JP2020105000A - Sheet processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To save labor of a user while capable of partitioning sheets from each other when a plurality of sheets are accumulated, in a sheet processing device.SOLUTION: A sheet processing device comprises: a first discharge path 31 for guiding a sheet to a first tray 49; a discharge roller pair 36 for conveying the sheet in a conveyance direction D along the first discharge path 31; a second discharge path 32 branching from the first discharge path 31 at the upstream side of the first tray 49 in the conveyance direction D; and a post-processing control part capable of performing accumulation processing shifting in the conveyance direction where a preceding sheet received by the second discharge path 32 and a subsequent sheet conveyed through the first discharge path 31 by the discharge roller pair 36 are overlapped while shifted in the conveyance direction D and accumulated on the first tray 49.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that processes a sheet.

Conventionally, when an image recording operation for recording a toner image on a plurality of recording sheets (sheets) is executed, a partition sheet (also referred to as an intersheet or an insertion sheet, hereinafter referred to as a partition sheet) according to a user's instruction. ) Is known (see Patent Document 1). In this image recording apparatus, the partition sheets stacked on the manual paper feed tray are conveyed by the second paper feeding unit, and the sheets stacked on the cassette paper feeding unit are conveyed by the first paper feeding unit, and the first and second sheets are conveyed. A partition sheet and a sheet are ejected onto an elevating and ejecting tray by merging the conveying paths of the sheet feeding means, and the partition sheet is inserted between a plurality of sheets.

Further, according to this image recording apparatus, the interval between the partition sheet to be inserted and the preceding sheet is made larger than the standard interval of the recording sheet in the case where the partition sheet is not inserted. It is possible to prevent a rear-end collision between the sheet and the partition sheet at the portion where the conveying paths by the means merge. Therefore, it becomes possible to convey the sheet and the partition sheet in an arbitrary order, which eliminates the need for the user to manually insert the partition sheet.

JP, 2001-26344, A

However, the following problems have occurred with respect to the insertion of the partition sheets during the image recording operation for a plurality of sheets.

Generally, the purpose of the partition sheet is to divide the end of the job and to divide the number of sheets in the job in most cases (to prevent the printed toner or ink from being transferred to the overlapping recording sheets. ). Therefore, as the partition sheet, color colored paper, tab paper, coated paper, cardboard, etc. are often adopted so that the partition part can be visually clearly discriminated. The partitioning by the partition sheet has a temporary role in the stacked state of the recording sheets. Therefore, the image recording apparatus described in Patent Document 1 does not need a partition sheet after its use, but it is necessary to prepare a partition sheet different from the image forming sheet for temporary use. there were. Also, the partition sheet had to be set in a special tray separately from the sheet, and the act itself was troublesome.

In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus capable of partitioning sheets when accumulating a plurality of sheets and saving the user's trouble.

Stacking means for stacking sheets on the support surface, which has a transport path for guiding the sheet, and a support surface for supporting the sheet guided by the transport path, and a transport direction toward the stacking means along the transport path. And a conveyance unit that conveys a sheet in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction, and a sheet that is branched from the conveyance path upstream of the stacking unit in the conveyance direction and that is conveyed by the conveyance unit in the reverse direction. A branch path for receiving from the transport path, a branch transport means for transporting the sheet received from the transport path in the transport direction and the reverse direction along the branch path, and controlling the transport means and the branch transport means. A stacking of the preceding sheet received in the branch path and the succeeding sheet transported in the transport path by the transport means in the stacking direction while stacking them in the stacking means The sheet processing apparatus is provided with a control means that can be used.

According to the present invention, when stacking a plurality of sheets, the sheets can be separated from each other, but the user's labor can be saved.

1 is a configuration explanatory diagram of an image forming apparatus to which a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment is effectively applied. 1 is a configuration explanatory diagram of a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of the device of FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a positional relationship between an alignment position and a staple unit in the apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control configuration in the device shown in FIG. 7 shows an operation flowchart of the sheet processing apparatus in a sorting and stacking mode. The figure explaining the standby of the sheet|seat in a 2nd discharge path is shown. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating standby of sheets on a processing tray. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of sheet retention in the second paper ejection path of FIG. 7.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, an image forming apparatus to which the sheet processing apparatus according to this embodiment is effectively applied will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming apparatus main body A and a sheet processing apparatus B installed in parallel with the image forming apparatus main body A. The image forming apparatus main body A includes an image forming unit A1, a scanner unit A2, and a feeder unit A3. Further, inside the apparatus housing 1, a feeding section 2, an image forming section 3, a discharging section 4 and a data processing section 5 are built in.

The feeding unit 2 is composed of cassette mechanisms 2a, 2b, and 2c for accommodating sheets of a plurality of sizes for forming an image, and a sheet of a size designated by the image forming control unit 50A provided in the image forming apparatus main body A. It is fed to the feeding path 6. The feeding path 6 feeds the sheets supplied from the cassette mechanisms 2a, 2b, 2c to the downstream side. Further, the large-capacity cassette 2d and the manual feed tray 2e are connected to the feeding path 6 so that sheets supplied from the respective cassettes are similarly fed out.

The image forming unit 3 is composed of, for example, an electrostatic printing mechanism, includes a rotating photosensitive drum 9, and a light emitter 10 that emits an optical beam around the photosensitive drum 9, a developing device 11, and a cleaner (not shown). This is a configuration in which and are arranged. The one shown in the figure shows a monochrome printing mechanism, in which a light emitting device 10 optically forms a latent image on the photosensitive drum 9, and a toner ink is attached to the latent image by a developing device 11.

