JP2019188664A - Post-processing device and image formation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a post-processing device that surely collects cut needle tips by preventing dispersion thereof.SOLUTION: The post-processing device has a staple device. The staple device includes: a stapler that has a discharge port that discharges cut needle tips; a collection part 35 that collects needle tips discharged from the discharge port. The collection part 35 includes: a duct 81 having a receiving opening 91 that receives the needle tips and a discharge opening 93 that discharges the received needle tips; an opening and closing part 83 that is rotatably supported by the duct 81 so as to open and close the discharge opening 93; and a collection tank 85 that is provided below the opening and closing part 83 in an attachable and detachable manner. The opening and closing part 83, due to the collection tank 85 being attached, rotates downward and releases the discharge opening 93, causing the needle tips to be collected into the collection tank 85 through the duct 81. The opening and closing part 83 rotates upward and closes the discharge opening 93 due to the collection tank 85 being detached.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing including a staple process for binding a bundle of sheets with a staple, and an image forming apparatus including the post-processing apparatus.

  The post-processing performed by the post-processing apparatus may include a stapling process that binds a bundle of sheets with a staple. In the stapler that performs the stapling process, if the number of sheets is small (the thickness of the sheet bundle is thin), there is a problem in that the staple point of the folded staple needle becomes long and the appearance is poor. For this reason, when the number of sheets is small, the stapler may be provided with a cutting unit that cuts the staple tips of staples that have been driven into the sheet bundle.

  The needle tip cut by the cutting part is temporarily stored in the storage part provided in the stapler and then discharged from the discharge port. The stapler may be provided with a lid that opens and closes the discharge port. However, when the lid is provided in this way, the needle tip may be caught on the lid when the needle tip is discharged from the discharge port. If the lid is closed while the needle tip is caught, the needle tip is sandwiched between the lid and the peripheral edge of the discharge port to open a gap, and the discharge port cannot be completely closed by the lid. Then, there is a problem that the needle tip falls from the gap and scatters in the post-processing apparatus.

  Therefore, Patent Document 1 describes a paper processing apparatus in which a deformable member whose surface can be elastically deformed is provided at the peripheral edge of an open / close lid (lid). The deformable member is sandwiched between the opening / closing lid and the peripheral edge of the opening of the first accommodating portion (accommodating portion) to prevent the formation of a gap.

JP 2014-47024 A

  However, even if a deformable member is provided as in the paper processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, if the number of needle tips sandwiched between the opening / closing lid and the periphery of the opening increases, the gap becomes wider, It becomes difficult to close the gap with the deformable member.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a post-processing apparatus that can reliably collect a cut-off needle tip and an image forming apparatus including the post-processing apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a post-processing apparatus according to the present invention is a post-processing apparatus that includes a stapling apparatus that binds a bundle of sheets with a staple needle, and a housing that supports the stapling apparatus, and the stapling apparatus includes: A stapler having a cutting portion for cutting a staple tip of the staple needle driven into the paper bundle according to a thickness of the paper bundle, and a discharge port for discharging the needle tip cut by the cutting portion, and the discharger. A recovery part for recovering the needle tip discharged from the outlet, and the recovery part includes a duct having a receiving opening for receiving the needle point and a discharge opening for discharging the received needle point, An opening / closing portion whose one end is rotatably supported by the duct so as to open / close the discharge opening, and the detachable attachment to the casing below the opening / closing portion, and the discharge opening being discharged from the discharge opening Collect the needle tip A recovery tank, and when the recovery tank is attached to the housing, the opening / closing portion rotates downward to open the discharge opening, and the needle tip is connected to the recovery tank via the duct. It is collected in a tank, and when the collection tank is removed from the housing, the opening / closing portion rotates upward to close the discharge opening.

  In the post-processing apparatus of the present invention, the opening / closing part has a bottom plate that is rotatably supported by the duct around the front end in the mounting direction of the recovery tank, and opens and closes the discharge port, In the open posture in which the opening / closing part opens the discharge opening, the inclination angle of the bottom plate with respect to the horizontal plane may be 25 degrees or more.

