JP2015093761A - Sheet processing device, image formation device and image formation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sheet processing device capable of bundling an entire sheet to be processed as one booklet even when the number of sheets to be processed exceeds a possible number of sheets to be bound by binding means, while preventing size increase of the device.SOLUTION: In a sheet processing device including loading means for loading a plurality of sheets and binding means 210 for bundling a sheet bundle composed of the plurality of sheets loaded by the loading means, when the number of sheets to be processed exceeds a possible number of sheets to be bound by the binding means 210, a sheet bundle of the sheet bundle to be processed is initially bound with the number of sheets equal to or less than the possible number of sheets to be bound, and then, while displacing a binding position of the binding means 210, a sheet bundle including at least one sheet of the bound sheet bundle precedingly bound and subsequent sheets is sequentially bound with the number of sheets equal to or less than the possible number of sheets to be bound.

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that processes sheets, an image forming apparatus including the sheet processing apparatus, and an image forming system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of sheet processing apparatus, a sheet processing apparatus that binds a sheet bundle to be processed including sheets such as a plurality of sheets by a binding unit is known. In this sheet processing apparatus, sheets are bound together by binding a sheet bundle with a stapler as a binding means using metal needles, or by strongly engaging a sheet bundle with a pair of crimping members as binding means without using metal needles. To bind a sheet bundle.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a finishing apparatus (sheet processing apparatus) including a stapler as a binding unit that binds a bundle of sheets and a bookbinding apparatus that performs a bookbinding process such as a gluing process in which the number of sheets that can be processed is larger than that of the stapler. ing. In this finishing apparatus, it is possible to automatically select whether to perform the binding process by the stapler or to perform the bookbinding process by the bookbinding apparatus based on the number of sheet bundles to be processed.

In general, the binding means for binding the sheet bundle has a limit on the number of sheets that can be bound at one time (the number of sheets that can be bound).
Therefore, as a process when the number of sheet bundles to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means, the sheet bundle is divided as a separate volume, or is bound one by one without binding the remainder after binding the number of sheets that can be bound. A process of discharging or stopping the binding process itself can be considered. It is also conceivable that the sheet supply for supplying the sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed to the sheet processing apparatus is stopped halfway. However, when these processes are performed, as a result, the entire sheet bundle to be processed cannot be combined into one booklet.
In the sheet processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the number of sheet bundles to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the stapler, the bookbinding apparatus is selected and processed, and the entire sheet bundle to be processed is processed into one booklet. Can be summarized as: However, in the sheet processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to provide a bookbinding apparatus, a branching mechanism for branching the sheet into the stapler and the bookbinding apparatus, and the apparatus becomes large.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and its object is to prevent the enlargement of the apparatus and to process the object even when the number of sheets to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus capable of collecting the entire sheet as one booklet.

  To achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a sheet comprising a stacking unit that stacks a plurality of sheets, and a binding unit that binds a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets stacked by the stacking unit. In the processing apparatus, when the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding unit, the sheet bundle of the number to be processed that is processed first among the sheet bundles to be processed is bound. Thereafter, the sheet bundle including at least one sheet of the bound sheet bundle that has been subjected to the preceding binding process and the subsequent sheet is sequentially bound to the binding processable number or less while shifting the binding position of the binding unit. It is characterized by comprising a binding process control means for controlling to follow.

  According to the present invention, the entire sheets to be processed can be combined into one booklet even when the number of sheets to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means, while preventing the apparatus from becoming large.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are schematic configuration diagrams illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating a configuration example of a sheet post-processing apparatus of the image forming system according to the present embodiment. The front view of the paper post-processing apparatus. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a home position of a branching claw that branches a sheet received by the sheet post-processing apparatus. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a position of a branching claw when a sheet received by a sheet post-processing device is branched into a branch path. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the binding tool in the state where the tooth type was opened, and its drive mechanism. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the binding tool of the state with which the tooth type | mold was closed, and its drive mechanism. (A) And (b) is the top view and front view which respectively show the mode of the inside of the paper post-processing apparatus in which the initialization process was completed. (A) And (b) is the top view and front view which respectively show the mode of the inside of a paper post-processing apparatus when the paper is received. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when a position in the width direction of the sheet is positioned, respectively. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when the position of the trailing end of the sheet is positioned, respectively. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when a subsequent sheet is received, respectively. (A) And (b) is the top view and front view which respectively show the mode of the inside of a paper post-processing apparatus when the subsequent paper is received further. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus before the sheet bundle alignment process is completed and the binding process is started, respectively. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view illustrating an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when the discharge of the sheet bundle after the binding process is completed, respectively. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view illustrating an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when discharging of a bound sheet bundle is completed and an initialization process is performed, respectively. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when the fifth sheet P5, which is the maximum number of sheets that can be bound by the binding tool, is conveyed. FIGS. 7A and 7B are plan views showing the inside of the sheet post-processing apparatus when the fifth sheet P5 is switched back and the position in the transport direction is shifted from the preceding sheets P1 to P4. And a front view. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus during a first binding operation performed on the preceding sheets P1 to P5, respectively. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when the sheet bundle PB1 of the bound sheets P1 to P5 is switched back to align the conveyance direction, respectively. (A) and (b) are planes showing the internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when the sheet bundle PB1 of the bound sheets P1 to P5 is waited and the next sixth sheet P6 is carried in, respectively. FIG. (A) and (b) are plan views showing the inside of the sheet post-processing apparatus when the final sixth sheet P6 is aligned to form a sheet bundle PB of six sheets P1 to P6. And a front view. (A) and (b) respectively show the inside of the sheet post-processing apparatus during the second binding operation for binding the uppermost sheet P5 of the bound sheet bundle PB1 and the subsequent sixth sheet P6. The top view and front view which show a mode. FIGS. 7A and 7B are a plan view and a front view showing an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus when the sheet bundle PB is discharged, respectively. (A) And (b) is the top view and side view which respectively show the state of the sheet | seat bundle completed by the crimping | binding process. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of a control system of a sheet post-processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating another configuration example of an image forming system including a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating still another configuration example of an image forming system including a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A)-(d) is explanatory drawing explaining the processing operation | movement after the 2nd set in the paper post-processing apparatus of FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
1A and 1B are schematic configuration diagrams illustrating an example of the overall configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
An image forming system 100 in FIG. 1A includes a sheet post-processing apparatus 201 as a sheet processing apparatus (sheet processing means) inside an image forming apparatus 101 as an image forming means for forming an image on a sheet based on an input image. This is a configuration example incorporating The sheet post-processing apparatus 201 in FIG. 1A is also called an in-cylinder processing apparatus because it performs post-processing in the cylinder of the image forming apparatus 101.

