JP2018162120A - Paper post processing device and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper post-processing device that makes it possible to reuse even a damaged paper, and an image forming system provided therewith.SOLUTION: A paper post-processing device 1 includes paper feeding means for sequentially feeding paper P1 stacked on a paper feeder 2, detection means (a damage detecting part 11) for detecting the damaged part of the paper P1, cutting means (a cutting part 5) for cutting the paper, setting means for previously setting the paper size to be cut and control means for controlling so as to remove the damaged part detected by the detection means and cut it to a predetermined paper size. Further, a printable image forming system 200 is formed by connecting the paper post-processing device 1 and an image forming device 100, removing the damaged part, and feeding backing paper P2 cut to a predetermined paper size to the image forming device 100.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus applied to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer, and an image forming system including the same.

  In recent years, backing paper has been increasingly used in image forming apparatuses from the viewpoint of increasing awareness of environmental problems and reducing costs. The back paper refers to a used paper on which one side is printed and the opposite side is a white paper side. By using the blank paper surface on the back side, effective use of resources is promoted, and cost can be reduced.

  When the user uses the back paper, the back paper may be set upside down when the back paper is set in the paper feed cassette, or the paper may be mixedly loaded on the back side. In addition, since double-sided printed paper may be mixedly loaded, an image forming apparatus that determines the front and back of the back paper and feeds only usable paper has already been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). .

  In addition, various ideas have been made to construct an efficient image forming system. For example, Patent Document 2 uses a plurality of paper feed cassettes that accommodate a plurality of paper sizes, and a size that is insufficient. A paper feeding / conveying apparatus is disclosed that feeds paper in a paper feeding cassette in which paper of double size is accommodated by cutting it in half.

JP 2010-277013 A JP 2011-121777 A

  Paper that is damaged such as staple marks, punch holes, creases, and wrinkles is usually discarded. When trying to reuse damaged backing paper, it is necessary to remove the damaged part and use it, but it takes time and effort to cut the damaged part one by one, and make multiple sheets of the same size. It is not easy to cut.

  If there is damage to the edge of the paper when using the back paper, there is a greater possibility that a problem will occur when the paper is passed. In addition, if the damaged paper is discarded without being reused, the amount of waste increases and resources are wasted.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming system including the sheet post-processing apparatus that can reuse even damaged sheets.

  In order to solve the above problems, a sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a sheet feeding unit that feeds sheets, a feeding unit that sequentially feeds sheets stacked on the sheet feeding unit, and a sheet fed Detecting means for detecting the damaged portion, cutting means for cutting the paper, setting means for presetting the paper size to be cut, and paper size preset by removing the damaged portion detected by the detecting means And a control means for controlling the cutting means so as to cut into two pieces.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to prepare a backing paper having the same paper size that can be used without any damage, so that it is possible to reduce the amount of waste and to effectively use resources without wasting them. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a paper post-processing apparatus that can be reused even if the paper is damaged.

  In the sheet post-processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the cutting unit includes a first cutting unit that cuts the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, and a second sheet that cuts the sheet in a direction parallel to the sheet conveyance direction. It is preferable that one or both of the cutting portions are included, and the paper size preferably includes a reduced size having the same aspect ratio as that of the fed paper.

  In the paper post-processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the setting unit is capable of setting a plurality of reduced sizes, and the control unit performs control so that the largest paper size is obtained according to a damaged area. Further, when it is determined that the predetermined paper size cannot be obtained by cutting, it is preferable to discharge the paper without cutting.

  Further, it is preferable to provide a reversing means for reversing and feeding the paper in the path for transporting the paper, and the cutting means includes a cutting reversing path for reversing and transporting the front and back in the paper transport direction. It is preferable that a plurality of paper cassettes for storing the cut paper are provided so that the paper can be stored according to the size of the paper and the front and back of the paper.

  In the paper post-processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, the cutting unit preferably includes a rotating unit that rotates the paper by 90 ° with respect to the conveyance direction, and conveys the cut paper by changing the conveyance direction by 90 °. It is preferable to have a turning means.

  In the sheet post-processing apparatus having the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the sheet cassette is provided with an alignment unit that aligns the position and orientation of the sheet to be stored, and the sheet cut into a predetermined sheet size is fed to another machine. It is preferable to provide a conveying means.

  The present invention also includes a sheet post-processing apparatus having the above-described configuration connected to the image forming apparatus, and a sheet feeding unit configured to feed the sheet cut into a predetermined sheet size to the image forming apparatus. An image forming system in which a damaged portion is removed and a sheet cut into a predetermined sheet size can be fed to the image forming apparatus may be used.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, it is possible to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus that can reuse a damaged sheet and an image forming system including the same.

It is a schematic sectional explanatory drawing of the paper post-processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an image forming system according to the present invention in which the sheet post-processing apparatus of FIG. 1 is connected to the image forming apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a sheet feeding unit of a sheet post-processing apparatus. FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a conveyance path of a sheet post-processing apparatus. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a cutting unit and a cutting reverse path of the sheet post-processing apparatus. It is a schematic cross-sectional schematic diagram explaining the cutting part of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic cross-sectional schematic diagram explaining the cutting part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a schematic sectional drawing explaining the cutting part of 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the 1st control procedure of cutting operation. It is the schematic perspective view, the BB cross-sectional schematic diagram, and CC cross-sectional schematic diagram explaining the alignment means provided in a paper cassette. It is a schematic plane schematic diagram explaining the cutting part of 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic plane schematic diagram explaining the cutting part of 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic plane schematic diagram explaining the cutting part of 4th Embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view explaining the conveyance turning means of the cutting part of 5th Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the 2nd control procedure of cutting operation.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following contents. Moreover, the same code | symbol is used about the same structural member, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted suitably.

