JP3481073B2 - Finisher device - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention temporarily stacks image-formed sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer on a processing tray, and sets the rear end of the sheet in the sheet discharge direction. The present invention relates to a finisher device that is post-processed by a stapler device or the like and then stored on a stacking tray.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a general finisher device, an image-formed sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus is temporarily stacked on a processing tray during post-processing (eg, staple binding) on the processing tray. In many cases, the trailing edge side of the paper in the paper discharge direction slides down on the processing tray and drops to the binding position of the stapler device.

[0003]

By the way, a pair of rubber rollers for gripping the sheets bound by the stapling device and transporting them onto the stacking tray are arranged at the front end of the processing tray in the sheet discharge direction so that they can approach and separate from each other. When the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus is temporarily stacked on the processing tray, the rubber roller pair is separated from each other so that the front end side of the paper in the paper discharge direction is moved outward from between the rubber roller pair. Project. As a result, when the trailing end side of the sheet in the sheet ejection direction slides down on the processing tray and moves down to the binding position of the stapler, the lower surface of the leading edge side of the sheet in the sheet ejecting direction comes into contact with the rubber roller to generate frictional force. , The paper might not slide down on the processing tray smoothly. In particular, when the first sheet of paper is discharged onto the processing tray, it may not slide down smoothly, which may cause improper alignment and cause binding failure of the sheet bundle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a finisher device in which a sheet temporarily stacked on a processing tray is smoothly slid down on the processing tray to prevent post-processing failure.

Another object of the present invention is to reduce the conveyance resistance of the paper in contact with the stacking tray surface when the post-processed paper is conveyed from the processing tray to the stacking tray, so that the stacking tray has the same resistance. The purpose is to provide a finisher device that can be stored smoothly on top.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a finisher device according to claim 1 of the present invention comprises a stacking tray for storing sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus,
A processing tray that temporarily stacks paper in a paper path from the image forming apparatus to the stacking tray, a post-processing unit that post-processes the paper on the processing tray, and stacks the post-processed paper from the processing tray. In a finisher device provided with a carrying means for carrying to a tray, a protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the processing tray in the vicinity of the carrying means.

Further, the finisher device according to a second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the conveying means is constituted by a pair of rollers for conveying a sheet from the processing tray to the accumulating tray while gripping the sheet.

Further, the finisher device according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the projection is projected to at least the same height position as the upper end of the roller located on the processing tray side of the roller pair. To do.

Further, the finisher device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the protrusion can be retracted below the upper end position of the roller located on the processing tray side.

Further, in the finisher device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the protrusion is formed by cutting and raising a part of the processing tray, and can be retracted downward by an elastic hinge action of the cut and raised portion. Is characterized by.

Further, the finisher device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that at least one pair of the projections is provided on both sides in the carrying direction of the carrying means.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of a finisher device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows the overall configuration of a finisher device according to the present invention. The finisher device 1 is connected to an image forming device (not shown) via an adapter device (not shown) and has a second deflecting path 2 for deflecting the sheet P1 from the image forming device, and the second deflecting path 2. A first sheet conveying path 3 that guides the sheet from the deflecting path 2 in a substantially vertical direction, and a second portion having a deflecting unit that guides the sheet from the first sheet conveying path 3 in a substantially horizontal direction.
Paper transport path 4 and a processing space 5 formed also between the outlet end of the second paper transport path 4 having the deflecting portion on the downstream side of the paper discharge and the paper discharge port 1a of the finisher device 1 and also serving as a paper discharge path.
And a second paper discharge path 6 branched from the boundary between the first paper transport path 3 and the second paper transport path 4.

