JP4118201B2 - Sheet folding device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a sheet material such as paper that is attached to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a multifunction machine thereof, and is sent out by the image forming apparatus after image formation using an electrophotographic method or an inkjet method. The present invention relates to a sheet folding apparatus that performs Z-folding, Z-folding, and discharging to the outside.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, this type of sheet folding apparatus has a schematic configuration as shown in FIG. 7, for example. The illustrated sheet folding apparatus is externally attached to a copying machine, and Z-folds and discharges the sheet material after image formation by the copying machine.
[0003]
Reference numeral a denotes a receiving port that receives a sheet material sent out by the copying machine after image formation. Reference numeral b denotes a discharge port that passes through the sheet folding device, discharges the sheet material after Z-folding onto an external discharge tray c, and stacks the sheet material thereon. In the sheet folding apparatus, a conveyance path 1 having a bypass path 1a is provided by connecting the receiving port a and the discharge port b.
[0004]
The conveyance path 1 includes a pair of carry-in rollers 2, two pairs of conveyance rollers 3, a pair of folding rollers 4, and a pair of discharge rollers 5. A Z-fold stopper 8 is provided on the conveyance path 1 before the pair of folding rollers 4 so as to surround the space with a partition frame 6 so as to form a retreat space 7 and descend to partition the retreat space 7. . A blade-like sheet folding member 9 is provided between the partition frame 6 and the conveyance path 1 so as to be able to advance and retreat with the leading end facing the nip of the pair of folding rollers 4.
[0005]
Then, after the image formation, the sheet material sent out by the image forming apparatus is received at the receiving port a, put into the sheet folding apparatus by the carry-in roller pair 2, conveyed by the two conveyance roller pairs 3 through the conveyance path 1, and folded at the leading end. The sheet material is gradually bent greatly by abutting against the nip of the roller pair 4 and placed in the partition frame 6 as shown in FIG. 8A, and is applied to the Z-fold stopper 8 that partitions the retreat space 7. A loop is formed in s.
[0006]
Then, the sheet folding member 9 is moved toward the nip of the folding roller pair 4, the crease forming position is pressed against the nip of the folding roller pair 4 as shown in FIG. 8B, and the folding roller pair 4 is rotated. As shown in FIG. 8C, the sheet material s is inserted between the nips in a folded state. Then, a strong crease is made on the sheet material s to complete the Z-fold z as shown in FIG. 8D, and the sheet is discharged from the discharge port b onto the discharge tray c by the discharge roller pair 5.
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-171907 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in such a conventional sheet folding apparatus, since the sheet material s is sufficiently bent to the end and is once applied to the Z-fold stopper 8 to form a large loop, a retreat space 7 for storing the large loop is required. In addition, there is a problem that a sufficiently large space for providing the evacuation space 7 is required and the whole is enlarged.
[0008]
Further, since it is difficult to change the size of the retreat space 7 according to the sheet material size, there is a problem that it is difficult to perform Z-folding according to each size of the sheet material of various sizes.
[0009]
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, a first object of the present invention is to provide a sheet folding apparatus that can be miniaturized and can perform Z-folding on sheet materials of various sizes according to the respective sizes.
[0010]
A second object of the present invention is to provide a sheet folding apparatus that can stably perform accurate Z-folding.
[0011]
A third object of the present invention is to provide a sheet folding apparatus that simplifies operation by interlocking separate members.
[0012]
A fourth object of the present invention is to provide a sheet folding apparatus that can ensure the operation and stably perform Z-folding.
[0013]
A fifth object of the present invention is to provide a sheet folding apparatus in which the shape of a moving part is reduced and the overall size is reduced.
[0014]
A sixth object of the present invention is to provide a sheet folding apparatus that can provide a function-specific component to ensure operation and stably perform Z-folding.
[0015]
A seventh object of the present invention is to provide a sheet folding apparatus capable of automatically performing Z-folding on various sizes of sheet materials according to the respective sizes.
