JP2015054759A - Image formation device, post-processing device, and image formation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image formation system capable of binding a sheet material by a pressure suitable for a content of binding process.SOLUTION: An image formation system 10 includes an image formation part 200 for forming an image on a sheet material, and a post-processing part 500 for performing post-processing in which, with a plurality of sheet materials where images are formed as one part, pinching is made with an upper tooth and a lower tooth engaging with each other in unit of part for press-fitting under pressure, for binding. The image formation system 10 accepts input of a binding mode which represents kind of post-processing which the post-processing part 500 performs, and on the basis of the mode information that is accepted, adjusts binding pressure at the time of press-fitting, to perform post-processing under the binding pressure after adjustment.

Description

  The present invention relates to a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing on a sheet material such as paper on which an image is formed in an image forming system such as a copier or a multifunction peripheral.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when a confidential document such as an internal secret is printed, a post-processing device that performs confidential processing of the document has been proposed so that the text of the confidential document printed out from the image forming apparatus is not exposed to others' eyes. For example, in the image forming system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a so-called bag binding is proposed in which an image-formed sheet is folded in two and the end opposite to the fold is bound with a staple.

  On the other hand, along with diversification of user requests, an apparatus capable of performing various post-processing on paper discharged from the image forming apparatus has been proposed. In the sheet binding device disclosed in Patent Document 2, in consideration of the environment, a sheet material is sandwiched between teeth without using a material such as a staple, and pressure is applied to entangle fibers between sheets. It is to bind.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-194574 JP 2010-189101 A

However, in the image forming system disclosed in Patent Document 1, bag binding is performed using a staple, thereby preventing others from seeing the document. For this reason, when the person opens the booklet for browsing the document, it is necessary to remove the staple, and it takes time and effort to remove the staple.
Further, in the case of bag binding using the sheet binding device of Patent Document 2 that does not use a staple, the bag binding portion (the portion to be pressed for bag binding) is firmly bound. There is a need. For this reason, there is a problem in that the vicinity of the binding portion of the paper is torn if it is peeled off at random.

  It is a main object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus that can solve the above-described problems and can bind a sheet material with a pressure suitable for the content of the binding process, and an image forming system including these. To do.

  An image forming system according to the present invention includes an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet material, and a plurality of sheet materials on which the image is formed as one part, and is sandwiched between upper teeth and lower teeth that mesh with each other and pressed. And a post-processing device that performs post-processing for crimping and binding, a receiving unit that receives input of mode information indicating a type of post-processing to be performed by the post-processing device, and the receiving unit Based on the received mode information, a binding pressure adjusting unit that adjusts the binding pressure at the time of the crimping, and a job that involves execution of post-processing by the adjusted binding pressure to the post-processing device are transmitted to the post-processing device. And a control means for performing processing.

  According to the present invention, a job involving the execution of post-processing by the adjusted binding pressure, in which the binding pressure at the time of pressure bonding is adjusted based on the mode information, is transmitted to the post-processing device. The post-processing apparatus performs post-processing by this job. Therefore, for example, post-processing for binding a sheet material (for example, paper) can be performed with a binding pressure suitable for a type such as bookbinding or bag binding.

1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an image forming system. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of an image forming unit of an image forming system. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a post-processing unit of an image forming system. FIG. (A) is a figure for demonstrating the state of the sheet | seat bundle at the time of performing the one-side binding bookbinding process. FIG. 6B is a diagram for explaining a state of a sheet bundle when performing bag binding processing. (A), (b) is a figure which shows the structural example of an eco stapler. FIGS. 4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining a method of adjusting a pressing force when binding a bundle of sheets. FIGS. 4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining cam position control. FIGS. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of an image forming unit and a post-processing unit. An example of a screen for selecting a post-processing method. (A) is an example of a sheet bundle bound on one side. (B) is an example of a sheet bundle that is saddle stitched and bound. (C) is an example of a bundle of bound sheets. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control processing procedure of the image forming system. The flowchart following FIG. (A), (b), (c) is a figure for demonstrating the conveyance direction of the paper P by which the image formation was carried out in each binding mode. The flowchart which shows the example of a process sequence which adjusts the applied pressure of an eco stapler. A table showing the driving time of the eco staple motor corresponding to the binding mode and the number of bindings. (A), (b) is a figure for demonstrating the discharge path | route according to binding mode.

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an image forming system according to the present embodiment. The image forming system 10 includes an image forming unit 200 that forms an image on a sheet material (for example, paper), and a post-processing unit 500 that performs post-processing of the paper after image formation. The image forming unit 200 includes a document reading unit 300 that captures a document and reads the captured document. In addition, the operation unit 600 of the image forming system 10 receives an operation input from the user for the image forming unit 200 and the post-processing unit 500.

