JP4428408B2 - Paper stacking device and paper processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus that performs folding processing on a sheet, and in particular, an improvement of a sheet discharge unit in a small sheet processing apparatus that performs folding processing on a sheet on which an image is formed in combination with an image forming apparatus. About.

  The folded paper is likely to be irregular in shape as compared to paper that is not folded, that is, flat paper, and is likely to be irregularly stacked in the paper discharge unit.

  In particular, multiple folded sheets such as trifolds, for example, multifolded sheets called kannon folds or double parallel folds, have a shape that is greatly different from the shape of a flat plate and stacks irregularly in the stacking section. Sometimes it jumps out and scatters outside.

  Conventionally, sheets that have been folded and discharged have been mainly collected only in a box-shaped tray. However, the discharge unit in the image forming apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus collects sheets on the collection tray in an orderly manner. Improvements have been made.

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 propose that a paper pressing member that presses the paper downward is provided near the paper discharge portion.

  In Patent Document 2, there is provided a pressing member that pulls out the paper pressing member and moves it to the upper surface on the newly discharged paper.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-228561 proposes a configuration in which the paper leading end stopper can be tilted in order to easily take out the folded paper.

Patent Document 3 discloses providing a paddle for pressing the trailing edge of the paper in addition to the paper leading edge pressing arm.
JP 2002-274727 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-300200 JP 2002-255431-A

  Patent Documents 1 and 2 do not have a configuration capable of aligning folded sheets, and are extremely insufficient to stack folded sheets in an aligned state.

  In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-260688, the discharge sheets are aligned by providing pressing members that hold the leading and trailing edges of the folded and discharged sheets.

  However, in Patent Document 3, the rear end of the sheet is pressed using a rotating paddle, and the sheet moves and deforms on the stacking tray due to the movement of the paddle, so that there is a problem that the alignment is not sufficiently performed.

  In a multi-folded paper that is easily deformed, the paper is particularly easily deformed by a rotating paddle, which may not be able to be aligned, and the folding may be broken.

  The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems in the prior art relating to the stacking of sheets that have been folded and discharged, a sheet stacking apparatus that can stack sheets in a well-aligned manner, and a sheet processing apparatus equipped with such a sheet stacking apparatus The purpose is to provide.