That is, the paper P1 is guided to the processing space 5 through the second deflection path 2, the first paper transportation path 3 and the second paper transportation path 4, and the processing space 5 is reciprocated by half. After passing through the path for the staple processing to reach the paper exit 1a, the second deflection path 2, the first paper transport path 3, and the second paper transport path 4, the paper passes through the processing space 5 A non-processed route leading to 1a, a non-processed route leading to the second deflection route 2, the first sheet conveying route 3, and the second paper discharge route 6 are provided. Further, the second deflecting path 2, the first sheet transporting path 3, and the second sheet transporting path 4 are detoured in a substantially U shape along the rear shape of the casing 7 of the finisher device 1 as a whole. Thereby, the storage space 9 for installing the staple device 8 is formed.

The second deflection path 2 includes a pair of guide plates 10 facing each other with a space allowing the sheet P1 to pass therethrough.
It is formed by 11. In addition, the second deflection path 2
A sheet detection sensor 13 for detecting the leading end and the trailing end of the sheet P1 sent from the image forming apparatus at the beginning of the path, and the sheet P1 downstream of the second deflection path 2. And a pair of supply rollers 14 provided at two positions in the width direction of the paper so as to be conveyed to the side.

The first sheet conveying path 3 is formed by guide plates 15 facing each other with a space through which sheets can pass. Further, a conveyance roller pair 16 that conveys the paper sent from the second deflection path 2 to the downstream side in the conveyance direction is provided in the middle of the first paper conveyance path 3.

The second sheet conveying path 4 is formed by guide plates 17 facing each other with a space through which sheets can pass. At the trailing end of the second paper transport path 4, a plurality of transport roller pairs 18 for transporting the paper sent from the first paper transport path 3 to the downstream side in the discharge direction.
And a paper detection sensor 19 for detecting the leading end and the trailing end of the paper in the second paper transport path 4 in the paper ejection direction. In addition, the second paper transport path 4 is provided at the boundary between the first paper transport path 3 and the second paper transport path 4.
A switching means 20 for switching the sheet conveying direction is provided between the second sheet discharging path 6 and the second sheet discharging path 6.

The paper detection sensor 19 is the paper detection sensor 1
3 counts the number of transfer sheets set on the control panel of the image forming apparatus or on the computer side, and when the trailing edge of the sheet in the sheet discharge direction corresponding to this count-up detection is detected, the stapler device 8 is driven after a predetermined time has elapsed. A command signal for causing the output is output.

In this embodiment, the finisher apparatus 1 itself determines the timing of the staple processing based on the information of the sheet detection sensor 13 and drives the staple apparatus 8. However, the image forming apparatus itself also has the same timing. Therefore, a system in which the number of sheets is counted and stapling processing is determined by the image forming apparatus itself and a staple processing command is issued to the finisher apparatus 1 is also conceivable. Further, the signal for driving the stapler device 8 may be generated by a push button or the like.

The switching means 20 is provided with crank arms 21 and 22 that are driven in pairs by driving the stapler device 8 along the sheet width direction, and a switching lever 23 that is rotated by driving the crank arms 21 and 22. .

The processing space 5 is located below the exit end of the second paper transport path 4 and faces the paper exit 1a with its lower end overlapped near the exit end of the second paper transport path 4. Is formed above the processing tray 24 that is inclined and set. Further, a paper ejection processing unit 25 is provided near the paper ejection opening 1a in the processing space 5.

Below the paper discharge processing unit 25, a housing 7 is provided.
The stacking tray 26 is provided so as to project upward from the outer wall of the tray and is inclined upward. This stacking tray 26 is
A roller 2 provided on a bracket 27 fixed to the base of the roller 2.
8 moves up and down by moving along a guard rail 29 extending in the up-down direction, and an elevating device 30 for moving up and down is provided outside the housing 7.

