JP2868552B2 - Recording paper processing method - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming post-processing method for performing post-processing such as stapling on recording paper discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, for example, JP-A-62-20046, JP-A-62-191
No. 375, JP-A-62-176246, JP-A-62-29066
No. 9, JP-A-59-82263, JP-A-63-101268, etc., the recording paper sent from the image forming apparatus is stored in a staple tray, and the recording paper is bound. There is generally known an image post-processing apparatus configured to drop the bound bundle of recording papers onto a lower tray and discharge the bundle.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such a conventional image forming post-processing apparatus, when the stapling apparatus is driven, the recording paper often remains in the staple tray. When the stapling process is started in step (1), confusion occurs between the recording sheet on which the image has been formed previously and the recording sheet on which the image has been formed this time, which is a cause of inconvenience. In addition, this may interrupt the image forming processing operation such as the copying operation, which causes a problem that the image forming operation cannot be performed smoothly.

Therefore, the present invention solves the problems of the conventional device described above,
In performing the stapling process, a post-image formation processing method that can avoid confusion between recording sheets on which an image has been formed and can continue the image forming operation efficiently without interruption. It is intended to provide.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the invention described in claim 1 binds the recording paper with a stapling device unit to perform bookbinding processing of the recording paper on which an image is formed, and binds the recording paper. In a recording paper processing method in which a bundle of recording papers is discharged to a paper discharge tray, when recording paper remains in the stapling device when a staple mode for image formation of a next job is selected. The remaining recording paper is discharged from the stapling section, and then the stapling process is executed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in order to perform a bookbinding process on a recording sheet on which an image has been formed, the recording sheet is bound by a stapling device, and the bound bundle of recording sheets is discharged to a discharge tray. In the recording paper processing method described above, when recording paper remains in the stapling device at the start of an image forming operation in a state in which the stapling mode is selected for image formation of the next job, The remaining recording paper is discharged from the stapling section, and then stapling is performed.

Further, in the invention described in claim 1 or 2, there is provided a configuration in which the residual recording paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray without performing stapling.

[Operation] In each of the means having such a configuration, at the time of selecting the stapling mode or at the start of the image forming operation, the stapling process is first performed after the remaining recording paper of the stapling device section is discharged. The stapling process is performed while clearly distinguishing the remaining recording paper on which an image has been formed previously from the recording paper on which the image has been formed this time.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The finisher shown in FIG. 1 is provided on a side portion of an image forming apparatus (not shown) and includes an upper-side shift sorting section I and a lower-side staple section II.

First, in the transport path of the shift sorting section I, a plurality of transport rollers and driven rollers that follow the transport rollers are arranged.
The rotation axis of the first conveyance roller 101 is connected to the rotation axis of the conveyance drive motor M1 via the first timing belt 104, thereby obtaining a driving force. The rotation axis of the first conveyance roller 101 is connected to the rotation axis of another conveyance roller and the rotation axis of the discharge roller 102, and further to the rotation axis of the shift fur brush 103 by a second timing belt (not shown). These are driven.

An entrance sensor SN1 is provided immediately before the uppermost transport roller 101, and a discharge roller 102 is provided.
A paper discharge sensor SN2 is provided immediately before the printer, and detects the leading edge and the trailing edge of the conveyed paper. Downstream of the first transport roller 101, a switching claw 105 is disposed, and a staple unit II and a shift sorting unit I tray unit, which will be described later in the transport direction by the action of a driving solenoid 230 and a spring (not shown). It can be changed in any direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG. 4, in the vicinity of the paper discharge port, the paper that is discharged onto the discharge tray 107 immediately below the paper discharge roller 102 is brought to a predetermined position. A fur brush 103 serving as a shift member is provided, and an abutment plate 106 is installed on the side of the recording paper. The fur brush 103 is constantly rotated during a series of operations so as to rotate in contact with the upper surface of the recording paper, and the recording paper dropped on the discharge tray 107 is abutted by the rotational thrust frictional force of the fur brush 103. Board 1
It is pushed in the direction of 06 and abuts against the abutment plate 106 so that the trailing edge of each recording sheet is aligned. At this time, since the fur brush 103 is constantly driven to rotate, the interference resistance to the shift operation of the fur brush 103 is reduced when the discharge tray 107 performs the shift operation, as described later, as compared to the case where the fur brush 103 does not rotate. In addition to this, the recording paper bundle is constantly abutted against the abutting plate 106 even during the shift operation, so that the paper alignment can be maintained satisfactorily.

The fur brush 103 is also arranged so as to rotate in contact with the abutment plate 106. At this time, the thrust frictional force on the recording paper due to the rotation of the fur brush 103 causes the fur brush 103 and the abutment plate 106 to rotate. Is configured to be smaller than the rotational contact friction force generated between the two. This also keeps the paper alignment good.