Then, the sheet is fed from the feeding path 6 to the image forming section 3 at the timing of forming an image on the photosensitive drum 9, the image is transferred onto the sheet by the transfer charger 12, and the fixing roller 13 arranged in the discharging path 14 is used. Establish. A discharge roller 15 and a discharge port 16 are arranged in the discharge path 14 to convey the sheet to the sheet processing apparatus B described later.

The scanner unit A2 includes a platen 17 on which an image original is placed, a carriage 18 that reciprocates along the platen 17, a photoelectric conversion unit 19, and a light reflected from the original on the platen 17 by the carriage 18 to a photoelectric conversion unit 19. And a reduction optical system 20 for guiding the Further, the scanner unit A2 includes a traveling platen 21, and the carriage 18 and the reduction optical system 20 read the sheet sent from the feeder unit A3. The photoelectric conversion unit 19 converts the optical output from the reduction optical system 20 into image data by photoelectric conversion, and outputs the image data to the image forming unit 3 as an electric signal.

The feeder unit A3 includes a feeding tray 22, a feeding path 23 that guides the sheet fed from the feeding tray 22 to the traveling platen 21, and a discharge tray 24 that stores a document image-read by the platen. ..

FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a sheet processing apparatus B for post-processing an image-formed sheet sent from the image forming apparatus main body A, and FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of a main part of the sheet processing apparatus B.

The sheet processing apparatus B includes a sheet carry-in path 28 having a carry-in port 26 and a discharge port 35 for guiding a sheet, and a first processing unit B1 for post-processing a sheet conveyed in the sheet carry-in path 28, respectively. , The second processing unit B2, the third processing unit B3, and the first tray 49, the second tray 61, and the third tray that stack discharged sheets that are stacking means from the respective processing units B1, B2, and B3. 71 is provided.

The sheet processing apparatus B is a carry-in port 26 which is continuous with the discharge port 16 of the image forming apparatus main body A, and a sheet which is a linear path extending from the carry-in port 26 toward the opposite side of the sheet processing apparatus B in a substantially horizontal direction. The carry-in path 28 is formed. In the sheet carry-in path 28, a pair of carrying rollers 29 that sandwich the sheet carried in from the carry-in entrance 26 and carry the sheet in the carrying direction D along the sheet carry-in path 28 are arranged.

A punch unit 70 for punching punched holes in the carried-in sheet is arranged in the sheet carry-in path 28.

A downstream side of the sheet carry-in path 28 in the transport direction communicates with a first discharge path 31 as a transport path that extends substantially horizontally toward the opposite side of the sheet processing apparatus B with respect to the carry-in entrance 26 and transports the sheet. A discharge port 35 for discharging the conveyed sheet is formed at a downstream end of the first discharge path 31 in the conveyance direction D. By sandwiching the sheet in the discharge port 35 and rotating in the forward direction, the sheet is conveyed in the conveying direction D along the first discharge path 31, and by sandwiching the sheet and rotating in the reverse direction, the sheet is discharged in the first discharge path. A pair of discharge rollers 36 as a transporting unit that transports along the direction 31 in the direction opposite to the transport direction D is provided.

The sheet processing apparatus B includes a second discharge path 32 as a branch path that branches downward from the sheet carry-in path 28 and the first discharge path 31 at a connection portion between the sheet carry-in path 28 and the first discharge path 31. A third discharge path 30 that branches upward is formed. It should be noted that the sheet carry-in path 28, the discharge paths 30 and 32, and the processing tray 37 may constitute a carrying path for carrying the sheet.

A first flapper guide 33 and a second flapper guide 34, which switch the path along which the sheet is conveyed, are arranged at the connection between the sheet carry-in path 28 and the first discharge path 31. The first flapper guide 33 is swingably supported with respect to the apparatus frame 27, and by swinging the first flapper guide 33, the sheet conveyed by the pair of conveying rollers 29 in the sheet carry-in path 28 in the conveying direction D is moved. It is distributed to either the first discharge path 31 or the third discharge path 30. A third pair of transport rollers 91 is provided in the third discharge path 30. The third conveyance roller pair 91 nips and conveys the sheet received by the third discharge path 30.

The second flapper guide 34 is swingably supported with respect to the apparatus frame 27, and by swinging, the sheet conveyed by the discharge roller pair 36 in the reverse direction of the first discharge path 31 is conveyed. It is distributed to either the carry-in path 28 or the second discharge path 32. The second discharge path 32 is provided with a second pair of transport rollers 90 as a branch transport unit. The second conveyance roller pair 90 sandwiches the sheet received by the second ejection path 32 from the first ejection path 31 and conveys the sheet along the second ejection path 32. As described above, the sheet processing apparatus B switches the flapper guides 33 and 34 and rotates the conveying roller pair 29 and the discharging roller pair 36 to discharge the sheet from the carry-in port 26 to any one of the discharging paths 30 and 34. 31 and 32 are selectively allocated.

