JP2024015663A - sheet processing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

An object of the present invention is to facilitate handling of sheet jams. A trailing end dropping member 250A has a rotation shaft 2501 as a rotation center on the downstream side of pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A in a first conveyance direction. It is rotatable about the rotation shaft 2501 from an upper position above the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A to a lower position below the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A. The trailing edge dropping member 250A drops the sheet conveyed by the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A onto the processing tray 220 by rotating from the upper position to the lower position. The leading edge regulating portion 2407 is positioned in the first conveying direction from the nip position that is furthest downstream in the first conveying direction among the nip regions where the sheet is held between the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A when the trailing edge dropping member 250A is in the lower position. The leading edge of the sheet S being conveyed toward the nip position is regulated on the upstream side of the nip position. [Selection diagram] Figure 16

Description

The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that performs predetermined processing such as stapling on sheets.

In the sheet processing apparatus, a sheet conveyed from a conveyance path is placed on a processing tray, and a process such as stapling is performed on the sheet on the processing tray. As such a sheet processing apparatus, a configuration has been proposed in which a guide is rotatably provided above a processing tray to guide the sheet downward (Patent Document 1).

This guide has a function of rotating to come into contact with a sheet conveyed by a pair of conveyance rollers disposed above the processing tray from above and dropping the sheet onto the processing tray. In the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, the center of rotation of the guide is disposed on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction by the pair of conveyance rollers, and when dropping the sheet conveyed by the pair of conveyance rollers downward, The tip of the guide rotates about the rotation center from an upper position toward a lower position on the downstream side of the pair of conveyance rollers.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-113199

As described above, in the case of the configuration described in Patent Document 1, when the guide (sheet dropping section) is in the lower position, the sheet conveyance path is blocked by the guide on the downstream side of the pair of conveyance rollers. becomes. Therefore, if the guide cannot return from the lower position to the upper position for some reason, the next sheet to be conveyed will hit this guide and jam on the downstream side of the pair of conveyance rollers. In this way, the guide is in the lower position, and it is difficult to remove the jammed sheet downstream of the pair of conveyance rollers.

The sheet processing apparatus of the present invention includes a pair of conveyance rotors that convey a sheet in a first conveyance direction, and a mounting device that temporarily places the sheet conveyed in the first conveyance direction by the pair of conveyance rotors. having a rotation center on the downstream side in the first conveyance direction than the pair of conveyance rotors, and extending from the rotation center to the upstream side in the first conveyance direction, It is rotatable as a center between an upper position above the pair of transport rotors to a lower position below the pair of transport rotors, and is rotatable from the upper position to the lower position. a sheet dropping portion that contacts the sheet conveyed by the pair of conveyance rotors from above and drops the sheet onto the loading section; a reverse conveyance section that conveys the sheet in a second conveyance direction opposite to the first conveyance direction; and a downstream edge in the second conveyance direction of the sheet conveyed in the second conveyance direction by the reverse conveyance section. A process of performing a predetermined process on a sheet that is conveyed in the second conveyance direction by the abutment section and the reverse conveyance section, and whose downstream edge in the second conveyance direction abuts against the abutment section. a stacking section that is disposed downstream of the loading section in the first transport direction and that stacks sheets that have been subjected to the predetermined processing by the processing section; With the discharging section for discharging the processed sheets to the stacking section and the sheet dropping section at the lower position, the nip area that is the most downstream in the first conveying direction out of the nip area where the sheet is held between the pair of conveying rotors. a leading end regulating section that restricts movement of a leading end of a sheet transported toward the nip position in the first transport direction upstream of the side nip position in the first transport direction; Features.

According to the present invention, sheet jam processing can be facilitated.

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an image forming system according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration perspective view showing a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment with an upper cover removed. (a) A view of the alignment plate on the processing tray seen from the width direction, (b) A view of the alignment plate seen from the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction, and (c) a perspective view of the alignment plate according to the embodiment. (a) A perspective view of the vicinity of a processing tray, and (b) a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet processing apparatus at the home position of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing (a) the state of the ejection roller, (b) the state of the scraping paddle, and (c) the state of the trailing edge dropping member, viewed from the width direction, at the home position of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the engagement relationship between the rear end dropping member and the scraping paddle according to the embodiment. FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the vicinity of a processing tray, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet processing apparatus when discharging a sheet of the sheet processing apparatus according to the first embodiment. (a) The state of the ejection roller, (b) the state of the scraping paddle, and (c) the state of the trailing edge dropping member, viewed from the width direction, when the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment discharges the sheet. . (a) A perspective view of the vicinity of a processing tray, and (b) a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet processing device when the sheet processing device according to the embodiment is scraping a sheet. (a) The state of the ejection roller, (b) the state of the scraping paddle, and (c) the state of the trailing edge dropping member when the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment scrapes a sheet, as viewed from the width direction. figure. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which each part of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment is at a home position, with some parts of the apparatus omitted; FIG. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which each part of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment is at a home position, with some parts of the apparatus omitted. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment during sheet scraping, with a part of the apparatus omitted. FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment during sheet scraping, with a part of the apparatus omitted. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the leading edge of a subsequent sheet is regulated by a scraping paddle in the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment. (a) A view of the trailing edge dropping member seen from the upstream side in the first conveyance direction, (b) A perspective view of the trailing edge dropping member seen from below, (c) A diagram of the trailing edge dropping member seen from above, according to the embodiment A perspective view. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which a sheet processing device is separated from a discharge section of an image forming apparatus main body in an image forming system according to an embodiment. (a) A schematic diagram and (b) a perspective view of a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment viewed from the upstream side in a first conveyance direction.

An embodiment will be described using FIGS. 1 to 19(b). First, the schematic configuration of the image forming system of this embodiment will be explained using FIG. 1.

[Image forming system]
FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system according to this embodiment. The image forming system 1000A includes an image forming apparatus 100, a punch unit 150, and a sheet processing apparatus 200A. The image forming apparatus 100 is a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, or a multifunctional device having multiple functions thereof, and forms an image on a sheet such as paper or a plastic sheet. In this embodiment, the printer is an electrophotographic printer, and a sheet on which a toner image is formed is discharged from the first discharge section 101 or the second discharge section 102. Note that the image forming apparatus 100 may be an inkjet type image forming apparatus.

In the image forming apparatus of this embodiment, although detailed illustration is omitted, a toner image is formed on a sheet in an image forming unit 103. Briefly, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum by charging the surface of the photosensitive drum and exposing the surface to light. Then, this electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer by a developing device to form a toner image. The toner image formed on the photosensitive drum is transferred onto a sheet, and is further fixed onto the sheet by being heated and pressurized by a fixing device. The sheet with the toner image fixed thereon passes through a conveyance path 104 and is sent to the first discharge section 101 or the second discharge section 102 .

Further, the image forming apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes an image forming apparatus main body 110 including an image forming section 103, a conveyance path 104, a first ejecting section 101, and a second ejecting section 102, and an image forming apparatus main body 110 that includes an image forming apparatus main body 110. An image reading unit 120 is provided. The image reading unit 120 reads an image on a document and sends the read image signal to the image forming apparatus main body 110. The image forming apparatus main body 110 includes a first housing section 111 in which the image forming section 103 is disposed, and a second housing section in which a part of the transport path 104, the first discharge section 101, and the second discharge section 102 are disposed. 112, and the second housing section 112 is provided above the first housing section 111. The image reading section 120 is provided above the second housing section 112. Further, an operation panel (not shown) is provided in the second housing section, and allows the user to input instructions (printing conditions, mode settings, etc.) to the image forming apparatus 100, punch unit 150, and sheet processing apparatus 200. It has become.

In this embodiment, with this configuration, an internal space 130 surrounded by the first housing section 111, the second housing section 112, and the image reading section 120 is provided. The sheet is then discharged from the first discharge section 101 or the second discharge section 102 into the interior space 130 of the body. Further, a punch unit 150, a sheet processing device 200A, and the like can be attached to and detached from the body space 130. In this embodiment, the image forming system 1000A is configured by installing the punch unit 150 and the sheet processing device 200A, but either one or other sheet processing device may be installed.

