JP4640031B2 - Booklet collecting apparatus and bookbinding system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a booklet stacking apparatus that receives and stacks booklets bound by a booklet binding apparatus or the like.

  In recent years, color electrophotographic image forming apparatuses have come to be used in place of conventional printing apparatuses, taking advantage of small lot handling, quick delivery, and low cost. Further, a booklet binding apparatus that forms a sheet bundle by aligning a predetermined number of sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming apparatus, applies glue to the back of the sheet bundle, and adheres cover sheets to create a booklet, or A post-processing apparatus has also been used in which a booklet is produced by performing saddle stitching on a center portion of a plurality of aligned sheets by a stapling unit and then folding the sheet by a folding unit.

  In such a bookbinding apparatus, an accumulating apparatus for accumulating the booklets that have been bound is necessary. As an accumulating apparatus, for example, a conveyor-type accumulating apparatus that accumulates booklets sequentially on a conveyor is known.

In addition, in the gluing bookbinding apparatus, there is known an accumulating apparatus (accumulating means) for accumulating the bound booklet directly in an accumulating unit (for example, see Patent Document 1). In a post-processing apparatus having a stapling means and a center folding means, there is known a fixed sheet discharge table having an inclined surface for collecting booklets that have been saddle-stitched and folded in the middle (for example, see Patent Document 2).
JP 2004-209870 A JP 2002-308521 A

  However, in the booklet stacking device described in Patent Document 1 or 2, since the stacking is performed while sliding on the booklet that has already been stacked, there is a problem that the cover of the booklet that has already been stacked is turned up. . In addition, if the booklet is thick, it is heavy, so the booklet does not slide well and stops halfway, causing the next booklet to sink into the booklet that stopped in the middle, or the accumulated booklet tips become uneven. There is a problem that it is difficult to work when taking out the collected booklet or processing it in a later process.

  Further, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1 or 2, since the booklet that has been bound is directly collected in the stacking unit, when the booklet that has been collected is to be taken out, the booklet bookbinding apparatus or the booklet is connected in front of the booklet. Since the image forming apparatus must be stopped, productivity is lowered.

  On the other hand, with a conveyor-type stacking device, if the conveyor is lengthened, it can be taken out without stopping the device. However, the device becomes larger, and space problems occur when it is used in a small place such as an office. To do.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the object thereof is to reduce the productivity, align the sheets without causing defects such as folding, and save space. It is to provide a booklet stacking apparatus capable of performing the above.

The object of the present invention can be achieved by the following constitution.
(1)
A booklet receiving means for receiving a booklet discharged from the bookbinding apparatus at a predetermined time interval;
In a booklet stacking apparatus comprising booklet stacking means capable of stacking a plurality of booklets received by the booklet receiving means,
The booklet receiving means receives a booklet discharged from the booklet bookbinding apparatus and transfers the booklet to a predetermined position, and transfers the booklet transferred to the predetermined position downward in the vertical direction. A delivery mechanism that delivers the booklet to the booklet stacking means disposed vertically below and returns to the predetermined position ;
The time from when the booklet receiving means starts accepting the booklet until the delivery mechanism returns the booklet to the predetermined position after delivering the booklet to the booklet stacking means is shorter than the predetermined time interval. A booklet stacking apparatus comprising control means for controlling the booklet receiving means .
(2)
A bookbinding system comprising: a booklet binding apparatus for creating a booklet; and the booklet stacking apparatus according to (1), which receives a booklet discharged from the booklet binding apparatus and stacks the booklet in the booklet stacking means.

According to the present invention , the booklet receiving means receives the booklet from the bookbinding apparatus, conveys the booklet to a predetermined position, transports the received booklet vertically downward, to the booklet stacking means arranged vertically below the predetermined position. Since the booklet is delivered, the booklet is reliably collected, and it is possible to prevent problems such as breakage of sheets and cover sheets constituting the booklet during the collection.

  Since the booklet stacking means is disposed vertically below the predetermined position, the booklet stacking device can be miniaturized and the space can be used effectively.

Since the time for the booklet receiving means to return to the predetermined position after starting to accept the booklet is controlled to be shorter than the time interval at which the booklet is ejected from the booklet bookbinding device, the booklet bookbinding device in the previous process and Productivity can be improved without stopping the image forming apparatus connected before that.