The sheet processing apparatus B includes a first processing unit B1 for aligning and stacking sheets discharged from the discharge port 35 by the discharge roller pair 36 along the first discharge path 31 and binding processing, and a second discharge path 32. The sheet conveyed by the second conveying roller pair 90 is bundled into a sheet bundle, and the sheet bundle is subjected to center folding to perform bookbinding, and the third conveying roller pair 91 along the third discharge path 30. The third processing unit B3 that moves (offsets) the sheet sent by the above by a predetermined amount in the width direction intersecting the conveyance direction D, specifically, in the width direction orthogonal thereto.

The first processing unit B1 has a support surface 37a that supports the sheets discharged from the discharge port 35, a processing tray 37 that aligns and stacks the sheets on the support surface 37a, and a binding process of the stacked sheet bundle. And a first binding unit 47 for performing the binding. The support surface 37a is formed such that the upstream end in the transport direction D is disposed below the discharge port 35 and upstream in the transport direction D, and is inclined so as to be higher in the downstream direction in the transport direction D. The sheets discharged from the discharge port 35 are conveyed on the processing tray 37 along the support surface 37a toward the upstream side in the conveyance direction D, and are accumulated. Then, the sheet is positioned at a predetermined binding position on the processing tray 37 by the positioning mechanism F and is bound by the first binding unit 47. The bound sheet bundle is discharged by the sheet stacking mechanism E to the first tray 49 as a stacking unit. The first tray 49 has a support surface 49a that supports the sheet discharged from the discharge port 35 by being guided by the first discharge path 31. The supporting surface 49a is inclined (upward/vertical direction) so as to be higher from upstream to downstream in the transport direction D, and is also higher (toward upward/vertical direction) from the back in the width direction. It is formed to be inclined. The support surface 49a may be inclined only so as to be higher from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction D. The first tray 49 collects the sheets discharged from the discharge port 35 on the support surface 49a. The first processing unit B1 will be described in detail later.

The second processing unit B2 includes a stacking guide 66 that stacks sheets in a bundle, a regulation stopper 67 that positions the sheet by regulating the leading end of the sheet at a predetermined position on the stacking guide 66, and the center of the aligned sheet bundle. A second binding unit 63 for binding the sheet, a pair of folding rollers 64 for folding the sheet bundle at the central portion after the binding processing, a folding blade 65 for forming a fold for center folding, and a nip for the bundle of sheets subjected to center folding. And a pair of discharge rollers 69 for sending to the second tray 61. With this configuration, in the second processing unit B2, the pair of discharge rollers 36 rotate in the opposite direction, the sheets are conveyed in the opposite direction in the first discharge path 31 and sequentially fed to the second discharge path 32, and the sheets are collated and collected. Then, after the center portion is bound, the center folding processing is performed and the sheet is fed to the second tray 61 arranged below the first tray 49.

The third processing unit B3 executes jog sorting for moving (offseting) the sheet conveyed to the third discharge path 30 by the third conveying roller pair 91 in the width direction to sort the sheet, and arranges it above the first tray 49. The collected third tray 71 is collected.

The sheet processing apparatus B includes a sheet stacking mechanism E for stacking the sheets discharged from the discharge port 35 on the support surface 37a of the processing tray 37, and a sheet positioning for positioning the sheets discharged to the processing tray 37 at a predetermined binding position. It has a mechanism F and a sheet bundle transfer mechanism (not shown) that transfers the bound sheet bundle to the first tray 49 located downstream. Hereinafter, the details of each configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

"Sheet stacking mechanism"
The sheet stacking mechanism E includes a driven roller 48 disposed downstream of the discharge roller pair 36 in the transport direction D, and a rotary shaft on which the upper roller of the two rollers of the discharge roller pair 36 is pivotally supported. Between the swing bracket 43 that swings up and down around 36x, the lift roller 41 that is supported by the tip of the swing bracket 43 and moves up and down together with the swing bracket 43, and between the rotary shaft 36x and the lift roller 41. And a paddle rotating body 42 axially supported by the swing bracket 43, a sheet guide member 44, and a scraping rotating body 46.

The swing bracket 43 is connected to an elevator motor (not shown). The elevator roller 41 is pressed against the driven roller 48 to hold the sheet discharged from the discharge port 35, and the elevator roller 41 drives the driven roller 48. It moves up and down between the stand-by position separated from. The elevating roller 41 is rotatably supported by a swing bracket 43 by a driving force from a motor M3 (see FIG. 5), and is sandwiched between a driven roller 48 which is pressed against the elevating roller 41 and is driven to rotate. The sheet is transported in the transport direction D by rotating in the forward direction, and is transported in the reverse direction by rotating in the reverse direction.

A drive motor M3 (shown in FIG. 5) is connected to the elevating roller 41 and the paddle rotating body 42. The elevating roller 41 is rotated in both forward and reverse directions, and the paddle rotating body 42 is rotated in the reverse direction (opposite to the discharging direction). ) Is transmitted to rotate to). The paddle rotating body 42 contacts the sheet discharged from the discharge port 35, and conveys the sheet toward the upstream side in the conveying direction D along the support surface 37a.

A guide member 44 arranged between the elevating roller 41 and a scraping rotary member 46 described later is connected to a drive mechanism (not shown) so as to move up and down between a position shown by a two-dot chain line and a position shown by a solid line. Has been done. When the sheet is discharged from the discharge port 35, the guide member 44 is retracted to the position indicated by the two-dot chain line above, and the trailing edge of the sheet is lowered after passing through the discharge port 35, and the sheet in the transport direction D is conveyed. The trailing edge of the trailing edge is guided onto the processing tray 37. Therefore, the guide member 44 moves up and down according to the timing of guiding the rear end of the sheet from the discharge port 35 onto the processing tray 37.

