JP4585200B2 - Paper post-processing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus that selectively executes processes such as folding, sorting, binding, and punching on sheets such as recording sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, and a facsimile machine. .

  Conventionally, it is mechanically and electrically mounted on the paper discharge side of an image forming apparatus such as a printer or copier, and is folded, sorted (sorted), bound (staple), punched (punched), etc., on the paper after image formation. A paper post-processing device (finisher) that performs post-processing is used. In such a sheet post-processing apparatus, as a process before stapling or punching a plurality of sheets, a process for aligning the horizontal direction and the vertical direction of each sheet for each job, a so-called alignment process is performed and a predetermined post-process is executed. . As is well known, the image forming apparatus forms an image on a plurality of sheets having different paper sizes (for example, A5 to A3, B5 to B4, etc.) and, of course, is attached to a paper discharge port of the image forming apparatus. The paper post-processing device side is also configured to correspond to this paper size.

  In such a sheet post-processing apparatus, for example, the sheet bundle is aligned, stapled, and then discharged to a discharge tray. As this aligning mechanism, a movable temporary stacking tray integrated with the rear end reference member is provided, the movable temporary stacking tray is opened at the time of alignment, and the paper is returned to the direction opposite to the transport direction and aligned with the rear end reference member. A sheet post-processing apparatus that holds a sheet later is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 1). In particular, this sheet post-processing apparatus uses the downstream end of the movable temporary stacking tray as the rotation center, accepts the opening / closing amount by opening the maximum number of staples regardless of the number of staples, and holds the sheet bundle.

  However, the sheet post-processing apparatus using the movable temporary stacking tray configured as described above repeats the opening and closing operations repeatedly only on the reference side of the rear end for the maximum number of staples regardless of the number of sheets. In the meantime, there is a problem that the sheet is displaced from the rear end reference member (this is described as gradually shifting).

  In particular, when the number of staples is large, the number of times the movable temporary stacking tray is raised and lowered increases, so that the gradual shift becomes larger. In addition, since the rotation center side of the movable temporary stacking tray does not move up and down, the height of the upper surface of the paper (the last paper) changes each time paper is carried in. As a result, the amount of protrusion does not become constant and the alignment accuracy becomes rough.

  Therefore, in order to solve these problems, the present inventor, when aligning paper on the temporary stacking tray (bottom plate), keeps the temporary stacking tray horizontal, for example, about one sheet of paper, regardless of the number of staples. , And the alignment roller always aligns in the transport direction at the same surface position, and when the temporary stacking tray is lowered, either the alignment roller or the switching claw is used so that the paper does not jump out to the tray side. By previously holding the sheet, a device has been proposed that prevents the occurrence of gradual misalignment during alignment and eliminates sheet misalignment after alignment.

  Further, in the above-described conventional apparatus, the rear end of the sheet is transported to the rear end reference member only by the offset roller, and further, correction is performed when the rear end of the sheet is conveyed by being tilted by pressing it against the rear end reference member. ing. For this reason, the rotation speed is set to be low with an emphasis on alignment quality rather than transportability so that the rotation speed of the alignment roller can be stably aligned.

  Further, in the above-described conventional apparatus, when performing the above-described conveyance and tilt correction, the alignment roller is set to a material that can slip the sheet without buckling even after the sheet trailing edge contacts the trailing edge reference member. The pressing force against the paper is set so that it can slip.

  Further, in the above-described conventional apparatus, the paper is stacked with the leading edge of the paper protruding from the temporary stacking tray. In this state, the temporary stacking tray is moved up and down, and the paper is shifted from the trailing edge reference member. The paper is always held or pinched by the rising of the Takikikoro and the temporary loading tray.

JP 2002-265131 A

  However, in the above apparatus, since the time for which the contact roller is in contact with the sheet is long, the next sheet cannot be received during the contact operation. That is, since it is necessary to carry in the next paper to be carried in, the alignment process cannot be performed quickly, which hinders the improvement of productivity.

  Further, in the conventional apparatus, if the conveyance and alignment are performed at a low number of revolutions, although stable alignment is performed, it takes time for conveyance, and there is a problem that the processing time becomes long. .

  In addition, if a material that slips the closing roller or a pressing force that can be slipped is suitable for alignment, a loss due to slip occurs in conveyance, so that the conveyance time takes more than necessary. there were.

  Also, if the paper is always held or pinched by raising the switching claw, tapping roller, or temporary stacking tray to prevent the paper from deviating from the trailing edge reference member, the holding force of the switching claw or tapping roller is not sufficient. There is a problem in that the sheets cannot be held and stapling is performed in a state where the trailing edge of the sheet is displaced from the trailing edge reference member as the temporary stacking tray is moved up and down, so that sufficient alignment accuracy cannot be obtained. In particular, a large deviation occurs when the number of staples is large so that the number of times the temporary stacking tray is raised and lowered is increased, or when Z-folded sheets are stacked with the overlapping portion of the sheets as the head. If an attempt is made to increase the holding force of the switching claw so that this shift does not occur, the holding force of the switching claw is too strong when the jogger moves, so that the paper cannot move and buckles, and the alignment accuracy decreases. Further, the holding force by the temporary stacking tray is not sufficient, and the uppermost sheet on the temporary stacking tray is pushed out by the next sheet conveyed.

  Also, in the case of an alignment mechanism that uses only the alignment roller, if a thin sheet with weak stiffness is pressed against the trailing edge, the conveying force of the alignment roller becomes stronger than the stiffness of the sheet. There was a problem that buckling and alignment accuracy decreased.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and it is a first object of the present invention to realize an efficient alignment process by minimizing the contact time during alignment of the alignment rollers.

