JP3981315B2 - Paper processing apparatus and image forming system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is provided integrally or separately in an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, or a printing machine, and performs predetermined processing, such as sorting, stacking, binding, and saddle stitching, on an image-formed sheet (recording medium). The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that performs bookbinding and discharges paper, and an image forming system including the sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Various types of paper post-processing devices have been provided that automatically perform processing such as sorting / punching / stipling on paper discharged from image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers. Sheet post-processing with a single-end binding that binds along the edge, a multi-point binding along the center line that divides the paper into two parts, and a center folding function that folds the central part and then binds Equipment needs are increasing. Therefore, the inventions disclosed in JP-A-8-192951, JP-A-10-148983 and JP-A-10-167562 are proposed, and further, the saddle stitching position and the center folding position are made highly accurate. An invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-21118 has also been proposed with a high final quality.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
JP-A-8-192951 [0004]
[Patent Document 2]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-148983
[Patent Document 3]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-167562
[Patent Document 4]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-211185
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In general, when a stapling process is performed on a matched sheet bundle, the stapler is operated by positioning the sheet bundle. For positioning the sheet bundle, the sheet bundle being conveyed is stopped at a predetermined timing, or the sheet bundle is abutted at a predetermined position to align the end of the sheet, and then the abutting member is moved for positioning. Can be considered. In the prior art, the latter method is used to increase the accuracy of the binding position and the folding position.
[0008]
However, in the prior art, when the shape of the abutting means varies or the abutting means varies, the binding position and the folding position vary for each apparatus. Furthermore, depending on how the abutting means is attached, the abutting means bends due to the weight of the paper, and the binding position and the folding position vary depending on the paper size and type even in the same apparatus.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the actual situation of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to perform binding processing to a desired position even for various paper sizes by preventing an increase in size and complexity of the apparatus. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus that can perform such a process.
[0010]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming system that can minimize the cost and can cope with the minimum change from an apparatus having no saddle stitching function.
[0011]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming system that are less susceptible to the influence of the inclination even when the sheet bundle is inclined with respect to the transport direction and that can perform binding processing to a desired position. is there.
[0012]
Another object of the present invention is to provide a paper post-processing apparatus that is user-friendly.
[0013]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the first means is a stacking means for temporarily accumulating the sheets in the sheet processing apparatus for accumulating the sheets fed in, performing a predetermined process, and discharging the sheets. Aligning means for aligning the sheet bundle, binding means for performing a binding process on the aligned sheet bundle, moving means for moving the bound sheet bundle, and detecting a sheet end portion of the sheet bundle moved by the moving means And detecting means for controlling each of these means, and the control means detects the end of the sheet bundle detected by the detecting means when performing the saddle stitching by the binding means, A moving direction of the moving unit is set according to the size, and the saddle stitching is executed after the sheet bundle is moved in the set direction.
[0014]
The second means is characterized in that, in the first means, the control means controls the moving means based on paper detection information from the detecting means to set a saddle stitch position.
[0015]
The third means further comprises input means for inputting the amount of movement of the moving means from the outside in the second means, and the control means is inputted from the input means in addition to the paper detection information from the detecting means. The saddle stitching position is set based on the amount of movement.
[0016]
The fourth means is the first means, wherein the binding means is provided at a central portion of the stacking means, and the detection means is provided at a central portion of the stacking means and at an end downstream of the sheet direction. It is characterized by.
[0017]
A fifth means is characterized in that, in the first means, the detection means detects whether or not a sheet is present in the stack means in addition to detecting a sheet end portion of a sheet bundle.
[0018]
The sixth means comprises a saddle stitching stapler in which the binding means performs saddle stitching in the first means, and the detection means is arranged between a plurality of saddle stitching staplers in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. It is characterized by that.
[0019]
A seventh means includes an image forming system comprising: an image forming apparatus that forms a visible image on a recording medium; and a sheet processing apparatus according to first to sixth means that is provided integrally with or separate from the image forming apparatus. It is characterized by comprising. .
[0020]
According to the first and seventh means, after detecting the edge of the sheet bundle moved by the moving means depending on the sheet size to be saddle-stitched, the moving means is operated in the reverse direction to move the sheet bundle to the binding position. As a result, the apparatus can be prevented from being enlarged and complicated, and the binding process can be performed at a desired position even for various paper sizes.
[0021]
According to the second and seventh means, by performing the binding process based on the detection information from the detection means for detecting the end portion of the moving sheet bundle, it is possible to prevent the saddle stitching position from varying. .
[0022]
According to the third and seventh means, since the binding position at the time of saddle stitching processing can be adjusted by input from the user, the user can adjust the binding position by looking at the actual binding position, thereby improving usability. Can be planned.
[0023]
According to the fourth, sixth and seventh means, the detection means for detecting the end portion of the sheet bundle is arranged between a plurality of saddle stitch staplers in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, so that the sheet bundle is conveyed. Even if it is inclined with respect to the direction, the binding process can be performed at a desired position without being affected by the inclination.
[0024]
According to the fifth and seventh means, since the detecting means for detecting the end portion of the sheet bundle also serves as the paper presence / absence detecting means in the staple tray, the cost is minimized and the apparatus does not have the saddle stitching function. It can be provided as a sheet processing apparatus with a saddle stitching function with minimal changes.
[0025]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[0026]
1. 1. Mechanical Configuration 1.1 Overall Configuration FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system configuration of an image forming system including a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus as a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 shows an entire post-processing apparatus and a part of an image forming apparatus.
[0027]
In FIG. 1, a sheet post-processing apparatus PD is attached to a side portion of the image forming apparatus PR, and a recording medium discharged from the image forming apparatus PR, here, a sheet is guided to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD. The sheet passes through a conveyance path A having post-processing means (in this embodiment, a punch unit 100 as a punching means) for post-processing one sheet, and then to the conveyance path B and the shift tray 202 which are led to the upper tray 201. The branching claw 15 and the branching claw 16 are configured to distribute to the conveyance path C that leads to the conveyance path D that leads to the conveyance path C that guides and the processing tray F that performs alignment and stapling (hereinafter also referred to as a staple processing tray).