At the upper end of the processing tray 24, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a rectangular notch 35 is formed along the upper edge.
A plurality of sheets are provided, and a rotatable sheet discharge driving roller 41 and a rotating arm 43 provided coaxially with the sheet discharge driving roller 41 are arranged adjacent to each other in the cutout portion 35. Further, on the upper end of the processing tray 24, protrusions 36 are formed on each side edge of the notch 24 in the width direction. This protrusion 36
Is a resin molded product integrally formed with the processing tray 24, and has a smooth surface and forms a gentle inclined surface toward the upper end of the processing tray 24. Further, the protrusions 36 have different sizes in the width direction of the processing tray 24, and the protrusions 36a and 36a in the central portion, the protrusions 36b and 36b on both sides thereof, and the protrusions 3 on both sides thereof.
The shape gradually increases in the order of 6c and 36c. This is because, as will be described later, when the sheet is conveyed from the processing tray 24 to the stacking tray 26, both sides in the width direction of the sheet are raised to make the sheet lean. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, any of the protrusions 36a, 36b, 36c projects upward from the upper end position of the paper discharge drive roller 41.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, above the paper discharge drive roller 41, the paper discharge drive roller 41 is provided.
An arm type driven roller 42 which can be brought into and out of contact with is provided. The arm type driven roller 42 approaches and separates from the sheet discharge driving roller 41 according to the sheet discharge state. When the stapler device 8 bundles the sheets, the arm type driven roller 42 approaches the sheet discharge driving roller 41 and bundles the sheets. By sandwiching the sheet bundle with the sheet discharge drive roller 41, the sheet bundle is discharged from the sheet discharge port 1a onto the stacking tray 26. When the arm-type driven roller 42 approaches or separates, an engaging claw 44a is provided on the arm 44 that holds the arm-type driven roller 42 so as to be rotatable, and the vicinity thereof is biased by a coil spring 37. 44
The eccentric cam 46 is brought into contact with the other end of the L-shaped lever 45 whose one end engages with a, and the rotation of the eccentric cam 46 is controlled. That is, the L-shaped lever 45 is rotated by the rotation angle of the eccentric cam 46 to vertically move the engaging claw 44a, and the vertical movement causes the arm 44 to rotate. As shown in FIG. 5, the eccentric cam 46 has the L-shaped lever 4
5, the arm 44 is rotated upward in a state where the engaging claw 44a is pressed down and the engaging claw 44a is pushed down, as shown in FIG.
When the eccentric cam 46 rotates to release the contact with the L-shaped lever 45, the engaging claw 44 is urged by the urging force of the coil spring 37.
a pushes up one end of the L-shaped lever 45, the arm 44 rotates downward, and the paper ejection drive roller 41 follows the driven roller 42.
Abut.

The rotary arm 43 has rollers 4 at both ends thereof.
It has a substantially L shape in which 7, 48 are rotatably provided.
The rotation of the rotary arm 43 is such that the worm gear 50 is rotated by the drive of the motor 49, and the rotation gear 51 receives the rotation of the worm gear 50 to rotate the rotary arm 43. Although the paper discharge drive roller 41 and the rotary gear 51 are coaxial, they rotate independently.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the processing tray 24 is provided with a pair of aligning plates 31, 31 for aligning both widths of the paper from the second paper transport path 4, and at least one of them is provided. It can be displaced in the paper width direction according to the paper size. Further, the stapler device 8 described above,
Formed by bypassing the second deflection path 2, the first paper transport path 3, and the second paper transport path 4 so as to be located between the lower end of the processing tray 24 and the first paper transport path 3. The storage space 9 is provided. Further, the processing tray 24 is provided with a weighing sensor 32 for detecting the stacking amount of paper. The detection amount of the weighing sensor 32 is set according to the binding allowance of the stapler device 8, and if the sheets are stacked in excess of the binding allowance, the staple binding is not performed. A paddle 33 is provided at the lower end of the processing tray 24, as shown in FIG.

The paddle 33 rotates (counterclockwise in FIG. 5) at the time when the passage of a sheet is detected by the sheet detection sensor 19 and after a lapse of a predetermined time is confirmed, this rotation causes the stapler device 8 to rotate. The sheet ejected onto the processing tray 24 and slid down by its own weight is reliably brought into contact with the stopper 34 and the regulation wall 8b of the stapling device 8 and dropped so that the rear ends of the sheets are aligned.

