JP2023111836A - Medium processing unit and image formation system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of properly controlling a liquid holding amount of a member which performs liquid application to media for which crimp binding is executed.SOLUTION: A medium processing unit comprises: a transport part for transporting media; liquid application means for applying liquid to a part of at least one medium transported by the transport part; and crimp means for deforming and compressing a medium bundle including, at least one medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid application means, for binding the medium bundle. The liquid application means includes: a liquid application member for applying the liquid to the position which is bound by the crimp means; and a liquid holding amount detecting part for detecting a liquid holding amount of the liquid application member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to a media processing device and an image forming system.

2. Description of the Related Art There is known a media processing apparatus that performs binding processing to form a bundle (sheet bundle) in which sheet-like media on which images are formed are stacked. Also, from the viewpoint of saving resources and reducing environmental load, there is known a media processing apparatus that performs a "stapleless" binding process without using a metal binding needle (staple). This media processing apparatus is provided with a press processing unit capable of so-called "press binding" in which a bundle of sheets is clamped and deformed under pressure by uneven binding teeth. Paper is widely known as an example of a sheet-like medium. Therefore, in this specification, when describing a sheet bundle, a "sheet bundle" configured by bundling sheets of paper as a plurality of media will be used as an example.

With pressure binding, the more sheets that make up a stack of paper, the more difficult it is for the binding teeth to bite into the stack of paper. There is a problem that there is Therefore, in order to improve the binding strength, water is added to the position where the binding teeth of the paper come into contact (hereinafter referred to as "binding position") in the media processing device that performs pressure binding. Some have a hydrating portion that makes it easier for the binding teeth to bite into the stack of sheets (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

A hydration processing unit included in the medium processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200000 adds water to the paper with the moisture of the belt that has passed through a water tank storing water. In this prior art, since the amount of water retained in the water adding portion (belt) cannot be detected, the amount of water retained in the water adding portion cannot be controlled, and there is a problem in maintaining an appropriate amount of water added to the medium.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique for appropriately controlling the amount of liquid retained in a member that applies liquid to a medium to be crimped and bound.

To solve the above-described problems, one aspect of the present invention relates to a medium processing apparatus, comprising: a transport unit that transports a medium; applying means; and pressurizing means for pressurizingly deforming and binding a medium bundle containing at least one medium to which the liquid has been applied by the liquid applying means, wherein the liquid applying means presses the medium by the pressurizing means. It is characterized by comprising a liquid applying member that applies liquid to a binding position, and a retained liquid amount detection section that detects the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member.

According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately control the amount of liquid held by a member that applies liquid to a medium to be crimped and bound.

1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming system; FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the post-processing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the edge binding processing unit viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the edge binding processing unit viewed from the side of the liquid application unit in the main scanning direction; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a crimping means; 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of a control block that controls the operation of the post-processing device according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart of binding processing; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the positions of the liquid applying means and the pressure bonding means during the binding process; 6 is a flowchart of liquid application member state determination processing; Flowchart of replenishment processing. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a first example of a mode of detecting the amount of retained liquid in the liquid applying member; FIG. 11 is a view showing another aspect of the first example of the aspect of detecting the amount of retained liquid of the liquid applying member; FIG. 11 is a view showing a first modification of the aspect of detecting the amount of retained liquid in the liquid applying member; FIG. 10 is a view showing a second modification of the aspect of detecting the amount of retained liquid in the liquid applying member; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a third modification of the aspect of detecting the amount of retained liquid in the liquid applying member; FIG. 11 is a view showing a fourth modified example of detecting the amount of retained liquid in the liquid applying member; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the internal structure of a post-processing device according to a second embodiment; FIG. 8 is a view of the internal tray according to the second embodiment viewed from the sheet thickness direction; The schematic diagram which looked at the crimping|compression-bonding means which concerns on 2nd embodiment from the upstream of the conveyance direction. The figure which looked at the liquid provision part which concerns on 2nd embodiment from the thickness direction of the paper. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view along XXV-XXV of FIG. 20; Sectional drawing in XXVI-XXVI of FIG. FIG. 8 is a hardware configuration diagram of a control block that controls the operation of the post-processing device according to the second embodiment; 6 is a post-processing flowchart of the post-processing device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a modification of the image forming system;

[First embodiment]
An image forming system 1 according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming system 1. As shown in FIG. The image forming system 1 has a function of forming an image on a sheet of paper P, which is a sheet medium, and performing post-processing on the sheet of paper P on which the image has been formed. As shown in FIG. 1, an image forming system 1 is configured such that an image forming apparatus 2 as an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus 3 as a medium processing apparatus according to the present invention are linked.

The image forming device 2 forms an image on the paper P and discharges the paper P on which the image is formed to the post-processing device 3 . The image forming apparatus 2 includes a storage tray in which paper P is stored, a transport section that transports the paper P stored in the storage tray, and an image forming section that forms an image on the paper P transported by the transport section. . The image forming unit may be of an inkjet type that forms an image using ink, or may be of an electrophotographic type that forms an image using toner. Since the configuration of the image forming apparatus 2 is already known, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the post-processing device 3. As shown in FIG. The post-processing device 3 performs post-processing on the sheet P on which an image has been formed by the image forming device 2 . Post-processing according to the present embodiment is binding processing as pressure binding processing for binding a bundle of a plurality of sheets P on which images have been formed without using a binding needle. Hereinafter, the bundle of sheets P will be referred to as a "sheet bundle Pb" as a medium bundle. More specifically, the binding process according to the present embodiment is so-called "pressure binding" in which a bundle of sheets is pressurized and deformed at the binding position. Note that the binding process that can be performed by the post-processing device 3 includes edge binding processing for binding the ends of the sheet bundle Pb and saddle stitching processing for binding the center of the sheet bundle Pb.

The post-processing device 3 includes conveying roller pairs 10 to 19 (conveying section) and a switching claw 20 . The transport roller pairs 10 to 19 transport the paper P supplied from the image forming apparatus 2 inside the post-processing device 3 . More specifically, the transport roller pairs 10 to 13 transport the paper P along the first transport path Ph1. Further, the transport roller pairs 14 to 15 transport the paper P along the second transport path Ph2. Further, the transport roller pairs 16 to 19 transport the paper P along the third transport path Ph3.

The first transport path Ph<b>1 is a path from the supply port of the paper P from the image forming apparatus 2 to the discharge tray 21 . The second transport path Ph2 is a path that branches from the first transport path Ph1 between the transport roller pairs 11 and 14 in the transport direction and reaches the discharge tray 26 through the internal tray 22 . The third transport path Ph3 is a path that branches from the first transport path Ph1 between the transport roller pairs 11 and 14 in the transport direction and reaches the discharge tray 30 .

The switching pawl 20 is arranged at a branch position of the first transport path Ph1 and the second transport path Ph2. The switching claw 20 switches between a first position where the paper P is discharged to the discharge tray 21 through the first transport path Ph1 and a second position where the paper P transported on the first transport path Ph1 is guided to the second transport path Ph2. configured as possible. At the timing when the trailing edge of the paper P entering the second transport path Ph2 passes the transport roller pair 11, the transport roller pair 14 is reversely rotated to guide the paper P to the third transport path Ph3. The post-processing device 3 also includes a plurality of sensors for detecting the positions of the sheets P on the transport paths Ph1, Ph2, and Ph3. A plurality of sensors are indicated by black triangles (▴) in FIG.

The post-processing device 3 has a discharge tray 21 . The discharge tray 21 places the paper P discharged through the first transport path Ph1. Out of the sheets P supplied from the image forming apparatus 2 , the sheets P that have not undergone the binding process are discharged to the discharge tray 21 .

The post-processing device 3 also includes an internal tray 22 as a loading tray, an end fence 23 , side fences 24 L and 24 R, an end binding processing section 25 and a discharge tray 26 . The internal tray 22, the end fences 23, the side fences 24L and 24R, and the edge binding processing unit 25 perform edge binding processing on the paper P conveyed on the second conveyance path Ph2. Out of the sheets P supplied from the image forming apparatus 2 , the bundle of sheets Pb subjected to edge binding processing is discharged to the discharge tray 26 .

Hereinafter, the direction from the conveying roller pair 15 to the end fence 23 is defined as "conveying direction". Further, a direction perpendicular to the thickness direction of the paper P and the transport direction is defined as a "main scanning direction (width direction of the paper P)".