[0028]
The paper guided to the staple processing tray F through the transport paths A and D, and aligned and stapled in the staple processing tray is guided to the shift tray 202 by the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 which are deflecting means. The sheet is configured to be distributed to a path C, a processing tray G that performs folding or the like (hereinafter also referred to as a middle folding processing tray). Led to. Further, a branching claw 17 is disposed in the conveyance path D, and is held in the state shown in the figure by a low load spring (not shown). After the trailing edge of the sheet passes through this, the conveyance rollers 9, 10 and the staple discharge roller 11 is configured such that at least the transport roller 9 is reversed and the rear end is guided and retained in the paper storage portion E, and can be transported while superposed on the next paper. By repeating this operation, it is possible to convey two or more sheets in a superimposed manner.
[0029]
In the conveyance path A common to the upstream of the conveyance path B, the conveyance path C, and the conveyance path D, an inlet sensor 301 that detects a sheet received from the image forming apparatus, an inlet roller 1, a punch unit 100, and a punch downstream thereof. The waste hopper 101, the conveying roller 2, the branching claw 15 and the branching claw 16 are sequentially arranged. The branch claw 15 and the branch claw 16 are held in the state shown in FIG. 1 by a spring (not shown), and when the solenoid (not shown) is turned on, the branch claw 15 rotates upward and the branch claw 16 rotates downward. The paper is distributed to the conveyance path B, the conveyance path C, and the conveyance path D.
[0030]
When guiding the paper to the conveyance path B, the branching claw 15 is in the state of FIG. 1 and the solenoid is OFF. When guiding the paper to the conveyance path C, the branching claw 15 is turned on by turning on the solenoid from the state of FIG. When the paper is guided to the transport path D, the branch claw 16 is in the state of FIG. 1, the solenoid is OFF, and the branch claw 15 is in the state of FIG. By turning on the solenoid, the solenoid is turned upward.
[0031]
In this paper post-processing apparatus, punching (punching unit 100), paper alignment + edge binding (jogger fence 53, edge binding stapler S1), paper alignment + saddle stitching (jogger fence 53, saddle stitching stapler) is performed on the paper. S2), paper sorting (shift tray 202), center folding (folding plate 74, folding rollers 81, 82), and the like can be performed.
[0032]
1.2 Shift Tray Unit The shift tray paper discharge unit I located at the most downstream portion of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD includes a shift paper discharge roller 6, a return roller 13, a paper surface detection sensor 330, a shift tray 202, The shift mechanism J shown in FIG. 2 and the shift tray lifting mechanism K shown in FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part showing details of the shift mechanism J, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the main part of the shift tray lifting mechanism K.
[0033]
1 and 3, reference numeral 13 denotes a sponge roller for contacting the paper discharged from the shift paper discharge roller 6 and aligning the rear end of the paper against the end fence 32 shown in FIG. The return roller 13 is rotated by the rotational force of the shift paper discharge roller 6. A tray lift limit switch 333 is provided in the vicinity of the return roller 13, and when the shift tray 202 is lifted to push up the return roller 13, the tray lift limit switch 333 is turned on and the tray lifting / lowering motor 168 is stopped. Thereby, overrun of the shift tray 202 is prevented. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a paper surface detection sensor 330 is provided in the vicinity of the return roller 13 as paper surface position detecting means for detecting the paper surface position of the paper discharged on the shift tray 202 or the sheet bundle. Yes.
[0034]
Although not shown in detail in FIG. 1, the paper surface detection sensor 330 includes the paper surface detection lever 30 shown in FIG. 3, a paper surface detection sensor (for stippling) 330a, and a paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b. Yes. The paper surface detection lever 30 is provided so as to be rotatable about the shaft portion of the lever, and includes a contact portion 30 a that contacts the upper surface of the rear end of the paper loaded on the shift tray 202 and a fan-shaped shielding portion 30 b. The paper surface detection sensor (for stippling) 330a located above is mainly used for staple discharge control, and the paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b is mainly used for shift discharge control.
[0035]
In the present embodiment, the paper surface detection sensor (for stipple) 330a and the paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b are turned on when blocked by the shielding portion 30b. Therefore, when the shift tray 202 is raised and the contact portion 30a of the paper surface detection lever 30 is rotated upward, the paper surface detection sensor (for stippling) 330a is turned off, and when further rotated, the paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b is turned on. To do. When it is detected by the paper surface detection sensor (for stipple) 330a and the paper surface detection sensor (for non-stipple) 330b that the sheet stacking amount has reached a predetermined height, the shift tray 202 is driven by the tray lift motor 168 to a predetermined amount. Descend. Thereby, the paper surface position of the shift tray 202 is kept substantially constant.
[0036]
1.2.1 Lift Tray Lifting Mechanism The lifting mechanism for the shift tray 202 will be described in detail.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 3, the shift tray 202 moves up and down when the drive shaft 21 is driven by the drive unit L. A timing belt 23 is stretched between the drive shaft 21 and the driven shaft 22 via a timing pulley, and a side plate 24 that supports the shift tray 202 is fixed to the timing belt 23. With this configuration, the unit including the shift tray 202 is suspended from the timing belt 23 so as to be able to move up and down.
[0038]
The drive unit L is composed of a tray lifting / lowering motor 168 and a worm gear 25, and the power generated by the tray lifting / lowering motor 168 capable of forward / reverse rotation as a driving source is a gear train fixed to the driving shaft 21 via the worm gear 25. The shift gear 202 is moved in the vertical direction by being transmitted to the final gear. Since the power transmission system is via the worm gear 25, the shift tray 202 can be held at a fixed position, and this gear configuration can prevent an accidental drop accident of the shift tray 202 and the like.
[0039]
A shielding plate 24a is integrally formed on the side plate 24 of the shift tray 202, and a fullness detection sensor 334 for detecting the full load of stacked sheets and a lower limit sensor 335 for detecting a lower limit position are disposed below the shielding plate 24a. Thus, the fullness detection sensor 334 and the lower limit sensor 335 are turned on / off. The fullness detection sensor 334 and the lower limit sensor 335 are photosensors, and are turned on when blocked by the shielding plate 24a. In FIG. 3, the shift paper discharge roller 6 is omitted.
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 2, the swing mechanism of the shift tray 202 includes a shift motor 169 and a shift cam 31. By rotating the shift cam 31 using the shift motor 169 as a drive source, the shift tray 202 can eject paper. Reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the direction. A pin 31 a is set up on the shift cam 31 at a position away from the center of the rotation shaft, and the other end of the pin 31 a is loosely fitted in the elongated hole 32 b of the engagement member 32 a of the end fence 32. The engaging member 32a is fixed to the back surface of the end fence 32 (the surface on which the shift tray 202 is not located) and reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the paper discharge direction according to the rotational position of the pin 31a of the shift cam 31. As a result, the shift tray 202 also moves in a direction perpendicular to the paper discharge direction. The shift tray 202 stops at two positions on the front side and the back side in FIG. 1 (corresponding to an enlarged view of the shift cam 31 in FIG. 2), and the stop control detects the notch of the shift cam 31 by the shift sensor 336. This is done by ON / OFF control of the shift motor 169 based on the detection signal.