  The image forming system 100 in FIG. 1B is a configuration example in which a sheet post-processing device 201 is connected to the outer surface of the image forming apparatus 101.

  The sheet post-processing apparatus 201 includes a pressure binding apparatus 280 that is a sheet binding apparatus that binds sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus main body 110. The detailed configuration and operation of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 will be described later.

  The sheet post-processing apparatus 201 of the present embodiment is small in size, and can be easily attached or arranged on the cylinder or on the side depending on the form of the image forming apparatus 101. Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 has an alignment function for overlapping and aligning sheets as sheets in the conveyance path, and a binding function for binding the aligned sheet bundle in the conveyance path.

  The image forming apparatus 101 includes an image forming apparatus main body 110, a reading engine unit 103, an automatic document feeder 104, and an operation display unit (not shown). The image forming apparatus main body 110 includes an image forming engine unit, an image processing unit, a controller, and a paper feeding unit. The reading engine unit 103 reads an image and converts it into image data. The automatic document feeder 104 automatically feeds a document read by the reading engine unit 103. The discharge of the sheet on which the image has been formed from the image forming apparatus 101 to the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 is performed by a discharge roller 102 of a discharge unit provided in the image forming apparatus main body 110. The discharge of the image-formed paper may be performed by a paper discharge unit provided outside the image forming apparatus 101.

  FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. 2 and 3, the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 includes an entrance sensor 202, an entrance roller 203, a branching claw 204, a binding tool 210 as a binding unit, and a discharge roller 205 from the entrance side along the 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, receives the sheet discharged by the sheet discharge roller 102 of the image forming apparatus 101, and carries the sheet into a binding tool 210 as a binding unit included in the crimping binding apparatus 280. It has the function to do. Further, 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.

  Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 is a binding process control that controls a driving unit (drive motor) (not shown) capable of controlling stop, rotation, and conveyance amount of the entrance roller 203 and the like, and the driving unit and the crimping binding device 280. A post-processing control unit 400 described later is also provided as means. Note that the post-processing control unit may not be provided in the paper post-processing apparatus 201 but may be provided in the image forming apparatus 101 connected to the paper post-processing apparatus 201.

  A branch claw 204 is disposed at the subsequent stage of the entrance roller 203. The branch claw 204 is provided to guide the rear end of the sheet to the branch path 241. In this case, after the trailing edge of the sheet has passed the branching path 241, the branching claw 204 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3 and transports the sheet in the direction opposite to the loading 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 in FIG. 3 and can press a sheet or a sheet bundle against the conveying 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 exit of the last stage 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 post-processing control unit. The paper discharge roller 205 is shifted by a shift mechanism 205M. 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.

  The shift link 206 is provided at the shaft end 205a of the paper discharge roller 205 and receives a shift moving force. The shift cam 207 has a shift cam stud 208 and is a rotating disk-shaped component. By the rotation of this component, the paper discharge roller 205 movably inserted into the shift link long hole portion 207a through the shift cam stud 208 moves in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction. This movement is a so-called shift.

  The shift cam stud 208 has a function of converting the rotational motion of the shift cam 207 into the linear motion of the paper discharge roller 205 in the axial direction in conjunction with the shift link slot 207a. 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 a post-processing control unit 400 described later.

  The binding tool 210 includes a paper edge 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 a bundle of sheets and is called a so-called stapler.

  The binding tool 210 according to the present embodiment has a binding function of a method in which a sheet is deformed by being sandwiched between a pair of tooth molds 261 and pressed to bind the fibers of the sheet. By using this binding type binding tool 210, the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 used as a so-called finisher of the image forming apparatus can perform binding processing on a single sheet like a crimped binding without using a metal needle. In the case of this binding method, supply consumption can be suppressed or recycled easily, and it can be directly applied to a shredder, which greatly contributes to resource saving. Note that the binding tool 210 is not limited to the above-described method of binding the fibers of the paper and binding, but also a binding tool (“stapler”) that is bound by other binding methods such as half-punching, cutting, bending, and passing through a hole. May be used).

  The paper edge detection sensor 220 is a sensor that detects the side edge of the paper, and aligns this sensor detection position as a reference when aligning the paper.

  The binding tool home position sensor 221 is a sensor that detects the position of the binding tool 210 that is movable in the paper width direction. The home position sensor 221 is a position where the binding tool 210 is positioned so as not to interfere with the conveyance of the maximum size paper. The position is detected and 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 as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance path 240 of the sheet post-processing device 201 from the home position to a position where the binding tool 210 can bind the sheet of the minimum sheet size. Yes.

  The binding tool 210 moves along the guide rail 230 by a moving mechanism including a drive motor (not shown).

  The conveyance path 240 is a conveyance path for conveying and discharging the received paper, and penetrates from the entrance side to the exit side of the paper post-processing apparatus 201. The branch path 241 is a transport path that reversely transports the paper (switches back) and carries it in from the rear end side, and branches from the transport path 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. The abutting surface 242, the conveyance path 240, the branch path 241, and the branch claw 204 divide and stack the sheet bundle into a plurality of individual sheet bundles made up of a smaller number of sheets than the binding tool 210 can process. It has a function as a loading means.