The internal tray 22 as a loading tray temporarily stores a plurality of sheets P that are sequentially transported along the second transport path Ph2. The end fence 23 aligns the positions of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 in the transport direction. The side fences 24L and 24R align the positions of the paper P or the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 in the main scanning direction. The end binding processing unit 25 binds the ends of the bundle of sheets Pb aligned by the end fence 23 and the side fences 24L and 24R. Then, the conveying roller pair 15 discharges the bundle of sheets Pb subjected to the edge binding process to the discharge tray 26 .

[Detailed Description of Edge Binding Processing Unit 25]
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the edge binding processing unit 25 viewed from the upstream side in the transport direction. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the edge binding processing unit 25 viewed from the side of the liquid applying unit 31 in the main scanning direction. As shown in FIG. 3, the end binding processing section 25 includes a liquid applying means 31 and a pressure bonding means 32 as a pressure binding processing section. The liquid applying unit 31 and the pressing unit 32 are arranged adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction on the downstream side of the inner tray 22 in the conveying direction.

The liquid application unit 31 applies liquid (for example, water) stored in the liquid storage tank 43 to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 . Hereinafter, the application of liquid to the sheet P or the sheet bundle Pb is referred to as "liquid application", and the process for applying the liquid is referred to as "liquid application process".

Here, more specifically, the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 for "liquid application" is mainly composed of a liquid state of a compound of hydrogen and oxygen represented by the chemical formula H ₂ O. . So-called hot water or hot water may be used as long as it is in a liquid state, regardless of its temperature state. Further, the water is not limited to pure water, and may contain ionized salts as well as purified water. The content of metal ions does not matter as well, from so-called soft water to ultra-hard water.

Additives may be added in addition to the main component. It may contain residual chlorine used as tap water, and it is also desirable to add colorants, penetrants, pH adjusters, preservatives such as phenoxyethanol, anti-drying agents such as glycerin, and the like. Furthermore, since water is used as a component in inks used in ink-jet printers and inks used in water-based pens, this may be used for "liquid application."

Not limited to the specific ones listed here, even hypochlorous acid water, ethanol aqueous solution diluted for disinfection, etc. in a broad sense will work, but even if it is only for the purpose of functioning as crimp binding. Tap water, which is easy to obtain and manage, should be used. As the liquid, using a liquid containing water as a main component as exemplified above can improve the binding strength of the sheet bundle Pb more than using a liquid containing no water as a main component.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the liquid applying means 31 includes a lower pressing plate 33 as a mounting table for the paper P or the paper bundle Pb, an upper pressing plate 34, a liquid applying portion moving mechanism 35, and a liquid applying mechanism. 36. Components of the liquid applying means 31 (the lower pressing plate 33, the upper pressing plate 34, the liquid applying portion moving mechanism 35, and the liquid applying mechanism 36) are held by the liquid applying frame 31a and the base member .

The lower pressing plate 33 and the upper pressing plate 34 are arranged downstream of the inner tray 22 in the conveying direction. The lower pressing plate 33 supports the sheet P or the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 from below. The lower pressing plate 33 is provided on the lower pressing plate holder 331 . The upper pressing plate 34 is configured to move (up and down) in the thickness direction of the paper P above the paper P or the paper bundle Pbb placed on the internal tray 22 . That is, the lower pressing plate 33 and the upper pressing plate 34 sandwich the paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 in the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb (hereinafter simply referred to as the “thickness direction”). ) are placed facing each other. Further, the upper pressing plate 34 is formed with a through hole 34 a penetrating in the thickness direction at a position facing the tip of the liquid applying member 44 attached to the base plate 40 .

A retained liquid amount sensor 60 for detecting the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 is provided at the tip portion of the liquid applying member 44 . A retained liquid amount sensor 60 as a retained liquid amount detection unit is provided near a portion where the liquid applying member 44 contacts the sheet P or the sheet bundle Pb placed on the lower pressing plate 33 . For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the retained liquid amount sensor 60 is composed of a pair of counter electrodes (a first electrode 61 and a second electrode 62), and conducts to the liquid applying member 44 to acquire changes in electrical signals. It is possible. Note that the electrode is not limited to the counter electrode as long as it is electrically connected to the liquid applying member 44 and can acquire an electric signal that varies depending on the amount of retained liquid.

The electrical signal acquired by the retained liquid amount sensor 60 is sent to a controller 100 (see FIG. 6) as a control unit, which will be described later, and used to detect the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 . Therefore, the electrical signal acquired by the retained liquid amount sensor 60 is any signal that can be calculated by the controller 100 as a signal representing electrical characteristics such as a current value, a voltage value, and a resistance value in an electrical circuit including the liquid applying member 44. Any kind is acceptable.

The liquid applying unit moving mechanism 35 moves the upper pressing plate 34, the base plate 40, and the liquid applying member 44 in the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper stack Pb. The liquid applying part moving mechanism 35 according to the present embodiment moves the upper pressing plate 34 , the base plate 40 and the liquid applying member 44 in conjunction with the single liquid applying part moving motor 37 . The liquid applying section moving mechanism 35 includes, for example, a liquid applying section moving motor 37, a trapezoidal screw 38, a nut 39, a base plate 40, columnar members 41a and 41b, and coil springs 42a and 42b.

For example, when the liquid applying member 44 is lowered and comes into contact with the lower pressing plate 33 in a state where there is no paper P, the retained liquid amount sensor 60 detects the contact between the third electrode 63 provided on the lower pressing plate 33 and the second electrode. The retained liquid amount sensor 60 may be configured to detect the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 . In this case, the amount of retained liquid on the contact surface of the liquid applying member 44 that contacts the paper P can also be detected.

The liquid applying section moving motor 37 generates driving force for moving the upper pressing plate 34 , the base plate 40 and the liquid applying member 44 . The trapezoidal screw 38 extends vertically and is rotatably attached to the liquid application frame 31a. Also, the trapezoidal screw 38 is connected to the output shaft of the liquid applying unit moving motor 37 via a pulley, a belt, or the like. A nut 39 is screwed onto the trapezoidal screw 38 . Then, the nut 39 is moved by transmitting the driving force of the liquid application unit moving motor 37 and rotating the trapezoidal screw 38 .

The base plate 40 is arranged above the upper pressing plate 34 . Further, the base plate 40 holds the liquid applying member 44 with the tip of the liquid applying member 44 protruding downward. Furthermore, the base plate 40 is connected to the trapezoidal screw 38 and configured to be movable together with the trapezoidal screw 38 . The vertical position of the base plate 40 is detected by a movement sensor 40a (see FIG. 6).

The columnar members 41 a and 41 b protrude downward from the base plate 40 around the tip of the liquid applying member 44 . In addition, the columnar members 41a and 41b are configured to be relatively movable with respect to the base plate 40 in the thickness direction. Furthermore, the columnar members 41a and 41b hold the upper pressing plate 34 at their lower ends. In addition, stoppers are provided at the upper ends of the columnar members 41a and 41b to prevent the columnar members 41a and 41b from coming off the base plate 40. As shown in FIG. The coil springs 42a, 42b are externally fitted on the columnar members 41a, 41b between the base plate 40 and the upper pressing plate 34. As shown in FIG. The coil springs 42 a and 42 b urge the upper pressing plate 34 and the columnar members 41 a and 41 b downward with respect to the base plate 40 .

The liquid application mechanism 36 applies liquid to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 . More specifically, the liquid applying mechanism 36 applies the liquid to at least one sheet of paper P constituting the paper stack Pb by bringing the tip of the liquid applying member 44 into contact with the paper P or the paper stack Pb. The liquid application mechanism 36 includes a liquid storage tank 43 , a liquid application member 44 , a supply member 45 and a joint 46 .

The liquid storage tank 43 stores liquid to be supplied to the paper P or the paper bundle Pb. The amount of liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 is detected by a liquid level sensor 43a. The liquid applying member 44 supplies the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 to the sheet bundle Pb. The liquid applying member 44 is supported by the base plate 40 with its tip facing downward. Also, the liquid applying member 44 is made of a material having a high liquid absorption rate (for example, sponge, fiber).

The supply member 45 is an elongated member having a proximal end immersed in the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 and a distal end connected to the liquid applying member 44 . Also, the supply member 45 is made of, for example, a material having a high liquid absorption rate, like the liquid application member 44 . As a result, the liquid absorbed from the proximal end of the supply member 45 is supplied to the liquid application member 44 by capillary action.