[0041]
On the front side of the end fence 32, a guide protrusion 32c for the shift tray 202 is provided, and the rear end portion of the shift tray 202 is loosely fitted to the protrusion 32c so as to freely move up and down. 202 is supported by the end fence 32 so that it can move up and down and can reciprocate in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction. The end fence 32 has a function of guiding the rear end of the loaded paper on the shift tray 202 and aligning the rear ends.
[0042]
1.2.2 Paper Discharge Part FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the structure of the paper discharge part to the shift tray 202.
[0043]
1 and 4, the shift paper discharge roller 6 has a driving roller 6a and a driven roller 6b. The driven roller 6b is supported on the upstream side in the paper discharge direction and is provided with an open / close guide plate that can swing up and down. 33 is rotatably supported at the free end portion. The driven roller 6b abuts against the driving roller 6a by its own weight or urging force, and the paper is nipped between the rollers 6a and 6b and discharged. When the bound sheet bundle is discharged, the open / close guide plate 33 is pulled upward and returned at a predetermined timing. This timing is determined based on the detection signal of the shift paper discharge sensor 303. Is done. The stop position is determined based on the detection signal of the paper discharge guide plate opening / closing sensor 331 and is driven by the paper discharge guide plate opening / closing motor 167. The paper discharge guide plate opening / closing motor 167 is driven and controlled by turning on / off the paper discharge guide plate opening / closing limit switch 332.
[0044]
1.3 Stipple Processing Tray 1.3.1 Overall Configuration of Stipple Processing Tray The configuration of the stipple processing tray F that performs stipple processing will be described in detail.
[0045]
FIG. 5 is a plan view of the staple processing tray F viewed from a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying surface, FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the staple processing tray F and its driving mechanism, and FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the sheet bundle discharging mechanism. It is. First, as shown in FIG. 6, the sheets guided to the staple processing tray F by the staple discharge roller 11 are sequentially stacked on the staple processing tray F. In this case, alignment in the vertical direction (paper conveyance direction) is performed by the tapping roller 12 for each sheet, and alignment in the horizontal direction (direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction—also referred to as the sheet width direction) is performed by the jogger fence 53. The end-face stitching stapler S1 is driven by the staple signal from the control device (see FIG. 16) between the end of the job, that is, from the last sheet of the sheet bundle to the first sheet of the next sheet bundle, and the binding process is performed. The sheet bundle subjected to the binding process is immediately sent to the shift paper discharge roller 6 by the discharge belt 52 with the discharge claw 52a protruding, and is discharged to the shift tray 202 set at the receiving position.
[0046]
In the figure, reference numeral 64a denotes a front side plate, 64b denotes a rear side plate, and reference numeral 310 denotes a paper presence / absence sensor that detects the presence / absence of paper on the staple processing tray F. The paper presence / absence sensor 310 detects the presence / absence of a sheet or a bundle of sheets on the staple processing tray F, and is provided at a position close to the movement locus of the discharge claw 52 in this embodiment.
[0047]
1.3.2 As shown in FIG. 7, the paper discharge mechanism discharge claw 52 a has its home position detected by the discharge belt HP sensor 311, and the discharge belt HP sensor 311 is attached to the discharge belt 52. It is turned on / off by the provided release claw 52a. Two discharge claws 52a are arranged at opposing positions on the outer periphery of the discharge belt 52, and the sheet bundle stored in the staple processing tray F is moved and conveyed alternately. Further, if necessary, the discharge belt 52 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the sheet bundle stored in the staple processing tray F on the back side of the discharge claw 52a and the discharge claw 52a 'on the opposite side waiting to move the sheet bundle. It is also possible to align the tips in the transport direction. Therefore, the discharge claw 52a also functions as a means for aligning the sheet bundle in the sheet conveyance direction.
[0048]
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the discharge belt 52 driven by the discharge motor 157 has a discharge belt 52 and its drive pulley 62 arranged at the alignment center in the paper width direction with respect to the drive pulley 62. The discharge roller 56 is arranged and fixed symmetrically. Further, the peripheral speed of these discharge rollers 56 is set to be higher than the peripheral speed of the discharge belt 52.
[0049]
1.3.3 Processing Mechanism As shown in FIG. 6, the hitting roller 12 is swung around the fulcrum 12a and is given a pendulum motion by a SOL (solenoid) 170, and acts intermittently on the paper fed into the staple processing tray F. Then, the sheet is abutted against the rear end fence 51. The hitting roller 12 rotates counterclockwise.
[0050]
The jogger fence 53 is driven via a timing belt by a jogger motor 158 capable of forward and reverse rotation, and reciprocates in the paper width direction.
[0051]
As can be seen from the perspective view of the stapler S1 shown in FIG. 8 together with the moving mechanism, the end-face stitching stapler S1 is driven via a timing belt by a forward / reversely movable stapler moving motor 159 to bind a predetermined position at the end of the sheet. Move in the paper width direction. A stapler movement HP sensor 312 for detecting the home position of the end face binding stapler S1 is provided at one end of the moving range, and the binding position in the paper width direction is the amount of movement of the end face binding stapler S1 from the home position. Controlled by Further, as shown in the perspective view of FIG. 9, the end-face stitching stapler S1 is configured to change only the stitching mechanism portion of the stapler S1 at the home position so that the needle driving angle can be changed parallel to or obliquely with respect to the sheet edge. It is configured so that the staple needle can be easily exchanged by rotating at an angle. The stapler S1 is rotated obliquely by the oblique motor 160, and when the needle replacement position sensor 313 detects that the needle replacement position sensor 313 reaches a predetermined oblique angle or the needle replacement position, the oblique motor 160 stops. When the diagonal strike is finished or the needle exchange is finished, the original position is rotated to prepare for the next staple.
