JP4185268B2 - Paper stacking device and image forming device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a sheet stacking apparatus such as a sheet post-processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a facsimile, and a printer that have the sheet stacking apparatus separable or inseparably.
[0002]
[Prior art]
With the progress of digitalization of image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, composite image forming apparatuses having a plurality of functions such as a printer function, a copy function, and a facsimile function are increasing.
Against this background, there is an increasing need to sort by function, and the use of multiple trays is progressing in paper post-processing devices and the like. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-53308 discloses an upper discharge tray that moves up and down through one discharge outlet, and a lower discharge tray that can move a lower area of the discharge outlet and discharge a large amount of paper. A paper post-processing device as a paper stacking device having a paper discharge tray is described.
Near the lower side of the paper discharge port, paper receiving position detecting means for setting each paper discharge tray to the paper receiving position of the paper discharge port is provided, on the lower end side of the lower discharge tray moving area. Is provided with a lower limit position detecting means for detecting the lower limit position of the lower discharge tray. Between the paper receiving position detecting means and the lower limit position detecting means, a standby position detecting means for setting the lower sheet discharge tray to the standby position is provided.
[0003]
When the upper output tray is set at the paper receiving position of the output port, the lower output tray needs to be retracted downward so as not to get in the way. Since it takes time for the paper discharge tray to move to the paper receiving position at the paper discharge port, the standby position is set so as to move it as short as possible. The standby position detection means has a configuration in which the detection piece projects into the movement path of the lower discharge tray, and the upper surface of the lower discharge tray (the upper surface of the sheet when sheets are stacked) and It is configured to be turned on and off by touching the.
When setting the lower output tray from the paper receiving position of the output port to the standby position, when the lower output tray is lowered, the standby position detection means is first turned on by contact with the lower end of the tray, and the upper surface of the tray Alternatively, it is turned off by passing through the upper surface of the paper. When this is turned off, the lower discharge tray is stopped, and this is set as a standby position.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, there is a case where the stacked sheets are pulled out after the lower discharge tray is moved to the standby position. However, in the above-described conventional configuration, the standby position is set immediately after the upper surface of the tray passes the standby position detecting means. Therefore, even if the sheet is subsequently extracted (including being removed, the same applies hereinafter), the situation cannot be detected by the standby position detecting means. The same applies to the control in which the on / off of the standby position detection means is reversed.
Therefore, when the paper is extracted, when the lower paper discharge tray is set to the paper receiving position of the paper discharge port, the lower paper discharge tray is longer than the standby position by the height of the paper that has been extracted. Will move the distance. For this reason, there has been a problem in that useless time is required for tray control. The time required for this type of tray control is related to the image forming speed (paper discharge speed) of the image forming apparatus, and it has been desired to shorten the time.
[0005]
Therefore, the present invention provides a paper stacking device that can eliminate waste associated with the movement of the lower discharge tray from the standby position even when the paper is extracted, and an image forming apparatus having the paper stacking device. Objective.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a plurality of paper discharge trays capable of receiving paper with respect to one paper discharge port, and at least two or more of these paper discharge trays. The paper receiving position detection for setting the lower paper discharging tray that moves in the lower area of the paper discharge port as the paper receiving position of the paper discharge port And a standby position detecting means provided below the paper receiving position detecting means for detecting the standby position of the lower discharge tray, and the lower discharge tray by the standby position detecting means. In a paper stacking device that obtains a standby position by detecting the upper surface ofThe lower discharge tray is lowered, and when the upper surface of the lower discharge tray is changed from the detection state to the non-detection state by the standby position detection means, the lower discharge tray is stopped. After obtaining the standby position, after obtaining the standby position, the standby position detecting means raises the lower discharge tray until the upper surface of the lower discharge tray is in the detection state again. The control to stop at is repeated while the lower discharge tray is in the standby position., Is adopted.
[0007]
  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the paper stacking apparatus according to the first aspect, the lower discharge trayThe above control is performed only when the lower sheet discharge tray is full before moving to the standby position., Is adopted.
[0008]
  In the invention of claim 3, the claim of claim1In the paper stacking apparatus described above, the lower discharge tray before the lower discharge tray is moved to the standby position.The above control is not performed when no paper is loaded on, Is adopted.
[0009]
  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the paper stacking apparatus according to the first aspect, the lower discharge trayHas paper detection means for detecting the presence or absence of stacked paper, and performs the above control when no paper is detected by the paper detection means after obtaining the standby position., Is adopted.
[0010]
  In invention of Claim 5,An image forming apparatus in which a latent image formed on an image carrier is visualized by a developing unit, and the visible image is transferred to a sheet and then fixed by a fixing unit. An image forming apparatus that inseparably has an image-formed paper discharged by the paper stacking deviceInThe paper stacking device is one according to any one of claims 1 to 4., Is adopted.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 are overall schematic views of a finisher (paper post-processing device) as a paper stacking device, FIGS. 3 to 7 are diagrams related to a staple unit, and FIG. 8 is a paper ejected from a lower paper ejection tray. FIG. 9 is a schematic front view of the raising / lowering mechanism of the paper discharge tray when it is set (set) at the receiving position of the outlet E2. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the ejection when the upper paper discharge tray is set at the receiving position of the paper outlet E2. 10 is a schematic front view of the paper tray lifting mechanism, FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of the paper tray lifting mechanism, FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the lower paper discharge tray drive mechanism, and FIG. FIG. 13 is a plan view of a state in which the upper discharge tray is positioned at the receiving position of the discharge port, and FIG. 14 is a shift configuration of the lower discharge tray. FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing the operation of the shift configuration of the lower discharge tray. Figure 16 is a control block diagram.