The protection member 45 a is a long cylindrical body (for example, a tube) that is externally inserted into the supply member 45 . As a result, the liquid absorbed by the supply member 45 can be prevented from leaking or evaporating. Moreover, the supply member 45 and the protection member 45a are made of a flexible material. A joint 46 secures the liquid application member 44 to the base plate 40 . As a result, even when the liquid applying member 44 is moved by the liquid applying section moving mechanism 35 , the liquid applying member 44 projects downward from the base plate 40 and maintains a state in which the tip faces downward.

Further, the supply member 45 is provided with a tube pump 70 as a liquid replenishing section for replenishing the liquid stored in the liquid storage tank 43 to the liquid applying member 44 without causing capillary action. The operation of the tube pump 70 is controlled by a control block of the aftertreatment device 3, which will be described later. The tube pump 70 operates when the capillary action (natural phenomenon) alone is not enough to maintain the amount of liquid held in the liquid applying member 44 properly.

The crimping means 32 binds the sheet bundle Pb by pressurizing and deforming the sheet bundle Pb with uneven binding teeth 32b and 32c. That is, the crimping means 32 can bind the sheet bundle Pb without using a binding needle. Components of the crimping means 32 (binding teeth 32b (upper crimping teeth), binding teeth 32c (lower crimping teeth)) are provided on the crimping frame 32a. In the following description, binding by pressurizing and deforming a predetermined position of the bundle of sheets Pb by the pressure-bonding means 32 is simply referred to as "pressure binding".

[Configuration of crimping means 32]
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the crimping means 32. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the crimping means 32 comprises a pair of binding teeth 32b, 32c. The pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c are arranged to face each other in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 with the sheet bundle Pb therebetween. The mutually facing surfaces of the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c are formed in an uneven shape in which concave portions and convex portions are alternately formed. Also, the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c are formed with recesses and protrusions shifted so as to mesh with each other. The pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c are brought into contact with each other by the driving force of a contact/separation motor 32d (see FIG. 6).

While the plurality of sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb are supplied to the internal tray 22, the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 5(A). Then, when all the sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb are placed on the internal tray 22, as shown in FIG. Deformed under pressure from As a result, the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the internal tray 22 is pressure-stitched. Also, the sheet bundle Pb bound by pressure is discharged to the discharge tray 26 by the conveying roller pair 15 .

The structure of the crimping means 32 is not limited to this embodiment, as long as the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c constituting the crimping mechanism are meshed with each other. For example, a link mechanism type crimping mechanism that crimps and separates the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32cb using a drive source and a link mechanism that only rotates forward or reverses (for example, those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6057167) ), or a direct-acting crimping mechanism that linearly crimps and separates the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c by means of a screw mechanism that converts the rotary motion of the drive source into linear motion. good.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3 , the edge binding processing section 25 includes an edge binding processing section moving mechanism 47 . The edge binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 moves the edge binding processing unit 25 (that is, the liquid applying unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32) along the downstream end in the transport direction placed on the internal tray 22. move in the direction The end binding processing unit moving mechanism 47 includes, for example, a base member 48 , a guide shaft 49 , an end binding processing unit movement motor 50 , and a position sensor 51 .

The liquid applying means 31 and the pressure bonding means 32 are attached to the base member 48 so as to be adjacent to each other in the main scanning direction. The guide shaft 49 extends in the main scanning direction on the downstream side of the inner tray 22 in the transport direction. Further, the guide shaft 49 holds the base member 48 movably in the main scanning direction. The end binding processing unit moving motor 50 generates a driving force for moving the end binding processing unit 25 . The driving force of the end binding processing unit moving motor 50 is transmitted to the base member 48 via pulleys and timing belts.

As a result, the liquid application means 31 and the pressure bonding means 32 integrated by the base member 48 are formed.
moves along the guide shaft 49 in the main scanning direction. The positions of the liquid applying means 31 and the pressing means 32 can be grasped by, for example, an encoder sensor attached to the output shaft of the end binding processing section moving motor 50 . Further, the position sensor 51 detects that the end binding processing section 25 has reached the standby position HP (see FIG. 8).

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3 , the end binding processing section 25 includes a rotating mechanism 52 . The rotation mechanism 52 rotates the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c and the liquid applying member 44 in the thickness direction of the paper P or the paper bundle Pb supported by the internal tray 22 (that is, the direction orthogonal to the transport direction and the main scanning direction). It rotates around the crimping means rotating shaft 54 extending to the center. The rotating mechanism 52 includes a liquid applying means rotating shaft 53, a pressing means rotating shaft 54, a connecting mechanism 55, and a rotating motor 56 (driving source).

The liquid applying means rotating shaft 53 and the pressing means rotating shaft 54 extend in the thickness direction of the sheet P or the sheet bundle Pb supported by the internal tray 22 . That is, the liquid applying means rotating shaft 53 and the pressing means rotating shaft 54 extend parallel to each other at positions separated in the main scanning direction. The liquid applying means rotating shaft 53 rotatably supports the liquid applying member 44 with respect to the liquid applying frame 31a. The crimping means rotating shaft 54 rotatably supports the crimping frame 32 a with respect to the base member 48 . The connecting mechanism 55 connects the crimping frame 32a and the liquid applying means rotating shaft 53 to each other.

The rotating motor 56 generates driving force for rotating the pair of binding teeth 32 b and 32 c and the liquid applying member 44 . The driving force of the rotating motor 56 is transmitted to the pressing means rotating shaft 54 via pulleys and timing belts. As a result, the crimping frame 32a rotates around the crimping means rotating shaft 54 together with the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c. Further, the rotation of the crimping frame 32 a is transmitted to the liquid applying means rotating shaft 53 via the connecting mechanism 55 . As a result, the liquid applying member 44 rotates about the liquid applying means rotating shaft 53 with respect to the liquid applying frame 31a.

[Movement of Edge Binding Processing Unit 25 in Main Scanning Direction]
Here, the movement mode of the liquid applying means 31 and the pressing means 32 integrated by the base member 48 in the main scanning direction will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 8A, the standby position HP is a position outside the sheet P placed on the internal tray 22 in the width direction. Further, as shown in FIGS. 8B and 8C, the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 can be moved to the binding position B1 by the end binding processing unit moving mechanism 47. FIG. The binding position B1 is a position facing the paper P or the paper bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22, and is a position where liquid application and pressure binding are performed. That is, the standby position HP and the binding position B1 are separated from each other in the main scanning direction. Furthermore, the liquid applying means 31 according to the present embodiment is arranged adjacent to the pressure bonding means 32, and is closer to the binding position B1 than the pressure bonding means 32 at the standby position P1.

Further, the liquid applying means 31 is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction together with the pressure bonding means 32 by the driving force of the end binding processing portion moving motor 50 being transmitted. A position (liquid applying position) where the liquid applying device 31 applies the liquid to the paper P or the paper stack Pb corresponds to a binding position where the pressure binding device 32 is scheduled to perform pressure binding. Therefore, the liquid applying position and the binding position are denoted by the same reference numerals in the following description.

Returning to FIG. 2 , the post-processing device 3 further includes an end fence 27 , a saddle stitching section 28 , a sheet folding blade 29 and a discharge tray 30 . The end fence 27, the saddle-stitching unit 28, and the paper folding blade 29 perform saddle-stitching processing on the sheet bundle Pb composed of the sheets P conveyed on the third conveying path Ph3. Out of the sheets P supplied from the image forming apparatus 2 , the saddle-stitched sheet bundle Pb is discharged to the discharge tray 30 .

The end fence 27 aligns the positions in the conveying direction of a plurality of sheets conveyed in order on the third conveying path Ph3. Also, the end fence 27 is configured to be movable between a binding position where the center of the stack of sheets Pb faces the saddle stitching section 28 and a folding position where it faces the paper folding blade 29 . The saddle stitching unit 28 stitches the center of the bundle of sheets Pb aligned by the end fence 27 at the stitching position. The sheet folding blade 29 folds the sheet bundle supported by the end fence 27 at the folding position in half and causes the conveying roller pair 18 to sandwich the sheet bundle. The conveying roller pair 18 and 19 discharges the saddle-stitched sheet bundle Pb to the discharge tray 30 .