Next, in the shift drive mechanism, as shown in FIG. 3, the abutment plate 106 and the discharge tray 107 are formed with irregularities, and are configured to mesh with each other. As a result, the discharge tray 107 can be freely moved in the vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 3) with respect to the abutting plate 106, and is interlocked with the abutting plate 106 in the front-rear direction (horizontal direction in FIG. 3). To be moved. 4 and 5, the abutment plate 106 has a bearing 11 on a main body side different from the discharge tray 107.
It is supported by a shaft-like shift guide 112 via 1 and is configured to be freely movable in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the abutment plate 106 is eccentrically connected to the crank 113 via an arm rod 115. The rotation axis of the crank 113 is arranged parallel to the center axis of the copying machine. A gear train 114 is provided on a detachable bracket 116 that projects vertically from the side plate 100, and the crank 113 is moved via the gear train 114 to the shift motor M2.
It is connected to. The crank 113 is driven by driving the shift motor M2, and the abutting plate 106 is reciprocated in the front-rear direction by the eccentric rotation action. Therefore, the discharge tray 107 regulated in the front-rear direction with respect to the abutment plate 106 is also reciprocated in the front-rear direction. The shift plate 106 is provided with two shift detection plates 118 projecting at an interval substantially equal to the amount of movement by the crank 113. The detection by the detection sensor 117 detects that the butting operation and the tray shift operation have been moved by one stroke.

Also, as shown in FIG. 6, a holding roller 108 is supported via a bracket 119 fixed to the abutment plate 106 so as to be vertically movable and rotatable. The upper surface of the recording paper is pressed by its own weight. Recording paper is gravity and paper fur brush
With the conveying force of 103, the pressing roller 108 penetrates beneath the press roller 108 and is abutted against the abutting plate 106. When the discharge tray 107 is shifted by the pressing force of the press roller 108, the recording paper is prevented from being shifted. The paper surface detection sensor SN3 is arranged on the main body side in opposition to the press roller 108, and when the position of the press roller 108 is raised by the accumulation of the recording paper, the paper surface detection sensor SN3 is pressed by the press roller support bracket 1200. Is detected, whereby it is known that the paper surface or the upper surface of the discharge tray has reached a specified height.

In the vertical movement mechanism, the discharge tray 107 is fixed to the tray support 110 as shown in FIGS. The tray support table 110 is supported by a tray vertical movement table 109 via a bearing 110a so as to be movable back and forth. For this reason, as described above, the shift operation by the abutment plate 106 can be performed by the tray vertical moving base 109. As shown in FIG. 1, the tray vertical moving table 109 is fixed to the timing belt 120 in FIG. The third timing belts 120 are provided one by one on the outside of the front and rear side plates 100, and each of the third timing belts 120 is stretched over a vertical drive pulley 121 and a driven pulley 122. The vertical drive pulley 121 is fixed to a vertical drive shaft 123 that penetrates between the side plates, and at the time of vertical drive 123, a gear 124 having a built-in one-way clutch is attached. One-way clutch, discharge tray
It is configured to transmit a force in a direction to lift 107 to the vertical drive shaft. The gear 124 is connected to a vertical drive motor M3 via a gear train, a worm wheel 125, a worm 126, and the like. A bearing 127 is attached to the side surface of the tray vertically moving base 109, and the vertical movement guide and the discharge by the rotation moment due to the weight of the discharge tray are brought into contact with the upper and lower guide rails 128 fixed to the side plate 100. The tray is prevented from falling down.

With the configuration as described above, the holding force of the worm 126 and the one-way clutch are normally locked so that the lowering of the discharge tray 107 is stopped. The vertical drive motor M3 is connected to the discharge tray 10
When the pulley 121 is rotated in the upward direction, the one-way clutch is locked and the pulleys 121 and 122 are rotated, whereby the discharge tray 107 is raised. When the vertical drive motor M3 is rotated in the downward direction of the discharge tray 107, the one-way clutch enters a free state, whereby the discharge tray 107 is moved downward by its own weight.

Further, as shown in FIG.
An upper limit sensor SN4 and a lower limit sensor SN5 are provided inside 120 so as to face the discharge tray 107, and the upper and lower detection plates 129 are respectively detected to detect the discharge tray 107.
Are detected. Eject tray
When the 107 is lowered, the one-way clutch is in the free state, so that the driving force of the vertical drive motor M3 is not transmitted to the discharge tray 107, and even if the discharge tray 107 is stopped by the outside during the lowering, the vertical drive is performed. When the motor M3 runs idle, troubles such as overload of the motor and pinching of fingers are prevented.

When the copy operation is started, the shift motor M2 is driven to rotate the crank 113, so that the butting plate 106 is moved in the front-back direction by the crank 113 via the arm rod 115. Along with this, the discharge tray 107, which meshes with the unevenness of the butting plate 106 and is supported vertically and vertically, is moved in the front-rear direction to start the shift operation. Then, the other shift detection plate 118 different from the one shift detection plate 118 detected by the shift detection sensor 117 before the start of the shift operation is detected, or the upper limit sensor S
When N4 detects the upper and lower detection plate 129, the shift motor M2 is stopped by the signal, and the shift operation is completed. When the paper surface sensor SN3 detects the support bracket 1200, the vertical drive motor M3 is driven in the tray lowering direction,
The vertical drive motor M3 is stopped when the paper surface sensor SN3 stops detecting the support bracket 1200. That is, after the shift operation is completed, the vertical drive motor M3 is driven in the tray raising direction to raise the discharge tray 107, and after the start of the vertical movement, the support bracket 120 of the press roller 108 is started.
When a part of 0 is detected by the paper surface detection sensor SN3 or the upper limit sensor SN4 detects the upper and lower detection plate 129, the vertical drive motor M3 is stopped by the signal and the lifting of the discharge tray 107 is terminated. Become. Paper surface sensor SN3
When the support bracket 1200 is detected, the vertical drive motor M3 is driven in the tray lowering direction and the paper surface sensor
When the SN3 stops detecting the support bracket 1200, the vertical drive motor M3 is stopped.