[0013]
FIG. 1 shows a state in which a paper discharge tray 1 which is an upper paper discharge tray is set at a receiving position of a paper discharge port E1, and a paper discharge tray 2 which is a lower paper discharge tray is set at a receiving position of a paper discharge port E2. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the paper discharge tray 2 is set in the standby position and the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2.
As shown in FIG. 1, an entrance sensor SN 1 and an entrance roller pair 5 are provided in the vicinity of a sheet transfer portion J between a copying machine G as an image forming apparatus and the finisher 200, and are taken in by the entrance roller pair 5. The paper sheet takes the following paper discharge form according to the post-processing mode.
(1) The sheet is discharged from the sheet discharge outlet E1 to the sheet discharge tray 1.
(2) The sheet is discharged from the sheet discharge outlet E2 to the sheet discharge tray 1 or the sheet discharge tray 2 without performing the binding process (non-staple mode).
(3) After the binding process, the paper is discharged from the paper discharge port E2 to the paper discharge tray 1 or the paper discharge tray 2 (staple mode).
Although not shown, the copying machine G, like the conventional configuration, has an image carrier, developing means for visualizing the electrostatic latent image formed on the image carrier, and a transfer for transferring the visualized toner image to a sheet. And fixing means for fixing the transferred toner image to the sheet.
[0014]
The paper discharge route C to the paper discharge port E1 is switched by a branch claw 20 provided downstream of the inlet roller pair 5, and the paper is transported by the transport roller pair 6 and discharged by the paper discharge roller pair 7. The paper discharge roller pair 7 includes a driving roller 7a and a driven roller 7b. The driven roller 7b comes into contact with the driving roller 7a by its own weight or urging force, and the paper is nipped between the rollers and discharged.
The branching claw 20 is driven by a solenoid 20a (see FIG. 16), and when the solenoid 20a is turned off, the sheet is conveyed toward the paper discharge port E1 as shown in FIG. Reference numeral SN 2 in the paper discharge route C indicates a paper discharge sensor provided in the vicinity of the paper discharge roller pair 7.
[0015]
When the solenoid 20a is turned on and the branching claw 20 is rotated upward, the sheet is guided substantially horizontally. A branching claw 21 is provided downstream of the branching claw 20, and the paper guided substantially horizontally is selectively selected by the branching claw 21 to the non-stapling route B where the binding processing is not performed or the staple route A where the binding processing is performed. Guided.
The branch claw 21 is driven by a solenoid 21a (see FIG. 16). When the solenoid 21a is turned on and rotated upward, the sheet is guided to a staple route A in a substantially vertical direction. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the solenoid 21a is turned off and transported to the non-staple route B.
[0016]
In the non-stapling route B, the sheet is conveyed by the conveyance roller pair 8 and is discharged to the discharge tray 1 or the discharge tray 2 by the discharge roller pair 9. Reference numeral SN3 denotes a paper discharge sensor in the non-staple route B and the staple route A.
In the staple route A, the sheet is transported by the transport roller pair 10 and sent to the staple unit 60 for binding processing. The bound sheets (bundle) are discharged to the discharge tray 1 or the discharge tray 2 by the discharge roller pair 9. Reference numeral SN4 in the staple route A indicates a staple discharge sensor.
The discharge roller pair 9 includes a drive roller 9a and a driven roller 9b. The driven roller 9b is supported on the upstream side of the sheet discharge direction and is supported on a free end portion of a support member 13 that is provided to be rotatable in the vertical direction. It is supported rotatably. The driven roller 9b abuts on the driving roller 9a by its own weight or urging force, and the paper is nipped between the rollers and discharged. When the bound sheet bundle is discharged, the support member 13 is rotated upward and returned at a predetermined timing. This timing is determined based on the detection signal of the paper discharge sensor SN3.
[0017]
As shown in FIG. 1, when the paper discharge tray 2 is positioned at the paper discharge outlet E2 in order from the top on the paper discharge outlets E1 and E2 side of the apparatus main body, the retraction position of the paper discharge tray 1 (at the paper discharge outlet E1). In contrast, the retraction position detection sensor SN5 for detecting the sheet discharge tray 1 (which is also a position where the sheet can be received) detects the position when the sheet discharge tray 1 is positioned at the sheet discharge outlet E2, and the position of the sheet discharge tray 2 is also detected. A paper surface detection sensor SN6 as a paper receiving position detection means for detecting the upper surface or the upper surface of the paper on the paper discharge tray 2, and the standby position of the paper discharge tray 2 (the position of the upper surface (stacking surface) of the paper discharge tray 2) A standby position detection sensor SN8 as standby position detection means for detecting the position of the uppermost sheet when paper is loaded), a fullness detection sensor SN9 for detecting the full position of the paper discharge tray 2, Output tray Lower limit position detecting sensor SN7 is provided as a lower limit position detecting means for detecting the lower limit position of 2.
[0018]
When the paper discharge tray 1 is positioned at the paper discharge port E2, the paper discharge tray 2 is positioned not at the lower limit position but at a standby position detected by the standby position detection sensor SN8, and a small moving distance when the paper discharge tray 2 is designated. Can be moved to the paper discharge port E2.
Each sensor has a difference in the front and rear position in the paper discharge direction depending on its function. However, in FIGS. 1 and 2, all the sensors are arranged on a straight line so that only the difference in the vertical direction can be seen. it's shown.