The object is achieved by the following invention.
1.
Frame,
A stacking tray that is held in the frame so as to be movable up and down, folded, and stacked.
The first sheet is fixed to the frame so that when the sheets are discharged to the stacking tray, the sheets are guided onto the stacking tray and the rear end of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray is pressed in the discharging and conveying direction. Holding means;
A second pressing means for pressing the leading end of the paper on the stacking tray in the discharge / conveying direction;
When the stacking tray reaches a lower limit position, a sensor for notifying the fullness of the sheet is activated so that the thickness of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray increases and is pushed by the first pressing unit. Descend,
The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second pressing unit has an upstream end in the sheet discharge conveyance direction fixed to the frame, and a downstream end in the discharge conveyance direction is a free end.
2.
2. The paper according to claim 1, wherein the first pressing means has a rotating body rotatably attached to a shaft fixed to the frame so as to be driven and rotated in contact with the discharged and conveyed paper. Integrated device.
3.
3. The paper stacking apparatus according to 1 or 2, wherein the first pressing unit guides the discharged and transported paper downward.
4).
4. The paper stacking apparatus according to any one of 1 to 3, wherein the second pressing unit is configured by a sheet-like member having elasticity.
5).
The stacking tray is supported by the frame so as to be rotatable by a shaft at a downstream end portion in the paper discharge and conveyance direction, and the upstream end portion is biased upward by a spring force. The paper stacking apparatus according to any one of the above.
6).
In any one of the items 1 to 5, the free end of the second pressing unit protrudes below the stacking tray in a state where sheets are not accumulated on the stacking tray. paper collection product apparatus as claimed.
7).
7. The method according to any one of 1 to 6, wherein the second pressing unit includes a layer having a sheet contact surface whose friction with the sheet is adjusted, and a backing layer that increases the rigidity of the second pressing unit. The paper stacking apparatus described.
8).
A folding unit that folds the paper, and a paper discharge roller that includes a pair of rollers, and a paper discharge unit that discharges the paper folded by the folding unit;
In a paper processing apparatus having a paper stacking device that stacks paper discharged from the paper discharge unit,
The paper stacking device
Frame,
A stacking tray that is held by the frame so as to be movable up and down, is folded by the folding processing unit, and stacks sheets discharged from the paper discharge unit;
The first sheet is fixed to the frame so that when the sheets are discharged to the stacking tray, the sheets are guided onto the stacking tray and the rear end of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray is pressed in the discharging and conveying direction. Holding means;
A second pressing means for pressing the leading end of the paper on the stacking tray in the discharge / conveying direction;
When the stacking tray reaches a lower limit position, a sensor for notifying the fullness of the sheet is activated so that the thickness of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray increases and is pushed by the first pressing unit. Descend,
The sheet processing apparatus, wherein the second pressing means has an upstream end in the discharge / conveyance direction of the sheet fixed to the frame and a downstream end in the discharge / conveyance direction is a free end.
9.
9. The paper according to claim 8, wherein the first pressing means has a rotating body rotatably attached to a shaft fixed to the frame so as to be driven and rotated in contact with the discharged and conveyed paper. Processing equipment.
10.
10. The sheet processing apparatus according to 8 or 9, wherein the first pressing unit guides the discharged and conveyed sheet downward.
11.
11. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of 8 to 10, wherein the second pressing unit is configured by a sheet-like member having elasticity.
12
Any of the above-mentioned 8 to 11, wherein the stacking tray is rotatably supported by a shaft at a downstream end portion in the sheet discharge conveyance direction, and the upstream end portion is biased upward by a spring force. The sheet processing apparatus according to item 1.
13.
Any one of the items 8 to 12 above, wherein the free end of the second pressing unit protrudes below the stacking tray in a state where sheets are not accumulated on the stacking tray. The paper processing apparatus as described.
14
Any one of the items 8 to 13, wherein the second pressing unit includes a layer having a sheet contact surface whose friction with the sheet is adjusted, and a backing layer that increases the rigidity of the second pressing unit. The paper processing apparatus as described.
15.
The rotating body is arranged such that the axis of the rotating body is above the extension line of the nip formed by the paper discharge roller, and the sheet pressing surface of the rotating body is positioned below the extension line. 10. The sheet processing apparatus according to 9, wherein

  In the present invention, the leading edge and the trailing edge of the folded paper are pressed by the first and second pressing means, and the first pressing means presses the paper with a pressing surface having a fixed height, so The paper is well aligned and stacked.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described using embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is an overall view of an image forming system including a paper stacking apparatus and a paper processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Image forming system]
The image forming system includes an image forming apparatus A, an automatic document feeder DF, a sheet processing apparatus B, and a large capacity sheet feeding apparatus LT.

  The illustrated image forming apparatus A includes an image reading unit (image input device) 1, an image processing unit 2, an image writing unit 3, an image forming unit 4, paper feed cassettes 5A, 5B and 5C, a manual paper feed tray 5D, 1 paper feed units 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D, 6E, a second paper feed unit 6F, a fixing device 7, a paper discharge unit 8, and an automatic duplex copy paper feed unit (ADU) 8B.

  An automatic document feeder DF is mounted on the upper part of the image forming apparatus A. A sheet processing apparatus B is connected to the paper discharge unit 8 side on the left side of the image forming apparatus A shown in the figure.

  A document placed on the document table of the automatic document feeder DF and conveyed is read by the optical system of the image reading unit 1 on one or both sides of the document, and read by the image sensor 1A.