The punch unit 150 is connected to the first discharge section 101, and can receive a sheet discharged from the first discharge section 101 and perform a punching process on the sheet. The sheet processing device 200A is connected to the sheet discharge section of the punch unit 150 and receives the sheet discharged from the punch unit 150. As will be described in detail later, it is possible to perform predetermined processing such as stapling on the sheet. Note that it is possible to deliver the sheet to the sheet processing apparatus 200A without performing punch processing in the punch unit 150, and it is also possible to discharge the sheet without performing predetermined processing in the sheet processing apparatus 200A. Note that the sheet discharged from the second discharge section 102 is discharged onto the sheet placement surface 160 above the punch unit 150 and the sheet processing apparatus 200A.

A rail 131 is arranged in the interior space 130 along the left-right direction in FIG. 1, and the punch unit 150 and sheet processing device 200 can be attached and detached along the rail 131 in the directions of arrows α1 and α2. Note that the punch unit 150 may be omitted and the sheet processing apparatus 200A may be directly connected to the first discharge section 101. Further, by making the punch unit 150 and the sheet processing device 200A removable in this manner, it is possible to handle sheet jams.

For example, if a sheet jams in the first discharge section 101, the punch unit 150 and the sheet processing device 200A are pulled out in the direction of arrow α1 to expose the first discharge section 101. Further, when a sheet jam occurs in the punch unit 150, only the sheet processing device 200A is pulled out in the direction of arrow α1 to expose the punch unit 150. When attaching the punch unit 150 and the sheet processing device 200A to the image forming apparatus 100, they are each pushed in the direction of arrow α2. In this manner, in this embodiment, the sheet processing apparatus 200A is disposed in the internal space 130 of the image forming apparatus 100, so that the sheet processing apparatus 200A is required to be miniaturized.

[Sheet processing equipment]
The configuration of the sheet processing apparatus 200A of this embodiment will be explained using FIGS. 2 to 11(c). First, the overall configuration of the sheet processing apparatus 200A will be described using FIGS. 2 and 3.

[Overall configuration of sheet processing device]
The sheet processing apparatus 200A includes a transport path 210A, pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A as a pair of transport rotors, a processing tray 220 as a loading section, and an upper discharge roller (nip member) as a pair of discharge rotors (discharge section). ) 230A, lower discharge roller 230B, scraping paddle 240A as a reverse conveyance section, trailing edge dropping member 250A as a sheet dropping section, aligning section 270A as a shift section, return member 280, trailing edge regulation as an abutting section It includes a member 290, a stacking tray 300 as a stacking section, a sheet pressing paddle 320A, and the like. A sheet received from the image forming apparatus 100 or the punch unit 150 is conveyed to the conveyance path 210A.

The sheet conveyed from the conveyance path 210A is directly discharged onto the stacking tray 300 or placed on the processing tray 220, depending on the mode in which the sheet is processed. Note that direct ejection to the stacking tray 300 refers to discharging the sheet to the stacking tray 300 without transporting the sheet reversely to a position on the processing tray 220 where stapling processing can be performed. In other words, the sheet processing apparatus 200A has two modes: a mode in which sheets are stapled by the stapling unit 400 and discharged onto the stacking tray 300, and a mode in which the sheets are discharged onto the stacking tray 300 without being stapled by the stapling unit 400. have In this embodiment, sheets can be aligned by the alignment section 270A without being placed on the processing tray 220. Further, sheets can also be aligned on the processing tray 220, and the stapling unit 400 can staple the sheets placed on the processing tray 220. Further, the sheet or sheet bundle placed on the processing tray 220 can be discharged onto the stacking tray 300 by an upper discharge roller 230A and a lower discharge roller 230B as a pair of discharge rotors. The configuration of each part will be explained in detail below.

[Transport path]
The conveyance path 210A is a path for conveying the sheet in a first conveyance direction (predetermined direction), and includes an upper guide 2101 that guides the upper surface of the sheet being conveyed, and a lower guide 2102 that guides the lower surface of the sheet. A pair of pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A and upstream rollers (entrance rollers) 213a and 213b as a pair of transport rotating bodies are arranged on the transport path 210A. These are arranged in pairs so as to be separated from each other in the width direction of the sheet (arrow γ direction in FIG. 3) that intersects the sheet conveyance direction (first conveyance direction, arrow β direction (horizontal direction) in FIG. 2). .

The pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A are a conveyance member that conveys the sheet and a pair of conveyance rotating bodies, and at least one of them rotates while sandwiching the sheet. At least one of the upstream rollers 213a and 213b rotates while sandwiching the sheet. The upstream rollers 213a and 213b are arranged at the entrance of the sheet processing apparatus 200A, receive the sheet conveyed from the upstream side of the sheet processing apparatus 200A, and convey it to the conveyance path 210A. Then, the sheet that has passed through the conveyance path 210A reaches pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A.

The pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A form a pre-processing nip portion 211a that can nip and convey the sheet. Then, the sheet is nipped and conveyed in the first conveyance direction by the pre-processing nip portion 211a, and the sheet is discharged from the conveyance path 210A. As will be described later, the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A can contact or separate from each other, or change the nip pressure.

[Processing tray]
The processing tray 220 as a loading section is arranged downstream of the transport path 210A in the sheet transport direction (first transport direction) and below the transport path 210 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the processing tray 220 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so that the upstream side in the first conveyance direction is lower than the downstream side. The processing tray 220 temporarily places the sheet transported downstream in the first transport direction by the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A. Further, the processing tray 220 is capable of stacking a plurality of sheets, and on the processing tray 220, the aligning section 270A performs alignment of the sheets in the width direction and movement in the width direction (shifting of the sheets). Further, at the upstream end of the processing tray 220 in the first transport direction, the upstream edge of the sheet placed on the processing tray 220 in the first transport direction (downstream edge in the second transport direction opposite to the first transport direction) is provided. A rear end regulating member 290 is disposed as an abutting portion against which the rear end of the sheet (edge, rear end of the sheet) is abutted. Note that a portion of the processing tray 220 (for example, the downstream end in the first transport direction) may protrude vertically above the transport path 210A.

Furthermore, a stapling unit 400 serving as a processing section is arranged upstream of the processing tray 220 in the first conveyance direction. The stapling unit 400 performs a stapling process (binding process) as a predetermined process on the sheet bundle that has been aligned in the width direction and regulated at the trailing edge in the processing tray 220 . The stapling unit 400 can change the stapling position with respect to the sheet bundle, and moves according to the stapling position. Note that the predetermined processing may be other processing such as punching in addition to stapling. The sheet or sheet bundle placed on the processing tray 220 is discharged onto the stacking tray 300 by an upper discharge roller 230A and a lower discharge roller 230B, as will be described later.

[Rake paddle]
The scraping paddle 240A serving as a reverse conveyance unit conveys the sheet on the processing tray 220 in a second conveyance direction that is opposite to the first conveyance direction. The scraping paddle 240A includes a paddle portion 2401 as a rotating member, a paddle arm 2402 as a support portion that supports the paddle portion 2401, and a swing fulcrum 2403 that swingably supports the paddle arm 2402. That is, the paddle arm 2402 can swing vertically about a swing fulcrum 2403, and a paddle portion 2401 is rotatably provided at the tip of the paddle arm 2402.

The scraping paddle 240A has two positions: a return position where the paddle part 2401 is in contact with the top surface of the sheet on the processing tray 220 and can transport the sheet in the second transport direction, and a return position where the paddle part 2401 is above the return position. It is possible to swing around the swing fulcrum 2403 to the retracted upper retracted position. The swing fulcrum 2403 is arranged upstream in the first conveyance direction from the pre-processing nip section 211a, which is the nip position where the sheet is held between the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A, and vertically above the pre-processing nip section 211a. has been done. The paddle arm 2402 extends downstream from the swing fulcrum 2403 in the first conveyance direction, and is provided with a paddle portion 2401 at its tip. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of scraping paddles 240A are arranged on both sides in the width direction of an upper discharge roller 230A, which will be described later.