  In the post-processing apparatus of the present invention, the opening / closing portion includes a projecting piece that protrudes downward from the front end of the bottom plate, and a biasing member that biases the bottom plate in a direction to close the discharge opening. And when the collection tank is mounted on the housing, the collection tank pushes the protruding piece forward and opens the discharge opening against the urging force of the urging member. When the bottom plate rotates and the collection tank is removed from the housing, the force for pushing the projecting piece forward is released, and the bottom plate rotates in a direction to close the discharge opening by the biasing member. It may be characterized by moving.

  In the post-processing apparatus of the present invention, the stapler is supported so as to be movable in the width direction of the sheet bundle, and the receiving opening of the duct is opened over the entire movement range of the stapler. Also good.

  An image forming apparatus according to the present invention includes the post-processing device.

  According to the present invention, since the lid for opening and closing the stapler discharge port is not provided, a situation in which the needle tip is sandwiched between the discharge port and the lid does not occur, and the needle tip is reliably collected in the collection tank. Can do. In addition, by installing the collection tank, the discharge opening of the duct can be automatically opened or closed.

1 is a front view schematically showing an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows typically the internal structure of the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. In the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is a perspective view which shows a stapler. FIG. 6 is a front view showing staples driven into a sheet bundle in the post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. In the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is a front view which shows the staple needle by which the needle point was cut | disconnected. In the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is a front view which shows the staple needle by which the needle point was bent. In the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is a perspective view which shows a support part. It is a perspective view which shows the movement position of a stapler in the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. In the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is a perspective view which shows a collection | recovery part. It is sectional drawing which shows a collection | recovery part in the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. In the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is sectional drawing which shows the collection | recovery part by which the collection tank was pulled out from the mounting position. In the post-processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention, it is sectional drawing which shows the collection | recovery part from which the collection tank was further pulled out from the mounting position.

  The image forming apparatus and post-processing apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus 200 and the post-processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view of the image forming apparatus 200 and the post-processing apparatus 1. The front side of the sheet of FIG. 1 is the front side of the image forming apparatus 200 and the post-processing apparatus 1. Fr, Rr, L, and R in the drawings indicate the front side, the rear side, the left side, and the right side of the image forming apparatus 200 and the post-processing apparatus 1, respectively.

  The apparatus main body 201 of the image forming apparatus 200 includes an image forming unit 203 that forms an image on a sheet. On the left side surface of the apparatus main body 201, a delivery port 205 for discharging a sheet on which an image is formed is formed.

  The image forming apparatus 200 includes a post-processing apparatus 1. The post-processing apparatus 1 is disposed adjacent to the left side of the image forming apparatus 200 and performs post-processing on a sheet bundle on which sheets formed with images by the image forming unit 203 of the image forming apparatus 200 are stacked.

  Next, the post-processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing the internal configuration of the post-processing apparatus.

  The post-processing apparatus 1 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped main body 3 as a housing and leg portions 5 that support the main body 3. In the main body 3, a carry-in port 7 is formed on the side surface (right side surface) on the image forming apparatus 200 side, and a paper discharge port 9 is formed on the side surface (left side surface) opposite to the image forming apparatus 200. Paper is carried into the carry-in entrance 7 from the delivery port 205 of the image forming apparatus 200. The post-processed paper is discharged from the paper discharge port 9. A discharge tray 11 is provided below the discharge port 9. Inside the main body 3, a conveyance path 13 for conveying the paper along the conveyance direction from the carry-in port 7 toward the paper discharge port 9 is provided. In the transport path 13, in order from the upstream side in the transport direction, a punching device 15 that punches paper, a processing tray 23 on which a paper bundle is placed, and a paper bundle placed on the processing tray 23 are stapled. And a stapling device 17 for binding. The processing tray 23 includes support members 25 at three locations in the sheet width direction. Further, a registration roller pair 19 is provided between the punching device 15 and the stapling device 17 in the conveyance path 13, and a carry-in roller pair 20 is provided on the downstream side of the registration roller pair 19. A discharge roller pair 21 is provided at the end. Further, the main body unit 3 is provided with a control unit that controls the staple processing by the stapling device 17.

