JP2017154859A - Sheet processing device, image formation apparatus and sheet processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a punching device which can individually set positions of a plurality of punch holes and an image formation apparatus.SOLUTION: A sheet processing device includes a sheet conveyance unit, a punching unit, a setting processing unit and a punching processing unit. The setting processing unit can individually set the positions of the punch holes formed on a sheet in accordance with the operation of the user. The punching processing unit stops conveyance of the sheet by the sheet conveyance unit at each timing corresponding to the position of each punch hole set by the setting processing unit, and causes the punching unit to form the punch holes on the sheet.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that forms punch holes in a sheet, an image forming apparatus including the sheet processing apparatus, and a sheet processing method.

  2. Description of the Related Art A sheet processing apparatus capable of forming punch holes in a sheet discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a printer is known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In general, in this type of sheet processing apparatus, it is possible to form a plurality of punch holes such as 2 holes or 3 holes in a sheet at a specific interval set in advance.

JP 2003-276909 A

  However, the position of the plurality of punch holes formed in the sheet in the sheet processing apparatus cannot be set individually for each punch hole. Therefore, for example, punch holes are formed in two places different from a predetermined interval, such as positions (leading edge and trailing edge) in the vicinity of both ends in the sheet conveying direction, or a width perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. It was not possible to form punch holes at two locations that differ from each other in the direction from the end face of the sheet.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a sheet processing method capable of individually setting the positions of a plurality of punch holes for each punch hole.

  A sheet processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present invention includes a sheet conveying unit, a punching unit, a setting processing unit, and a punching processing unit. The sheet conveying unit conveys a sheet along a predetermined conveying direction. The perforating unit forms punch holes in the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit. The setting processing unit can individually set the position of the punch hole formed in the sheet for each punch hole in accordance with a user operation. The punching processing unit stops the transport of the sheet by the sheet transporting unit at timings corresponding to the positions of the punch holes set by the setting processing unit, and the punching unit cuts the punch holes in the sheet. Let it form.

  An image forming apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes an image forming unit that forms an image based on image data on a sheet, and the sheet processing device that forms the punch hole in the sheet after the image is formed by the image forming unit. With.

  A sheet processing method according to another aspect of the present invention includes a sheet conveying unit that conveys a sheet along a predetermined conveying direction, and a punching unit that forms punch holes in the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit. A setting step of individually setting the position of the punch hole formed in the sheet for each punch hole in accordance with a user operation, and the sheet conveying unit A punching step in which the conveyance of the sheet is stopped at each timing corresponding to the position of each punch hole set in the setting step, and the punch hole is formed in the sheet by the punching unit.

  According to the present invention, a sheet processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a sheet processing method capable of individually setting the positions of a plurality of punch holes for each punch hole are provided.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an image forming apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the image forming unit, the first transport unit, and the second transport unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a post-processing unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the punching unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the punching unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the punching unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the punching unit of the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing punch holes formed in the sheet. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of punch hole setting processing executed by the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of punch hole forming processing executed by the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a punch hole setting screen displayed on the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a punch position setting screen displayed on the image forming apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings for understanding of the present invention. The following embodiment is an example embodying the present invention, and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[Schematic Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus 10]
First, the configuration of the image forming apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 1 is an external view of the image forming apparatus 10. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing configurations of the image forming unit 3, the first transport unit 4, and the second transport unit 5. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the post-processing unit 6.

  The image forming apparatus 10 is a multifunction machine having a plurality of functions such as a facsimile function or a copy function, in addition to a scan function for reading image data from a document and a print function for forming an image based on the image data. The present invention is applicable to image forming apparatuses such as printers, facsimile machines, and copiers.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 10 includes an ADF (automatic document feeder) 1, an image reading unit 2, an image forming unit 3, a first transport unit 4, a second transport unit 5, and a post-processing unit. 6, the operation display part 7 and the control part 8 are provided. The image forming apparatus 10 is an example of the sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention, but an apparatus including the post-processing unit 6 and the control unit 8 may be regarded as the sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  The ADF 1 includes a document setting unit (not shown), a plurality of conveyance roller pairs, a document pressing unit, and a paper discharge unit, and conveys a document read by the image reading unit 2. The image reading unit 2 includes a document table (not shown), a light source, a plurality of mirrors, an optical lens, and a CCD, and can read image data from the document.

  The image forming unit 3 can execute an image forming process (printing process) for forming an image on the sheet S by an electrophotographic method based on the image data read by the image reading unit 2. The image forming unit 3 can also execute the printing process based on image data input from an information processing apparatus such as an external personal computer. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the image forming unit 3 includes a photosensitive drum 31, a charging device 32, an optical scanning device 33, a developing device 34, a transfer roller 35, a cleaning device 36, a fixing device 37, and a discharge unit. 38.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the first transport unit 4 includes feeding units 41 to 44, a first sheet transport path 45, a plurality of transport roller pairs 46, a registration roller pair 47, a first light sensor 48, and a manual feed unit 49. Is provided. The first transport unit 4 transports the sheet S from the feeding units 41 to 44 or the manual feed unit 49 to the second transport unit 5 via the image forming position by the image forming unit 3.

  The feeding unit 41 includes a cassette 411, a pickup roller 412, and a feeding roller pair 413. Similarly, the feeding units 42 to 44 include cassettes 421 to 441, pip-up rollers 422 to 442, and feeding roller pairs 423 to 443. Sheets S of various sizes are placed on the cassettes 411 to 441. The sheet S includes paper, coated paper, postcards, envelopes, OHP sheets, and the like. The feeding units 41 to 44 are configured to be connectable to a housing that houses the constituent members of the image forming unit 3 and are configured to be connectable to other feeding units.