[Rear end drop member]
A pair of rear end dropping members 250A serving as sheet dropping parts are provided on both sides of the pair of scraping paddles 240A. That is, the pair of trailing edge dropping members 250A are disposed on both sides of the scraping paddle 240A in the width direction, and move in the vertical direction in conjunction with the scraping paddle 240A as described later, thereby moving the sheet in the first conveyance direction. The upstream end (rear end) of the sheet is brought into contact with the upper surface of the upstream side of the processing tray 220 , and the upstream end (rear end) of the sheet is dropped toward the processing tray 220 . Note that the rear end dropping member 250A may be driven separately from the scraping paddle 240A.

The trailing end dropping member 250A has a rotation shaft 2501 as a rotation center on the downstream side in the first conveyance direction of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A as a pair of conveyance rollers. It extends from the rotating shaft 2501 to the upstream side in the first conveyance direction, and extends from an upper position above the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A to a lower position than the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A with the rotating shaft 2501 as the center. It can be rotated to a lower position. By rotating from the upper position to the lower position, the trailing edge drop member 250A contacts the sheet conveyed by the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A from above and drops the sheet onto the processing tray 220 below.

[Returning member]
The return member 280 further conveys the sheet conveyed toward the trailing edge regulating member 290 by the scraping paddle 240A as described above toward the trailing edge regulating member 290, and returns the trailing edge of the sheet to the trailing edge regulating member 290. The rear end position of the sheet is regulated by bringing the sheet into contact with the rear end position. Such a return member 280 is constituted by a knurled belt 281, and by rotationally driving the knurled belt 281, it further scrapes the sheet conveyed upstream in the first conveying direction by the scraping paddle 240A, and returns the sheet to the trailing edge. is brought into contact with the rear end regulating member 290. The return member 280 is movable between a contact position where it can contact the sheet and a retracted position where it is retracted upward from the contact position. In addition, when the sheets on the processing tray 220 are conveyed toward the stacking tray 300, they are moved to the retracted position.

[Discharge roller]
The upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B constitute a pair of discharge rotating bodies and a discharge section, and transport the sheet conveyed downstream in the first conveyance direction by the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A from the processing tray 220. It is also conveyed downstream in the first conveyance direction and discharged. Specifically, the upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B discharge the sheets stapled by the stapling unit 400 onto the stacking tray 300. The upper discharge roller 230A is movable between a clamping position (contact position) in which the sheet is clamped between the upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B, and a retracted position in which the sheet is retracted upward from the clamping position. 230B. That is, the upper discharge roller 230A functions as a nip member that nips the sheet with the lower discharge roller 230B at the nipping position. Two upper ejection rollers 230A and two lower ejection rollers 230B are arranged spaced apart from each other in the width direction of the sheet. In this embodiment, it is arranged inside the pair of scraping paddles 240A in the width direction.

The upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B sandwich the sheet or sheet bundle at the clamping position, and, for example, the lower discharge roller 230B rotates to convey the sandwiched sheet or sheet bundle. Although the upper discharge roller 230A is a driven roller that rotates following the rotation of the lower discharge roller 230B, it may be driven. That is, in this embodiment, the upper discharge roller 230A is a driven rotary body, and the lower discharge roller 230B is a driven rotation body. Further, the upper ejection roller 230A functions as a nip member that can nip the sheet between it and the lower ejection roller 230B at the nipping position, but this nip member may be another rotating body such as a belt instead of the roller. Alternatively, it may be a contact member that does not rotate but contacts the seat like a lever member. Further, the lower discharge roller 230B may be a rotating body such as a belt other than a roller.

The upper discharge roller 230A is rotatable about a rotation shaft 2301 between a nipping position and a retracted position. In other words, the upper discharge roller 230A is movable up and down between the nipping position and the retracted position. The upper discharge roller 230A is provided at the tip of a discharge arm 2302 serving as a support section. The rotation shaft 2301 is provided coaxially with the above-mentioned swing fulcrum 2403, and is located upstream in the first conveyance direction of the pre-processing nip portion 211a where the sheet is sandwiched between the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A, and at the pre-processing nip. It is arranged vertically above the portion 211a. The discharge arm 2302 extends downstream from the rotating shaft 2301 in the first conveyance direction, and has an upper discharge roller 230A provided at its tip. The rotation shaft 2301 does not have to be coaxial with the swing fulcrum 2403, but in this embodiment, the rotation axes of the upper discharge roller 230A and the scraping paddle 240A are coaxial.

The rotation shaft 2301 is disposed upstream in the first conveyance direction from a discharge nip portion where the upper discharge roller 230A nips the sheet between the lower discharge roller 230B at the nipping position. Further, the upper discharge roller 230A is located vertically above the pre-processing nip portion 211a where the sheet is nipped between the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A in the retracted position, and the rotation shaft 2301 is connected to the upper discharge roller in the retracted position. It is located vertically above the center of 230A.

Since the upper ejection roller 230A defines the positional relationship with the rotating shaft 2301 and the pre-processing nip section 211a as described above, when the upper ejection roller 230A is in the retracted position, the sheet that has passed through the pre-processing nip section 211a is transferred to the stacking tray. 300 is allowed. On the other hand, the upper discharge roller 230A rotates counterclockwise in FIG. 2 about the rotation shaft 2301, thereby moving downward from the retracted position toward the clamping position. Then, by moving the upper ejection roller 230A to the nipping position, the sheet can be nipped between the upper ejection roller 230A and the lower ejection roller 230B.

[Matching part]
The matching section 270A as a shift section will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c) in addition to FIGS. 2 and 3. The alignment section 270A is in contact with the edge along the first conveyance direction of the sheet conveyed to the downstream side in the first conveyance direction by the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A, and moves in a shift direction (width) that intersects with the first conveyance direction. direction) to move the sheet in the shift direction. The alignment section 270A has a pair of alignment plates 271A arranged to face each other in the shift direction.

The pair of alignment plates 271A are arranged further downstream than the downstream end of the conveyance path 210A in the first conveyance direction, and move in the width direction and come into contact with the widthwise edge of the sheet, thereby adjusting the widthwise direction of the sheet. Perform alignment. In this embodiment, they are arranged on both sides of the sheet placed on the processing tray 220 in the width direction, and are movable in the width direction. Further, the pair of alignment plates 271A extend from the upstream side to the downstream side in the first conveyance direction with respect to the upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B. Note that the configurations of the pair of matching plates 271A are the same. The pair of alignment plates 271A are moved in the shift direction by driving a front side (F side) alignment plate moving motor and a rear side (R side) alignment plate moving motor as drive units.

The alignment plate 271A is formed to have a wide vertical width on the downstream side in the first conveyance direction. That is, the alignment plate 271A includes a first plate portion 2701 on the downstream side in the first conveyance direction, and a second plate portion 2702 formed so as to be continuous with the first plate portion 2701 on the upstream side in the first conveyance direction. have The first plate part 2701 has a larger area in the vertical direction than the second plate part 2702 so that it can come into contact with the conveyed sheet even if the leading end side of the sheet is curled upward or downward. On the other hand, the second plate part 2702 has a vertical height lower than that of the first plate part 2701 so as not to interfere with the rear end dropping member 250A even if the rear end dropping member 250A is located at a lower position. is formed. Further, the upper end edge of the second plate portion 2702 is inclined so as to become lower toward the upstream side in the first conveyance direction.

Further, the first plate portion 2701 is formed so as to straddle the upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B from the upstream side to the downstream side in the first conveyance direction. This allows at least the first plate portion 2701 to come into contact with the sheet even when the sheet is discharged by the first shift discharge process described later. Further, the second plate portion 2702 is located on the processing tray 220 and is formed continuously with the first plate portion 2701 in the first conveyance direction. This allows at least the second plate portion 2702 to come into contact with the sheet placed on the processing tray 220 in a second shift discharge process to be described later.