  Next, the stapling device 17 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3 to 9B.

  The stapling device 17 includes a stapler 31 (see FIG. 3) that binds a bundle of sheets on which a predetermined number of sheets are stacked with a staple needle, and a direction (front-rear direction, hereinafter referred to as a movement direction D) perpendicular to the transport direction. A support portion 33 (see FIGS. 5 and 6) that is movably supported, and a collection portion 35 (see FIGS. 7 and 8) in which the needle tip cut by the stapler 31 is collected are provided.

  First, the stapler 31 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the stapler. The stapler 31 is a device that binds a bundle of sheets with a metal staple. The stapler 31 includes a driving portion 43 and a binding portion 45 provided below and above the holding portion 41 where the sheet bundle is held, and a discharge port 47 provided below the binding portion 45.

  The clamping part 41 is formed so as to open on one surface of the stapler 31 (referred to as the front surface of the stapler 31) and on both sides thereof.

  The driving unit 43 includes a cartridge 51 in which staples are accommodated, and a driving unit 53 that drives the staples fed from the cartridge 51 into a sheet bundle received by the holding unit 41.

  The binding unit 45 includes a cutting unit 55 that cuts the needle tip of the staple needle that has been driven into the paper bundle according to the thickness of the paper bundle, and a bending unit 57 that clinches the tip of the staple needle that has been driven in. Yes. The binding unit 45 is connected to a cam that is rotated by a motor via a link arm. The binding unit 45 moves in the direction of the driving unit 43 by the rotation of the cam, and the sheet bundle received by the holding unit 41 is connected to the driving unit 43. Hold between. After the sheet bundle is sandwiched, the staples are driven into the sheet bundle by the driving unit 43.

  Next, operations of the cutting portion 55 and the bending portion 57 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4C. 4A to 4C are front views schematically explaining the operation of the cutting part and the bending part.

  When the number of sheets in the sheet bundle is smaller than the predetermined number, or when the thickness of the sheet bundle is smaller than the predetermined thickness, there is a problem that the needle tip of the folded staple needle becomes long and the appearance is bad. Therefore, in such a case, after the staple tip of the staple needle is cut by the cutting portion 55 in accordance with the thickness of the sheet bundle, the leading end of the staple needle is clinched by the bending portion 57.

  First, as shown in FIG. 4A, the staple needle N is driven into the sheet bundle B sandwiched by the sandwiching unit 41 by the launching unit 53. Thereafter, the cutting length T2 is obtained from the length before cutting of the staple needle N, the thickness T1 of the sheet bundle B, and the like, and as shown in FIG. 4B, the cutting tip 55 sets the needle tip Nc by the calculated cutting length T2. Disconnected. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4C, the leading end of the staple needle N is clinched inward by the clinching roller of the bent portion 57.

  Referring to FIG. 3 again, the discharge port 47 opens on the surface opposite to the sandwiching portion 41 (the rear surface of the stapler 31). A discharge passage (not shown) is formed between the binding portion 45 and the discharge port 47. The needle tip cut by the cutting portion 55 is discharged from the discharge port 47 through the discharge passage.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the stapler 31 is supported by a support portion 33 described later in such a posture that the clamping portion 41 opens obliquely upward toward the downstream side in the transport direction and the discharge port 47 opens obliquely downward. ing. A sheet bundle is received by the clamping unit 41 with the side edge on the side to be bound (for example, one side edge in the longitudinal direction) facing down.

  Next, the support part 33 is demonstrated with reference to FIG.5 and FIG.6. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the support portion, and FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the moving position of the stapler.

  The support part 33 supports the stapler 31 so as to be movable in the movement direction D as described above. As shown in FIG. 5, the support portion 33 includes a base member 61 provided along the moving direction D of the stapler 31, a moving table 63 that supports the stapler 31, and the moving table 63 on the base member 61 in the moving direction. And a stapler drive motor 65 as a stapler drive unit that is moved along D.