[0016]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
Therefore, in order to achieve the first object, the invention according to claim 1 is a sheet folding apparatus,
Conveying means for conveying the sheet material through the conveying path;
A conveyance guide means for guiding a sheet material conveyed by the conveyance means;
Stopper means for retreating from the conveyance path after forming the first and second loops in the sheet material while abutting the leading edge of the sheet material inserted into the conveyance path and conveyed by the conveyance means,
When the sheet material is continuously conveyed and bent while the tip is in contact with the stopper means, a loop is formed in the sheet material in cooperation with the conveyance guide means, while the conveyance path is formed after the loop is formed. Loop forming means provided to be retractable from,
While guiding the loop formed by the loop forming means to form the first and second loops, the second loop is abutted against the stopper means and gradually increases as the first and second loops increase. Z-fold guiding means for pressing the loop of the sheet material and making a temporary Z-fold with a light crease on the sheet material,
A crease forming unit that completes the Z fold by attaching a strong crease to the sheet material after the provisional Z fold by the Z fold guiding unit;
It is characterized by comprising.
[0017]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, when the sheet material is bent and guided by the conveying guide means and the sheet material is bent in the sheet folding device according to the first aspect, in order to achieve the second object as well. The sheet material is always bent on the same side.
[0018]
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the third object as well, in the sheet folding apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the stopper means and the loop forming means are connected, and the stopper means is removed from the conveyance path. At the same time as the retreat, the loop forming means is also retreated from the conveyance path.
[0019]
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the fourth object, in the sheet folding apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the loop forming means is moved in the sheet material conveying direction as a blade shape. And retreating from the transport path.
[0020]
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the fifth object as well, in the sheet folding apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the loop forming means is formed in a rod shape, and the straight line across the conveying path. Provided in pairs on each side of the conveyance path, each moving in a direction perpendicular to the sheet material conveyance direction and retracting from the conveyance path.
[0021]
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in order to achieve the sixth object, in the sheet folding apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the Z-fold guiding means is fed to a plurality of rollers by a feed belt. It is characterized by comprising a belt device that is configured to rotate, and a pressing member that presses the sheet material and applies a light crease to the sheet material.
[0022]
In order to achieve the seventh object, the invention according to claim 7 is the sheet folding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the detection means for detecting the sheet material and the detection of the detection means are provided. And a control unit configured to stop the conveyance of the sheet material by the conveyance unit based on the result and the sheet material size information, and to temporarily Z-fold the sheet material by the Z-fold guiding unit.
[0023]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a state in which a sheet folding apparatus according to the present invention is externally attached to an image forming apparatus.
[0024]
Reference numeral 100 in the figure denotes an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer. A sheet folding apparatus 10 according to the present invention is externally attached to a side surface of the image forming apparatus 100 where a discharge port is provided. A discharge tray 11 is detachably attached to the side surface of the sheet folding apparatus 10 where the discharge port is provided.
[0025]
FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the sheet folding apparatus 10 shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 13 denotes a receiving port that receives a sheet material sent out by the image forming apparatus 100 after image formation. Reference numeral 14 denotes a discharge port that passes through the sheet folding apparatus 10 and discharges the sheet material after Z-folding onto the external discharge tray 11 to be stacked there. In the sheet folding apparatus 10, a conveyance path 15 is provided substantially horizontally by connecting the receiving port 13 and the discharging port 14.
[0026]
The conveyance path 15 includes conveyance means 16 that conveys the sheet material received from the receiving port 13 through the conveyance path 15. The conveyance means 16 is made of a pair of conveyance rollers as shown in the figure, for example. The conveyance path 15 includes a conveyance guide unit 17 that guides the sheet material conveyed by the conveyance unit 16 along the conveyance path 15. The conveyance guide means 17 is composed of a pair of upper and lower conveyance guide plates, for example, although the upper conveyance guide plate is not shown.
[0027]
The conveyance guide means 17 inclines the downstream end 17a slightly downward. And the stopper means 18 is moved up and down ahead of the front-end | tip 17a so that it can enter / exit with respect to the conveyance path 15 freely. The stopper means 18 is made, for example, in the shape of a plate as shown in the figure, and is inserted into the conveyance path 15 to block the conveyance path 15 or pulled out from the conveyance path 15 and retracts.