  The tooth mold 261 is a pair of pressure-bonding members including an upper tooth mold part 261a in which concave and convex tooth parts are arranged in a predetermined direction and a lower tooth mold part 261b in which concave and convex tooth parts are arranged in a predetermined direction (FIG. 6). , 7). The sheet bundle PB of each of the upper tooth mold part 261a and the lower tooth mold part 261b has a function of sandwiching and pressing the sheet bundle between the opposed tooth mold surfaces to perform pressure binding.

  2 and 3, the stacking means for stacking a plurality of sheets P to be bound is composed of an abutment surface 242, a transport path 240, a branch path 241 and a branch claw 204.

  4 and 5 are diagrams showing the main part of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 with the branching claw 204 as the center. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the details of the related mechanism when the branching claw 204 is in the paper transport state and showing the home position of the branching claw for branching the paper received by the paper post-processing device 201. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing details of the related mechanism when the paper is switched back, and showing the position of the branching claw when the paper received by the paper post-processing apparatus 201 is branched into the branch path.

  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 204b 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 hooked 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.

  The conveyance surface of the branch path 241 and the branch claw 204 hold the paper in the branch path 241 in a sandwiched state when the paper is transported to the branch path 241 in the state of FIG. can do.

  The transfer path is switched by turning on / off the branch solenoid 250. That is, when the branch solenoid 250 is turned on, the branch claw 204 rotates in the direction of the arrow R1 in FIG. 5, and the sheet can be guided to the branch path 241 by closing the conveyance path 240 and opening the branch path 241.

  6 and 7 are explanatory diagrams showing other examples of the configuration and operation of the binding tool 210, respectively. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the binding tool 210 and its driving mechanism with the tooth mold 261 open, and FIG. 7 shows an example of the binding tool 210 and its driving mechanism with the tooth mold 261 closed. It is explanatory drawing shown.

  In FIG. 6, the tooth mold 261 has an upper tooth mold portion 261a and a lower tooth mold portion 261b, and has a meshing shape. The upper tooth mold portion 261a is assembled to the tip of the movable link member 263. The lower tooth mold portion 261b is assembled to the fixed link member 264 so as to face the upper tooth mold portion 261a. The movable link member 263 is configured such that the tooth molds 261 come in contact with and separate from each other by the rotation of the pressure lever 262.

  The pressure lever 262 is rotated in the direction of arrow A3 in FIG. 7 by a cam 266 that rotates in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. The cam 266 is rotated by being applied with a driving force from the drive motor 265, and is controlled to be located at the detection position based on detection information of the cam home position sensor 267.

  The detection position of the cam home position sensor 267 is the home position (standby position) of the cam 266, and the tooth mold 261 is open at this position.

  When binding sheets, the operation is performed as shown in FIG. With the pair of teeth 261 open, the paper P is inserted between them, and the cam 266 is rotated in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. Due to the displacement of the cam surface, the pressure lever 262 rotates in the direction of arrow A3 in the figure. The rotational force increases through the movable link member 263 using a lever, and is transmitted to the upper tooth portion 261a at the end.

  When the cam 266 rotates by a certain amount, the upper tooth part 261a and the lower tooth part 261b are engaged with each other, and the paper P is pinched. By this clamping, the paper P is deformed and pressed, and the fibers of adjacent papers are entangled and bound.

  Thereafter, the drive motor 265 rotates in the reverse direction and stops at the detection position of the cam home position sensor 267. Further, the pressure lever 262 has a spring property, and is bent when an overload is applied, so that the overload is released.

  In the binding tool 210 having the configuration shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the binding force that is the force with which the pair of tooth molds 261 that hold the paper P so as to deform and press the paper P changes, and the fibers of the papers are intertwined to form a paper bundle. The binding strength when binding is changed. The binding force when the pair of teeth 261 are engaged with each other varies depending on the rotational force (torque) when the pressure lever 262 is rotated via the cam 266, that is, the torque (moment of force) generated by the drive motor 265. To do.

  The torque generated by the drive motor 265 changes according to the motor current supplied to the drive motor 265. Therefore, by controlling the motor current supplied to the drive motor 265, the binding force of the binding tool 210 is changed according to the binding mode such as the main binding mode and the temporary binding mode, and the binding strength of the sheet bundle is changed. be able to.

Next, an example of the binding operation of the paper post-processing apparatus 201 will be described.
8 to 16 are operation explanatory views showing the basic binding operation of online binding by the binding tool 210 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. FIG. 8 to 16 and FIGS. 17 to 24 to be described later, a part (a) is a plan view of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201, and a part (b) is a front view of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. is there.

  In this embodiment, online binding refers to a paper post-processing device 201 installed at a paper discharge port of the image forming apparatus 101 as shown in FIG. It means to continuously accept and align and perform the binding process.

  On the other hand, a sheet printed out from the image forming apparatus 101 or a sheet printed out separately can be bound by the binding tool 210 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. This binding method is referred to as manual binding. Manual binding is not included in the offline binding because it is not performed by a series of operations from the discharge of the image forming apparatus 101.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an internal state of the sheet post-processing apparatus after completion of the initialization process of the online binding operation. When the output of the paper on which the image is formed from the image forming apparatus 101 is started, each unit moves to the home position, and the initial process (operation) is completed. FIG. 8 shows the state at this time.

  FIG. 9 shows a state immediately after the first sheet P <b> 1 is discharged from the image forming apparatus 101 and carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. Before the first sheet P1 is carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 from the image forming apparatus 101, the post-processing control unit of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 controls sheet processing from the CPU (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 101. Receives mode information and paper information about the mode. And based on the information, it will be in an acceptance waiting state.

  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 transport direction in the standby state. Thus, the sheets P1,... Pn are sequentially conveyed and discharged, and after the final sheet Pn is discharged, the entrance roller 203 and the 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 discharge operation, the first sheet P1 is received and conveyed, and when the rear end of the first sheet P1 passes through the entrance roller 203, the shift cam 207 rotates by a certain amount and the discharge roller 205 moves in the axial direction. Move to. At this time, the first sheet P1 also moves together with the movement of the discharge roller 205.