  The manual feed unit 49 is used when performing an image forming process using a sheet S of an arbitrary size such as a long paper or a postcard. Specifically, the manual feed unit 49 includes a manual feed tray 491 and a paper feed roller 492, and the sheet S placed on the manual feed tray 491 can be supplied to the first sheet conveyance path 45 by the paper feed roller 492. .

  The first sheet conveyance path 45 is a movement path of the sheet S conveyed by the first conveyance unit 4. For example, the first sheet conveyance path 45 is formed by a pair of guide members provided inside the casing that houses the constituent members of the image forming unit 3. Each of the cassettes 411 to 441 and the second conveyance unit 5 are connected by the first sheet conveyance path 45. The first sheet conveyance path 45 is provided with a plurality of conveyance roller pairs 46 and a registration roller pair 47 used for conveying the sheet S. In the first transport unit 4, the sheet S is transported along the first sheet transport path 45 by a plurality of transport roller pairs 46.

  The first optical sensor 48 can detect the presence or absence of the sheet S at the detection position P2 shown in FIG. For example, the first optical sensor 48 is a transmissive optical sensor having a light emitting unit 481 and a light receiving unit 482. For example, in the first optical sensor 48, when the sheet S does not exist at the detection position P2, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 481 is applied to the light receiving unit 482. On the other hand, in the first optical sensor 48, when the sheet S exists at the detection position P2, the light emitted from the light emitting unit 481 is blocked by the sheet S and is not irradiated to the light receiving unit 482. Thereby, the light receiving unit 482 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the sheet S at the detection position P2. The electric signal output from the light receiving unit 482 is input to the control unit 8 and used for detecting the occurrence of a jam (paper jam) of the sheet S, which will be described later. The first optical sensor 48 may be a reflective optical sensor or a mechanical sensor. Further, instead of the first optical sensor 48, another sensor that can detect the presence or absence of the sheet S at the detection position P2 such as an ultrasonic sensor may be used.

  The first transport unit 4 transports the sheet to the image forming position in parallel with the image forming operation by the image forming unit 3. For example, when the sheet S stored in the feeding unit 41 is selected as the printing paper, the sheet S stored in the cassette 411 is picked up by a lift plate (not shown) provided at the bottom of the cassette 411. Can be lifted up to the contact position. The pickup roller 412 takes out the uppermost sheet S lifted up to the contact position. The sheet S taken out by the pickup roller 412 is conveyed to the position where the registration roller pair 47 is arranged by the feeding roller pair 413 and the conveying roller pair 46.

  The sheet S on which the toner image is transferred in the image forming unit 3 is conveyed to the fixing device 37 by the conveying roller pair 46, and the sheet S on which the toner image is fixed by the fixing device 37 is conveyed to the second conveying unit by the conveying roller pair 46. 5 is conveyed.

  The second transport unit 5 transports the sheet S transported from the first transport unit 4 to the post-processing unit 6. For example, the second transport unit 5 is an optional unit configured to be detachable from the discharge unit 38. As shown in FIG. 3, the second transport unit 5 includes a second sheet transport path 51 and a plurality of transport roller pairs 52. In the second transport unit 5, the sheet S is transported along the second sheet transport path 51 by a plurality of transport roller pairs 52.

  In the image forming apparatus 10, the second conveyance unit 5 may not be provided, and the first conveyance unit 4 may be configured to be directly connectable to the post-processing unit 6. When the second conveyance unit 5 is not provided, the sheet conveyed by the first conveyance unit 4 is discharged to the discharge unit 38.

  The post-processing unit 6 performs post-processing such as punching processing (punching processing) and stapling processing on the sheet S after image formation conveyed from the second conveyance unit 5. For example, the post-processing unit 6 is an option unit configured to be connectable to the second transport unit 5. As shown in FIG. 4, the post-processing unit 6 includes a third sheet conveyance path 61, a plurality of conveyance roller pairs 62, a second optical sensor 63, a delivery roller pair 64, a switching member 65, a staple unit 66, and a first discharge tray. 67, a second discharge tray 68, and a punching unit 9.

  The third sheet conveyance path 61 is a movement path of the sheet S formed inside the post-processing unit 6. For example, the third sheet conveyance path 61 is formed by a pair of guide members provided inside the post-processing unit 6. As shown in FIG. 4, the third sheet conveyance path 61 branches into a conveyance path 61 </ b> A leading to the first discharge tray 67 and a conveyance path 61 </ b> B leading to the second discharge tray 68 inside the post-processing unit 6. By the third sheet conveyance path 61, the second conveyance unit 5, the first discharge tray 67, and the second discharge tray 68 are connected.

  The third sheet conveyance path 61 is provided with a plurality of conveyance roller pairs 62 and a delivery roller pair 64 used for conveying the sheet S. In the post-processing unit 6, the sheet S is conveyed along the conveyance direction D <b> 1 on the third sheet conveyance path 61 by a plurality of conveyance roller pairs 62. In the following, the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction D1 of the sheet S conveyed along the third sheet conveyance path 61 is the width direction D2, and the direction perpendicular to the surface of the sheet S conveyed through the third sheet conveyance path 61 is. The direction is defined as the vertical direction D3 and will be described.

  The second optical sensor 63 is located on the upstream side of the punch hole forming position P5 by the punching section 9 in the transport direction D1 of the sheet S, and downstream of the detection position P2 (see FIG. 3) in the transport direction D1 in FIG. The presence or absence of the sheet S can be detected at the detection position P3 shown.