As shown in FIG. 1, the second paper discharge path 6 is formed by guide plates 52 and 53 which are opposed to each other with a space through which the paper can pass. In addition, at the trailing end of the second sheet discharge path 6, a pair of sheet discharge rollers 54 for discharging the sheet from the auxiliary sheet discharge port 1b, and a slanting direction from below the auxiliary sheet discharge port 1b to upward. Auxiliary stacking tray 5 provided on the upper part of the housing 7 in such a manner that it can be opened and closed.
And a stacking amount detection sensor 56 for detecting the stacking amount of the sheets stacked on the sheet 5.

The sheet is conveyed to the second sheet discharge path 6 by
When the stapler device 8 is displaced to the home position by not using the stapler device 8, the crank arms 21 and 22 are driven in conjunction with the displacement and the switching lever 23
The sheet is conveyed from the terminal end of the first sheet conveying path 3 by switching the conveying path.

When the stacking amount detection sensor 56 detects that the stacking amount is maximum, it operates the switching lever 23 so that the remaining sheets are stacked on the stacking tray 26.
It is also possible to stack the sheets without using the stapler device 8 on the stacking tray 26 and use the auxiliary stacking tray 55 when the stacking on the stacking tray 26 becomes maximum.

The auxiliary stacking tray 55 is rotatably provided in the housing 7 so as to open the upper part of the second sheet transport path 4 and the processing space 5. The paper detection sensor 19 and the weighing sensor 32 also serve as a paper jam detection sensor. When the sensors 19 and 32 detect a paper jam, the auxiliary stacking tray 55 is shown in FIG. As shown in, the jam can be released by opening. Further, jam detection on the second deflection path 2 and the first paper transport path 3 is performed by the paper detection sensor 13, and the jam can be released by opening the back cover 7a of the housing 7.

As shown in FIG. 5, each roller pair 1
One of the rollers 4, 16, 18, and 54 is a driving side roller and the other is a driven side roller. The roller pair 54 is rotated by the driving of the motor 57, and each roller pair 14 is rotated through a plurality of pulleys and belts. , 16 and 18 drive rollers rotate.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the stapler device 8 enables, for example, the width of the sheet, the binding position, or the binding at a plurality of positions, so that it can be displaced in the width direction of the sheet by the moving device 68. There is. In addition, the stapler device 8
The rear end of the sheet in the sheet discharge direction is brought into contact with the restriction wall 8b and the stopper 34, but there are a plurality of binding positions of the sheet, and the following measures are taken. That is, the stoppers 34 are installed at two locations in the axial direction and rotate together with the rotation of the shaft. However, since the stopper 34 is engaged with the shaft by the coil spring, when the shaft rotates. When the stopper 34 hits the stapler device 8, the coil spring loses to stop the rotation of the stopper 34, while the stopper 34 which is not hit rotates together with the shaft and waits at the alignment position.
With such a structure, the trailing edge of the sheet can be properly aligned even if the stapling process is waited for at any position. The cartridge 8a built in the stapler device 8 can be replaced by opening the back cover 7a of the housing 7, and the guide plates 10, 1 can be replaced.
1, 15 are therefore open in the center.

At least a part of each of the trays 24, 26, 55 is set to be inclined upward so that the rear end portion of the sheet in the sheet discharge direction is located lower than the front end portion and the rear end is aligned by its own weight. Has been done.

Next, in the finisher device 1 having the above-described structure, a case in which the stapler device 8 is used to staple a stack of sheets will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 7 and 8. First, the sheet P1 discharged from the image forming apparatus is driven by the pair of transport rollers 14, 16, 18 and guided by the guide plates 10, 11, 15, 17 to generate a second deflection path 2, a first sheet transport path 3, Second paper transport path 4
It is transported as if it detours via the inside. And
As shown in FIG. 7A, the sheet P1 is fed into the processing space 5 from the pair of conveying rollers 18 provided at the terminal end of the second sheet conveying path 4. At this time, the arm type driven roller 4
2 is at a position separated from the paper discharge drive roller 41.