  When the first sheet P1 is discharged, the shift cam 207 rotates to return to the home position, and prepares for the next loading of the second sheet P2. This shift operation of the paper discharge roller 205 is repeated until the discharge of the nth (final) paper Pn of the same portion is completed.

  As a result, the sheet bundle PB for one copy (one book) 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 P1 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, the first sheet P 1 is carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201, the leading end of the sheet is detected by the entrance sensor 202, and further strikes the nip of the entrance roller 203. Then, the first sheet P1 is conveyed by the sheet discharge roller 102 of the image forming apparatus 101 by a distance that causes a certain amount of bending from the abutted position. After being transported by the distance, the entrance roller 203 starts to rotate.

  Thereby, skew correction of the first sheet P1 is performed. FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B show the state at this time.

  FIG. 10 shows a state in which the rear end of the sheet leaves the nip of the entrance roller 203 and exceeds the branch path 241. The transport amount of the first sheet P1 is counted based on detection information by the entrance sensor 202 at the rear end of the sheet, and the position information of the sheet transport position is grasped by the post-processing control unit of the sheet post-processing device 201.

  When the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the nip of the entrance roller 203, the entrance roller 203 stops rotating to receive the next second sheet 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 discharge roller 205 starts to move in the axial direction with the first sheet P1 nipped. As a result, the first sheet P1 is conveyed while being skewed in the direction of arrow D1 in FIG.

  After that, when the paper end detection sensor 220 provided or incorporated in the binding tool 210 detects the side edge of the paper P1, the shift cam 207 stops and then reverses, and the paper end detection sensor 220 is in the non-detection state of the paper P1. The shift cam 207 stops. 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 shows a state when the paper P1 is switched back to align the transport direction of the paper P1. 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 first sheet P1 is switched back in the direction of the arrow D2, and the rear end of the sheet 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 first sheet P1 is aligned, the paper discharge roller 205 stops. At this time, the paper discharge roller 205 slips when the first sheet P1 hits the abutting surface 242 so that no conveying force is applied. That is, when the first sheet P1 is switched back and abuts against the abutting surface 242 and the rear end of the sheet is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, it is set so that the sheet is not further buckled and buckled. ing.

  FIG. 12 shows a state where the first sheet P1 is made to wait in the branch path 241 and the next second sheet P2 is carried in. After the preceding first sheet P1 is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, the branching claw 204 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R6 in the drawing. 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, which is positioned in the branch path 241, against the surface of the branch path 241, and stands by without moving. 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 first sheet P1. 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 shows 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. Then, 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 shows a state when the sheet bundle PB to be processed is formed by aligning the final sheet Pn. 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. With this operation, the bending that occurs when the rear end of the sheet is abutted against the abutting surface 242 is eliminated.

  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 shows 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 conveyance direction matches the position of the tooth mold 261 in the conveyance 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 drive motor 265 is turned on, and the sheet bundle PB is pressurized by the tooth mold 261 and is squeezed to perform crimp binding. Note that, in the present embodiment, the binding tool 210 of the tooth mold 261 that performs crimped binding by squeezing is used. However, as described above, the binding method such as half punching, cutting, bending, and passing through a hole The same binding effect can be obtained.

  FIG. 16 shows a state when the sheet bundle PB is discharged. The sheet bundle PB to be processed bound as shown in FIG. 15 is discharged by the rotation of the paper 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 210 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 one copy (one copy) of the sheet bundle PB. If there is a next part, the operations of FIGS. 8 to 16 are repeated to create one sheet bundle PB that has been crimped in the same manner.

  The basic binding processing operation in the paper post-processing apparatus 201 according to the present embodiment has been described above, but the paper post-processing apparatus 201 can bind the paper beyond the maximum number of sheets that can be bound by the binding tool 210. It has become.

  Hereinafter, a configuration and operation for binding sheets exceeding the maximum number of sheets that can be bound by the binding tool 210 will be described in detail. In the following description, the entire sheet bundle to be processed is indicated by PB, and if necessary, the sheet bundle to be bound by the first binding process is indicated by PB1, and the sheet bundle to be bound by the subsequent second binding process. Is indicated by PB2.

The binding operation in which the number of sheets included in the sheet bundle to be bound is within the maximum possible number of sheets of the binding tool 210 is as described with reference to FIGS.
On the other hand, when the number of sheets exceeds the maximum number of sheets that can be bound, the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 receives information such as the number of sheets of the sheet bundle PB to be processed in the JOB for binding sheets. The information such as the number of sheets in the sheet bundle PB to be bound is determined by the communication means (not shown) by the communication unit (not shown) when the number of sheets in the sheet bundle PB to be processed exceeds the maximum number of sheets that can be bound. To the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. The sheet post-processing apparatus 201 that has received information such as the number of sheets of the sheet bundle PB performs the JOB binding operation by the operation described below. Here, an example in which the maximum number of sheets that can be bound by the binding tool 210 is 5 and the number of sheets in the sheet bundle PB to be processed is 6 will be described.

FIG. 17 shows the operation when the fifth sheet P5, which is the maximum number of sheets that can be bound by the binding tool 210, is conveyed to the sheet post-processing apparatus 201.
In FIG. 17, the preceding first to fourth sheets P1 to P4 are aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, and then are held by the branching claw 204 so as not to move. When the fifth sheet P5 is conveyed from the image forming apparatus 101 to the sheet post-processing apparatus 201, the rear end of the fifth sheet P5 is the entrance sensor 202, like the first to fourth sheets. Is detected, the transport amount is counted, and the position information is grasped by the post-processing control unit 400.

  After the rear end of the fifth sheet P5 passes through the nip of the entrance roller 203, the entrance roller 203 stops driving for receiving the next sheet. The shift cam 207 rotates in the direction of arrow R4 (clockwise in the figure) in FIG. 17 at the same timing as the stop of the entrance roller 203, and the discharge roller 205 starts moving in the axial direction with the fifth sheet P5 nipped. To do. As a result, the fifth sheet P5 is conveyed while being skewed in the direction of arrow D1 in FIG.