[0052]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, the saddle stitching stapler S2 is a distance in which the distance from the rear end fence 51 to the needle striking position of the saddle stitching stapler S2 corresponds to half of the conveyance direction length of the maximum sheet size that can be saddle stitched. The two are arranged as described above, and two are arranged symmetrically with respect to the alignment center in the paper width direction, and are fixed to the stay 63. Since the saddle stitching stapler S2 itself is a known configuration, a detailed description thereof will be omitted here. However, when performing saddle stitching, the jogger fence 53 aligns the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction and strikes the trailing edge fence 51. After the conveyance direction of the sheet is aligned by the roller 5, the discharge belt 52 is driven and the trailing end of the sheet bundle is lifted by the discharge claw 52, and the central portion in the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle is located at the binding position of the saddle stitching stapler S2. And then stop at this position to execute the binding operation. Then, the bound sheet bundle is conveyed to the middle folding processing tray G side and folded in half. Details will be described later.
[0053]
1.4 Sheet Bundle Deflection Mechanism The sheet bundle on which saddle stitching is performed in the staple processing tray F is folded in the center of the sheet. This middle folding is performed in the middle folding processing tray G. For this purpose, it is necessary to transport the bound sheet bundle to the middle folding processing tray G. In this embodiment, a sheet bundle deflecting unit is provided on the most downstream side in the conveyance direction of the staple processing tray F, and conveys the sheet bundle to the middle folding processing tray G side.
[0054]
The sheet bundle deflection mechanism includes a branch guide plate 54 and a movable guide 55 as shown in the enlarged views of the staple processing tray F and the middle folding processing tray G in FIGS. As shown in the operation explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 10 to 12, the branch guide plate 54 is provided so as to be swingable in the vertical direction around a fulcrum 54a, and a rotatable pressure roller 57 is provided on the downstream side thereof, and a spring 58 is provided. The pressure is applied to the discharge roller 56 side. Further, the position of the branch guide plate 54 is defined by the contact position with the cam surface 61 a of the cam 61 that rotates by obtaining a driving force from the bundle branch drive motor 161.
[0055]
The movable guide 55 is swingably supported by the rotation shaft of the discharge roller 56, and is linked to one end of the movable guide 55 (the end opposite to the branch guide plate 54) by a connecting portion 60a. An arm 60 is provided. The link arm 60 includes a shaft fixed to the front side plate 64a shown in FIG. 5 and a long hole portion 60b, whereby the swing range of the movable guide 55 is restricted. Further, it is held at the position shown in FIG. Further, when the link arm 60 is pushed by the cam surface 61b of the cam 61 that rotates by obtaining drive from the bundle branching drive motor 161, the connected movable guide 55 rotates upward. The bundle branch guide HP sensor 315 detects the shield 61c of the cam 61 and detects the home position of the cam 61. Thus, the cam 61 controls the stop position by counting the drive pulses of the bundle branching drive motor 161 with the home position as a reference.
[0056]
FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory view showing the positional relationship between the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 when the cam 61 is located at the home position. The guide surface 55 a of the movable guide 55 has a function of guiding the paper in the path to the shift paper discharge roller 6.
[0057]
In FIG. 11, as the cam 61 rotates, the branch guide plate 54 rotates counterclockwise (downward) in the drawing around the fulcrum 54a, and the pressure roller 57 contacts and presses the discharge roller 56 side. It is an operation explanatory view showing the state.
[0058]
In FIG. 12, when the cam 61 further rotates, the movable guide 55 rotates in the clockwise direction (upward) in the figure, and the path leading from the staple processing tray F to the half-fold processing tray G is guided along the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide. FIG. FIG. 5 shows the positional relationship in the depth direction.
[0059]
In this embodiment, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 are operated by a single drive motor. However, each drive motor is provided so that the movement timing and stop position can be controlled according to the paper size and the number of sheets to be bound. You may do it.
[0060]
1.5 Middle Fold Processing Tray 1.5.1 Configuration of Each Part FIGS. 13 and 14 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the moving mechanism of the folding plate 74 for performing the middle folding.
[0061]
The folding plate 74 is supported by loosely fitting the long hole portions 74 a to the two shafts 64 c erected on the front and rear side plates 64 a and 64 b, and the shaft portion 74 b erected from the folding plate 74 is further linked to the link arm 76. When the link arm 76 swings about the fulcrum 76a, the folding plate 74 reciprocates left and right in FIG. 13 and FIG. That is, the shaft portion 75b of the folding plate driving cam 75 is loosely fitted in the long hole portion 76c of the link arm 76, and the link arm 76 swings due to the rotational movement of the folding plate driving cam 75. 15, the folding plate 74 reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the upper and lower bundle conveyance guide plates 91 and 92.
[0062]
The folding plate driving cam 75 is rotated in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 13 by the folding plate driving motor 166. The stop position is determined by detecting both end portions of the half-moon shaped shielding portion 75a by the folding plate HP sensor 325.
[0063]
FIG. 13 shows the home position position completely retracted from the sheet bundle accommodation area of the processing tray G. When the folding plate drive cam 75 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the folding plate 74 moves in the direction of the arrow and protrudes into the sheet bundle accommodation area of the processing tray G. FIG. 14 shows a position where the center of the sheet bundle of the processing tray G is pushed into the nip of the folding roller 81. When the folding plate drive cam 75 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the folding plate 74 moves in the direction of the arrow and retracts from the sheet bundle accommodation area of the processing tray G.
[0064]
In this embodiment, it is assumed that the sheet folding is performed by folding the sheet bundle. However, the present invention can be applied to the case of folding one sheet. In this case, saddle stitching is not required for only one sheet, so when one sheet is discharged, the sheet is fed to the middle folding processing handle G side, folded by the folding plate 74 and the folding roller, and discharged to the lower tray. To do.
[0065]
2. As shown in FIG. 16, the control device control device 350 is composed of a microcomputer having a CPU 360, an I / O interface 370, etc., and each switch of the control panel of the image forming apparatus PR main body, the inlet sensor 301, the upper paper discharge. Sensor 302, shift paper discharge sensor 303, pre-stack sensor 304, staple paper discharge sensor 305, paper presence sensor 310, discharge belt home position sensor 311, staple movement home position sensor 312, stapler oblique home position sensor 313, jogger fence home position Sensor 314, bundle branch guide home position sensor 315, bundle arrival sensor 321, movable rear end fence home position sensor 322, folding section passage sensor 323, lower sheet discharge sensor 324, folding plate Home position sensor 325, the sheet sensor 330,330A, 330b, signals from the sensors such as the sheet discharge guide plate close sensor 331 is inputted to the CPU360 through the I / O interface 370.
