JP2801368B2 - Sheet material transport device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a sheet conveying apparatus, and more particularly, to a sheet conveying apparatus or an image forming apparatus of an image forming apparatus such as a copier laser beam printer. The present invention relates to a sheet conveying device of a sheet post-processing device to be performed.

[Conventional technology]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a document consisting of two pages is placed on an exposure unit platen of an image forming apparatus, and as a means for dividing one page at a time and continuously copying (page continuous shooting), an optical system scans the document from left to right ( The left half is exposed and transferred), then return to the home position and scan the right half from the left to the right (exposure and transfer the right half). Follow the above steps if
In the case of right-opening, the right half is scanned first and the left half is scanned.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above conventional example, when the transfer paper is output and placed face-up, and a right-opening book or the like starts to scan from left to right from the edge of the original, as shown in FIG. The pages to be stacked are stacked alternately in a different order, which causes inconvenience when performing stapling or the like. Or the user had to sort them by hand. Similarly, if the transfer paper is output and stacked sequentially with face down (the scanning direction of the optical system is left to right),
When the original book or the like is opened to the left, the placement order of the transferred sheets is disturbed in the same manner as above (FIG. 7).

In order to solve this problem, a method has been considered in which the optical system scans the document and sets the point at which reading begins at the center of the document, scans the right half first, and then scans the left half. 1 on multiple transfer papers by scanning
The travel distance of the scan is 1.5 times longer than the transfer every time, so the processing efficiency of the whole system is poor. Further, once scanning is performed, the operation is returned again, and the scanning is performed again. Therefore, the optical system needs to be rotated three times in the forward and backward directions (reciprocation). And it was not good for the image forming apparatus and the surroundings.

[Means for solving the problem]

According to the present invention, a sheet is conveyed from one conveyance path to a plurality of conveyance paths in a sheet conveyance path in an image forming apparatus or a sheet post-processing apparatus, and the branched conveyance paths are merged with another conveyance path, and a sheet is selected. The system efficiency is improved by providing a deflecting unit for deflecting the sheet into each conveying path and a driving system capable of branching, conveying, or staying the sheet in each conveying path, or a control unit for controlling and controlling them. And reduce vibration and noise. When performing image formation on two or more output sheets from one original scan, open right,
This is to prevent the stacking order of the sheets caused by the left opening from being different.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the copying machine 1 has a body main body 3 in which a copying unit 2 is built, and the body body 3 includes a platen 5, a light source 6, mirrors 7, 8, 9, 10, and a lens 11. , And two cassettes 12 and 13 for storing sheets S, and deck 15, and paper feed rollers 16, 17, and 19 are disposed above the cassettes 12, 13 and deck 15, respectively. A transport unit 20 is provided downstream of the paper feed roller 19 on the side of the body 3, and a registration roller pair 21 is provided downstream of the transport unit 20 and the paper feed rollers 16 and 17. I have. Further, the copying section 2 is disposed downstream of the roller pair 21, and a transport belt 22 and a fixing device 23 are disposed downstream of the copying section 2. A discharge roller pair 24, a flapper 25, and a paper discharge roller pair 26 are disposed downstream of the fixing device 23.
Downstream of the sheet discharge roller pair 26, a sheet comprising a folding section 27a adjacent to the copying machine main body 3 for folding the sheet S in two or Z-fold, and a finisher section 27b for stacking or stapling the sheets S or the like. A post-processing device 27 is provided. Further, the light is branched into the flapper 25 to
And the re-transport path 29 is provided with an intermediate tray device 30.
It has. The components indicated by S1, S2 and S3 are sensors.