  Thereafter, when the paper end detection sensor 220 provided or incorporated in the binding tool 210 detects the side edge of the paper P5, the shift cam 207 stops and then reverses, and the paper end detection sensor 220 is in the non-detection state of the paper P5. The shift cam 207 stops. 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. 18 shows a state in which the fifth sheet P5 is switched back and the position of the sheet P5 in the transport direction is shifted from the sheets P1 to P4. The switching claw 204 rotates the paper discharge roller 205 in the reverse direction while pressing the first to fourth sheets P1 to P4 in the state shown in FIG. Then, the fifth sheet P5 is switched back in the direction of the arrow D2 and conveyed on the branch path, and the deviation in the conveyance direction with respect to the first to fourth sheets P1 to P4 is the width of the tooth mold 261 (in the conveyance direction). The paper discharge roller 205 is stopped at a position corresponding to (length) + α. As a result, the sheet P5 stops at a position where the trailing edge thereof is shifted from the trailing edge of the sheets P1 to P4 by the width of the tooth mold 261 + α. Here, after the sheet bundle (P1 to P5) is bound in the first binding process, the value of α is the uppermost sheet P5 of the sheet bundle (P1 to P5) and the subsequent sheet (the sheet in this embodiment). P6) is set to such an extent that the binding process can be reliably executed (for example, 3 to 5 [mm]).

  FIG. 19 shows a state during the first binding operation that is first executed for the preceding sheets P1 to P5. The branching claw 204 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R5 from the state shown in FIG. 18 to release the pressure applied to the sheets P1 to P4 by the branching claw 204. As a result, the restraining force by the branching claw 204 is released from the sheets P1 to P4, and the sheet P5 and the sheet discharge roller 205 can be transported together.

  After the restraining force of the paper P1 to P4 by the branching claw 204 is released, the paper discharge roller 205 is rotated in the transport direction so that the position of the tooth mold 261 of the binding tool 210 and the binding position of the paper bundle PB1 of the paper P1 to P5 are determined. The sheet bundle PB1 is transported by the matching distance and stopped at that position. Thereby, the processing position in the transport direction of the sheet bundle PB1 to be processed for the first time matches the position in the transport direction of the tooth mold 261.

  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 PB1 matches the position of the tooth mold 261 in the transport direction and the width direction.

  Thereafter, the drive motor 265 is turned on, the sheet bundle PB1 is pressurized with the tooth mold 261, and crimped by binding. As a result, the sheet bundle PB1 is crimped and bound at a position where the rear end of the fifth sheet P5 is displaced from the rear ends of the first to fourth sheets P1 to P4.

  FIG. 20 shows a state in which the sheet bundle PB1 of the sheets P1 to P5 that have been crimped and bound is switched back to align the transport direction of the sheet bundle PB1. The switching claw 204 rotates the paper discharge roller 205 in the reverse direction while being positioned upward in the state of FIG. As a result, the sheet bundle PB1 is switched back in the direction of arrow D2, the rear end of the sheet is carried into the branch path 241, and the rear end of the fifth sheet P5 is abutted against the abutting surface 242. By abutting the rear end of the fifth sheet P5, the sheet bundle PB1 is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference.

  When the sheet bundle PB1 of the sheets P1 to P5 is aligned, the paper discharge roller 205 stops. At this time, the paper discharge roller 205 slips when the fifth sheet P5 abuts against the abutting surface 242, so that no conveying force is applied. That is, when the sheet bundle PB1 is switched back and the fifth sheet P5 hits the abutting surface 242 and the rear end of the sheet P5 is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, the sheet P5 is further conveyed and the sheet P5 is conveyed. It is set not to buckle.

  FIG. 21 shows a state in which the sheet bundle PB1 of the first to fifth sheets P1 to P5 subjected to the binding process is made to wait in the branch path 241 and the next sixth sheet P6 is carried in. After the fifth sheet P5 of the sheet bundle PB1 in which the sheets P1 to P5 are crimped and bound is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, the branch claw 204 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow R6. As a result, the contact surface 204c, which is the lower surface of the branching claw 204, strongly presses the rear end of the sheet bundle PB1 positioned in the branching path 241 against the surface of the branching path 241 so as not to move. When the sixth sheet P6 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 first to fifth sheets P1 to P5. 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. 22 shows a state when the last sixth sheet P6 is aligned to form a sheet bundle PB of six sheets P1 to P6. The sixth sheet P6 is overlapped with the fifth sheet P5 by moving the sheet P6 to the target position by performing the operations shown in FIGS. Thereby, the sheet bundle PB to be processed in the aligned state can be stacked in the conveyance path. The sixth sheet P6 overlaps with the fifth sheet P5 and is stacked at that position.

  FIG. 23 shows a state at the time of the second binding operation in which the first and fifth uppermost sheets P5 and the subsequent sixth sheet P6 that have been crimped and bound are bound. In the state of FIG. 22, the branching claw 204 is rotated upward, and the pressing of the sheet bundle PB is released. Then, the paper discharge roller 205 is rotated in the transport direction from the state shown in FIG. 22, and the position of the tooth mold 261 of the binding tool 210 and the processing position of the fifth and sixth sheets P5 and P6 of the individual paper bundle PB2 in the transport direction. The sheet bundle PB is transported by the distance that coincides with each other and stopped at that position. As a result, the processing position in the transport direction of the fifth and sixth sheets P5 and P6 included in the sheet bundle PB2 to be processed for the second time matches the position in the transport direction of the tooth mold 261.

  Then, the binding tool 210 is moved by a distance that matches the position of the tooth mold 261 of the binding tool 210 and the processing position of the paper, and stops. As a result, the processing position in the width direction of the sheet bundle PB2 matches the position of the tooth mold 261 in the transport direction and the width direction.