  For example, the second optical sensor 63 is a transmissive optical sensor having a light emitting unit 631 and a light receiving unit 632, similarly to the first optical sensor 48. The light receiving unit 632 of the second optical sensor 63 outputs an electrical signal corresponding to the presence or absence of the sheet S at the detection position P3, similarly to the light receiving unit 482 of the first optical sensor 48. The electrical signal output from the light receiving unit 632 is input to the control unit 8 and is used for correcting the inclination of the sheet S using a delivery roller pair 64 described later. The second photosensor 63 may be a reflective photosensor or a mechanical sensor.

  The delivery roller pair 64 is provided at the reference position P4 upstream of the forming position P5 in the transport direction D1 in the third sheet transport path 61, and sends the sheet S toward the forming position P5 along the transport direction D1. The delivery roller pair 64 is rotated by the driving force transmitted from the motor 641 (see FIG. 2). For example, the motor 641 is a stepping motor. Here, the pair of delivery rollers 64 and the motor 641 that convey the sheet S along a predetermined conveyance direction D1 are an example of the sheet conveyance unit in the present invention.

  The switching member 65 is provided at a branch position where the third sheet conveyance path 61 branches into the conveyance path 61 </ b> A and the conveyance path 61 </ b> B, and switches the conveyance destination of the sheet S to the first discharge tray 67 or the second discharge tray 68.

  The stapling unit 66 executes the stapling process for binding a plurality of sheets S stacked on the stack tray 661 with staples. The plurality of sheets S on which the stapling process has been executed by the stapling unit 66 are discharged to the second discharge tray 68 by the conveying roller pair 62.

  The operation display unit 7 is a display unit such as a liquid crystal display that displays various types of information according to control instructions from the control unit 8, and operation keys or touch panels that input various types of information to the control unit 8 according to user operations. It has an operation part.

  The control unit 8 includes control devices such as a CPU, ROM, RAM, and EEPROM (registered trademark) (not shown). The CPU is a processor that executes various arithmetic processes. The ROM is a non-volatile storage unit in which information such as a control program for causing the CPU to execute various processes is stored in advance. The RAM is a volatile storage unit, and the EEPROM is a non-volatile storage unit. The RAM and the EEPROM are used as a temporary storage memory (working area) for various processes executed by the CPU. In the control unit 8, various control programs stored in advance in the ROM are executed by the CPU. As a result, the image forming apparatus 10 is comprehensively controlled by the control unit 8.

  Next, the perforated part 9 will be described with reference to FIGS. Here, FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the perforated portion 9. 6 to 8 are diagrams showing the configuration of the punching unit 91 as viewed from the upstream side in the transport direction D1, and FIG. 6 shows a state in which the punching process is not performed by the punches 911 to 914. 7 shows a state in which the punching process is performed by the punches 911 to 914, and FIG. 8 shows a state in which the punching process is performed only by the punch 914.

  The punching unit 9 performs the punching process of forming punch holes H in the sheet S conveyed along the third sheet conveying path 61 by the pair of delivery rollers 64 and the motor 641. The sheet S on which the punching process has been executed by the punching unit 9 is discharged to the first discharge tray 67 or the second discharge tray 68 by the transport roller pair 62.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the punching unit 9 includes a punching unit 91, a punching motor 92, a solenoid 93, a unit moving mechanism 94, and a paper piece storage unit 95.

  The punching unit 91 includes a plurality of punches 911 to 914 arranged at a preset interval along the width direction D2. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the punch 911 has a punch blade 911 </ b> A formed in a cylindrical shape along the vertical direction D <b> 3, a contact portion 911 </ b> B provided at the upper end of the punch blade 911 </ b> A, and an outer periphery of the punch blade 911 </ b> A. A coil spring 911 </ b> C wound along the outer periphery and a cam 911 </ b> D provided so that the outer peripheral surface can come into contact with the upper surface of the contact portion 911 </ b> B. Similarly, the punches 912 to 914 include punch blades 912A to 914A, contact portions 912B to 914B, coil springs 912C to 914C, and cams 912D to 914D. Note that the lengths of the cam 911D and the cam 914D in the width direction D2 are set to be longer than the cam 912D and the cam 913D.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the drilling unit 91 includes a shaft 915, a support base 916, and a common die 917. Shaft 915 is provided along width direction D2, and supports cams 911D-914D so that rotation is possible. The shaft 915 is provided so as to be movable along the width direction D2. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the shaft 915 is configured such that only the cam 914D can contact the contact portion 914B from the first position where the cams 911D to 914D can contact the contact portions 911B to 914B. The second position can be moved. The shaft 915 can also move from the first position to a third position where only the cam 911D can abut on the abutting portion 911B.

  The support base 916 is provided in a long shape along the width direction D <b> 2 and supports the punches 911 to 914 and the shaft 915. As shown in FIG. 5, the support base 916 includes wall surfaces 916 </ b> A to 916 </ b> B that are erected at positions separated from each other in the width direction D <b> 2. The shaft 915 is rotatably supported by the wall surfaces 916A to 916B. As shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the support base 916 has a plurality of holes 916 </ b> C. The punches 911 to 914 are provided at positions above each of the plurality of hole portions 916C. Further, the coil springs 911C to 914C of the punches 911 to 914 are supported by the peripheral portions of the plurality of hole portions 916C, and bias the contact portions 911B to 914B upward in the vertical direction D3.

  The common die 917 is provided in a long shape along the width direction D <b> 2 and supports the support base 916 at a position below the support base 916. That is, the punches 911 to 914 and the shaft 915 supported by the support base 916 are also supported by the common die 917. The common die 917 supports the support base 916 at both ends in the width direction D2, and a portion of the third sheet conveyance path 61 is provided between the support base 916 and the common die 917 as shown in FIGS. A gap for forming the portion is provided. The common die 917 has a plurality of hole portions 917A formed at respective positions facing the plurality of hole portions 916C of the support base 916.