Further, the first plate portion 2701 has a curl pressing portion 2703 and a support portion 2704, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) to 4(c). The curl pressing section 2703 is located downstream in the first conveyance direction from the discharge nip section 230a (see FIG. 8(b) described later), which is the nip position where the sheet is held between the upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B. Further, it is provided vertically above the discharge nip section 230a, and presses the tip of the sheet curled upward. In this embodiment, the curl pressing section 2703 is a protruding section that protrudes from the upper end of the first plate section 2701 inward in the width direction (the side that contacts the sheet, the right side in FIG. 4(b)), and is a protruding section that protrudes from the upper end of the first plate section 2701 to prevent the curling of the sheet. The leading edge of the sheet is pressed by the widthwise edges coming into contact with each other. Further, an uneven portion 2705 is provided below the curl pressing portion 2703, and depending on the state of the curl, the edge in the width direction of the sheet gets caught in the uneven portion 2705, making it possible to press the leading edge of the curled sheet. It is possible.

The support section 2704 is located downstream in the first conveyance direction of the discharge nip section 230a, which is the nip position where the sheet is held between the upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B, and below the discharge nip section 230a in the vertical direction. provided to support the seat from below. In this embodiment, the support portion 2704 is a protrusion that protrudes from the lower end of the first plate portion 2701 inward in the width direction (the side that contacts the sheet, the right side in FIG. 4B). Further, as shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(c), an inclined portion 2704a is formed at the downstream end of the support portion 2704 in the first conveyance direction, and the inclined portion 2704a is inclined downward toward the downstream. There is. Thereby, the sheet supported by the support portion 2704 can be smoothly guided to the stacking tray 300. Furthermore, by supporting the sheet on the downstream side of the discharge nip section 230a in the first conveyance direction by the support section 2704, it is possible to increase the area where the pair of alignment plates 271A contact the side edges of the sheet compared to the case where the sheet is not supported. can.

[Loading tray]
As described above, sheets discharged by the upper discharge roller 230A and the lower discharge roller 230B are stacked on the stack tray 300 as a stacking section. The stacking tray 300 is provided on the downstream side of the processing tray 220 in the first conveyance direction and is movable vertically downward. Moreover, the stacking tray 300 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so that the upstream side in the first conveyance direction is lower than the downstream side. Such a stacking tray 300 is supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction, for example, along rails arranged in the vertical direction, and is raised and lowered by driving a stacking tray lift motor serving as a lifting means.

At the upstream end of the stacking tray 300 in the first conveyance direction, there is an upright surface 310a as a stacking-side regulating means for regulating the upstream end (rear end) in a predetermined direction of the sheets or sheet bundles stacked on the stacking tray 300; A rear end presser 310b is provided to press the rear end of the sheet that is in contact with the sheet 310a. The trailing edge presser 310b is inclined toward the downstream side in the first conveyance direction as it goes upward, and even if the trailing edge of the sheet curls upward, it can be held down by the trailing edge presser 310b. There is. Further, a sheet pressing paddle 320A is provided coaxially with the rotation axis of the lower discharge roller 230B.

The stacking tray 300 can be moved up and down from a first stacking position to a second stacking position below the first stacking position by a stacking tray lifting motor. The second stacking position is a position where the operation of the stacking tray 300, which had been lowered when discharging sheets onto the stacking tray 300, is switched to rising. When discharging sheets, the stacking tray 300 moves up and down, and the sheet pressing paddle 320A rotates, so that the sheet or sheet bundle on the stacking tray 300 is pressed by the sheet pressing paddle 320A.

[Drive configuration of each part]
Next, the driving configuration of the upper discharge roller 230A, the scraping paddle 240A, and the trailing end dropping member 250A will be explained using FIGS. 5(a) to 11(c). In this embodiment, the upper discharge roller 230A, the scraping paddle 240A, and the trailing end dropping member 250A are configured to interlock with each other. As shown in FIG. 5A, these drive structures 600 include a motor 610 as a drive source, a drive transmission mechanism 611, a rotation shaft 612, and a cam mechanism 613. The processing motor 610 is capable of forward and reverse rotation, and the drive of the processing motor 610 is transmitted to the rotating shaft 612 via a drive transmission mechanism 611 . In this embodiment, the drive transmission mechanism 611 is configured by a gear train, but other drive transmission configurations such as a configuration in which drive is transmitted by a belt may be used.

The rotating shaft 612 is disposed above the upper discharge roller 230A, the scraping paddle 240A, and the trailing end dropping member 250A in the width direction. The cam mechanism 613 is operated by the rotation of the rotating shaft 612. The cam mechanism 613 includes a first cam member 620 and a second cam member 630 that rotate together with the rotating shaft 612. The first cam member 620 is disposed between the pair of upper discharge rollers 230A, and operates the upper discharge roller 230A. The second cam member 630 is provided adjacent to each of the pair of scraping paddles 240A, and operates the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end drop member 250A.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the first cam member 620 has a groove 621 formed inside thereof into which a protrusion 2303 provided on the ejection arm 2302 of the upper ejection roller 230A can enter. The groove portion 621 has an outer circumferential surface, that is, an inner circumferential surface of the first cam member 620 as an inner cam surface 622 . The inner cam surface 622 is a cam surface whose distance from the rotation center of the rotation shaft 612 varies depending on the phase of the rotation direction. Further, the first cam member 620 has an outer peripheral surface as an outer cam surface 623. The outer cam surface 623 is also a cam surface whose distance from the rotation center of the rotation shaft 612 varies depending on the phase of the rotation direction.

The ejection arm 2302 of the upper ejection roller 230A has, in addition to the above-mentioned protrusion 2303, a contact portion 2304 that can come into contact with the outer cam surface 623 of the first cam member 620. The first cam member 620 rotates together with the rotating shaft 612 to change the contact position (phase) between the inner cam surface 622 and the protrusion 2303 or to separate them, and to By changing the abutting position (phase) with the upper discharge roller 230A or separating them, the upper discharge roller 230A is rotated about the rotation shaft 2301 between the clamping position and the retracted position, as will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), the second cam member 630 has a groove 631 formed inside thereof into which the first protrusion 2404 provided on the paddle arm 2402 of the scraping paddle 240A can enter. The groove portion 631 has an outer circumferential surface, that is, an inner circumferential surface of the second cam member 630 as an inner cam surface 632 . The inner cam surface 632 is a cam surface whose distance from the rotation center of the rotation shaft 612 varies depending on the phase of the rotation direction. The second cam member 630 rotates together with the rotating shaft 612 to change the contact position (phase) between the inner cam surface 632 and the first protrusion 2404, thereby moving the scraping paddle 240A as described later. It is rotated about the swing fulcrum 2403 between the return position and the upward retracted position.

In addition, a support part 2406 that swings about a swing fulcrum 2403 together with the paddle arm 2402 of the scraping paddle 240A and supports the end of the rotating shaft 2401a of the paddle part 2401 has a support part 2406 shown in FIGS. 6(c) and 7. As shown, a second protrusion 2405 that can enter an engagement recess 2502 formed in the rear end dropping member 250A is provided. By contacting or separating from the second protrusion 2405, the engagement recess 2502 moves the rear end dropping member 250A about the rotation axis 2501 in conjunction with the rotation of the scraping paddle 240A. Rotate between the upper position and the lower position. Hereinafter, driving of the upper discharge roller 230A, the scraping paddle 240A, and the trailing end dropping member 250A will be specifically explained.

[home position]
First, FIGS. 5(a) to 6(c) show the home position (HP) of the upper discharge roller 230A, the scraping paddle 240A, and the trailing end dropping member 250A. In the home position, as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the upper discharge roller 230A is located at the retracted position, the scraping paddle 240A is located at the upper retracted position, and the trailing end dropping member 250A is located at the upper position.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the projection 2303 of the upper discharge roller 230A comes into contact with the inner cam surface 622 of the first cam member 620 at a position close to the center of the rotation shaft 612. , the upper discharge roller 230A is supported by the first cam member 620.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6(b), the first protrusion 2404 of the scraping paddle 240A comes into contact with the inner cam surface 632 of the second cam member 630 at a position close to the center of the rotating shaft 612. , the scraping paddle 240A is supported by the second cam member 630.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the engagement recess 2502 of the rear end dropping member 250A comes into contact with the second protrusion 2405 of the scraping paddle 240A, so that the rear end dropping member 250A is brought into contact with the second protrusion 2405. It is supported by the scraping paddle 240A via.