The transport roller 101 receives the recording paper discharged from the main body at the same linear speed as the discharge speed from the main body. When the recording paper is transported and the entrance sensor SN1 detects the trailing edge of the recording paper, the linear velocity is increased to a value greater than the recording paper ejection speed, and the trailing edge of the recording paper is detected by the entrance sensor SN1. After a specified time, the linear velocity is returned to the main body discharge speed of the recording paper, and then the recording paper is discharged to the discharge tray 107. The recording paper discharged to the discharge tray 107 is moved under the press roller 108 by gravity and the conveying force due to the rotation of the fur brush 103, and is abutted against the abutting plate 106 so that the rear end is aligned. I have.

At this time, when the specified number of copies is discharged, the shift motor M2 is driven by the signal, and the shift operation is started. When the one-stroke shift is completed, shift motor M2 is stopped. By this operation, the stacking position of the recording paper on the discharge tray 107 is changed, and the recording paper is sorted. When a series of copying operations is completed and the final sheet is discharged, the vertical drive motor M3 is driven in the downward direction by the signal, and the operation is terminated after the discharge tray 107 is lowered by a specified amount. ing.

When a certain amount of recording paper is accumulated, the paper surface approaches the paper exit, and a part of the presser roller support bracket 120 is
, The vertical drive motor M3 is driven in the tray lowering direction by the signal, the holding force of the worm 126 and the lock of the one-way clutch are released, and the discharge tray 107 is lowered by its own weight. Output tray 1
When the paper surface falls due to the lowering of 07 and a part of the presser roller support bracket 120 is not detected by the paper surface detection sensor SN3, the vertical drive motor M3 is stopped by the signal, the holding force of the worm 126 and the one-way clutch Is locked, and the discharge tray 107 is stopped. When the discharge tray 107 is lowered, the vertical drive motor M3 is stopped by a signal when the upper and lower detection plate 129 is detected by the lower limit sensor SN5, so that the discharge tray 107 is prevented from lowering further. It has become.

In the moving mechanism of the stapler in the stapling section II, the stapler S is fixed to the stapler base 31, as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 10, FIG. 11, and FIG. The stapler base 31 is inserted into a guide hole 30b of the stapler slider 30 through a guide pin 32 as shown in FIG.
Direction so as to be movable. Further, a shaft 44 is fixed to the back side of the stapler base 31, and the guide roller 34 is rotatably attached to the shaft 44. The upper part of the stapler slider 30 is provided on both side plates 41, 42.
A guide roller 33 attached to the lower part of the stapler slider 30 is attached so as to be slidable in the direction perpendicular to the paper of FIG. So that the stapler slider 30 is locked in the rotation direction. Further, a guide cam 35 is fixed to the stay 43, and the guide roller 34 is in contact with a cam surface formed on the upper end side of the guide cam 35 so as to roll, This allows the stapler slider 30 to reciprocate in the k direction in FIG. At this time, the central portion of the guide cam 35 is formed so as to be depressed downward, along which the stapler slider 30 is moved.

At the upper end of the stapler slider 30, a detection plate 30a
Is provided, and the detection plate 30a shields the detection portion of the home position sensor 40 provided on the main body side, so that the home position (HP) of the stapler S is provided.
Is detected. A side plate 41 is provided with a stepping motor 39 for moving the stapler, and an intermediate portion of a belt 38 driven by the stepping motor 39 is fixed to the stapler slider 30, and the stapler slider 30 is moved in the left-right direction in FIG. It is designed to be reciprocated.

Next, in the movement mechanism of the jogger fence,
As shown in FIG. 13 and FIG. 13, a left slider 8 and a right slider 7 are attached to a jogger fence rod 9 bridged between both side plates 41 and 42 so as to be reciprocally movable. A left jogger fence 6 and a right jogger fence 5 are fixed to the right slider 8 and the right slider 7, respectively. The left jogger fence 6 and the right jogger fence 5 have a function of aligning the paper bundle in the stapling operation, and extend from the vicinity of the discharge roller 3 to the vicinity of the paper discharge tray 53, so that the paper bundle after stapling is provided. And has a function as a guide member when discharging. At the lower ends of the left jogger fence 6 and the right jogger fence 5, rear end fences 6a and 5a for holding the lower edge of the stapled sheet bundle are provided.

An intermediate portion of the belt 10 driven by the jogger fence driving motor 11 is fixed to the left slider 8 and the right slider 7. The left slider 8 and the right slider 7 are fixed to different sides of the belt 10, respectively, so that the left jogger fence 6 and the right jogger fence 5 are reciprocally moved in the horizontal direction in FIG. I have. A guide roller 15 is attached to the upper rear side of the left jogger fence 6 and the right jogger fence 5 so that the guide roller 15 rolls on a guide stay 16 bridged over the upper side plates 41 and 42. Is in contact with On the left slider 8,
A detection plate 8a is provided, and the home position (HP) of the jogger fences 6, 5 is detected by shielding the detection unit of the home position sensor 14 provided on the main body side. It has become. No.
As shown in FIG. 15, the lower ends of the left jogger fence 6 and the right jogger fence 5 have curl retainers 64, respectively.
Is provided, whereby buckling during loading on the staple tray is suppressed. The curl presser 64 is formed from an elastic member such as a polyester film.