[Image forming apparatus]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration example of the image forming unit 200 of the image forming system 10.
The image forming unit 200 of the image forming system 10 is an image forming apparatus that forms a color image with four color toners, that is, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K).
The image forming unit 200 includes laser scanners 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d, photosensitive drums 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101k, a black photosensitive drum driving motor 102, and phase difference detection sensors 103a, 103b, 103c, and 103d. The image forming unit 200 includes an intermediate transfer belt 104, an intermediate transfer roller 105, a transfer roller 106, a fixing device 107, and a fixing roller driving motor 108. Further, the image forming unit 200 includes developing devices 109a, 109b, 109c, and 109d, a color development drive motor 110, and a color photosensitive drum drive motor 111. The photosensitive drum 101a, the phase difference detection sensor 103a, and the developing unit 109a are for yellow, and the photosensitive drum 101b, the phase difference detection sensor 103b, and the developing unit 109b are for magenta. The photosensitive drum 101c, the phase difference detection sensor 103c, and the developing unit 109c are for cyan, and the photosensitive drum 101d, the phase difference detection sensor 103d, and the developing unit 109d are for black.

  The black photosensitive drum driving motor 102 drives the intermediate transfer roller 105 in addition to driving the photosensitive drum 101d and the developing device 109d. The intermediate transfer roller 105 is a roller for conveying the intermediate transfer belt 104. The fixing roller driving motor 108 drives the fixing roller of the fixing device 107. The color development drive motor 110 drives the developing units 109a, 109b, and 109c, respectively. The color photosensitive drum drive motor 111 drives the photosensitive drums 101a, 101b, and 101c, respectively.

Here, an example of an image forming process in the image forming system 10 will be described.
In the image forming unit 200 of the image forming system 10, upon receipt of a print instruction from the user via the operation unit 600, the document reading unit 300 starts taking in the document and reading the read document. Then, the read image signals of the respective colors are sent to the laser scanners 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d, respectively. When a print instruction is received together with image data from the host computer 211 via a communication controller 901, which will be described later, an image signal of each color based on this image data is sent to each laser scanner 100a, 100b, 100c, 100d. .

  The laser scanners 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d perform exposure according to image signals, and electrostatic latent images are formed on the photosensitive drums 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d, which are photosensitive members. The electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive drums 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d are developed with toner by the corresponding developing devices 109a, 109b, 109c, and 109d. The toner images of the respective colors formed on the surfaces of the photosensitive drums 101a, 101b, 101c, and 101d are transferred (primary transfer) so as to sequentially overlap the intermediate transfer belt 104. The intermediate transfer belt 104 is conveyed clockwise as viewed from the front of FIG.

  Thereafter, the toner image transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 104 is further transferred (secondary transfer) at the position of the transfer roller 106 to the paper P fed from the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. After the transfer, the toner image is fixed on the paper P by heat generated by the fixing device 107. The paper P on which the toner image is fixed is then discharged to the outside of the image forming unit 200 (for example, a paper discharge tray).

[Post-processing equipment]
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the post-processing unit 500 connected to the image forming unit 200. The post-processing unit 500 of the image forming system 10 is a post-processing device that performs predetermined post-processing on the paper P on which an image is formed.
The post-processing unit 500 includes a pair of entrance rollers 502, a pair of conveyance rollers 503, 504, 506, 507, and 509, a buffer roller 505, switching flappers 510, 511, 584, and 585, and pressing rollers 512, 513, and 514. The post-processing unit 500 further includes conveyance sensors 531, 532, 533, 534, and 589, a paper surface detection sensor 540, a paper presence / absence detection sensor 541, an eco stapler 550, and a saddle conveyance roller pair 581. Further, a pair of folding rollers 582, a pair of saddle discharge rollers 583, a saddle stitcher 586, a thrust plate 587, a saddle processing tray 588, a processing tray 630, a stopper 631, and an alignment member 641 are provided. Further, it includes a swing guide 650, a paddle 660, a knurled belt 661, a retracting tray 670, discharge rollers 680 a and 680 b, a stacking tray 690, and a sample tray 695.
In the post-processing unit 500, a non-sort path 521, a sort path 522, a buffer path 523, and a saddle path 580, which are paths through which the paper P passes in the conveyance process, are formed.

  The post-processing unit 500 sequentially takes in the sheets P discharged from the image forming unit 200 after the toner image is fixed, aligns the plurality of sheets P that are taken in, and bundles them into one bundle. Further, post-processing such as one-side binding and binding processing for binding the ends of the paper P in units of copies with the bundled paper as one copy, and saddle-stitch binding processing for binding the center of the paper bundle with a staple needle and folding it in two from the center. Do. Further, post-processing such as bag binding processing for binding the opening portion of the sheet bundle after saddle stitch binding processing and non-sorting for discharging paper without performing the binding processing is performed. Details of each of these post-processing will be described later.

  The entrance roller pair 502 takes in the paper P discharged from the image forming unit 200 by being rotationally driven into the post-processing unit 500. The paper P taken in by the inlet roller pair 502 is conveyed to the buffer roller 505 via the conveying roller pairs 503 and 504. A conveyance sensor 531 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path between the entrance roller pair 502 and the conveyance roller pair 503. Each transport sensor including the transport sensor 531 detects the passage of the paper P.