[Lowering of upper discharge roller]
Next, the operation of moving the upper discharge roller 230A from the home position (retreat position) to the nipping position will be explained using FIGS. 8(a) to 9(c). In order to lower the upper discharge roller 230A from the home position, when the motor 610 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 612 in the first direction (counterclockwise direction in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)), the first cam member 620 also rotates in the same direction, and the protrusion 2303 moves along the inner cam surface 622. The inner cam surface 622 is formed so that the distance from the center of the rotating shaft 612 increases when the inner cam surface 622 is rotated counterclockwise from the home position. Therefore, this operation causes the upper discharge roller 230A to descend.

Next, when the upper ejection roller 230A moves to the nipping position and contacts the lower ejection roller 230B, the inner cam surface 622 of the first cam member 620 and the protrusion 2303 are separated from each other, as shown in FIG. 9(a). , the outer cam surface 623 contacts the contact portion 2304. By bringing the outer cam surface 623 into contact with the contact portion 2304 in this way, the upper discharge roller 230A is pressurized toward the lower discharge roller 230B, and a predetermined nip pressure is applied between these rollers. That's what I do.

At this time, the second cam member 630 also rotates together with the rotating shaft 612, but as shown in FIG. is almost the same as the distance at the home position. Therefore, even if the second cam member 630 rotates, the scraping paddle 240A is maintained at the home position. Since the scraping paddle 240A is maintained at the home position, the rear end dropping member 250A is also maintained at the home position, as shown in FIG. 9(c). That is, in this state, as shown in FIG. 8(b), the upper discharge roller 230A moves to the nipping position, but the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end drop member 250A are maintained at the home position.

When raising the upper discharge roller 230A, the motor 610 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 612 in a second direction opposite to the first direction (counterclockwise in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b)). Then, the first cam member 620 rotates in the same direction as the rotating shaft 612, the protrusion 2303 moves along the inner cam surface 622, and the upper discharge roller 230A rises. Then, it returns to the home position shown in FIG. 6(a).

Here, when the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end dropping member 250A return from the states shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 9(c) to the states shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 6(c), the first protrusion 2404 The inner cam moves along the inner cam surface 632 of the second cam member 630, but at this time, the inner cam is moved so that the distance from the center of the rotating shaft 612 at the position where the inner cam surface 632 contacts the first protrusion 2404 does not change. A surface 632 is formed. Therefore, the scraping paddle 240A remains at the home position. Since the scraping paddle 240A is maintained at the home position, the rear end dropping member 250A is also maintained at the home position.

[Lowering of the scraping paddle and rear end dropping member]
Next, the operation of moving the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end dropping member 250A from the home position (upper retracted position, upper position) to the return position and lower position will be explained using FIGS. 10(a) to 11(c). explain. In order to lower the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end dropping member 250A from the home position, the motor 610 is driven to move the rotating shaft 612 in a second direction opposite to the first direction (FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b)). (clockwise), the first cam member 620 also rotates in the same direction, and the protrusion 2303 moves along the inner cam surface 622. The inner cam surface 622 is formed so that the distance from the center of the rotating shaft 612 does not substantially change even when the inner cam surface 622 rotates clockwise from the home position. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11(a), the upper discharge roller 230A is maintained at the home position.

On the other hand, the second cam member 630 also rotates in the same direction as the rotating shaft 612, and the first protrusion 2404 moves along the inner cam surface 632. The inner cam surface 632 is formed so that when rotated clockwise from the home position, the distance from the center of the rotating shaft 612 increases. Therefore, this operation causes the scraping paddle 240A to descend and move to the return position.

At this time, the rear end dropping member 250A also descends together with the scraping paddle 240A. In this embodiment, the trailing end dropping member 250A has a positioning portion 2503 that is positioned at the lower position by engaging with the upper guide 2101 of the conveyance path 210A when it rotates from the upper position to the lower position. The positioning portion 2503 is provided at the upper end of a protrusion 2504 that is provided to protrude upward at the tip (upstream end in the first conveyance direction) of the rear end dropping member 250A. The protruding portion 2504 regulates the leading edge of the sheet conveyed toward the pre-processing nip portion 211a on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a in the first conveyance direction when the trailing edge dropping member 250A is in the lower position. It also has the role of

The positioning part 2503 is an engaging part provided at the upper end of the protruding part 2504 so as to be able to engage with the upper guide 2101, and by coming into contact with the upper surface of the upper guide 2101, the rear end drop member 250A is prevented from descending further. It is regulated to do. The engagement recess 2502 is formed so as to be separated from the second protrusion 2405 in this state. Therefore, the rear end dropping member 250A is in a state where the engagement state with the scraping paddle 240A is released and is in a state where the positioning portion 2503 positions it at a lower position.

As a result, even when the scraping paddle 240A reaches the return position, the rear end dropping member 250A does not descend any further due to the engagement between the positioning portion 2503 and the upper guide 2101, and is positioned at the lower position. In this state, as shown in FIG. 10(b), the scraping paddle 240A and the trailing end dropping member 250A move to the return position and the lower position, and the upper discharge roller 230A is located at the home position.

Note that the above-described protruding portion 2504 and positioning portion 2053 shown in FIG. 11(c) are omitted from illustration in FIGS. 1 to 10(b). The protruding portion 2504 and the positioning portion 2053 may be omitted, and in this case, another positioning mechanism may be provided to position the rear end dropping member 250A to a lower position. For example, positioning may be performed by engaging the engagement recess 2502 and the second protrusion 2405 at the lower position.

When raising the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end dropping member 250A, the motor 610 is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 612 in the first direction (counterclockwise in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b)). Then, the second cam member 630 rotates in the same direction as the rotating shaft 612, the first projection 2404 moves along the inner cam surface 632, and the scraping paddle 240A rises. At this time, the second protrusion 2405 engages with the engagement recess 2052 again, and this engagement also causes the rear end dropping member 250A to rise. Then, the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end dropping member 250A return to the home positions shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 6(c).

Here, when the upper discharge roller 230A returns from the state shown in FIG. 11(a) to the state shown in FIG. 6(a), the projection 2303 moves along the inner cam surface 622 of the first cam member 620; In this case, the inner cam surface 622 is formed so that the distance from the center of the rotating shaft 612 at the position where the inner cam surface 622 contacts the protrusion 2303 does not change. Therefore, the upper discharge roller 230A remains at the home position.

In this embodiment, when the rotating shaft 612 is rotated from the home position in the counterclockwise direction in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c), the upper discharge roller 230A descends, and the scraping paddle 240A and rear end drop Member 250A is maintained at the home position. On the other hand, when the rotating shaft 612 is rotated clockwise from the home position in FIGS. 6(a) to 6(c), the upper ejection roller 230A is maintained at the home position, and the scraping paddle 240A and rear end dropping member 250A are lowered. do.

Further, when the rotating shaft 612 is rotated clockwise in FIGS. 9(a) to 9(c) while the upper ejecting roller 230A is in the nipping position shown in FIG. 9(a), the upper ejecting roller 230A rises. , the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end dropping member 250A are maintained at the home position. On the other hand, when the rotating shaft 612 is rotated counterclockwise in FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c) with the scraping paddle 240A and the rear end drop member 250A in the returned position and the lower position, the upper discharge roller 230A is maintained at the home position, and the scraping paddle 240A and rear end dropping member 250A are raised.

[Sheet tip regulation]
The trailing edge dropping member 250A drops the sheet conveyed by the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A onto the processing tray 220 by moving from the upper position to the lower position as described above. Here, there is a possibility that the rear end drop member 250A cannot return from the lower position to the upper position due to a failure of the mechanism that operates the rear end drop member 250A. If the trailing edge dropping member 250A is unable to return to the upper position, the next sheet to be conveyed will hit this trailing edge dropping member 250A and jam on the downstream side of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A in the first conveying direction. Put it away. In this way, the trailing edge dropping member 250A is in the lower position, and it is difficult to remove the jammed sheet downstream of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A in the first conveyance direction.