  In addition to the contact roller near the rear end reference, a conveyance roller is provided near the rear end reference, and the friction coefficient / pressing force of the contact roller is set high, and the friction coefficient / pressing force of the transfer roller is set low. The second object is to improve transportability and ensure alignment accuracy.

  In addition, by providing a pressurized transport roller that can follow the temporary stacking tray between the rear end reference and the contact roller near the rear end reference, the sheet is held with high holding force, A third object is to prevent the occurrence of displacement due to extrusion.

  A fourth object is to prevent buckling during alignment of thin paper by providing a member for guiding the upper surface of the paper fed by the transport roller.

In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is a post-sheet processing for sequentially receiving sheets to be post-processed, aligning them as necessary, and performing post-processing such as stapling. in the apparatus, stacked temporarily substantially horizontally at least the rear part of the sheet of the post subject, and the trailing-end reference member for abut against the trailing edge of the sheet for positioning the sheet conveying direction A first transport rotating body made of an elastic body that moves the rear end of the sheet toward the rear end reference member while contacting the upper surface of the sheets stacked on the temporary stack tray; A driving means for contacting and separating the conveying rotator from the paper; and disposed upstream of the first conveying rotator and in the vicinity of the rear end reference member, with respect to the first conveying rotator. The first transfer at a low rotation speed The second transport rotating body that receives the sheet moved by the rolling member and presses the trailing end against the trailing end reference member for alignment, and when the sheet is carried on the temporary stacking tray, the sheet is separated from the sheet upper surface. The first transport rotator that has been in contact with the paper is transported to the second transport rotator that rotates at a lower speed than the first transport rotator, and the paper is transported to the second transport rotator. And an alignment control means for causing the first transport rotator to move away from the paper and align the paper by contacting the rear end reference member with the second transport rotator simultaneously with the transfer to the rotator. It is characterized by that.

According to this claim according to claim 1 invention, the second conveying rotating body is provided, at a low speed from the first conveying rotating body in the vicinity of the trailing end reference member between the first conveying rotating body and the trailing end reference member When the paper is delivered to the rotating second transport rotator, the first transport rotator is separated from the paper , and the second transport rotator brings the paper into contact with the rear end reference member for alignment. it is the cause, first conveying rotating body contact time is reduced against the paper, and with no need to the transportable Okudo operation latency the conveyed sheet then becomes possible, transport rotation the second The alignment accuracy is improved by slowly bringing the paper into contact with the rear end reference member by the body.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the second transport rotating body is disposed in the vicinity of the rear end reference member.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the second transport rotator is disposed in the vicinity of the rear end reference member, whereby the transport distance of the first transport rotator is long, and the second The transport distance of the transport rotator becomes shorter, and it is possible to achieve both transportability by the first transport rotator and consistency by the second transport rotator.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the second transport rotator has a smaller coefficient of friction with respect to the surface of the first transport rotator.

According to the invention of claim 3 , in claim 1 , the transport force of the first transport rotator is increased by setting the second transport rotator to a low friction coefficient with respect to the first transport rotator. It is possible to increase the transport force necessary for alignment by the second transport rotating body.

The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that the second transport rotator reduces a pressing force with respect to the first transport rotator.

According to the invention of claim 4 , in claim 1 , by reducing the second pressing force with respect to the first transport rotating body, the transport force by the first transport rotating body is increased, and It becomes possible to secure a transport force necessary for alignment by the second transport rotator.

The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the second transport rotating body is an elastically deformable rotating body.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the second conveying rotating body is an elastically deformable rotating body. Can be increased.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, the second transport rotator is a hard rotator that is not elastically deformed, and further includes a biasing unit that biases the second transport rotator in the paper direction. It is characterized by having.

According to the invention of claim 6 , in any one of claims 1 to 4 , the second conveyance rotating body that does not elastically deform is used, and this is pressed by an urging means onto the paper with an appropriate pressure. It is possible to hold the paper stably with a large force.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the second transport rotator is an elastically deformable rotator, and further includes urging means for urging the second transport rotator in the paper direction. It is characterized by that.

According to the invention of claim 7 , in any one of claims 1 to 4 , the second conveying rotating body that is elastically deformed is used, and this is pressed by a biasing means onto the paper with an appropriate pressure. Further, it becomes possible to hold the paper with a greater force.

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, the temporary stacking tray includes an elevating unit that elevates and lowers the temporary stacking tray, and an elevating control unit that controls the elevating operation of the elevating unit. The second transport rotating body is moved following the raising and lowering operation of the temporary stacking tray.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth, sixth, or seventh aspect , the temporary transfer tray is moved by the lifting / lowering means by moving the second transport rotating body following the lifting / lowering operation of the temporary stacking tray. Even when the sheet is rotated up and down, the sheet is not displaced from the rear end reference member or pushed out.

In the invention according to claim 9 , the upper surface of the sheet fed by the second transport rotator is further disposed between the second transport rotator and the rear end reference member. A guide member for guiding to the side is provided.

According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the fifth to eighth aspects, the sheet fed by the second transport rotator between the second transport rotator and the rear end reference member. By providing a guide member that guides the upper surface of the sheet to the rear end reference member side, for example, when aligning thin paper, buckling due to bulging due to excessive feeding between the second rotating body and the rear end member is eliminated. It becomes possible.

The invention according to claim 10 is characterized in that the guide member is arranged so as to be interlocked with the raising and lowering operation of the temporary stacking tray.