  The buffer roller 505 is a roller that rotates in a predetermined rotation direction and can stack and wind a predetermined number of sheets P conveyed at any time during the rotation on the outer peripheral surface. The pressing rollers 512, 513, and 514 arranged to face the outer peripheral surface of the buffer roller 505 press the paper P against the outer peripheral surface of the buffer roller 505. As a result, the paper P is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the buffer roller 505. The wound paper P is conveyed in the rotation direction of the buffer roller 505.

A switching flapper 511 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path between the pressing roller 513 and the pressing roller 514, and a switching flapper is arranged in the middle of the conveyance path between the pressing roller 514 and the conveyance roller pair 506. 510 is deployed.
The switching flapper 510 and the switching flapper 511 operate so that their ends abut against the outer peripheral surface of the buffer roller 505 or cancel the abutted state. When the end portions of the switching flapper 510 and the switching flapper 511 are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the buffer roller 505, the paper P wound around the buffer roller 505 is peeled off from the outer peripheral surface. The sheet P peeled off from the buffer roller 505 by the switching flapper 510 is guided to the sort path 522. The paper P peeled off from the buffer roller 505 by the switching flapper 511 is guided to the non-sort path 521. If the switching flapper 510 and the switching flapper 511 are in a state in which the end of the buffer roller 505 is not in contact with the outer peripheral surface, the paper P wound around the buffer roller 505 is guided to the buffer path 523 without being peeled off.

  The paper P guided to the non-sort path 521 is discharged to the sample tray 695 via the conveyance roller pair 509. In the middle of the non-sort path 521, a transport sensor 533 is provided. The paper P guided to the sort path 522 is discharged onto the processing tray 630 via the conveyance roller pair 506 and 507. In the middle of the sort path 522, a transport sensor 534 is provided. A conveyance sensor 532 is provided in the middle of the buffer path 523.

Here, the one-side binding bookbinding process, which is an example of post-processing, will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4A is a diagram for explaining a state of a sheet bundle when the one-side binding and bookbinding process is performed by the post-processing unit 500. A bundle of sheets P stacked on the processing tray 630 is reversely conveyed in the conveyance direction to a position shown in FIG. 4A by a knurled belt 661 and a paddle 660 driven in synchronization with the conveyance roller pair 507. Pulled back in the direction.
The alignment members 641 provided on the front side (the lower side in FIG. 4A) and the rear side (the upper side in FIG. 4A) on the processing tray 630 are movable in directions perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the paper P, respectively. To do. Each of the alignment members 641 performs an alignment process of pressing the edge of the paper P stacked on the processing tray 630 and aligning the edges of the paper P. A bundle of sheets aligned at the position shown in FIG. 4A is subjected to a binding process by pressing a predetermined binding portion by an eco stapler 550 described later disposed on the front side and the back side. Thereafter, the paper is discharged onto the stacking tray 690 by a discharge roller pair 680 including discharge rollers 680a and 680b.

Returning to FIG. 3, the discharge roller 680 b is supported by a swing guide 650, and the swing guide 650 swings so that the discharge roller 680 b comes into contact with the sheet bundle loaded on the processing tray 630. . The sheet bundle on the processing tray 630 is discharged to the stacking tray 690 by rotating together with the sheet discharge roller 680a while the sheet discharge roller 680b is in contact with the sheet bundle.
The appearance tray 670 protrudes upward when the paper P is stacked on the processing tray 630. As a result, the paper P discharged from the conveying roller pair 507 is prevented from drooping and returning poor, and the alignment of the paper P on the processing tray 630 is improved.

The switching flapper 584 sorts the paper P taken into the post-processing unit 500 via the inlet roller pair 502 so that it is transported toward the buffer roller 505 or toward the saddle path 580. . The sheet P conveyed to the saddle path 580 is conveyed to a saddle processing tray 588 via a saddle conveyance roller pair 581. A conveyance sensor 589 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path between the inlet roller pair 502 and the saddle conveyance roller pair 581.
A plurality of sheets of paper P conveyed to the saddle processing tray 588 are collected, and the central portion of the paper P is bound by a staple needle by a saddle stitcher 586 having a saddle stitching function. Thereafter, the abutting plate 587 is abutted against the paper P bound by the staple, and the folding process is performed by the folding roller pair 582. Thus, saddle stitch binding processing is performed. The sheet bundle that has been saddle stitched is conveyed by a pair of folding rollers 582 and a pair of saddle discharge rollers 583.
The switching flapper 585 allows the sheet P conveyed from the buffer roller 505 to be conveyed toward the processing tray 630, and processes the sheet bundle subjected to saddle stitch binding processing conveyed from the saddle discharge roller pair 583. It sorts so that it may be conveyed toward tray 630. The sheet bundle that has been subjected to the saddle stitch binding process is discharged onto the processing tray 630 via the conveyance roller pair 507.