[0019]
The paper discharge tray 1 and the paper discharge tray 2 are individually driven by separate drive sources, and the positioning of the discharge port E2 and the like are controlled by the control means 100 described later.
[0020]
Next, the configuration of the staple unit 60 will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper guided to the staple route A is stacked on a staple tray (not shown) by the transport roller pair 10 and the paper discharge roller pair 11. 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 (paper width direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction) is performed by the jogger fence 62. The stapler 61 is driven by a stapling signal from the control means 100 described later between the job breaks, that is, between the last sheet of the sheet bundle and 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 discharge roller pair 9 by the discharge belt 71 having the discharge claw 71a, and the discharge sheet set at the receiving position of the discharge port E2 as shown in FIG. The paper is discharged to the tray 2 (or the paper discharge tray 1).
As shown in FIG. 7, the home position detection sensor SN11 detects the home position of the release claw 71a. The home position detection sensor SN11 is turned on by an operation piece 71b provided on the release belt 71. -Turn off.
[0021]
As shown in FIG. 3, the tapping roller 12 is given a pendulum motion by a tapping solenoid 66 around the fulcrum 12a, and intermittently acts on the paper fed to the staple tray as shown in FIG. It strikes against the end fence 68. At this time, since the discharge roller pair 11 has a brush roller (see FIG. 1), this prevents back flow at the trailing edge of the sheet. The hitting roller 12 rotates counterclockwise.
[0022]
As shown in FIG. 3, the jogger fence 62 is driven via a jogger belt 64 by a jogger motor 63 capable of forward and reverse rotation, and reciprocates in the paper width direction. As shown in FIG. 5, the staple unit 60 is driven via a staple belt 70 by a staple moving motor 69 capable of rotating in the forward and reverse directions, and moves in the width direction of the sheet in order to bind a predetermined position at the end of the sheet.
The staple discharge sensor SN4 detects the trailing edge of the paper and immediately issues an ON command to the solenoid 66, and even if the tapping roller 12 is actuated, the trailing edge of the paper discharged to the staple tray (not shown) by the tapping roller 12 is detected. It is abutted against the rear end fence 68 and arranged at a position to be aligned.
[0023]
Next, an operation when the staple mode is selected will be described.
When the staple mode is selected, as shown in FIG. 3, the jogger fence 62 moves from the home position and stands by at a standby position that is 7 mm away from the width of the sheet discharged to the staple tray. When the sheet is conveyed by the conveying roller pair 10 and the trailing end of the sheet passes the staple paper discharge sensor SN4, the jogger fence 62 moves inward by 5 mm from the standby position and stops.
Further, the staple paper discharge sensor SN4 detects when the trailing edge of the paper passes, and the signal is input to the CPU 102 (see FIG. 16). The CPU 102 counts the number of pulses transmitted from the conveying motor that drives the conveying roller pair 10 from the time of receiving this signal, and turns on the hitting solenoid 66 after transmitting a predetermined pulse.
The tapping roller 12 performs a pendulum motion when the tapping solenoid 66 is turned on and off. When the tapping roller 66 is on, the tapping roller 12 strikes the paper and returns it to the bottom, and abuts against the rear end fence 68 to align the paper. At this time, every time a sheet stored in the staple tray passes through the entrance sensor SN1 or the staple discharge sensor SN4, the signal is input to the CPU 102, and the number of sheets is counted.
[0024]
After a lapse of a predetermined time after the hit solenoid 66 is turned off, the jogger fence 62 is further moved inward by 2.6 mm by the jogger motor 63 and is temporarily stopped to complete the horizontal alignment. The jogger fence 62 then moves 7.6 mm, returns to the standby position, and waits for the next sheet. This operation is performed up to the last page. Then, it moves again to the inside of 7.6 mm and stops, and prepares for the stapling operation by pressing both ends of the sheet bundle. Thereafter, the stapler 61 is operated by a staple motor after a predetermined time, and the binding process is performed. At this time, if a plurality of bindings are designated, after the binding process at one place is completed, the staple moving motor 69 is driven, and the stapler 61 is moved to the appropriate position along the rear end of the sheet, so that the second binding is performed. Processing is performed.
[0025]
When the binding process is completed, the discharge motor 72 is driven, and the discharge belt 71 is driven. At this time, the paper discharge motor is also driven, and the paper discharge roller pair 9 starts to rotate to receive the sheet bundle lifted by the discharge claw 71a. At this time, the jogger fence 62 is controlled so that the operation differs depending 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 71a while the sheet bundle is pressed by the jogger fence 62.
[0026]
Then, the jogger fence 62 is retracted 2.6 mm after a predetermined pulse from the detection by the paper presence sensor SN15 (see FIG. 4) or the home position detection sensor SN11 of the discharge claw 71a, and the restraint on the paper by the jogger fence 62 is released. This predetermined pulse is set after the discharge claw 71a collides with the rear end of the paper and passes through the front end of the jogger fence 62.
When the number of sheets to be bound is larger than the set number or larger than the set size, the jogger fence 62 is retracted by 2.6 mm in advance and discharged. In any case, when the sheet bundle passes through the jogger fence 62, the jogger fence 62 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 62 to the paper.
[0027]
Next, the configuration of the paper discharge trays 1 and 2 and its support member (elevating mechanism) will be described. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the paper discharge tray 1 is provided on a base member 57 supported by a support member 56 composed of a pair of guide rails 30a and 30b described later so as to be movable in the vertical direction.