[Control configuration (hardware) of post-processing device 3]
FIG. 6 is a hardware configuration diagram of the control configuration of the post-processing device 3. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the post-processing device 3 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 104, and an I/F 105. It has a configuration connected via a common bus 109 .

The CPU 101 is a computing means and controls the operation of the post-processing device 3 as a whole. The RAM 102 is a volatile storage medium from which information can be read and written at high speed, and is used as a working area when the CPU 101 processes information. The ROM 103 is a read-only non-volatile storage medium and stores programs such as firmware. The HDD 104 is a non-volatile storage medium that allows reading and writing of information and has a large storage capacity, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, and the like.

The post-processing device 3 processes a control program stored in the ROM 103 , an information processing program (application program) loaded from a storage medium such as the HDD 104 to the RAM 102 , and the like using the computing function of the CPU 101 . A software control unit including various functional modules of the post-processing device 3 is configured by the processing. A functional block that implements the functions of the post-processing device 3 is configured by combining the software control unit configured in this way and the hardware resources installed in the post-processing device 3 . That is, the CPU 101 , RAM 102 , ROM 103 and HDD 104 constitute a controller 100 that controls the operation of the post-processing device 3 .

The I/F 105 includes the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, 15, the switching claw 20, the side fences 24L, 24R, the contact/separation motor 32d, the liquid application unit moving motor 37, the end binding processing unit moving motor 50, and the rotary motor 56. , the movement sensor 40a, the liquid amount sensor 43a, the position sensor 51, the operation panel 110, the retained liquid amount sensor 60, and the tube pump 70 are connected to the common bus 109. The controller 100 controls, through the I/F 105, the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, 15, the switching claw 20, the side fences 24L, 24R, the contact/separation motor 32d, the liquid applying unit moving motor 37, the end binding processing unit moving motor 50, The tube pump 70 is operated, and detection results of the movement sensor 40a, the liquid amount sensor 43a, the position sensor 51, and the retained liquid amount sensor 60 are obtained. Note that FIG. 6 shows only the components that perform the edge binding process, but the components that perform the saddle stitching process are similarly controlled by the controller 100 .

As shown in FIG. 1 , the image forming apparatus 2 has an operation panel 110 . Operation panel 110 includes an operation unit that receives operations from a user, and a display (notification unit) that notifies the user of information. The operation unit includes, for example, hard keys, a touch panel superimposed on the display, and the like. The operation panel 110 acquires information from the user through the operation unit and provides the information to the user through the display. A specific example of the notification unit is not limited to a display, and may be an LED lamp, a speaker, or the like. Further, the post-processing device 3 may be provided with an operation panel 110 similar to that described above.

[Flowchart of crimp binding process]
FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating the flow of the binding process realized by the control process executed by the controller 100. As shown in FIG. The controller 100 starts the binding process shown in FIG. 9, for example, at the timing of acquiring a binding process execution instruction (hereinafter referred to as a “binding process instruction”) from the image forming apparatus 2 .

The binding process instruction includes, for example, the number of sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb (hereinafter referred to as "predetermined number of sheets") and the number of sheet bundles Pb to be bound (hereinafter referred to as "required number of copies"). ), the binding position of the bundle of sheets Pb, and the binding posture of the edge binding processing unit 25 . Further, as shown in FIG. 8A, the liquid application unit 31 and the pressure bonding unit 32 are moved to the standby position HP, which is a position outside the paper P placed on the internal tray 22 in the width direction, to start the binding process. shall be located at the time.

The controller 100 determines the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 using the retained liquid amount sensor 60 when the edge binding processing unit 25 is positioned at the standby position HP (S701). If the liquid holding amount of the liquid applying member 44 is appropriate, the process proceeds to the next step. The details of the liquid applying member state determination process (S701) will be described later.

Then, before the paper P is supplied to the internal tray 22, the controller 100 drives the end binding processing unit moving motor 50 so that the liquid applying unit 31 can face the binding position B1 indicated by the binding processing instruction. Then, the end binding processing unit 25 is moved in the main scanning direction (S702).

Next, as shown in FIG. 8B, the controller 100 rotates the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, and 15 with the liquid applying means 31 arranged at a position facing the binding position B1. Then, the sheet P on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus 2 is accommodated in the internal tray 22 (S703). The controller 100 also moves the side fences 24L and 24R to align the positions of the paper P or the paper stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 in the main scanning direction (so-called jogging).

Next, the controller 100 causes the liquid applying means 31 to apply the liquid to the binding position B1 of the sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 in the previous step S702 (S704). That is, the controller 100 drives the liquid applying unit moving motor 37 to bring the liquid applying member 44 into contact with the binding position B1 of the sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 .

Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number N instructed by the binding process instruction (S705). Then, in response to determining that the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has not reached the predetermined number N (S705: No), the controller 100 executes the processes of steps S703 and S704 again.

That is, the controller 100 executes the processing of steps S703 to S704 each time the sheet P is conveyed to the internal tray 22 by the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, and 15. FIG. However, it is not necessary to apply the liquid to all the sheets P that make up the sheet bundle Pb. As another example, the controller 100 may cause the liquid applying means 31 to apply the liquid to the binding position B1 at intervals of one sheet out of n (n<N) sheets.

Then, in response to determining that the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number N (S705: Yes), the controller 100 performs edge binding as shown in FIG. The processing unit moving motor 50 is driven to move the edge binding processing unit 25 in the main scanning direction so that the crimping unit 32 faces the binding position B1 (S706).

Next, the controller 100 press-stitches the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 and discharges it to the discharge tray 26 (S707). That is, the controller 100 drives the contact/separation motor 32d to sandwich the binding position B1 of the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22 between the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c. The controller 100 also rotates the transport roller pair 15 to discharge the pressure-bound sheet bundle Pb to the discharge tray 26 .

Then, the controller 100 drives the end-stitching unit moving motor 50 to move the end-stitching unit 25 to the standby position HP (S707).

Note that, on the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22, the pressure-bonded area sandwiched by the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c in step S706 corresponds to the liquid application area with which the tip surface of the liquid application member 44 is in contact in step S704. Overlap. In other words, the pressure bonding means 32 presses and binds the area of the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 to which the liquid has been applied by the liquid applying means 31 .

[Details of liquid application member state determination processing (S701)]
Here, the detailed flow of the liquid applying member state determination processing (S701) will be described using the flowchart of FIG. Before performing the liquid application process (FIG. 7: S704), it is determined whether or not the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 is appropriate, and if the retained liquid amount is insufficient, the operation of replenishing is performed. make it

For example, a predetermined current is passed through the counter electrodes (retained liquid amount sensor 60 ) arranged to sandwich the liquid applying member 44 , and the controller 100 acquires an electric signal that has passed through the liquid applying member 44 . Based on this electrical signal, the amount of liquid retained in the liquid applying member 44 is calculated (S901).

When the calculated retained liquid amount is less than the predetermined retained liquid threshold (S902: Yes), it is necessary to replenish (supply) the liquid to the liquid applying member . Therefore, replenishment processing is executed (S903). Details of the replenishment process will now be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the tube pump 70 is operated (S1001). Subsequently, liquid replenishment is continued until the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44, which changes as the liquid is replenished by the tube pump 70, exceeds a predetermined threshold value (S1002: No).

If the amount of liquid retained in the liquid applying member 44 exceeds the specified value and becomes an appropriate value (S1002: Yes), the operation of the tube pump 70 is stopped (S1003). By the above processing, the amount of retained liquid in the liquid applying member 44 is kept at an appropriate level.

Return to FIG. After setting the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 to an appropriate state, subsequently, one or both of the counter electrodes as the retained liquid amount sensor 60 provided in the liquid applying member 44 and the lower pressing as the stage are applied. Based on the electric signal notified by the electrical connection with the plate 33, the amount of retained liquid on the surface of the liquid applying member 44 is detected (S904).

The surface liquid retention amount refers to the liquid retention amount of the surface of the liquid applying member 44 that contacts the paper P and applies the liquid. Whether or not the amount of liquid retained in the liquid applying member 44 is appropriate is detected by conduction to a counter electrode provided in the liquid applying member 44 . The position of the counter electrode and the position of the contact surface of the liquid applying member 44 in contact with the paper P correspond to different positions. In this case, it is desirable to also detect the amount of liquid retained on the contact surface in order to more accurately maintain whether or not the amount of liquid for liquid application is appropriate.