Here, the bag binding process which is an example of the post-process will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4B is a diagram for explaining the state of the sheet bundle when the post-binding unit 500 performs the bag binding process.
A bundle of sheets that have been saddle stitched and discharged onto the processing tray 630 is conveyed to a position as shown in FIG. 4B by a knurled belt 661 and a paddle 660 that are driven in synchronization with the pair of conveying rollers 507. Is pulled back in the opposite direction. Thereafter, alignment processing is performed by the alignment member 641. The sheet bundle aligned at the position shown in FIG. 4B is a predetermined bag positioned on the opposite side of the portion stapled by the staple 802 by an eco-stapler 550, which will be described later, disposed on the front side and the back side. The binding portion is pressurized and a bag binding process is performed. The pressurizing force (pressing force) in the case of the bag binding process is pressed with a weaker force than that in the case of the one-side binding process shown in FIG. Thereafter, the paper is discharged onto the stacking tray 690 by a discharge roller pair 680 including discharge rollers 680a and 680b.

  In the post-processing unit 500 of the image forming system 10 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to perform bag binding in which an end portion is crimped to the opening side of the folded sheet P or sheet bundle without performing the saddle stitching process. . Further, the sheet bundle after the saddle stitch bookbinding process can be directly discharged onto the stacking tray 690 without performing the bag binding process.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the stacking tray 690 is configured to be movable up and down by a driving force of a tray lifting motor M12 described later. The paper surface detection sensor 540 can detect the surface of the stacking tray 690 where the paper P is not stacked or the top surface of the paper P stacked on the tray. The tray lifting / lowering motor M12 is driven in accordance with the detection result of the paper surface detection sensor 540, whereby the stacking tray 690 is controlled so that the uppermost surface of the paper P stacked on the tray is maintained at a fixed position. The paper presence / absence detection sensor 541 is provided on the stacking tray 690 and detects the presence / absence of the paper P on the stacking tray 690. The sample tray 695 is not movable up and down like the stacking tray 690, and is fixed at the position shown in FIG.

[Eco stapler]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the eco stapler 550. FIG. 5A is a diagram when the eco-stapler 550 is viewed from one direction, and FIG. 5B is a diagram when the eco-stapler 550 is viewed from the other direction. Note that FIG. 5B shows the eco staple motor M13 shown in FIG. In the post-processing unit 500 of this embodiment, two eco-staplers 550 are provided in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the paper P as shown in FIG. Since both have the same configuration, only one eco stapler 550 will be described. In addition, it is possible to provide a configuration in which a single eco stapler is provided, a function of moving the eco stapler along the rear edge of the sheet, and a binding process is performed at a plurality of locations.

  As shown in FIG. 5A, the eco stapler 550 includes an eco staple motor M13, gears 551 and 555, step gears 552, 553, and 554, and a rotation shaft 556. The eco stapler 550 also includes a cam 557, a roller 558, an upper arm 559, an upper tooth 1010, a shaft 1011, a lower arm 1012, a frame 1013, and a lower tooth 1014, as shown in FIG.

The rotational force (driving force) of the eco staple motor M13 is transmitted to the gear 555 through the gear 551 and the step gears 552, 553, and 554. The gear 555 is attached to the rotation shaft 556 and rotates together.
As shown in FIG. 5B, a cam 557 is attached to the rotating shaft 556 to which a rotational force is given by the eco staple motor M13. The rotational force transmitted to the cam 557 operates the upper arm 559 via the roller 558. An upper tooth 1010 is attached to the upper arm 559 and swings about the shaft 1011. The lower arm 1012 is fixed to the frame 1013. Further, lower teeth 1014 are attached to the lower arm 1012. As the upper arm 559 swings, the upper teeth 1010 and the lower teeth 1014 mesh and pressurize. The binding portion of the sheet bundle is pressurized at the meshing position of the upper teeth 1010 and the lower teeth 1014. The pressed paper bundle is stretched to expose the fibers on the surface, and further pressed to fasten the fibers of the paper P by being entangled with each other. In this way, a bundle of sheets P can be fastened without using staples.

[Adjustment of Eco stapler binding pressure]
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method for adjusting the pressing force when binding a bundle of sheets with the eco-stapler 550. FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram showing a positional relationship among the upper arm 559, the lower arm 1012 and the cam 557 when the eco stapler 550 is in a standby state. In this state, a constant gap is maintained between the lower teeth 1014 and the upper teeth 1010 by the action of a spring (not shown). 6B, 6 </ b> C, and 6 </ b> D are schematic diagrams illustrating the positional relationship among the upper arm 559, the lower arm 1012, and the cam 557 when executing eco-stapling, that is, when pressing the binding portion of the sheet bundle. FIG. When the eco-staple is executed, the rotation shaft 556 rotates in the direction of arrow A, so that the cam 557 pushes up the upper arm 559 and the lower teeth 1014 and the upper teeth 1010 are engaged with each other. In FIG. 6B, the interval between the lower arm 1012 and the upper arm 559 located in the vertical direction from the center of the rotation shaft 556 is the interval y1. Further, when the rotation shaft 556 rotates in the direction of arrow A, the distance between the lower arm 1012 and the upper arm 559 is displaced to the distances y2 and y3 as shown in FIGS. 6 (c) and 6 (d).