[0028]
The stopper means 18 is provided with a loop forming means 20 connected to the tip end of the stopper means 18 so as to be rotatable. The loop forming means 20 is formed in a blade shape as shown in the figure, for example, and is lifted simultaneously when the stopper means 18 is lifted and retracted from the transport path 15, and the loop forming means 20 is also retracted from the transport path 15. Yes.
[0029]
Further, in front of the stopper means 18, a retreat space 21 is provided between the conveyance guide means 17 and a Z-fold guiding means 22 is provided. For example, as shown in the figure, the Z-fold guiding means 22 hangs a feed belt 24 made of a high friction resistance material substantially horizontally around a plurality of rollers 23, and a plate-like backing material 27 is provided in the feed belt 24. The belt device 25 is configured, and a pressing member 26 that presses the sheet material to make a light crease on the sheet material.
[0030]
The belt device 25 rotationally drives one of the rollers 23 and rotates the other one to make the feed belt 24 run in the clockwise direction in the drawing. Further, the belt device 25 and the pressing member 26 can be moved up and down in conjunction with each other or separately.
[0031]
A fold forming means 28 is provided in front of the discharge port 14 immediately downstream of the stopper means 18 along the transport path 15. The crease forming means 28 is made of a pair of discharge rollers as shown in the figure, for example.
[0032]
In the illustrated example, a detection unit 30 that detects the sheet material is provided immediately upstream of the conveyance unit 16. The detection means 30 inputs the detection signal to the control means 32 with an optical sensor, a micro switch, or the like. The control means 32 performs pulse control of the drive source, and controls, for example, the conveying means 16 and the Z-fold guiding means 22 based on the detection result of the detection means 30 and the sheet material size information.
[0033]
FIG. 3 shows a state before the Z-folding is started using the sheet folding apparatus 10 described above.
When Z-folding is performed, first, as shown in the figure, the conveying means 16 is driven to rotate the pair of conveying rollers, and the feed belt 24 travels clockwise in the drawing. Further, the stopper unit 18 is lowered and inserted into the conveyance path 15 to block the conveyance path 15, and the loop forming unit 20 is also interlocked so that a predetermined gap is provided between the conveyance guide unit 17 and the conveyance guide unit 17. It is set as the position which opposes the front-end | tip 17a part.
[0034]
4A to 4E show an order in which Z folding is performed using the sheet folding apparatus 10 described above.
[0035]
When the sheet material after the image formation from the image forming apparatus 100 is received into the sheet folding apparatus 10 from the receiving port 13, the sheet material S is guided by the conveyance guide unit 17 and is conveyed through the conveyance path 15 by the conveyance unit 16. The sheet is conveyed in the sheet material conveying direction indicated by an arrow A in FIG. 4A and guided by the feed belt 24 of the Z-fold guiding means 22 that retreats upward, and the tip is brought into contact with the stopper means 18.
[0036]
The sheet material S is continued to be conveyed while the leading end is abutted against the stopper means 18, and the sheet material S is bent, and in cooperation with the conveyance guide means 17, as shown in FIG. Thus, the loop 33 is formed in the sheet material S. At this time, since the leading end 17a is inclined, the conveyance guide unit 17 guides the sheet material S so as to be convex upward. Therefore, when the sheet material S is bent, the sheet material S is always bent on the same side, that is, the upper side, and accurate Z-folding can be stably performed.
[0037]
Next, the enlarged loop 33 is brought into contact with the feed belt 24 of the belt device 25 and guided by the Z-fold guiding means 22 to form the first loop 33a and the second loop 33b as shown in FIG. Eventually, the second loop 33b is abutted against the stopper means 18, and the loop is gradually enlarged.
[0038]
According to the present invention, as the first and second loops 33a and 33b increase, the belt device 25 and the holding member 26 are gradually lowered as shown in FIG. 4D, and finally as shown in FIG. Further, the conveyance of the sheet material S by the conveying means 16 is stopped, the loops are securely pressed from above by the Z-fold guiding means 22, and the first loop 33 a is also formed by the feed belt 24 that is backed by the backing material 27. Hold it down securely, make a light crease on the sheet, and tentatively Z-fold it.