"Seat positioning mechanism"
The sheet positioning mechanism F includes a regulating member 38 that regulates the position of the trailing edge of the sheets stacked on the processing tray 37 in the transport direction D, and a movement that regulates the position of the side edge of the sheet, that is, the position of the sheet in the width direction. And a side edge alignment mechanism 39 (see FIG. 4) as a means.

The restricting member 38 is a stopper member that restricts the rear end of the sheet in the transport direction D by abutting against the rear end. Further, the side edge alignment mechanism 39, for example, positions the preceding sheet discharged from the discharge port 35 on the basis of the center or on the side of one side according to the user's selection.

As shown in FIG. 4, the side edge aligning mechanism 39 corresponds to the left and right sides of the sheet discharged to the processing tray 37, and the side edge aligning mechanism 39 projects upward from the supporting surface 37 a of the processing tray 37 to form the side edge of the sheet. It is provided with side edge matching plates 39F (front side in the width direction) and 39R (back side in the width direction) that have restricting surfaces that engage with each other. For this reason, the processing tray 37 is provided with slits (not shown) through which the side edge matching plates 39F and 39R pass, and the regulation surface 39x that regulates the position of the sheet side edge can be slid on the tray upper surface. Side edge matching plates 39F and 39R are fitted in the slits.

Each of the side edge matching plates 39F, 39R is integrally formed with a rack 81 slidably supported on the back surface (lower surface) of the processing tray 37 by a plurality of guide rollers 80. The side edge alignment mechanism 39 also includes motors M1 and M2 for driving the respective racks 81, and pinions 82 that connect the respective racks 81 and the motors M1 and M2. Each of the motors M1 and M2 is a stepping motor. When the positions of the left and right side edge matching plates 39F and 39R are detected by a position sensor (not shown), the matching plates 39F and 39F are detected based on the detected values at this time. The drive is controlled so as to move the 39R in either the left or right direction by the designated movement amount. Accordingly, the side edge alignment mechanism 39 is configured to be able to move the sheet discharged to the processing tray 37 with respect to the first tray 49 in the width direction.

The sheet processing apparatus B can discharge sheets of different sizes to the processing tray 37, and the maximum size sheet to the minimum size sheet are discharged based on the center. It is necessary for the pair of left and right side edge aligning plates 39F and 39R to align this sheet with reference to the binding side edge (left side edge in the figure) of the sheets (so that sheets of different sizes are aligned). Therefore, since the left and right side edge matching plates 39F and 39R have different movement amounts, they are connected to different motors M1 and M2, respectively.

In this case, the strokes by which the side edge alignment plates 39F and 39R reciprocate are the amount of offset between the size difference between the maximum size sheet and the minimum size sheet and the position of the aligned sheet bundle in either the left or right direction (offset conveyance). Depends on The offset movement of the side edge aligning plates 39F and 39R moves the sheet discharged to the processing tray 37 on the basis of the center in the case of corner binding by a predetermined amount to the right side in the right corner binding and to the left side in the left corner binding. .. This offset movement has two types: one for each sheet discharged to the processing tray 37 (for each discharged sheet), and one for aligning the sheets into a bundle and then moving the sheets in a bundle.

Explaining the side edge aligning operation, the left and right side edge aligning plates 39F and 39R stand by at a predetermined position (sheet width size+α position) based on sheet size information provided from the image forming apparatus main body A or the like. ing. Then, in the case of “multi-binding”, the sheet is discharged onto the processing tray 37, and the aligning operation is started at the timing when the upstream end of the sheet in the transport direction D hits the regulation member 38. This matching operation rotates the left and right motors M1 and M2 by the same amount in opposite directions (approaching directions).

Then, the sheets discharged onto the processing tray 37 are positioned with reference to the center of the sheets and are stacked in a bundle. By repeating the sheet discharging operation and the aligning operation, the sheets are collated and collected in a bundle on the processing tray 37. At this time, sheets of different sizes are stacked based on the center.

The sheet is discharged onto the processing tray 37, and the alignment operation is started at the timing when the upstream end of the sheet in the transport direction D hits the regulation member 38. Then, in the case of the "corner binding", the side edge aligning plate 39R on the binding position side and the side edge aligning plate 39F on the opposite side are aligned so that the corners of the sheets are located at the preset setting binding position Cp1. The movement amounts are different.

"Binding processing mechanism"
As shown in FIG. 4, in the processing tray 37, a first binding unit 47 that staples the sheet bundle accumulated on the support surface 37a with staples in the state of being set at the set binding position Cp1, and without using staples. A second binding unit 58 for eco-binding is arranged.

The first binding unit 47 reciprocates between the standby position Wp1 (first standby position) and the set binding position Cp1, and the second binding unit 58 moves between the standby position Wp2 (second standby position) and the set binding position Cp1. Move back and forth between. In this case, when the first binding unit 47 is at the set binding position Cp1, the second binding unit 58 is at the standby position Wp2, and when the second binding unit 58 is at the set binding position Cp1, the first binding unit 47 is at the standby position Wp1. Thus, both units are controlled to reciprocally move.