  The base member 61 is a rectangular plate-like member that is long in the moving direction D of the stapler 31. A movement groove 67 and a guide groove 69 are formed in the base member 61 in parallel along the movement direction D. The moving groove 67 is formed in a straight line along the moving direction D. The guide groove 69 is shorter than the moving groove 67, and includes a straight portion 69a along the moving direction D and inclined portions 69b at both ends of the straight portion 69a. Each inclined portion 69b is inclined in a direction away from the moving groove 67 at a predetermined obtuse angle with respect to the straight portion 69a.

  The moving table 63 is a plate-like member on which the stapler 31 can be placed. A long hole 63 a is formed in the moving table 63 along the direction intersecting the moving direction D. The moving table 63 is provided with a moving slider 71 and a guiding slider 73 that engage with the moving groove 67 and the guide groove 69, respectively, so as to be rotatable with respect to the moving table 63.

  The stapler driving motor 65 is disposed at one end (rear end) of the base member 61 and reciprocates the moving table 63 along the moving groove 67.

  When the moving table 63 is moved along the moving groove 67 by the stapler driving motor 65, the moving table 63 is guided in the moving direction D along the moving groove 67 and the linear portion 69 a of the guide groove 69. When the guide slider 73 enters the inclined portion 69 b from the straight portion 69 a of the guide groove 69 and is locked to the end portion of the inclined portion 69 b, the moving slider 71 moves further along the moving groove 67. It moves relative to the moving table 63 along the long hole 63a. Then, the moving table 63 rotates around the guide slider 73 and assumes a posture inclined inward with respect to the moving direction D as indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG.

  Thus, when the movable table 63 is inclined inward, the corners of the sheet bundle can be bound diagonally by the stapler 31 supported by the movable table 63. That is, when the moving base 63 moves to the front end or the rear end in the movement direction D, the stapler 31 is inclined with respect to the sheet bundle, so that one corner or the other corner of the sheet bundle can be stapled obliquely. Further, when the stapler 31 moves to the center in the movement direction D, the center of the side edge of the sheet bundle can be stapled. Alternatively, stapling can be performed at two locations in the center.

  The base member 61 of the support portion 33 is disposed so as to incline upward toward the downstream side (left side) in the transport direction with the movement groove 67 on the lower side and the guide groove 69 on the upper side (FIG. 1). reference). The stapler 31 is supported by the moving base 63 in such a posture that the sandwiching portion 41 opens obliquely upward toward the downstream side in the transport direction and the discharge port 47 opens obliquely downward.

  Next, the collection unit 35 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the collection unit, and FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the collection unit.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the collection unit 35 includes a duct 81 disposed below the discharge port 47 of the stapler 31 supported by the support unit 33, and an opening / closing supported rotatably by the duct 81. And a recovery tank 85 detachably provided below the opening / closing part 83.

  The duct 81 includes a substantially square cylindrical peripheral wall 81a and a bottom wall 81b (see FIG. 8) inclined downward toward the rear, and from the upper receiving opening 91 toward the lower discharging opening 93. The cross-sectional area is formed so as to be gradually narrowed. The receiving opening 91 has a length equivalent to the length of the base member 61 along the moving direction D of the stapler 31, and the discharge opening 93 is formed shorter than the receiving opening 91 along the moving direction D. Has been. Bosses 95 are provided upright at the rear lower corners of the left and right side surfaces of the peripheral wall 81a.

  The duct 81 is disposed below the edge along the lower edge of the base member 61 of the support portion 33. Thereby, even when the moving table 63 moves to the front end or the rear end of the base member 61 along the moving direction D, the needle tip discharged from the discharge port 47 is received by the receiving opening 91.

  The opening / closing part 83 is a member having a U-shaped cross-section with an upper surface opened, and a front opening surface forms a discharge port 83a (see FIG. 8). The opening / closing portion 83 extends along the moving direction D and has a size capable of closing the discharge opening 93, a pair of side plates 103 rising from both left and right edges of the bottom plate 101, and downward from a rear end portion of the bottom plate 101. A protruding piece 105 that protrudes, and an urging member 107 interposed between the bottom plate 101 and the duct 81 are provided. The opening / closing part 83 is made of, for example, resin.