The paper P1 sent from the processing space 5 onto the processing tray 24 is discharged while the leading end in the paper discharge direction is in contact with the projection 36 at the upper end of the processing tray 24, as shown in FIG. 7B. Therefore, the lower surface of the sheet does not come into contact with the sheet discharge driving roller 41 and extends to the position protruding from the upper end of the processing tray 24.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7C, the paper P
When the trailing end of the sheet P1 in the sheet ejection direction comes out of the pair of transport rollers 18, the sheet P1 is placed on the processing tray 24 with the leading end of the sheet ejection direction protruding from the upper end of the processing tray 24. Since 24 is inclined downward toward the stapler device 8, it slides down on the processing tray 24 due to its own weight. At this time, as shown in FIG. 8, the tip end portion of the sheet P1 in the sheet discharge direction does not come into contact with the sheet discharge driving roller 41 of the rubber molded product, and the projection 3 having an extremely smaller friction coefficient than that.
Since it slides on the inclined surface of 6, the slip on the leading end side is also good and the paper P1
Smoothly slides down on the processing tray 24.

The sheet P1 that has slid down on the processing tray 24 due to its own weight is, as shown in FIG. 7D, a pair of alignment plates 31, 31 (shown in FIG. 1) at both widthwise ends of the sheet P1.
Further, the rear end portion of the sheet P1 in the sheet discharge direction is brought into contact with the stopper 34 and the regulation wall 8b of the stapler device 8 by the rotation of the paddle 33, and is aligned with each other. In this way, the paper P1
The sheet detection sensor 13 counts a predetermined number of sheets while aligning the sheets one by one to the staple position, and the sheet detection sensor 19 determines that the final sheet counted up is conveyed to the processing tray 24 and the alignment is completed within a predetermined time. When detected,
The paddle 33 rotates to drop the final sheet into the stapler device 8. After that, the stapler device 8 staples the bundle of sheets. At this time, since the image forming surface of the sheet faces the processing tray 24 side (according to the discharge state of the image forming apparatus), the stapler apparatus 8 performs the staple binding from the lower side thereof.

Next, the case where the bundle of sheets for which staple binding has been completed is conveyed onto the stacking tray 26 will be described with reference to FIG. The arm type driven roller 42 has already approached the sheet discharge driving roller 41 side and grips the sheet bundle P2 during the staple binding operation. At this time, the protrusions 36a, 36 are provided on both sides of the gripping rollers 41, 42 immediately.
Due to b and 36c, the sheet bundle P1 has a step and rises, and the sheet becomes elastic. Especially the outer projection 3
Since 6c is higher, both sides of the sheet are greatly raised. In this way, by providing a plurality of steps on the sheet bundle P2, when the sheet discharge drive roller 41 is rotated and conveyed on the stacking tray 26 while the sheet bundle P2 is gripped and fixed, the sheet bundle P2 is conveyed at the step portion. Since P2 is fed onto the stacking tray with its waist attached, the front end of the sheet bundle P2 in the sheet discharge direction is prevented from hanging down, and it becomes difficult to contact the stacking tray 26. As a result, the conveyance resistance of the sheet bundle P2 in the stacking tray 26 is reduced, the sheet stack P2 is smoothly stored on the stacking tray 26, and the consistency of the sheet bundle P2 is improved. In particular, a remarkable effect appears when the number of bound sheets P2 is small. In this way, the processing according to the number of sets of the sheet bundle P2 is repeated, and when the stacking amount of the sheet bundle P2 increases, the stacking tray 26 shifts downward, and a large number of sheet bundles P2 can be stacked.