Next, in the discharge belt mechanism, as shown in FIGS. 10, 13, and 14, the drive shaft 24 is attached to the upper end portions of the both side plates 41 and 42 so as to span the drive belt 24. The drive pulley 18 is fixed substantially at the center of the drive shaft 24. A fixed pulley 19 is provided below the drive pulley 18, and both pulleys are provided.
An endless discharge belt 17 is stretched between 18,19. An intermediate portion of the discharge belt 17 is hung on an idle pulley 47, and is guided by a guide plate 25 disposed inside the belt so as to prevent bending and displacement. A belt drive motor 22 is fixed to the side plate 41, and the pulley 21 attached to the output side of the belt drive motor 22 and the drive shaft 24
A belt 23 is stretched between a pulley 20 attached to one end of the belt and a belt driving force is transmitted. Further, a protruding claw 46 is provided in the middle part of the surface of the discharge belt 17 so as to grip the sheet bundle from below. As shown in FIG. 1, a home position sensor 48 for detecting the position of the claw 46 is provided inside the discharge belt 17.
The home position (HP) of the claw 46 is detected by 48. The transport speed of such a discharge belt 17
V ₂ is set to such that slightly greater than the sheet ejection linear speed V ₁ of the discharge roller _{3 (V 2 ≧ V 1)} , with which the paper bundle the paper bundle of the next job has already been stapled So that it is not discharged to

Each mechanism of such a stapler is configured to form one unit, and guide rails 51, 52
, So that it can be pulled out to the near side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the discharge tray mechanism has a base of a discharge tray 53 fixed on a tray base 54. A guide roller 56 is rotatably attached to the tray base 54, and the guide roller 56 is engaged with a guide rail (not shown) so that the paper discharge tray and the tray base 54 are engaged.
53 is to be moved up and down. The tray table 54 is given an upward biasing force by a lift spring 55.

Driving force is transmitted to the conveying rollers 60, 61, and 62 from the conveying motor 59 through a belt (not shown), and driving force is also transmitted to the discharge roller 3 from the conveying motor 59 by a belt (not shown). . Fur brushes 1a and 1b are attached to the rotating shaft 2 of the discharge roller 3, and the fur brushes 1a and 1b are driven to rotate in synchronization with the discharge roller 3. The fur ends of the fur brushes 1a and 1b are guide plates 26 and 27
Is in contact with The guide plates 26 and 27 are provided with protruding ribs 26a and 27a for holding the lower edge of the stapled sheet bundle, and the protruding ribs 26b and 27b are formed so as to protrude to the front side. . Therefore, the recording paper is bent back and deformed into a wavy shape by the protruding ribs 26b and 27b and the pressing force of the bristle tips of the fur brushes 1a and 1b, thereby preventing the paper bundle from buckling. It is designed to have a certain waist.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the amount of projection L of the upper guide plate 67 of the paper discharge unit from the rotation center of the paper discharge roller 3 is set to be larger than the amount of projection l of the paper being sent.
Thus, even if the recording paper does not fall below the fur brushes 1a, 1b and enters between the upper guide plate 67 and the fur brushes 1a, 1b, the trailing edge of the recording paper is formed by the tips of the fur brushes 1a, 1b. The part is scraped down.

Next, the processing operation of the recording paper will be described. First, a stapling operation is selected by a stapling key, a document (N sheets) is set on a document feeding table (RDH) (not shown), and a copy button is pressed after the number of copies (K) is input by a ten key. Then, a copy size signal is received from the main body of the copying machine, and it is determined whether or not the size is such that it can be accommodated in the staple portion. In the case of a size that can be inserted into the staple portion, it is determined whether or not the claw 46 of the discharge belt 17 is at the home position (HP). If it is not at the home position, it is returned to the home position by the belt drive motor 22. It is detected whether or not the stapler S is at the home position. If the home position is detected, the stapler S is moved to a predetermined position by the size signal. If the home position is not detected, the stapler S is moved until the home position is detected. After being moved and detecting the home position, the stapler S is moved to a predetermined location by the size signal.

Jogger fences 5 and 6 are home positions (HP)
Is detected, if the home position is detected, the jogger fences 5, 6 are moved to a predetermined location by the size signal, and if the home position is not detected, the jogger fences 5 and 6 are moved until the home position is detected. After the home position is detected, the jogger fences 5 and 6 are moved to a predetermined location by the size signal. The moving place at this time is one side of the size width
amm, moved 2amm apart on both sides.