  First, an outline of a sheet post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention and an image forming system configured by integrally connecting the sheet post-processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. explain. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view of a paper post-processing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional explanatory view showing a configuration of an image forming system according to the present invention in which the paper post-processing apparatus is connected to the image forming apparatus. is there.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a sheet post-processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus that generates a backing paper having a predetermined size without damage, and includes a sheet feeding unit 2 that feeds sheets and a sheet feeding unit 2. A feeding unit that sequentially feeds the stacked sheets, a detecting unit that detects a damaged portion of the fed sheet, a cutting unit that cuts the paper, and a setting unit that presets the size of the paper to be cut And a control means for controlling the cutting means so as to remove the damaged portion detected by the detecting means and cut the paper into a preset paper size to create a backing paper of a predetermined size.

  The paper feed unit 2 includes paper feed trays 2A and 2B. The paper feed tray 2A is a tray used when feeding paper that does not need to detect a damaged portion (for example, colored paper as a cover), and the paper feed tray 2B detects and cuts the damaged portion of the paper. This tray feeds paper that needs to be removed.

  The paper fed to the paper feed tray 2B is conveyed to each part inside the apparatus via the feeding means. In addition, the damage detection unit 11 (detection means) detects the presence, size, and area of damaged portions such as staple marks, punch holes, folds, and wrinkles.

  The damage detection unit 11 is connected to the control unit (control means) of the paper post-processing apparatus 1 and receives a detection signal from the damage detection unit 11 to determine whether or not the damage detection unit 11 can be used as a backing paper of a predetermined size. Then, a command for cutting to the determined predetermined size is transmitted to the cutting unit 5 (cutting means), the cutting unit 5 performs cutting, and the paper that is cut and formed on the backing paper of the predetermined size is the paper cassette 6. (6A, 6B) is conveyed and stored.

  The control unit (control unit) controls the cutting unit 5 so as to obtain the largest sheet size that can be reused according to the area of the damaged part. With this configuration, even with used paper with different damage ranges, the printable area of the back paper can be utilized to the maximum, so that it can be used effectively without wasting resources. .

  If the control unit (control unit) determines that a predetermined paper size cannot be obtained even after cutting, the control unit (control means) discharges the paper without cutting. For example, the paper is discharged to a paper discharge tray 3 </ b> A of the paper discharge unit 3. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress useless cutting operations by discharging sheets that cannot be used even when cutting to the minimum size without cutting them.

  In addition, the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is connected to the other apparatus 10, and a feeding path 7 (feeding means) that feeds the sheet cut into a predetermined sheet size to the sheet post-processing apparatus 1. ) May be provided. With this configuration, the paper cut into a predetermined paper size is removed by connecting to the other machine 10 that requires the paper cut into a predetermined paper size, for example, the image forming apparatus 100, so that the damaged portion is removed and the paper cut into the predetermined paper size is removed. Since it can be fed to the image forming apparatus 100 and copied to an arbitrary reduced size, the backing paper can be effectively reused.

  In other words, it is possible to construct the image forming system 200 that connects the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment to the image forming apparatus 100 and prints on a backing paper of a predetermined size. As shown in FIG. 2, the image forming system 200 according to the present embodiment transfers the backing paper stored in the paper cassette 6 of the paper post-processing apparatus 1 to the transfer unit 102 of the image forming apparatus 100 via the feeding path 7. Connected so that paper can be fed.

  The image forming apparatus 100 is a conventionally known image forming apparatus 100 having a paper feed unit 101, a transfer unit 102, a fixing unit 103, and an upper tray unit 104 including a document paper feed unit and a paper discharge unit.

  In an image forming system 200 in which the image forming apparatus 100 is connected to the paper post-processing apparatus 1, the back paper cut into a predetermined paper size by the paper post-processing apparatus 1 and once stored in the paper cassette 6 as a usable back paper. Is fed from the paper cassette 6 to the image forming apparatus 100 via the feeding path 7 during the printing operation using the backing paper, printed via the transfer unit 102 and the fixing unit 103, and then subjected to paper post-processing. The paper is discharged to a paper discharge tray provided on the apparatus 1 side, for example, a paper discharge tray 3A.

  With this configuration, printed paper that has been printed using paper (back paper) that has been damaged by the paper post-processing device 1 and cut into a predetermined paper size is discharged on the paper post-processing device 1 side. Since the paper can be discharged to the paper tray 3A, the user can easily confirm that the cut back paper is used without making a mistake.

  The predetermined paper size preferably includes a reduced size having the same aspect ratio as that of the fed paper. With this configuration, the cut sheet can be fed to the image forming apparatus 100 and copied to an arbitrary reduced size, so that effective use can be effectively achieved.

  Next, the configuration of each unit of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 will be described in order. First, the sheet feeding unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The paper feed unit 2 includes paper feed trays 2A and 2B. The paper P1 fed to the paper feed tray 2B is fed into the apparatus through feeding means including a paper feed roller 21 and a transport roller 22, and the damage detection unit 11 staples, punch holes, breaks, and wrinkles. The presence or absence of damage such as the size and area of the damage is detected.

  The damage detection unit 11 includes an image detection sensor that detects the presence or absence of an image and can also detect the surface of the printed paper P1. Therefore, the printed surface of the paper P1 can be detected, and it can be detected whether the front and back of the paper P1 and double-sided printing have been performed.

