 moves downward in accordance with the operation of the driving unit 202, and performs a staple binding operation on the sheet bundle 900.
After the staple binding operation, the binding unit 201 moves in the upward direction, and the driving unit 202 continues the operation until the position detection unit 210 detects the return to the home position, and stops the operation when the return to the home position is detected. . Unless the operation is interrupted due to the occurrence of an abnormality or the opening of a jam processing door cover (not shown), the driving unit 202 of the binding means 200 only drives in the forward direction.

A dash-dot line arrow b (starting point is a white circle, counterclockwise in the figure) indicates that the driving unit 202 is reversely operated to return to the home position after the binding means 200 interrupted the operation during the binding process. This is the operation of the binding unit 201 and the filler 211 in the case.
If the forward rotation operation is performed after the operation is interrupted during the binding process, the crimping operation proceeds, and this causes breakage of the sheet and an increase in load on the driving source, causing the binding tool to be damaged.
Therefore, it is necessary to return to the home position by a reverse operation.
When the operation is interrupted before the binding operation is completed, the binding unit 201A and the filler 211 are in a state of being stopped in the normal rotation direction from the home position. Become.

  In FIGS. 20A and 20B, mechanical structures such as a drive mechanism for driving the binding unit 201 are known, and the present invention is not intended for the mechanism itself. Is omitted.

In FIG. 20A, a broken-line arrow c (starting point is a black square, counterclockwise in the drawing) indicates a binding portion 201A and a filler when the binding tool driving motor is reversely rotated from the state where it is returned to the home position. The operation 212 is shown.
With the binding tool configured as described above, if the binding tool drive motor is operated in the reverse direction from the home position, normal crimping and binding cannot be performed, and the binding tool may be damaged. Make it work.

In the control unit 400, the elapsed time of the post-processing step is determined by the timer unit 400B provided in the CPU, and the next processing is executed according to the result. In addition, the CPU 400A is provided with a storage unit 400C, which stores the number of retries based on the presence or absence of a retry flag, as will be described later.
(1) When an abnormality of the drive source is detected during the binding process, the precursor drive source is driven in reverse rotation, and when the reverse rotation process ends normally, the drive source is rotated forward again to retry the binding process. To do.
(2) The binding process is detected, and when the detection time is not a predetermined time, the return time for moving the binding drive motor 404 used as a drive source to the home position by reversing is detected. If the return time is within the predetermined time, the drive motor 404 is once stopped and then rotated forward to retry the binding process.
(3) A binding process is detected, and when the detection time is not a predetermined time, a return time for moving the drive motor 404 in the reverse direction to move to the home position is detected.
At this time, the paper discharge roller in the shift mechanism is driven to retract the paper from the binding processing position, and when the return time of the drive source is within a predetermined time, the compared paper is returned to the binding processing position. .
(4) The user is prompted to confirm the sheet on the operation panel 402 used for the operation unit at the start of the next job after the binding process by retry is completed.
(5) At the start of the next job after the binding processing by retry is completed, the operation panel 402 prompts the user to confirm whether or not to continue the previous binding processing conditions.
(6) If the detection time is not within the predetermined time in the binding processing time detection result at the time of retry, it is determined that the drive source is defective when it is determined that the number of retries is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of times, and the subsequent retries are stopped.

The above processing will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 21 is a flowchart for explaining the processing described in (1) and (2).
In FIG. 21, the timer count 400B is started when the binding tool starts to be driven (ST1). The timer 400B starts measuring the driving time of the binding tool driving motor.
Next, a drive control signal is input to the motor driver 404A, and the binding tool drive motor 404 is driven (ST2).
It is determined whether or not the detection time by the timer unit 400B is within a predetermined time (ST3). This determination is made on the time when the binding driving motor 404 is detected by the binding tool driving motor home sensor 405.
If the binding tool drive motor 404 is detected by the binding tool drive motor home sensor 405 without detecting an abnormality from the FLG signal from the current detection circuit unit 403 and the motor driver 404A within a predetermined time, the binding tool Driving is terminated (ST4). In this case, a stop control signal is input to the motor driver 404A, and the binding tool driving is ended.

