JP2016074498A - Image forming device and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform a stapleless binding process by an optimal number of binding for each sheet to be used.SOLUTION: The image forming device comprises a sheet feeding cassette which is loaded with a sheet to be fed to an image forming portion, an operating portion for inputting data and a CPU that controls the sheet feeding casette and the operating portion. A post-processing portion has an eco-stapler which binds a sheet bundle conveyed from the image forming portion without using staples so as to create a bound bundle in response to an instruction from the CPU. The CPU determines, based on an estimation result of a trial bound bundle for estimating a state of the binding by the eco-stapler, the number of binding of the sheet bundle to be bound by the eco-stapler for each sheet (S708-S717).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

  The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus and an image forming system, and more particularly to post-processing of a sheet material used in an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic system or an electrostatic recording system.

  A needleless binding function (hereinafter referred to as eco-binding) that allows a paper bundle to be sandwiched between a pair of teeth having an uneven portion and pressurized to entangle paper fibers and to fasten the paper bundle without using a binding member. For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a post-processing apparatus including the above. Eco-binding that does not use binding members such as metal needles has many advantages such as no cost of the needles, paper can be reused, and the user does not need to remove the needles when discarding a bundle of paper. It has.

JP 2010-189101 A

However, since there are a wide variety of paper types used in the image forming apparatus, in the eco-binding in which a paper bundle is fastened by entwining paper fibers without using a binding member, depending on the type of paper to be fastened, A difference occurs in the fastening force. FIG. 9 is a table showing specific examples thereof, and is a table showing the relationship between the paper brand to be fastened and the fastening force. The table shown in FIG. 9 is composed of items of paper type, paper brand, paper basis weight, number of sheets to be bound (2 to 10 sheets) and peeling force (unit: kgf). Although paper type is plain paper, paper stocks has five paper A~ sheet E, sheet basis weight indicating the weight of paper per 1 m ² (Unit: g / ^{m 2),} respectively 81.4g / M ² , 81 g / m ² , 80 g / m ² , 78 g / m ² , 75 g / m ² . In a general image forming apparatus, types of paper (also referred to as sheets) such as “plain paper” and “thick paper” are distinguished according to the paper basis weight. However, as shown in FIG. 9, even if the same “plain paper” is used, there are many types of paper such as paper A to paper E due to differences in manufacturer and subtle basis weight. Further, the relationship between the number of sheets to be bound and the peeling force indicates the peeling force (also referred to as fastening force) when the number of sheets to be bound on each sheet increases from 2 to 10 one by one. That is, the numerical values shown in FIG. 9 indicate the pulling force (peeling force) when the eco-binding portion is peeled off when the eco-bound paper bundle is pulled.

  In FIG. 9, as an example, it is assumed that the fastening force required when peeling does not occur when pulled with a force of 400 kgf is satisfied, and the numerical values when the fastening force is not satisfied are hatched. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, it can be seen that the tensile force at which peeling occurs differs depending on the paper brand. In other words, the sheets A, B, C, and E have a fastening force sufficient to satisfy the five sheets, which are the specifications for the number of sheets that are bound outwardly for plain paper, but for the sheet D, the number of sheets to be bound is a bundle of sheets. If it is not less than three sheets, a satisfactory fastening force cannot be obtained, and it can be seen that the sheet does not satisfy the recommended specifications.

  In the conventional post-processing apparatus, a uniform upper limit number of sheets is provided for many types of paper having a difference in fastening force as long as it is “plain paper”. For example, in the example of FIG. In the case of plain paper, up to 5 sheets could be fastened. Therefore, if the plain paper used by the user is, for example, the paper B or the paper C, reliable eco-binding is possible with respect to five sheets which are the specifications for the number of plain papers to be bound. On the other hand, there is a problem that the eco-binding operation is performed up to five sheets that easily peel off the eco-binding even for a paper that does not satisfy the recommended specifications, such as the paper D. .

  The present invention has been made under such circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to perform a stapleless binding process for an optimal number of sheets for each sheet to be used.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

  (1) An image forming apparatus that includes an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet and a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on a sheet conveyed from the image forming unit, and feeds the image to the image forming unit A sheet feeding unit for stacking sheets; an operation unit for inputting data; and a control unit for controlling the sheet feeding unit and the operation unit, wherein the post-processing unit receives an instruction from the control unit And binding means for binding the sheet bundle conveyed from the image forming unit without using a needle to create a binding bundle, and the control means is for evaluating the binding state by the binding means. An image forming apparatus, wherein the number of sheets of a sheet bundle to be bound by the binding unit is determined for each sheet based on an evaluation result of a trial binding bundle.

  (2) An image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet; and a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing on a sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus, wherein the image forming apparatus A sheet feeding unit to be loaded; an operation unit for inputting data; and a control unit for controlling the sheet feeding unit and the operation unit. The post-processing device receives an instruction from the control unit. And a binding unit that binds the sheet bundle conveyed from the image forming apparatus without using a needle to create a binding bundle, and the control unit performs a trial for evaluating a binding state by the binding unit. An image forming system, wherein the number of sheets of a sheet bundle to be bound by the binding means is determined for each sheet based on a binding bundle evaluation result.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to perform a stapleless binding process for an optimal number of sheets for each sheet to be used.

External view of image forming system according to first and second embodiments, and schematic cross-sectional view of image forming unit Schematic sectional view of the post-processing apparatus of the first and second embodiments, a top view of the processing tray External view of eco-binding processing unit of post-processing apparatus according to first and second embodiments Control block diagram of the image forming system of the first and second embodiments Flowchart of sample binding operation of the image forming system according to the first embodiment Flowchart of eco-binding process of image forming system according to first embodiment The figure which shows the example of a display screen of the operation part of 1st embodiment, and the structural example of an information table The figure which shows the example of a display screen of the operation part of 2nd embodiment, and the structural example of an information table Table showing the relationship between paper type and fastening force

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
<Configuration of image forming system>
FIG. 1A is a schematic external view showing the overall configuration of the image forming system according to the first embodiment. The image forming system includes an image forming apparatus 200 that forms an image on a sheet, and a post-processing apparatus 500 that takes in the sheet on which the image has been formed and performs various post-processing. Further, the image forming apparatus 200 includes a document reading device 300 that reads a document, an operation unit 600 that allows a user to perform various operations such as data input, and displays information to the user, and a paper supply that stores various sheets of paper. Paper cassettes 120, 121, 122, 123 are provided.