  Further, in order to determine whether or not the paper P1 can be reused as the backing paper, it is preferable to set in advance the paper size to be reused as the backing paper. Can be set in advance via a setting unit (not shown).

  Similarly to the damage detection unit 11, the setting unit is connected to the control unit of the paper post-processing apparatus 1, and determines the front and back of the paper P1, the area and size to be cut, and the cutting unit via the control unit (not shown). 5 is configured to control the cutting operation. Further, when the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 and the image forming apparatus 100 are connected, the respective control units may be electrically connected so that a predetermined sheet size can be set on the image forming apparatus 100 side. A configuration in which the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 can cut the sheet size set on the image forming apparatus 100 side may be employed.

  The damaged paper P1 is preferably cut into a predetermined size of a reduced size so that reduced copy is possible. Further, the non-damaged paper P1 may be set to be used as it is at a 100% size, or may be set to be used after being cut into a predetermined size, and is preferably settable by the user.

  As described above, in the paper feeding unit 2 according to the present embodiment, the user presets in the setting unit a reduced size (predetermined paper size) that is the same as the aspect ratio of the paper P1 fed to the paper feeding tray 2B. Then, the paper P1 is conveyed to the damage detection unit 11 one by one, and the damage detection unit 11 detects the printed surface of the paper P1 and detects damaged parts such as staple marks, punch holes, folds, and wrinkles.

  Accordingly, the paper P1 fed to the paper feed tray 2B may have a printed side that is the opposite side or a side that is printed on both sides. What is printed on the opposite side may be transported to different paper cassettes 6 or may be reversed and aligned in the middle of the transport path. In addition, those that are printed on both sides can not be reused and can be discharged to a predetermined discharge tray 3A without performing a cutting operation.

  Next, the conveyance path of the paper post-processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The paper post-processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment transports the paper P1 sequentially one by one to the cutting unit 5 and feeds the paper P1 to the cutting unit 5 until it is cut and stored in the paper cassette 6. It has the conveyance route. Further, there is a reversing means (the reversing section 4 including the reversing path 12 and the tray 4A) for reversing the paper P1 between the front and back during the conveyance. With this configuration, even when sheets P1 having opposite sides are mixedly loaded, the front and back sides of the sheet P1 cut into a predetermined sheet size can be aligned and accommodated in the sheet cassette 6.

  The paper P1 sequentially fed from the paper supply unit 2 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A1 in the figure, and the paper P1 having no problem on the front and back is directly sent from the arrow A2 to the cutting unit 5 via the conveyance path indicated by arrow A3. Be transported.

  The sheet P1 whose front and back sides are opposite is conveyed from the arrow A1 in the direction of the arrow B1, reversed by the reversing unit 12 from the direction of the arrow B2 to the direction of the arrow B3, and passed through the reverse path indicated by the arrow B4 to the path indicated by the arrow A2. Merge and transport to the cutting unit 5.

  Next, an example of the cutting means according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a cutting unit including the cutting unit 5 and the cutting reverse path 13 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the cutting means according to the present embodiment includes a cutting reversing path 13 on the upstream side of the cutting unit 5. The sheet P1 conveyed to the cutting unit 5 along the arrow A3 direction shown in the drawing is, for example, cut at the leading end side in the conveyance direction and then fed back in the reverse arrow A4 direction, and then in the arrow A5 direction. Is then conveyed in the direction of arrow A6, reversed in the front-and-rear direction in the direction of conveyance, and re-conveyed from the direction of arrow A3 to the cutting unit 5 again. .

  That is, by providing the cutting reversal path 13, it is possible to cut the leading edge portion and the trailing edge portion of the conveyed paper P <b> 1 using a cutting tool K <b> 1 such as a cutter provided in the cutting portion 5. Even when the cutting reversal path 13 is not used or not provided, the cutting unit 5 cuts the leading end of the paper P1, and then transports it in the forward direction, and then cuts the trailing end of the paper P1. You may do it.

  Next, a specific embodiment of the cutting unit 5 will be described with reference to FIGS.

<First Embodiment>
First, the first embodiment of the cutting unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The cutting unit 5 of the present embodiment includes a first conveyance roller 51, a second conveyance roller 54 that can rotate forward, stop, and reverse, a first pressing member 52 and a second pressing member 53 that are provided therebetween, and both It is set as the structure provided with the cutting tool K1 provided in the middle of a press member. The cutting tool K1 may be a rotary blade type cutter or a press cutting blade type cutter.

  For example, the first transport roller 51 is used as a registration roller, and the transport posture of the transported paper P1 is adjusted, then re-driven, transported to a predetermined position, stopped, and the first pressing member 52 is used. After gripping a region near the leading edge of the paper P1, the cutting tool K1 is driven to cut the leading edge P1a of the paper P1.

  Thereafter, the gripping by the first pressing member 52 is released, the first conveying roller 51 and the second conveying roller 54 are driven again, the sheet P1 is conveyed to a predetermined position, the second conveying roller 54 is stopped, and the second pressing roller After gripping a region near the rear end portion of the paper P1 using the member 53, the cutting tool K1 is driven to cut the rear end portion P1b of the paper P1.

  Accordingly, even when the cutting reversal path 13 is not used or is not provided, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the conveyed paper P1 can be cut respectively. As described above, the cutting position is a position that matches a predetermined reduction size set by the user.

Second Embodiment
Next, 2nd Embodiment of the cutting part 5 is described using FIG.

  The cutting unit 5 of the present embodiment is configured to be able to reverse the front and rear in the transport direction of the paper P1 using a cutting reverse path 13 (shown in FIG. 5). In the present embodiment, the first conveyance roller 51 and the second conveyance roller 54 capable of normal rotation / stop / reverse rotation, a first pressing member 52 and a cutting tool K1 provided therebetween are provided, The member 53 is not necessary.