Specifically, when the rear end dropping member 250A is in the lower position, the space above the processing tray 220 becomes narrower, making it difficult to insert fingers or the like. Further, a mechanism for operating the trailing edge dropping member 250A is arranged above the processing tray 220, so that the space between the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A and the trailing edge dropping member 250A can be accessed from above. It is difficult to do so. Furthermore, since the sheet is jammed on the downstream side of the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A in the first conveyance direction, the sheet is returned to the upstream side of the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A by manually rotating the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A. Even if this is done, if the trailing edge of the sheet has passed through the upstream rollers 213a and 213b on the upstream side of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A, it is difficult to return the sheet to the entrance of the sheet processing apparatus 200A.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the trailing edge drop member 250A is in the lower position, the first conveyance point is lower than the nip position which is the most downstream side in the first conveyance direction among the nip areas where the sheet is held between the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A. On the upstream side of the direction, the leading edge of the sheet being conveyed toward the nip position is regulated. That is, the pre-processing nip portion 211a in which the sheet is held between the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A has a nip area that has a certain width in the sheet conveyance direction due to elastic deformation of the rollers. The position for regulating the leading edge of the sheet is located upstream in the first conveyance direction of at least the most downstream end in the first conveyance direction in this nip region.

Specifically, the paddle arm 2402 of the scraping paddle 240A, which descends in conjunction with the trailing end dropping member 250A, is positioned upstream of the pre-processing nip portion 211a in the first conveyance direction in the return position, and the paddle arm 2402 is 2402 to regulate the leading edge of the sheet. That is, in this embodiment, the paddle arm 2402 is provided with a leading end regulating portion 2407 that restricts movement of the leading end of the sheet in the first conveyance direction on the upstream side of the nip position. The tip regulating portion 2407 is a lower side surface of the paddle arm 2402 when the scraping paddle 240A is located at the upper retracted position. Hereinafter, a detailed explanation will be given using FIGS. 12 to 16 while referring to FIG. 2 and the like. 12 to 15 are a perspective view and a cross-sectional view showing the structure around the transport path 210A and the processing tray 220. FIG. 16 shows how the front end of the sheet is regulated by the paddle arm 2402.

As shown in FIG. 2 described above, the scraping paddle 240A has two positions: a return position where the paddle portion 2401 is in contact with the upper surface of the sheet on the processing tray 220 and the sheet can be conveyed in the second conveyance direction; It is possible to swing around a swing fulcrum 2403 to an upper retracted position in which it is retracted above the return position. Further, the swing fulcrum 2403 is arranged upstream of the nip position in the first conveyance direction and above the nip position in the vertical direction. Therefore, when the scraping paddle 240A is located at the return position, the tip regulating portion 2407 of the paddle arm 2402 is located upstream of the nip position in the first conveyance direction, as shown in FIG.

Here, the scraping paddle 240A is located at a position away from the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A with respect to the rotational axis direction (sheet width direction) of the pre-processing roller 211A. Therefore, even if the trajectory of the scraping paddle 240A passes through the pre-processing nip portion 211a, there is no interference between the scraping paddle 240A and the pre-processing rollers 211A, 212A. Therefore, when the scraping paddle 240A is located at the return position, the tip regulating portion 2407 of the paddle arm 2402 can enter the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a in the first conveyance direction.

As described above, the scraping paddle 240A moves to the upper retracted position and the return position in conjunction with the rotation of the rear end dropping member 250A. That is, with the drive configuration 600 described above, the scraping paddle 240A swings in conjunction with the rotation of the rear end drop member 250A. Then, with the rear end dropping member 250A in the lower position, the scraping paddle 240A is in the return position. The return position is also a regulation position where the leading edge of the sheet being transported toward the nip position is regulated by the leading end regulating portion 2407 of the paddle arm 2402 on the upstream side of the nip position in the first transport direction. On the other hand, with the rear end dropping member 250A in the upper position, the scraping paddle 240A is in the upper retracted position. The upper retraction position is a retraction position at which the control position is retracted.

12 and 13 show a state in which the upper discharge roller 230A, the scraping paddle 240A, and the trailing end dropping member 250A are at the home position. That is, the upper discharge roller 230A is located at the retracted position, the scraping paddle 240A is located at the upper retracted position, and the rear end drop member 250A is located at the upper position. In this state, the paddle arm 2402 of the scraping paddle 240A has not entered the sheet conveyance path upstream of the pre-processing nip portion 211a in the first conveyance direction, and the sheet conveyed from the conveyance path 210A is not processed. The front nip portion 211a can be reached.

FIGS. 14 and 15 show the scraping paddle 240A and rear end dropping member 250A in the returned position and the lower position, respectively. That is, the trailing edge of the sheet conveyed from the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A is dropped onto the processing tray 220 by the trailing edge dropping member 250A, and the sheet on the processing tray 220 is scraped and conveyed in the second conveyance direction by the paddle 240A. It shows the state at the time of scraping.

In this state, the upper discharge roller 230A remains at the retracted position, the scraping paddle 240A moves from the upper retracted position to the return position, and the trailing end dropping member 250A moves from the upper position to the lower position. Further, the paddle arm 2402 of the scraping paddle 240A has entered the sheet conveyance path on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip section 211a in the first conveyance direction, and the sheet conveyed from the conveyance path 210A is transferred to the pre-processing nip section. Before reaching 211a, it hits the tip regulating portion 2407 of the paddle arm 2402.

As shown in FIG. 16, while the trailing edge dropping member 250A remains in the lower position and cannot return to the upper position for some reason, the subsequent sheet S is transported within the transport path 210A toward the pre-processing nip portion 211a. Suppose that In this case, the scraping paddle 240A is configured to work in conjunction with the trailing end dropping member 250A, and therefore is located at the return position when the trailing end dropping member 250A is located at the lower position. As described above, in the return position, the paddle arm 2402 has entered the sheet conveyance path on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a in the first conveyance direction, so the leading edge of the subsequent sheet S is It is regulated by a tip regulating portion 2407 of 2402 . Subsequent sheets S will jam on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a.

As described above, it is difficult to remove a jammed sheet downstream of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A in the first conveyance direction. Therefore, as described above, by jamming the subsequent sheet S on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a, this sheet S can be easily removed (jammed). This jam treatment for the sheet S will be described later.

[Another example of sheet tip regulation]
In the above description, the leading edge of the sheet is regulated by the paddle arm 2402 of the scraping paddle 240A, but in this embodiment, as described above, the trailing edge dropping member 250A is provided with the protrusion 2504. , this protrusion 2504 also has the function of regulating the leading edge of the sheet. This point will be explained using FIG. 11(c) and FIGS. 17(a) to (c).

First, in this embodiment, stiffening members (not shown) are arranged on both sides of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A in the width direction in order to impart stiffness to the sheet. This stiffening member is located at a position overlapping the rear end dropping member 250A in the width direction. For this reason, the rear end dropping member 250A is provided with a recess 2505 at its tip so as not to interfere with the stiffening member during rotation.

Further, the trailing edge dropping member 250A also has the role of guiding the sheet on the processing tray 220. That is, after the sheet is dropped onto the processing tray 220 by the trailing edge dropping member 250A, the sheet is conveyed in the second conveying direction toward the trailing edge regulating member 290 by the scraping paddle 240A. The sheet is guided by the lower surface of the rear end dropping member 250A, thereby smoothly moving the sheet toward the knurled belt 281 and the rear end regulating member 290. At this time, there is a possibility that the end of the sheet may enter the recess 2505 formed at the tip of the rear end dropping member 250A.

In this embodiment, each surface of the recess 2505 is formed into an inclined surface 2505a, 2505b, and 2505c in order to prevent the sheet from getting caught in the recess 2505 even if the end of the sheet enters the recess 2505. That is, the recess 2505 has a first surface on the downstream side in the first conveyance direction, and second and third surfaces facing each other in the width direction intersecting the first conveyance direction. The first surface is an inclined surface 2505a that is inclined toward the upstream side in the first conveyance direction as it goes upward. The second surface and the third surface are inclined surfaces 2505b and 2505c that are inclined toward each other as they go upward.

By forming the inner surface of the recess 2505 into such sloped surfaces 2505a, 2505b, and 2505c, when the sheet moves with the end of the sheet entering the recess 2505 from below, it is possible to prevent the sheet from entering through any of the slopes. The part is easier to be guided downward. As a result, the sheet can be prevented from getting caught in the recess 2505.