  The bottom plate 101 is in contact with the peripheral edge of the discharge opening 93 of the duct 81 from below. The pair of side plates 103 are rotatably supported by the bosses 95 of the duct 81 with the peripheral wall 81a of the duct 81 sandwiched from both the left and right sides.

  The projecting piece 105 has a vertical portion 105a that protrudes downward from the rear end portion of the bottom plate 101, and a horizontal portion 105b that bends forward from the lower end of the vertical portion 105a. The tip of the horizontal portion 105b is curved. The protruding piece 105 is integrally formed with the bottom plate 101.

  The urging member 107 is, for example, a torsion coil spring having a pair of arm portions 107a and 107b and a coil portion 107c. The coil portion 107 c is inserted into each boss 95, one arm portion 107 a is fixed to the rear wall 81 a of the peripheral wall 81 a of the duct 81, and the other arm portion 107 b is fixed to the bottom plate 101 of the opening / closing portion 83. The urging member 107 urges the opening / closing portion 83 to rotate upward about the boss 95. As a result, the bottom plate 101 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the discharge opening 93 to take a horizontal posture, and the discharge opening 93 is closed. On the other hand, when the opening / closing part 83 is rotated downward against the urging force of the urging member 107, the bottom plate 101 takes a posture (open posture) inclined away from the periphery of the discharge opening 93, and the discharge opening 93 is Opened.

  The collection tank 85 is a box-like member having an open upper surface, and has a length equivalent to the length of the base member 61 along the moving direction D of the stapler 31. A recess 109 that is recessed forward is formed at the upper end of the rear wall of the collection tank 85.

  The collection tank 85 is attached to a slot-like attachment portion P provided in the main body 3 below the duct 81. An opening 3a (see FIG. 2) for attaching / detaching a duct communicating with the mounting portion P is formed on the front side plate of the main body portion 3. As shown in FIG. 8, when the recovery tank 85 is inserted into the mounting portion P through the opening 3a and positioned at the mounting position in the mounting portion P, the rear wall of the recovery tank 85 is the rear side plate 3b of the main body portion 3. , And the rear surface of the recess 109 is positioned behind the front end of the horizontal portion 105b of the projecting piece 105 of the opening / closing portion 83 supported by the duct 81 (see the two-dot chain line in FIG. 8). On the other hand, the collection tank 85 is taken out from the mounting portion P by sliding the collection tank 85 forward from the opening 3a.

  In the post-processing apparatus 1 having the above-described configuration, a stapling process for binding a bundle of sheets with a staple needle will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 7, and 9A and 9B. 9A and 9B are cross-sectional views showing the collection tank being taken out.

  During the stapling process, the collection tank 85 is positioned at the mounting position of the mounting portion P as shown in FIGS. As described above, in the mounting position, the rear surface of the recess 109 of the collection tank 85 is positioned behind the front end of the horizontal portion 105 b of the protruding piece 105 of the opening / closing portion 83 supported by the duct 81. Therefore, the protruding piece 105 is pushed rearward by the collection tank 85, the opening / closing part 83 rotates downward about the boss 95, and the discharge port 83a opens obliquely downward. As a result, the bottom plate 101 is separated from the peripheral edge of the discharge opening 93 of the duct 81 and inclined forward and downward, and the discharge opening 93 is opened. It is preferable that the inclination angle of the bottom plate 101 with respect to a horizontal plane (horizontal posture for closing the discharge opening 93) is 25 degrees or more. When the collection tank 85 is positioned at the mounting position, it is temporarily fixed by a stopper (not shown). Thereby, the opening / closing part 83 is rotated by the urging member 107, and the collection tank 85 is urged by the protruding piece 105 and is prevented from moving forward.