  Then, as in the first embodiment, the first transport roller 51 is used as a registration roller, the transport posture of the transported paper P1 is aligned, then re-driven to transport to a predetermined position and stopped, After gripping a region near the leading edge of the paper P1 using the first pressing member 52, the cutting tool K1 is driven to cut the leading edge P1a of the paper P1.

  Thereafter, the gripping by the first pressing member 52 is released, the first transport roller 51 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the front and rear in the transport direction of the paper P1 are passed through the cutting reverse path 13 as indicated by the arrow R1 in the drawing. The sheet is reversed and conveyed to a predetermined position, the first conveying roller 51 is stopped, the first pressing member 52 is reused to grasp the region near the current leading end of the sheet P1, and then the cutting tool K1 is driven to move the sheet. The original rear end portion P1b corresponding to the current front end portion of P1 is cut.

  Accordingly, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the conveyed paper P1 can be cut using the cutting reverse path 13 respectively. As described above, the cutting position is a position that matches a predetermined reduction size set by the user. The present embodiment is an embodiment in which a predetermined paper size is obtained by cutting one or both of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the conveyed paper P1, and the damaged portion of the paper P1. One side or both sides may be cut according to the position and size.

  When the conveyance direction of the paper P1 conveyed using the cutting reversal path 13 is turned, the upper surface and the lower surface of the paper P1 are reversed. However, if the paper P1 is accommodated in the predetermined paper cassette 6A or 6B in anticipation of this, Good.

<Third Embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the cutting unit 5 will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the present embodiment, both the long side and the short side of the paper P1 are cut. A specific configuration of the cutting unit 5 in this case will be described later.

  The cutting tool used in this embodiment is a cutting tool K2 for cutting both sides of the conveyed paper P1 in addition to the cutting tool K1 for cutting the leading edge and the trailing edge of the conveyed paper P1 described above. K2A, K2B) are provided.

  Further, the cutting tool K2 (K2A, K2B) is configured to be displaceable in the width direction so that the width to be cut can be adjusted, and the cutting tool K2 is moved to an appropriate position via the control unit described above to execute a cutting operation. I have to.

  The cutting tool K2 (K2A, K2B) may be a rotary blade type cutter or a press blade type cutter, but if it is a rotary blade type cutter, it can be cut while transporting the paper P1. It is preferable because time can be shortened.

  The paper size to be cut (the size of the back paper P2 to be created) is preferably a reduced size having the same aspect ratio as that of the fed paper P1. For example, as shown in the figure, the length L2 and the width W2 of the cut back paper P2 with respect to the paper P1 having the length L1 and the width W1 are reduced sizes that satisfy L1: W1 = L2: W2.

  As described above, the reduction size is a predetermined reduction size set by the user through the setting unit in advance, and a plurality of reduction sizes can be set in advance. With this configuration, it is possible to more effectively determine the paper that can be used as the backing paper P2, and thus it is possible to effectively use resources without wasting them.

  An operation procedure of the cutting operation according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to a flowchart shown in FIG.

  When the user starts an operation for creating the backing paper P2 using the paper post-processing apparatus 1, the user turns on the power and then sets the paper P1 to be the backing paper in the paper feeding unit 2 (S1). Next, the mode setting for setting the desired paper size is performed (S2), and the start button is pressed (S3).

  Then, feeding of the paper P1 (S4: feeding of the back paper) is started, and the image and damage of the paper P1 are read by the detection unit (S5), and it is determined whether or not the back paper of a predetermined size without damage can be taken. (S6), it is determined whether or not the blank paper surface is the A surface, and the surface that can be used as the back paper is confirmed (S8), and the first direction with respect to the paper P1 that is determined to be usable as the back paper (S10), the second direction cutting operation (S11) is performed, and then the paper is transported toward the paper cassette 6 (S12), is stored in the paper cassette 6 (S13), and the paper feeding unit is operated in S14. 2 confirms whether or not the sheet P1 is present. If there is the sheet P1, the process returns to S4, and the operations of S4 to S13 are repeated.

  The A side of whether or not the white paper surface in S8 is the A surface is a surface in which the white paper surface is oriented in the correct direction in the paper cassette when transported through the normal path. If it is determined in S6 that the predetermined size of the backing paper with no damage cannot be removed (NO in S6), the process proceeds to S7 and is discharged to the discharge tray. Thereafter, the process proceeds to S14 to check whether or not the sheet P1 is present in the sheet feeding unit 2.

  As described above, while the paper P1 is present in the paper feed unit 2, the damaged portion is removed from the fed paper P1 by repeating S4 to S14 until the processing of all the papers P1 is completed. In this configuration, only the paper that has been determined to have a predetermined size of backing paper is cut into a predetermined size.

  Further, it is preferable that the first cutting operation in the first direction is a direction in which the leading edge and the trailing edge in the longitudinal direction of the paper P1 are cut. This is because a predetermined paper size may be obtained only by the cutting operation in the first direction. When a predetermined paper size can be obtained only by the cutting operation in the first direction, the subsequent cutting operation in the second direction can be omitted.

  Next, FIG. 10 (A) to FIG. 10 (C) are used for the embodiment of the paper cassette 6 that contains the backing paper P2 that is common to the first to third embodiments and cut into a predetermined size. I will explain. 10A is a schematic perspective view for explaining the aligning means provided in the paper cassette, FIG. 10B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 10A, and FIG. It is CC sectional schematic diagram of (A).