[0066]
The CPU 360 drives the tray lifting / lowering motor 168 for the shift tray 202, the discharge guide plate opening / closing motor 167 for opening / closing the opening / closing guide plate, the shift motor 169 for moving the shift tray 202, and the tapping roller 12 based on the input signal. The unillustrated tapping roller motor, solenoids such as tapping SOL 170, a conveying motor for driving each conveying roller, a discharging motor for driving each discharging roller, a discharging motor 157 for driving the discharging belt 52, and an end face binding stapler S1 are moved. A stapler moving motor 159, an oblique motor 160 that obliquely rotates the end-face stitching stapler S1, a jogger motor 158 that moves the jogger fence 53, a bundle branch drive motor 161 that rotates the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55, and conveys the bundle. (Not shown) Conveying motor, the rear end fence moving motor, the folding moves the folding plate 74 plate drive motor 166 (not shown) for moving the movable rear fence 73, and controls the driving such as the folding roller drive motor (not shown) that drives the folding rollers 81. A pulse signal of a not-shown staple conveyance motor that drives the staple discharge roller is input to the CPU 360 and counted, and the hitting SOL 170 and the jogger motor 158 are controlled according to this count. The folding roller drive motor is a stepping motor and is controlled directly from the CPU 360 via a motor driver or indirectly via an I / O 370 and a motor driver.
[0067]
The punch unit 100 also performs drilling according to instructions from the CPU 360 by controlling the clutch and the motor.
[0068]
The sheet post-processing device PD is controlled by the CPU 360 executing a program written in a ROM (not shown) while using a RAM (not shown) as a work area.
[0069]
3. Operation The operation of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to this embodiment executed by the CPU 360 will be described below.
[0070]
3.1 Operation According to Processing Mode In this embodiment, the following discharge mode is adopted according to the post-processing mode.
[0071]
(1) Non-stipple mode A
▲ 2 ▼ Non-stipple mode B
(3) Sort and stack mode (4) Stipple mode (5) Saddle-stitch bookbinding mode (6) Simple bookbinding mode Each mode will be described below.
[0072]
3.1.1 Non-stipple mode A:
In this mode, the sheet is discharged from the conveyance path A through the conveyance path B to the upper tray 201 without binding. In this mode, the branching claw 15 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, and the conveyance path B side is opened.
[0073]
In this mode, when the operation is started and the sheet is brought in from the image forming apparatus PR side, the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2 of the transport path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the transport roller 3 of the transport path B, and Each of the upper paper discharge rollers 4 starts to rotate. Then, the on / off state of the entrance sensor 301 and the on / off state of the upper paper discharge sensor 302 are checked to confirm the passage of the paper. When the final paper has passed and a predetermined time has elapsed, the entrance roller 1, the transport roller 2, The rotation of the transport roller 3 and the upper paper discharge roller 4 is stopped. As a result, all the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus are discharged and stacked on the upper tray 201 without being bound. In this embodiment, since the punch unit 100 is provided between the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2, the punch unit 100 can also make a hole between them.
[0074]
3.1.2 Non-stipple mode B:
In this mode, the sheet is discharged from the conveyance path A to the shift tray 202 via the conveyance path C without binding the sheets. In this mode, the branch claw 15 rotates counterclockwise and the branch claw 16 rotates clockwise, and the conveyance path C is opened.
[0075]
In this mode, when the operation is started and the sheet is brought in from the image forming apparatus PR side, the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2 in the transport path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the transport roller 5 in the transport path C, and Each of the shift paper discharge rollers 6 starts to rotate. Then, the solenoid that drives the branch claws 15 and 16 is turned on (step S202), and the branch claws 15 are rotated counterclockwise and the branch claws 16 are rotated clockwise. Next, the entrance sensor 301 is turned on and off, and the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned on and off to check the passage of the loaded paper.
[0076]
Then, when the final sheet passes and a predetermined time elapses, the rotation of the entrance roller 1, the transport roller 2, the transport roller 5, and the shift paper discharge roller 6 is stopped, and the solenoids that drive the branch claws 15 and 16 are turned off. As a result, all the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus PR are discharged and stacked on the shift tray 202 without being bound. In this embodiment, since the punch unit 100 is provided between the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2, the punch unit 100 can also make a hole between them.
[0077]
3.1.3 Sort and stack modes:
In this mode, the sheet is discharged from the conveyance path A to the shift tray 202 via the conveyance path C. At this time, the shift tray 202 is swung in a direction orthogonal to the sheet discharge direction at every section separation, In this mode, the sheets discharged onto the shift tray 202 are sorted. In this mode, similarly to the non-stipple mode B, the branching claw 15 rotates counterclockwise and the branching claw 16 rotates clockwise, and the conveyance path C is opened.
[0078]
In this mode, when the operation is started and the sheet is brought in from the image forming apparatus PR side, the entrance roller 1 and the transport roller 2 in the transport path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the transport roller 5 in the transport path C, and Each of the shift paper discharge rollers 6 starts to rotate. Then, the solenoid for driving the branch claws 15 and 16 is turned on to rotate the branch claws 15 counterclockwise and the branch claws 16 clockwise. Then, it checks whether the entrance sensor 301 is on or off and the shift sheet discharge sensor 303 is on.
[0079]
As a result of this check, if the paper that has passed through the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is the first paper in the section, the shift motor 169 is turned on, and the shift tray 202 is orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction until the shift sensor 336 detects the shift tray 202. Move in the direction you want. Then, the paper is discharged to the shift tray 202, the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned off, and when it is confirmed that the paper has passed through the shift paper discharge sensor 303, it is checked whether or not the paper is the final paper. If it is not the final sheet, it is the first sheet in this case, so if it is not one sheet, the process returns to step S303 and the subsequent processing is repeated. If the section is composed of one sheet, the process of step S312 is executed. To do.
[0080]
On the other hand, if the paper that has passed through the shift paper discharge sensor 303 in step S306 is not the first paper in the copy, the shift tray 202 has already moved, so that the paper is discharged as it is and whether or not the paper that has been discharged is the final paper. To check. If it is not the final sheet, the processing from step S303 is repeated on the next sheet. If it is the final sheet, the rollers, that is, the entrance roller 1 and the transporting roller are conveyed when the final sheet has passed and a predetermined time has elapsed. The rotation of the roller 2, the transport roller 5 and the shift paper discharge roller 6 is stopped, and the solenoid that drives the branch claws 15 and 16 is turned off. As a result, all the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus are discharged onto the shift tray 202 without being bound, sorted, and stacked. In this case as well, the sheets punched by the punch unit 100 can be sorted and stacked.