Therefore, when the sheets are bound by one of the binding units, the position of the other binding unit is outside the side edge of the sheets discharged to the processing tray 37 in the width direction, that is, outside the sheet carry-in area. It is possible to prevent the unit from interfering with the sheet bundle and losing the posture of the sheet bundle.

"Sheet bundle transfer mechanism"
The sheet bundle transfer mechanism moves the regulating member 38 along the support surface 37a of the processing tray 37, so that the sheet bundle accumulated on the processing tray 37 is located at the first downstream position from the upstream binding processing position where the binding process is performed. Transfer to the tray 49. The sheet bundle transfer mechanism is composed of, for example, a motor-driven conveyor belt. At this time, the conveyed sheet bundle is nipped by the elevating roller 41 and the driven roller 48, conveyed, and discharged to the first tray 49.

The configuration of the control device 50 of the image forming apparatus 100 having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. The controller 50 includes an image forming controller 50A provided in the image forming apparatus main body A and a post-processing controller 50B provided in the sheet processing apparatus B.

The image forming control unit 50A including a CPU includes a mode setting unit 60 that sets an image forming mode and a finishing mode. The finishing mode includes a binding process mode in which image-formed sheets are collated and stacked to perform a binding process, a printout mode in which sheets are discharged without executing the binding process, and a predetermined mode is set in the printout mode. A partition stacking mode that executes a partitioning process that shifts the sheets in the transport direction D and the width direction every time a number of sheets are discharged and stacked, a jog storage mode that sorts and stores image-formed sheets, and a second post-processing There is a center-folding/binding mode in which a booklet finish is made in a set, and one of these modes is set by the mode setting means 60.

An input unit 62 having a control panel is arranged in the image forming apparatus main body A, and a user of the apparatus performs sheet size setting, mode setting, sheet type setting, and sheet number setting in each mode from the input unit 62. .. The image forming control unit 50A also transmits the set finishing mode instruction signal Si1, the sheet type signal Si2, and the like to the post-processing control unit 50B.

The post-processing control unit 50B as a control unit configured by the CPU, based on the signal transmitted from the image forming control unit 50A according to the size setting, mode setting, type setting, and number of sheets setting performed by the user, Friction resistance acquisition means for acquiring information on the friction resistance of the sheet carried in from the carry-in port 26, conveyance direction length acquisition means for acquiring information on the length in the conveyance direction D of the sheet carried in from the carry-in port 26, and partition processing Each function of the number acquisition unit for acquiring the information about the number of sheets that becomes the execution interval is realized. Further, the post-processing control unit 50B executes the control program stored in the ROM 55 to realize the functions of the transport control unit 51, the stacking operation control unit 52, the binding process control unit 53, and the bookbinding process control unit 54. To do. The RAM 56 stores data necessary for executing the control program.

The transport control unit 51 includes a transport drive system including drive units for the transport roller pair 29, the discharge roller pair 36, the second transport roller pair 90, the first flapper guide 33, and the second flapper guide 34 arranged on the transport path 25. Control 59.

The stacking operation control unit 52 stacks the sheets conveyed from the discharge port 35 in the processing tray 37 in parallel when the binding processing mode is executed as an instruction unit, and stacks the sheets on the processing tray 37 to the downstream side after the binding processing. In order to convey to the first tray 49, rotation control of the motor M3 that drives the elevating roller 41 and the paddle rotating body 42 and the motors M1 and M2 that drive the side edge matching plates 39F and 39R is performed.

The binding processing control unit 53 controls the movement of the first binding unit 47 and the second binding unit 58 and the binding operation according to the binding position of the sheets.

The bookbinding processing control unit 54 controls the saddle stitching unit 63 to control the binding processing of the sheets fed from the second discharge path 32 and collated and stacked on the stacking guide 66.

In the present embodiment, the post-processing control unit 50B controls the transport control unit 51 to control the transport drive system 59, and stacks the sheets on the first tray 49 while shifting the sheets for the purpose of partitioning in the partition stacking mode. Partition processing can be executed. Specifically, the post-processing control unit 50B shifts the preceding sheet received in the second discharge path 32 and the subsequent sheet conveyed in the first discharge path 31 by the discharge roller pair 36 in the conveyance direction D. In the state where the stacking and stacking is performed on the first tray 49, the stacking process is performed in the transport direction, and the subsequent sheet is shifted in the width direction with respect to the preceding sheet that is previously transported by the discharge roller pair 36 and discharged to the processing tray 37. A partitioning process including a widthwise shift stacking process of transporting and stacking on the first tray 49 can be executed. The post-processing control unit 50B uses the second discharge path 32 and the processing tray 37 as a standby unit that temporarily waits for a sheet by executing the partitioning process, and the second discharge path 32 and the processing tray 37 are used. And are used properly. A specific operation example in the partitioning process will be sequentially described based on the flowchart of FIG.

The image forming apparatus 100 forms an image on a sheet by the image forming apparatus main body A, and then discharges the image-formed sheet toward the sheet processing apparatus B. Subsequently, when the sheet is transferred from the image forming apparatus main body A to the sheet processing apparatus B, the post-processing control section 50B sets the user based on the finishing mode instruction signal Si1 sent from the image forming control section 50A. The selected mode. If the finishing mode at this time is the partition accumulation mode, the process proceeds to the next operation mode.