(1) Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus The image forming apparatus 200 is a color image forming apparatus provided with an image forming unit that stores toners of four colors, that is, yellow, magenta, cyan, and black. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of an image forming unit of the image forming apparatus 200. FIG. In FIG. 1B, laser scanners 100a to 100d perform exposure according to image signals, and form electrostatic latent images on the corresponding photosensitive drums 101a to 101d. Note that a, b, c, and d attached to the end of the laser scanner 100 and the photosensitive drum 101 indicate that they are for yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C), and black (K), respectively. A drum motor 111 (shown as M in the figure) is a motor that drives the photosensitive drums 101a to 101c for yellow, magenta, and cyan. The developing motor 110 (shown as M in the figure) is a motor that similarly drives the developing devices 109a to 109c for yellow, magenta, and cyan. A drum motor 102d (shown as M in the drawing) is a motor that drives the black photosensitive drum 101d and the developing device 109d, and further drives an intermediate transfer roller 105 that rotationally drives the intermediate transfer belt 104. To the intermediate transfer belt 104, toner images obtained by developing the electrostatic latent images formed on the photosensitive drums 101 with toner are sequentially transferred. The transfer roller 106 collectively transfers the toner image transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 104 onto a sheet (also referred to as a sheet) conveyed from the sheet feeding cassettes 120 to 123 serving as a sheet feeding unit. The fixing motor 108 is a motor that drives the fixing roller of the fixing device 107.

  When a print instruction is input from the operation unit 600, the image forming apparatus 200 reads an image of an original with the original reading device 300, and an image signal of the read image is sent to each laser scanner 100. Further, when the image forming apparatus 200 receives a print instruction from a host computer 211 (see FIG. 4) described later, an image signal corresponding to the image data received from the host computer 211 is sent to each laser scanner 100. The laser scanners 100a to 100d form electrostatic latent images on the corresponding photosensitive drums 101a to 101d, and the developing units 109a to 109d develop the electrostatic latent images on the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d with toner. The intermediate transfer belt 104 rotates in the clockwise direction (the arrow direction in the figure), and the toner images formed on the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 104.

  Thereafter, the image forming apparatus 200 has transported the paper from the paper feed cassettes 120 to 123 in the paper transport direction indicated by the arrows in the drawing, and the toner image transferred onto the intermediate transfer belt 104 by the transfer roller 106 has been transported. Transfer to paper. The paper on which the toner image has been transferred is heated by the fixing device 107 so that the toner image is fixed on the paper. Thereafter, the paper on which the toner image is fixed is conveyed outside the apparatus. Note that the image forming apparatus 200 sets the fixing device 107 in a standby state in which the print instruction from the operation unit 600 or the host computer 211 can be received in order to discharge the sheet to the outside of the apparatus sooner after receiving the print instruction. A warm-up operation for preheating is performed. In addition, a cooling control unit (not shown) provided in the vicinity of the fixing device 107 can reduce the heat generation of the fixing device 107 by sending air to the fixing device 107. Note that the basic configuration and operation of the image forming unit described above are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the configuration and operation described above.

(2) Configuration of Post-Processing Device Next, the configuration of the post-processing device 500 that is a post-processing unit will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2A is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a configuration of a post-processing apparatus 500 connected to the image forming apparatus 200 shown in FIG. The post-processing apparatus 500 sequentially takes in the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus 200, aligns the plurality of received sheets, and bundles them into one sheet bundle (sheet bundle), and the rear end of the bundled sheet bundle. Each sheet post-processing such as stapling processing, sorting processing, and non-sorting processing is performed.

  The post-processing apparatus 500 takes in the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus 200 into the apparatus by an inlet roller pair 502 driven by an inlet motor M1 (see FIG. 4) described later. The paper taken in by the entrance roller pair 502 is transported toward the buffer roller 505 via transport roller pairs 503 and 504 that are also driven by an entrance motor M1 described later. 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, and detects the passage of the sheet.

  The buffer roller 505 is driven by a buffer motor M2 (see FIG. 4) described later. The buffer roller 505 is a roller on which a predetermined number of sheets conveyed via the conveying roller pairs 503 and 504 can be stacked and wound around the outer periphery of the buffer roller 505. By 513, 514, the paper is wound. The wound paper is conveyed in the rotation direction of the buffer roller 505 (counterclockwise direction in the figure).

  Between the pressing rollers 513 and 514, a switching flapper 511 driven by a solenoid S1 (see FIG. 4) described later is disposed. Further, a switching flapper 510 driven by a solenoid S2 (see FIG. 4) described later is disposed on the downstream side of the pressing roller 514 in the rotation direction of the buffer roller 505. The switching flapper 511 is a flapper for separating the paper wound around the buffer roller 505 from the buffer roller 505 and guiding it to the non-sort path 521 or the sort path 522. The switching flapper 510 is a flapper for separating the paper wound around the buffer roller 505 from the buffer roller 505 and guiding it to the sort path 522 or to the buffer path 523 in a state where the paper wound around the buffer roller 505 is wound. .

  When the paper wound around the buffer roller 505 is guided to the non-sort path 521, the switching flapper 511 is operated by the solenoid S1, and the position of the switching flapper 511 is switched to the position of the dotted line in the figure. As a result, the wound paper is peeled from the buffer roller 505 and guided to the non-sort path 521. The sheet guided to the non-sort path 521 is discharged onto the sample tray 701 via a pair of conveying rollers 509 driven by a discharge motor M3 (see FIG. 4) described later. A conveyance sensor 533 for detecting paper on the non-sort path 521 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path of the non-sort path 521.

  On the other hand, when the paper wound around the buffer roller 505 is guided to the buffer path 523, the switching flappers 510 and 511 are not operated together (position indicated by the solid line), so that the paper is wound around the buffer roller 505 and the buffer path 523. Sent to. A conveyance sensor 532 for detecting a sheet on the buffer path 523 is provided in the middle of the buffer path 523.