[0081]
3.1.4 Stipple mode:
In this mode, the sheet is conveyed to the staple processing tray F through the conveyance path A and the conveyance path D, and after alignment and binding processing are performed on the staple processing tray F, the sheet is discharged to the shift tray 202 through the conveyance path C. It is. In this mode, both the branch claw 15 and the branch claw 16 rotate counterclockwise, and the path from the transport path A to D is opened.
[0082]
The operation of the stipple processing tray F in the stipple mode will be described.
[0083]
When the stipple mode is selected, as shown in FIG. 6, the jogger fence 53 moves from the home position and waits at a standby position that is 7 mm away from the width of the sheet discharged to the staple processing tray F. When the paper is conveyed by the staple paper discharge roller 11 and the rear end of the paper passes through the staple paper discharge sensor 305, the jogger fence 53 moves inward by 5 mm from the standby position and stops.
[0084]
Further, the staple paper discharge sensor 305 detects that when the trailing edge of the paper passes, and the signal is input to the CPU 360. The CPU 360 counts the number of pulses transmitted from a not-shown staple transport motor that drives the staple paper discharge roller 11 from the time when this signal is received, and turns on the SOL 170 after transmitting a predetermined pulse. The tapping roller 12 performs a pendulum motion by turning on and off the tapping SOL 170. When the tapping roller 12 is on, the tapping roller 12 strikes the paper and returns it to the lower side, and abuts against the rear end fence 51 to align the paper. At this time, every time a sheet stored in the staple processing tray F passes the entrance sensor 301 or the staple discharge sensor 305, the signal is input to the CPU 360, and the number of sheets is counted.
[0085]
After a lapse of a predetermined time after the beating SOL 170 is turned off, the jogger fence 53 is further moved inward by 2.6 mm by the jogger motor 158, temporarily stops, and the horizontal alignment is finished. The jogger fence 53 then moves outward by 7.6 mm, returns to the standby position, and waits for the next sheet. This operation is performed up to the last page. After that, it moves again 7 mm inward and stops, and prepares for a stippling operation by pressing both side edges of the sheet bundle. Thereafter, after a predetermined time, the end face stitching stapler S1 is actuated by a staple motor (not shown), and the binding process is performed. If two or more bindings are designated at this time, after one binding process is completed, the staple movement motor 159 is driven, and the end face binding stapler S1 is moved to an appropriate position along the rear edge of the sheet. The second stitching process is performed. If the third and subsequent locations are specified, this is repeated.
[0086]
When the binding process is completed, the discharge motor 157 is driven, and the discharge belt 52 is driven. At this time, the paper discharge motor is also driven, and the shift paper discharge roller 6 starts to rotate so as to accept the sheet bundle lifted by the discharge claw 52a. At this time, the jogger fence 53 is controlled differently based on the paper size and the number of sheets to be bound. For example, when the number of sheets to be bound is less than the set number or smaller than the set size, the trailing edge of the sheet bundle is hooked and conveyed by the discharge claw 52a while the sheet bundle is pressed by the jogger fence 53.
[0087]
Then, after a predetermined pulse from the detection by the paper presence sensor 310 or the discharge belt HP sensor 311, the jogger fence 53 is retracted by 2 mm, and the restriction on the paper by the jogger fence 53 is released. This predetermined pulse is set after the discharge claw 52a comes into contact with the rear end of the paper and passes through the front end of the jogger fence 53.
[0088]
When the number of sheets to be bound is larger than the set number or larger than the set size, the jogger fence 53 is retracted in advance by 2 mm and discharged. In any case, when the sheet bundle passes through the jogger fence 53, the jogger fence 53 moves further outward by 5 mm and returns to the standby position to prepare for the next sheet. It is also possible to adjust the binding force according to the distance of the jogger fence 53 to the paper.
[0089]
3.1.5 Saddle stitch binding mode:
In this mode, the sheet is conveyed to the staple processing tray F via the conveyance path A and the conveyance path D, and after alignment and center binding are performed in the staple processing tray F, the sheet is further folded in the middle folding processing tray G and then folded in half. In this mode, the sheet bundle is discharged to the lower tray 203 through the conveyance path H. In this mode, both the branch claw 15 and the branch claw 16 rotate counterclockwise, and the path from the transport path A to D is opened. Further, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide plate 55 are closed as shown in FIG. 24 to be described later, and the sheet bundle is guided to the middle folding processing tray G, and the middle folding is performed.
[0090]
In this mode, when the operation is started and the sheet is brought into the state from the image forming apparatus PR side, the entrance roller 1 and the conveyance roller 2 of the conveyance path A of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, the conveyance roller 7 of the conveyance path D, 9, 10 and the staple discharge roller 11 and the hitting roller 12 of the staple processing tray F start to rotate. Then, the solenoid that drives the branch claw 15 is turned on, and the branch claw 15 is rotated counterclockwise.
[0091]
Next, the home position of the discharge belt 52 is also detected by the discharge belt HP sensor 311, and after confirming the position, the discharge motor 157 is driven to place the discharge belt 52 in the standby position, and the jogger fence 53 is also a jogger fence HP sensor. Then, after the home position is detected, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 are moved to the home position.
[0092]
If the inlet sensor 301 is turned on / off, the staple paper discharge sensor 305 is turned on, and the shift paper discharge sensor 303 is turned off, the paper is discharged to the staple processing tray F, and the paper is present. 170 is turned on for a predetermined time, the tapping solenoid 12 is brought into contact with the paper, and urged toward the trailing edge fence 51 to align the trailing edges of the paper. Next, by driving the jogger motor 158, the jogger fence 53 is moved inward by a predetermined amount to perform the alignment operation in the paper width direction (direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction), and then returned to the standby position. As a result, the vertical and horizontal directions (directions orthogonal to the direction parallel to the transport direction) of the sheets fed to the staple processing tray F are aligned (FIG. 17).
[0093]
These operations from step S506 to step S512 are repeated for each sheet, and when the final sheet of paper is reached, the jogger fence 53 is moved inward by a predetermined amount so that the end face of the sheet does not shift, and the discharge motor 157 is set in this state. The discharge belt 52 is rotated by a predetermined amount, and the sheet bundle is raised to the binding position of the saddle stitching stapler S2. Thereafter, the saddle stitching stapler S2 is turned on at the center of the sheet bundle, and saddle stitching is performed (FIG. 18). Next, the branch guide plate 54 and the movable guide 55 are displaced by a predetermined amount to form a path toward the center folding processing tray G, and rotation of the lower and upper 71 and 72 on the bundle conveying rollers of the center folding processing tray G is started. After detecting the home position of the movable rear end fence 73 provided in the middle folding processing tray G, the movable rear end fence 73 is moved to the standby position.