Then, when the trailing end of the recording paper is detected by the entrance sensor SN1, the switching guide member 105 is switched to the staple tray by the switching solenoid 230 for guidance. The rear end of the recording paper is the entrance sensor SN
If you exit 1, you will be fed at high speed. The switching solenoid 230 is turned off after a predetermined time, that is, a time until it passes through the switching guide member 105 after passing through the entrance sensor SN1. The recording paper is discharged to the staple tray by the discharge roller 3, and when the discharge is being performed, the charge charged on the recording paper is removed by the discharging brush 63 fixed to the upper discharge plate guide plate 67. Has become. The discharge roller 3 is provided with a brim,
As a result, the recording paper is bent into a wavy shape so that the recording paper can be attached. The trailing end of the recording paper is the discharge roller 3.
After passing through, the rear ends of the recording paper are pushed down by the coaxial fur brushes 1a and 1b, and the rear end fences 5a and 6a provided on the rear end fences 26a and 27a and the jogger fences 5 and 6 are provided.
It is sent so that it is hit by. After a predetermined period of time after passing through the lower sheet ejection sensor 50, the drive motor 11 of the jogger fences 5, 6 which has been waiting until that time repeats forward or reverse once or twice, thereby aligning the recording paper in the width direction. After the sheet alignment is performed, the sheet is returned to the standby position. This paper alignment operation is repeated for each recording paper,
The process is performed until the end signal of one job is issued from the copying machine main body.

Next, when the end signal of one job is issued and received from the copying machine main body, the above-described operation is executed again, and the recording paper bundle is pressed in the width direction by the jogger fences 5 and 6. Then, the drive motor 223 in the stapler S starts driving, and the recording paper bundle is bound. In this binding operation, it is determined whether or not one-shot operation is performed, and in the case of one-shot operation, the jogger fences 5 and 6 at the end of the binding operation are moved to positions slightly away from the paper bundle. In the case of two or more hits, the stapler is moved to a predetermined position by the stapler moving motor 39 and the binding operation is performed again. After the binding operation is performed, the jogger fences 5 and 6 are returned to positions where they have slightly escaped from the bundle of paper. It is. At this time, the discharge belt 17
The recording paper bundle is discharged to the paper discharge tray 53 in the same direction as the discharge direction to the stap tray while being rotated in the direction of FIG.

It is determined whether or not the last set number of copies (K portions) has been completed. At the end, the jogger fences 5, 6 and the stapler S are moved to the home position, and if not completed, the above-described operation is executed again. It has become so.

In such an apparatus, the CPU first checks the output state of the upper limit sensor SN4, the lower limit sensor SN5, and the paper surface sensor SN3 at the time of turning on the power or selecting the mode when the up / down operation of the discharge tray 107 is performed. It is determined where 107 is currently. Upper limit sensor
If SN4 and the paper surface sensor SN3 are turned on, the vertical drive motor M3 is turned on, and the paper surface sensor SN
The discharge tray 107 is lowered to a position where 3 is turned off.
If only the upper limit sensor SN4 is ON, nothing is performed. When the upper limit sensor SN4, the lower limit sensor SN5, and the paper surface sensor SN3 are all turned off, the vertical drive motor M3 is turned on, and the discharge tray 107 is raised to a position where the upper limit sensor SN4 or the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned on. When the sensor SN3 is turned on, it is lowered until the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned off. Paper sensor S
When only N3 is ON, the vertical drive motor
The discharge tray 107 is lowered until M3 is turned on and the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned off. If the lower limit sensor SN5 and the paper surface sensor SN3 are ON, it is determined that the recording paper is full on the discharge tray 107, a signal indicating that the paper is full is transmitted to the copying machine, and the recording paper is removed. After a predetermined time, the vertical drive motor M3 is turned on, and the discharge tray 107 is raised until the upper limit sensor SN4 or the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned on. When the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned on, the discharge tray 107 is lowered until the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned off.

When restarting in the same mode, the same operation as when the power is turned on and when the mode is selected is performed in synchronization with the copy start signal of the main body.

During copying and at the end of copying, paper sensor SN3
Is turned on, the vertical drive motor M3 is turned on, and the discharge tray 107 is lowered until the paper surface sensor SN3 is turned off. When the lower limit sensor SN5 is turned on by repeating this operation, a signal indicating that the recording paper is full in the discharge tray 107 is transmitted to the main body. When this operation overlaps with the tray shift operation, the tray shift operation is prioritized. During the shift operation, the operation is waited and is performed after the shift is completed. After the final paper has passed through the main body discharge sensor 215,
Since the finisher stop signal is transmitted, when this signal is received, the final paper is discharged to the discharge tray 107, and then the vertical drive motor M3 is turned on to lower the predetermined amount of the discharge tray 107 to take out copy paper. Easy to do.

Next, the shift operation is not performed when the power is turned on,
When the shift or proof mode is selected and the mode signal is received, the shift motor M2 is turned on, the discharge tray 107 is moved, and when the shift detection sensor 117 is turned on, the shift motor M2 is turned off. With this operation, the paper remaining in the discharge tray 107 and the paper for a new job are sorted. Such an operation is performed on standby during the tray up / down operation and performed after the up / down operation is completed. In this way, even if the recording paper remains on the discharge tray 107, the recording paper is pressed by the pressing roller 108, so that the recording paper does not shift during the shift.

At the time of copying and at the end of copying, a shift signal is transmitted when the last sheet of the copy set passes through the main body discharge sensor 215, and the finisher receives this signal and the rear end of the last sheet passes over the discharge sensor SN2. Then, after a lapse of a predetermined time, the shift motor M2 is turned on, and the shift operation is started. When the shift detection sensor 117 is turned on, the shift motor M2 is turned off. The above operation has priority over the tray up / down operation. During the shift operation, the tray up / down operation is on standby, and the up / down operation is performed after the shift is completed. This prevents the paper from shifting due to the shift.