  With reference to FIG. 2, the sheet or the like on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus is received from the carry-in entrance 7, conveyed along the conveyance path 13, and conveyed to the processing tray 23 by the carry-in roller pair 20. Further, it is switched back by the discharge roller pair 21 and returned to the processing tray 23 again, and the trailing edge is aligned at the staple position by the support member 25. By repeating this operation, a predetermined number of sheet bundles are formed on the processing tray 23. Thereafter, the sheet bundle is aligned in the width direction by a side cursor (not shown). The paper may be punched by the punching device 15. The stapler 31 has moved to a desired staple processing position (for example, the center in the movement direction D). Thereafter, the sheet bundle is received by the holding unit 41 of the stapler 31 with the side edge to be stapled facing down.

  Next, as described above, the sheet bundle is sandwiched between the driving unit 43 and the binding unit 45 in the clamping unit 41, and the staple is driven. Then, after the needle tip is cut by the calculated cutting length T2, the tip is clinched inward by the bent portion 57 (see FIGS. 4A to 4C). The bundle of sheets thus stapled is conveyed along the conveyance path 13 by the discharge roller pair 21 and is discharged from the processing tray 23 to the discharge tray 11. At this time, the upper roller of the discharge roller pair 21 swings upward, and the nip between the rollers is opened. When the stapling process is not performed, the sheet is conveyed toward the discharge roller pair 21 by the carry-in roller pair 20 and is discharged from the discharge roller pair 21 to the discharge tray 11.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the cut needle tip Nc is discharged from the discharge port 47 through the discharge path and falls into the duct 81. The needle tip that has fallen into the duct 81 is collected into the collection tank 85 from the discharge port 83a along the bottom plate 101 of the opening / closing part 83. Alternatively, it falls on the bottom plate 101 of the opening / closing part 83 along the bottom wall 81 b of the duct 81 and is collected along the bottom plate 101 from the discharge port 83 a to the collection tank 85. Thus, the needle tip discharged from the stapler 31 is collected in the collection tank 85 through the duct 81.

  When the needle tip collected in the collection tank 85 reaches a certain amount, the collection tank 85 is removed from the mounting portion P. That is, as described above, the collection tank 85 is slid forward through the opening 3a. Then, the force of pushing the projecting piece 105 of the opening / closing portion 83 backward is released, the opening / closing portion 83 is urged by the urging member 107 and pivots upward, and the bottom plate 101 comes into contact with the peripheral edge of the discharge opening 93. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 9A, the discharge opening 93 is closed. Further, the collection tank 85 is slid forward, and the collection tank is taken out from the mounting portion P through the opening 3a. During this time, as shown in FIG. 9B, the discharge opening 93 of the duct 81 is closed by the opening / closing portion 83.

  Further, after the needle tip collected in the collection tank 85 is discarded, when the collection tank 85 is inserted into the mounting portion P, if the collection tank 85 is slid rearward through the opening 3a, the collection tank 85 will eventually be replaced. The rear surface of the recess 109 is in contact with the horizontal portion 105 b of the protruding piece 105 of the opening / closing portion 83. Further, when the collection tank 85 is slid rearward, the projecting piece 105 is pushed rearward (front side in the mounting direction), and the opening / closing portion 83 is centered on the boss 95 against the urging force of the urging member 107. It starts to rotate downward. That is, the opening / closing part 83 rotates downward about the front end (rear side) end in the mounting direction (rear) of the collection tank 85. When the collection tank 85 is positioned at the mounting position, the bottom plate 101 of the opening / closing portion 83 is inclined downwardly away from the peripheral edge of the discharge opening 93 of the duct 81, and the discharge opening 93 is opened (see FIGS. 7 and 8). . When the collection tank 85 is positioned at the mounting position, it is temporarily fixed by a stopper.

  As is clear from the above description, in the post-processing apparatus 1 of the present invention, since a lid for opening and closing the discharge port 47 of the stapler 31 is not provided, a situation in which the needle tip is sandwiched between the discharge port 47 and the lid. Does not occur. The discharged needle tip is collected in the collection tank 85 through the duct 81. If the collection tank 85 is detachably provided at a position where the user can easily take it out, the needle tip can be easily collected and discarded.