  The analog signal photoelectrically converted by the image sensor 1A is subjected to analog processing, A / D conversion, shading correction, image compression processing, and the like in the image processing unit 2, and then sent to the image writing unit 3.

  In the image writing unit 3, the output light from the semiconductor laser is irradiated onto the photosensitive drum 4A of the image forming unit 4, and a latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum 4A. In the image forming unit 4, processes such as charging, exposure, development, transfer, separation, and cleaning are performed. An image is transferred to the paper S by the transfer means 4B on the paper S fed from the paper feeding cassettes 5A to 5C, the manual paper feeding tray 5D, and the first paper feeding units 6A to 6E from the large capacity paper feeding device LT. Is done. The sheet S carrying the image is fixed by the fixing device 7 and sent from the paper discharge unit 8 to the paper processing device B. Alternatively, the single-sided image processed paper S sent to the automatic double-sided copy paper feeding unit 8B by the conveyance path switching plate 8A is again discharged from the paper discharge unit 8 after double-sided image processing in the image forming unit 4.

[Paper Handling Device]
The paper processing apparatus B includes a carry-in unit 10, a paper discharge unit 20, a paper addition unit (cover paper feeding unit) 30, a punching processing unit (punch processing unit, first processing unit) 40, a conveyance unit 50, a folding processing unit ( (Second processing section) 60 and a paper stacking apparatus 100.

  FIG. 2 is an overall configuration diagram of the sheet processing apparatus B according to the present invention.

<Import section>
The paper S that has been subjected to image formation processing by the image forming apparatus A is introduced into the carry-in unit 10.

  The recording paper introduction position of the carry-in unit 10 faces the recording paper discharge position of the paper discharge unit 8 of the image forming apparatus A.

  The recording paper S introduced into the entrance roller 11 is branched to either the paper discharge unit 20 or the punching processing unit 40 by the transport path switching means G1 (branching unit).

<Paper output section>
When the punching process and the folding process are not set, the conveyance path switching unit G1 blocks the conveyance path to the punching processing unit 40 and opens the conveyance path to the paper discharge unit 20.

The recording sheet S passing through the first transport path p1 toward the paper discharge unit 20 is sandwiched between the transport rollers 21 and 22 and travels straight, is discharged from the paper discharge unit 20 by the paper discharge roller 23, and is stacked in the paper stacking apparatus 100. Stacked on the tray 102.

  The recording sheet S branched upward in the drawing on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance roller 22 by the conveyance path switching means G2 passes through the conveyance roller 25 in the sixth conveyance path p6 and is discharged by the discharge roller 26 to be processed by the sheet processing. The sheets are stacked on a sub stacking tray (top tray) 27 as a single sheet processing discharge unit disposed in the upper part of the apparatus B. On the sub stack tray 27, the sheet S that is not folded is discharged.

<Perforation processing unit 40>
The sheet S branched by the transport path switching means G1 of the carry-in section 10 is sandwiched between transport rollers 41 disposed below the transport path switching means G1 and transported to the punching processing section (first processing section) 40 ( 2nd conveyance path p2).

  An aligning means 42 is arranged in the transport path on the downstream side of the punching processing unit 40 and aligns the sheet width direction of the sheet S before the punching process.

  The punching device of the punching processing unit 40 includes a punch that is driven by a driving means (not shown) and a die that is fitted to the blade portion of the punch. The perforated paper S is sent to the lower conveyance unit 50 (punch function).

<Conveyor 50>
The sheet S sent to the conveyance unit 50 is nipped by the conveyance rollers 51, 52, 53, and 54 and conveyed to the folding processing unit 60. The conveyance rollers 51, 52, 53, and 54 include a driving roller that is connected to a driving source and a driven roller that is in pressure contact with the driving roller. Each driven roller is connected to a solenoid SOL and can be brought into contact with and separated from the drive roller.

