JP4034887B2 - Sheet reversing device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sheet reversing device for reversing the sheet conveyance direction.
[0002]
[Prior art]
As this type of sheet reversing device, a sheet that is continuously discharged from a host device such as a copying machine or a printer is loaded, the sheet conveying direction is reversed, and then the sheet is stapled or sorted. What is carried out to a post-processing part is known. In general, such a sheet reversing apparatus is incorporated in a sheet post-processing apparatus such as a stapler or a sorter.
[0003]
Conventional sheet reversing devices carry sheets one by one on the stage and carry the sheets in the conveyance direction reversely by carrying out the rear end of the sheet in the carrying direction as the leading end in the carrying-out direction. It is the composition to do. That is, after one sheet is loaded onto the stage, the sheet is conveyed in the reverse direction, and then the next sheet is loaded onto the stage after waiting for the sheet to be unloaded. It is like that.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional sheet reversing device sequentially repeats the loading of each sheet on the stage and the unloading after the reversal of the conveying direction. Therefore, unless the previous sheet is unloaded, the next sheet is loaded. I could not carry it on the stage. Therefore, for example, in a sheet reversing apparatus that reverses a sheet discharged from a host device such as a copying machine or a printer and then transports it to a sheet post-processing unit that staples or sorts the reversed sheet, If the sheet stapling operation takes time and the carry-out of the sheet from the stage to the sheet post-processing section is temporarily delayed, the next sheet cannot be carried onto the stage, and the copying machine or printer The host device had to be temporarily stopped. That is, there is a problem that the sheet carrying operation to the sheet reversing device has to be stopped due to a delay in the operation timing of the sheet conveyance destination from the sheet reversing device, and the sheet processing speed is reduced accordingly.
[0005]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet reversing apparatus that can continuously carry in sheets without being affected by delays in the operation timing of the sheet transport destination, and as a result, can efficiently process the sheets. It is in.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In the sheet reversing device according to the present invention, an upper-side sheet carry-in position and a lower-side sheet carry-out position are set on one side of a stage on which a sheet can be placed, and the sheet is carried onto the stage from the sheet carry-in position. Then, in the sheet reversing device for unloading the sheet from the sheet unloading position with the trailing end of the sheet in the unloading direction as the leading end in the unloading direction, the trailing end of the sheet loaded from the sheet unloading position is the sheet. A sheet displacing means for temporarily displacing the sheet above the loading position, and then stacking the sheet on the sheet next loaded from the sheet loading position; and a plurality of sheets stacked on the stage in a lump And a sheet conveying mechanism that conveys the sheet to a sheet unloading position.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. This example is an application example as a sheet reversing device incorporated in a sorter with a stapler as a sheet post-processing device.
[0008]
FIG. 1 is a side view of the entire sheet post-processing apparatus provided with the sheet reversing device of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining a schematic configuration inside the sheet post-processing apparatus. First, a schematic configuration of the entire sheet post-processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
[0009]
The sheet post-processing apparatus of this example is a sorter with a stapler, and sorts sheets whose conveyance direction has been reversed by the sheet reversing apparatus 10. That is, a sheet discharged from a host device such as a copying machine or a printer is first carried into the sheet reversing device 10 from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 2, and the conveying direction is reversed by the sheet reversing device 10 as will be described later. Thereafter, the sheet is conveyed downward along the arrow B direction by the sheet conveyance path 2 provided on the right side of the sheet post-processing apparatus main body 1 in FIG. A plurality of trays 3 arranged in the vertical direction are fixedly provided at a fixed position on the left side of the apparatus main body 1 in FIG. 2, and the transfer mechanism 4 moves up and down between the trays 3 and the conveyance path 2. It is possible. The transfer mechanism 4 sequentially carries in sheets from the midway position of the conveying path 2 facing the right side, accumulates a predetermined number of sheets inside to form a sheet group, and then the tray facing the left side 3 Unload the sheet group. Further, the transport mechanism 4 is provided with a stapler 5, so that the sheet group accumulated in the transport mechanism 4 can be stapled.