  Here, the relationship between the distances y1, y2, and y3 is “y1 <y2 <y3”, and the larger the distance between the lower arm 1012 and the upper arm 559, the greater the force with which the lower teeth 1014 and the upper teeth 1010 mesh (binding pressure). Becomes larger. That is, the binding pressure continuously increases in the order of FIGS. 6B, 6C, and 6D. In the post-processing unit 500 of the image forming system 10 of the present embodiment, the binding pressure of the eco stapler 550 can be adjusted in three stages of FIGS. 6B, 6C, and 6D. 6B. In order to return from the respective pressurized states of FIGS. 6B, 6C, and 6D to the standby state of FIG. 6A, the rotating shaft 556 is rotated in the direction of arrow B.

FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the position control of the cam 557. 7A, 7B, 7C and 7D is a rotating disk for detecting the position of the cam 557. The turntable 1101 is fixedly disposed on the rotation shaft 556 of the cam 557 and rotates at the same phase as the cam 557. The flag 1102 is attached to the turntable 1101, and the cam position detection sensor 590 detects the flag 1102 to detect the position of the cam 557.
Here, the positional relationship among the cam 557, the turntable 1101, and the flag 1102 shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, 7C, and 7D is respectively shown in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C. This corresponds to the state shown in (d). FIG. 7A shows a case where the eco stapler 550 is in a standby state, and the cam position detection sensor 590 detects the flag 1102. From this standby state, the state of the cam 557 and the rotating disk 1101 when the rotating shaft 556 is rotated in the direction of arrow A for t1, t2, and t3 hours, respectively, is as shown in FIGS. 12 (b), 12 (c), and 12 (d). It becomes a state. Further, by rotating the rotating shaft 556 in the opposite direction from each state and stopping the rotation at the timing when the cam position detection sensor 590 detects the flag 1102, the standby state of FIG.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration example of the image forming unit 200 and the post-processing unit 500 of the image forming system 10.
A system control unit 212 in FIG. 8 includes a CPU circuit unit 213. The CPU circuit unit 213 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, and a RAM 203. The system control unit 212 is a kind of computer that controls each unit of the image forming unit 200 and the post-processing unit 500 of the image forming system 10 by the CPU 201 executing a predetermined control program recorded in the ROM 202.
The image forming unit 200 receives an image forming instruction from the host computer 211 via the operation unit 600 or the communication controller 210. The received image formation instruction is exchanged with job information in the CPU circuit unit 213 of the system control unit 212. In addition, various programs stored in the ROM 202 are executed according to instructions from the system control unit 212 based on the job information.

  For image formation, the system control unit 212 includes a color photosensitive drum driving motor 111, a black photosensitive drum driving motor 102, a laser scanner 100, a fixing roller driving motor 108, a fixing device 107, and a document in the image forming unit 200. Controls the reading unit 300 and the like. The system control unit 212 also functions as a control unit that outputs a job accompanying execution of post-processing to the post-processing unit 500 and controls execution of post-processing including drive control of the post-processing unit 500. In order to allow the post-processing unit 500 to function as an independent post-processing device, a configuration including a CPU circuit unit and a communication controller (not shown) can be employed. This increases the degree of freedom of connection with the image forming apparatus. In this case, the post-processing apparatus acquires a job that involves post-processing execution from the system control unit 212 via a communication controller (not shown).

  The entrance motor M1 of the post-processing unit 500 drives the entrance roller pair 502 and the transport roller pairs 503 and 504, respectively. The buffer motor M2 drives the buffer roller 505. The paper discharge motor M3 drives the conveyance roller pairs 506, 507, and 509, respectively. The saddle transport motor M10 drives the saddle transport roller pair 581. The solenoid S1 drives the switching flapper 511. The solenoid S2 drives the switching flapper 510, the solenoid S3 drives the switching flapper 584, and the solenoid S4 drives the switching flapper 585. The conveyance sensors 531, 532, 533, 534, and 589 detect the passage of the paper P in the conveyance paths in which the conveyance sensors are arranged.

  The bundle discharge motor M4 drives the discharge roller pair 680. The front alignment motor M5 and the rear alignment motor M6 drive the alignment member 641 corresponding to each. The paddle motor M7 drives the paddle 660. The swing motor M8 drives the swing guide 650. The saddle staple motor M9 drives a saddle stitcher 586. The eco staple motor M13 gives a driving force for the operation of the eco stapler 550 by rotating the rotating shaft 556 forward or backward. The folding motor M14 drives the pair of folding rollers 582 and the pair of saddle discharge rollers 583. The thrust motor M15 drives the thrust plate 587. The in / out tray motor M11 drives the in / out tray 670. The tray lifting / lowering motor M12 lifts and lowers the stacking tray 690 by the driving force. The paper surface detection sensor 540 detects the uppermost surface of the paper P stacked on the stacking tray 690. The paper presence / absence detection sensor 541 detects the presence / absence of the paper P on the stacking tray 690. Further, the binding pressure during operation of the eco stapler 550 can be adjusted by controlling the rotation of the rotary shaft 556 using the cam position detection sensor 590 and the eco staple motor M13.