Next, the post-processing control unit 50B determines whether or not the sheet carried in from the image forming apparatus main body A is the number of sheet partitions set by the user (step S1). At this time, when it is determined that it is not the number of sheets to be divided (No in step S1), the post-processing control unit 50B discharges the sheet as it is to the first tray 49 (step S2). When it is determined that the number of sheets is the number of partition sheets (Yes in step S1), the post-processing control unit 50B determines the sheet length L1 along the sheet conveying direction D and the sheet conveying direction D of the first tray 49. Depending on the length relationship between the first tray length L2 and the first tray length L2, either the second discharge path 32 or the processing tray 37 is determined as the place where the sheet is retained (step S3). In this processing, the post-processing control unit 50B determines which of the sheet length L1 and the first tray length L2 is longer, based on the information acquired by the conveyance direction length acquisition means. The first tray length L2 is stored in the ROM 55 in advance as a fixed value regardless of the user's operation.

In step S3, if the sheet length L1 and the first tray length L2 are the same or the sheet length L1 is shorter than the first tray length L2, that is, if “L1≦L2” (Yes in step S3). ), as shown in FIG. 7, the post-processing control section 50B once introduces the sheet from the sheet carry-in path 28 into the first discharge path 31 in the transport direction D and operates the second flapper guide 34 to operate the first flapper guide 34. The discharge path 31 and the second discharge path 32 are communicated with each other, and the discharge roller pair 36 is rotated in the reverse direction so that the partition sheet 40 as the preceding sheet is moved in the opposite direction to the second transport roller pair arranged in the second discharge path 32. The partition sheet 40 is made to stand by in the second discharge path by carrying out switchback conveyance to a position where 90 is nipped and holding the sheet by the second conveyance roller pair 90 (step S4). Based on the information acquired by the conveyance direction length acquisition unit, the post-processing control unit 50B uses the information acquired by the number acquisition unit when the sheets stacked on the first tray 49 in the conveyance direction D are shorter than the support surface 49a. Based on this, every time a predetermined number of sheets are stacked on the first tray 49, the transport direction shift stacking process, which is the process after step S4, is executed.

When “L1>L2” is satisfied in step S3 (No in step S3), the post-processing control unit 50B causes the sheet carry-in path 28 to rotate normally via the first discharge path 31 as shown in FIG. The partition sheet 40 as the preceding sheet is discharged to the processing tray 37 by the roller pair 36, and the elevating roller 41 to the paddle rotator 42 are driven so that the sheet stacking mechanism E causes the rear end of the sheet in the transport direction D to become the regulating member 38. The partition sheet 40 is transferred back to the contact position and the partition sheet 40 is placed on the processing tray 37 (step S5). Based on the information acquired by the conveyance direction length acquisition unit, the post-processing control unit 50B uses the information acquired by the number acquisition unit when the sheets stacked on the first tray 49 in the conveyance direction D are longer than the support surface 49a. Based on this, every time a predetermined number of sheets are stacked on the first tray 49, the width-direction shift stacking process, which is the process after step S5, is executed.

Explaining the purpose of step S3 here, when the sheet length L1 is longer than the first tray length L2, when the sheets are stacked on the first tray 49, the weight of the sheet bundle causes the sheets in the transport direction D to be stacked. It will be loaded so that the downstream end hangs down. In this case, if the sheet bundle displaced in the transport direction D for partitioning is discharged onto the first tray 49, there is a concern that the sheets may drop from the first tray 49 due to the force of discharge. Therefore, in the case of the condition of “L1>L2”, this concern is eliminated by setting the shifting direction of the sheets to be the width direction of the sheets.

When the processing of step S4 is executed, the post-processing control unit 50B determines the quality of the surface of the sheet (surface friction coefficient μ) (step S6). In this processing, the post-processing control unit 50B is based on the frictional resistance information acquired by the frictional resistance acquisition unit according to the sheet type signal Si2 sent from the image formation control unit 50A, which is the sheet information set by the user. , Determine the surface friction coefficient μ of the sheet. The post-processing control unit 50B determines whether or not the sheet that is sent has a surface friction coefficient of not less than a predetermined μ, that is, a sheet having a friction resistance of less than a predetermined value, such as a surface-coated glossy paper. The shift amount of the sheets in the transport direction D in the transport direction shift stacking process is determined.

In step S6, when it is determined that the sheet has a surface friction coefficient of a predetermined μ or more, that is, the frictional resistance is a predetermined value or more (Yes in step S6), the post-processing control unit 50B causes the second discharge path 32 to operate. The conveyance of the partition sheet 40, which is made to stand by, is started so as to overlap the succeeding sheet conveyed from the sheet carry-in path 28 to the first discharge path 31. At that time, the partition sheet is conveyed 20 mm ahead of the succeeding sheet in the conveying direction D, that is, the partition sheet 40 and the succeeding sheet are conveyed so that the shift amount in the conveying direction D is 20 mm. A sheet bundle (a bundle of two sheets) is formed (step S8), and the sheet is discharged to the first tray 49 while maintaining the shifted amount (step S12).

When it is determined in step S6 that the surface friction coefficient is not a sheet having a predetermined μ or more, that is, the friction resistance is less than the predetermined value (No in step S6), the post-processing control unit 50B is the same as in step S8. Processing is performed to form a sheet bundle of two sheets so that the shift amount of the partition sheet 40 and the succeeding sheet in the conveyance direction D at that time is 40 mm (step S9), and the sheet bundle is directly discharged to the first tray 49 (step S9). S13). As described above, when the frictional resistance of the sheet is less than the predetermined value, the post-processing control unit 50B, based on the information acquired by the frictional resistance acquisition unit, in the conveyance direction shift accumulation processing, the post-processing control unit 50B is more than the preceding sheet than the case where the frictional resistance is greater than the predetermined value. The partition sheet 40 and the succeeding sheet are stacked on the first tray 49 in a state of being shifted by a large shift amount.