  When the paper wound around the buffer roller 505 is guided to the sort path 522, the switching flapper 511 is not operated, and the switching flapper 510 is operated by the solenoid S2 to switch the position of the switching flapper 510 to the position indicated by the dotted line in the figure. As a result, the wound paper is peeled from the buffer roller 505 and guided to the sort path 522. The sheet guided to the sort path 522 is discharged onto the processing tray 630 via a pair of conveying rollers 507 driven by a sheet discharge motor M3 (see FIG. 4) described later. A transport sensor 534 for detecting paper on the sort path 522 is provided in the middle of the transport path of the sort path 522.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 2B, the paper position when the eco-binding process is performed will be described. FIG. 2B is a top view of the processing tray 630 viewed from above in FIG. The sheet discharged onto the processing tray 630 is conveyed at the rear end in the conveying direction by a knurled belt 661 driven in synchronization with the conveying roller pair 507 and a paddle 660 driven by a paddle motor M7 (see FIG. 4) described later. Pulled back to the side (upstream side). At this time, when an eco stapler 550 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, is used, the trailing edge of the sheet is pulled back to the position shown in FIG. 2B, and the eco staple process is performed together with the already loaded sheets. Further, on the processing tray 630, alignment members 641 are provided at two locations on the front side (lower side in FIG. 2B) and the rear side (upper side in FIG. 2B). The two alignment members 641 are moved in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction by a front alignment motor M5 (see FIG. 4) and a rear alignment motor M6 (see FIG. 4), respectively, which will be described later, thereby conveying the sheet. Alignment processing for aligning both ends in a direction orthogonal to the direction is performed. The sheets stacked on the processing tray 630 are subjected to alignment processing by the alignment member 641, and after being subjected to eco-stapling processing and the like as necessary, a discharge roller pair 680 including discharge rollers 680a and 680b It is discharged onto the stacking tray 700. The alignment process is performed each time the sheets of the sheet bundle to be subjected to the eco-stapling process are stacked one by one on the processing tray 630, thereby discharging a high-quality sheet bundle even when eco-stapling with a large amount of sheets. It becomes possible.

  The discharge roller pair 680 is driven by a bundle discharge motor M4 (see FIG. 4) described later, and the discharge roller 680b is supported by the swing guide 650. The swing guide 650 is driven by a swing motor M8 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, and swings so that the discharge roller 680b contacts the uppermost sheet stacked on the processing tray 630. When the discharge roller 680b is in contact with the uppermost sheet stacked on the processing tray 630, the discharge roller 680b cooperates with the discharge roller 680a to direct the sheet bundle on the processing tray 630 toward the stacking tray 700. It is possible to discharge.

  The in / out tray 670 is driven by an in / out tray motor M11 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, and protrudes upward (in the paper conveyance direction in FIG. 2A) when stacking paper on the processing tray 630. Let Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the paper discharged to the processing tray 630 by the pair of conveying rollers 507 from dropping and returning, and to improve the alignment of the paper on the processing tray 630.

  The stacking tray 700 can be moved up and down by a tray lifting motor M12 (see FIG. 4) described later. The paper surface detection sensor 540 can detect the stacking tray 700 or the top surface of the paper stacked on the stacking tray 700. By driving the tray lifting / lowering motor M12 according to the detection signal from the paper surface detection sensor 540, it is possible to control so that the position of the uppermost surface of the paper stacked on the stacking tray 700 is always a predetermined position. . The presence / absence detection sensor 541 disposed on the stacking tray 700 can detect the presence / absence of sheets on the stacking tray 700. Note that the sample tray 701 is not movable up and down like the stacking tray 700 and is fixed at the position illustrated in FIG.

<Configuration and operation of eco-stapler>
Next, the eco-binding operation by the eco-stapler 550 will be described with reference to FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are perspective views when the appearance of the eco stapler 550 is viewed from two different directions. FIG. 3B shows an eco staple motor M13 (described later) for convenience of explanation. (See FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 3A, the eco stapler 550 includes an eco staple motor M13, gears 551 and 555, step gears 552 to 554, and a rotation shaft 556. The rotation of the eco staple motor M13 is transmitted to the gear 555 via the gear 551 and the step gears 552 to 554. The gear 555 is attached to the rotation shaft 556, and when the gear 555 rotates, the rotation shaft 556 also rotates.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, a cam 557 is attached to a rotating shaft 556 that is rotationally driven by the eco staple motor M13. The cam 557 moves (up and down) the upper arm 559 via the roller 558 by the rotation of the rotation shaft 556. An upper tooth 1010 is attached to the upper arm 559 and swings about the shaft 1011. Further, the lower arm 1012 is fixed to the frame 1013, and the lower teeth 1014 and the upper teeth 1010 attached to the lower arm 1012 mesh the paper and pressurize it. The pressed sheet bundle is stretched to expose the fibers on the surface, and further pressed to entangle the fibers of the sheets with each other. As a result, it is possible to fasten the paper without using the staple needle that has been necessary in the past.

<Control block diagram of image forming system>
Next, the configuration of the control unit of the image forming system will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. In FIG. 4, the image forming control unit 212 of the image forming apparatus 200 includes a CPU 201, a ROM 202, a RAM 203, and a nonvolatile memory 204 mounted on a CPU circuit unit 213. The CPU 201 controls the image forming apparatus 200 such as communication processing with the host computer 211 and image forming processing. The ROM 202 stores control programs and data executed by the CPU 201, and the RAM 203 is a memory used for temporarily storing information by the control programs executed by the CPU 201. The nonvolatile memory 204 is a memory that retains the stored contents even when the power is turned on / off, and stores an eco-binding bundle fastening information table 1000 (FIG. 7D) to be described later. ing. The CPU 201 receives a print job including an image formation instruction and image data from the host computer 211 via the communication controller 210. When the CPU 201 receives the print job, the CPU 201 exchanges data such as print job information, and executes various programs for image formation stored in the ROM 202 based on the print job instruction. That is, the CPU 201 controls the drum motors 111 and 102d and the laser scanner 100 in the image forming apparatus 200, and controls the fixing motor 108 and the fixing device 107. Next, the CPU 201 transmits operation instruction data to the post-processing device 500 via the communication IF (interface) 560 and instructs the post-processing device 500 to perform post-processing.