In the present invention, the protrusion 36 may be formed by cutting and raising a part of the processing tray 24 which is a resin molded product. The protruding body is elastically bent downward because the cut and raised portion serves as a resin hinge. Therefore, when the paper is temporarily placed on the processing tray 24, the slanted surface of the projection smoothes the paper like the above-described projection 36, but the staple-stitched stack of paper is collected. When the sheet is conveyed onto the tray 26, the sheet ejection drive roller 41
When the sheet bundle is gripped by the arm type driven roller 42 and the arm type driven roller 42, the protrusion elastically bends and retracts downward due to the weight of the sheet bundle, so that the paper discharge drive roller 41 and the arm type driven roller 42 are gripped. It has the effect of not affecting the power.

Further, the projection 36 can be formed separately from the processing tray 24 when the processing tray 24 is a processed product of sheet metal. The protrusion itself does not have to be a resin molded product, and if the material has a friction coefficient smaller than that of the paper discharge drive roller 41, the resin does not matter.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the post-processing step is staple binding is explained, but the present invention is also applied to post-processing steps other than step binding such as punching processing by punching.

[0042]

As described above, according to the finisher device of the present invention, the protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the processing tray in the vicinity of the conveying roller for conveying the sheet from the processing tray to the stacking tray. When the paper temporarily placed on the tray slides down on the processing tray due to its own weight due to the post-processing, the paper comes into contact with the protrusions and the paper slides down on the processing tray smoothly and aligns with the predetermined position. It does not cause post-processing defects.

Further, according to the present invention, when the post-processed paper is conveyed from the processing tray to the stacking tray,
Since the paper can be stiffened between the transport roller and the protrusion, the transport resistance of the paper in contact with the stacking tray surface can be reduced, and it can be stored smoothly on the stacking tray, improving the consistency of the stored paper. To be done. In particular, a remarkable effect appears when the number of sheets bound is small.

Further, according to the finisher device of the fourth or fifth aspect of the present invention, since the projecting member can be retracted, when the post-processed paper is conveyed to the stacking tray,
When the paper is gripped by the pair of transport rollers, the projection bends and retracts downward, so the projection does not affect the gripping force of the paper by the pair of transport rollers.
Smooth transfer is ensured.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a perspective view of an internal structure of a finisher device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a main part of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an arrangement portion showing an embodiment of a protrusion.

FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 showing a positional relationship between a sheet temporarily placed on a processing tray and a sheet discharge drive roller.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a rotation mechanism of an arm type driven roller.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the rotating mechanism when an arm type driven roller is brought close to a paper discharge driving roller.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of a sheet temporarily placed on a processing tray.

8 is an enlarged view of a portion B in FIG. 7 described above.

FIG. 9 is a view in the direction of arrow A in FIG. 1 showing a state in which the paper is gripped by the paper discharge drive roller and the arm type driven roller.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Finisher device 8 stapler device (post-processing means) 24 Processing tray 26 Stacking tray 36 Protrusion 41 Paper ejection drive roller (conveying means) 42 Arm type driven roller (conveying means) P1 paper P2 paper bundle

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A stacking tray for storing sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus, a processing tray for temporarily stacking sheets in a sheet path from the image forming apparatus to the stacking tray, and sheets on the processing tray. In a finisher device having post-processing means for post-processing and post-processing paper from the processing tray to the stacking tray, a protrusion is provided on the upper surface of the processing tray near the transfer means. Finisher device characterized by. 2. The finisher device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying means is constituted by a pair of rollers which conveys a sheet from the processing tray onto the stacking tray while gripping the sheet. 3. The finisher device according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion projects to a position at least as high as an upper end of a roller located on the processing tray side of the roller pair. 4. The finisher device according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion is retractable below an upper end position of a roller located on the processing tray side. 5. The finisher device according to claim 4, wherein the projection is formed by cutting and raising a part of the processing tray, and can be retracted downward by an elastic hinge action of the cut and raised portion. 6. The finisher device according to claim 1, wherein at least one pair of the protrusions are provided on both sides of the conveying means in the conveying direction.