The paper discharge tray 1 is integrally formed with an end fence 1a for aligning the rear end of the paper. When the paper is loaded on the paper discharge tray 1 with a certain amount or more of the end fence 1a, the end fence 1a is full. A full detection sensor SN12 is provided as a full detection means for detecting (state) (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). When detection by the full detection sensor SN12 is performed, control such as prohibition of paper discharge to the paper discharge tray 1 is performed, and the occurrence of poor stacking can be prevented in advance. The fullness here means a stacking amount that does not disturb the stacking state of the sheets when the discharge tray 1 moves up and down with the sheets stacked.
The rear end of the paper in the paper discharge tray 2 is aligned by an end fence 3 that forms the side surface of the apparatus main body. These paper discharge trays 1 and 2 are provided in a stacked state in the vertical direction.
[0028]
As shown in FIG. 10, the paper discharge tray 1 is attached to a base body 40 fixed between the side plates 39a and 39b so as to be slidable in the paper discharge direction via a slide base 50 described later. Guide rollers 44 are attached to the side plates 39a and 39b through a short shaft (not shown). The guide rollers 44 are engaged with the inside of a pair of guide rails 30a and 30b having a U-shaped cross section and are vertically moved. It is provided to be movable.
Further, since the guide rollers 44 are positioned by assembling the side plates 39a and 39b and the base body 40, the guide rollers 44 are prevented from coming off from the guide rails 30a and 30b.
A timing belt 37 is tensioned on the drive shaft 33a and the driven shaft 33b via a timing pulley 36. A part of the side plates 39a and 39b is fixed to a part of the timing belt 37, and the unit including the paper discharge tray 1 is suspended so as to be lifted and lowered by such a configuration.
[0029]
On the other hand, the paper discharge tray 2 is attached to a base 43 fixed between the side plates 42a and 42b, like the paper discharge tray 1. The side plates 42a and 42b are provided with a rotatable guide roller 44 through a short shaft (not shown), and the guide roller 44 is engaged with a pair of guide rails 30a and 30b having a U-shaped cross section so as to be movable. Is provided. That is, the paper discharge tray 1 and the paper discharge tray 2 share a pair of guide rails 30a and 30b. Further, since the guide rollers 44 are positioned by assembling the side plates 42a, 42b and the base 43, the guide rollers 44 are prevented from coming off from the guide rails 30a, 30b.
A timing belt 35 is tensioned on the drive shaft 41a and the driven shaft 41b via a timing pulley 34. A part of the side plates 42a and 42b is fixed to a part of the timing belt 35, and the unit including the paper discharge tray 2 is suspended so as to be lifted and lowered by such a configuration.
[0030]
As shown in FIG. 11, the sheet discharge tray 2 configured to be movable up and down as described above moves up and down by driving the drive shaft 41 a by the drive unit 29.
The power generated by the up-and-down motor 31 that can move forward and backward as the drive source for moving the discharge tray 2 in the vertical direction is transmitted to the final gear of the gear train fixed to the drive shaft 41 a via the worm gear 30. ing. Since the worm gear 30 is provided midway, the paper discharge tray 2 can be held at a fixed position, and an accidental drop accident of the paper discharge tray 2 can be prevented.
Although not shown, the drive unit for the paper discharge tray 1 is the same, and a drive source for moving the paper discharge tray 1 in the vertical direction is a vertically movable motor 55 shown in FIG.
[0031]
A shielding plate 42c is integrally formed on the side plate 42a of the paper discharge tray 2. The fullness detection sensor SN9 and the lower limit position detection sensor SN7 are turned on / off by the shielding plate 42c. These sensors are photosensors, and are turned on when blocked by the shielding plate 42c.
The standby position detection sensor SN8 has a configuration in which a detection piece protrudes from the surface of the end fence 3 with an urging force, like the standby position detection sensor described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-53308, and the detection piece is a discharge tray. 2 or the sheet on the paper discharge tray 2 is turned on / off by being displaced (the fullness detection sensor SN9 is omitted in FIGS. 8 and 9).
The paper surface detection sensor SN6 has the same configuration as the standby position detection sensor SN8. In FIG. 4, the driven roller 9b of the paper discharge roller pair 9 is omitted. In FIG. 4, reference numeral 17 denotes a sponge return roller that comes into contact with the paper discharged from the paper discharge port E <b> 2 and abuts the rear end of the paper against the end fence 3.
[0032]
Next, the slide configuration of the paper discharge tray 1 in the paper discharge direction will be described in detail based on FIG. 8, FIG. 9, FIG. 12, and FIG.
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the guide rails 30 a and 30 b include a driving roller 9 a (discharge roller) of the discharge roller pair 9 protruding from the moving surface of the discharge tray 1 in the sheet discharge direction, and a discharge tray. 1 is provided with a cam 81 for sliding the paper discharge tray 1 in the paper discharge direction. The length of the cam 81 in the vertical direction extends from the vicinity below the paper discharge roller pair 9 to the paper discharge roller pair 7.
The thickness of the cam 81 in the paper discharge direction is three stages: a thick portion 81a that can avoid interference with the paper discharge roller pair 9, an inclined portion 81b, and a thin portion 81c located below the paper discharge roller pair 9. ing.
A guide roller 80 that rolls on the cam surface of the cam 81 (the front surface of the cam 81 in the sheet discharge direction) is provided on the back surface of the end fence 1 a of the discharge tray 1.
[0033]
As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, slide rails 53 are fixed to the inner surfaces of the side plates 39a and 39b, respectively. Two shafts 51 having guide rollers 52 guided by the slide rails 53 are provided at both ends between the slide rails 53, and the slide base 50 is supported between the shafts 51 (in this case, fixed). Has been. The paper discharge tray 1 is fixed to the slide base 50.