  The drilling motor 92 rotates the shaft 915. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the shaft 915 is rotated by the drilling motor 92, the contact portions 911 </ b> B to 914 </ b> B are turned into coil springs 911 </ b> C to 911 </ b> C by rotation of the cams 911 </ b> D to 914 </ b> D connected to the shaft 915. It is pushed down in the vertical direction D3 against the urging force of 914C. Accordingly, the punch blades 911A to 914A are moved downward through the plurality of hole portions 916C and the plurality of hole portions 917A, and the width direction with respect to the sheet S disposed at the formation position P5 (see FIG. 4). A plurality of punch holes H along D2 are formed. Thereafter, when the shaft 915 is further rotated, the contact portions 911B to 914B are pushed upward in the vertical direction D3 by the biasing forces of the coil springs 911C to 914C, and the punch blades 911A to 914A are moved to their original positions. Is done.

  The solenoid 93 moves the shaft 915 along the width direction D2. For example, the solenoid 93 moves the shaft 915 from the first position to the second position. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 8, it is possible to form a plurality of punch holes H along the conveyance direction D1 with respect to the sheet S using only the punch 914. FIG. 9 is a view showing a state where two punch holes H are formed in the sheet S using only the punch 914.

  The solenoid 93 moves the shaft 915 from the first position to the third position. Accordingly, it is possible to form a plurality of punch holes H along the transport direction D1 with respect to the sheet S using only the punch 911. In this case, each punch hole H formed in the upper part in FIG. 9 is formed in a lower position in FIG.

  The unit moving mechanism 94 moves the punching unit 91 along the width direction D2. For example, the unit moving mechanism 94 includes a rail that supports the common die 917 so as to be movable along the width direction D2, and a slide motor 94A that moves the common die 917 supported by the rail along the width direction D2 (see FIG. 5). For example, the control unit 8 drives the slide motor 94A based on the detection result of the end position in the width direction D2 of the sheet S by a sensor (not shown), and moves the punching unit 91 along the width direction D2. Thereby, the position in the width direction D2 of the punch hole H formed in the sheet | seat S is adjustable.

  The paper piece storage unit 95 is provided at a lower position in the vertical direction D3 of the common die 917, and stores the paper piece separated from the sheet S by the formation of the punch holes H by the punches 911 to 914.

  By the way, if the positions of the plurality of punch holes H formed in the sheet S in the image forming apparatus 10 cannot be set individually for each punch hole H, for example, the positions near both ends in the sheet conveyance direction are used. Punch holes H are formed at two locations different from a predetermined interval set in advance, or punch holes H are formed at two locations different from each other in the width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction. It is not possible. On the other hand, in the image forming apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the positions of the plurality of punch holes H can be individually set for each punch hole H as described below.

  Specifically, the ROM of the control unit 8 causes the CPU of the control unit 8 to execute punch hole setting processing (see the flowchart in FIG. 10) and punch hole formation processing (see the flowchart in FIG. 11) described later. These punch hole forming programs are stored in advance. A method for causing the CPU to execute various processes of the punch hole setting process and the punch hole forming process may be regarded as a sheet processing method according to the present invention. The punch hole forming program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD, a DVD, or a flash memory, and may be read from the recording medium and installed in the EEPROM or the like.

  And the control part 8 further contains the setting process part 81, the detection process part 82, the inclination correction | amendment part 83, and the piercing | punching control part 84, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the control unit 8 executes the punch hole forming program stored in the ROM using the CPU. Thereby, the control unit 8 functions as the detection processing unit 82, the inclination correction unit 83, and the punching processing unit 84.

  The setting processing unit 81 executes processing for individually setting the position of the punch hole H formed in the sheet S according to the user operation of the operation unit of the operation display unit 7. Note that the setting processing unit 81 only needs to be able to set one or both of the transport direction D1 and the width direction D2 of the sheet S according to the user operation.

  The detection processing unit 82 has a length L in the conveyance direction D1 of the sheet S that passes the detection position P2 (see FIG. 3) on the upstream side in the conveyance direction D1 of the sheet S from the formation position P5 (see FIG. 4) by the punching unit 9. (See FIG. 9) is detected. For example, the detection processing unit 82 detects the length L of the sheet S in the transport direction D1 based on the detection result by the first optical sensor 48. Specifically, the detection processing unit 82 is based on the electrical signal output from the light receiving unit 482 of the first optical sensor 48, from when the leading edge T1 of the sheet S passes through the detection position P2 to when the trailing edge T2 passes. Measure time. Then, the detection processing unit 82 calculates the length L of the sheet S in the transport direction D1 based on the measured time and the transport speed of the sheet S by the first transport unit 4.

  In the image forming apparatus 10, a distance that exceeds the length in the transport direction D1 of the maximum size sheet S that can form an image in the image forming apparatus 10 is provided between the detection position P2 and the formation position P5. This prevents the leading edge T1 of the sheet S from reaching the formation position P5 before the detection processing unit 82 detects the length L in the conveyance direction D1 of the sheet S.

  By the way, when a long sheet S longer than the distance between the detection position P2 and the formation position P5 is used, the sheet S is formed at the formation position P5 before the detection processing unit 82 detects the length L of the sheet S. To reach. Therefore, for example, the control unit 8 may accept an input operation of the length L of the sheet S on the operation display unit 7 by the user. As a result, as described later, punch holes can be formed based on the length L of the sheet S even when “any position” or “equal arrangement” is selected as the punch hole position setting method. is there. Further, when the input operation of the length L of the sheet S is not performed and the sheet S is detected by the detection position P2 when the leading edge of the sheet S reaches the formation position P5, the sheet is It is conceivable that punch holes are formed at specific intervals set in advance from the tip of S.