  Of the small-sized paper S that has been punched, the paper S that is not subjected to folding processing passes through the third A transport path 3A branched by the transport path switching means G3, and is nipped by the transport roller 600 and transported. . The large-size sheet S that has been punched is transported to the third B transport path 3B below the branching position of the transport path switching means G3 regardless of whether or not the folding process is necessary, and is transported by the transport rollers 53 and 54. Part 60 is introduced. Here, the third conveyance path is configured by combining the third A conveyance path 3A and the third B conveyance path 3B.

  In addition, a conveyance path switching unit 55 is provided in the conveyance unit 50, and two small-size sheets S are accumulated and conveyed, whereby two sheets described later can be folded simultaneously. Of course, the conveyance path switching means 55 is not provided, and the sheets S can be folded one by one.

<Folding processing unit 60>
The sheet S transported from the transport unit 50 to the folding processing unit (second processing unit) 60 is sandwiched and transported by the registration rollers 601, and in the first folding unit 61, the second folding unit 62, and the third folding unit 63. Folding processing (folding function) such as middle fold, Z fold, outer fold, inner fold, inner fold (also referred to as guanyin fold), double parallel fold, etc. is carried out, Returned to one transport path p1.

  The sheets S subjected to various folding processes such as middle folding, Z folding, outer trifolding, inner trifolding, inner quadrupling and the like are as shown in FIG. 3, and (a): middle folding, (b): Z folding, Details of a folding mechanism that performs folding processing such as (c): outer trifold, (d) inner trifold, (e): double parallel fold, (f): kannon fold, and the like are described in JP-A-2005-15225. ing.

  FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the paper stacking apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, showing a state where the paper S is not on the stacking tray 102, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the paper S being on the stacking tray 102. Indicates the state.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the paper stacking apparatus 100. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the relationship between the paper discharge roller 23 and the rotating body 103 of the paper processing apparatus B.

  The paper stacking apparatus 100 is attached to the paper discharge unit 20 of the rear paper processing apparatus B.

  The paper stacking apparatus 100 has a frame 101 to which various functional components described below are attached.

  The stacking tray 102 is supported by the frame 101 so as to be rotatable on a shaft 102a at the left end of the drawing.

  One end of a wire 105 is attached to the right end of the stacking tray 102 in the drawing, and the other end of the wire 105 is connected to a tension spring 104.

  One end of the spring 104 is attached to the frame 101, and the wire 105 is stretched around the pulley 106.

  As described above, the right end portion of the stacking tray 102 is held by the wire 105 so that the stacking tray 102 can move up and down. As described later, when the sheets S are stacked on the stacking tray 102, the stacking tray 102 faces downward. It descends when force is applied.

103 is a rotating body rotatably attached to the shaft which is fixed to a predetermined position of the frame 101 as a stationary portion, even the first press that can press a sheet S ejected from the sheet ejection section 20 of the post-processing apparatus B Configure the means. The rotator 103 is driven to rotate in contact with the sheet S to be discharged and conveyed.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the rotating body 103 is positioned above the tangent line L drawn to the nip NP between the pair of rollers constituting the paper discharge roller 23, and presses the paper S. The lower end 103b of the outer periphery of the rotating body 103 to be guided is positioned below the tangent L.

  Due to the arrangement and shape of the rotator 103, the leading edge of the paper S discharged from the paper discharge unit 20 hits the rotator 103 and is reliably guided under the rotator 103 after being abutted.

  As described above, the rotating body 103 presses the sheet S with the pressing surface including the lower end 103b having a certain height.

107 is a presser sheet as the second push even means.

  The presser sheet 107 has a laminated structure composed of a polyethylene sheet having a roughened lower surface in contact with the paper S and a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) sheet as a backing layer, and is a sheet-like member having elasticity. The right end portion of the drawing, which is on the upstream side with respect to the discharge conveyance direction of the sheet S, is fixed to the frame 101. On the other hand, the left end of the figure on the downstream side with respect to the discharge conveyance direction of the pressing sheet 107 is movable. The surface of the polyethylene sheet that contacts the paper S is formed on a rough surface having a frictional resistance so as to prevent the paper S from jumping out of the stacking tray 101. The PET sheet reinforces the press sheet 107 by reinforcing the rigidity of the press sheet 107.