According to the tenth aspect of the invention, in the ninth aspect , the conveying force of the second conveying rotating body is stronger than the waist of the sheet by arranging the guide member so as to be interlocked with the raising and lowering operation of the temporary stacking tray. Thus, for example, the problem of being easily buckled during thin paper alignment is eliminated.

The sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention (Claim 1) is provided with a second transport rotator in the vicinity of the rear end reference member between the first transport rotator and the rear end reference member. When the sheet is transferred from the body to the second transport rotator, the first transport rotator is separated from the sheet , and the second transport rotator is brought into contact with the rear end reference member for alignment. it is the cause, first conveying rotating body contact time is reduced against the paper, and with no need to the transportable Okudo operation latency the conveyed sheet then becomes possible, transport rotation the second Since the alignment accuracy is improved by slowly bringing the sheet into contact with the rear end reference member by the body, it is possible to improve the productivity of post-processing while ensuring the alignment accuracy .

  Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention (Claim 2) is the conveyance of the first conveyance rotator according to Claim 1 by disposing the second conveyance rotator in the vicinity of the rear end reference member. Since the distance is long and the transport distance of the second transport rotator is shortened, the transport performance by the first transport rotator is improved and the high consistency by the second transport rotator is obtained.

The sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention (Claim 3), in claim 1, by the second conveying rotating body with respect to the first conveyor rotating member and a low friction coefficient, the first conveyor Since it is possible to increase the conveying force by the rotating body and to secure the conveying force necessary for alignment by the second conveying rotating body, there is an effect that productivity is high and alignment accuracy is improved.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention (claim 4 ), the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention is the first post-rotation body in the first transport rotator by reducing the second pressing force relative to the first transport rotator. Since the slip time is eliminated and the transport force by the first transport rotator is increased and the transport force necessary for alignment by the second transport rotator can be secured, the productivity is high and the alignment accuracy is high. Has the effect of improving.

According to the present invention (Claim 5 ), the sheet post-processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 , wherein the second transport rotator is a rotator that can be elastically deformed. Since the sheet holding force can be increased by elastic deformation, the effect of improving the alignment accuracy is achieved.

According to the present invention (Claim 6 ), the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 is the second transport rotating body that does not elastically deform, and this is appropriately applied to the paper by the urging means. By pressurizing with pressure, it becomes possible to stably hold the paper with a large force, and the effect of improving the alignment accuracy is achieved.

According to the present invention (Claim 7 ), the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 4 is an elastically deformable second conveyance rotating body, which is appropriately applied to the paper by the urging means. By pressurizing with pressure, it becomes possible to hold the paper with a larger force, and the effect of improving the alignment accuracy is achieved.

A paper post-processing apparatus according to the present invention (Claim 8 ) is characterized in that, in Claim 5, 6 or 7 , the second transport rotating body is moved following the lifting and lowering operation of the temporary stacking tray to temporarily load the paper. No matter how many times the tray is raised and lowered by the raising and lowering means, the paper is not displaced from the rear end reference member or pushed out. In Claim 3, by making the 2nd conveyance rotator into a low rotation speed with respect to the 1st conveyance rotator, the conveyance speed by the 1st conveyance rotator is made high, and by the 2nd conveyance rotator. Since it becomes possible to ensure the conveyance speed required for alignment, the alignment accuracy is improved.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention (claim 9 ), the paper post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 8 , wherein the second transport rotation is provided between the second transport rotating body and the rear end reference member. Since the guide member that guides the upper surface of the sheet fed by the body to the rear end reference member side is provided, for example, when aligning thin paper, the bulge is caused by excessive feeding between the second rotating body and the rear end member. The effect that the buckling resulting from it can be eliminated is produced.

Further, in the sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention (claim 10 ), the guide member is arranged so as to be interlocked with the lifting and lowering operation of the temporary stacking tray in claim 9 , so that the transport force of the second transport rotating body is increased. For example, the alignment accuracy is improved by eliminating the occurrence of buckling when aligning thin paper.

  Exemplary embodiments of a sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Embodiment)
The paper post-processing apparatus according to the present invention aligns a post-processing target sheet sent from an image forming apparatus or the like on a temporary stacking tray while keeping the temporary stacking tray horizontal for a predetermined amount regardless of the number of staples. It is lowered and always aligned at the same surface position to eliminate paper misalignment during and after alignment, and a roller that accepts alignment paper and moves it to the alignment part, and a return roller that contacts the alignment member and aligns Accordingly, the present invention provides a sheet post-processing apparatus with high processing efficiency and high alignment accuracy. Details will be described below.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sheet post-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Moreover, FIG. 2 is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the return roller part in FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the bottom plate portion, jogger portion, and staple portion in FIG. In this embodiment, the paper (sheet) to be processed is described as paper P regardless of whether it is shown or not.

  The sheet post-processing apparatus 1 is roughly divided into a sheet inlet section 12, a transport section 27, a sheet aligning apparatus 13, a non-processing / sorting section 18, a post-processing section 19 having a staple 17, and a sheet discharge section. 14.

  Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 is comprehensively controlled by a sheet post-processing control unit 100 configured by a microcomputer system. The sheet post-processing control unit 100 performs mode setting and sequence control according to a signal from the system controller 201 of the image forming apparatus 200. The operation panel 202 is provided with a function for inputting a mode desired by the user, such as stapling and sorting, and is processed by the system controller 201 by the user input.