  The inclination correction unit 83 corrects the inclination of the sheet S with respect to the conveyance direction D1 at the reference position P4 upstream of the formation position P5 in the conveyance direction D1 of the sheet S and downstream of the detection position P2 in the conveyance direction D1. For example, the inclination correction unit 83 stops the rotation of the delivery roller pair 64 and controls the rotation of the nearest transport roller pair 52 positioned upstream from the reference position P4 in the transport direction D1 to thereby control the second optical sensor 63. The sheet S is conveyed by a preset correction conveyance amount from the time when the leading edge T1 of the sheet S is detected. That is, the conveyance of the sheet S is temporarily stopped at the reference position P4. As a result, the leading edge T1 of the sheet S abuts against the delivery roller pair 64 to form a deflection on the front side in the transport direction D1 of the sheet S, and the inclination of the sheet S with respect to the transport direction D1 is corrected.

  The punching processing unit 84 stops the conveyance of the sheet S at timings corresponding to the positions of the punch holes H set by the setting processing unit 81, and causes the punching unit 9 to form the punch holes H in the sheet S. Accordingly, in the image forming apparatus 10, it is possible to form a plurality of punch holes in the sheet S along the transport direction D1 using one punch such as the punch 914.

[Punch hole setting process]
Hereinafter, an example of a punch hole setting process performed by the control unit 8 in the image forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, steps S1, S2,... Represent processing procedure (step) numbers executed by the control unit 8. The punch hole setting process is executed when the image forming apparatus 10 is instructed to start setting the punching process when setting the printing conditions of the printing process. Here, the punch hole setting process is a process executed by the setting processing unit 81 of the control unit 8 and is an example of a setting step.

<Step S1>
In step S1, the control unit 8 causes the display unit of the operation display unit 7 to display a punch hole setting screen A1 for setting the number and positions of the punch holes H. FIG. 12 shows an example of the punch hole setting screen A1. In the punch hole setting screen A1 shown in FIG. 12, the input field A11 for inputting the number of punches, the input field A12 for selecting the punch hole position setting method, the number of punch holes H and the setting method are determined. An operation key A13 for performing an operation for the purpose is displayed. When “equal arrangement” is selected as the punch hole position setting method, in the input field A11, the distance from the leading edge of the sheet S to the first punch hole H and the last punch hole H to the back of the sheet S are displayed. The distance to the end can be entered. The distance from the leading edge of the sheet S to the first punch hole H and the distance from the last punch hole H to the trailing edge of the sheet S may be a predetermined constant value.

<Step S2>
In step S <b> 2, the control unit 8 accepts an input operation of the number of punch holes H and a selection operation of the position setting method of the punch H using the operation unit of the operation display unit 7 by the user.

  For example, the control unit 8 displays “2” as the initial value of the number of punch holes H in the input field A11 when starting the display of the punch hole setting screen A1. Then, the control unit 8 receives an operation for changing the number of punch holes H using the operation unit of the operation display unit 7 by the user. The control unit 8 can arbitrarily set the initial number of the punch holes H in advance in accordance with a user operation on the initial setting screen of the image forming apparatus 10 or the like.

  Further, the control unit 8 displays, for example, a state in which “specified position” is selected in the input field A12 as an initial selection state of the punch hole position setting method at the start of displaying the punch hole setting screen A1. Then, the control unit 8 accepts a selection operation of the punch hole position setting method using the operation unit of the operation display unit 7 by the user. For example, in the input field A12, “prescribed position”, “arbitrary position”, or “equal arrangement” can be selected as the punch hole position setting method. The control unit 8 can arbitrarily set an initial selection state of the punch hole H position setting method in advance according to a user operation on an initial setting screen of the image forming apparatus 10 or the like.

<Step S3>
In step S3, the control unit 8 determines whether the number of punch holes H and the position setting method have been determined. Specifically, in step S3, the control unit 8 determines that the number of punch holes H and the position setting method have been determined when the operation key A13 is operated. When it is determined that the number of punch holes H and the position setting method have been determined (S3: Yes), the process proceeds to step S4 until the number of punch holes H and the position setting method are determined ( S3: No), the process is returned to step S2.

<Step S4>
In step S4, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the position setting method of the punch hole H is “arbitrary position”, and if it is “arbitrary position” (S4: Yes), the process proceeds to step S5. If it is not “arbitrary position” (S4: No), the process proceeds to step S41.

<Step S5>
In step S <b> 5, the control unit 8 displays a punch position setting screen A <b> 2 for individually setting the positions of the punch holes H on the display unit of the operation display unit 7. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the punch position setting screen A2. In the punch position setting screen A2 shown in FIG. 13, an input area A21 for setting the position of each punch hole H, an operation key A22 for determining the position of each punch hole H, and each punch hole H are set on the sheet S. And a preview screen A23 showing a state of being arranged on the screen.

  Specifically, in the input area A21, it is possible to individually input, for each punch hole H, a vertical position that is the transport direction D1 and a horizontal position that is the width direction D2 perpendicular to the transport direction. In the present embodiment, the vertical position of each of the second and subsequent punch holes H is also the distance from the leading edge T1 of the sheet S. On the other hand, the vertical position of each of the second and subsequent punch holes H may be set by a relative distance (interval) from the previous punch hole H. Furthermore, the setting target may be switched between the distance from the leading edge T1 of the sheet S and the distance from the previous punch hole H in accordance with a user operation.