[0010]
Such a transfer mechanism 4 changes the tray 3 to which the sheet group is carried out in accordance with the lift position. For example, when the transfer mechanism 4 is at the position of the solid line in FIG. 2, the lowest tray 3 is selected as the carry-out destination of the sheet group, and when the transfer mechanism 4 is at the position of the two-dot chain line in FIG. The uppermost tray 3 is selected as the carry-out destination of the sheet group.
[0011]
Next, the sheet inverting device 10 will be described.
[0012]
In the sheet reversing device 10, a stage 20 on which the sheet S can be placed is formed so as to extend obliquely upward to the right in FIG. In the case of this example, this stage 20 is formed by a first stage 21 with a small inclination angle on the right side in FIG. 2 and a second stage 22 with a large inclination angle on the left side in FIG. 2, and as shown in FIG. The first stage 21 is formed by the surface of the flat plate 21A, and the second stage 22 is formed by the upper surfaces of the plurality of strip plates 22A and the upper surfaces of guide bodies 61, 62, and 63 described later.
[0013]
In FIG. 3, P <b> 1 is a sheet carry-in position, and is set between upper and lower carry-in rollers 31 and 32 provided near the upper side of the stage 20. P2 is a sheet carry-out position, and is set between the upper and lower carry-out rollers 41 and 42 provided near the lower side of the stage 20. The carry-in rollers 31, 32 constitute a sheet carry-in mechanism 30 together with the upper and lower rollers 33, 34, 35, 36, etc., and are shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 3 discharged from a host device such as a copying machine or a printer. S is conveyed in the direction of arrow A, and it is carried onto the stage 20 from the sheet carry-in position P1. SN1 is a carry-in position sensor for detecting the passage of the sheet S carried in from the sheet carry-in position P1, and SN2 is a carry-out position sensor for detecting the passage of the sheet S carried out from the sheet carry-out position P2. Further, the carry-out rollers 41 and 42 constitute a sheet carry-out mechanism 40 for carrying out the sheet S at the sheet carry-out position P2 along the arrow B direction in FIG.
[0014]
A reversing guide 51 as a moving body is provided at a position opposite to the sheet carry-in position P1, and the rear end of the sheet S carried in from the sheet carry-in position P1 is temporarily placed above the sheet carry-in position P1. The displacement means 50 (refer FIG. 10) for displacing automatically is comprised. As shown in FIG. 10, the reversing guide 51 has a substantially semicircular cross section that can rotate around the horizontal axis O1, and is divided into a plurality of parts along the axis O1, and the reversing guide motor M1 changes the gear train. Is rotated through. The reversing guide 51 is rotated to a stock standby position as shown in FIG. 4 or a stock position (same position as the normal transport position) as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 10, the former stock standby position is a first position where the radial bulging portion 51A of the reversing guide 51 is located below and the cutout portion 51B is located above, and the latter stock position. (The same position as the normal transport position) is a second position rotated right by 150 degrees from the stock standby position as shown in FIG. As will be described later, the reversing guide 51 guides the sheet S from the sheet carry-in position P1 onto the stage 20 through the notch portion 51B, and the bulging portion 51A displaces the rear end in the carry-in direction of the sheet S upward. I will let you.
A friction roller (elastic member) 11 is provided above the reversing guide 51. As shown in FIG. 4, the shaft 11 </ b> A of the friction roller 11 is guided in a guide groove 12 on the main body side of the sheet reversing device 10 so as to freely move up and down, and is urged downward by a spring 13.
[0015]
At the right end of the first stage 21 in FIG. 4, a stopper 14 for positioning the leading end of the sheet S in the carry-out direction is provided so as to be able to move up and down. The stopper 14 is moved up and down by being rotated about the support shaft 14A by a stopper solenoid SL1.