  The sheet inlet portion 12 includes an inlet guide plate 2, an inlet roller pair 3, and a conveyance sensor 5. The entrance guide plate 2 guides the sheet (sheet material) P to the sheet post-processing apparatus 1, and the entrance roller pair 3 transports the sheet P introduced by the entrance guide plate 2 to the sheet aligning apparatus 13. is there. The conveyance sensor 5 detects the movement of the filler provided in the conveyance path by the paper P by a photo interrupter, and the signal is sent to the paper post-processing control unit 100 to detect the processing timing and jam of the paper P. Used for.

  A conveyance roller pair 7 is provided in the conveyance path 27. As shown in FIG. 4, the conveying roller pair 7 includes two driving rollers 8 and two driven rollers 9 provided to face the driving rollers 8. The drive roller 8 and the driven roller 9 are press-fitted and fixed to the drive shaft 10 and the driven shaft 11, respectively, and the drive shaft 10 is connected to a drive source (not shown).

  The drive shaft 10 and the driven shaft 11 are rotatably attached to a shift rack gear 20 for shifting the paper P and mounted in a direction (paper width direction) perpendicular to the paper transport direction, and a shift drive source (not shown). It is connected to the.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the non-processing / sorting unit 18 is located downstream of the switching claw 24, and forms a sheet P that has been transported through in the non-processing / sorting conveyance path 26 and through the non-processing / sorting mode. A discharge roller pair 28 that discharges to the discharge unit 14 and a stack tray 29 are provided.

  As will be described later, the sheet aligning device 13 includes a bottom plate 6 for temporarily stacking sheets P and aligning them in the middle thereof, a jogger 23 for aligning in the horizontal direction, a switching claw 24, and two tactile rollers. 25a and 25b, and two return rollers 90a and 90b for carrying and aligning in the carrying direction.

  That is, two return rollers 90a and 90b for pressing the paper P against the vertical reference 16 and aligning the paper in the transport direction in the staple mode are provided on the upstream side of the contact roller portions 25a and 25b. As shown in FIG. 2, the return roller 90 rotates a driving roller 8 by a conveyance motor (not shown), transmits the rotation to the driven roller 9, and is a driven pulley (not shown) fixed to the driven shaft 11. ), A return roller pulley (not shown) fixed to the return roller shaft 92, a return belt (not shown) attached to the driven pulley and the return roller pulley, and a return roller 90a integrally formed with the return roller pulley is rotated. Has been. Further, the return roller portion 90 is urged downward in FIG. 2 by the tension spring 93, and the return roller 90a presses the paper P on the paper stacking surface 6a. Further, a buckling prevention member 91 extending in the sheet width direction is rotatably attached to the return roller shaft 92 in the return roller portion 90.

  Thus, the return roller unit 90 is configured to apply a predetermined pressure to the sheet stacking surface 6a. Further, the return roller portion 90 is disposed so as to move in accordance with the raising and lowering operation of the bottom plate 6 and has the same shape by the same material. The rotational driving force is transmitted to the paper P while rotating at the same speed, and the paper P is conveyed and aligned. In this embodiment, the rotation drive unit 90 has a substantially cylindrical shape, can convey the paper, and is capable of slipping on the paper surface when it hits the vertical reference 16 and is excessively fed. A roller that is formed of a material having a coefficient (for example, a sponge material) and performs conveyance and alignment in the paper conveyance direction is used. In addition, this mechanism is not limited to this, and even if a paddle wheel (a rotating body having a radial cross section) or the like is used as a mechanism that does not cause damage such as scratches or breakage to the paper and does not cause jamming, the same shifting function can be obtained. Realize. In this embodiment, two return roller portions 90 are provided in order to avoid interference with the discharge portion 15 described later. However, only one return roller portion 90 is provided in the center shifted from the center of the discharge portion 15. However, the same effect can be obtained.

  The switching claw 24 is used to switch the conveyance path between the stapling mode and the non-processing / sorting mode, and to press the trailing edge of the sheet at the sheet pressing unit 52 in the stapling mode. The surface of the switching claw 24 is smooth so that the sheet is not caught. Is formed. As will be described later, the contact roller portions 25a and 25b are formed of a friction body (for example, a sponge roller or the like) that has a substantially cylindrical shape and is moved in contact with the paper, and performs alignment in the paper transport direction. 30b (see FIG. 6).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the bottom plate 6 is configured to move up and down (up and down movement) between the solid line portion and the alternate long and short dash line portion while being horizontal. Further, the paper P is placed on the paper placement surface 6a. The length of the sheet placing surface 6a in the sheet conveyance direction is set to ¼ or less of the sheet to be Z-folded. In this embodiment, since it is assumed that A3 and B4 size paper can be Z-folded, it is designed to be slightly shorter than ¼ of the small size (B4).

  Further, as shown in FIG. 1, an abutting member 70 that presses the paper P placed on the paper placement surface 6a is fixedly provided below the transport roller pair 7, and the bottom plate 6 is provided. When raised, the paper P is pressed between the abutting member 70 and the paper placement surface 6a. A vertical reference 16 for aligning the transport direction of the paper P is provided at the lower end of the bottom plate 6 substantially parallel to the drive shaft 10 and the driven shaft 11.

  In addition, a discharge surface detection filler 45 that detects the paper surface position is provided on the top of the stack tray 29. Further, a paper surface detection filler 47 for detecting the position of the uppermost paper is provided on the upper portion of the bottom plate 6. A schematic configuration of these two fillers is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the paper discharge surface detection filler 45 and the paper surface detection filler 47 are arranged so as to come into contact with the paper surface of the conveyance path by their own weight or slight pressure, and detection plates 45a and 47a are integrally provided, respectively. Further, photointerrupters 46 and 48 are installed at the positions of the detection plates 45a and 47a. In this case, when the paper surface is in a predetermined state (for example, a substantially horizontal state), the detection points of the photo interrupters 46 and 48 are configured. The detection signals from the photo interrupters 46 and 48 are fed back to the paper post-processing control unit 100, and the control described later is performed according to this signal.