<Step S6>
In step S <b> 6, the control unit 8 accepts an input operation of the position of each punch hole H using the operation unit of the operation display unit 7 by the user. Specifically, the control unit 8 displays an input field for inputting the position of each punch hole H in the input area A21. And the control part 8 receives the setting operation of each position of the punch hole H using the operation part of the operation display part 7 by a user. In addition, in the input area A21, only the input fields for the positions of two punch holes H that can be displayed at the same time are displayed, but the input fields for the positions of other punch holes H are displayed according to the scroll operation. Further, the control unit 8 may sequentially display an input screen for each punch hole H for individually inputting the position of each punch hole H.

  By the way, when displaying the input area A21, the control unit 8 displays the input area A21 in a state where the initial values of the vertical and horizontal positions of the punch holes H are input in the input fields of the input area A21. It is possible to make it. For example, the control unit 8 can arbitrarily set the initial position of the punch hole H in advance according to a user operation on an initial setting screen of the image forming apparatus 10.

  Further, the control unit 8 may display the position of each punch hole H corresponding to the case where the position setting method of the punch hole H is “specified position” as the initial value of the vertical position of each punch hole H. Good. Note that the control unit 8 sets the number of punch holes set in the punch hole setting screen A1 to the sheet size used in the image forming process in the image forming apparatus 10 as the initial value of the vertical position of each punch hole H. You may display the position of each punch hole H when forming H by equal arrangement.

  Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the control unit 8 displays the position of the punch hole H in real time on the punch position setting screen A2 every time the position of the punch hole H is input on the punch position setting screen A2. . That is, every time a numerical value is input to each input field in the input area A21, the control unit 8 reflects the numerical value on the display of the preview screen A23.

<Step S7>
In step S7, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the position of each punch hole H has been determined. Specifically, the control unit 8 determines that the position of each punch hole H is determined when the operation key A22 is operated. If it is determined that the position of each punch hole H is determined (S7: Yes), the process proceeds to step S8, and the process is performed until the position of each punch hole H is determined (S7: No). Returns to step S6.

<Step S8>
In step S8, the control unit 8 determines the number of punch holes H, the position setting method of the punch holes H, the position of each punch hole H, and the like set on the punch hole setting screen A1 and the punch position setting screen A2. The punch hole setting process is terminated.

<Step S41>
On the other hand, when the position setting method of the punch holes H is not “arbitrary position” (S4: No), in the subsequent step S41, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the position setting method of the punch holes H is “equal arrangement”. Judging. If it is not “equal arrangement” (S41: No), it is determined that “prescribed arrangement” is selected, and the process proceeds to step S42. If it is “equal arrangement” (S41: Yes). Then, the process proceeds to step S43.

<Step S42>
In step S42, the control unit 8 determines the position in the transport direction D1 of each punch hole H according to the sheet size used in the image forming process in the image forming apparatus 10, and shifts the process to step S8. Specifically, the ROM of the control unit 8 stores prescribed position information in which the position in the transport direction D1 of each punch hole H corresponding to the number of punch holes H is set for each sheet size. Then, the control unit 8 determines the vertical and horizontal positions of the punch holes H according to the sheet size used in the image forming process in the image forming apparatus 10 and the specified position information. Thereby, in step S8, the position of each punch hole H determined in step S42 is stored. The sheet size is a size set on a print condition setting screen (not shown) or the like as a condition for the current image forming process of the image forming apparatus 10. In step S <b> 42, the control unit 8 sets the position of each punch hole H in the width direction D <b> 2 to a position set in advance by, for example, initial setting of the image forming apparatus 10.

<Step S43>
On the other hand, when the position setting method of the punch holes H is “equal arrangement” (S41: No), in the subsequent step S43, the control unit 8 sets the punching mode by the punching part 9 to the uniform arrangement mode and sets the punch holes. The process ends. For example, the control unit 8 enables the uniform placement mode by setting the uniform placement flag reserved in the RAM of the control unit 8 to ON. The control unit 8 resets the uniform arrangement flag to OFF after execution of a punch hole forming process (see FIG. 11) described later.

  As described above, in the image forming apparatus 10, the position of each punch hole H can be individually set by executing the punch hole setting process by the control unit 8. Accordingly, for example, two punch holes H that are different from a predetermined interval, such as positions near both ends in the conveyance direction D1 of the sheet S, or a width perpendicular to the conveyance direction D1 of the sheet S are formed. It is possible to form punch holes H at two positions that are different from the end face of the sheet S in the direction D2 (see FIG. 13).

[Punch hole forming process]
Hereinafter, an example of a punch hole forming process executed by the control unit 8 in the image forming apparatus 10 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, steps S11, S12,... Represent the numbers of processing procedures (steps) executed by the control unit 8. The punch hole forming process is executed as a part of the printing process when the image forming apparatus 10 is instructed to execute the printing process with the punching process.

<Step S11>
First, in step S <b> 11, the control unit 8 determines whether or not the leading end T <b> 1 of the sheet S is detected at the detection position P <b> 2 by the first optical sensor 48. Here, when the control unit 8 determines that the leading edge T1 of the sheet S is detected at the detection position P2 (Yes side of S11), the process proceeds to step S12. If the leading edge T1 of the sheet S is not detected at the detection position P2 (No side of S11), the control unit 8 waits for detection of the leading edge T1 of the sheet S at the detection position P2 in step S11.

<Step S12>
In step S12, the control unit 8 detects the length L of the sheet S passing through the detection position P2 in the transport direction D1. Here, step S <b> 12 is executed by the detection processing unit 82 of the control unit 8. For example, the control unit 8 measures the time from the passage of the leading edge T1 of the sheet S to the passage of the trailing end T2 at the detection position P2 based on the electrical signal output from the light receiving unit 482 of the first optical sensor 48. To do. Then, the control unit 8 calculates the length L of the sheet S in the transport direction D1 based on the measured time and the transport speed of the sheet S by the first transport unit 4.