Therefore, electricity detected by conduction between the third electrode 63 installed on the lower pressing plate 33 and the electrode (the first electrode 61 or the second electrode 62, or both) installed on the liquid applying member 44 Based on the signal, the amount of liquid retained on the surface is calculated. The amount of retained liquid on the surface changes according to the area (contact area) of the liquid applying member 44 in contact with the lower pressing plate 33, or changes according to the retained liquid amount of the portion including the contact surface. Then, when the calculated amount of retained liquid on the surface is less than the specified retained liquid threshold (S905: Yes), replenishment processing (S906) is performed, and if it exceeds the retained liquid threshold (S905: No), liquid is applied End the member state determination processing.

Note that the replenishment processing in S906 corresponds to the same processing as the replenishment processing in S903, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[Basic example of retained liquid amount sensor 60]
Next, an example of a configuration for detecting the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 included in the post-processing device 3, which is an embodiment of the medium processing device according to the present invention, will be described. In FIG. 11, as already explained, the retained liquid amount sensor 60 is composed of a pair of counter electrodes (the first electrode 61 and the second electrode 62) provided so as to sandwich the liquid applying member 44. As shown in FIG. A third electrode 63 is installed on the lower pressing plate 33 as a stage member, and the retained liquid amount sensor 60 is composed of the third electrode 63, the first electrode 61, the second electrode 62, or both.

As shown in FIG. 11A, when the installation positions of the counter electrodes (the first electrode 61 and the second electrode 62) are in the middle (near the center) of the height position of the liquid applying member 44, this height position Refilling is not required if more liquid is retained. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11B, when the liquid falls below the position of the counter electrode, the counter electrode is no longer conductive. As a result, it can be determined that the retained liquid amount is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold. In this case, the liquid holding amount of the liquid applying member 44 is maintained by executing the replenishment process (S903).

Further, as illustrated in FIG. 12B, when the liquid applying member 44 and the lower pressing plate 33 are brought into contact with each other, if the amount of retained liquid on the contact surface is low, the conduction through the third electrode 63 will not occur. It can be determined that the amount of retained liquid on the surface is equal to or less than the threshold. In this case, the liquid retention amount of the liquid applying member 44 is maintained by executing the replenishment process (S906).

[First modification of retained liquid amount sensor 60]
There are various modes of arrangement of the electrodes for configuring the retained liquid amount sensor 60 . FIG. 13 shows an example in which the counter electrodes (the first electrode 61 and the second electrode 62) are arranged with respect to the liquid applying member 44 so as to be long in the height direction of the liquid applying member 44. be.

In the case of the electrode arrangement mode shown in FIG. 13, the amount of retained liquid with respect to the electric resistance value of the liquid deposition member 44 detected in the conductive state when the retained liquid amount of the liquid deposition member 44 is full in the height direction. If the height position is lowered, the resistance value will increase. Therefore, when the resistance value detected by the counter electrodes (the first electrode 61 and the second electrode 62) sandwiching the liquid applying member 44 is below the threshold of the body, it is equal to or less than the liquid holding threshold (S902: Yes). Judge.

Compared with the basic example, the first modified example can make the step of detecting the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 finer and more accurate. Further, it is also possible to detect the remaining amount of the retained liquid in the liquid applying member 44 .

[Second modification of retained liquid amount sensor 60]
FIG. 14 shows an example in which a plurality of sets of long counter electrodes are arranged in the height direction of the liquid applying member 44 . In the example of FIG. 14, a plurality of electrode pairs with different lengthwise dimensions are installed. FIG. 14A illustrates a case where the liquid holding amount of the liquid applying member 44 is "100%". FIG. 14B illustrates a case where the liquid holding amount of the liquid applying member 44 is "50%". FIG. 14C illustrates a case where the liquid holding amount of the liquid applying member 44 is "10%". FIG. 14D illustrates a case where the liquid holding amount of the liquid applying member 44 is "0%". By calculating the electrical resistance value detected in each pair of electrodes, it is possible to improve the detection accuracy of the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 and the detection accuracy of the remaining liquid amount as compared with the first modified example. .

[Third modification of retained liquid amount sensor 60]
15A and 15B are diagrams schematically showing a method for detecting the retained liquid amount when the liquid applying member 44 and the lower pressing plate 33 are in a non-contact state and in a contact state. As shown in FIG. 15A, when the counter electrodes (the first electrode 61 and the second electrode 62) are arranged horizontally with respect to the liquid applying member 44, the counter electrodes (the first electrode 61 and The second electrode 62) constitutes the retained liquid amount sensor 60. FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15B, in the contact state, one of the counter electrodes, for example, a pair of the second electrode 62 and the third electrode 63 constitutes the second retained liquid amount sensor 60 .

Even if the counter electrodes (the first electrode 61 and the second electrode 62) are arranged in the height direction with respect to the liquid applying member 44, the counter electrodes constitute the retained liquid amount sensor 60 in the non-contact state, and Then, the second retained liquid amount sensor 60 may be constructed including the third electrode 63 .

[Fourth modified example of retained liquid amount sensor 60]
As shown in FIG. 16, from the height position of the liquid applying member 44 when the liquid applying member 44 and the lower pressing plate 33 are in a non-contact state (FIG. 16A), the liquid applying member 44 and the lower pressing plate 33 The controller 100 can also detect the movement amount X of the liquid applying member 44 until the contact state is reached. Thereby, the initial value of the height position of the liquid applying member 44 can be corrected (zero point correction).

According to the above embodiment, for example, the following operational effects are obtained. Since the amount of liquid retained in the liquid applying member 44 can be detected, stable liquid applying processing can be performed.

Further, when the applied liquid amount is lower than the predetermined threshold value, it is possible to optimize the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member 44 by replenishing.

In addition, counter electrodes having a plurality of lengths arranged so as to sandwich the liquid applying member 44 can be used to accurately detect the amount of liquid retained in the liquid applying member 44 .

Further, the amount of retained liquid on the surface of the liquid applying member 44 that contacts the paper P can also be detected.

Then, the zero point of the liquid applying operation of the liquid applying member 44 is detected by detecting the movement amount X from the movement start position when the liquid applying member 44 performs the operation of applying the liquid to the paper P until the contact surface becomes conductive. You can also make corrections.

[Second embodiment]
Next, a post-processing device 3A according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 17 to 25. FIG. In addition, the same reference number may be attached to the component common to 1st embodiment, and detailed description may be abbreviate|omitted.

Unlike the post-processing apparatus 3 according to the first embodiment, in which the liquid applying means 31 and the pressure bonding means 32 are provided side by side, the post-processing apparatus 3A according to the second embodiment has only the liquid applying means 131 on the upstream side of the transport path. are provided. As a result, a predetermined number of sheets of paper P can be pre-stacked after the liquid application process and conveyed to the pressure bonding means 32 of the edge binding processing section 25 provided downstream, so that the productivity of the binding process in the pressure bonding means 32 can be improved. can be improved. Also, the direction in which the transport roller pairs 10, 11, and 14 transport the paper P is defined as the "reverse transport direction" because it is the opposite direction to the "transport direction" defined above. A direction perpendicular to the reverse transport direction and the thickness direction of the paper P is defined as a "main scanning direction (width direction of the paper P)".

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the internal structure of the post-processing device 3A according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 18, the end binding processing section 25 includes pressure bonding means 32 and staple binding means 32'. As shown in FIG. 17, the crimping means 32 and the stapling means 32' are arranged downstream of the inner tray 22 in the conveying direction. The pressing means 32 and the stapling means 32' are configured to be movable in the main scanning direction at a position where they can face the end portion of the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 on the downstream side in the conveying direction. there is Further, the crimping means 32 and the stapling means 32' are configured to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22. As shown in FIG. That is, the crimping means 32 and the staple binding means 32' can be arranged at an arbitrary position in the main scanning direction of the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the internal tray 22, such as oblique corner binding, parallel one-point binding, and parallel two-point binding. can be bound at any angle.