[Binding mode selection]
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen on which the user selects a post-processing type (binding mode selection).
A screen 700 shown in FIG. 9 is displayed on the display screen of the operation unit 600 when the user starts printing. For example, by arbitrarily selecting from a plurality of binding modes displayed on the screen 700, an input of the binding mode from the user is accepted. A selection key 701 on the screen 700 is a bookbinding binding mode representing post-processing of “single-side binding”, a selection key 702 is post-processing of “saddle binding”, and a selection key 703 is post-processing of “bag binding”. This is a bag binding mode. Each time each selection key is touched, the setting state is reversed to the non-setting state or from the non-setting state to the setting state. Note that the selection keys 701, 702, and 703 cannot simultaneously set a plurality of modes, and only the last selected key is set. An OK key 704 is a key for confirming the setting. A clear key 705 is a key for setting the selection keys 701, 702, and 703 to a non-setting state. The post-processing unit 500 performs post-processing according to an instruction from the system control unit 212 based on this setting.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for describing a sheet bundle (output product) that has been post-processed in each binding mode.
The output shown in FIG. 10A is an output when “single-side binding” is selected, and the binding portion 801 is crimped and bound by the eco-stapler 550. The output product shown in FIG. 10B is an output product when “saddle binding” is selected. The center portion of the paper P is bound by the staple needle 802 by the saddle stitcher 586, and then the veneer plate 587. The book is folded in two by a pair of folding rollers 582 (saddle binding). The output product shown in FIG. 10C is an output product in the case where “bag binding” is selected, and the opening portion (end portion on the spread side) of the saddle stitched sheet bundle is crimped by the eco-stapler 550. ing. A staple 802 shown in FIG. 10C is a staple in the saddle stitch bookbinding process. Further, the binding portion 803 is pressure-bonded by the eco stapler 550 with a weaker force than the binding portion 801 shown in FIG.

FIGS. 11 and 12 are flowcharts showing an example of a control processing procedure of the image forming system 10. The processing of each step described below is stored in the ROM 202 as a control program, for example, and is executed by the CPU 201. The image forming system 10 will be described assuming that necessary initial settings have been completed in the activated state.
In step S901, the system control unit 212 determines whether printing has been started in response to reception of an image formation instruction (S901). When printing is started (S901: YES), the mode information of the binding mode selected by the user is stored in the RAM 203 (S902). In the present embodiment, the mode information stored in the RAM 203 is any one of “one-side binding”, “saddle binding”, and “bag binding” selected by the user via the screen 700 shown in FIG.
The system control unit 212 clears the counter N indicating the number of printed sheets (N = 0) (S903). The system control unit 212 instructs the image forming unit 200 to form an image on the paper P according to the image data obtained by reading, and the image-formed paper P is transferred to the entrance roller pair 502 of the post-processing unit 500. Then, it is conveyed (S904). The system control unit 212 directs the image-formed paper P delivered to the post-processing unit 500 via the inlet roller pair 502 in the transport direction according to the mode information stored in the RAM 203 in the process of step S902. Transport (S905). The conveyance direction of the image-formed paper P in step S905 will be described with reference to FIG.

In the post-processing unit 500 shown in FIG. 13A, a paper transport path I indicated by an arrow line is a transport path of the paper P when the user does not select the binding mode, that is, when post-processing is not required. is there. In this case, the switching flappers 511 and 584 are switched so that the paper P is discharged to the sample tray 695.
In the post-processing unit 500 shown in FIG. 13B, a sheet conveyance path II indicated by an arrow line is a conveyance path of the sheet P when the user selects “one-side binding”. In this case, the switching flappers 511, 510, 584, and 585 are switched so that the paper P is discharged to the processing tray 630.
In the post-processing unit 500 shown in FIG. 13C, a sheet conveyance path III indicated by an arrow line is a conveyance path of the sheet P when the user selects “saddle binding” or “bag binding”. In this case, the switching flapper 584 is switched so that the paper P is conveyed to the saddle processing tray 588.

  Returning to FIG. 11, the system control unit 212 increments a counter N indicating the number of printed sheets in order to measure the number of sheet bundles (the number of sheets P constituting one copy) as a post-processing execution unit (S906). ). The system control unit 212 determines whether or not the sheet P transported toward the post-processing unit 500 is the last page of one copy (S907). If it is determined that it is not the last page of one copy (S907: NO), the process returns to step S904, and image formation of the next page is performed. If it is determined that the last page is one copy (S907: YES), the process proceeds to step S908. In the processing after the processing in step S908 (FIG. 12), post-processing is executed according to the mode information stored in the RAM 203.

  The system control unit 212 determines whether or not the mode information stored in the RAM 203 is a bag binding setting (S908). If it is the bag binding setting (S908: YES), the saddle stitching and folding process is performed (S909). If not (S908: NO), it is determined whether the saddle stitch bookbinding setting is set (S914). If saddle stitch bookbinding is set (S910: YES), saddle stitching and folding processing is performed (S915). Otherwise (S916: NO), it is determined whether or not one-side binding is set (S916). If it is one-side binding setting (S916: YES), the system control unit 212 determines the binding pressure for bookbinding (S917). Otherwise (S916: NO), it is determined whether or not the job has ended (S913).