<Step S13>
In step S <b> 13, the control unit 8 sets the conveyance amount of the sheet S according to the position in the conveyance direction D <b> 1 of each punch hole H formed in the sheet S. Specifically, when the position of each punch hole H is set by the punch hole setting process (see FIG. 10), the control unit 8 forms each punch hole H in the sheet S at the set position. A possible conveyance amount of the sheet S is set. When the punching mode is not the uniform arrangement mode, the transport amount of the sheet S corresponding to each punch hole H may be set in step S8 of the punch hole setting process (see FIG. 10).

  On the other hand, when the punching mode is set to the uniform arrangement mode, the control unit 8 sets the length L in the transport direction D1 of the sheet S detected in step S12 and the punch hole setting process. Depending on the number of punch holes H, the transport amount of the sheet S for uniformly forming the set number of punch holes H on the sheet S is set. Specifically, the control unit 8 subtracts the distance between the leading end of the sheet S and the first punch hole H and the distance between the last punch hole H and the trailing end of the sheet S from the length L of the sheet S. After that, the position of each punch hole H is set according to the solution divided by the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the number of punch holes H. For example, when the number of punch holes H set in the punch hole H installation process (see FIG. 10) is N, the control unit 8 determines the distance X from the leading edge T1 of the sheet S to the first punch hole H. , The distance Y from the rear end T2 of the sheet S to the Nth punch hole H, the interval between the first to Nth punch holes H, and the like (L− (X + Y)) / (N−1) Calculated by Therefore, in the image forming apparatus 10, it is possible to uniformly form an arbitrary number of punch holes H on the sheet S of an unspecified size such as a long sheet by a simple user operation. Note that the position in the width direction D2 of each sheet S of the punch holes H in the uniform arrangement mode is set to a predetermined position set in advance by, for example, initial setting of the image forming apparatus 10 or the like. Further, the control unit 8 may set the position of each punch hole H according to a solution obtained by dividing the length L of the sheet S by the number of punch holes H.

  By the way, as the distance from the leading edge of the sheet S to the first punch hole H or the distance from the last punch hole H to the trailing edge of the sheet S, a value less than a preset threshold value is input by the user in the input field A11. It is thought that it is done. In this case, it is conceivable that the control unit 8 displays a message that the input value of the distance is too small, or does not accept the input of the distance and sets the threshold as the distance.

<Step S14>
In step S14, the controller 8 determines whether or not the leading edge T1 of the sheet S has been detected at the detection position P3 upstream from the reference position P4 in the transport direction D1. If the control unit 8 determines that the leading edge T1 of the sheet S is detected at the detection position P3 (Yes side of S14), the process proceeds to step S15. If the leading edge T1 of the sheet S is not detected at the detection position P3 (No side of S14), the control unit 8 waits for detection of the leading edge T1 of the sheet S at the detection position P3 in step S14.

<Step S15>
In step S15, the control unit 8 corrects the inclination of the sheet S with respect to the transport direction D1 at the reference position P4. Here, the process of step S15 is executed by the inclination correction unit 83 of the control unit 8. For example, the control unit 8 stops the rotation of the delivery roller pair 64 and controls the rotation of the most recent conveyance roller pair 52 positioned upstream from the reference position P4 in the conveyance direction D1 to thereby adjust the sheet S in step S14. The sheet S is conveyed by the corrected conveyance amount from the time when the leading edge T1 is detected.

<Step S16>
In step S <b> 16, the control unit 8 causes the pair of delivery rollers 64 to convey and stop the sheet S based on the conveyance amount of the sheet S corresponding to the position of the first punch hole set in step S <b> 13. Specifically, the control unit 8 causes the pair of feeding rollers 64 to add the total amount of the conveyance amount of the sheet S corresponding to the distance L4 from the reference position P4 to the formation position P5 and the conveyance amount of the sheet S set in step S13. The sheet S is conveyed.

<Step S17>
In step S <b> 17, the control unit 8 forms the first punch hole H in the sheet S using the punching unit 9. In addition, when it is necessary to move the punching unit 91 along the width direction D2, the control unit 8 adjusts the position of the punching unit 91 in the width direction D2 by the unit moving mechanism 94 in step S17. The formation position of the punch hole H in the sheet S in the width direction D2 is adjusted. Then, the controller 8 moves the shaft 915 from the first position to the second position or the third position by the solenoid 93, and then drives the punching motor 92 to drive the sheet with the punch 911 or the punch 914. A punch hole H is formed in S. Here, the processing of steps S16 to S17 is an example of a punching step, and is executed by the punching processing unit 84 of the control unit 8.

<Step S18>
After that, in step S18, the control unit 8 conveys the sheet S by the pair of delivery rollers 64 and stops it based on the conveyance amount of the sheet S corresponding to the position of the next punch hole set in step S13. Specifically, the control unit 8 sends out a difference amount obtained by subtracting the movement amount of the sheet S already moved from the reference position P4 from the conveyance amount of the sheet S corresponding to the position of the next punch hole set in step S13. The sheet S is conveyed by the roller pair 64. In the punch hole setting process, the positions of the second and subsequent punch holes are set relative to the previous punch hole, and the transport amount corresponding to the second and subsequent punch holes is determined by step S13. If it is set as the transport amount from the previous punch hole, the sheet S is transported by the transport amount and stopped.