  The booklet in the present invention refers to a plurality of sheets having predetermined edges (end faces), or a plurality of sheets and a cover combined with, for example, case binding or stapling to form a book. .

  A booklet manufacturing apparatus using case binding is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-209870, and a booklet manufacturing apparatus using staple is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-151407.

  Next, a booklet stacking apparatus manufactured by the apparatus as described above will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The description in this column does not limit the technical scope of the claims or the meaning of terms. In addition, the following assertive description in the embodiment of the present invention shows the best mode, and does not limit the meaning or technical scope of the terms of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 is a front view of the booklet stacking apparatus 100, FIG. 2 is a side view of the booklet stacking apparatus 100, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the booklet stacking apparatus 100.

  First, the configuration of the booklet stacking apparatus 100 will be described.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the booklet stacking apparatus 100 is provided with side plates 101 and 102 fixed to the sides, and movable plates 105 and 106 are attached to the side plates 101 and 102 so as to be movable up and down. . The moving plates 105 and 106 are connected by the connecting plate 103 so as to have the same height in FIG.

  Further, a lifting drive shaft 107 is rotatably pierced through the side plates 101, 102, and the driving of the lifting drive shaft 107 is transmitted from the lifting motor M1 through the gear train G1.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a pulley 108 is fixed to one end of the elevating drive shaft 107, and rotatable pulleys 109, 110, and 111 are fixed to the side plate 101, and these pulleys 108, 109, 110, and 111 are An elevating belt 112 is wound around a pulley 114 fixed to the elevating drive shaft 107 and a pulley 115 rotatably provided on the side plate 101.

  Similarly, the lifting belts 116 and 117 are also wound around the side plate 102 side.

  The moving plate 105 moves in the same direction as the lifting belts 112 and 113 in the vertical direction of FIG. 1 and is connected at the same height. Similarly, the moving plate 106 is connected to the lifting belt 116. 1 and 117 are moved in the same direction in the vertical direction of FIG. 1 and fixed at the same height as the above-mentioned places. With the configuration described above, when the elevating motor M1 rotates forward and backward, the movable plates 105 and 106 move up and down integrally.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3, both ends of the guide bar 124 are fixed to the moving plates 105 and 106, and a rotating shaft 125 having a square cross section is rotatably supported.

  As shown in FIG. 3, rotation is transmitted to the rotating shaft 125 from a receiving motor M2 fixed to the moving plate 106 via a gear train G2.

  2 and 3, the guide bar 124 and the rotating shaft 125 are provided with two substantially symmetrical booklet receiving frames 130 and 131 that are movable in the horizontal direction in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the booklet receiving frames 130 and 131 are arranged in the opposite directions of the wires 134 wound around the pulleys 132 and 133 rotatably provided on the connecting plate 103 so that they are separated from each other. It is connected to two places that move, and the drive is transmitted to the pulley 132 from the connecting / detaching motor M3 via the gear train G3.

  Drive belts 135 and 136 driven by a rotating shaft 125 are provided outside the booklet receiving frames 130 and 131, as shown in FIGS.

  Further, inside the booklet receiving frames 130 and 131, receiving belts 137 and 138 for receiving the booklet S3 discharged from the booklet transport conveyor 11 (see FIG. 1) of the booklet bookbinding apparatus 10 and transporting and holding it to a predetermined position. The receiving belts 137 and 138 are configured to be rotated by driving belts 135 and 136.

  A first sensor SE1 (FIG. 1) that detects the leading end of the booklet S3 is disposed on the downstream side of the receiving belts 137 and 138 in the booklet transport direction so as to stop when the booklet S3 is transferred to the predetermined position. .

  As described above, the booklet receiving means 100A for receiving the booklet S3 created by the booklet binding apparatus 10 includes the booklet receiving frames 130 and 131, the receiving belts 137 and 138, the receiving motor M2, the separating motor M3, and the moving plate. 105, 106, a lifting motor M1 and the like.