Here, FIG. 9 shows a case where a bundle of three sheets is discharged as a modified example of the shift bundle discharge in the transport direction. The second discharge path 32 is capable of stacking two sheets and waiting them. The preceding sheet 40a and the partition sheet 40b, which precedes the partition sheet by the number of partitions, are positioned downstream of the partition sheet 40b, which is positioned above the partition sheet 40a, which is positioned below the preceding sheet 40a. The second discharge path 32 is made to stand by in a state of being shifted by a predetermined amount X. After that, the subsequent sheet 40c conveyed from the sheet carry-in path 28 to the first discharge path 31 and the two sheet bundles on standby are merged, and the bundles are conveyed so as to be superposed. At this time, with respect to the partition sheet 40b stacked on the upper side of the sheet bundle, the succeeding sheet 40c is shifted to the upstream side in the discharge direction (conveyance direction D) by a predetermined amount X to form a three-sheet bundle, and the bundle is discharged as it is. Perform (shift amount X is about 20 mm). As described above, the post-processing control unit 50B causes the plurality of preceding sheets to shift in the conveying direction D in the second discharge path 32 in the conveying direction-shifted stacking process, and waits in the conveying direction D to convey the plurality of preceding sheets. In D, the partition sheet 40b, which is the leading sheet waiting at the most downstream side, is stacked on the first tray 49 while being sandwiched between the leading sheet 40a, which is another leading sheet, and the trailing sheet 40c.

As a result, the partition sheet 40b, which is the inner sheet of the three-sheet bundle, is discharged while being sandwiched between the upper and lower sheets, and thus the shift amount is difficult to be canceled by the impact discharged to the first tray 49, and the partition stacking is performed. The certainty of is improved. The sheet processing apparatus may be configured to be able to form either one of a two-sheet bundle or a three-sheet bundle, or can be a two-sheet bundle or a three-sheet bundle. Either one may be configured to be selected by the user's setting, or the post-processing control unit may be configured to automatically select one according to the type of sheet or the like. .. In addition, when the sheet processing apparatus is configured to be able to form a three-sheet bundle, the post-processing control unit determines the shift amount based on the frictional resistance information before the sheet bundle is put on standby in the second discharge path. May be configured.

After executing the process of step S5, the post-processing control unit 50B executes the process of step S7. The content of the process of step S7 is the same as that of step S6, and thus the description thereof is omitted. When it is determined in step S7 that the sheet has a surface friction coefficient of a predetermined μ or more, that is, the frictional resistance is a predetermined value or more (Yes in step S7), the post-processing control unit 50B waits in the processing tray 37. The partition sheet 40 thus moved is moved to the front side of the apparatus by 15 mm by the side edge alignment mechanism 39. Then, the overlapping conveyance is started so that the succeeding sheets conveyed from the sheet carry-in path 28 to the first discharge path 31 and the leading ends of the sheets coincide with each other (step S10). At that time, the post-processing control unit 50B discharges the two sheet bundles to the first tray 49 while maintaining the widthwise shift amount between the partition sheet 40 and the succeeding sheet (step S14).

If it is determined in step S7 that the surface friction coefficient is not a sheet having a predetermined μ or more, that is, the frictional resistance is less than the predetermined value (No in step S7), the post-processing control unit 50B does the same as in step S10. Processing is performed, and the sheets are stacked and conveyed so that the shift amount at that time becomes 25 mm (step S11), and discharged to the first tray 49 while maintaining the shift amount of the partition sheet 40 and the succeeding sheet in the width direction. Yes (step S15). As described above, when the frictional resistance of the sheet is less than the predetermined value, the post-processing control unit 50B uses the information acquired by the frictional resistance acquisition means in the widthwise shift accumulation processing, and the subsequent sheet is more than the predetermined value. The sheets are stacked on the first tray 49 in a state where the sheet is moved in the width direction with a large distance with respect to the first tray 49. When the frictional resistance of the sheet is less than a predetermined value, the post-processing control unit 50B determines that the succeeding sheet is set to be the first sheet of the subsequent sheet more than the predetermined value based on the information acquired by the frictional resistance acquisition unit in the widthwise shift accumulation processing. The sheets are stacked on the first tray 49 in a state where they are moved in the width direction by a large distance with respect to the one tray 49. In the widthwise shifting stacking process, the post-processing control section 50B stacks the sheets on the first tray 49 in a state where one of the first tray 49 and the succeeding sheet is relatively moved in the width direction with respect to the other. For example, the first tray 49 may be movable in the width direction.

Here, the purpose of stacking the sheet bundle on the first tray 49 with a larger shift amount when it is determined in the partitioning process that the sheet has a low surface friction coefficient μ than when the sheet has a high surface friction coefficient μ will be described. When sheets with a low surface friction coefficient μ, such as glossy paper, are discharged in a bundle, if the displacement amount is small, the displacement amount is reduced by the impact discharged to the first tray 49, and the sheet bundle of the stacked sheet bundle is separated. There is a concern that the visibility will decrease. Therefore, when the sheets to be accumulated are sheets having a low surface friction coefficient μ, the offset amount is set to a large amount to improve the visibility of the partition portion.