  After that, the drive motor 265 is turned on, and the fifth and sixth sheets P5, P6 included in the individual sheet bundle PB2 to be processed for the second time out of the sheet bundle PB of the entire processing object are turned on by the tooth mold 261. These sheets P5 and P6 are crimped and bound by pressurizing and squeezing.

  FIG. 24 shows a state in which the sheet bundle PB including the individual sheet bundles PB1 and PB2 is discharged. The sheet bundle PB bound as shown in FIG. 23 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 the arrow R7 to return to the home position (position in FIG. 10). In parallel with this, the binding tool 210 is moved in the direction of the arrow D4 in the figure, and returned to the home position (position in FIG. 10). Thereby, the binding operation is completed for the alignment operation of one copy (one copy) of the sheet bundle PB. If there is a next sheet bundle to be processed, the operations shown in FIGS. 8 to 24 are repeated to create one sheet bundle PB that has been crimped in the same manner.

  FIGS. 25A and 25B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing the state of the sheet bundle PB that has been subjected to the crimping and binding process. S (1-5) in the drawing indicates the binding position in the first binding process for the sheet bundle PB1 including the first to fifth sheets P1 to P5. Further, S (5, 6) in the drawing indicates the binding position in the second binding process for the sheet bundle PB2 including the fifth and sixth sheets P5, P6.

  As shown in FIG. 25B, the bottom sheet P1 is the first sheet (first page), and the sheet bundle PB1 including the first to fifth sheets P1 to P5 is the sheet illustrated in FIG. It is bound a little inside. Further, the sheet bundle PB2 including the fifth and sixth sheets P5 and P6 is bound at the end of the sheet shown in the drawing. In this manner, six sheets of paper bundle PB can be crimped and bound beyond the maximum number of sheets that can be bound by the binding tool 210, and the first to sixth sheets P1 to P6 are collected as a part of the booklet. become.

  Further, when the number of sheet bundles to be processed is larger, a sheet bundle including at least one sheet and a succeeding sheet bundle that have been bound in advance is sequentially processed in a number equal to or less than the number that can be bound. Bind. For example, in the case of 12 sheets, the binding process pattern includes a sheet bundle PB1 including the first to fifth sheets, a sheet bundle PB2 including the fifth to ninth sheets, and the ninth to twelfth sheets. The included sheet bundle PB3 is a pattern to be bound.

  From the above description, even in the case of a JOB exceeding the maximum number of sheets that can be bound by the binding tool 210, as a part of the batch without stopping the binding mode or stopping the image forming operation as in the past. It can be completed. Further, since the binding process per time is always performed below the maximum number of sheets that can be bound, the quality is maintained even if the number of sheets increases without lowering the binding force.

  Furthermore, in the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 of the present embodiment, since the binding tool 210 uses a binding tool that uses uneven teeth to perform binding, the binding can be easily separated. Moreover, since the paper fibers are entangled and bound, the paper becomes relatively flat when the binding marks are pressed down, and the paper can be reused after the bundles are separated. In addition, since the surface is flat, there is an advantage that jamming is unlikely to occur even when used as a document in an ADF (automatic document feeder) without being caught.

FIG. 26 is a functional block diagram for explaining an example of a control system of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201.
In FIG. 26, an image forming apparatus 101, an entrance sensor 202, a shift home position sensor 209, a sheet end detection sensor 220, a binding tool home position sensor 221 and a cam home position sensor 267 are connected to the post-processing control unit 400. . Further, the post-processing control unit 400 includes a branch solenoid 250, a discharge roller driving unit 205b of the discharge roller 205, a shift cam driving unit 207b of the shift cam 207, a binding tool moving mechanism driving unit 210a of a binding tool moving mechanism, a binding. A tool drive motor 265 is connected.

  The post-processing control unit 400 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like (not shown), stores a program, the maximum number of sheets that can be bound by the binding tool 210, and the like, and operates according to the program. More specifically, paper post-processing information and paper number information from the image forming apparatus 101, output signals of each sensor, and the like are received. Based on these information and the output signal of each sensor, the branch solenoid 250, the paper discharge roller driving unit 205b, the shift cam driving unit 207b, the binding tool moving mechanism driving unit 210a, the binding tool driving motor 265, and the like are individually controlled to The binding process of the sheet bundle PB is performed.

  FIG. 27 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating another configuration example of the image forming system 100 including the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 and the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The same reference numerals are given to the same parts as in the configurations of ˜3, and the description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 27, an operation panel 300 is provided in the reading engine unit 103 of the image forming apparatus 101, and an ADF (automatic document feeder) 104 is installed above the reading engine unit 103. As an example of a paper post-processing procedure in the image forming system, the user selects post-processing of paper binding on the operation panel 300 and simultaneously selects that the maximum number of sheets that can be bound is exceeded. Note that the selection that the number of sheets that can be bound is exceeded does not have to be performed by the user, and when the document is read by the ADF 104, it may be automatically determined that the number of sheets that can be bound is exceeded.

  Information indicating that the sheet post-processing is performed exceeding the maximum number of sheets that can be bound is transmitted to the post-processing control unit by the input operation to the operation panel 300 or the automatic determination of the number of sheets that can be bound, and the sheet post-processing device 201 performs sheet binding. The process enters a standby state. Then, an image forming operation is performed in the image forming apparatus 101 based on the read image data, and the sheets on which the images are formed are conveyed to the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 one by one. The sheet post-processing apparatus 201 performs the operations shown in FIGS. 8 to 24 to create a sheet bundle PB shown in FIG.

  Note that the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 is not limited to a configuration provided as a separate apparatus as illustrated in FIG. 27, and may be provided integrally in the image forming apparatus 101.

  FIG. 28 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating still another configuration example of the image forming system 100 including the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 and the image forming apparatus 101 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The same parts as those in the configurations 1 to 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In FIG. 28, the sheet output from the image forming apparatus 101 enters the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 and is conveyed by the conveying roller 4 and the conveying roller 5, and the switching claw 9 is rotated by the moving force of the sheet, thereby being secured. Then, the sheet is conveyed to the alignment unit 18 by the conveyance roller 7 and the conveyance roller 8.