One ends of springs 54 as elastic members are engaged with both ends of the slide base 50 in the sheet width direction, and the other ends of the springs 54 are raised at the rear end of the base body 40 in the sheet discharge direction. It is latched by the spring latching piece 40a. With this configuration, the paper discharge tray 1 is constantly pressed against the cam 81 by the biasing force of the spring 54, and the guide roller 80 is in contact with the cam surface.
The side plates 39a and 39b, the base body 40, the slide base 50, the shaft 51, the slide rail 53, the spring 54, and the like constitute a base member 57 that supports the paper discharge tray 1.
[0034]
FIG. 8 shows a state in which the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E1, and the paper discharge tray 2 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2. In this case, since the guide roller 80 of the discharge tray 1 is located at the thick portion 81a of the cam 81, as shown in FIG. 12, the end fence 1a of the discharge tray 1 and the discharge roller pair in the paper discharge direction There is a slight gap between 9 and 9.
From this state, as shown in FIG. 9, when the paper discharge tray 2 is placed in a standby position and the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2, the paper discharge tray 1 moves up the paper discharge port E2. , The paper discharge tray 1 does not interfere with the paper discharge roller pair 9 because the guide roller 80 passes through the paper discharge port E2 with the guide roller 80 positioned at the thick portion 81a of the cam 81. To do.
Thereafter, the guide roller 80 reaches from the thick part 81a to the thin part 81c via the inclined part 81b. When the guide roller 80 enters the inclined portion 81b, the paper discharge tray 1 starts to slide toward the cam 81 due to the biasing force of the spring 54, and is finally positioned at a position where paper can be received from the paper discharge port E2. The slide of the discharge tray 1 is not tilted while maintaining the posture by the horizontal movement of the slide base 50, in other words.
[0035]
At this receiving position, as shown in FIG. 13, the end fence 1a of the paper discharge tray 1 and the drive roller 9a of the paper discharge roller pair 9 overlap. Strictly, although not shown, the end fence 1a is formed with a notch recessed portion that is notched in the vertical direction so as to avoid interference with the driving roller 9a. Only overlaps the driving roller 9a in the vertical direction. As a result, the trailing edge of the sheet discharged from the sheet discharge outlet E2 is prevented from entering between the drive roller 9a and the end fence 1a to cause a stacking failure. This overlap configuration also functions in the same manner for the paper discharge roller pair 7 at the paper discharge port E1.
The paper surface detection sensor SN6 for setting the paper discharge tray 1 to the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2 is turned on / off at the lower end of the notch recess when no paper is loaded on the paper discharge tray 1. . In addition, although not shown, in order to avoid interference between the return roller 17 and the end fence 1a of the paper discharge tray 1, a similar notch recess is formed in the end fence 1a.
[0036]
According to the cam configuration, the discharge tray 1 can be slid in the sheet discharge direction by using the vertical movement force of the discharge tray 1 to avoid interference with the discharge roller pair 9, so that interference can be avoided. There is no need to provide a dedicated drive source, and there is an advantage that cost reduction can be realized.
[0037]
As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a shift motor 46, a crank gear 47 and the like are arranged on the back side of the end fence 3 so that the end fence 3 can be shifted. A member 80 having a long hole extending vertically is fixed to the back surface of the end fence 3, and a pin 86 that is eccentrically fixed to the crank gear 47 is engaged with the long hole. The rotation of the shift motor 46 is transmitted to the worm gear 82 by the belt 84, and the crank gear 47 engaged therewith rotates.
This shift movement is monitored by the shift sensor SN14, and the stop position is determined. The end fence 3 and the discharge tray 2 are fitted in a comb shape that allows the discharge tray 2 to move up and down, and the discharge tray 2 follows the movement of the end fence 3.
With this configuration, a sorting stack in the paper discharge tray 2 is possible.
[0038]
In this embodiment, the offset stack is realized by the shift operation of the discharge trays 1 and 2 itself (the shift operation of the discharge tray 1 will be described later). It is also possible to shift during transport. A method using a jogger fence of the staple unit 60 is also conceivable for the offset stack in the paper discharge tray 2. Moreover, it is also possible to combine these methods.
[0039]
As shown in FIG. 16, the control means 100 is a microcomputer having a CPU 102, an I / O interface 104, etc., each switch (SW) of a control panel (not shown) of the main body of the copying machine G, and a paper surface detection sensor. Signals from sensors such as SN 6 are input to the CPU 102 via the I / O interface 104. Based on the input signal, the CPU 102 moves the vertical motor 55 for the paper discharge tray 1, the vertical motor 31 for the paper discharge tray 2, the solenoid 20 a, the solenoid 21 a, the tapping solenoid 66, and the transport motor that drives each pair of transport rollers. A paper discharge motor for driving each pair of paper discharge rollers, a staple motor for driving the stapler 61, a discharge motor 72 for driving the discharge belt 71, a staple moving motor 69 for moving the stapler 61, and a jogger motor 63 for driving the jogger fence 11. Etc. are controlled.
The pulse signal of the conveying motor that drives the conveying roller pair 10 is input to the CPU 102 and counted, and the hitting solenoid 66 is controlled according to this count.
The matching control means is composed of the CPU 102 and various operation programs that operate the CPU 102.
[0040]
In the above configuration, first, an operation when the non-staple mode in which the binding process is not performed is selected will be described.