As described above, the sheet processing apparatus B according to the present embodiment is capable of partitioning sheets when stacking a plurality of sheets on the first tray 49, and forms a dedicated partition sheet for image formation. It is not necessary to set the sheet separately from the sheet to be used or to collect the partition sheet when the use of the partition is finished, and the user's labor can be saved.

Note that the shift amounts in steps S8 to S11 are not limited to this, and are described as representative values, and when the sheets are stacked on the first tray 49, the partition part can be easily visually recognized from the stack of sheets, In addition, it is a set value as a carrying amount of the stack and a shift amount that does not make the appearance unpleasant.

Further, although the second discharge path 32 constitutes the branch path in the present embodiment and the second conveying roller pair 90 constitutes the branch conveying means in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and the processing tray 37 branches. The sheet stacking mechanism E may form a branch conveying means on the path.

As described above, the sheet processing apparatus B according to the present embodiment makes it easy to visually check the partition locations by ejecting the stacked bundles while shifting the recorded sheets without using individual partition sheets. It becomes possible to identify the sheet, and based on the information on the sheet size and the sheet type, it is possible to select the second discharge path 32 and the processing tray 37 with the sheet as the accumulating portion, and to change the shift amount of the partition sheet. Thus, it is possible to realize partition loading that is compatible with all types of sheets.

31 Transport path (first discharge path)
32 forks (second discharge path)
36 Conveying means (pair of discharge rollers)
39 Moving means (side edge matching mechanism)
49 Stacking means (first tray)
49a Support surface 50B Post-processing control section (control means, frictional resistance acquisition means, number of sheets acquisition means, conveyance direction length acquisition means)
90 Branching/conveying means (second conveying roller pair)

Claims (7)

A conveyance path for guiding the sheet,
Stacking means for stacking sheets on the support surface, the stacking means having a support surface for supporting the sheets guided by the transport path,
A conveying direction along the conveying path toward the stacking means and a conveying means for conveying the sheet in a reverse direction opposite to the conveying direction;
A branch path that branches from the transport path upstream of the stacking means in the transport direction, and receives a sheet that is transported in the reverse direction by the transport means from the transport path;
Branching and conveying means for conveying the sheet received from the conveying path along the branching path in the conveying direction and the opposite direction,
By controlling the transport means and the branch transport means, the preceding sheet received in the branch path and the subsequent sheet transported in the transport path by the transport means are overlapped in the transport direction in the stacking state. A control unit that is capable of executing a stacking process that shifts the transport direction.
Sheet processing equipment. In the transport direction shift stacking process, the control unit stacks the preceding sheet and the subsequent sheet in a state in which the upper sheet is shifted more downstream in the transport direction than the lower sheet. Accumulated in the accumulation means,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. In the conveyance direction shift stacking process, the control unit causes a plurality of preceding sheets to stand by in a state of being shifted in the conveyance direction in the branch path, and waits at a most downstream side in the conveyance direction of the plurality of preceding sheets. Stacking the preceding sheet in a state of being sandwiched between another preceding sheet and the subsequent sheet, and accumulating on the accumulating means.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. The support surface is formed so as to be inclined from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the transport direction,
A frictional resistance acquisition means for acquiring information on the frictional resistance of the sheets accumulated in the accumulating means,
When the frictional resistance of the sheet is less than a predetermined value, the control means, based on the information acquired by the frictional resistance acquisition means, in the conveyance direction shift accumulating process, the frictional resistance of the sheet is more than the predetermined value. The preceding sheet and the succeeding sheet are stacked in the stacking unit in a state of being shifted by a large shift amount,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. A sheet number acquisition unit for obtaining information on the number of sheets stacked in the stacking unit,
The control means executes the transport direction shift stacking process every time a predetermined number of sheets are stacked on the stacking means, based on the information acquired by the number of sheets acquiring means.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. A conveyance direction length acquisition unit that acquires information on the length of the sheet accumulated in the accumulation unit and the support surface in the conveyance direction,
A moving unit that relatively moves one of the stacking unit and the succeeding sheet with respect to the other in a width direction intersecting the transport direction,
The control means is
Width-wise offset stacking processing in which the moving means is controlled to carry and stack the succeeding sheet in the width direction with respect to the preceding sheet previously carried by the carrying means in the stacking means. Is feasible,
Based on the information acquired by the conveyance direction length acquisition means, when the sheets accumulated in the accumulating means in the conveyance direction are shorter than the support surface, the conveyance direction shift accumulating process is executed and the accumulation in the conveyance direction is performed. When the sheets accumulated on the means are longer than the supporting surface, the widthwise shifting accumulation processing is executed,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. The support surface is formed so as to be inclined from one of the width directions toward the other,
A frictional resistance acquisition means for acquiring information on the frictional resistance of the sheets accumulated in the accumulating means,
When the frictional resistance of the sheet is less than a predetermined value, the control means, based on the information acquired by the frictional resistance acquisition means, in the widthwise shift accumulation processing, the frictional resistance of the sheet is more than the predetermined value. A sheet is stacked on the stacking means in a state where one of the stacking means and the subsequent sheet is moved in the width direction at a large distance with respect to the other.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 6.

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