Further, the pressing means 32 binds the sheet bundle Pb by pressurizing and deforming the sheet bundle Pb with the uneven binding teeth 32b and 32c (hereinafter referred to as "pressure binding"). On the other hand, the stapling unit 32 ′ can staple the bundle of sheets Pb placed on the internal tray 22 by causing a binding needle to pass through the binding position of the bundle of sheets Pb.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of the internal tray 22 viewed from the thickness direction of the sheet bundle Pb. FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram of the crimping means 32 viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction. As shown in FIG. 18, the crimping means 32 and the stapling means 32' are arranged downstream of the inner tray 22 in the conveying direction. The pressing means 32 is movable in the main scanning direction along the surface of the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22, and a rotary shaft 340 extending in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle Pb placed on the internal tray 22. Centering on, it is constituted so that rotation is possible. Similarly, the stapling means 32' is configured to be movable in the main scanning direction of the sheet bundle Pb and rotatable about a rotation shaft 341 extending in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle Pb.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, a guide rail 337 extends in the main scanning direction downstream of the inner tray 22 in the transport direction. The pressing means 32 moves the surface (in other words, guide It moves in the main scanning direction along the rail 337). Furthermore, the crimping frame 32a that holds the components of the crimping means 32 has a rotating shaft 340 fixed to its bottom surface. The rotating shaft 340 is rotatably held by the base member 48 on which the crimping frame 32a is provided. The pressing unit 32 rotates around a rotation shaft 340 extending in the thickness direction of the sheets P placed on the inner tray 22 by transmitting the driving force of the rotation motor 239 to the rotation shaft 340 . do. The guide rail 337 , the crimping means moving motor 238 , the rotating motor 239 , the rotating shaft 340 , and the drive transmission mechanism 240 constitute an example of a driving mechanism for the crimping means 32 .

The crimping means 32 is configured to be movable between a standby position HP shown in FIG. 18(A) and a position facing the binding position B1 shown in FIGS. 18(B) and 18(C). The standby position HP is a position away from the sheet stack Pb placed on the internal tray 22 to one side in the main scanning direction. The binding position B1 is a position on the stack of sheets Pb placed on the internal tray 22 . However, the specific position of the binding position B1 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 18, and may be any position in the main scanning direction at the downstream end of the sheet P in the transport direction, and may be plural.

Also, the crimping means 32 changes (rotates) between the parallel binding posture shown in FIG. 18B and the oblique binding posture shown in FIG. 18C. The parallel binding posture is the posture of the pressure bonding means 32 in which the longitudinal direction of the pair of 32b and 32c (in other words, rectangular pressure bonding traces) faces the main scanning direction. The oblique binding posture is a posture of the pressure bonding means 32 in which the longitudinal direction of the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c (in other words, rectangular pressure bonding traces) is inclined with respect to the main scanning direction.

Note that the rotation angle (the angle of the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c with respect to the main scanning direction) in the oblique binding posture is not limited to the example in FIG. Any angle may be used as long as the pair of binding teeth 32b and 32c face each other.

The post-processing device 3A includes liquid applying means 131 and punch hole forming means 132 (processing section). The liquid applying means 131 and the punch hole punching means 132 are arranged upstream of the internal tray 22 in the reverse conveying direction. Further, the liquid applying means 131 and the punch hole punching means 132 are shifted in the reverse conveying direction at positions where they can simultaneously face one sheet of paper P conveyed by the conveying roller pairs 10-19. The liquid applying means 131 and the punch hole punching means 132 according to this embodiment are arranged between the conveying roller pairs 10 and 11 . However, the arrangement of the liquid applying means 131 and the punch hole forming means 132 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, when the inserter 6 is arranged between the image forming apparatus 2 and the post-processing device 3 as shown in FIG. can also be set to

Further, as shown in FIG. 20A, the transport roller pair 11 is arranged at a position that does not overlap the liquid application position B1 of the paper P to which the liquid has been applied by the liquid application head 146 of the liquid application unit 131 in the main scanning direction. It is This is to prevent the liquid amount at the liquid application position B1 from decreasing due to the roller pairs pressing the liquid application position B1 when the transport roller pair 11 conveys the paper P. As a result, when the paper P reaches the pressure bonding means 32 provided downstream of the liquid applying means 131 in the reverse transport direction, the amount of liquid at the liquid applying position B1 is the amount necessary to maintain the binding strength. Since the amount of liquid is ensured, it is possible to prevent the binding strength of the sheet bundle Pb from decreasing due to the decrease in the amount of liquid at the liquid application position B1 during the transport process.
Furthermore, by arranging a plurality of roller pairs constituting the transport roller pair 11 at a position not overlapping the liquid application position B1 of the paper P in the main scanning direction, the liquid adheres to the plurality of roller pairs and the paper P is transported. It is possible to prevent the deterioration of the quality and the transport jam caused by it. Although only the transport roller pair 11 has been described above, the plurality of roller pairs constituting the transport roller pairs 14 and 15 should also be arranged at positions that do not overlap the liquid application position B1 of the paper P in the main scanning direction. is preferred.

The liquid application unit 131 applies liquid (for example, water) to the paper P transported by the transport roller pairs 10 and 11 (hereinafter referred to as “liquid application”). The punch hole punching means 132 punches punch holes penetrating the paper P conveyed by the conveying roller pairs 10 and 11 in the thickness direction. It should be noted that the processing section provided in the vicinity of the liquid applying means 131 is not limited to the punch hole punching means 132, and is an inclination correcting section that corrects the skew of the paper P conveyed by the conveying roller pairs 10 and 11. It's okay.

FIG. 20 is a diagram of the liquid applying unit 131 according to the second embodiment viewed from the thickness direction of the paper P. FIG. 21 is a cross-sectional view along XXV-XXV in FIG. 20. FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional view along XXVI-XXVI in FIG. 20. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, the liquid applying means 131 includes a pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b, a pair of pulleys 134a and 134b, endless annular belts 135 and 136, a liquid applying means moving motor 137, a standby A position sensor 138 (see FIG. 23) and a liquid application unit 140 are provided.

The pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b each extend in the main scanning direction at positions separated in the reverse transport direction. The pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b are supported by the pair of side plates 4a and 4b of the post-processing device 3A. The pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b supports the liquid applying unit 140 so as to be movable in the main scanning direction.

A pair of pulleys 134a and 134b are arranged between a pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b in the reverse conveying direction. Also, the pair of pulleys 134a and 134b are spaced apart in the main scanning direction. Furthermore, the pair of pulleys 134a and 134b are rotatably supported by the frame of the post-processing device 3A around a rotation axis extending in the thickness direction of the paper P. As shown in FIG.

The endless annular belt 135 is stretched over a pair of pulleys 134a and 134b. Further, the endless annular belt 135 is connected to the liquid application unit 140 by the connecting portion 35a. The endless annular belt 136 is stretched over a pulley 134 a and a driving pulley 137 a fixed to the output shaft of the liquid applying means moving motor 137 . A liquid applying unit moving motor 137 generates driving force for moving the liquid applying unit 140 in the main scanning direction.

By rotating the liquid applying means moving motor 137, the endless annular belt 136 goes around between the pulley 134a and the drive pulley 137a to rotate the pulley 134a. In addition, the rotation of the pulley 134a rotates the endless annular belt 135 between the pair of pulleys 134a and 134b. Thereby, the liquid applying unit 140 moves in the main scanning direction along the pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b. Further, by switching the rotation direction of the liquid applying means moving motor 137, the liquid applying unit 140 reciprocates in the main scanning direction.

The standby position sensor 138 detects that the liquid applying unit 140 has reached the standby position in the main scanning direction, and outputs a standby position signal indicating the detection result to the controller 100 (see FIG. 22) described later. The standby position sensor 138 is, for example, an optical sensor that includes a light emitter and a light receiver. Then, the liquid applying unit 140 at the standby position blocks the optical path between the light emitting section and the light receiving section. The standby position sensor 138 outputs a standby position signal in response to the fact that the light output from the light emitting portion is not received by the light receiving portion. However, the specific configuration of the standby position sensor 138 is not limited to the above example.

As shown in FIG. 21, the transport path in the post-processing device 3A is defined by an upper guide plate 5a and a lower guide plate 5b that are spaced apart in the thickness direction of the paper P. As shown in FIG. The liquid applying unit 140 is arranged at a position facing the opening provided in the upper guide plate 5a. That is, the liquid applying unit 140 is arranged to face the transport path (that is, the position where it can face the paper P) through the opening of the upper guide plate 5a.