[0094]
In this way, when the sheet bundle receiving system of the half-folding processing tray G is prepared, the discharge belt 52 is further rotated by a predetermined amount and held by the discharge roller 56 and the pressure roller 57 (FIG. 19). The sheet bundle is conveyed to the folding processing tray G side. When the leading end of the sheet reaches the bundle arrival sensor 321 position, the folding roller 81 is reversed so that the sheet is conveyed downward without being folded at the Q portion shown in FIG. Thereafter, the folding roller 81 is stopped when a certain period of time has elapsed when it is considered that the leading edge of the sheet has completely passed through the Q portion. When the predetermined distance has been conveyed, the rotation of the lower 71 and 72 on the bundle conveying roller is stopped, and the pressure state of the lower bundle conveying roller 72 is released (FIG. 21). Next, the folding operation by the folding plate 74 is started, and the rotation of the folding rollers 81 and 82 and the lower paper discharge roller 83 is started (FIG. 22). Then, the passage of the folded sheet bundle is monitored by the folding section passage sensor 323 (FIG. 23). When the trailing end of the sheet bundle passes through the position of the folding section passage sensor 323, the lower bundle conveying roller 72 is pressurized and folded. The plate 74, the branch guide plate 54, and the movable guide plate 55 are moved to the home position (FIG. 24).
[0095]
In this state, the passage of the sheet bundle is monitored by the lower sheet discharge sensor 324. When the rear end of the sheet bundle passes through the lower sheet discharge sensor 324, the folding rollers 81 and 82 and the lower sheet discharge roller 83 are further rotated for a predetermined time. , Stop. Next, the discharge belt 52 and the jogger fence 53 are moved to the standby position, and it is checked whether or not it is the final part of the job. If it is not the final part of the job, the above operation is repeated. 53 is moved to the home position, the rotation of the entrance roller 1, the transport rollers 2, 7, 9, 10, the staple discharge roller 11 and the tapping roller 12 is stopped, the branch solenoid of the branch claw 15 is turned off, and all are in the initial state. To return to the process.
[0096]
In this way, the sheets carried in from the image forming apparatus are saddle-stitched in the staple processing tray F, folded in the middle folding processing tray G, and then the sheet bundle folded in the lower tray 203 is discharged. To load.
[0097]
4). As shown in FIG. 5, the paper presence / absence sensor 310 and the discharge claw paper presence / absence sensor 310 are provided at the lower end of the staple processing tray F near the position where the discharge claw 52a is provided. In this embodiment, this position is a position 182 mm from the binding position of the saddle stitching stapler S2, and the trailing edge abutting position of the trailing edge fence 51 for aligning the trailing edge of the sheet bundle is 250 mm from the saddle stitching position. Is set. The position of 182 mm is a half distance of the B4 size in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the conveyance direction of the sheet bundle during saddle stitching is changed based on the B4 size as will be described later.
[0098]
When transporting the sheet bundle PB by pushing up the central portion in the width direction of the sheet by the discharge claw 52a, when the bundle is skewed, the sheet bundle rotates around the discharge claw 52a as shown in FIG. Deviate in the direction you did. This is because a gap of about 0.5 to 2 mm is allowed so that the sheet bundle PB does not interfere with the jogger fence 53 when the sheet bundle is conveyed. At the end, the sheet will deviate from the paper rear edge abutting position by about 0.5 to 1 mm. Therefore, when the paper presence sensor 310 ′ is provided on the side end portion side of the paper bundle, as can be seen from FIG. 25B, when the paper bundle PB is skewed, the paper presence sensor provided in the vicinity of the discharge claw 52a of the paper bundle PB. Even if 310 can detect the sheet bundle PB, the sheet presence / absence sensor 310 ′ provided on the side end portion of the sheet bundle PB may not be able to detect the sheet bundle PB. That is, it can be seen that it is less likely to be affected by the skew when the paper presence sensor 310 is disposed at a position close to the discharge claw 52a and the end is detected at a position close to the center in the width direction of the paper.
[0099]
FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing the operation of the discharge claw 52a when the paper presence / absence sensor 310 is arranged at the position shown in FIG. In this flowchart, when the discharge motor 157 is turned on and rotates forward (step S101), the discharge belt 52 starts to rotate in the paper discharge direction. When the home position of the rotation position of the discharge belt 52 is detected by the discharge belt home position (HP) sensor 311 due to this rotation (step S102), the discharge belt 52 is rotated to move the discharge claw 52a to the standby position (step S102). S103) When the alignment of the stack of sheets stacked on the staple processing tray F is completed (step S104), the discharge motor 157 is turned on because the preparation of discharge of the stack of sheets is completed (step S105), and the paper presence sensor If 310 is on, that is, whether or not there is a sheet is confirmed, and if there is a sheet (step S106), the sheet size is checked. Here, if the paper size (longitudinal direction) is equal to or larger than B4, the discharge motor 157 is reversed to move the paper bundle downstream in the transport direction (downward in FIG. 5) (step S108). For example, the discharge motor 157 is rotated forward to move the sheet bundle upstream in the transport direction (upward in FIG. 5). When the discharge claw 52a moves by a predetermined amount and reaches the stipple position (step S110), the discharge motor 157 is stopped (step S111), the binding is performed by the saddle stitch stapler S2 (step S112), and the discharge motor 157 is rotated forward to rotate the sheet bundle. Are transported upstream in the transport direction and discharged (step S113).
[0100]
In other words, when performing saddle stitching, the sheets are discharged to the final sheet of one copy, and the sheet bundle is stacked in a state of being abutted against the rear end fence 52. In this state, the saddle stitch stapler S2 is located at a position 250 mm from the rear end of the sheet. On the other hand, the saddle stitching position is 182 mm from the rear edge of the sheet in the B4 size as described above, and is smaller than 182 mm when smaller than the B4 size. Therefore, the sheet bundle is pushed up by the discharge claw 52a and sent upward. By controlling the distance from the time when the end of the sheet bundle is cut to the paper presence sensor 310, the saddle stitching position can be accurately obtained. Since the discharge motor 157 is composed of a stepping motor, the feed amount from the time when the end is cut can be easily set by the number of steps.