  The post-processing control unit 571 of the post-processing device 500 includes a CPU 572, a ROM 573, and a RAM 574 mounted on the CPU circuit unit 575. The CPU 572 controls the post-processing device 500 such as communication processing with the image forming control unit 212 and post-processing of a bundle of sheets ejected from the image forming apparatus 200. The ROM 573 stores a control program and data executed by the CPU 572, and the RAM 574 is a memory used for temporarily storing information by the control program executed by the CPU 572. The CPU 572 receives the operation instruction data transmitted from the image forming apparatus 200 via the communication IF 561, and exchanges data such as print job information and paper delivery notification. The CPU 572 executes various programs for post-processing stored in the ROM 573 based on the received operation instruction data.

  The post-processing apparatus 500 includes an entrance motor M1, a buffer motor M2, a paper discharge motor M3, solenoids S1 and S2, and transport sensors 531 to 534 for transporting the paper described above. Further, in order to perform post-processing such as the above-described sort processing and eco-staple processing, the post-processing device 500 includes a bundle discharge motor M4, a front alignment motor M5, a rear alignment motor M6, a paddle motor M7, and a swing motor M8. I have. Further, the post-processing apparatus 500 includes an in / out tray motor M11, a tray lifting / lowering motor M12, an eco staple motor M13, a paper surface detection sensor 540, and a paper presence / absence detection sensor 541.

  Then, the CPU 572 of the post-processing device 500 receives the post-processing information of the print job received from the host computer 211 or the post-processing information of the print job input from the operation unit 600 via the communication IF 561. Received from the CPU 201. The CPU 572 controls the eco-staple motor M13 and the like based on the post-processing information received from the CPU 201.

<Control sequence of sample binding operation>
In the following, for many types of paper distributed in the market, it is possible to set the optimum number of bundles that will be the maximum number of sheets that can be eco-bound without peeling off the eco-binding location, A control sequence of the sheet sample binding operation will be described. As described above, eco-binding has a number of merits, but due to the mechanism in which the fibers of the paper are entangled and fastened, the fastening force varies depending on the type of paper. In addition, even with paper having a similar basis weight such as “plain paper”, many types of “plain paper” are available in the market. Therefore, when the maximum number of sheets that can be eco-bound uniformly is set for a type of paper such as “plain paper”, the fastening force of the eco-bound paper bundle is optimal for a certain sheet. There arises a problem that eco-binding is output up to the number of sheets that are easily peeled off. Therefore, a method for performing a sample binding operation using a sheet actually used by the user and setting an optimum number of binding bundles for the sheet will be described with reference to FIGS. .

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control sequence of an operation (sample binding operation) for performing the eco binding of the sample according to the present embodiment. The flowchart in FIG. 5 is activated when an eco-binding sample is output, and is executed by the CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 200. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a detailed control sequence of the eco-binding process of the flowchart of FIG. 5. The flowchart of FIG. 6A is executed by the CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 200, and FIG. It is executed by the CPU 572 of the processing device 500.

  FIGS. 7A, 7 </ b> B, and 7 </ b> C illustrate display examples of an operation screen of the operation unit 600 that instructs execution of a sample eco-binding operation. FIG. 7D shows cassettes A, B, C, and D (for example, corresponding to the paper feed cassettes 120, 121, 122, and 123) that are the paper feed stages of the image forming apparatus 200, and the stored paper sheets. An example of an eco-binding bundle fastening information table in which a seed and an upper limit fastening number of sheets are associated is shown. The upper limit fastening number indicates the maximum number that can be eco-bound.

<Sample binding operation>
FIG. 7A shows a basic copy screen 900 displayed on the operation unit 600. On the basic copy screen 900, copy conditions such as a display indicating that copying is possible (“can copy”), copy magnification (“100%”), paper selection (“automatic paper”), and number of copies (“1”) Is displayed. In addition to the keys for changing copy conditions (“same size”, “scaling”, “paper selection”), “sorter” for instructing paper sort processing, and “both sides” for instructing duplex printing In addition, an “applied mode” key 901 is provided for instructing the creation of eco-binding samples. When the CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 200 detects that the “applied mode” key 901 is pressed on the copy basic screen 900 shown in FIG. 7A, the process of step 701 in FIG. Is done.

  In step S <b> 701, when the CPU 201 detects that the “application mode” key 901 on the copy basic screen 900 shown in FIG. 7A displayed on the operation unit 600 is pressed, the “eco-binding” shown in FIG. The “sample output” screen 910 is displayed, and the sample binding operation is started. On the “eco-binding sample output” screen 910, a “paper feed stage” key 912 (indicated as cassettes A to D in the figure) shown in a broken line frame portion and a paper type (see FIG. Middle, “plain paper”), “sample binding start” key 915 and “end” key 916 are displayed. The “paper feed stage” key 912 is a key for selecting a paper feed stage for executing sample binding, and the “sample binding start” key 915 is a key for instructing execution of sample binding. The "key 916 is a key for instructing to end the sample binding process. FIG. 7B shows an example in which the “paper feed stage” key 912 of the cassette B is pressed (selected).

  In step S <b> 702, the CPU 201 determines whether a “paper feed stage” key for selecting a paper feed stage is pressed on the “eco-binding sample output” screen 910 via the operation unit 600. If the CPU 201 determines that the “paper feed stage” key has been pressed, the process advances to step S <b> 704. If the CPU 201 determines that the key is not pressed, the process advances to step S <b> 703. In step S <b> 703, the CPU 201 determines whether the “end” key 916 is pressed on the “eco-binding sample output” screen 910 via the operation unit 600 in order to end the sample binding process. If the CPU 201 determines that the “end” key 916 has been pressed, the CPU 201 ends the sample binding process. If it determines that the “end” key 916 has not been pressed, the CPU 201 returns to the process of step S702. In step S <b> 704, the CPU 201 determines whether the “sample binding start” key 915 for instructing execution of sample binding is pressed on the “eco-binding sample output” screen 910 via the operation unit 600. If the CPU 201 determines that the “sample binding start” key 915 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S706. If the CPU 201 determines that the key has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S705. In step S <b> 705, the CPU 201 determines whether the “end” key 916 is pressed on the “eco-binding sample output” screen 910 via the operation unit 600 in order to end the sample binding process. If the CPU 201 determines that the “end” key 916 has been pressed, the CPU 201 ends the sample binding process. If it determines that the “end” key 916 has not been pressed, the CPU 201 returns to the process of step S704.