  The transported paper falls by its own weight in the direction of arrow B, and the transport direction is aligned by the rear end fence 11. The trailing edge of the sheet is detected by the sensor S2 in advance, and the width direction is aligned by the alignment fence 10 after a time during which the sheet conveyance direction can be aligned. By repeating this operation, a large number of sheets are aligned one by one.

  When the final sheet is aligned, the aligned sheet bundle is crimped by the crimping binding device 12, the discharge belt 14 in the alignment unit 18 rotates in the direction of arrow C, and the alignment claw 13 attached thereto rotates the alignment unit. The sheet bundle is discharged from the direction 18 to the arrow D direction. The sheet bundle is discharged and stacked on the tray 3 by the discharge roller 15 and the driven roller 16. The tray 3 has a mechanism that moves up and down according to the number of stacks.

  The follower roller 16 is attached to a conveyance guide plate 17 and is configured to be rotatable around a fulcrum 17a so that the same conveyance force can be obtained even if the thickness of a sheet bundle to be conveyed changes. The discharge roller 15 is pressurized by 17's own weight. The above is the operation in the case of one copy.

  When the number of copies is two or more, the image forming apparatus 101 continuously copies at the same interval as the other sheets in the copy interval between the last sheet of the preceding section and the first sheet of the next section. To send.

FIGS. 29A to 29D are explanatory diagrams for explaining the processing operation for the second and subsequent copies in the sheet post-processing apparatus of FIG.
The conveyance rollers 4 and 5 rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 29A, and the second sheet of the first sheet is conveyed. When the sensor S2 detects the trailing edge of the sheet and the alignment unit 18 is not in a state of receiving the sheet, the transport rollers 6, 7, and 8 are reversed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Then, the sheet is conveyed by the switching claw 9 as shown in FIG. 29B, and is stopped when the end of the sheet is detected by the sensor S2.

  As shown in FIG. 29 (c), when the second sheet of the second set is conveyed by the conveying rollers 4 and 5, and the leading edge of the second sheet is detected by the sensor S2, the conveying rollers 6 and 6 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 29 (d). 7 and 8 are rotated and transported in a state where two sheets are stacked. At this time, when the trailing edge of the sheets is detected by the sensor S2, if the alignment unit 18 is in a state of accepting the sheets, the sheets are discharged as they are.

  On the other hand, when the alignment unit 18 is not in a state of accepting a sheet, the same operation as that of the first sheet is repeated. In this way, the second and subsequent sheets of the second copy are overlapped with two or more sheets after repeating the same operation as the first sheet until the alignment unit 18 is ready to accept the sheets. Discharge in a wet state.

  With the above operation, it is possible to efficiently perform post-processing without reducing productivity when processing two or more copies.

  As the configuration of the crimping and binding device 12 of the image forming system described with reference to FIG. 28, the same configuration as the crimping and binding device 280 described with reference to FIG. It is possible to obtain the same effect as that provided.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the binding process is performed a plurality of times for the entire sheet bundle to be processed, the sheets are sequentially bound in a state of being shifted in the form of a bed along the surface direction, but the sheets are shifted in the surface direction. Alternatively, the binding process may be executed a plurality of times. In this case, a mechanism may be provided to separate at least one uppermost sheet from the bundle of sheets that have been bound by the preceding binding process so as to be easily extracted. For example, when stacking at least one uppermost sheet (sheet for the subsequent binding process) in the preceding binding process, at least one uppermost sheet and other previously stacked sheets A spacer is inserted at the boundary. In the subsequent binding process, the spacer is lifted to separate at least one uppermost sheet from other previously stacked sheets and stacked together with the subsequent sheet to perform the subsequent binding process. You may do it.

  In the above-described embodiment, the case where the binding processing target sheet is a sheet is described. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to a case where a plurality of sheets other than the sheet are stacked and bound.