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the sheet cassette 6 (6A, 6B) according to the present embodiment is configured to include an alignment unit that aligns the posture of the stored sheet (backing sheet P2). The alignment means includes an alignment plate 61 that aligns the posture of the backing paper P2 in the front and rear direction in the conveyance direction, and an alignment plate 62 (62A, 62B) that aligns the posture in the width direction orthogonal thereto.

  Although only the alignment plates 61 and 62 (62A and 62B) are shown in the drawing, the alignment means has a drive member for taking in and out these alignment plates. The configuration of the matching means is not particularly limited and may be an arbitrary configuration. For example, the alignment plates 61 and 62 (62A and 62B) are configured to be slidable and movable with respect to the bottom plate, and are housed in a retracted position via a spring member, and are configured to be pushed out to a predetermined position via a drive member. This can be achieved. Moreover, you may make it the structure which can move the alignment plates 61 and 62 (62A, 62B) directly via a drive member. In any case, the predetermined position to be pushed out is preferably set to a position based on the paper size of the backing paper P2 to be accommodated.

  As shown in the BB cross-sectional schematic diagram of FIG. 10 (B), the alignment plates 62A and 62B are mounted so as to be movable in the width direction of the backing paper P2 to be accommodated (in the direction of arrow D1 shown in the drawing). Each time the backing paper P2 is accommodated, the alignment plates 62A and 62B are moved at the same time so as to align the posture in the width direction of the accommodated paper (backing paper P2).

  At the same time, as shown in the CC cross-sectional schematic diagram of FIG. 10C, the alignment plate 61 is moved in the direction of the arrow D2 in the drawing to move the accommodated paper (backing paper P2) in the conveying direction. The posture is matched.

  The alignment plates 61 and 62 (62A and 62B) are in a position retracted from the alignment position when receiving the paper (back paper P2), and no trouble occurs when the paper is stored in the paper cassette 6. In addition, since the alignment plates 61 and 62 (62A and 62B) are moved each time a sheet is stored, the sheets to be moved are one by one. Therefore, the driving force of the aligning means may be small, and the driving means for moving the aligning plates 61 and 62 (62A and 62B) can also have a simple mechanism configuration.

  As described above, the sheet cassette 6 according to the present embodiment is characterized in that an alignment unit that aligns the position and posture of the sheet (backing paper P2) to be accommodated is provided. With this configuration, the cut paper (back paper P2) can be accommodated in a state aligned with the paper cassette 6, and can be stably fed without causing any problems when fed one by one from the paper cassette 6. it can.

<Fourth embodiment>
Next, when the paper P1 is cut into a predetermined paper size, an embodiment in which the cutting means is provided with a rotating means for rotating the paper by 90 ° is shown as a fourth embodiment in FIGS. 11A to 13J. It explains using. FIG. 11 (A) to FIG. 13 (J) are schematic plan views for explaining the cutting unit of the fourth embodiment, and are schematic views for explaining the procedure of the cutting operation.

  As shown in the figure, the cutting unit 5 of the present embodiment includes a first conveyance roller 51, a second conveyance roller 54, and a first pressing member 52 and a second pressing member 53 that are provided between the first conveyance roller 51 and the second conveyance roller 54. In addition to the cutting tool K1 provided between the two pressing members, a pressing rotating member 55 that constitutes a rotating means is provided. The pressing rotation member 55 is a sheet gripping member having an upper member and a lower member that can be rotated 90 ° while sandwiching the conveyed sheet P1 from above and below. The upper member and the lower member can be brought into contact with and separated from each other, and can be rotated by 90 ° while maintaining the contact state. Further, a conveyance roller 56 that has upper and lower rollers that can be brought into and out of contact with each other and that can convey the paper P <b> 1 may be provided at a portion where the pressing rotation member 55 is provided.

  The pressing rotation member 55 and the conveying roller 56 may be provided at the same site as shown in the figure, or may be provided at sites separated in the front-rear direction. In the case of the configuration provided in the same portion, the upper member and the lower member may be provided with a notch that avoids interference with the roller shaft of the transport roller 56. The size of the cutout may be, for example, a size that allows the roller shaft to pass therethrough, and allows the upper member and the lower member to move up and down with respect to the roller shaft and rotate 90 °.

  In the cutting operation in the cutting unit 5, first, as shown in FIG. 11A, the paper P 1 is transported in the forward direction to the predetermined position via the first transport roller 51, and then the paper is transported via the first pressing member 52. The leading end P1a of the paper P1 is cut using the cutting tool K1 while holding P1. At this time, the pressing rotation member 55 is in the separated state 55 (B), and the conveying roller 56 is in the contact state 56 (A).

  Subsequently, when cutting the rear end portion P1b of the sheet P1, the sheet P1 is conveyed forward to the predetermined position via the second conveying roller 54 as shown in FIG. The sheet P1 is pressed through the two-pressing member 53, and the trailing end P1b of the sheet P1 is cut using the cutting tool K1. Also in this case, the pressing rotation member 55 is in the separated state 55 (B), and the conveying roller 56 is in the contact state 56 (A).

  Next, in a state where the first pressing member 52 and the second pressing member 53 are opened, the second conveying roller 54, the first conveying roller 51, and the conveying roller 56 are reversely rotated, as shown in FIG. The paper P1 is conveyed in the reverse direction to a predetermined position, and the paper P1 is sandwiched via the pressing rotation member 55.