  In step S <b> 706, the CPU 201 sets the sheet for sample binding to be fed from the sheet feeding stage selected in step S <b> 702, and the sheet feeding selected from the eco-binding bundle fastening information table 1000 stored in the nonvolatile memory 204. The upper limit fastening number information 1003 of the step is read out. Then, the CPU 201 stores the read upper limit engagement number information 1003 in the RAM 203 as the current engagement number information data N. The table shown in FIG. 7D is a diagram showing an example of the eco-binding bundle fastening information table 1000 stored in the nonvolatile memory 204. The eco-binding bundle fastening information table 1000 includes “feeding stage” 1001, “paper type” 1002, and “upper limit fastening number” 1003 associated with each other. “Paper feed stage” 1001 is ID information of a paper feed stage that identifies a paper feed cassette (shown as cassette A to cassette D in the drawing) of the image forming apparatus 200. “Paper type” 1002 is paper type information indicating the type of paper (illustrated as plain paper in the drawing) obtained by classifying the paper stored in each paper feed stage of the image forming apparatus 200 by basis weight. The “upper limit number of sheets” 1003 indicates an upper limit value of the number of sheets that can be eco-bound. As will be described later, the “upper limit number of sheets” is updated according to the degree of user satisfaction. In FIG. 7D, plain paper is stored in the cassettes A to D, and the upper limit number of eco-bindings for the stored paper is 5, 4, 2 and 0 (described later). Eco-binding is prohibited. In the eco-binding bundle fastening information table 1000, plain paper is stored in the cassette B (column 1012 in FIG. 7 (d)) indicated by a thick frame in FIG. 7 (d). Information that is four sheets is set. When the paper feed stage B is selected in FIG. 7B, in the process of S706, the CPU 201 reads four sheets as the upper limit fastening number.

  In step S <b> 707, the CPU 201 executes “eco-binding processing” (details will be described later) for performing eco-binding of the sample, and outputs a paper bundle of the eco-bound sample. In step S <b> 708, the CPU 201 displays an “eco-binding trial setting” screen 930 illustrated in FIG. 7C via the operation unit 600. The “eco-binding trial setting” screen 930 in FIG. 7C displays the stored paper type (“plain paper”), eco-binding, corresponding to the selected paper feed stage (“cassette B”). The information 931 of the upper limit fastening number (“4 sheets”) is displayed. Furthermore, a “satisfied” key 932, a “unsatisfied” key 933, a “prohibited” key 934, and a “return” key 935 for ending the eco-binding trial setting, which indicate candidates for the user's evaluation results for the eco-binding bundle sampled in S707. Is displayed.

  In the present embodiment, a person who has performed a sample binding operation, such as a user or a service person, evaluates the output eco-binding sample bundle. As a method for evaluating the eco-binding sample bundle, for example, when the paper bundle is opened, lifted, or lightly pulled, it is confirmed whether or not the paper bundle that has been eco-bound with the current upper limit fastening number will not peel off. Is mentioned. For example, as a result of evaluating the eco-bound bundle that has been sample-bound, the user determines that the eco-bound bundle does not peel off and has a predetermined fastening force. The “satisfied” key 932 is pressed. Further, as a result of the evaluation, when it is determined that the eco-binding bundle is easily peeled off at the current upper limit fastening number and does not have a predetermined fastening force, and the user wants to reduce the currently set upper limit number, the user The “not satisfied” key 933 is pressed. In addition, as a result of the evaluation, when it is determined that eco-binding using the paper of the selected paper feed stage cannot be performed (it is impossible), and the eco-binding operation is prohibited, the user prohibits the “prohibit” key 934. Press.

  In step S <b> 709, the CPU 201 determines whether the “satisfied” key 932 is pressed on the “eco-binding trial setting” screen 930 via the operation unit 600. If the CPU 201 determines that the “satisfied” key 932 is pressed, the process advances to step S710. If the CPU 201 determines that the “satisfaction” key 932 is not pressed, the process advances to step S711. In S710, the CPU 201 reads the current fastening number information data N from the RAM 203, overwrites and saves the upper limit number-of-fastenings information 1003 in the eco-binding bundle fastening information table 1000, and proceeds to S717.

  In step S <b> 711, the CPU 201 determines whether the “not satisfied” key 933 is pressed on the “eco-binding trial setting” screen 930 via the operation unit 600. If the CPU 201 determines that the “unsatisfied” key 933 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S712. If the CPU 201 determines that the “not satisfied” key 933 is not pressed, the process proceeds to step S713. In step S712, the CPU 201 subtracts 1 from the value of the current engagement number information data N stored in the RAM 203, updates the value of N, and proceeds to step S716. In step S716, the CPU 201 displays the “eco-binding trial setting” screen 930 in which the current paper feed stage is selected via the operation unit 600 in order to execute the sample binding operation again, and the process returns to step S704. .

  In step S <b> 713, the CPU 201 determines whether the “prohibit” key 934 is pressed on the “eco-binding trial setting” screen 930 via the operation unit 600. If the CPU 201 determines that the “prohibit” key 934 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S714. If the CPU 201 determines that the “prohibit” key 934 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S715. In step S <b> 714, the CPU 201 sets 0 in the upper limit fastening number information 1003 of the corresponding paper feed stage in the eco-binding bundle fastening information table 1000 in order to prohibit the eco-binding operation (column 1014 in FIG. 7D). The process proceeds to S717.

  In step S <b> 715, the CPU 201 determines whether the “return” key 935 is pressed on the “eco-binding trial setting” screen 930 via the operation unit 600. If the CPU 201 determines that the “return” key 935 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S717. If it is determined that the “return” key 935 has not been pressed, the process returns to step S709. In step S <b> 717, the CPU 201 displays an “eco-binding sample output” screen 910 via the operation unit 600 and returns to the processing in step S <b> 702.