For example, if the user does not select the binding setting, the process from step S908 (S908: NO) to step S914 (S914: NO), step S916 (S916: NO), and step S913 are performed. Proceed to
If the user selects “one-sided binding”, the process from step S908 (S908: NO) to step S914 (S914: NO) and step S916 (S916: YES) is followed by step S917. Proceed to The system control unit 212 determines the pressure applied to the binding unit 801 when the eco-stapler 550 binds the sheet bundle (S917). This applied pressure is adjusted by the rotation time of the cam 557 shown in FIG. That is, it is adjusted by selecting one of the times t1, t2, and t3 for driving the eco staple motor M13 from the standby state of FIG. The adjustment of the applied pressure will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a processing procedure for adjusting the pressing force of the eco stapler 550. A case where “one-side binding” is selected by the user will be described as an example.
The system control unit 212 acquires mode information stored in the RAM 203 (S1301). The binding mode here is “one-side binding”. The system control unit 212 acquires the value of the number counter N (S1302). Thereafter, the driving time of the eco-staple motor M13 is determined with reference to the table shown in FIG. 15 (S1303).
FIG. 15 is a table showing the driving time of the eco staple motor M13 corresponding to the mode information (binding mode) stored in the ROM 202 and the number of bindings. The mode information acquired in the process of step S1301 is “one-side binding”. Therefore, the driving time of the eco staple motor M13 is t2 when the number counter N is 2 to 8, and t3 when the number counter 9 is 9 to 16. The relationship between t1 and t3 is t1 <t2 <t3. In the present embodiment, when the number of sheets to be bound is 17 or more, the binding process by the eco stapler 550 is not performed. The table shown in FIG. 15 may be provided in the post-processing apparatus.

  Returning to FIG. 12, the system control unit 212 drives the eco-staple motor M13 for the time (t2 or t3) determined in the process of step S917. As a result, the eco-stapler 550 presses the sheet bundle (S918). Thereafter, the sheet bundle that has been crimped and bound on one side is discharged to the stacking tray 690 (S919), and the process proceeds to step S913.

  If the user selects “saddle binding”, the process proceeds from step S908 (S908: NO) to step S914 (S914: YES) to step S915. The CPU 201 performs a saddle stitch bookbinding process in which the center portion of the sheet bundle is bound with a staple and is folded in two from the center (S915). After that, the saddle stitched sheet bundle is discharged onto the stacking tray 690 (S919), and the process proceeds to step S913. When the user selects “saddle stitching”, the path from the saddle stitching process to the discharge to the stacking tray 690 is an arrow line A shown in FIG.

  When the user selects “bag binding”, the process proceeds from step S908 (S908: YES) to step S909. The system control unit 212 executes a saddle stitching process in which the center portion of the sheet bundle is bound with a staple and is folded in two from the center (S909). Thereafter, the sheet bundle subjected to the saddle stitching process is conveyed toward the processing tray 630, and the process proceeds to step S910. A path from the saddle stitching process to the conveyance to the processing tray 630 is an arrow line B shown in FIG.

The system control unit 212 doubles the value of the sheet count N (S910). The system control unit 212 determines the pressure applied to the binding unit 803 when binding the sheet bundle with the eco-stapler 550 (S911). The applied pressure in this case will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
The system control unit 212 acquires mode information stored in the RAM 203 (S1301). Here, the binding mode is “bag binding”. The system control unit 212 acquires the value of the number counter N (S1302). Thereafter, the driving time of the eco-staple motor M13 is determined with reference to the table shown in FIG. 15 (S1303).
Here, the mode information acquired in the process of step S1301 is “bag binding”. Therefore, the driving time of the eco staple motor M13 is t1 when the number of binding sheets is 2 to 8, and t2 when the binding number is 9 to 16. In the case of bag binding, the number of sheets to be bound is a value obtained by doubling the value of the sheet count N because the sheet bundle is folded in two.

  Note that the pressure applied when binding the sheet bundle with the eco-stapler 550 has a relationship of “t1 <t2 <t3”. Therefore, if the number of sheets to be bound is the same, the pressing force at the time of “bag binding” is always adjusted to be smaller than the pressing force at the time of “single-side binding”. For example, when the number of sheets to be bound is “2 to 8”, since “t1 <t2”, the relationship of “pressing force at the time of bag binding <pressing force at the time of one-side binding” is established. Similarly, in the case of “9 to 16 sheets”, since “t2 <t3”, the relationship is “pressure applied during bag binding <pressure applied during one-side binding”.

The system control unit 212 drives the eco-staple motor M13 for the time (t1 or t2) determined in the process of step S911, whereby the eco-stapler 550 performs pressure bonding (bag binding) of the sheet bundle (S912). Thereafter, the sheet bundle that has been crimped and bound on one side is discharged to the stacking tray 690 (S919), and the process proceeds to step S913. A path from the bag binding process to discharging to the stacking tray 690 is an arrow line C shown in FIG.
The system control unit 212 determines whether there is an unfinished job (S913). If there is an unfinished job (S913: NO), the process returns to step S903. If there is no unfinished job, that is, if the job is finished (S913: YES), a series of processing is finished.