On the other hand, the copying machine main body 3 is provided with an automatic document feeder 31 at an upper portion thereof, and the feeder 31 has a document tray 32 on which documents M are stacked. A feeding roller 33 for feeding the document M on the tray 32 is provided near the guy tray 32, and a separation belt 35 that rotates in a counterclockwise direction and a counterclockwise direction are provided downstream of the roller 33. Conveyor belt rotating
36 are provided. In the vicinity of the belt 36, sensors 37 and 39 for detecting the size of the document M are disposed linearly in the horizontal direction with respect to the document conveying direction.
A transport belt 42 is stretched between a drive roller 40 and a driven roller 41 downstream of the transport belt. Further, a flapper 45 is disposed in the document discharge section 43 on the left side of the belt 42. Around the flapper 45, transport paths 46, 47 and 49 which are switched and guided by the flapper 45 are provided. Have been. And the transport path
A transport roller pair 50 is provided in 46, a transport roller pair 51 is provided in the transport path 47, and a discharge roller 52 is provided in the transport path 49. In the figure
What is indicated by S4 is a sensor for detecting circulation of the sheet.

The automatic document feeder 31 is configured to be able to transport a plurality of documents M onto the platen 15 at the same time. (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 54-
158940, JP-A-63-287868) Further, as shown in FIG.
The control unit 61 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 62, a ROM 63 storing a control program for controlling the CPU 62, and a RAM 65 serving as a main recording device, and controls a load such as a main motor. An output interface 66 for outputting a signal and an input interface 67 for inputting a detection signal from each sensor are connected. Further, each load, each sensor, and the like of the copying machine main body 3 and the automatic document feeder 31 are similarly connected via respective interfaces (not shown). The output interface 66 is connected to the bundle transport motor M1, the swing motor M2, the stepping motor 82, the stapler motor M3, the tray lifting motor M4, and the transport motor M5.
Are connected to the sheet detection sensors S5 and S6, the width shift plate home position sensor S7, the sheet level sensor 105, and the microswitch 97.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the sheet post-processing apparatus 27 has a swingable hook 70 which engages with an engaging member 69 provided on a side surface of the copying machine main body 3. By engaging the engaging member 69 with the engaging member 69, the sheet post-processing device 27
Are to be positioned. And the device 27
The sheet S discharged by the discharge roller pair 26
A carry-in port 71 for carrying in is provided, and a deflector 72 is disposed downstream of the carry-in port 71. A first transport path 73 is provided downstream of the deflector 72,
A conveyance roller pair 75 is provided in the path 73. Furthermore,
A discharge roller pair 76 is provided downstream of the first transport path 73, and a processing tray 77 is provided downstream of the roller pair 76. A part of a belt 79 is wound around the lower roller 76a of the roller pair 76, and the lower end of the belt 79 is in contact with the processing tray 77. Also, the tray
77 has a movable width plate that aligns the width direction of the sheet S.
80 and a positioning plate (not shown) are provided, and a rack 81 is provided below the width shift plate 80.
Reference numeral 81 meshes with a pinion gear 83 driven by a stepping motor 82 provided below the processing tray 77. Further, a stapler 85 is provided adjacent to the processing tray 77, and the stapler 85 binds the sheets S stacked on the tray 77. At the end of the tray 77, a paper discharge roller 86 is provided. On the roller 86, a swing arm 88 is provided at one corner of a swing arm 88 which is swingably supported by a shaft 87. The moving roller 89 comes into contact. A guide lever 90 is provided upright on the guide 88, and one end of the lever 90 is attached to the body frame.
A spring 92 fixed to 91 is connected so that the swing guide 88 is urged counterclockwise. Further, a disc 93 which is rotated by a swing motor M2 is provided near the guide lever 90, and the disc 93
A pin 95 for engaging with 90 is provided upright. And the disk
An L-shaped leaf spring 96 as viewed from the front is swingably supported in the vicinity of 93, and a microswitch 97 is provided in proximity to the spring 96. Further, a rail plate 99 is provided on the body frame 91 so as to extend in the horizontal direction.
The rail plate 99 supports a rotatable roller 101 provided on the snowboard guide 100. A tray moving table 102 is supported by the guide 100 so as to be able to move up and down. The moving table 102 is provided with a stack tray 103 having a concave base end and stacking sheets S. The swing guide 88 is provided with a sheet level sensor 105 for detecting the level of the sheets S stacked on the stack tray 103. The sensor 105 is a sensor that contacts the sheets S stacked on the stack tray 103. It comprises a lever 106 and a photo sensor 107. On the other hand, a second conveying path 109 is provided, which is branched to the deflector 72,
A deflector 110 is provided at the end of the transport path 109. Further, a third conveying path 111 that is bent is provided downstream of the deflector 110, and an inner guide surface of the conveying path 111 is formed by a large roller 112. The conveying path 111 is the first conveying path. It communicates with 73. Further, the deflector 110
A folding transport path 113 is provided, and the folding section 27a is disposed downstream of the transport path 113. Incidentally, those indicated by S5 and S6 in the figure are sheet detection sensors for detecting a sheet.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4 and FIG.