  The predetermined position at this time is preferably a position where the pressing rotation member 55 sandwiches the central portion of the paper P1. In this case, the pressing rotation member 55 may be in a contact state 55 (A), and the conveyance roller 56 may be in a contact state 56 (A).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 12D, the sheet P1 is placed with the conveying roller 56 in the separated state 56 (B) and the pressing rotation member 55 in the contact state and in the state 55 (AR) rotated 90 °. Rotate 90 °. The direction of rotation is, for example, clockwise as shown.

  After the sheet P1 is rotated by 90 °, as shown in FIG. 12E, the conveying roller 56 is brought into a contact state 56 (A), and subsequently, as shown in FIG. Is set to a separated state 55 (B), and the transport roller 56 and the first transport roller 51 are rotationally driven in the forward direction to transport the paper P1 in the forward direction. When the pressing rotation member 55 is in the separated state 55 (B), it is rotated 90 ° in the reverse direction to return to the original posture.

  As shown in FIG. 13G, when the paper P1 reaches a predetermined portion, the first conveying roller 51 is stopped, the paper P1 is pressed via the first pressing member 52, and the paper P1 is cut using the cutting tool K1. The front end corresponding to one side end P1c is cut. At this time, the pressing rotation member 55 is in the separated state 55 (B), and the conveying roller 56 is in the contact state 56 (A).

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 13 (H), the sheet P1 is conveyed forward to the predetermined position via the second conveying roller 54, and the sheet P1 is pressed via the second pressing member 53 and cut. The trailing edge corresponding to the other side edge P1d of the paper P1 is cut using the tool K1. Also in this case, the pressing rotation member 55 is in the separated state 55 (B), and the conveying roller 56 is in the contact state 56 (A).

  The paper P1 cut into a predetermined size through the above process becomes the back paper P2. That is, as shown in FIG. 13J, the backing paper P2 formed by cutting the four sides is conveyed in the forward direction toward the paper cassette 6 via the second conveying roller 54.

  The above-described embodiment is an embodiment in which four sides of the paper P1 can be cut by the cutting unit 5 having one cutting tool K1. That is, the cutting unit 5 of the present embodiment includes a first cutting unit that cuts the paper in a direction orthogonal to the initial feeding direction of the paper, and a first cutting unit that cuts the paper in a direction parallel to the original feeding direction of the paper. It can be said that it is the structure which also uses 2 cutting parts. With this configuration, the cutting unit 5 can cut paper of various sizes, so that the used paper can be effectively used.

<Fifth Embodiment>
Next, another embodiment capable of cutting four sides of the paper P1 will be described as a fifth embodiment with reference to FIG.

  In this embodiment, the cutting tool K2A for cutting one side end portion P1c of the paper P1 and the other side end portion P1d are cut to the cutting portion 5 while the paper P1 is transported in the transport direction indicated by the arrow F1 in the drawing. A cutting part 5B including a cutting tool K2 including the cutting tool K2B to be cut, and a cutting tool K3A for cutting a portion corresponding to the leading end part P1a of the paper P1 while being conveyed in a rotation direction indicated by an arrow F2 in the drawing and the rear A cutting portion 5A provided with a cutting tool K3 including a cutting tool K3B for cutting a portion corresponding to the end portion P1b is provided.

  The mechanism for rotating in the direction of arrow F2 in which the transport direction is changed by 90 ° with respect to the direction of arrow F1 is not particularly limited, and any transport turning means 14 can be used. For example, the roller turning type conveying turning means 14 that forms an arcuate conveying path using a plurality of roller pairs may be used. In addition, a belt conveyance method in which the paper P1 is sandwiched between the belts and conveyed in a predetermined arcuate direction may be used, or a conveyance method in which a plurality of roller pairs and a conveyance belt are used in combination may be used.

  Further, after carrying out a predetermined cutting operation by changing the conveyance direction by 90 ° from the direction of the arrow F1 and rotating in the direction of the arrow F2, the conveyance direction is further changed by 90 ° and conveyed in the direction of the arrow F3. The paper is conveyed to the paper cassette 6 so as to match the direction of the direction arrow F1.

  In other words, the cutting unit according to the present embodiment is characterized by having the conveyance turning unit 14 that conveys the cut sheet P1 by changing the conveyance direction by 90 °. With this configuration, when the transport direction of the paper P1 is in the straight traveling state, the cutting tool K2 is used to cut the two sides in the longitudinal direction of the paper P1 during transport, and the transport direction of the paper P1 is turned 90 ° from the straight travel state. Since the cutting tool K3 can be used to cut the two sides in the short direction of the paper P1, the four sides can be cut without stopping the paper P1.

  In the cutting operation using the cutting tool K2, two sides in the longitudinal direction of the paper P1 may be cut at the same time, or only one side in the longitudinal direction may be cut according to the size of the damaged portion area and the size to be cut. . Similarly, the cutting operation using the cutting tool K3 may be configured to cut one or two sides of the paper P1 in the short direction according to the area of the damaged portion and the size to be cut.

  Further, the transport turning means 14 temporarily stops the sheet P1 in the straight traveling state and traverses in the horizontal direction as it is, and during this traversing movement, a portion corresponding to the leading end portion P1a and a portion corresponding to the trailing end portion P1b of the sheet P1. The structure to cut may be sufficient. Even in this configuration, it is the same that the conveyance turning means 14 that conveys the cut sheet P1 by changing the conveyance direction by 90 ° is the same.

  In the present embodiment, a first cutting unit 5A that cuts the paper P1 in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper P1, and a second cutting unit 5B that cuts the paper P1 in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction of the paper P1. This also corresponds to a configuration having a cutting means including With this configuration, the paper can be cut into various sizes of paper (back paper P2), so that more effective and effective use is possible.