  As described above, the sample binding process has been described in which the paper feed cassette storing the paper to be eco-bound is selected, the sample binding operation is performed, and the upper limit number of sheets that can be bound to the paper is set. By this sample binding process, it is possible to carry out the eco-binding operation with an appropriate upper limit number of sheets for each paper (each sheet) even for paper types of paper types that are used in the market. . As a result, the fastening force of eco-bound paper bundles is optimal for certain papers, but on the other hand, it solves the problem of eco-binding output with a number of sheets that are easy to peel off. Can do.

<Eco-binding process control sequence>
Next, the “eco-binding process” (sample binding operation) for outputting the eco-binding sample shown in S707 of FIG. 5 will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a control sequence of the “eco-binding process” in S707 of FIG. 6A is a flowchart showing a control sequence executed by the CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 200, and FIG. 6B is a flowchart showing a control sequence executed by the CPU 572 of the post-processing apparatus 500.

(1) Eco-Binding Process in Image Forming Apparatus Next, the operations of the image forming unit (FIG. 1B) and the fixing device 107 of the image forming apparatus 200 when creating an eco-binding sample are shown in FIG. The description will be given with reference. When eco-binding sample creation is performed, there is no need to perform an image forming operation for forming a toner image on a sheet. Therefore, it is desirable to perform the eco-binding process without operating functions unnecessary for creating the eco-binding sample. In addition, although the image forming process is unnecessary for the eco-binding sample, since the heating process by the fixing device 107 is necessary as in the case of the normal image formation, the temperature adjustment control for the fixing device 107 is necessary. This is because the fastening force of the eco-staple process changes depending on the amount of water contained in the paper to be fastened. Therefore, a toner image is not formed on the paper during the sample binding process, but it is necessary to adjust the temperature of the fixing unit 107 as in the case of normal image formation. In this case, the temperature adjustment control by the fixing device 107 is desirably controlled at a temperature corresponding to the paper type, as in the conventional image forming operation.

  In FIG. 6A, in S1100, the CPU 201 feeds the paper from the paper feed stage selected in S706 of FIG. In S1101, since the image forming operation is not performed as described above, the CPU 201 does not drive the developing devices 109a to 109d and the laser scanners 100a to 100d. For this reason, the developing motor 110 and the drum motors 111 and 102d are not rotationally driven. The unit that is not driven is an example. For example, when the image forming unit (FIG. 1B) can separate the transfer unit where the intermediate transfer belt 104 and the photosensitive drums 101a to 101d are in contact, the photosensitive drum The driving of 101a to 101d may also be stopped. In step S <b> 1103, the CPU 201 controls the fixing unit 107 and the fixing motor 108 to set the fixing unit 107 to a fixing temperature corresponding to the type of paper (paper type) stored in the selected paper feed stage, and is conveyed. The paper is heated and fixed. In step S <b> 1104, the CPU 201 transmits a paper discharge command for notifying the discharge of the paper from the image forming apparatus 200 to the post-processing apparatus 500 via the communication IFs 560 and 561, and outputs the paper conveyed from the fixing device 107. The paper is discharged to the processing device 500. In step S <b> 1105, the CPU 201 reads the current fastening number information data N from the RAM 203 and has conveyed the number of sheets bundled (eco-bound number) stored in the corresponding sheet feeding stage, that is, the last sheet of the sheet bundle. It is determined whether or not the paper is discharged to the post-processing apparatus 500. If the CPU 201 determines that the last sheet of the sheet bundle has been conveyed, the process advances to step S1106. If the CPU 201 determines that the sheet has not been conveyed, the CPU 201 determines that the next sheet is to be fed from the selected sheet feeding stage. Return to the process. In step S <b> 1106, the CPU 201 transmits a final paper discharge command that notifies the post-processing apparatus 500 of the discharge of the final sheet of the sheet bundle from the image forming apparatus 200 via the communication IFs 560 and 561. In step S <b> 1107, the CPU 201 determines whether a bundle discharge binding end command for notifying the end of the output of the eco-binding bundle is received from the post-processing apparatus 500 via the communication IFs 560 and 561. If the CPU 201 determines that the bundled paper discharge binding end command has been received, the CPU 201 ends the process, proceeds to the process of S708 in FIG. 5, and repeats the process of S1107 if it determines that it has not been received.

(2) Eco-Binding Process in Post-Processing Device Next, the operation of the post-processing device 500 when creating an eco-binding sample will be described with reference to FIG. First, in S800, the CPU 572 of the post-processing apparatus 500 determines whether a paper discharge command has been received from the image forming apparatus 200 via the communication IFs 560 and 561. If the CPU 572 determines that a paper discharge command has been received, the process proceeds to step S801, and if it is determined that it has not been received, the process of step S800 is repeated. In step S <b> 801, the CPU 572 receives a sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus 200. In step S802, the CPU 572 discharges the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus 200 onto the processing tray 630 according to the above-described operation. Then, the CPU 572 moves the alignment member 641 by the front alignment motor M5 and the rear alignment motor M6, and performs a bundle alignment process for the sheets discharged onto the processing tray 630.

  In step S <b> 803, the CPU 572 determines that the sheet received from the image forming apparatus 200 in step S <b> 801 is the final bundle of sheets based on whether or not the CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 200 has received the final sheet discharge command for notifying the discharge of the final sheet of the sheet bundle. Determine if paper. If the final sheet discharge command has been received, the CPU 572 determines that the received sheet is the final bundle sheet and proceeds to S804. If not, the CPU 572 determines that the final sheet is not the final bundle sheet. Then, the process returns to S800. In step S <b> 804, the CPU 572 performs eco-binding by the eco-stapler 550 on the sheet bundle on the processing tray 630 that has undergone the alignment process in accordance with the above-described eco-stapling operation. The In step S <b> 805, the CPU 572 transmits a bundle discharge binding end command for notifying the end of the bundle binding process in the post-processing apparatus 500 to the image forming apparatus 200 via the communication IFs 561 and 560 and ends the process.