[0016]
Further, the stage 20 is provided with a sheet conveyance mechanism 60 for conveying the sheet S carried on the stage 20 toward the sheet carry-out position P2. As shown in FIG. 10, the sheet conveying mechanism 60 of this example includes a pusher 64 that is slidably guided in the directions of arrows C <b> 1 and C <b> 2 by guide bodies 61, 62, and 63 that form the second stage 22. The pusher 64 includes a guide block 65 having a U-shaped cross section that is slidably guided by the guide body 61, and guide blocks 66 and 67 that are slidably guided in the guide grooves 62A and 63A of the guide bodies 62 and 63. Is provided. A belt 68 that is moved by a pusher motor M2 is connected to the pusher 64, and the belt 68 is stretched between a drive pulley 69 of the pusher motor M2 and guide pulleys 70, 71, and 72. The pusher 64 is belt-driven in the directions of arrows C1 and C2 by the pusher motor M2.
[0017]
Next, the operation will be described.
[0018]
FIG. 14 is a timing chart for explaining an operation example of the sheet reversing device 10. In the case of this example, the transfer mechanism 4 accumulates the three sheets S, staples the sheet group by the stapler 5, and then carries it out onto the tray 3. In such a sheet post-processing, because of the time required for the stapling operation after the third sheet S is accumulated in the transport mechanism 4, the transport mechanism 4 performs the first sheet of the next sheet group. In some cases, S cannot be continuously carried in from the sheet reversing device 10. The operation example of the sheet reversing apparatus 10 in FIG. 14 is an application example corresponding to such sheet post-processing.
[0019]
The sheet S carried into the sheet inverting device 10 from the sheet carry-in position P1 is detected by the carry-in position sensor SN1 as shown in FIG. When the last sheet of the sheet group, that is, the third sheet S is carried in, from the time t1 when the detection signal of the carry-in position sensor SN1 falls, until the third sheet S is carried onto the stage 20 After the passage of time, the reverse guide motor M1 rotates forward by a predetermined amount, and the reverse guide 51 rotates 150 degrees (+150 degrees) to the left from the normal conveyance position as shown in FIG. 3 as shown in FIG. It becomes stock standby position. Then, after the time t2 when the reversing guide 51 is rotated to the stock standby position in FIG. 4, the pusher motor M2 rotates in the normal direction and then reverses. By the forward rotation of the pusher motor M2, the pusher 64 moves from the position of FIG. 3 in the direction of the arrow C1, pushes the third sheet S on the stage 20, and conveys it toward the sheet carry-out position P2. The third sheet S is unloaded from the sheet unloading position P2 by the sheet unloading mechanism 40. Therefore, the third sheet S is unloaded from the sheet unloading position P2 with the trailing end in the loading direction as the leading end in the unloading direction, and the conveying direction is reversed. The pusher 64 moves in the direction of the arrow C2 by the reverse rotation of the pusher motor M2, and returns to the standby position in FIG.
[0020]
The third sheet S unloaded from the sheet unloading position P2 is detected by the unloading position sensor SN2 as shown in FIG. Then, after the time t3 when the detection signal of the sensor SN2 falls, that is, after the third sheet S is carried out, the stopper solenoid SL1 protrudes and the stopper 14 moves up as shown in FIG. (Refer to FIG. 14 (f) and (g)). In the case of this example, the conveyance speed of the sheet S by the sheet carry-out mechanism 40 is set larger than the conveyance speed of the sheet carry-in mechanism 30. Incidentally, in FIG. 14, the discharge position sensor SN2 detects the third sheet S before the forward rotation of the pusher motor M2 is started. This is because when the third sheet S is carried in from the sheet carry-in position P1, it naturally reaches the sheet carry-out position P2.
[0021]
Thereafter, when the first sheet S of the next sheet group (hereinafter referred to as “first sheet S-1”) is carried in, it passes over the reversing guide 51 as shown in FIG. It will be carried onto the stage 20. Then, after the fall time t4 of the detection signal of the carry-in position sensor SN1, the reverse guide motor M1 rotates reversely, and the reverse guide 51 rotates 150 degrees (−150 degrees) to the right from the stock standby position in FIG. Thus, the stock position is as shown in FIG. At that time, the rear end portion of the first sheet S-1 in the carry-in direction is lifted upward by the reversing guide 51 and displaced to the upper side of the sheet carry-in position P1, as shown in FIG. And the friction roller 11.