What has been described above is merely an example, and the present invention has a specific effect for each of the following modes.
(Aspect A)
Stacking means such as an abutting surface 242 for stacking sheets such as a plurality of sheets P, a conveyance path 240, a branch path 241 and a branch claw 204, and a sheet bundle PB composed of a plurality of sheets stacked by the stacking means. In a sheet processing apparatus such as a sheet post-processing apparatus 201 having a binding unit such as a binding tool 210 that binds the sheet bundle, the sheet binding unit is configured such that the number of sheets in the sheet bundle to be bound is the number of sheets that can be bound by the sheet binding unit. Is exceeded, after binding a sheet bundle of the number of sheets that can be processed first among the sheet bundles to be processed, the binding position of the binding unit is shifted and the binding process that has been processed in advance is performed. A binding process control unit is provided for controlling the sheet bundle including at least one sheet of the sheet bundle and the subsequent sheets to be sequentially bound with the number of sheets that can be bound.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, when the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be bound exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the sheet binding means, the binding that is processed first among the sheet bundles to be bound is processed. Binding a bundle of sheets that can be processed. After that, while shifting the binding position of the binding means, the sheet bundle including at least one sheet of the bound sheet bundle that has been subjected to the preceding binding process and the subsequent sheet is sequentially bound to the number that can be bound. . As a result, the number of sheet bundles that are bound by the binding process per time of the binding means can be reduced to the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means. In addition, the subsequent sheet bundle to be bound that is processed after the first processed sheet bundle is bound including at least one sheet of the sheet bundle that has been previously bound. Therefore, even when the number of sheets to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means, the entire sheet to be processed is made into one booklet without separating some sheets or entering a separate volume. Can be summarized.
In addition, since it is not necessary to separately provide a bookbinding apparatus that can process more sheets than the binding means, an increase in the size of the sheet processing apparatus can be prevented.
Therefore, the entire sheet to be processed can be combined into one booklet even when the number of sheets to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means, while preventing an increase in the size of the sheet processing apparatus.
(Aspect B)
In the above aspect A, when the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means, the stacking unit is configured to form a sheet bundle of sheets that are smaller than the number of sheets that can be bound. Stacked into individual sheet bundles such as PB1 and PB2.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the sheet bundle to be processed can be divided into individual sheet bundles made up of a smaller number of sheets than the number of sheets that can be bound with a simple configuration.
(Aspect C)
In the aspect A or B, when performing a plurality of binding processes sequentially, at least one upper sheet of an individual sheet bundle made up of a plurality of preceding sheets to be processed is compared with other sheets. Stitching in a state shifted in the sheet conveyance direction or in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and shifting the individual sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets to be subjected to the subsequent binding process following the preceding binding process to the preceding individual sheet bundle In accordance with the position of the bound upper sheet, the upper sheet and the sheet bundle PB for subsequent binding processing are shifted and bound.
According to this, as described in the above-described embodiment, the sheets can be sequentially bound by the binding means in a state where the sheets are shifted in the shape of a platform.
(Aspect D)
In any of the above aspects A to C, the sheet binding means includes a pressure-bonding member such as a pair of tooth molds 261 having uneven tooth portions.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, the sheet can be crimped and bound without a needle.
(Aspect E)
In any of the above-described aspects A to D, a sheet number acquisition unit such as an entrance sensor 202 that acquires the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed is provided, and the binding process control unit is configured to store the sheet bundle to be processed acquired by the sheet number acquisition unit. Based on the number of sheets, it is determined whether or not the number of sheets in the sheet bundle to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, if the number of sheets in the sheet bundle is equal to or less than the number of sheets that can be bound by the sheet binding means, the sheet bundle can be quickly created by one binding process.
(Aspect F)
An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet processing device that performs a binding process on a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming unit. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of the above aspects A to E is provided.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, even if the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means while preventing the apparatus from becoming large, the sheet to be processed The entire bundle can be output as a single booklet.
(Aspect G)
In an image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet processing apparatus that performs a binding process on a bundle of sheets formed of a plurality of sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus. As an apparatus, the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of the above aspects A to E is provided.
According to this, as described in the above embodiment, even if the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means while preventing the apparatus from becoming large, the sheet to be processed The entire bundle can be output as a single booklet.

3 trays 4 to 8 transport roller 5 transport roller 9 switching claw 10 alignment fence 11 rear end fence 12 crimping binding device 13 discharge claw 14 discharge belt 15 discharge roller 16 driven roller 17 transport guide plate 17a fulcrum 18 alignment unit 20 separation mechanism 21 peeling Member 21a Protruding part 21b Opening part 22 Stopper 23 Rotating shaft 26a, 26b Tooth part 27a Fixed member 27b Movable member 100 Image forming system 101 Image forming apparatus 102 Paper discharge roller 103 Reading engine part 104 Automatic document feeder 110 Image forming apparatus main body 201 Paper Post-Processing Device 202 Inlet Sensor 203 Inlet Roller 204 Branch Claw 204a Branch Claw Movable Lever Part 204b Spindle 204c Contact Surface 205 Paper Discharge Roller 205a Shaft End 205b Paper Discharge Roller Drive Part 205M Shift Mechanism 206 Shift Link 207 Shift Cam 207a Shift Link Slotted Hole 207b Shift Cam Drive Unit 208 Shift Cam Stud 209 Shift Home Position Sensor 210 Binding Tool 210a Binding Tool Moving Mechanism Drive Unit 220 Paper Edge Detection Sensor 221 Binding Tool Home Position Sensor 230 Guide Rail 240 Transport Path 241 Branching path 242 Abutting surface 250 Branching solenoid 251 Spring 261 Tooth type 261a Upper tooth part 261b Lower tooth part 262 Pressure lever 263 Movable link member 264 Fixed link member 265 Drive motor 266 Cam 267 Cam home position sensor 280 Crimping Binding device 300 Operation panel 400 Post-processing control unit

JP-A-10-194570

Claims (7)

In a sheet processing apparatus comprising: a stacking unit that stacks a plurality of sheets; and a binding unit that binds a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets stacked by the stacking unit.
When the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding unit, after binding the sheet bundle of the processing target sheet bundle equal to or less than the number of sheets that can be processed first, the binding is performed. While shifting the binding position of the means, the sheet bundle including at least one sheet of the bound sheet bundle that has been subjected to the preceding binding process and the subsequent sheet is sequentially bound to the number that can be bound or less. A sheet processing apparatus comprising a binding processing control means for controlling. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
When the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding means, the stacking means separates the sheet bundle to be processed from a number of sheets that is smaller than the number of sheets that can be bound. A sheet processing apparatus characterized by being stacked in a stack. In the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
When the plurality of binding processes are sequentially performed, at least one upper sheet of the individual sheet bundle made up of a plurality of sheets to be subjected to the preceding binding process is conveyed in the sheet conveying direction with respect to other sheets or Stitching is performed in a state shifted in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and an individual sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets to be subjected to a subsequent binding process subsequent to the preceding binding process is staggered by shifting the preceding individual sheet bundle. A sheet processing apparatus, wherein the upper sheet and the sheet bundle of the subsequent binding process are shifted and bound in accordance with the position of the upper sheet. In the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The sheet processing apparatus, wherein the binding means includes a pair of pressure-bonding members having concave and convex tooth portions. In the sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A sheet number obtaining means for obtaining the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be processed;
The binding processing control unit determines whether the number of sheets of the processing target sheet bundle exceeds the number of sheets that can be bound by the binding unit based on the number of sheets of the processing target sheet bundle acquired by the number acquisition unit. A sheet processing apparatus characterized by determining whether or not. Image forming means for forming an image on a sheet;
An image forming apparatus comprising: a sheet processing unit that performs a binding process on a sheet bundle including a plurality of sheets on which images are formed by the image forming unit.
An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 as the sheet processing unit. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a sheet;
In an image forming system comprising sheet processing means for performing a binding process on a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets on which images are formed by the image forming apparatus,
An image forming system comprising the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 as the sheet processing unit.

Images