  In other words, the paper discharge surface detection filler 45 is disposed on the downstream side of the bottom plate 6 and above the stack tray 29, and is disposed at a position where the folded portion of the Z-folded paper can be detected as shown in FIG. ing. A signal from the photo interrupter 46 by the discharge surface detection filler 45 is used for raising / lowering timing of the stack tray 29 and jam detection. Further, the paper surface detection filler 47 detects the posture of the uppermost paper loaded on the bottom plate 6 by the photo interrupter 48 through the movement of the filler, and the detection signal is used for detecting the rising position of the bottom plate 6 and jamming. Used.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 4, a horizontal reference 22 for aligning the paper width direction is provided on the side portion (staple side) of the bottom plate 6 so as to be orthogonal to the vertical reference 16.

  In FIG. 1, a switching claw 24 that extends above the bottom plate 6 and is adjacent to the downstream side of the conveying roller pair 7 and extends in the paper width direction is pivotally supported via a fulcrum 53. This switching claw 24 has a stapling mode (shown by a one-dot chain line) for stapling the paper P discharged from the conveyance roller pair 7 and a non-processing / processing for discharging the paper P to the sheet discharge unit 14 without performing stapling processing. The mode is switched to a sorting mode (illustrated by a solid line).

  FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the vertical movement of the bottom plate 6 in FIG. When the rotary shaft 6b is driven by a drive source (not shown) by a stepping motor, the pinion gear 6c fixed to the drive shaft 6b rotates, and the rack gear 6d disposed on the bottom plate 6 linearly rotates. The movement is converted into a movement in the direction (vertical direction), and the bottom plate 6 is configured to move up and down. In this way, by raising and lowering the bottom plate 6 with a stepping motor capable of controlling the rotational speed, it is possible not only to reduce the impact caused by the reciprocating movement of the solenoid plunger and the generation of its metallic noise, but also to set the pulse. Thus, accurate position control is realized.

  FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing a drive configuration of the switching claw 24 in FIG. As shown in the drawing, the switching claw 24 includes a paper pressing portion 52 that presses the paper P placed on the bottom plate 6 at the tip. Further, a torsion coil spring 54 is attached to the fulcrum 53 and urges the switching claw 24 to be in the staple mode.

  On the other hand, a stepping motor 55 is attached below the switching claw 24, and a spring 59 provided on the surface of the first gear 56, the second gear 57, the third gear 58, and the third gear 58 via a boss. The switching claw 24 is configured to be switched between a stapling mode and a non-processing / sorting mode. On the downstream side of the switching claw 24, two free-standing portions 25a and 25b (see FIG. 1) that contact and separate from the paper P in the staple mode are disposed.

  FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the vertical section 25a in FIG. As shown in the drawing, the rotary roller 25a is rotated by a motor 43 attached to a motor bracket 34a, and the rotational driving force is transmitted to a first pulley 36a, a second pulley 37a, a third pulley 38a, a first belt 39a, It transmits to the pulley integrally formed with the contact roller 30a via the second belt 40a and the third belt 41a, and is configured to rotate the contact roller 30a attached to the tack bracket 32a. Note that the motor bracket 34a and the tack bracket 32a are rotatably connected to each other on the central shaft 33a. Further, as shown in the figure, the tack bracket 32a is urged counterclockwise to push the paper P on the paper placement surface 6a with a constant pressing force.

  The tack bracket 32a rotates the tack bracket 32a clockwise in FIG. 8 against a tension spring 35a by a drive source (not shown) when the sheet is not conveyed, and the contact roller 30a is moved to the sheet placement surface. Separated from 6a. Further, when transporting the paper, the driving bracket (not shown) rotates the vertical bracket 32a counterclockwise in FIG. 8 so that the contact roller 30a is pressed against the paper P on the paper placement surface 6a with a constant pressing force. Press

  The two tactile roller portions 25a are arranged above the bottom plate 6 in parallel with respect to the paper discharge direction. As the drive source (not shown) moves up and down, the tachikoro portion 25a performs a pendulum movement around the central axis 33a. The contact roller 30a is brought into contact with or separated from the paper P at a predetermined timing to perform a tapping operation. In other words, the tapping roller portion 25b is configured in the same manner as described above, and the alignment rollers 30a and 30b are made of the same shape and material and transmit rotational driving force to the paper P while rotating at the same speed, respectively. It is comprised so that it may convey.

  The paper alignment is performed only when the contact rollers 30a and 30b contact the paper. In this embodiment, as the mechanism of the takikoro portions 25a and 25b, a contact roller that is formed of a friction body (for example, a sponge roller or the like) that is substantially cylindrical and that moves the paper and that adjusts the paper conveyance direction is used. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the same function can be realized by using, for example, a paddle (a rotating body having a radial cross section).

  As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom plate 6 is provided with a rectangular opening 21, and a plurality of joggers 23 are provided in the opening 21 for bringing the paper P into contact with the lateral reference 22 for alignment. It has been. The plurality of joggers 23 are arranged at positions corresponding to the respective sheet widths in the sheet width direction in the opening 21. Further, the jogger 23 is urged so that the portion where the paper P is transported is retracted under the transport path by the paper P, and the portion where the paper P is not present stands perpendicular to the transport surface.