The protrusion 2504 is provided so as to protrude above the recess 2505 and extend upward from the upper end portions of the inclined surfaces 2505b and 2505c on both sides of the recess 2505 in the width direction. That is, the protruding portion 2504 is formed from side wall portions 2504a and 2504b on both sides in the width direction, and a connecting portion 2504c that connects the upper ends of the side wall portions 2504a and 2504b. A positioning portion 2503 for positioning the rear end dropping member 250A at a lower position is provided in the connecting portion 2504c. That is, the positioning part 2503 is provided at the upper end of the protruding part 2504. As described above, when the trailing edge dropping member 250A rotates from the upper position to the lower position, the positioning part 2503 moves the trailing edge dropping member 250A to the lower position by engaging with the upper guide 2101 of the conveyance path 210A. It is used for positioning.

The protrusion 2504 is provided integrally with the rear end drop member 250A, and operates together with the rotation of the rear end drop member 250A. Then, with the trailing edge dropping member 250A in the lower position, the side walls 2504a and 2504b of the protrusion 2504 enter the sheet conveyance path upstream of the pre-processing nip portion 211a in the first conveyance direction. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet conveyed within the conveyance path 210A toward the pre-processing nip portion 211a is regulated by the side walls 2504a and 2504b of the protrusion 2504. That is, the protruding portion 2504 of the trailing edge dropping member 250A corresponds to a tip regulating portion that regulates the leading edge of the sheet conveyed toward the nip position on the upstream side of the nip position in the first conveying direction. When the tip regulating section 2407 of is used as the first tip regulating section, the protruding section 2504 corresponds to the second tip regulating section.

In this way, in this embodiment, both the paddle arm 2402 of the scraping paddle 240A and the protrusion 2504 of the trailing edge dropping member 250A make it possible to regulate the leading edge of the sheet on the upstream side of the nip position. . However, either one may be omitted. For example, the protruding portion 2504 of the trailing edge dropping member 250A may be omitted, and the leading edge of the sheet may be restricted only by the paddle arm 2402. For example, the shape of the scraping paddle may be changed to prevent the paddle arm from entering the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a when the scraping paddle is in the return position, and the protruding portion of the rear end dropping member 250A may be The leading edge of the sheet may be restricted only by 2504.

[Jam processing]
Next, a jam treatment for a sheet jammed by the paddle arm 2402 or the protruding portion 2504 on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 19(b). In this embodiment, as described above, in order to cause a sheet to jam within the conveyance path 210A on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a, the jam is cleared in this conveyance path 210A. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 18, the sheet processing apparatus 200A is moved away from the first discharge section 101 of the image forming apparatus main body 110. In this embodiment, since the punch unit 150 is provided, the sheet processing apparatus 200A is moved in the direction of the arrow α1 so as to be separated from the punch unit 150. Thereby, the operator can insert his/her hand between the sheet processing device 200A and the punch unit 150 to clear the jammed sheet in the conveyance path 210A.

As shown in FIGS. 19(a) and 19(b), the surface of the sheet processing apparatus 200A connected to the punch unit 150, that is, the upstream surface in the first transport direction, has an entrance 210Aa of the transport path 210A. is formed. Furthermore, an opening 400b of a space 400a in which the stapling unit 400 is installed is formed on the upstream surface of the sheet processing apparatus 200A in the first conveyance direction, adjacent to the entrance 210Aa. A jam release dial 215 as a manual operation section is provided in the space 400a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18, when the sheet processing device 200A is separated from the punch unit 150, the inlet 210Aa and the opening 400b are exposed, and the sheet can be removed from the inlet 210Aa and the staples of the staple unit 400 replaced. , the jam release dial 215 can be operated.

The jam release dial 215 is used to manually release one of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A as the first transport roller and one of the upstream rollers 213a and 213b as the second transport roller. It is configured to be drivable. That is, by rotating the jam release dial 215, the pre-processing roller and the upstream roller rotate in conjunction with each other. In this embodiment, since the sheet is jammed on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip portion 211a as described above, the roller rotated by the jam release dial 215 is at least the upstream roller of the pre-processing roller and the upstream roller. It's good to have.

As described above, in the present embodiment, when performing jam processing on a sheet jammed upstream of the pre-processing nip section 211a, first, the sheet processing device 200A is separated from the punch unit 150 and the inlet 210Aa and the opening 400b are removed. expose. Then, by rotating the jam release dial 215, the pre-processing roller and the upstream roller are rotated to manually transport the jammed sheet to the entrance 210Aa. Then, the sheet conveyed to the entrance 210Aa is removed.

In the above description, the leading edge of the sheet is regulated by the paddle arm 2402 and the protruding part 2504 on the upstream side of the pre-processing nip section 211a, but the position where the sheet is regulated is the closest position in the nip area. It is sufficient that the nip position is on the upstream side in the first conveyance direction than the nip position on the downstream side in the first conveyance direction. That is, the leading edge of the sheet may be located within the pre-processing nip portion 211a. Even in this case, by rotating the jam release dial 215, the pre-processing roller also rotates together with the upstream roller, so that the sheet can be conveyed to the entrance 210Aa.

In this embodiment, even if the trailing edge dropping member 250A cannot return from the lower position to the upper position, the sheet is moved from the nip position furthest downstream in the first conveyance direction among the nip areas of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A. It is also regulated on the upstream side in the first conveyance direction. Therefore, when the trailing edge dropping member 250A is in the lower position, it is possible to prevent the sheet from jamming on the downstream side in the first conveyance direction of the pre-processing rollers 211A and 212A, which is a position where it is difficult to clear the sheet from jamming. .

Further, a sheet that is jammed in the nip area on the upstream side in the first conveyance direction from the nip position that is furthest downstream in the first conveyance direction can be conveyed to the entrance 210Aa of the conveyance path 210A by operating the jam release dial 215. , can be easily removed. Therefore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, sheet jam processing can be facilitated.

[Other embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, the sheet processing device 200A is arranged in the internal space 130 of the image forming device 100, but the sheet processing device of the present invention has a structure in which the sheet processing device 200A is mounted on the side of the image forming device, for example. It may be a configuration. Further, the sheet processing device may be configured to be controlled by a control unit included in the image forming device.