[0022]
Thereafter, the second sheet S carried in from the sheet carry-in position P1 (hereinafter referred to as “second sheet S-2”) is below the first sheet S-1 as shown in FIG. It is carried onto the stage 20 so as to enter. Then, after the falling time t5 of the detection signal of the carry-in position sensor SN1, the reverse guide motor M1 rotates forward, and the reverse guide 51 is moved 360 to the left as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 from the stock position in FIG. 3 degrees (+360 degrees) and return to the normal transport position in FIG. At that time, as shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, the upward displacement of the first sheet S-1 by the reversing guide 51 is released, and it is accumulated on the second sheet S-2. It will be.
[0023]
Then, after the rotation stop time t6 of the reverse guide motor M1, as shown in FIG. 14C, the pusher motor M2 rotates forward in two steps, so that the pusher 64 becomes the first and second sheets S-1. , S-2 is conveyed in two stages. That is, in the first-stage conveyance, the pusher 64 pushes the sheets S-1 and S-2 by a slight amount in the direction of the arrow C1, and abuts the leading end portion in the carry-out direction to the stopper 14 to align their postures. After this first-stage transfer end time t7, the stopper solenoid SL1 returns and the stopper 14 descends as shown in FIG. 14 (f) to enter the released state as shown in FIG. 8 (see FIG. 14 (g)). ). The second-stage conveyance is performed after the return operation end time t8 of the stopper solenoid SL1, and the pusher 64 is sufficiently moved in the direction of the arrow C1 to convey the sheets S-1 and S-2 to the sheet carry-out position P2. The sheets S-1 and S-2 are unloaded collectively from the sheet unloading position P2 by the sheet unloading mechanism 40.
[0024]
Thereafter, the third sheet S carried onto the stage 20 is conveyed to the sheet carry-out position P2 by the forward rotation of the pusher motor M2.
[0025]
FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the sheet reversing guide 51. After the final sheet (third sheet) is carried in, the sheet reversing guide 51 rotates from the normal conveyance position to the stock standby position (steps S1 and S2), and the first sheet S− of the next sheet group. After the first sheet is carried to the stock position (steps S3 and S4), the second sheet S-2 is carried to the normal conveyance position (steps S5 and S6).
[0026]
FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the carry-out operation of the first and second sheets S-1 and S-2 stacked on the stage 20. After the last sheet (third sheet) of the previous sheet group is unloaded, the stopper 14 is raised to a set state (steps S11 and S12), and the sheets S-1 and S-2 are accumulated on the stage 20. (Step S13), the two-stage transport operation as described above is performed. That is, as the first-stage conveyance, the pusher 64 aligns the sheets S-1 and S-2 (step S14), and then lowers the stopper 14 (step S15). Then, as the second-stage conveyance, The pusher 64 conveys the sheets S-1 and S-2 to the sheet carry-out position P2 (step S16).
[0027]
As described above, the sheet reversing device 10 unloads the first sheet S-1 together with the second sheet S-2, and delays the unloading time of the sheet S-1 until the unloading time of the sheet S-2. It will be. Accordingly, the period from the time when the last sheet (third sheet) S of the previous sheet group is carried out to the time when the first and second sheets S-1 and S-2 of the next sheet group are carried out is expanded. In the expanded period, the staple operation time of the sheet group by the stapler 5 can be secured. As described above, the sheet reversing device 10 shifts the timing of carrying out the sheet S to the transport mechanism 4, so that the delay time of the sheet post-processing accompanying the stapling operation is absorbed. As a result, the host device The sheet S can be continuously carried out to the sheet reversing device 10 regardless of the delay in post-processing. Further, since the sheet reversing device 10 carries the first sheet S-1 over the second sheet S-2, the sheet reversing device 10 has 2 on the first sheet S on the transfer mechanism 4. The third and third sheets S are stacked, and the stacking order is not changed.