When the restart is performed in the same mode, the shift operation is not performed at the start of the copy, and the same operation as that at the time of the copy is performed during the copy.

Next, the jogger fence operation will be described. First, when the power is turned on and the mode is selected, the output state of the jogger home position sensor 14 and the tray
Checked by the PU, the following operations are performed. When only the jogger home position sensor 14 is turned on, nothing is performed. Tray paper presence sensor 205
Is turned on, a signal indicating that recording paper remains in the staple tray is transmitted to the main body. Jogger home position sensor 14 and tray paper presence sensor 205
Is turned off, the jogger drive motor 11 is turned on, the jogger fences 5, 6 are moved in the home position direction, and the jogger drive motor 11 with the jogger home position sensor 14 turned on is turned off.

During copying, at the end of copying, and at the time of restarting copying, if a paper size signal is received after the start of copying of the main body, the jogger drive motor 11 is turned on and the jogger fences 5, 6 are moved to a predetermined amount larger than the width of the paper. It is stopped at a position in front and waits. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the paper has passed the paper ejection sensor 50, the jogger drive motor 11
Is turned on, the jogger fences 5 and 6 at the standby position are moved to perform paper alignment, and are returned to the standby position again.
At this time, the jogger drive motor 11 rotates forward and reverse once.
This is repeated several times, whereby the jogger fences 5, 6 are aligned in the width direction of the paper. Such an operation is performed every time the recording paper is discharged onto the staple tray.

When the last sheet of the copy set passes through the main body ejection sensor 215, a staple signal is transmitted. Upon receiving this signal, the last sheet is ejected to the staple tray, and after the sheet aligning operation is performed, the width direction of the sheet is pressed. The jogger fences 5, 6 are moved to the positions and stopped. When the stapling operation is completed, the jogger fences 5, 6 are moved to positions slightly away from both ends in the width direction of the paper. Then, the recording paper bundle is discharged to the discharge tray 53 by the discharge belt 17.
In this way, the paper is prevented from shifting during stapling, and the jogger fences 5, 6 are used as guides in the width direction when the recording paper bundle is discharged.

When the above operation is repeatedly performed for the number of copies and the final bundle of recording sheets is discharged onto the discharge tray 53, the jogger drive motor 11 is turned on, and the jogger fences 5 and 6 are moved in the home position direction. When the jogger home position sensor 14 is turned on, the jogger drive motor 11 is turned off.

When the power of the stapler operation is turned on and the mode is selected, the CPU checks the output states of the one-rotation sensor 210, the needle presence / absence sensor 211, and the stapler home sensor 212, and executes the following operation.

If the one-rotation sensor 210 is turned off and the tray discharge sensor 205 is turned on, it is determined that stapling is defective, and a stapler abnormality signal is transmitted to the main body.

When the staple presence sensor 211 is off, a stapler staple-less signal is transmitted to the main body. If the stapler home sensor 40 is on, nothing is done. When the stapler home sensor 40 is turned off, if the one-rotation sensor 210 is turned on,
The stapler moving motor 39 is turned on, and the stapler S is moved in the home position direction. When the stapler home sensor 40 is turned on, the stapler moving motor 39 is turned off. If the one-rotation sensor 210 is turned off, it is determined that a stapling error has occurred, a jam has been cleared, or the like, and the apparatus stands by in that state. One-turn sensor by artificial processing
When 210 is turned on, the stapler moving motor 39 is turned on, the stapler is moved in the direction of the home position, and the stapler moving motor 39 is turned off after the stapler home sensor 40 is turned on.

At the time of copying, at the end of copying, and at the time of copying restart, after the paper size signal is received after the copying of the main body, the stapler moving motor 39 is turned on, and the stapler S is moved by a predetermined amount to a position corresponding to the paper size. You. Next, a staple ON signal is transmitted from the main body after the final sheet of the copy set passes through the main body discharge sensor 215, and when the signal is received, the final sheet is discharged onto the staple tray, and the jogger fences 5, 6 are recorded. When both widthwise ends of the paper bundle are pressed, staple motor 22
3 is turned on to perform the stapling operation, and when the one-rotation sensor 210 is turned on, the staple motor 223 is turned off. In the case of the two-position binding mode, the stapler moving motor 39 is turned on and the stapler S is adjusted to the paper size.
The stapler movement motor when the
39 is turned off, and the second stapling operation is performed. When such a stapling operation is repeatedly performed for the number of copies and the final bundle of recording sheets is stapled, the stapler moving motor 39 is turned on, the stapler S is moved in the home position direction, and the stapler home sensor 40 is turned on. The movement motor 39 is turned off.

 Next, the operation of the discharge belt will be described.

When the power is turned on and the mode is selected, the CPU checks the output states of the belt home sensor 48, the tray ejection sensor 205, and the rotation sensor 210, and performs the following operation. If the belt home sensor 48 is turned on and the tray discharge existence sensor 205 is turned off, nothing is performed. If both the belt home sensor 48 and the tray ejection sensor 205 are off, it is determined that the ejection belt 17 has not returned to the home position, the belt drive motor 22 is turned on, the ejection belt 17 is operated, and the belt When the home sensor 48 is turned on, the belt drive motor 22 is turned off. When the belt home sensor 48 is turned off and the tray discharge presence / absence sensor 205 is turned on, it is determined that the discharge is defective, and a signal is sent to the copying machine to remove the recording paper bundle on the staple tray. After the bundle of recording paper is removed, the belt drive motor 22 is turned on to operate the ejection belt 17, and the belt home sensor 48
Is turned on, the belt drive motor 22 is turned off.