[0039]
At this time, based on the detection result of the detection means 30 and the sheet material size information, the control means 32 controls, the conveyance of the sheet material S by the conveyance means 16 is stopped, and the sheet material S is temporarily Z-folded by the Z-fold guiding means 22. Thus, Z-folding corresponding to each size can be automatically performed on sheet materials of various sizes.
[0040]
By the way, after the stopper means 18 and the loop forming means 20 form the first and second loops 33a and 33b on the sheet material S, the stopper means 18 is moved upward as shown in FIG. The loop forming unit 20 is moved in the sheet material conveyance direction A in conjunction with the loop forming unit 20, and both are retracted from the conveyance path 15.
[0041]
Then, the sheet is conveyed by the belt unit 25 and passed between the nips of the crease forming unit 28, and the sheet material S after provisional Z-folding is made a strong crease by the crease forming unit 28 and sequentially sent to the sheet material sent from the image forming apparatus. The folding is completed, and the Z-folded sheet material S is sequentially discharged from the discharge port 14 onto the external discharge tray 11.
[0042]
In this way, as the first and second loops 33a and 33b increase, the loops are sequentially pressed by the Z-fold guiding means 22, so that the internal retreat space 21 can be provided without increasing the loops to the end. The size can be reduced by reducing the size. Further, by adjusting the size of the loop according to the sheet material size information, it is possible to perform Z-folding according to the size of the sheet material S of various sizes.
[0043]
In the example described above, a blade-shaped loop forming means 20 is used. However, as shown in FIG. 6, the loop forming means 20 is rod-shaped and arranged on a straight line L that crosses the conveying path 15. One pair may be provided on each side of 15, and may be moved away from the conveyance path 15 by moving in a direction perpendicular to the sheet material conveyance direction A separately from the stopper means 18. If it does in this way, the shape of itself of the loop formation means 20 to move can be made small, the retreat space can be made small, and the whole can be reduced in size.
[0044]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, the sheet material conveyed by the conveying means is guided by the conveying guide means, the front end is abutted against the stopper means, and in this state, the sheet material is continuously conveyed and bent. While forming a loop and guiding the loop with the Z-fold guiding means to form the first and second loops, the second loop abuts against the stopper means, and the first and second loops With the increase in the number, the loops are gradually pressed by the Z-fold guiding means and temporarily Z-folded, and a strong crease is applied to the sheet material after the temporary Z-fold by the fold forming means to complete the Z-fold.
[0045]
Therefore, as the first and second loops increase, the loops are sequentially pressed by the Z-fold guiding means, so that the internal retreat space can be reduced and the size can be reduced without increasing the loops to the end. A sheet folding apparatus can be provided. Further, by adjusting the size of the loop according to the sheet material size, it is possible to provide a sheet folding apparatus that performs Z-folding according to the size of each size of the sheet material.
[0046]
According to the second aspect of the present invention, the sheet material is curved and guided by the conveyance guide means, and when the sheet material is bent, the sheet material is always bent on the same side. It is possible to provide a sheet folding apparatus that can stably perform Z-folding.
[0047]
According to the invention described in claim 3, in addition, when the stopper means and the loop forming means are connected and the stopper means is retracted from the transport path, the loop forming means is also retracted from the transport path. A sheet folding apparatus that simplifies the operation when performing Z-folding by interlocking the loop forming means with the stopper means that is the member of the above can be provided.
[0048]
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in addition, since the loop forming means moves in the sheet material conveying direction as a blade and retracts from the conveying path, the blade is looped on the sheet material using the loop forming means. It is possible to provide a sheet folding apparatus that can stably form the sheet, retract the loop forming means from the conveyance path after forming the loop, ensure the operation, and perform Z-folding stably.
[0049]
According to the invention described in claim 5, in addition, the loop forming means is formed in a rod shape, provided on a straight line crossing the conveying path, and provided in pairs on both sides of the conveying path, each orthogonal to the sheet material conveying direction. Since the moving loop forming means is rod-shaped, the shape of the moving loop forming means is reduced, the retraction space is reduced, and the whole sheet folding apparatus is miniaturized. be able to.