  Note that a rigid sheet that is spring-biased and rotatably supported can also be used as the presser sheet 107.

  The left end of the presser sheet 107 is a free end, and the central portion of the stacking tray 102 is cut out as shown in FIG. 6, so that when there is no sheet S on the stacking tray 102, the left end of the presser sheet 107 is left. The section protrudes below the stacking tray 102 across the stacking tray 102 (see FIG. 4).

  When the paper S is separated from the paper discharge unit 20, the trailing edge Sa of the paper S is pushed down below the paper discharge port of the paper discharge unit 20 by the pressing action of the rotating body 103.

  Further, the sheet S is restrained from traveling leftward by the presser sheet 107, and the leading edge Sb is prevented from rising.

  Depending on the type of folding process, the sheet S on which a multi-layer part is formed by folding at the leading end of the sheet in the transport direction or the sheet S on which the multi-layer part by folding is formed at the trailing end of the sheet in the transport direction are stacked. In some cases, the lifting of the multilayer portion at the front end can be suppressed by the pressing sheet 107, and the lifting of the multilayer portion at the rear end can be suppressed by the rotating body 103.

  In this way, the folded sheets S are stacked on the stacking tray 102 in the order of discharge from the stacking tray discharge unit 20 and stacked in an aligned state.

  As shown in FIG. 4, when the sheet S is not on the stacking tray 102, the presser sheet 107 is installed so as to cross the stacking tray 102 and protrude below the stacking tray 102. The sheets S are reliably collected in an aligned state from the stage where the sheets S are few in the tray 102.

  In order to reliably separate the trailing edge of the paper S in the discharge conveyance direction from the paper discharge roller 23, it is preferable that the rotating body 103 be as close to the paper discharge roller 23 as possible.

  The paper S is continuously discharged and conveyed from the paper discharge unit 20.

  The discharged paper S is guided downward by the rotating body 13 and travels leftward on the stacking tray 102 along the lower surface of the pressing sheet 107.

  When the trailing edge Sa of the sheet S in the discharge conveyance direction leaves the sheet discharge roller 23, the trailing edge Sa of the sheet S is lowered by the action of the rotating body 103, and the sheet S is immediately stopped by the action of restraining the pressing sheet 107.

  Subsequent sheets S are collected on the sheet S that has been restrained by the rotating body 103 and moved downward.

  As described above, since the sheet S is surely separated from the sheet discharge roller 23 immediately after being discharged, the succeeding sheet is surely put on the preceding sheet and discharged in the continuous discharge, and is surely discharged on the stacking tray 102 in the discharging order. The paper is collected on Accordingly, the sheets S are collected in the order of being discharged from the paper discharge unit 20, and the page order does not get out of order at the time of stacking.

  When the sheets S are stacked on the stacking tray 102, the mass of the sheets S increases and the thickness of the stacking sheets increases, so that the right end portion of the stacking tray 102 is lowered.

  When the right end portion of the stacking tray 102 reaches the lower limit position, the actuator 108 rotates, and the sensor SE provided in the post-processing apparatus B detects this rotation and notifies that the paper is full.

  In response to the full signal, a display prompting the user to remove the paper is displayed on the display unit (not shown) of the image forming system, and the operation is stopped.