  Even in the configuration including the first cutting unit 5A and the second cutting unit 5B, the portion to be cut is determined according to the position and size of the damaged portion of the paper P1 and the paper size to be cut, and less cutting is performed. It is preferable to be controlled so that operation is possible. In any case, according to the present embodiment, the paper P1 can be cut without being stopped, so that the backing paper P2 can be created without reducing productivity.

<Other embodiments>
Next, an embodiment in which no inversion path is provided will be described as another embodiment with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The case where the reversal path is not provided here refers to a configuration that does not include the reversing unit 12 and the cutting reversal path 13 illustrated in FIG. 4. Moreover, even if it is provided, the case where it is not used may be included.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a second control procedure of the cutting operation, and the description of the same parts as those in the flowchart showing the first control procedure shown in FIG. 9 will be omitted, and different steps will be mainly described. .

  The second control procedure of this embodiment does not have steps S8 and S9 that the first control procedure has, but has step S12A instead of step S12, and steps S13A and 13B instead of step S13. Have.

  Step S12A is for determining whether or not the blank page surface is the A side. When it is determined that the blank page surface is the A side, the process proceeds in the YES direction to reach step S13A. If it is determined that the blank page is not on side A, that is, it is determined that the front and back sides are opposite, the process proceeds in the NO direction to step S13B.

  Step S13A is a process of storing the back paper P2 in the first paper cassette 6A, and step S13B is a process of storing the back paper P2 in the second paper cassette 6B. As described above, the A surface is a surface in which the white paper surface is oriented in the correct direction in the paper cassette when transported through a normal path.

  This embodiment is a preferred configuration when the reverse path cannot be provided due to space restrictions of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1. Therefore, when the back paper P2 having a reusable white paper surface on the A side and the back paper P2 having a white paper surface on the opposite side are mixed, they are stored in different paper cassettes 6 (6A, 6B). It is preferable to do.

  With this configuration, since the backing paper P2 is accommodated in the paper cassette 6 (6A, 6B) with the printing surfaces aligned, when the paper post-processing apparatus 1 is connected to the image forming apparatus 100, the paper is It becomes possible to feed the backing paper P2 from the predetermined paper cassette 6 (6A, 6B) to the image forming apparatus 100 via the feeding path 7 provided in the post-processing apparatus 1, and print it to a desired reduced size. It is possible to construct the image forming system 200 that can reliably execute the printing operation.

  Further, when the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 is not connected to the image forming apparatus, the user himself takes out the backing paper P2 accommodated in each sheet cassette 6 (6A, 6B), and the image forming apparatus main body. What is necessary is just to set to a paper feed cassette.

  Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

  For example, although the paper cassette 6 has been described as having two of 6A and 6B, this number may be three or more according to the paper size to be cut. Further, the image forming system 200 is constructed by connecting the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 to the image forming apparatus 100. May be.

  As described above, the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention is fed with the sheet feeding unit 2 that feeds sheets, the feeding unit that sequentially feeds the sheets P1 stacked on the sheet feeding unit 2, and the sheet feeding unit 2 Detection means (damage detection section 11) for detecting a damaged portion of the paper P1, cutting means (cutting section 5) for cutting the paper, setting means for presetting the paper size to be cut, and detection means detected by the detection means. And a control means for controlling the cutting means so as to remove the damaged portion and cut into a preset paper size.

  According to this configuration, the back paper P2 having the same paper size that can be used without any damage can be prepared, so that the amount of waste can be reduced and the resources can be effectively used without wasting them. Accordingly, it is possible to obtain the paper post-processing apparatus 1 that can be reused even if the paper P1 is damaged. Furthermore, by using the backing paper P2 from which the damaged portion has been removed, it is possible to reduce the risk of occurrence of problems during paper feeding.

  In the paper post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the cutting means includes a first cutting unit 5A that cuts the paper P1 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the paper P1, and a paper in a direction parallel to the transport direction of the paper P1. One or both of the second cutting portions 5B for cutting P1 are included. With this configuration, by using the first cutting unit 5A and / or the second cutting unit 5B, it is possible to cut the paper P1 of various sizes, so that more effective use is possible.

  In the paper post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the paper size includes a reduced size having the same aspect ratio as that of the fed paper P1. With this configuration, the cut paper (back paper P2) can be supplied to the image forming apparatus 100 and copied to an arbitrary reduced size, so that effective use can be effectively achieved.

  In the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the setting unit can set a plurality of reduced sizes. With this configuration, it is possible to more effectively determine the paper P1 that can be used as the backing paper P2, and thus it is possible to effectively use resources without wasting them.

  Further, in the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the control unit controls the cutting unit so as to obtain the largest sheet size in accordance with a damaged area. With this configuration, the printable area of the backing paper can be utilized to the maximum, so that it can be effectively used without wasting resources.

  Further, in the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, when the control unit determines that a predetermined sheet size cannot be obtained by cutting, the control unit controls to discharge the sheet P1 without cutting. It is characterized by. With this configuration, it is possible to suppress useless cutting operations by discharging the paper P1 that cannot be used even when cutting to the minimum size without cutting.

  Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration is characterized in that a reversing means (reversing path 12) for reversing and feeding the sheet P1 is provided in a path for transporting the sheet P1. With this configuration, the front and back of the paper (back paper P2) cut to a predetermined paper size can be aligned even when the paper P1 having the opposite sides is mixedly loaded.

  Further, in the paper post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, a plurality of paper cassettes 6 for storing the cut paper (back paper P2) are provided so that the paper can be stored in accordance with the size and front and back of the paper (back paper P2). It is characterized by. With this configuration, the cut paper (back paper P2) can be accommodated for each size and for different front and back surfaces, so that later reuse can be effectively achieved.