Further, the disclosure of this embodiment includes the following configuration.
(Configuration 1)
a pair of transport rotating bodies that transport the sheet in a first transport direction;
a placing section that temporarily places the sheet conveyed in the first conveying direction by the pair of conveying rotors;
has a rotation center on the downstream side of the first conveyance direction than the pair of conveyance rotors, extends from the rotation center to the upstream side of the first conveyance direction, and has the rotation center as the center of rotation. It is rotatable between an upper position above the pair of transport rotors to a lower position below the pair of transport rotors, and by rotating from the upper position to the lower position, the a sheet dropping portion that contacts the sheet conveyed by the pair of conveying rotors from above and drops the sheet onto the loading portion;
a reverse conveyance section that conveys the sheet on the placement section conveyed by the pair of conveyance rotors in a second conveyance direction opposite to the first conveyance direction;
an abutment portion against which a downstream edge in the second conveyance direction of the sheet conveyed in the second conveyance direction by the reverse conveyance portion is abutted;
a processing unit that performs a predetermined process on a sheet that is transported in the second transport direction by the reverse transport unit and whose downstream edge in the second transport direction is abutted against the abutment unit;
a stacking section that is disposed downstream of the loading section in the first conveyance direction and stacks sheets that have been subjected to the predetermined processing by the processing section;
a discharge section that discharges the sheet subjected to the predetermined processing by the processing section to the stacking section;
in a state where the sheet dropping portion is in the lower position, the nip position is upstream in the first conveyance direction from the nip position that is furthest downstream in the first conveyance direction among the nip regions where the sheet is sandwiched between the pair of conveyance rotors. , a leading end regulating section that restricts movement of the leading end of the sheet being transported toward the nip position in the first transporting direction;
A sheet processing device comprising:
(Configuration 2)
The leading edge regulating unit regulates the leading edge of the sheet conveyed toward the nip position on the upstream side of the nip position in the first conveying direction when the sheet dropping unit is in the lower position. According to configuration 1, the sheet dropper operates together with the rotation of the sheet dropper so that the sheet dropper is located at a retracted position in which the sheet dropper is retracted from the restriction position while the sheet dropper is in the upper position. Sheet processing equipment.
(Configuration 3)
The reverse conveyance unit includes a rotating member, a support unit that supports the rotating member, and a swing fulcrum that swingably supports the support unit, and the rotating member supports the sheet on the loading unit. The rotary member is swingable about the swing fulcrum between a return position in which the sheet can be transported in the second transport direction by contacting the upper surface, and an upwardly retracted position in which the rotating member is retracted above the return position. and
The swing fulcrum is disposed upstream of the nip position in the first conveyance direction and vertically above the nip position,
3. The sheet processing apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the leading end regulating section is provided on the supporting section.
(Configuration 4)
The reverse conveyance unit is configured to move the sheet dropping unit so that the sheet dropping unit is located at the return position when the sheet dropping unit is at the lower position, and is located at the upper retracted position when the sheet dropping unit is at the upper position. The sheet processing device according to configuration 3, wherein the sheet processing device swings in conjunction with the rotation of the sheet processing device.
(Configuration 5)
The tip regulating portion is a first tip regulating portion,
The sheet dropping section, together with the first leading end regulating section, is arranged at the lower position to prevent the leading end of the sheet being transported toward the nip position upstream of the nip position in the first transport direction. 5. The sheet processing apparatus according to configuration 3 or 4, further comprising a second leading end regulating portion that regulates movement in the first conveyance direction.
(Configuration 6)
A conveyance path on the upstream side of the nip position in the first conveyance direction, along which the sheet is conveyed toward the nip position, and includes an upper guide that guides the upper surface of the sheet, and a lower guide that guides the lower surface of the sheet. a conveyance path having a guide;
The sheet dropping portion includes a positioning portion that is positioned at the lower position by engaging with the upper guide when the sheet drop portion rotates from the upper position to the lower position;
6. The sheet processing apparatus according to configuration 5, wherein the positioning portion is provided at an upper end portion of the second leading end regulating portion.
(Configuration 7)
3. The sheet processing apparatus according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the leading end regulating section is provided in the sheet dropping section.
(Configuration 8)
A conveyance path on the upstream side of the nip position in the first conveyance direction, along which the sheet is conveyed toward the nip position, and includes an upper guide that guides the upper surface of the sheet, and a lower guide that guides the lower surface of the sheet. a conveyance path having a guide;
The sheet dropping portion includes a positioning portion that is positioned at the lower position by engaging with the upper guide when the sheet drop portion rotates from the upper position to the lower position;
8. The sheet processing apparatus according to configuration 7, wherein the positioning portion is provided at an upper end portion of the leading edge regulating portion.
(Configuration 9)
The conveyance rotating body is a first conveyance roller,
a pair of second transport rollers that transport the sheet toward the first transport rollers upstream of the first transport rollers in the first transport direction;
According to any one of configurations 1 to 8, the method includes a manual operation unit that can manually drive at least the second conveyance roller of the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller. sheet processing equipment.

200A... Sheet processing device 210A... Conveyance path 210Aa... Entrance 2101... Upper guide 2102... Lower guide 211A, 212A... Pre-processing roller 211a... Pre-processing nip portion 213a, 213b... Upstream roller 215... Jam release dial 220... Processing tray 230A... Upper discharge roller 230B... Lower discharge roller 240A... Scraping paddle 2401... Paddle part 2402...・Paddle arm 2407...Tip regulating part 2403...Swinging fulcrum 250A...Rear end dropping member 2503...Positioning part 2504...Protrusion part 270A...Aligning part 271A...Aligning plate 280 ... Returning member 290 ... Rear end regulating member 300 ... Loading tray 400 ... Staple unit

Claims (9)

a pair of transport rotating bodies that transport the sheet in a first transport direction;
a placing section that temporarily places the sheet conveyed in the first conveying direction by the pair of conveying rotors;
has a rotation center on the downstream side of the first conveyance direction than the pair of conveyance rotors, extends from the rotation center to the upstream side of the first conveyance direction, and has the rotation center as the center of rotation. It is rotatable between an upper position above the pair of transport rotors to a lower position below the pair of transport rotors, and by rotating from the upper position to the lower position, the a sheet dropping portion that contacts the sheet conveyed by the pair of conveying rotors from above and drops the sheet onto the loading portion;
a reverse conveyance section that conveys the sheet on the placement section conveyed by the pair of conveyance rotors in a second conveyance direction opposite to the first conveyance direction;
an abutment portion against which a downstream edge in the second conveyance direction of the sheet conveyed in the second conveyance direction by the reverse conveyance portion is abutted;
a processing unit that performs a predetermined process on a sheet that is transported in the second transport direction by the reverse transport unit and whose downstream edge in the second transport direction is abutted against the abutment unit;
a stacking section that is disposed downstream of the loading section in the first conveyance direction and stacks sheets that have been subjected to the predetermined processing by the processing section;
a discharge section that discharges the sheet subjected to the predetermined processing by the processing section to the stacking section;
in a state where the sheet dropping portion is in the lower position, the nip position is upstream in the first conveyance direction from the nip position that is furthest downstream in the first conveyance direction among the nip regions where the sheet is sandwiched between the pair of conveyance rotors. , a leading end regulating section that restricts movement of the leading end of the sheet being transported toward the nip position in the first transporting direction;
A sheet processing device comprising: The leading edge regulating unit regulates the leading edge of the sheet conveyed toward the nip position on the upstream side of the nip position in the first conveying direction when the sheet dropping unit is in the lower position. 2. The sheet dropper operates together with the rotation of the sheet dropper so as to be located at a retracted position in which the sheet dropper is retracted from the regulation position while the sheet dropper is in the upper position. sheet processing equipment. The reverse conveyance unit includes a rotating member, a support unit that supports the rotating member, and a swing fulcrum that swingably supports the support unit, and the rotating member supports the sheet on the loading unit. The rotary member is swingable about the swing fulcrum between a return position in which the sheet can be transported in the second transport direction by contacting the upper surface, and an upwardly retracted position in which the rotating member is retracted above the return position. and
The swing fulcrum is disposed upstream of the nip position in the first conveyance direction and vertically above the nip position,
3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the leading edge regulating section is provided on the supporting section. The reverse conveyance unit is configured to move the sheet dropping unit so that the sheet dropping unit is located at the return position when the sheet dropping unit is at the lower position, and is located at the upper retracted position when the sheet dropping unit is at the upper position. 4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the sheet processing apparatus swings in conjunction with the rotation of the sheet processing apparatus. The tip regulating portion is a first tip regulating portion,
The sheet dropping section, together with the first leading end regulating section, is arranged at the lower position to prevent the leading end of the sheet being transported toward the nip position upstream of the nip position in the first transport direction. 4. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a second leading end regulating section that regulates movement in the first conveyance direction. A conveyance path on the upstream side of the nip position in the first conveyance direction, along which the sheet is conveyed toward the nip position, and includes an upper guide that guides the upper surface of the sheet, and a lower guide that guides the lower surface of the sheet. a conveyance path having a guide;
The sheet dropping portion includes a positioning portion that is positioned at the lower position by engaging with the upper guide when the sheet drop portion rotates from the upper position to the lower position;
6. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the positioning section is provided at an upper end of the second tip regulating section. 3. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the leading end regulating section is provided at the sheet dropping section. A conveyance path on the upstream side of the nip position in the first conveyance direction, along which the sheet is conveyed toward the nip position, and includes an upper guide that guides the upper surface of the sheet, and a lower guide that guides the lower surface of the sheet. a conveyance path having a guide;
The sheet dropping portion includes a positioning portion that is positioned at the lower position by engaging with the upper guide when the sheet drop portion rotates from the upper position to the lower position;
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the positioning section is provided at an upper end of the leading end regulating section. The conveyance rotating body is a first conveyance roller,
a pair of second transport rollers that transport the sheet toward the first transport rollers upstream of the first transport rollers in the first transport direction;
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a manual operation unit that can manually drive at least the second conveyance roller of the first conveyance roller and the second conveyance roller. .

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