On the other hand, when the binding tool drive motor 404 is not detected by the binding tool drive motor home sensor 405 within a predetermined time in step ST3, the following procedure is executed.
When an abnormality is detected by the FLG signal from the current detection circuit unit 403 and the motor driver 404A, a stop control signal is input to the motor driver 404A, and the binding tool drive motor 404 is stopped (ST5).
Next, a timer count is started (ST6), the binding tool driving motor 404 is driven in reverse rotation, and measurement of the driving time is started (ST7).
Next, a drive control signal in the reverse rotation direction is input to the motor driver 404A to drive the binding tool drive motor 404 in reverse rotation.
The reverse rotation driving time is measured by the timer unit 403, and the next processing is executed according to the result (ST8).
When the binding tool drive motor 404 is not detected by the binding tool drive motor home sensor 405 within a predetermined time or when an abnormality is detected from the current detection circuit unit and the FLG signal from the motor driver 404A, the binding is performed. The tool drive motor 404 is stopped. That is, a stop control signal is input to the motor driver 404A, the binding tool driving motor is stopped, and this state is terminated abnormally (ST9 ').
When the binding tool drive motor 404 is detected by the binding tool drive motor home sensor 405 without detecting an abnormality from the FLG signal from the current detection circuit unit 403 and the motor driver 404A within a predetermined time, The process is executed.
That is, a stop control signal is input to the motor driver 404A, and the binding tool drive is stopped.

Next, the control unit 400 determines a retry flag in accordance with the end of reverse rotation of the binding drive motor 404.
Retry is a state in which the binding process can be continued, but when it is determined that the detection time is not within a predetermined time due to a detection error due to sudden noise or the like, the normal binding is performed again. This is a process to continue the process.
If the retry flag is zero in step ST11, the retry flag is set to 1, and the flow returns to the binding tool driving flow of this flow, and the retry is performed (ST11). If the retry flag is not “0”, the process is terminated abnormally. The retry flag is initialized to “0” during the binding tool driving flow.

  By performing such control, if the time for which the binding drive motor 404 is reversed by the reverse rotation command is within a normal range, the suspended binding process can be resumed and the sheet bundle can be discharged. It is possible to prevent the jammed paper.

Next, the processing described in (3) will be described with reference to FIG. 22. Note that the description of the same contents as the processing in the steps shown in FIG.
In FIG. 22, in addition to the processing up to step ST12 shown in FIG. 21, a procedure for temporarily retracting the sheet from the binding processing position is added.
If the retry flag is “0” in the processing of step ST11 shown in FIG. 22, the retry flag is set to 1 (ST11), and the sheet bundle is temporarily saved (ST12). In this case, the retracted position is preferably a position where binding is not performed when the binding tool is driven.
In FIG. 22, the binding tool drive check (ST13) drives the binding tool drive motor 404 in an idle state without a sheet bundle.
At this time, if the current detection circuit unit 403 or the abnormality detection based on the FLG signal does not occur within a predetermined time and can be driven to a position that can be detected by the binding tool driving home sensor 405, the binding tool is determined to be normal. Then, the sheet bundle temporarily retracted is returned to the binding position (ST14, ST15). The subsequent steps are the same as the retry flow described in FIG.
When driving of the binding tool is not completed within a predetermined time, or when an abnormality is detected by the current detection circuit unit or FLG signal, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the binding tool, and the process ends abnormally. ST9).

  By performing such control, when abnormality determination for the binding drive motor 404 is performed, it is possible to determine in a state where the influence on the paper is eliminated even if the binding drive motor 404 is driven. In addition, when it is determined that there is no abnormality, the shifted sheet bundle is returned to the original binding position using the shift mechanism, so that it is not necessary to reset as in the case of removing the sheet bundle from the tray, It is possible to prevent a mounting position shift or the like from occurring during the resetting.

Next, the process described in (4) will be described.
In FIG. 23, the retry flag in steps ST11 and ST12 is determined (ST20).
When the retry flag is “0”, the process ends in a normal state.
On the other hand, if the retry flag is not “0” in step ST20, the operation panel 402 on the image forming apparatus 401 side is prompted to confirm the sheet using the contents shown in FIG. 23B (ST21).
The user inputs the result of the paper confirmation alerted on the operation panel 402.
If it is determined that there is no problem in the sheet type in the sheet confirmation result from the operation panel 404, the process proceeds to the next sheet bundle process (ST23). On the other hand, if there is a problem with the paper type, the job at the current stage is terminated.