[0050]
According to the invention described in claim 6, in addition, the belt device in which the Z-folding guide means is configured by winding a feed belt around a plurality of rollers, and a presser for pressing the sheet material and applying a light crease to the sheet material The belt device induces the loop formed by the loop forming means to form the first and second loops, abuts the second loop against the stopper means, and the first and first loops. As the number of loops increases, the loops are gradually pressed down, while the loops are pressed down by a dedicated presser member, the sheet material is lightly creased, and a temporary Z-fold is performed. It is possible to provide a sheet folding apparatus that can reliably perform Z-folding stably.
[0051]
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, in addition, based on the detection means for detecting the sheet material, the detection result of the detection means and the sheet material size information, the conveyance of the sheet material by the conveying means is stopped and the Z-folding is performed. Since the guide means includes a control means for temporarily Z-folding the sheet material, the detection means detects the sheet material, and stops the conveyance of the sheet material by the conveyance means based on the detection result of the detection means and the sheet material size information. Thus, it is possible to provide a sheet folding apparatus that can temporarily Z-fold the sheet material with the Z-fold guiding means and automatically perform Z-folding on the sheet material of various sizes according to each size.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external view of a sheet folding device according to the present invention externally attached to an image forming apparatus.
FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the sheet folding apparatus shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a state diagram before starting Z-folding using the sheet folding apparatus;
FIGS. 4A to 4E are explanatory views of the order in which Z folding is performed using the sheet folding apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a state diagram in which the sheet material after Z-folding is discharged onto a discharge tray.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view for explaining another example of the sheet folding apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 7 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a conventional sheet folding apparatus.
FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of the order in which Z-folding is performed using the conventional sheet folding apparatus.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Sheet feeding apparatus 15 Conveying path 16 Conveying means 17 Conveying guide means 18 Stopper means 20 Loop forming means 22 Z fold guiding means 23 Roller 24 Feed belt 25 Belt device 26 Holding member 28 Fold forming means 30 Detection means 32 Control means 33 Loop 33a First loop 33b Second loop A Sheet material conveyance direction L Straight line S across the conveyance path Sheet material

Claims (7)

Conveying means for conveying the sheet material through the conveying path;
A conveyance guide means for guiding a sheet material conveyed by the conveyance means;
Stopper means for retreating from the conveyance path after forming the first and second loops in the sheet material while abutting the leading edge of the sheet material inserted into the conveyance path and conveyed by the conveyance means,
When the sheet material is continuously conveyed and bent while the tip is in contact with the stopper means, a loop is formed in the sheet material in cooperation with the conveyance guide means, while the conveyance is performed after the loop is formed. Loop forming means provided to be retractable from the road;
While guiding the loop formed by the loop forming means to form the first and second loops, the second loop is abutted against the stopper means, and the first and second loops are increased. Z-fold guiding means for gradually pressing these loops and provisionally folding the sheet material with a light crease,
A crease forming unit that completes the Z fold by attaching a strong crease to the sheet material after the provisional Z fold by the Z fold guiding unit;
A sheet folding apparatus comprising: 2. The sheet folding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the sheet material is bent and guided by the conveying guide means and the sheet material is bent, the sheet material is always bent on the same side. The said stopper means and the said loop formation means are connected, and when the said stopper means is evacuated from the said conveyance path, the said loop formation means also evacuates from the said conveyance path, The characterized by the above-mentioned. The sheet folding apparatus according to 1. The sheet folding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the loop forming means is formed in a blade shape and moves in the sheet material conveyance direction to retract from the conveyance path. The loop forming means is rod-shaped, provided on a straight line crossing the conveyance path, provided in pairs on both sides of the conveyance path, each moved in a direction perpendicular to the sheet material conveyance direction, and from the conveyance path The sheet folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the sheet folding device is retracted. The Z-fold guiding means is constituted by a belt device configured by winding a feeding belt around a plurality of rollers, and a pressing member that presses the sheet material and applies a light crease to the sheet material. The sheet folding apparatus according to any one of 1 to 5. Detection means for detecting the sheet material, and control means for stopping the conveyance of the sheet material by the conveyance means based on the detection result of the detection means and the sheet material size information, and temporarily Z-folding the sheet material by the Z-fold guiding means The sheet folding apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising:

Images