  Further, by positioning the collection tank 85 at the mounting position, the discharge opening 93 of the duct 81 is automatically opened, that is, the needle tip can be collected in the collection tank 85. On the other hand, the discharge opening 93 of the duct 81 is automatically closed by the opening / closing part 83 by removing the collection tank 85 from the mounting part P. Thus, there is no need to provide a dedicated opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the discharge opening 93. Furthermore, even if the needle tip remaining in the discharge path of the stapler 31 or the duct 81 is dropped due to vibration or the like after the collection tank 85 is taken out, it accumulates on the bottom plate 101 of the opening / closing part 83, so It can prevent falling or scattering in the processing apparatus 1.

  Further, when the collection tank 85 is attached, the bottom plate 101 of the opening / closing part 83 is inclined at an inclination angle of 25 degrees or more with respect to the horizontal plane, so that the needle tip that has fallen on the bottom plate 101 is dropped into the collection tank 85 by gravity. Can do.

  In addition, since the receiving opening 91 of the duct 81 is opened over the entire movement range of the stapler 31, the needle tip to be discharged is surely placed no matter where the stapler 31 moves in the movement direction D. Can accept.

  The above description of the embodiment of the present invention describes a preferred embodiment of the post-processing apparatus according to the present invention, and thus may have various technically preferable limitations. The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to these embodiments unless specifically described to limit the present invention. That is, the above-described components in the embodiment of the present invention can be appropriately replaced with existing components and the like, and various variations including combinations with other existing components are possible. The description of the embodiment of the present invention described above does not limit the contents of the invention described in the claims.

1 Post-processing device 3 Main body (housing)
31 Stapler 35 Collection unit 55 Cutting unit 47 Discharge port 81 Duct 91 Receiving opening 93 Discharge opening 83 Opening / closing unit 85 Collection tank 101 Bottom plate 105 Protruding piece 107 Biasing member 200 Image forming apparatus

Claims (5)

A post-processing device comprising a stapling device that binds a bundle of sheets with a staple, and a housing on which the stapling device is supported,
The stapling apparatus includes:
A stapler having a cutting portion for cutting the needle tip of the staple needle driven into the paper bundle according to the thickness of the paper bundle, and a discharge port for discharging the needle tip cut by the cutting portion;
A collection unit for collecting the needle tip discharged from the discharge port,
The collection unit
A duct having a receiving opening for receiving the needle tip and a discharge opening for discharging the accepted needle tip;
An opening / closing part whose one end is rotatably supported by the duct so as to open and close the discharge opening;
A recovery tank that is detachably provided on the housing below the opening and closing unit and collects the needle tip discharged from the discharge opening;
When the recovery tank is attached to the housing, the opening / closing portion rotates downward to open the discharge opening, and the needle tip is recovered to the recovery tank via the duct,
The post-processing apparatus, wherein the collection tank is removed from the housing, whereby the opening / closing portion rotates upward to close the discharge opening. The opening / closing part has a bottom plate that is rotatably supported by the duct around an end on the front side in the mounting direction of the recovery tank, and opens and closes the discharge port,
2. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an inclination angle of the bottom plate with respect to a horizontal plane is 25 degrees or more in an open posture in which the opening / closing portion opens the discharge opening. The opening / closing part is
A projecting piece protruding downward from the front end of the bottom plate;
A biasing member that biases the bottom plate in a direction to close the discharge opening,
When the collection tank is attached to the housing, the collection tank pushes the protruding piece forward and the bottom plate rotates in a direction to open the discharge opening against the urging force of the urging member. Move,
When the recovery tank is removed from the housing, the force for pushing the protruding piece forward is released, and the bottom plate rotates in a direction to close the discharge opening by the biasing member. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 2. The stapler is supported so as to be movable in the width direction of the sheet bundle,
The post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the receiving opening of the duct is opened over the entire moving range of the stapler.   An image forming apparatus comprising the post-processing device according to claim 1.

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