  The operations of the image forming apparatus 200 and the post-processing apparatus 500 when performing the sample binding operation have been described above. As shown in FIG. 6A, in the image forming apparatus 200, it is possible to efficiently create a sample sheet bundle by stopping the operation of the image forming unit unnecessary for the sample binding operation. On the other hand, in the sample binding operation, the heat fixing process is performed on the paper as in the conventional image formation. Accordingly, since the amount of moisture contained in the paper can be sample-bound under the same conditions as in the image formation, it is possible to check the fastening force of the eco-staple process for the paper on which the image has been formed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to perform the stapleless binding process for the optimal number of sheets for each sheet to be used.

[Second Embodiment]
In the first embodiment, a paper feed stage is designated, an eco-binding sample of the paper stored in the designated paper feeding stage is created, and an upper limit of eco-binding is concluded based on the evaluation result for the created sample. An example of determining the number of sheets has been described. In the second embodiment, an example in which the upper limit fastening number at the time of eco binding operation is set according to the type (paper brand) of each material depending on the paper type will be described. In the present embodiment, the configurations of the image forming apparatus 200 and the post-processing apparatus 500 are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment are used for the same configurations. Is omitted.

<Operation screen of the operation unit instructing execution of sample eco-binding operation>
FIGS. 8A, 8 </ b> B, and 8 </ b> C show display examples of the operation screen of the operation unit 600 that instructs the creation of the eco-binding sample in the present embodiment. FIG. 8D shows an example of the eco-binding material information table 1300 in which information on paper brands (also referred to as sheet names) and eco-binding upper limit fastening number information are associated with each other.

FIG. 8A shows a “material setting (paper type)” screen 1200 displayed on the operation unit 600. In the “material setting (paper type)” screen 1200, in order to set the paper type of material (paper), paper paper type (displays plain paper in the figure), paper brand (in the figure, paper A, paper B). , Four “paper brand selection” keys 1202 for paper C and paper D are displayed. Furthermore, the “material setting (paper type)” screen 1200 is provided with a “setting” key 1205 for instructing material setting. The CPU 201 of the image forming apparatus 200 monitors the operation of any “paper brand selection” key 1202 and the pressing of the “setting” key 1205 by the user for the paper brand for which the upper limit number of fastenings is desired. When the CPU 201 detects that the “setting” key 1205 is pressed via the operation unit 600, the CPU 201 receives information on the material information selected by the “paper brand selection” key 1202 (“paper B” is selected in FIG. 8A). Read from an eco-binding material information table 1300 described later. Then, the CPU 201 displays the read material information on the “material detailed setting” screen 1220 illustrated in FIG. 8B via the operation unit 600. FIG. 8B is a screen on which detailed material information regarding the paper B selected in FIG. 8A is displayed. On the “material detailed setting” screen 1220 shown in FIG. 8B, the following information regarding the selected paper B is displayed. That is, “paper paper type” (in the figure, “plain paper” is displayed), paper brand (in the figure, “paper B” is displayed), basis weight (in the figure, “81 g / m ² ” is displayed), surface (Displays “quality paper” in the figure) and the upper limit number of fastening sheets (displays 5 sheets in the figure). Further, the “material detail setting” screen 1220 is provided with a “setting” key 1225 for instructing creation of an eco-binding sample and an “upper limit number of sheets” key 1224.

Here, the eco-binding material information table 1300 storing the material information displayed on the “material detailed setting” screen 1220 in FIG. 8B will be described with reference to FIG. The eco-binding material information table 1300 includes paper type information 1301, paper brand information 1302, eco-binding upper limit fastening number information 1303, paper basis weight information 1304, and surface property information 1305. The eco-binding material information table 1300 is stored in the nonvolatile memory 204. The paper type information 1301 sets the paper type supported by the image forming apparatus 200 (in the figure, “plain paper” is displayed), and the paper brand information 1302 includes individual brands of plain paper supported by the image forming apparatus 200 (see FIG. Among them, paper A, paper B, paper C, paper D) are set. In the upper limit fastening number information 1303, the upper limit fastening number of eco-binding corresponding to the paper brand is set. In the figure, 10 sheets, 5 sheets, 5 sheets, and 3 sheets are set for the sheets A to D, respectively. Has been. In the paper basis weight information 1304, the basis weight corresponding to the paper brand is set, and in the figure, for paper A to paper D, 81.4 g / m ² , 81 g / m ² , 80 g / m ² , 78 g / m ² is set. In the surface property information 1305, surface property information corresponding to the paper brand is set. In the drawing, high quality paper, high quality paper, high quality paper, and recycled paper are set for paper A to paper D, respectively. In the example of FIG. 8D, the paper brand B of plain paper indicates high-quality paper having an upper limit number of eco-binding of 5 sheets. Note that data setting in the eco-binding material information table 1300 is performed by a user, a maintenance person, or the like.

  When the CPU 201 detects that the “upper limit number of sheets” 1224 is selected on the “material detailed setting” screen 1220 shown in FIG. 8B and detects that the “setting” key 1225 is pressed, the sample test described in the first embodiment is performed. Processing similar to the binding processing (FIGS. 6 and 7) is executed. In the present embodiment, the screen displayed on the operation unit 600 is different from that in the first embodiment, but the process for performing the sample test binding is the same as that in the first embodiment. The detailed description of is omitted. In the present embodiment, a table in which the paper of each paper brand (sheet name) is associated with the paper feed cassettes 120 to 123 in which the paper is stored is stored in the nonvolatile memory 204. Based on the contents of this table, the CPU 201 feeds paper to be used for the eco-binding sample from the paper feed cassette in which the paper is stored.

  When the CPU 201 outputs the eco-binding sample bundle, the “eco-binding trial setting” screen 1230 shown in FIG. 8C is displayed via the operation unit 600. The “eco-binding trial setting” screen 1230 in FIG. 8C displays the stored paper type (“plain paper”) corresponding to the selected paper (“paper B”), the upper limit of eco-binding. Information 1231 of the number of fastenings (“5”) is displayed. Furthermore, on the “eco-binding trial setting” screen 1230, a “satisfied” key 932, a “unsatisfied” key 933, a “prohibited” key 934, and an eco-binding trial setting for setting the user's evaluation for the eco-bound bundle that has been sample-bound. A “return” key 935 is displayed to end the operation.