As described above, in the image forming system 10 according to the present embodiment, the pressing force when binding a bundle of sheets is adjusted to a pressing force suitable for the binding mode depending on the type of binding mode, and the eco-stapler 550 uses the adjusted pressing force to cause the paper to be printed on the paper. Crimp the bundle. Specifically, when crimping the binding portion 803 at the time of bag binding, the binding is performed with a weaker pressure than in the case of one-side binding. Thereby, the bag binding part 803 can be easily opened. Therefore, the bag-bound paper P can be smoothly opened without being damaged.
The control of the post-processing unit described above may be executed by a CPU provided in the post-processing unit.

  The embodiment described above is for explaining the present invention more specifically, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to these examples.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Image forming system, 200 ... Image forming part, 201 ... CPU, 202 ... ROM, 203 ... RAM, 212 ... Image forming system control part, 213 ... CPU circuit 500, post-processing section, 550, eco-stapler, 557, cam, 580, saddle pass, 581, saddle conveying roller pair, 582, folding roller pair, 583, Saddle discharge roller pair, 586... Saddle stitcher, 587... Thrust plate, 588... Saddle processing tray, 590... Cam position detection sensor, 600. Tray, P ... paper.

Claims (12)

An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet material, and a post-processing in which a plurality of sheet materials on which an image is formed are set as one part, sandwiched between upper and lower teeth that mesh with each other, and pressed and pressed by pressing In an image forming system comprising a post-processing device for performing
Receiving means for receiving input of mode information representing a type of post-processing to be performed by the post-processing device;
A binding pressure adjusting means for adjusting a binding pressure at the time of crimping based on the mode information received by the receiving means;
Control means for transmitting a job accompanied by execution of post-processing by the adjusted binding pressure to the post-processing device and performing post-processing by the job,
Image forming system. The accepting means is a bag that crimps the spread-side end when the one-part sheet material is bound, or mode information indicating a binding mode for binding the end part of the one-part sheet material. It accepts mode information indicating the bag binding mode to be bound,
The binding pressure adjusting means adjusts the binding pressure in the bag binding mode to be smaller than the binding pressure in the bookbinding binding mode.
The image forming system according to claim 2. And further comprises a folding means for folding the sheet material,
Post-processing of the bag binding mode is characterized in that the end of the opening side of the sheet material folded by the folding means is crimped into bag binding.
The image forming system according to claim 2. The accepting means accepts the number of sheet materials constituting the one part to be post-processed by the post-processing device,
The binding pressure adjusting means adjusts the binding pressure so as to be pressure-bonded with a pressure corresponding to the number of sheets constituting the part.
The image forming system according to claim 1, 2 or 3. Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet material;
A plurality of sheet materials on which an image is formed are set as one part, sandwiched between upper teeth and lower teeth that are meshed with each other, and the sheet material is directed toward a post-processing device that performs post-processing by pressing and binding by pressing. A transport mechanism for transporting;
Receiving means for receiving input of mode information indicating a type of the post-processing to be performed by the post-processing device;
Control means for transmitting information representing the binding pressure when the crimping is performed on the basis of the mode information received by the receiving means to the post-processing device, and performing post-processing by the job,
Image forming apparatus. The accepting means is a bag that crimps the spread-side end when the one-part sheet material is bound, or mode information indicating a binding mode for binding the end part of the one-part sheet material. It accepts mode information indicating the bag binding mode to be bound,
The binding pressure adjusting means adjusts the binding pressure in the bag binding mode to be smaller than the binding pressure in the bookbinding binding mode.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5. The post-processing apparatus has a folding means for folding the sheet material,
Post-processing of the bag binding mode is characterized in that the end of the opening side of the sheet material folded by the folding means is crimped into bag binding.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 6. The accepting means accepts the number of sheet materials constituting the one part to be post-processed by the post-processing device,
The binding pressure adjusting means adjusts the binding pressure so as to be pressure-bonded with a pressure corresponding to the number of sheets constituting the part.
The image forming apparatus according to claim 5, 6 or 7. A plurality of sheet materials on which images are formed are set as one part, sandwiched between upper and lower teeth that are meshed with each other, and the binding pressure at the time of pressure bonding is adjusted by pressurization, and the adjusted binding pressure Acquisition means for acquiring a job accompanied by execution of post-processing by an external device;
Post-processing means for performing the post-processing;
Control means for performing post-processing with the adjusted binding pressure in accordance with the acquired job,
Post-processing device. The job acquired by the acquisition means is a post-binding process that binds and binds an end portion of the one sheet material, or a spread-side end portion when the one sheet material is bound. This is a job that involves execution of post-bag binding processing.
The post-processing means, when performing the bag binding post-processing, press-bonds with a binding pressure smaller than the binding pressure in the case of the bookbinding binding post-processing,
The post-processing apparatus according to claim 9. A folding means for folding the sheet material;
The bag binding post-processing by the post-processing means is characterized by crimping the end portion on the opening side of the sheet material folded by the folding means into bag binding,
The post-processing apparatus according to claim 10. The post-processing means is configured to perform pressure bonding with the adjusted binding pressure adjusted according to the number of sheets constituting the part,
The post-processing apparatus according to claim 9, 10 or 11.

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