At the time of copying and at the end of copying, when the last sheet of the copy set is discharged onto the staple tray and the stapler S performs the binding operation of the bundle of recording sheets, the one-rotation sensor 210 is turned on and stapled normally. It is confirmed that. Thereafter, the belt drive motor 22 is turned on, the discharge belt 17 is operated, the stapled recording paper bundle is discharged onto the discharge tray 53, and when the belt home sensor 48 is turned on, the belt drive motor 22 is turned off. Such an operation is repeated for the number of copies.

In the shift tray system of the transport system, a finisher start signal is transmitted when the copying machine body starts copying.When the signal is received, the transport motor 220 is turned on and the low speed operation is performed with the main body linear speed. Done at the same speed. When the recording paper is discharged from the main body and the entrance sensor SN1 is turned on, a timer is set and it is monitored whether the recording paper passes through the entrance sensor SN1 within a predetermined time to detect a jam. When the trailing edge of the recording paper passes through the entrance sensor SN1 and the entrance sensor SN1 is turned off, the transport motor 220 is switched to high-speed operation, and the transport speed is increased. Further, a timer is set, and it is monitored whether or not the leading end of the recording paper turns on the paper discharge sensor SN2 within a predetermined time to detect a jam. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the trailing edge of the recording paper has passed through the entrance sensor SN1, the transport motor 220 is returned to the low-speed operation, and is ready for the next transport of the recording paper. When the paper discharge sensor SN2 is turned on by the recording paper, a timer is set, and whether or not the recording paper passes within a predetermined time is monitored to detect a jam.

By repeating such an operation, in the case of the shift tray mode, when the shift signal is received,
A shift OK signal is output after a predetermined time has passed since the last sheet of the copy set has passed the sheet discharge sensor SN2, and the timing at which the shift operation is performed is measured. When the final recording paper is ejected from the main unit, a finisher stop signal is sent.When that signal is received, the conveyance motor 220 turns off when a predetermined time has elapsed after the final recording paper passed the paper ejection sensor SN2. Is done.

Next, in the staple tray system, when the copying machine body starts copying, a finisher start signal is transmitted.When the signal is received, the conveying motor 220 is turned on and the low speed operation is the same as the main body linear speed. Done at speed. When the recording paper is discharged from the main body and the entrance sensor SN1 is turned on, the switching solenoid 230 and the lower conveyance motor 226 are turned on at a low speed operation, a timer is set, and whether the recording paper passes through the entrance sensor SN1 within a predetermined time is determined. Is monitored to detect a jam. The trailing edge of the recording paper passes through the entrance sensor SN1 and enters the entrance sensor SN1.
Is turned off and a predetermined time has elapsed, the lower transport motor 226 is switched to high-speed operation, and the transport speed is increased. A timer is set and the leading edge of the recording paper is
Is monitored within a predetermined time to detect a jam. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the trailing edge of the recording paper has passed the entrance sensor SN1, the switching solenoid 230 is turned off. When the lower sheet ejection sensor 50 is turned on by the recording sheet, a timer is set, and it is monitored whether the recording sheet passes within a predetermined time to detect a jam. When a predetermined time has elapsed after the recording paper has passed the lower discharge sensor 50, the lower transport motor 226 is switched to low-speed operation.

When a staple signal is received by repeating such an operation, after a predetermined time has passed after the last sheet of the copy set has passed the lower sheet ejection sensor 50, a sheet aligning operation by the jogger fence is performed, and then the stapling operation is performed. The timing of the operation is measured. When the final recording paper is ejected from the main unit, a finisher stop signal is sent.
When a predetermined time has elapsed after the last recording sheet has passed the sheet ejection sensor 50, the transport motor 220 and the lower transport motor 226 are turned off.

At this time, when the staple mode is selected,
The paper discharge operation is automatically executed according to a subroutine as shown in FIG. That is, first, it is checked whether or not the staple mode is selected based on a signal transmitted from the copying machine main body (step 1). If the staple mode is selected, the belt drive motor 22 of the discharge belt 17 is turned on. It is checked whether a flag for turning on is set (step 2). When the off state of the belt drive motor 22 is confirmed,
The on / off state of the tray paper presence / absence sensor 205 is checked (step 3), thereby checking whether or not there is a recording paper in the staple tray. If there is recording paper in the staple tray, a flag is set to turn on the belt drive motor 22 of the discharge belt 17 and the off timer of the belt drive motor 22 is started (step 4). When driven, the recording paper in the staple tray is discharged to the discharge tray 53. When it is confirmed that the value of the off timer of the belt drive motor 22 has become equal to or more than the set value x1 (step 5), the belt drive motor 22 is turned off and the discharge operation of the recording paper is completed (step 6). .

As described above, in this embodiment, when the staple mode is selected, first, the remaining recording paper in the staple portion is discharged, and thereafter, the stapling process is executed. For this reason, the stapling process is performed while the remaining recording paper on which the copy image has been formed previously and the copy image formed this time are clearly distinguished.