[0028]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the sheet reversing device of the present invention is configured to displace the rear end portion in the loading direction of the sheet previously loaded on the stage and superimpose it on the next loaded sheet, With the rear end portion in the carry-in direction of the sheet as the leading end portion in the carry-out direction, the sheets are continuously carried in without being affected by the delay in the operation timing of the sheet conveyance destination, As a result, the sheet can be processed efficiently.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view of an entire sheet post-processing apparatus including a sheet reversing apparatus according to the present invention.
2 is a side view for explaining a schematic configuration inside the sheet post-processing apparatus of FIG. 1; FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side view of the sheet reversing device of the present invention.
4 is a side view of the main part for explaining the operation when the first sheet is carried in by the sheet inverting apparatus of FIG. 3;
5 is a side view of a main part for explaining another operation when the first sheet is carried in the sheet reversing device of FIG. 3; FIG.
6 is a side view of the main part for explaining the operation when the second sheet is carried in by the sheet reversing device of FIG. 3;
7 is a side view of a main part for explaining the operation of the sheet reversing device of FIG. 3 when the first sheet is released.
8 is a side view of the main part for explaining the operation of the sheet reversing device of FIG. 3 at the start of conveyance of the first and second sheets.
9 is a side view of a main part for explaining the operation of the sheet reversing device of FIG. 3 when the first and second sheets are conveyed.
10 is a perspective view of a main part when the first sheet is carried in the sheet reversing device of FIG. 3;
11 is a perspective view of a main part when a second sheet is carried in the sheet reversing device of FIG. 3;
12 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the reversing guide in FIG. 3;
13 is a flowchart for explaining the first and second sheet carry-out operations by the sheet reversing device of FIG. 3;
14 is a timing chart for explaining the operation of the sheet reversing device in FIG. 3;
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sheet post-processing apparatus main body 2 Conveyance path 3 Tray 4 Transfer mechanism 10 Sheet inversion apparatus 20 Stage 30 Sheet carry-in mechanism 40 Sheet carry-out mechanism 50 Displacement means 51 Inversion guide (moving body)
51A Radial bulging portion 51B Notch portion 60 Sheet conveying mechanism 61, 62, 63 Guide body 64 Pusher P1 Sheet carrying position P2 Sheet carrying position

Claims (2)

A sheet loading position on the upper side and a sheet unloading position on the lower side are set on one side of the stage on which the sheet can be placed, and after the sheet is loaded onto the stage from the sheet loading position, the sheet is loaded in the direction in which the sheet is loaded. In the sheet reversing device for unloading the sheet from the sheet unloading position with the end portion being the unloading direction tip,
A sheet displacing means for temporarily displacing a rear end portion of a sheet carried in from the sheet carry-in position above the sheet carry-in position and superimposing the sheet on the next sheet carried from the sheet carry-in position. When,
A sheet conveying mechanism that collectively conveys a plurality of sheets stacked on the stage to the sheet unloading position ;
The sheet displacing means includes a movable body movable at a position facing the sheet carry-in position,
The moving body displaces a rear end portion in the carrying-in direction of a sheet carried in from the sheet carrying-in position and guides the next carried-in sheet onto the stage; and It is possible to selectively move to a second position for releasing and dropping the rear end portion in the sheet carrying-in direction,
The movable body moves between the first position and the second position by rotation about a rotation axis, and has a bulging portion having a portion extending in a radial direction from the rotation axis; A notch portion that lacks a portion extending in the radial direction from the rotation shaft, and when the sheet is loaded from the sheet loading position, the notch portion guides the sheet onto the stage, and the bulge The sheet reversing apparatus is characterized in that the portion displaces the rear end portion in the sheet carrying-in direction upward . An elastic member that sandwiches the trailing end of the sheet in the loading direction with the moving body when the trailing end of the sheet in the loading direction is displaced upward by the moving body at a position above the sheet loading position. The sheet inverting device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

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