As shown in FIGS. 20 to 22, the liquid applying unit 140 includes a base member 141, a rotating bracket 142, a liquid storage tank 143, a moving means 144, a holding member 145, a liquid applying head 146, and a columnar member. 147a and 147b, a pressing plate 148, coil springs 149a and 149b, a rotating motor 150, a moving motor 151 (see FIG. 23), and a standby angle sensor 152 (see FIG. 23).

The base member 141 is supported by a pair of guide shafts 133a and 133b so as to be slidable in the main scanning direction. Also, the base member 141 is connected to the endless annular belt 135 by the connecting portion 35a. Further, the base member 141 supports components 142-152 of the liquid application unit 140. As shown in FIG.

The rotary bracket 142 is supported on the lower surface of the base member 141 so as to be rotatable about a rotary axis extending in the thickness direction of the paper P. As shown in FIG. Also, the rotary bracket 142 rotates with respect to the base member 141 by transmitting the driving force of the rotary motor 150 . Further, the rotary bracket 142 supports a liquid storage tank 143, a moving means 144, a holding member 145, a liquid applying head 146, columnar members 147a and 147b, a pressing plate 148, and coil springs 149a and 149b.

The standby angle sensor 152 (see FIG. 23) detects that the rotary bracket 142 has reached the standby angle, and outputs a standby angle signal indicating the detection result to the controller 100 . The standby angle is, for example, an angle for parallel binding. The standby angle sensor 152 is, for example, an optical sensor that includes a light emitter and a light receiver. The standby angle rotary bracket 142 blocks the optical path between the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit. Then, the standby angle sensor 152 outputs a standby angle signal in response to the fact that the light output from the light emitting section is not received by the light receiving section. However, the specific configuration of the standby angle sensor 152 is not limited to the above example.

Incidentally, the rotating bracket 142 shown in FIG. 20(A) shows a state in which the pressing means 32 on the downstream side of the liquid applying means 131 performs parallel binding. The rotating bracket 142 shown in FIG. 20(B) shows a state in which the pressing means 32 on the downstream side of the liquid applying means 131 performs oblique binding (angle binding).

The liquid storage tank 143 stores liquid to be applied to the paper P. FIG. The moving means 144 is supported by the liquid storage tank 143 so as to be movable in the thickness direction of the paper P (for example, vertically). Further, the moving means 144 moves with respect to the liquid storage tank 143 by transmitting the driving force of the moving motor 151 . A holding member 145 is attached to the lower end of the moving means 144 . The liquid applying head 146 protrudes from the holding member 145 toward the transport path (downward in this embodiment). Also, the liquid that is stored in the liquid storage tank 143 is supplied to the liquid applying head 146 . Furthermore, the liquid applying head 146 is made of a material with a high liquid absorption rate (for example, sponge, fiber).

The columnar members 147 a and 147 b protrude downward from the holding member 145 around the liquid applying head 146 . The columnar members 147a and 147b are configured to be movable relative to the holding member 145 in the thickness direction. Furthermore, the columnar members 147a and 147b hold a pressing plate 148 at their lower ends. A through hole 148 a is formed in the pressing plate 148 at a position facing the liquid applying head 146 . The coil springs 149a and 149b are externally inserted on the columnar members 147a and 147b between the holding member 145 and the pressing plate 148. As shown in FIG. The coil springs 149 a and 149 b urge the columnar members 147 a and 147 b and the pressing plate 148 downward against the holding member 145 .

As shown in FIGS. 21A and 22A, before the sheet P is conveyed to the position facing the opening of the upper guide plate 5a, the pressing plate 148 is positioned at or above the opening. positioned. Next, when the paper P conveyed by the pair of conveying rollers 10 and 11 stops at the liquid applying position B1 facing the opening, the moving motor 151 is rotated in the first direction. As a result, the moving means 144, the holding member 145, the liquid applying head 146, the columnar members 147a and 147b, the pressing plate 148, and the coil springs 149a and 149b are lowered together, and the pressing plate 148 comes into contact with the paper P. Note that the liquid applying position B1 is a position (that is, a binding position) at which the end binding processing unit 25 is expected to perform compression binding.

By rotating the moving motor 151 in the first direction even after the pressing plate 148 contacts the paper P, the coil springs 149a and 149b are compressed, and the moving means 144, the holding member 145, the liquid applying head 146, and the The columnar members 147a and 147b are further lowered. Then, as shown in FIGS. 21B and 22B, the lower surface of the liquid applying head 146 comes into contact with the paper P through the through hole 148a. As a result, the liquid contained in the liquid applying head 146 is applied to the paper P. FIG.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 21C and 22C, the liquid applying head 146 can be pressed against the paper P more strongly by further rotating the moving motor 151 in the first direction. As a result, the amount of liquid applied to the paper P increases. That is, the liquid applying unit 131 can adjust the amount of liquid applied by changing the pressing force of the liquid applying head 146 against the paper P. FIG.

On the other hand, by rotating the moving motor 151 in a second direction opposite to the first direction, moving means 144, holding member 145, liquid applying head 146, columnar members 147a and 147b, pressing plate 148, and coil springs 149a and 149b are rotated. rise together. As a result, the liquid applying head 146 and the pressing plate 148 are separated from the paper P as shown in FIGS. 21A and 22A. That is, the liquid applying unit 131 includes a liquid applying head 146 that can be separated from the paper P. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 23 is a hardware configuration diagram of a control block that controls the operation of post-processing device 3A according to the second embodiment. As shown in FIG. 22, the post-processing device 3A includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 104, and an I/F 105. It has a configuration connected via a common bus 109 .

A CPU 101 is a computing means and controls the operation of the post-processing device 3A as a whole. The RAM 102 is a volatile storage medium from which information can be read and written at high speed, and is used as a working area when the CPU 101 processes information. The ROM 103 is a read-only non-volatile storage medium and stores programs such as firmware. The HDD 104 is a non-volatile storage medium that allows reading and writing of information and has a large storage capacity, and stores an OS (Operating System), various control programs, application programs, and the like.

The post-processing device 3A processes a control program stored in the ROM 103, an information processing program (application program) loaded into the RAM 102 from a storage medium such as the HDD 104, and the like using the arithmetic function of the CPU 101. FIG. A software control unit including various functional modules of post-processing device 3A is configured by the processing. A combination of the software control unit configured in this way and the hardware resources installed in the post-processing device 3A constitutes a functional block that implements the functions of the post-processing device 3A. That is, the CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, and HDD 104 constitute a controller 100 that controls the operation of the post-processing device 3A.

The I/F 105 connects the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, 15, the switching claw 20, the side fences 24L, 24R, the pressing means 32, the liquid applying means 131, the punch hole punching means 132, and the operation panel 110 to a common bus. 109 is an interface. The controller 100 controls the operations of the conveying roller pairs 10, 11, 14, 15, the switching claw 20, the side fences 24L, 24R, the pressure bonding means 32, the liquid applying means 131, and the punch hole punching means 132 through the I/F 105. do. Although FIG. 22 shows only the components that perform the edge binding process, the components that perform the saddle stitching process are similarly controlled by the controller 100 .

Operation panel 110 includes an operation unit that receives an input operation from the user, and a display (notification unit) that notifies the user of information. The operating unit includes, for example, hard keys, a touch panel superimposed on the display, and the like. The operation panel 110 acquires information from the user through the operation unit and provides the information to the user through the display.

FIG. 24 is a flow chart of the post-processing of the post-processing device 3A according to the second embodiment. Specifically, it is a flow chart for executing one-point binding shown in FIG. For example, the controller 100 executes the post-processing shown in FIG. 24 in response to receiving a post-processing execution instruction (hereinafter referred to as a “post-processing instruction”) from the image forming apparatus 2 . The post-processing instruction includes, for example, the number of sheets P constituting the sheet bundle Pb (hereinafter referred to as "predetermined number of sheets N"), the binding position (=liquid application position B1), and the binding angle (=liquid application angle). and processing executed in parallel with the liquid application processing (punching of punch holes in this embodiment). It is assumed that the liquid application unit 140 is positioned at the standby position HP (position corresponding to the standby position HP in FIG. 12) and the rotary bracket 142 is held at the standby angle at the start of post-processing.