On the other hand, it is also possible to execute an automatic paper discharging operation according to a subroutine as shown in FIG. That is, first, it is checked whether or not the staple mode is selected based on a signal transmitted from the copying machine body (step 1). If the staple mode is selected, the belt drive motor 22 of the discharge belt 17 is determined. It is checked whether or not a flag for turning on is set (step 2). Then, when the off state of the belt drive motor 22 is confirmed, the tray paper presence sensor 205 is turned on and off.
The off state is checked (step 3) to check whether there is any recording paper in the staple tray, and whether the copy start key of the copying machine has been turned on based on a signal transmitted from the copying machine body. Is detected (step 4). If there is recording paper in the staple tray, a flag is set to turn on the belt drive motor 22 and a motor off timer is started (step 5), whereby the discharge belt 17 is driven and the staple tray is driven. The recording paper is discharged to the discharge tray 53. When it is confirmed that the off timer value of the belt drive motor 22 has become equal to or more than the set value x1 (step 6),
The belt drive motor 22 is turned off, and the discharge operation of the recording paper is completed (step 7).

In this embodiment, at the start of the copying operation, first, the remaining recording paper in the stapling section is discharged, and then the stapling process is executed. As a result, the stapling process is performed while the remaining recording paper on which the copy image has been formed previously is clearly distinguished from the current copy image formation.

In such various control systems, as shown in FIG. 18, the CPU of the copying machine and the CPU of the finisher are connected by an optical fiber.

In the shift tray section of the finisher, CPU 100
0, the transfer motor 100 via the servo control circuit 1001
2 are connected to each other, a vertical motor 1004 is connected via a forward / reverse driver circuit 1003, and a shift motor 1006 is connected via a forward / reverse driver circuit 1005. Further, signals from various sensors and various switches 1007 are input to the CPU 1000.

Furthermore, the CPU 1000 is connected to the staple section via an interface I / O. And for the above interface I / O, staple unit 1
008 is connected, a transport motor 1011 is connected via a servo control circuit 1009, a discharge motor 1013 is connected via a servo control circuit 1012, and a jogger motor 1015 is further connected via a stepping control motor control circuit 1014. Are connected, and a stapler movement motor 1017 is connected via a stepping control motor control circuit 1016. Furthermore, signals from various sensors and various switches 1018 are input to the interface I / O.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, in the present invention, in the staple processing operation, the remaining recording paper of the staple tray on which an image has been formed previously is clearly distinguished from the staple processing portion in the current image formation. When the staple mode is selected or when the image forming operation is started, first, the remaining recording paper in the staple portion is discharged, and then the stapling process is performed, so that the recording paper on which the image has been formed can be confused with each other. The image forming operation can be avoided and the image forming operation can be efficiently continued without interruption.

Further, when recording paper remains on the staple placement unit when the staple mode for image formation of the next job is selected or when the image forming operation is started, the remaining recording paper is discharged from the staple placement unit. Therefore, an operation for forming an image of the next job can be performed irrespective of the presence or absence of the remaining recording paper on the staple placement unit, and the operability is improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory side view showing an entire configuration of an example of a finisher for carrying out the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view showing a discharge section to a discharge tray, and FIG. 3 is a tray shift swing mechanism. 4 and 5 are a plan view and an external perspective view showing a drive system of a tray shift swinging mechanism, and FIG. 6 is a view showing a sheet ejection holding mechanism. FIGS. 7 and 8 are side explanatory views and an external perspective view of a discharge tray raising / lowering mechanism.
FIG. 9 is a schematic side view illustrating the schematic structure of the paper discharge processing system, FIGS. 10 and 11 are front and bottom views illustrating the schematic configuration of the staple unit, and FIG. FIG. 13 is an external perspective view of the discharge device, FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 10, FIG. 15 is an enlarged side view of the staple discharge portion, and FIG. 16
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a staple processing control operation procedure in one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing a staple processing control operation procedure in another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a control system for performing the control. I: shift sorting section, II: staple section, S: stapler, 3: discharge roller, 5, 6, jogger fence, 17, discharge belt, 22, belt drive motor, 26, 27 ... … Guide plate, 53… Discharge tray, 103… Fur brush for paper shift, 107 …… Discharge tray.

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B27F 7/17 B27F 7/19 B27F 7/21 B27F 7/23

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A bookbinding process for recording paper on which an image is formed,
In the recording sheet processing method in which the recording sheets are bound by a stapling unit and the stapled recording sheet bundle is discharged to a discharge tray, the stapling apparatus is selected when a staple mode for forming an image of a next job is selected. A recording sheet processing method, wherein when a recording sheet remains in a set, the remaining recording sheet is discharged from the stapling section, and then a stapling process is executed. 2. A bookbinding process for recording paper on which an image has been formed.
In the recording paper processing method in which the recording paper is bound by a stapling device and the bound bundle of recording paper is discharged to a discharge tray, a state in which a staple mode for forming an image of a next job is selected. If the recording paper remains in the stapling device at the start of the image forming operation in the above, the remaining recording paper is ejected from the staple placement unit, and then the stapling process is performed. A recording paper processing method. 3. The recording paper processing method according to claim 1, wherein the remaining recording paper is discharged to the discharge tray without performing stapling.