  The post-processing unit 19 includes a staple 17 and a discharge unit 15. The staple 17 is for stapling the paper P and binding it as a paper bundle. The discharge unit 15 discharges the stapled sheet bundle onto the stack tray 29.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a configuration of the discharge portion 15 in FIG. The discharge unit 15 includes a discharge member 61, two arms 62 arranged in parallel, and a gear 63. Further, a projection 66 provided on the gear 63 by a drive source (not shown) pushes two arms 62 fitted to a boss (not shown) at one end, and a discharge member 61 provided at the other end of the arm 62 is provided. Is configured to move.

  That is, a discharge member 61 that discharges a stapled sheet bundle, an arm 62 that is slidably connected at one end to the discharge member 61 and that is rotatably attached to a boss protruding from the bottom plate 6, and a discharge A torsion coil spring (not shown) that urges the member 61 in the direction to wait at the home position and a projecting member 66 that presses the arm 62 in the direction that releases the sheet bundle, that is, the direction opposite to the urging of the torsion coil spring, are integrated. The formed gear 63 and a drive source (not shown) for driving the gear 63 are configured.

  The discharge portion 15 drives the gear 63 in the direction of the arrow by a drive source (not shown), and the protrusion 66 presses the arm 62, whereby the discharge member 61 moves on the guide rail of the bottom plate 6 and the sheet bundle is collected. discharge. Further, when the drive source is rotated in the reverse direction, the drive source is moved to a position (home position) where the drive source is stopped by urging of the torsion coil spring.

  The sheet discharge unit 14 includes a discharge roller 28, a stack tray 29 on which the paper P discharged from the paper placement surface 6a is stacked, and a paper discharge surface detection for detecting the top paper on the paper placement surface 6a and the stack tray 29. And a filler 45.

  FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the lifting mechanism of the stack tray 29. The lifting mechanism includes a pair of support plates 101a and 101b attached to the upstream lower abdomen of the stack tray 29, and a drive source 106 that drives the support plates 101a and 101b.

  As shown in the figure, the support plate 101a is configured such that the stack tray 29 is fastened to the frame 102 by a tray rack gear 103 with screws and the shafts that support the rollers 104 are fixed by press-fitting in two places. The paper post-processing apparatus is provided with a rail (not shown), and the roller 104 is rotated along this rail so that the stack tray 29 is smoothly raised and lowered.

  The tray rack gear 103 is disposed so that the tray pinion gear 107 is engaged with the tray rack gear 103, and the rotation shaft 108 is inserted on the same axis as the tray pinion gear 107. Further, a bearing 109 is attached to a frame (not shown) in the vicinity of the tray pinion gear 107 coaxial with the rotation shaft 108. Since the drive gear 110 is attached to the rotation shaft on the support plate 101a side via a parallel pin (not shown), the rotation of the drive motor 111 can be transmitted to the drive shaft.

  In addition, both sides of the rotating shaft 108 are processed to have a D-shaped cross section, and a D-hole of the tray pinion gear 107 is fitted and attached to the D-shaped portion. The support plates 101a and 101b can be moved by the same distance via the tray pinion gear 107.

  As described above, the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 roughly includes a sheet inlet portion 12 having an inlet roller pair 3 and a conveyance sensor 5 for receiving a sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus in a conveyance path as shown in the figure, A pair of transport rollers 7, a transport switching unit that switches the transport path for each mode by the switching claw 24, a jogger 23 that aligns the sheets stacked on the bottom plate 6 in the width direction, and a tapping roller unit that aligns the sheets in the transport direction. 25a, 25b, return rollers 90a, 90b, a stack tray 29 on which processed paper is stacked, a pair of paper discharge rollers 28 for discharging paper to the stack tray 29, a staple 17 for binding a bundle of paper, and a staple. And a discharge unit 15 that discharges the processed sheet bundle to the stack tray 29.

  The sheet fed into the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 described above is conveyed upward by the inlet roller pair 3 in the apparatus, passes through the conveyance sensor 5 and is conveyed to the conveyance roller unit 7. According to the position information (passage information) from the transport sensor 5, the paper P is branched by the switching claw 24 into a transport path for the non-processing mode (through mode), a sorting mode (shift mode), or a transport path for the staple mode. Then, post-processing based on the mode is performed.

  Next, an operation of transporting the paper P in the non-processing / sorting mode of the paper post-processing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. In this operation, the system controller 201 supplies an instruction signal to the sheet post-processing control unit 100 based on input information such as a mode input by the user via the operation panel 202 of the image forming apparatus 200, and the sheet post-processing control is performed. This is performed by the unit 100.

  In FIG. 1, a sheet P is guided by the inlet guide plate 2 of the sheet inlet portion 12 and conveyed toward the non-processing / sorting portion 18 by the inlet roller pair 3. When the transport sensor 5 detects the paper P, the switching claw 24 is switched to the non-processing / sorting mode, that is, the position of the solid line. The paper P that has passed through the transport roller pair 7 is guided to the non-processing / sorting transport path 26 by the switching claw 24 and discharged onto the stack tray 29 by the paper discharge roller pair 28.

  Next, the stapling mode operation in the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 9 to 19 in addition to FIGS. Similar to the operation in the non-processing / sorting mode described above, in FIG. 1, when the paper P is carried into the sheet inlet 12, the transport sensor 5 detects the paper P, and the switching claw 24 operates in the staple mode, i.e., a one-dot chain line. The position is switched to.