First, the controller 100 drives the liquid applying means moving motor 137 to move the liquid applying unit 140 in the main scanning direction, thereby moving the liquid applying head 146 from the standby position HP to the liquid applying position B1 (binding position in FIG. 12). position corresponding to position B1). The controller 100 also drives the rotary motor 150 to rotate the rotary bracket 142, thereby rotating the liquid application head 146 from the standby angle to the liquid application angle (S801). The fact that the liquid applying head 146 has reached the position and the liquid applying angle at which it can face the liquid applying position B1 can be grasped by the pulse signals output from the rotary encoders of the liquid applying means moving motor 137 and the rotary motor 150 . The controller 100 also drives the crimping means moving motor 238 to move the crimping means 32 from the standby position HP to a position facing the binding position B1 as shown in FIGS. (S801). Further, the controller 100 rotates the crimping means 32 from the standby angle to the crimp binding angle by driving the rotation motor 239 (S801). The pulse signals output from the rotary encoders of the crimping means moving motor 238 and rotating motor 239 allow the crimping means 32 to reach the position at which the crimping means 32 can face the binding position B1 and the crimping binding angle.

Next, the controller 100 starts conveying the sheet P on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 2 by driving the conveying roller pair 10 and 11 (S802). The controller 100 continues driving the transport roller pair 10 and 11 until the liquid application position B1 of the paper P faces the liquid application unit 140 (more specifically, the liquid application head 146) (S803: No). Then, the controller 100 stops the transport roller pair 10 and 11 in response to the fact that the liquid applying position B1 of the paper P faces the liquid applying head 146 (S803: Yes) (S804). The fact that the liquid application position B1 of the paper P faces the liquid application head 146 can be grasped from the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder of the motor that drives the pair of transport rollers 10 and 11 .

The controller 100 concurrently executes the process of applying liquid to the liquid applying position B1 of the paper P by the liquid applying means 131 and the process of punching holes in the paper P by the punch hole punching means 132 (S805). ). More specifically, the controller 100 causes the liquid applying head 146 to come into contact with the liquid applying position B1 of the paper P by rotating the moving motor 151 in the first direction. Further, the controller 100 changes the pressing force of the liquid applying head 146 (that is, the amount of rotation of the moving motor 151) according to the amount of liquid applied to the paper P. FIG.

The amount of liquid to be applied to the paper P may be the same for all the papers P constituting the paper bundle Pb, or may be different for each paper P. For example, the controller 100 may decrease the amount of liquid to be applied to the paper P that is transported later. Also, the amount of rotation of the moving motor 151 can be grasped by the pulse signal output from the rotary encoder of the moving motor 151 .

Next, the controller 100 drives the transport roller pairs 10, 11, 14, and 15 to place the paper P on the internal tray 22 (S806). Further, the controller 100 moves the side fences 24L and 24R to align the positions of the sheet bundles Pb placed on the internal tray 22 in the main scanning direction (so-called jogging).

Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number N specified by the post-processing instruction (S807). When the controller 100 determines that the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has not reached the predetermined number N (S807: No), the controller 100 executes the processes of steps S802 to S806 again.

Then, in response to determining that the number of sheets P placed on the internal tray 22 has reached the predetermined number N (S807: Yes), the controller 100 The binding position B1 (=liquid application position B1) of Pb is bound by the pressure bonding means 32 under pressure. Further, the controller 100 rotates the conveying roller pair 15 to discharge the pressure-bound sheet bundle Pb to the discharge tray 26 (S808). Then, the controller 100 drives the liquid applying means moving motor 137 to move the liquid applying means 131 to the standby position HP, and drives the pressing means moving motor 238 to move the pressing means 32 to the standby position HP.

Further, the present invention can be applied not only to the edge stitching processing section 25 that performs edge stitching processing, but also to the saddle stitching processing section 28 that performs saddle stitching processing.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments illustrated above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the technical gist thereof, and are included in the technical idea described in the claims. All of the technical matters that are described are covered by the present invention. Although the above embodiment shows a preferred example, a person skilled in the art can realize various modifications from the disclosed contents. Such modifications are also included in the technical scope described in the claims.

Aspects of the present invention are, for example, as follows.
<1> a transport unit that transports a medium;
liquid applying means for applying liquid to a portion of the at least one medium conveyed by the conveying section;
a crimping means for pressurizingly deforming and binding a medium bundle containing at least one medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applying means;
The liquid applying means includes a liquid applying member that applies liquid to a position of the medium bound by the pressure bonding means;
and a retained liquid amount detection unit that detects the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member.
<2>
The medium processing device according to <1>, wherein the retained liquid amount detection unit detects the retained liquid amount based on an electric signal that can be obtained by conducting a pair of counter electrodes provided on the liquid applying member. is.
<3>
The medium processing device according to <2>, wherein the retained liquid amount detection unit detects the retained liquid amount based on the electrical signal that changes based on the contact area between the counter electrode and the liquid applying member. be.
<4>
The liquid applying means has a mounting member on which the medium is mounted when applying the liquid,
An electrode is provided on the mounting member,
<2> or the above <2> or The medium processing device according to <3>.
<5>
The retained liquid amount detection unit detects the liquid applying member based on an electric signal that can be obtained by conducting an electrode of the mounting member and an electrode of the liquid applying member through contact between the mounting member and the liquid applying member. The medium processing apparatus according to <4>, wherein the amount of retained liquid in the contact surface is detected when the contact surface contacts the medium.
<6>
The liquid applying means has a supply section that supplies the liquid to the liquid applying member,
The supply unit according to any one of <1> to <5>, wherein the supply unit controls supply of the liquid to the liquid applying member based on the retained liquid amount detected by the retained liquid amount detection unit. media processing device.
<7>
an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on the medium;
An image forming system, comprising: the medium processing apparatus according to <1> to <6>, which press-stitches a plurality of media on which images are formed by the image forming apparatus.

1: Image forming system 2: Image forming device 3: Post-processing device 10: Conveying roller pair 20: Switching claw 21: Discharge tray 22: Internal tray 23: End fence 24L: Side fence 24R: Side fence 25: End binding processing unit 28 : Saddle stitching processing unit 30 : Discharge tray 31 : Liquid applying unit 31a : Liquid applying frame 32 : Pressing unit 33 : Lower pressing plate 34 : Upper pressing plate 35 : Liquid applying unit moving mechanism 36 : Liquid applying mechanism 44 : Liquid applying Member 60 : Retained Liquid Amount Sensor 61 : First Electrode 62 : Second Electrode 63 : Third Electrode 70 : Tube Pump 100 : Controller 101 : CPU
102: RAM
103: ROM
104: HDD
105: I/F
109: Common bus 110: Operation panel X: Movement amount

JP-A-9-104183

Claims (7)

a transport unit that transports the medium;
liquid applying means for applying liquid to a portion of the at least one medium conveyed by the conveying section;
a crimping means for pressurizingly deforming and binding a medium bundle containing at least one medium to which the liquid is applied by the liquid applying means;
The liquid applying means includes a liquid applying member that applies liquid to a position of the medium bound by the pressure bonding means;
and a retained liquid amount detection unit that detects the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member. 2. The medium processing device according to claim 1, wherein the retained liquid amount detection unit detects the retained liquid amount based on an electric signal that can be obtained by conducting a pair of counter electrodes provided on the liquid applying member. 3. The medium processing device according to claim 2, wherein the retained liquid amount detection unit detects the retained liquid amount based on the electrical signal that changes based on a contact area between the counter electrode and the liquid applying member. The liquid applying means has a mounting member on which the medium is mounted when applying the liquid,
An electrode is provided on the mounting member,
4. The retained liquid amount detection unit detects the retained liquid amount of the liquid applying member based on an electric signal that can be obtained by electrically connecting the electrode of the placement member and the electrode of the liquid applying member. The media processing device according to . The retained liquid amount detection unit detects the liquid applying member based on an electric signal that can be obtained by conducting an electrode of the mounting member and an electrode of the liquid applying member through contact between the mounting member and the liquid applying member. detects the amount of retained liquid on the contact surface when it contacts the medium;
5. The media processing device of claim 4. The liquid applying means has a supply section that supplies the liquid to the liquid applying member,
2. The medium processing device according to claim 1, wherein the supply section controls the supply of the liquid to the liquid applying member based on the retained liquid amount detected by the retained liquid amount detection section. an image forming apparatus including an image forming unit that forms an image on the medium;
2. An image forming system, comprising: the medium processing apparatus according to claim 1, which binds a plurality of media on which images are formed by said image forming apparatus.