(When discharging from the discharge roller pair 7 to the discharge tray 1)
The copied paper is received by the entrance roller pair 5, transported by the transport roller pair 6, discharged by the paper discharge roller pair 7, and stacked on the paper discharge tray 1. At this time, the paper discharge roller pair 7 is decelerated when the paper discharge sensor SN2 detects the trailing edge of the paper, thereby improving the stackability.
[0041]
(When discharging from the discharge roller pair 9 to the discharge tray 2)
The copied paper is received by the entrance roller pair 5, transported by the transport roller pair 8, discharged by the paper discharge roller pair 9, and stacked on the paper discharge tray 2. At this time, the paper discharge roller pair 9 is decelerated when the paper discharge sensor SN3 detects the trailing edge of the paper, thereby improving the stackability.
Further, when the copied paper is sequentially discharged and the upper surface is detected by the paper surface detection sensor SN6, the vertical motor 31 is driven and the paper discharge tray 2 is lowered so that the paper surface height is always at an appropriate height. Kept. In the sort and stack modes, the shift motor 46 is driven by the partition signal output from the control panel of the copying machine G to shift the discharge tray 2 and sort until the job is completed.
[0042]
Next, the control operation of the paper discharge trays 1 and 2 by the control means 100 will be described.
First, the initial operation (homing operation) of the paper discharge trays 1 and 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the home position of the discharge tray 1 is the position where the rear end of the base member 57 is detected by the retracted position detection sensor SN5, and the discharge tray 2 is the paper surface detection sensor SN6. Thus, the upper end of the stacking surface or the upper surface of the stacked sheets is detected.
This initial operation will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. In the following flowcharts, the paper discharge tray 1 is simply abbreviated as tray 1 and the paper discharge tray 2 is abbreviated as tray 2.
First, in order to set the paper discharge tray 1 at the receiving position of the paper discharge outlet E1, the control means 100 checks the retreat position detection sensor SN5 (S1), and if it is off, raises the paper discharge tray 1 (S2). Subsequently, the retreat position detection sensor SN5 is checked (S3), and when it is turned on, the paper discharge tray 1 is stopped (S4). If the retract position detection sensor SN5 is on in S1, the process proceeds to S5.
[0043]
Next, in order to set the paper discharge tray 2 at the receiving position of the paper discharge outlet E2, the control means 100 checks the paper surface detection sensor SN6 (S5), and if it is off, the paper discharge tray 2 is once raised (S6). . Subsequently, the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked (S7), and when it is turned on, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S8). Next, after lowering the paper discharge tray 2 (S9), the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked (S10). When it is turned off, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S11), and the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is set to 0. Is set (S12).
In S5, when the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is on, the discharge tray 2 is lowered (S13), and the process proceeds to S10.
[0044]
Next, a case where the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is 0, the paper discharge tray 1 is set to the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2, and the paper discharge tray 2 is set to the standby position will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. However, a description will be given as a general case in which it is not assumed that the paper is removed at the standby position of the paper discharge tray 2.
First, the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is checked (S14). If the position flag is 0, it is determined that the paper discharge tray 1 is at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E1, and the following operation is performed. First, in order to set the paper discharge tray 2 to the standby position, the paper discharge tray 2 is lowered (S15), and then whether or not the standby position detection sensor SN8 has been turned off from on, that is, turned on at the lower end of the paper discharge tray 2. Then, it is checked whether the upper end or the upper end of the paper on the paper discharge tray 2 has passed and turned off (S16). When the paper is turned off from on, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S17).
[0045]
Next, in order to set the paper discharge tray 1 to the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2, the paper discharge tray 1 is lowered (S18), and whether or not the paper surface detection sensor SN6 has been turned off from on, that is, the paper discharge tray 1 It is turned on at the lower end, and it is checked whether or not the upper end of the end fence 1a (strictly, the lower end of the cut-out recess) is turned off (S19), and when it is turned off from on, the paper discharge tray 1 is stopped (S20). ). Then, 1 is set to the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 (S21).
In the present embodiment, as described above, the paper surface detection sensor SN6 as detection means for positioning the paper discharge tray 2 at the reception position of the paper discharge outlet E2 is used, and the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the reception position of the paper discharge outlet E2. Shared as a detection means for positioning.
[0046]
Next, a case where the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is 1, and the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2 or the paper discharge tray 2 is set at the standby position will be described based on the flowchart of FIG. . However, a description will be given as a general case in which it is not assumed that the paper is removed at the standby position of the paper discharge tray 2.
First, the position flag of the discharge tray 1 is checked (S22). If the position flag is 1, the discharge tray 1 is raised to confirm that the discharge tray 1 is at the receiving position of the discharge port E2. (S23), the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked (S24). When the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is turned on, the paper discharge tray 1 is stopped (S25), and then the paper discharge tray 1 is lowered (S26). Subsequently, the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked (S27). When the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is turned off, the paper discharge tray 1 is stopped (S28), and the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2.
[0047]
Next, in order to set the discharge tray 2 to the standby position, the discharge tray 2 is raised (S29), and the standby position detection sensor SN8 is checked (S30). When it is turned on, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S31), and then the paper discharge tray 2 is lowered (S32). Next, the standby position detection sensor SN8 is checked (S33), and when it is turned off, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S34). Then, the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is set to 1 (S35).
That is, when the position flag is 1, the discharge tray 1 is raised and lowered and reset by the paper surface detection sensor SN6, and the discharge tray 2 is raised and lowered and reset by the standby position detection sensor SN8.