  As shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, when the central portion of the paper P conveyed in the paper conveyance direction reaches the conveyance roller pair 7, a drive source (not shown) activates the shift rack gear 20 (see FIG. 4). . Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B, the transport roller pair 7 moves laterally toward the lateral reference 22 provided on the staple 17 side while transporting the paper P in the transport direction. The paper P is placed on the paper placement surface 6a while bringing the edge in the paper width direction (paper side edge) closer to the position of about 2 mm from the horizontal reference 22. The lateral movement of the paper P by the shift rack gear 20 is completed before the rear end portion of the paper P is discharged from the transport roller pair 7 onto the paper placement surface 6a.

  When the paper P is placed on the paper placement surface 6a, the portion of the plurality of joggers 23 in the standing state (aligned state, protruding from the conveying surface of the bottom plate 6) has the paper P placed thereon. The paper P is stored in the retracted state (retracted, moved down below the transport surface) by the weight of the paper P, and stored in the opening 21. On the other hand, the jogger 23 on which the paper P is not placed remains in the standing state. When the entire paper P is discharged onto the paper placement surface 6a, the switching claw 24 rotates to the non-processing / sorting mode side as shown in FIG. The rear end of the paper is pressed down so that the paper P does not slide on the paper placement surface 6a.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, the paper P is pushed against the horizontal reference 22 by the lateral movement of the member closest to the paper P among the joggers 23 standing up with respect to the conveyance path. Apply lateral alignment. At this time, since the paper pressing portion 52 of the switching claw 24 holds the rear end portion of the paper P in a pressed state, alignment is performed by contacting the lateral reference 22, so that the jogger 23 is in contact with the paper P. Even if the alignment is not performed at the center of the sheet side end portion, the sheet P is inclined and it is difficult for alignment failure to occur.

  Subsequently, as shown by 6e in FIG. 5, the bottom plate 6 is lowered to the extent that one sheet can be conveyed, and in FIG. 8, the tack brackets 32a and 32b are rotated counterclockwise by a drive source (not shown). 14-2, the contact rollers 30a and 30b are pressed against the paper P.

  Then, due to the pressing force of the contact roller portions 25a and 25b, the rotational conveyance force of the alignment rollers 30a and 30b is transmitted to the paper P, and the paper P is conveyed toward the vertical reference 16, and as shown in FIG. The paper P is delivered to 90a and 90b. At this time, the switching claw 24 holding the paper P is switched to the stapling mode, that is, the position of the alternate long and short dash line, and the next paper P to be carried is conveyed toward the vertical reference 16, as shown in FIG. Alignment is performed by pressing the trailing edge of the sheet against the vertical reference 16. The roles of the alignment rollers 30a and 30b are not to align them cleanly but to return the paper P to the return rollers 90a and 90b, so that the paper conveyance speed is increased, that is, the number of rotations is increased to increase productivity. On the other hand, since the return rollers 90a and 90b serve to align the paper P, they are aligned slowly.

  In this embodiment, the sheet conveyance speeds of the alignment rollers 30a and 30b and the return rollers 90a and 90b are changed depending on the number of rotations. However, the same effect can be obtained by the difference in the friction coefficient of the rollers and the pressing force. It is done. That is, the friction coefficient and pushing force of the return rollers 90a and 90b are set smaller than the friction coefficient and pushing force of the closing rollers 30a and 30b.

  When the trailing edge of the sheet is pressed against the vertical reference 16, the return rollers 90a and 90b can no longer carry the sheet P, idle on the sheet P, and the alignment is completed. At this time, in the case of a thin paper such as thin paper, in order to avoid a situation where the paper P is buckled (curved) between the vertical reference 16 and the return rollers 90a and 90b, the vertical reference 16 and the return roller 90a. , 90b is provided with a buckling prevention member 91 for preventing the occurrence of buckling.

  At this time, in the case of Z-fold paper, the paper bag portion (triple portion) is positioned on the stack tray 29 as shown in FIG. 1, and the single leaf portion (one piece portion) is loaded on the bottom plate 6. Yes.

  When the alignment of the paper P is completed, the bottom plate 6 that has been lowered is raised as shown in FIG. The paper P is sandwiched between the paper placement surface 6a and the abutting member 70, and the alignment operation is completed.

  When the alignment operation is completed, the stack tray 29 is lowered according to the paper surface position information obtained via the paper discharge surface detection filler 45 if necessary. For example, when the Z-folded paper is further conveyed from the state shown in FIG. 1, the uppermost paper is greatly curved due to the difference between the thickness of the bag portion and the single leaf portion as shown in FIG. Lifted up. When the discharge surface detection filler 45 is lifted, the photo interrupter 46 detects it, sends the signal to the paper post-processing control unit 100, rotates the drive motor 111 in the downward direction, and the top sheet is the bottom plate as shown in FIG. 6 until it is almost parallel to 6

  At this time, whenever the bottom plate 6 receives the paper P, the bottom plate 6 repeats the lowering operation by the thickness of the paper, and controls the top paper to always have a constant height.

  The alignment operation of the paper P as described above is performed up to the set final page. When the number of staples is as large as 30 sheets, 50 sheets, 100 sheets, there is a concern that the bottom plate 6 may gradually shift while the bottom plate 6 is repeatedly raised and lowered. By slowing down the ascent / descent speed, the occurrence of the deviation due to impact is reduced. When the alignment of the last page is completed, as shown in FIG. 17, the stapling process is performed by the staple 17, and the sheet bundle is discharged to the stack tray 29 by the discharge unit 15.