[0101]
On the other hand, when the size is B4 or larger, the saddle stitching position is 182 mm or more. First, the sheet bundle is pushed up and the end of the sheet bundle is detected by the paper presence sensor 3310, and the sheet bundle is detected based on the detected position. Is sent down. In this case as well, the feed amount is managed by the number of steps of the stepping motor as in the case of feeding upward. In this way, the paper presence sensor 310 is sent upward in the case of a paper bundle having a size smaller than B4, and downward in the case of a size larger than B4, based on the position where the paper edge is cut. If it is B4, the paper presence sensor 310 is stopped at the cut position. However, if it is difficult to stop the motor at the moment when the paper presence sensor 310 is turned off because of the relationship with the motor speed, a slight amount is sent and then the paper is lowered at a low speed, and the paper presence sensor 310 is turned off. Stop at.
[0102]
With this configuration, it is possible to accurately stop the sheet bundle at the saddle stitching position regardless of the paper size, and the saddle stitching position can be aligned with high precision.
[0103]
When the saddle stitching is performed by slightly adjusting the binding position by an amount α, the flowchart shown in FIG. 26 shows the adjustment of the saddle stitching position input by the image forming apparatus (copier or printer main body). In this way, the movement amount of the discharge claw 52a to be moved after the paper edge sensor 310 is detected by the paper presence / absence sensor 310 is changed, and in step S110, the discharge claw 52a is moved by adding the adjustment amount α to the predetermined amount (step S110 ′). . Other processes are the same as those in the flowchart of FIG.
[0104]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention,
{Circle around (1)} Binding processing can be performed at a desired position even for various paper sizes by preventing the apparatus from becoming large and complicated.
[0105]
(2) The cost is minimized, and it is possible to cope with the minimum change from an apparatus having no saddle stitching function.
[0106]
(3) Even if the sheet bundle is inclined with respect to the transport direction, it is less affected by the inclination, and the binding process to a desired position can be performed.
[0107]
(4) It is possible to provide a paper post-processing apparatus that is convenient for the user.
[0108]
There are effects such as.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an image processing system including a sheet processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus mainly showing a sheet post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part showing details of a shift mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of a shift tray lifting mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a structure of a paper discharge unit to a shift tray of the paper post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a plan view of a staple processing tray of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention as viewed from a direction perpendicular to a sheet conveying surface.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a staple processing tray and its driving mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a sheet bundle discharging mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an end-face binding stapler of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention together with a moving mechanism.
9 is a perspective view showing an oblique rotation mechanism of the end-face stitching stapler in FIG. 8. FIG.
FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram of a sheet bundle deflection mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state when a sheet or a sheet bundle is discharged to a shift tray.
11 is an operation explanatory view of the sheet bundle deflecting mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state where the branch guide plate is rotated to the discharge roller side from the state of FIG.
12 is an operation explanatory view of the sheet bundle deflecting mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, in which the movable guide rotates to the branch guide plate side from the state of FIG. The state which formed the path | route which deflects a bundle | flux is shown.
FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory diagram of a folding plate moving mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state before entering a middle folding operation.
FIG. 14 is an operation explanatory view of a folding plate moving mechanism of the paper post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state when returning to the initial position after the middle folding.
FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating details of a staple processing tray and a half-fold processing tray of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 16 is a block diagram showing a control circuit of the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention together with the image forming apparatus.
FIG. 17 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state of a stack of sheets stacked on a staple processing tray in the saddle stitch bookbinding mode.
FIG. 18 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the sheets are stacked on the staple processing tray in the saddle stitch binding mode and are saddle stitched.
FIG. 19 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating an initial state in which a sheet bundle that is saddle-stitched by a staple processing tray is deflected by a sheet bundle deflection mechanism in the saddle stitch binding mode.
FIG. 20 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when a sheet bundle that has been saddle-stitched in a staple processing tray is deflected by a sheet bundle deflecting mechanism and sent to the center folding processing tray in the saddle stitching binding mode.
FIG. 21 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the sheet bundle is positioned at the center folding position on the center folding processing tray in the saddle stitch binding mode.
FIG. 22 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when a half-folding operation of a sheet bundle is started by operating a half-fold plate in a half-fold processing tray in a saddle stitch bookbinding mode.
FIG. 23 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state in which a folding sheet is folded by a second-stage folding roller after a half-folding operation is started by operating a half-folding plate in a half-folding processing tray in a saddle stitch binding mode; It is.
FIG. 24 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when a sheet bundle is folded from a middle folding processing tray by a middle folding roller and discharged in the saddle stitch bookbinding mode.
FIG. 25 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between the inclination of the sheet bundle and the detection position of the paper presence sensor.
FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing the operation of the discharge claw in the saddle stitching mode.
FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing another operation of the release claw in the saddle stitching mode.
[Explanation of symbols]
51 Rear end fence 52 Discharge belt 52a Discharge claw 310 Paper presence sensor 350 Control device 360 CPU
370 I / O
F Staple processing tray G Middle folding processing tray PD Paper post-processing device PR Image forming device S1 End face stitching stapler S2 Saddle stitching stapler

Claims (7)

In a paper processing apparatus that collects paper that has been carried in, performs predetermined processing, and discharges the paper,
Stacking means for temporarily collecting the paper;
An alignment means for aligning the stack of stacked sheets;
A binding means for performing a binding process on the aligned sheet bundle;
Moving means for moving the bound sheet bundle;
Detecting means for detecting the end of the sheet bundle moved by the moving means;
Control means for controlling each of these means;
With
The control means detects the edge of the sheet bundle detected by the detection means when performing saddle stitching by the binding means, sets the moving direction of the moving means according to the sheet size, and sets the sheet bundle. A sheet processing apparatus that performs saddle stitching after being moved in the set direction. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the moving unit based on sheet detection information from the detection unit to set a saddle stitch position. The apparatus further includes an input unit for inputting a movement amount of the moving unit from the outside, and the control unit sets a saddle stitching position based on the movement amount input from the input unit in addition to the sheet detection information from the detection unit. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2. 2. The binding device according to claim 1, wherein the binding device is provided at a central portion of the stacking device, and the detection device is provided at a central portion of the stacking device and at an end downstream of the sheet direction. Paper processing device. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects whether or not a sheet is present in the stack unit in addition to detecting a sheet end portion of the sheet bundle. 2. The sheet processing according to claim 1, wherein the binding unit includes a saddle stitching stapler that performs saddle stitching, and the detection unit is disposed between a plurality of saddle stitching staplers in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction. apparatus. An image forming apparatus for forming a visible image on a recording medium;
The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is provided integrally with or separately from the image forming apparatus.
An image forming system comprising:

Images