  In the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, for example, the user who executed the sample binding operation evaluates the output eco-binding sample bundle. Then, as a result of evaluating the sample-bound eco-binding bundle, if the current upper limit fastening number is satisfactory, the user presses the “satisfied” key 932. Also, as a result of the evaluation, it is determined that the eco-binding bundle is likely to be peeled off at the current upper limit number of sheets, and when the current upper limit number of sheets is to be reduced, the user presses the “unsatisfied” key 933. Further, as a result of the evaluation, when the eco-binding operation at the selected paper feed stage is prohibited, the user presses the “prohibited” key 934. As a result, the upper limit number of sheets of the corresponding paper brand is updated according to the user evaluation of the eco-binding sample. As a result, the upper limit fastening number information 1303 in the eco-binding material information table 1300 is updated, and the upper limit fastening number information for each material (paper brand) can be linked.

  Heretofore, the sample binding process has been described in which the paper to be eco-bound is selected, the sample binding operation is performed, and the upper limit number of sheets that can be bound to the paper is set. By this sample binding process, it is possible to carry out the eco-binding operation with an appropriate upper limit number of sheets that can be bound for each sheet, even for paper of many types used in the market. As a result, the fastening force of eco-bound paper bundles is optimal for certain papers, but on the other hand, it solves the problem of eco-binding output with a number of sheets that are easy to peel off. Can do.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the sample binding operation is performed, the image forming apparatus 200 stops the operation of the image forming unit that is unnecessary for the sample binding operation, and also conventionally. In the same manner as in the image formation, the paper is heated and fixed. As a result, the sample paper bundle can be efficiently created and the amount of moisture contained in the paper can be bound under the same conditions as in the image formation, so that the fastening force of the eco-staple process on the image-formed paper can be achieved. Can be confirmed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to perform the stapleless binding process for the optimal number of sheets for each sheet to be used.

120 to 123 Paper cassette 201 CPU
500 Post-processing device (post-processing unit)
550 Ecostapler 600 operation unit

Claims (15)

An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and a post-processing unit that performs post-processing on the sheet conveyed from the image forming unit,
A paper feeding unit for stacking sheets to be fed to the image forming unit;
An operation unit for inputting data;
Control means for controlling the paper feed unit and the operation unit;
With
The post-processing unit has a binding unit that binds the sheet bundle conveyed from the image forming unit without using a needle in accordance with an instruction from the control unit, and creates a binding bundle,
The control unit determines the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be bound by the binding unit for each sheet based on the evaluation result of the test binding bundle for evaluating the binding state by the binding unit. Forming equipment. The paper feed unit has a plurality of paper feed units,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet used for the trial binding bundle is fed from a sheet feeding unit selected via the operation unit among the plurality of sheet feeding units. . The paper feed unit has a plurality of paper feed units,
The sheet used for the trial binding bundle is fed from a sheet feeding unit that stacks sheets selected via the operation unit among the plurality of sheet feeding units. Image forming apparatus. A first table associating the plurality of sheet feeding units and sheets stacked on the sheet feeding unit;
In order to use the selected sheet for the trial binding bundle, the control unit removes the selected sheet from a sheet feeding unit that stacks the selected sheet read from the first table. The image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sheet feeding unit is controlled to feed the sheet.   The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation result of the test binding bundle is input from the operation unit. The control means includes a second table that associates sheets with the number of sheets of the sheet bundle of the sheets to be bound by the binding means,
The control unit instructs the post-processing unit to create a binding bundle by the binding unit after the number of sheets to be bound are conveyed from the image forming unit to the post-processing unit. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1.   When the evaluation result of the test binding bundle does not have a fastening force that can be formed into a binding bundle, the control unit is configured to bind the binding corresponding to the sheet used for the test binding bundle in the second table. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the number of sheets is set to zero.   The control means does not instruct the post-processing section to create a binding bundle by the binding means in the case of a sheet in which the binding number of the second table is set to 0. The image forming apparatus described in 1.   When the evaluation result of the test binding bundle indicates that the test binding bundle is easy to peel off and does not have a predetermined fastening force, the control means applies the test binding bundle to the test binding bundle of the second table. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the number of bindings corresponding to a used sheet is reduced by one.   In the case where the evaluation result of the test binding bundle indicates that the test binding bundle has a predetermined fastening force, the control means uses the sheet used for the test binding bundle in the second table. The image forming apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the number of sheets to be bound corresponding to is not changed. The image forming unit includes image forming means for forming an image on a sheet,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the image forming unit so as not to form an image on the sheets of the trial binding bundle. The image forming unit includes a fixing unit that heat-fixes the image formed on the sheet and fixes the image on the sheet;
12. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the fixing unit so as to adjust a temperature at which the sheet is heated in accordance with a sheet type of the sheets of the test binding bundle. The image forming apparatus described. The post-processing unit
A stacking unit for stacking sheets conveyed from the image forming unit;
Alignment means for aligning sheets stacked on the stacking means;
Discharging means for discharging the binding bundle bound by the binding means;
Have
The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the binding unit generates a binding bundle by binding the sheets aligned by the alignment unit. The binding means has upper teeth and lower teeth that mesh with each other;
14. The upper teeth and the lower teeth sandwich a plurality of sheets and pressurize them to bind the sheet bundle without using a needle to create a binding bundle. 2. The image forming apparatus according to item 1. An image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet; and a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing on a sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus,
The image forming apparatus includes:
A paper feeding unit for stacking sheets;
An operation unit for inputting data;
Control means for controlling the paper feed unit and the operation unit;
Have
The post-processing apparatus has a binding unit that binds a sheet bundle conveyed from the image forming apparatus without using a needle in accordance with an instruction from the control unit, and creates a binding bundle.
The control unit determines the number of sheets of the sheet bundle to be bound by the binding unit for each sheet based on the evaluation result of the test binding bundle for evaluating the binding state by the binding unit. Forming system.

Images