  Further, in the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the cutting unit includes a cutting reversing path 13 that reverses and transports the front and rear of the sheet P1 in the transport direction. If it is this structure, the front-end | tip part and rear-end part of the paper P1 conveyed with the one cutting tool K1 will each be cuttable.

  In the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the cutting unit includes a rotation unit (pressing rotation member 55) that rotates the sheet P1 by 90 ° with respect to the transport direction. With this configuration, it is possible to perform cutting in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the paper P1 and cutting in a direction parallel to the longitudinal direction using the common cutting tool K1.

  Further, in the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, the cutting unit includes a conveyance turning unit 14 that conveys the cut sheet P1 by changing the conveyance direction by 90 degrees. With this configuration, when the paper P1 is transported in the longitudinal direction, the side portion in the longitudinal direction of the paper is cut during transport, and the transport direction of the paper is in a transverse state that is turned 90 ° from the straight traveling state. Since the lateral side of the sheet can be cut, the sheet can be cut without stopping.

  Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration is characterized in that the sheet cassette 6 is provided with alignment means (alignment plates 61 and 62) for aligning the position and posture of the stored sheet (backing sheet P2). To do. With this configuration, the cut paper (back paper P2) can be accommodated in a state aligned with the paper cassette 6, and can be stably fed without causing any problems when fed one by one from the paper cassette 6. it can.

  Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration is characterized in that a feeding unit (feeding path 7) for feeding a sheet (back sheet P2) cut to a predetermined sheet size to the other apparatus 10 is provided. To do. With this configuration, the paper (back paper P2) cut to a predetermined size by connecting to another apparatus that requires paper (back paper P2) cut to a predetermined paper size, for example, the image forming apparatus 100. ) To the image forming apparatus 100 and can be copied to an arbitrary reduced size, so that the used paper can be effectively reused.

  Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration is connected to the image forming apparatus 100, and the sheet (back paper P <b> 2) cut into a predetermined sheet size is fed to the image forming apparatus 100. If the image forming system 200 is provided with a means (feeding path 7) to remove the damaged portion and allow the paper (back paper P2) cut to a predetermined paper size to be fed to the image forming apparatus 100, By feeding the backing paper P2 cut to a predetermined paper size from the predetermined paper cassette 6 to the image forming apparatus 100, it is possible to construct an image forming system 200 that enables printing to a desired reduced size.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 that can be reused even for the damaged sheet P1, and the image forming system 200 including the sheet post-processing apparatus 1.

  Therefore, the sheet post-processing apparatus and the image forming system according to the present invention can be suitably applied to an image forming apparatus that requires the use of a backing sheet in order to effectively use the sheet and reduce the amount of waste.

1 Paper post-processing device 2 Paper feed unit (paper feed means)
2A, 2B Paper feed tray 3 Paper discharge part 3A Paper discharge tray 4 Reversing part (reversing means)
5 Cutting part (cutting means)
5A 1st cutting part 5B 2nd cutting part 51 1st conveyance roller 52 1st pressing member 53 2nd pressing member 54 2nd conveying roller 55 Press rotation member (rotating means)
56 Transport roller 6 Paper cassette 61, 62 Alignment plate (alignment means)
7 Feeding route (feeding means)
10 Other machine 11 Damage detection part (detection means)
12 Inversion path (inversion means)
13 Cutting reversal path 14 Transport turning means 100 Image forming apparatus 200 Image forming system K1, K2, K3 Cutting tool P1 Paper P2 Back paper

Claims (14)

A paper feed unit for feeding paper,
A feeding unit that sequentially feeds the sheets stacked on the sheet feeding unit;
Detecting means for detecting a damaged portion of the fed paper;
Cutting means for cutting paper,
Setting means for presetting the paper size to be cut;
Control means for controlling the cutting means so as to remove the damaged portion detected by the detecting means and cut into a preset paper size;
A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:   The cutting means includes one or both of a first cutting unit that cuts the paper in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the paper and a second cutting unit that cuts the paper in a direction parallel to the conveyance direction of the paper. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1.   The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet size includes a reduced size having an aspect ratio that is the same as an aspect ratio of a sheet to be fed.   4. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit can set a plurality of reduced sizes.   5. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the cutting unit so as to obtain a largest sheet size in accordance with an area of a damaged portion.   6. The control unit according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the predetermined paper size cannot be obtained by cutting, the control unit performs control so that the paper is discharged without being cut. The paper post-processing device as described.   7. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a reversing unit for reversing and transporting the paper on the path for transporting the paper.   The paper post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of paper cassettes are provided to store the cut paper, and each of the paper cassettes can be stored according to the size of the paper and the front and back of the paper.   The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutting unit includes a cutting reversal path that reverses and conveys the front and rear in the sheet conveyance direction.   The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutting unit includes a rotating unit that rotates the sheet by 90 ° with respect to the conveyance direction.   11. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the cutting unit includes a conveyance turning unit configured to change a conveyance direction of the cut sheet by 90 degrees and convey the sheet.   12. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet cassette is provided with an aligning unit that aligns a position and an attitude of a sheet to be stored.   13. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a feeding unit that feeds a sheet cut into a predetermined sheet size to another machine.   A sheet post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 13 is connected to the image forming apparatus, and a sheet feeding unit that feeds the sheet cut into a predetermined sheet size is provided in the sheet processing apparatus. An image forming system, wherein a damaged part is removed and a sheet cut into a predetermined sheet size can be fed to an image forming apparatus.