<Step S19>
In step S <b> 19, the control unit 8 forms the second and subsequent punch holes H in the sheet S using the punching unit 9. In addition, when it is necessary to move the punching unit 91 along the width direction D2 for any of the second and subsequent punch holes, the control unit 8 uses the unit moving mechanism 94 to move the punching unit 91 in step S19. The position in the width direction D2 is adjusted, and the formation position of the punch hole H in the sheet S in the width direction D2 by the punching portion 9 is adjusted. Then, the controller 8 moves the shaft 915 from the first position to the second position or the third position by the solenoid 93, and then drives the punching motor 92 to drive the sheet with the punch 911 or the punch 914. A punch hole H is formed in S. Here, the processing of steps S18 to S19 is an example of a punching step, and is executed by the punching processing unit 84 of the control unit 8.

<Step S20>
Thereafter, in step S20, it is determined whether or not the formation of the number of punch holes set in the punch hole setting process has been completed. Here, until it is determined that the formation of all punch holes has been completed (S20: No), the process is returned to step S18, and steps S18 to S19 are repeatedly executed to sequentially punch holes in the sheet S. Will be formed. When it is determined that all the punch holes have been formed (S20: Yes), the punch hole forming process ends.

  In the present embodiment, when the punching mode is the uniform arrangement mode, the positions where the number of punch holes H are formed are automatically set according to the length L of the sheet S and the number of punch holes H. The case where it is set to has been described. Thus, in the punch hole forming process, a set number of punch holes are formed at equal intervals along the transport direction D1 with respect to the sheet S within the range of the length L of the sheet S. On the other hand, the setting control unit 81 of the control unit 8 accepts only the interval of the punch holes H according to the user operation as the content of the uniform arrangement mode in the punch hole setting process, and in step S13 of the punch hole forming process It is conceivable that the positions of the punch holes H formed in the sheet S having the length L are set according to the set interval. Further, the control unit 8 sets only the interval between the punch holes H as in the former mode and the first mode in which only the number of punch holes H is set as in the former according to the user operation. It may be possible to switch between the second mode to be set.

  Further, the control unit 8 may set the position of each punch hole in response to a user operation for moving the position of the punch hole on the preview screen A23 on the punch position setting screen A2 (FIG. 13). For example, the user operation is a drag and drop operation of the punch hole performed on the preview screen A23. As a result, the user can intuitively set the position of each punch hole.

  Further, the control unit 8 can accept input operations of the position of the first punch hole formed on the sheet S, the position of the last punch hole formed on the sheet S, and the total number of punch holes on the punch position setting screen A2. It is possible. In this case, the control unit 8 determines the positions of the punch holes so that the same number of punch holes as the total number of received punch holes are formed at equal intervals between the first punch hole and the last punch hole. It is possible to set. Thus, each punch hole is arranged in a straight line connecting the first punch hole and the last punch hole. In particular, when the positions of the first punch hole and the last punch hole in the width direction D2 are different, the plurality of punch holes are linearly inclined from the first punch hole toward the last punch hole. Will be formed.

1 ADF
2 image reading unit 3 image forming unit 4 first transport unit 5 second transport unit 6 post-processing unit 7 operation display unit 8 control unit 9 punching unit 10 image forming apparatus 45 first sheet transport path 46 transport roller pair 47 registration roller pair 48 First optical sensor 51 Second sheet conveying path 52 Conveying roller pair 61 Third sheet conveying path 62 Conveying roller pair 63 Second optical sensor 64 Delivery roller pair 81 Setting processing unit 82 Detection processing unit 83 Tilt correction unit 84 Punching processing unit

Claims (7)

A sheet conveying section that conveys the sheet along a predetermined conveying direction;
A punching unit for forming punch holes in the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit;
A setting processing unit capable of individually setting the position of the punch hole formed in the sheet for each punch hole according to a user operation;
A punching processing unit that stops the transport of the sheet by the sheet transporting unit at timings corresponding to the positions of the punch holes set by the setting processing unit, and forms the punch holes in the sheet by the punching unit; ,
A sheet processing apparatus comprising: The setting processing unit can set a position in the transport direction of each of the punch holes formed in the sheet according to a user operation.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. A moving unit capable of moving the perforating part in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction;
The setting processing unit can set the position in the width direction of each of the punch holes formed in the sheet according to a user operation,
The punching processing unit adjusts the formation position of the punch position in the width direction by the punching unit using the moving mechanism.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2. A detection processing unit that detects a length of the sheet in the conveyance direction at a predetermined detection position upstream of a formation position of a punch hole of the punching unit in the conveyance direction of the sheet by the sheet conveyance unit;
The setting processing unit can accept an input of the number of punch holes by a user operation, and from the length L of the sheet detected by the detection processing unit, the leading edge of the sheet and the first punch hole After subtracting the distance between the last punch hole and the trailing edge of the sheet, the position of each punch hole is set according to the solution divided by the value obtained by subtracting 1 from the number of the punch holes. Is possible,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. The setting processing unit can accept an input of the punch hole interval by a user operation, and can set the position of each punch hole to be formed in the sheet according to the punch hole interval.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. An image forming unit for forming an image based on image data on a sheet;
The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the punch holes are formed in the sheet after image formation by the image forming unit.
An image forming apparatus comprising: A sheet processing method in a sheet processing apparatus, comprising: a sheet conveying unit that conveys a sheet along a predetermined conveying direction; and a punching unit that forms a punch hole in the sheet conveyed by the sheet conveying unit. ,
A setting step of individually setting the position of the punch hole formed in the sheet for each punch hole according to a user operation;
Stopping the conveyance of the sheet by the sheet conveyance unit at each timing corresponding to the position of each punch hole set in the setting step, and the punching step of forming the punch hole in the sheet by the punching unit;
A sheet processing method including:

Images