[0048]
Next, the operation when the position flag of the discharge tray 1 is 0 and the discharge tray 1 is reset to the receiving position of the discharge outlet E1 or the discharge tray 2 is reset to the receiving position of the discharge outlet E2 is shown in FIG. It demonstrates based on the flowchart of these.
First, the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is checked (S36). If it is 0, it is determined that the paper discharge tray 1 is at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E1, and the following operation is performed. First, the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked to set the paper discharge tray 2 at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2 (S37), and if it is off, the paper discharge tray 2 is temporarily raised (S38). Subsequently, the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked (S39). If it is turned on, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S40), and then the paper discharge tray 2 is lowered (S41). Further, the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked (S42), and when it is turned off, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S43).
[0049]
Next, the retreat position detection sensor SN5 is checked (S44), and if it is off, the discharge tray 1 is raised (S45). Subsequently, the retreat position detection sensor SN5 is checked (S46), and when it is turned on, the paper discharge tray 1 is stopped (S47). That is, the paper discharge tray 1 is reset by the retreat position detection sensor SN5. Then, 0 is set in the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 (S48).
If the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is on in S2, the paper discharge tray 2 is lowered (S49), and the process proceeds to S42.
[0050]
Next, the flowchart of FIG. 21 shows a case where the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is 1, and the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E1 or the paper discharge tray 2 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2. Based on
The position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is checked (S50). If the position flag is 1, it is determined that the paper discharge tray 1 is at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2, and the following operation is performed.
First, in order to set the paper discharge tray 1 at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E1, the paper discharge tray 1 is raised (S51), the retreat position detection sensor SN5 is checked (S52), and when it is turned on, the paper discharge tray 1 is stopped. (S53).
Next, in order to set the paper discharge tray 2 to the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2, the paper discharge tray 2 is raised (S54), and the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked (S55). Stop (S56). Next, the paper discharge tray 2 is lowered (S57), and the paper surface detection sensor SN6 is checked (S58). When it is turned off, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S59), and the position flag of the paper discharge tray 1 is set to 0 (S60).
[0051]
In an actual copying operation, a post-processing mode and a paper discharge destination are determined on an operation unit of an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine or a printer driver, and a paper discharge tray is switched based on the information.
In the state shown in FIG. 1 (discharge tray default state), the discharge tray is switched only when discharging to the discharge tray 1 in the staple mode. That is, the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2.
When the job is completed in the state shown in FIG. 2, the homing operation of the paper discharge trays 1 and 2 is appropriately performed based on the determination of the control unit of the image forming apparatus G.
[0052]
  Next, in the case where the paper discharge tray 1 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2 and the paper discharge tray 2 is set at the standby position, control is performed assuming that the paper on the paper discharge tray 2 is removed at the standby position. This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 22 and FIGS. 23 to 25.
  First, it is checked whether or not the retraction position detection sensor SN5 is turned on (S61). If it is turned on, it is determined that the paper discharge tray 1 is at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E1, and the paper discharge tray 2 is placed in the standby position. Is lowered to set to (S62). Next, it is checked whether the standby position detection sensor SN8 has been turned off from on (S63),OffIf this happens, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S64). As shown in FIG. 23, this is the standby position where the upper surface of the sheet is detected by the standby position detection sensor SN8.
[0053]
  As shown in FIG. 25, even if the sheet on the paper discharge tray 2 is removed at this standby position, the situation cannot be detected by the standby position detection sensor SN8. This is because the standby position detection sensor SN8 is in a state in which contact with the paper is released.
  When the paper is removed in this way, when the paper discharge tray 2 is set at the receiving position of the paper discharge port E2, the movement distance of the paper discharge tray 2 is larger than that of the standby position. The height is increased (dimension L).
  In order to solve this problem, in this embodiment, the sheet discharge tray 2 is raised after obtaining the standby position regardless of whether or not the sheet is removed (S65). Next, it is checked whether or not the standby position detection sensor SN8 is turned on by contact with the upper surface of the paper discharge tray 2 (S66), and if it is turned on, the paper discharge tray 2 is stopped (S67). The stopped stateFIG.Shown in In this state, since the standby position detection sensor SN8 is in contact with the paper, it is kept on.
[0054]
  After stopping the paper discharge tray 2, the paper discharge tray 1 is lowered (S68), and it is checked whether or not the paper surface detection sensor SN6 has been turned off from on, that is, whether the paper discharge tray 1 has been set to the paper receiving position ( S69). When set, the paper discharge tray 1 is stopped (S70).
  FIG.As shown in FIG. 6, the standby position detection sensor SN8 maintains the ON state, so that it is possible to detect the subsequent removal of the sheet. In the present embodiment, the control to raise the discharge tray 2 is constantly repeated until the standby position detection sensor SN8 is turned on. For this reason, when the sheet is removed, the discharge tray 2 is always raised, and the upper surface thereof is positioned at the standby position.
[0055]
In many cases, the paper is removed from the paper discharge tray 2 so that the paper discharge tray 2 before moving to the standby position is substantially full. For this reason, from the viewpoint of eliminating unnecessary control, the standby position detection sensor SN8 is turned on after the standby position is obtained only when the discharge tray 2 is detected to be full before the discharge tray 2 is moved to the standby position. Control may be performed to raise the discharge tray 2 until it is done. If fullness is not detected, the process proceeds to S68 after S64 in the flowchart of FIG. The full detection of the paper discharge tray 2 means a state where both the paper surface detection sensor SN6 and the full detection sensor SN9 are on.