1 is an overall view of an image forming system including a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a sheet processing apparatus B according to the present invention. It is a figure which shows the example of a folding process. It is sectional drawing of the paper stacking apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing of the paper stacking apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 1 is a perspective view of a paper stacking apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a relationship between a sheet discharge roller and a rotating body of the sheet processing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Paper stacking apparatus 101 Frame 102 Stacking tray 103 Rotating body 107 Holding sheet

Claims (15)

Frame,
A stacking tray that is held in the frame so as to be movable up and down, folded, and stacked,
The first sheet is fixed to the frame so that when the sheets are discharged to the stacking tray, the sheets are guided onto the stacking tray and the rear end of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray is pressed in the discharging and conveying direction. Holding means;
A second pressing means for pressing the leading end of the paper on the stacking tray in the discharge / conveying direction,
When the stacking tray reaches a lower limit position, a sensor for notifying the fullness of the sheet is activated so that the thickness of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray increases and is pushed by the first pressing unit. Descend,
The sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second pressing unit has an upstream end in the sheet discharge conveyance direction fixed to the frame, and a downstream end in the discharge conveyance direction is a free end. The said 1st holding | suppressing means has a rotary body rotatably attached to the axis | shaft fixed to the said flame | frame so that it may contact and rotate with the paper discharged | emitted and conveyed. Paper stacking device. 3. The paper stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first pressing unit guides the discharged and transported paper downward. 4. The paper stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second pressing unit is configured by a sheet-like member having elasticity. 5. 2. The stacking tray is supported by the frame so as to be rotatable by a shaft at a downstream end portion in a paper discharge and conveyance direction, and an upstream end portion is biased upward by a spring force. 5. The paper stacking apparatus according to any one of 4 above. 6. The free end of the second pressing means protrudes below the stacking tray in a state where no sheets are accumulated on the stacking tray. paper collection product apparatus according to. The said 2nd pressing means has a layer which has a paper contact surface in which friction with the paper was adjusted, and a backing layer which raises the rigidity of the said 2nd pressing means, The any one of Claim 1 to 6 characterized by the above-mentioned. The paper stacking device according to claim 1. A folding unit that folds the paper, a paper discharge roller that includes a pair of rollers, and a paper discharge unit that discharges the paper folded by the folding unit;
In a paper processing apparatus having a paper stacking device that stacks paper discharged from the paper discharge unit,
The paper stacking device
Frame,
A stacking tray that is held in the frame so as to be movable up and down, is folded by the folding processing unit, and stacks sheets discharged from the paper discharge unit;
The first sheet is fixed to the frame so that when the sheets are discharged to the stacking tray, the sheets are guided onto the stacking tray and the rear end of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray is pressed in the discharging and conveying direction. Holding means;
A second pressing means for pressing the leading end of the paper on the stacking tray in the discharge / conveying direction,
When the stacking tray reaches a lower limit position, a sensor for notifying the fullness of the sheet is activated so that the thickness of the sheets stacked on the stacking tray increases and is pushed by the first pressing unit. Descend,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second pressing unit has an upstream end in the sheet discharge conveyance direction fixed to the frame, and a downstream end in the discharge conveyance direction is a free end. The said 1st holding | suppressing means has a rotary body rotatably attached to the axis | shaft fixed to the said frame so that it may contact and rotate with the paper discharged | emitted and conveyed. Paper processing device. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the first pressing unit guides a sheet to be discharged and conveyed downward. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein the second pressing unit is formed of a sheet-like member having elasticity. 9. The stacking tray is supported by the frame so as to be rotatable by a shaft at a downstream end portion in a sheet discharge conveyance direction, and an upstream end portion is biased upward by a spring force. The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of 11. 13. The free end of the second pressing means protrudes below the stacking tray in a state where no sheets are accumulated on the stacking tray. 13. The paper processing apparatus according to 1. The second pressing means includes a layer having a sheet contact surface in which friction with the sheet is adjusted, and a backing layer that increases the rigidity of the second pressing means. The paper processing apparatus according to 1. The rotating body is arranged such that the axis of the rotating body is above the extension line of the nip formed by the paper discharge roller, and the sheet pressing surface of the rotating body is positioned below the extension line. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is provided.

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