First, a copy mode condition (for example, one-sided, two-sided, the number of copies, a continuous copy of a sort page, etc.) is set and input by the user (F1), a mode for forming an image on a copy sheet on one side, and a plurality of images (pages) on both sides of the original. For example, has the right half and the left half been selected to form images on one copy sheet and continuous output of pages (that is, transferring two originals onto two copy papers is called 2in2)? It is determined by the main unit CPU (F2). Next, whether the original is right-opening or left-opening is output to the main body display unit, and the user key-inputs whether the original is right-opening or left-opening. Thus, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to change the order of the continuously output sheets (F3). Next, the main body starts the copy process and sequentially sends successive copy sheets (FIG. 5) (F4).

Then, the deflector 72 at the entrance of the furniture is turned on (F5), and the sheet S _{n = 7} is deflected to the second conveyance path 111 (F5).
6), immediately after the tip of the sheet S _{n = 7} is deflected by the deflector 72, the deflector 72 is turned off (F7), and the tip of the deflected sheet S _{n = 7} is detected by the sensor S6 (F7).
8) After that, the drive system of the large roller 112 is OF
Then, the sheet S _{n = 7} is retained in the second transport path 111 (F9). Next sheet S8 in the sheet S _{n = 7} is deflected by the deflector 72 to the first transport path 73 (F10), the trailing edge of the sheet S8 is detected by the sensor S5 (F11), CPU62 of the control unit of Fuitsushiya by the signal Of the drive system of the large roller 112 from
An ON signal is output and the drive system is connected. The large roller 112 starts rotating (F12), and the sheets S8 and S7 are sequentially discharged onto the trays 77 and 103 (F13). This operation is repeated until the document circulation is completed (F14). Next, staple and sort (offset) processing is performed (F15), and if the number of copies is N, document circulation is repeated N times (F16).

Although the combination of the RDF and the finisher has been described this time, the first and second transport paths provided inside the finisher may be provided inside the image forming apparatus or inside the sorter by combining the ADF and the sorter.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, since the order of the sheets can be changed using the transport path branched from the sheet transport path, the sheets can be stored in the correct order, and, for example, stapling can be performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front sectional view showing a sheet image forming apparatus system according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control unit of a furniture mounted on the system, and FIG. 3 is a front view showing a main part of the furniture. FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the operation of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the flow of the sheet of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a conventional example in which a book is loaded face-up from a right-opening book. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of a conventional example in which books are stacked face-down from a left-opening book. 27: Sheet post-processing device (Funisher) 61: Control means 72: Deflector 73: First transport path 111: Second transport path 201: Roller having suction means

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A method according to claim 1, wherein one of the transport paths is branched into a plurality of transport paths.
A conveying path configured such that the branched conveying paths join together; sheet conveying means provided in each conveying path; and a sheet material conveyed through the one conveying path is selectively branched to each conveying path. Diverting means, and control means for controlling each sheet conveying means, and sends the conveyed sheet material to a diverging conveying path having a delay function, and transfers another incoming sheet material to another diverging conveyance path. A sheet conveying apparatus for changing the conveying order of sheet materials by sending the sheet to a road. 2. A sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said delay function temporarily stops said sheet conveying means. 3. The sheet conveying apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the branch conveying path having the delay function is a curved conveying path detouring to another branch conveying path.