Further, before the movement to the standby position, if no paper is stacked on the paper discharge tray 2, the paper is not extracted after the movement. If the sheet is not stacked on the sheet discharge tray 2 before moving to, control for raising the sheet discharge tray 2 may not be performed after the standby position is obtained and the standby position detection sensor SN8 is turned on. . If no sheets are loaded, the process proceeds to S68 after S64 in the flowchart of FIG. The control unit 100 determines that the sheets are not stacked by checking the discharge history.
[0056]
Further, from the viewpoint of eliminating wasteful control, the paper discharge tray 2 is provided with paper detection means for detecting the presence or absence of paper on the paper discharge tray 2, and after the standby position is obtained, the paper is not detected by the paper detection means. Only when the standby position detection sensor SN8 is turned on, control to raise the discharge tray 2 may be performed.
[0057]
【The invention's effect】
  The present inventionAccording to,UpWhen the side discharge tray is set at the paper receiving position of the discharge port, it is possible to reliably avoid a collision with the lower discharge tray.
[0058]
  The present inventionAccording to,forPaper removal can be monitored at all times, and it is possible to reliably reduce the movement time when the lower paper discharge tray is moved to the paper receiving position of the paper discharge port.
  Further, according to the present invention, waste of control can be eliminated.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a sheet post-processing apparatus as a sheet stacking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which a lower discharge tray is set at a receiving position of a discharge outlet E2.
FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the sheet post-processing apparatus in a state where an upper discharge tray is set at a receiving position of a discharge outlet E2 and a lower discharge tray is set at a standby position.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a staple unit.
FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a hitting operation in the staple unit.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a staple unit.
FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a discharging operation of the staple unit.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration for detecting the home position of the discharge belt.
FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of a lifting mechanism of a paper discharge tray in a state where a lower paper discharge tray is set at a receiving position of a paper discharge port E2.
FIG. 9 is a schematic front view of the lifting mechanism of the discharge tray in a state where the upper discharge tray is set at the receiving position of the discharge port E2.
FIG. 10 is a schematic side view of an elevating mechanism for a paper discharge tray.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating a driving mechanism for a lower discharge tray.
FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams illustrating a state in which the upper discharge tray is movable through the discharge outlet, where FIG. 12A is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 12B is a schematic side view.
FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of a state in which the upper discharge tray is set at a receiving position of a discharge outlet.
FIG. 14 is a perspective view illustrating a shift configuration of a lower discharge tray.
FIG. 15 is a perspective view illustrating a shift configuration of a lower discharge tray.
FIG. 16 is a control block diagram.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing an initial operation of the paper discharge tray.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart showing an operation for setting the upper discharge tray at the receiving position of the discharge outlet E2.
FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an operation of resetting the upper discharge tray positioned at the discharge outlet E2 to the discharge outlet E2.
FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing an operation of resetting the upper discharge tray set at the receiving position of the discharge outlet E1 to the receiving position of the discharge outlet.
FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating an operation for setting the upper discharge tray set at the receiving position of the discharge port E2 to the receiving position of the discharge port E1.
FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing an operation for setting the upper discharge tray at the receiving position of the discharge outlet E2, and is a flowchart assuming the removal of the sheet from the lower discharge tray at the standby position.
FIG. 23 is a side view of the main part in a state where the lower discharge tray is set to the standby position.
FIG. 24 is a side view of the main part in a state where, after obtaining the standby position, the lower discharge tray is raised until the standby position detecting means is turned on.
FIG. 25 is a main part side view showing a state in which the sheet is removed from the lower discharge tray at the standby position.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Upper output tray as the output tray
2 Lower output tray
E2 paper exit
SN6 Paper surface detection sensor as paper receiving position detection means
SN8 Standby position detection sensor as standby position detection means

Claims (5)

A plurality of paper discharge trays capable of receiving paper at a single paper discharge port, and at least two or more of the paper discharge trays are provided so as to be able to move up and down independently, A paper receiving position detecting means for setting a lower paper discharge tray that moves in a region below the paper discharging outlet as a paper receiving position of the paper discharging outlet; and a lower position provided below the paper receiving position detecting means. In a paper stacking apparatus that has a standby position detection means for detecting the standby position of the discharge tray on the side, and obtains the standby position by detecting the upper surface of the lower discharge tray by the standby position detection means,
The lower discharge tray is lowered, and when the upper surface of the lower discharge tray is changed from the detection state to the non-detection state by the standby position detection means, the lower discharge tray is stopped. After obtaining the standby position, after obtaining the standby position, the standby position detecting means raises the lower discharge tray until the upper surface of the lower discharge tray is in the detection state again. The sheet stacking apparatus is characterized in that the control of stopping at the same time is repeated while the lower discharge tray is positioned at the standby position . The paper stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control is performed only when the lower discharge tray is full before the lower discharge tray is moved to the standby position . The paper stacking apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
The paper stacking apparatus, wherein the control is not performed when no paper is stacked on the lower paper discharge tray before the lower paper discharge tray is moved to the standby position. The paper stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The lower discharge tray has sheet detection means for detecting the presence or absence of sheets loaded, and the control is performed when the sheet detection means no longer detects the sheets after obtaining the standby position. Paper loading device to do. An image forming apparatus in which a latent image formed on an image carrier is visualized by a developing unit, and the visible image is transferred to a sheet and then fixed by a fixing unit. In an image forming apparatus that inseparably has an image-formed paper discharged by the paper stacking device ,
The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet stacking apparatus is the one according to claim 1 .

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