  By performing such control, it is possible to determine a case where the binding process is interrupted due to a problem with the sheet to be bound. As a result, when there is no problem with the paper, it is determined that the binding process can be continued, and the binding process is restarted to prevent a jam from occurring when the paper for the subsequent job is conveyed.

Next, the process described in (5) will be described.
FIG. 24 differs from the content shown in step ST21 in FIG. That is, after determining the retry flag (ST20), the user is notified of the continuation determination of the binding process (ST25). As shown in FIG. 24B, the notification of continuation determination is displayed on the operation panel 402 in the form of a confirmation notification of whether or not to continue.
In the notification from the user, the continuation content is determined (ST26), and if there is an instruction to continue, the binding process for the next sheet bundle is executed (ST27). Further, in the determination of the continuation content, if the continuation is not continued, the job ends at the current stage.

  By performing such control, if the process is interrupted during the binding process for the next sheet bundle, the binding tool that causes an accident when the process is inadvertently continued is determined by determining whether or not the user can continue. Can be prevented in advance.

Next, the process described in (6) will be described.
In FIG. 25, after the retry flag is determined (ST20), the number of retries at the time of job execution at the current stage is determined (ST30). In this determination, the number of retries at the time of job execution at the current stage with respect to the predetermined number r is compared.
In the retry number determination, if the number is less than the predetermined number r, the retry is permitted and processing according to the retry flow is executed.
If the number of retries is greater than or equal to the predetermined number r, the process ends abnormally without shifting to the retry flow.

  By performing such control, it is possible to prevent breakage of the binding tool by avoiding inadvertent retries when an abnormality of the device actually occurs in the abnormality determination content.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Image forming system 201 Paper post-processing apparatus 209 Shift home position sensor 213 Holding member 215 Base 265 Binding drive motor 261a Fixed tooth shape 261b Movable tooth shape 400 Control part 400A CPU
400B Timer unit 402 Operation panel 405 Binding tool drive motor home position sensor 403 Current detection circuit 404 Binding tool drive motor

JP 2010-274623 A Japanese Patent No. 2574158

Claims (7)

A post-processing device that performs binding processing by pressurizing and deforming a part of a sheet bundle into a concavo-convex shape using a drive source capable of forward and reverse rotation for a plurality of stacked sheets,
A timer for detecting the binding processing time by forward / reverse rotation of the driving source and an operation unit capable of inputting at least the sheet thickness binding number are connected to the input side, and the output side is used for shifting the driving source and the sheet. A control unit to which the drive unit is connected;
The control unit drives the precursor drive source in the reverse direction when an abnormality of the drive source is detected during the binding process, and rotates the drive source in the normal direction again when the reverse process ends normally. A post-processing device characterized by retrying.   The control unit detects the binding process, detects a return time for reversing the drive source to move to the home position when the detection time is not a predetermined time, and when the return time is within the predetermined time, 2. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein once the drive source is stopped, the drive source is rotated forward to retry the binding process.   The control unit detects the binding process, detects a return time for reversing the drive source to move to the home position when the detection time is not a predetermined time, and driving the shift movement when the drive source is reversed. Driving the unit to retract the paper from the binding processing position, and when the return time of the drive source is within a predetermined time, return the compared paper to the binding processing position and retry the binding processing. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.   4. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit prompts the user to confirm a sheet at the start of a next job after the binding process by the retry is completed. 5. Post-processing equipment.   The control unit prompts the user to confirm whether or not to continue the previous binding processing condition at the operation unit at the start of the next job after the binding processing by the retry is completed. The post-processing apparatus as described in any one of these.   When the detection time is not within a predetermined time in the binding processing time detection result at the time of the retry, the control unit determines that the drive source is defective when it determines that the number of retries is equal to or greater than the predetermined number of times, and stops subsequent retries The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the post-processing apparatus is a post-processing apparatus.   An image forming system using the post-processing device according to claim 1.

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