  As described above, the paper post-processing apparatus according to the present invention selectively performs processing such as folding, sorting, binding, and punching on paper such as recording paper discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a facsimile machine. This is useful for the paper post-processing device that is used for printing, especially when aligning on the temporary stacking tray, regardless of the number of staples, the temporary stacking tray is lowered horizontally by a predetermined amount and always aligned at the same position. In order to eliminate sheet misalignment during and after alignment, a sheet post-processing apparatus provided with a roller for receiving the alignment sheet and bringing it to the alignment portion, and a return roller for contacting and aligning with the alignment member, and these Suitable for systems with functions.

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the paper post-processing apparatus concerning embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the return roller part in FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating configurations of a paper discharge surface detection filler and a paper surface detection filler portion in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating configurations of a bottom plate, a pair of conveying rollers, a staple, and a jogger in the sheet post-processing apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the outline of the raising / lowering mechanism of the baseplate in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the paper pressing mechanism in the bottom plate upper surface of the switching nail | claw in FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the discharge | release part in FIG. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a configuration of a tapping portion in FIG. 1. It is explanatory drawing which shows the raising / lowering mechanism of the stack tray in FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view illustrating a sheet receiving state before an alignment operation in a staple mode. FIG. 10 is a side (cross-sectional) view illustrating a sheet receiving state before an alignment operation in a staple mode. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a first shifting operation to the lateral reference side by the transport roller in the staple mode. FIG. 10 is a side (cross-sectional) view showing a first shifting operation to the lateral reference side by the transport roller in the staple mode. FIG. 12 is a plan view showing a sheet pressing state on the bottom plate surface by the switching claw after the shifting operation of FIG. 11. FIG. 12 is a side (cross-sectional) view showing a sheet pressing state on the bottom plate surface by the switching claw after the shifting operation of FIG. 11. It is a top view which shows the alignment state by the jogger after the paper pressing of FIG. FIG. 13 is a side (cross-sectional) view showing an alignment state by a jogger after the sheet presser of FIG. 12. It is a top view which shows the start state of the alignment operation | movement by the tactile roller part after the alignment operation | movement of FIG. FIG. 14 is a side (cross-sectional) view showing a start state of the alignment operation by the tapping portion after the alignment operation of FIG. It is a top view which shows the delivery state to the return roller by the Takuro roller part after the operation | movement of FIG. FIG. 15 is a side view (cross-sectional view) showing a state of delivery to the return roller by the rotary roller part after the operation of FIG. 14. It is a top view which shows the alignment state of the return roller after the operation | movement of FIG. FIG. 16 is a side (cross-sectional) view showing the alignment state of the return rollers after the operation of FIG. 15. It is a top view which shows the staple state after completion | finish of alignment. It is a side surface (cross section) figure which shows the staple state after completion | finish of alignment. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode when a stack tray is not lowered | hung when the stack tray is full by Z origami paper discharge. It is explanatory drawing which shows a mode at the time of carrying out the downward control of a stack tray from the state of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Paper post-processing apparatus 6 Bottom plate 6a Paper mounting surface 7 Conveying roller pair 13 Sheet alignment apparatus 15 Ejection part 16 Vertical reference 17 Staple 22 Horizontal reference 23 Jogger 24 Switching claw 25a, 25b Tataki roller parts 30a, 30b 90a, 90b Return roller 91 Buckling prevention member 100 Paper post-processing control unit 200 Image forming apparatus 201 System controller 202 Operation panel

Claims (10)

In a sheet post-processing apparatus that sequentially accepts sheets to be post-processed, aligns as necessary, and performs post-processing such as stapling,
One o'clock loading with the trailing edge reference member for performing at least a rear part of the temporarily stacked on a substantially horizontal, and is brought into contact with the rear end of the sheet registration of the sheet conveying direction of the sheet of the post object Tray,
A first transport rotating body made of an elastic body that moves the rear end of the sheet toward the rear end reference member while contacting the upper surface of the sheet stacked on the temporary stacking tray;
Driving means for contacting / separating the first transport rotator with the paper;
Arranged upstream of the first transport rotator and disposed in the vicinity of the rear end reference member and moved by the first transport rotator at a lower rotational speed than the first transport rotator. A second transport rotator for receiving the received paper and performing alignment by pressing the trailing edge against the trailing edge reference member;
When the paper is carried onto the temporary stacking tray, the first transport rotator separated from the upper surface of the paper is brought into contact with the paper and rotates at a lower speed than the first transport rotator. Conveying to the second transport rotator, delivering the paper to the second rotator, and at the same time separating the first transport rotator from the paper and using the second transport rotator to determine the trailing edge reference Alignment control means for bringing the sheet into contact with the member and aligning the sheet;
A sheet post-processing apparatus comprising:   The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second transport rotating body is disposed in the vicinity of the rear end reference member.   2. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second transport rotating body has a smaller friction coefficient on the surface than the first transport rotating body.   2. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second transport rotating body reduces a pressing force with respect to the first transport rotating body.   5. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second transport rotating body is a resiliently deformable rotating body. The second transport rotator is a hard rotator that does not elastically deform,
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an urging unit that urges the second transport rotating body in a sheet direction. The second transfer rotator is an elastically deformable rotator,
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an urging unit that urges the second transport rotating body in a sheet direction. The temporary stacking tray includes elevating means for elevating and lowering the temporary stacking tray, and elevating control means for controlling the elevating operation of the elevating means,
The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 5, 6 or 7, wherein the lifting control means moves the second transport rotating body following the lifting and lowering operation of the temporary stacking tray.   Further, a guide member is provided between the second transport rotator and the rear end reference member for guiding the upper surface of the sheet fed by the second transport rotator toward the rear end reference member. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein   The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the guide member is disposed so as to be interlocked with a lifting operation of the temporary stacking tray.

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