  More specifically, in the booklet receiving means 100A, the receiving mechanism for receiving the booklet S3 discharged from the bookbinding apparatus 10 and transferring it to a predetermined position includes a receiving motor M2, a driving belt 135, 136, a receiving belt 137, 138, The booklet S3 composed of one sensor SE1 and the like and transferred to the predetermined position is transferred downward in the vertical direction, delivered to the booklet stacking means 100B disposed vertically below the predetermined position, and the predetermined booklet S3 is delivered. The delivery mechanism that returns to the position includes an elevating motor M1, elevating belts 112, 113, 116, and 117, a separation motor M3, a guide bar 124, a wire 134, and the like.

  A booklet stacking unit 100B capable of stacking the booklet S3 is provided below the position where the booklet S3 stops after being received by the booklet receiving unit 100A.

  The booklet stacking means 100B will be described with reference to FIGS.

  The booklet stacking unit 100B includes a discharge belt 140, a discharge motor M4 for driving the discharge belt 140, a gear train G4 for transmitting the drive of the discharge motor M4 to the discharge belt 140, and the like.

  Next, the control configuration of the booklet stacking apparatus 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  Reference numeral 200 denotes a control unit of the booklet stacking apparatus 100, which includes a control unit for the booklet stacking apparatus 100 and a storage unit for storing various data, and a CPU that executes control based on the control procedure and data stored in the storage unit. Has been.

  The control unit 200 is configured to be able to communicate with the upper bookbinding apparatus 10 via the interface 201, and information such as a size is transmitted. A first sensor SE1, a second sensor SE2, a third sensor SE3, and the like are connected to the input side of the control means 200, and an elevating motor M1, a receiving motor M2, a separation motor M3, and a discharge are connected to the output side. A motor M4 and the like are connected.

  Next, the operation of the booklet stacking apparatus 100 configured as described above will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the receiving belts 137 and 138 are substantially the same height as the booklet transport conveyor 11 of the bookbinding apparatus 10 so as to smoothly receive the booklet S3 discharged from the bookbinding apparatus 10, and the booklet It is set to a width that can hold S3 and is waiting.

  At the same time as the booklet S3 is discharged by the booklet transport conveyor 11 of the booklet bookbinding apparatus 10, the receiving motor M2 is started to rotate the rotating shaft 125 to drive the receiving belts 137 and 138 through the driving belts 135 and 136 as shown in FIG. Rotate in the direction of the arrow to receive the booklet S3. The received booklet S3 is transported to a position (predetermined position) where the front end of the booklet S3 is detected by the first sensor SE1 (see FIG. 1) and stops.

  When the transfer of the booklet S3 is stopped, the elevating motor M1 is started, the elevating belts 112, 113, 116, 117 are rotated, and the movable plates 105, 106 start to descend downward in the vertical direction. By this lowering action, the booklet S3 on the receiving belts 137 and 138 is transferred to the position just above the discharge belt 140, and stops when the second sensor SE2 (see FIG. 2) provided on the booklet receiving frame 131 detects the upper surface of the discharge belt 140. To do.

  When the lowering of the booklet S3 stops, the separation motor M3 is started, the booklet receiving frames 130 and 131 are separated via the wires 134, and the booklet S3 on the receiving belts 137 and 138 is dropped onto the discharge belt 140. Accumulate to overlap.

  After the booklet S3 falls from the receiving belts 137 and 138, the elevating motor M1 is rotated in the reverse direction to return the receiving belts 137 and 138 to the initial height, and then the separation motor M3 is rotated in the reverse direction. Then, the receiving belts 137 and 138 are returned from the bookbinding apparatus 10 to the booklet receiving position described above to prepare for the discharge of the booklet S3 from the bookbinding apparatus 10.

  The booklet receiving means 100A starts accepting the booklet S3 sequentially discharged from the booklet bookbinding apparatus 10, transfers to the booklet stacking means 100B, and returns to the predetermined position until the booklet S3 is sent from the booklet bookbinding apparatus 10 to the booklet S3. It is controlled by the control means 200 so as to be shorter than the time interval for sequentially discharging.

  When the above-described operation is repeated, the booklet S3 is sequentially accumulated on the discharge belt 140, but when the end of the uppermost booklet S3 is detected by the third sensor SE3 that defines the upper limit of accumulation, the discharge belt is collected. 140 rotates in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, and the accumulated booklet S3 is discharged to a position where it can be easily taken out.

  The discharged booklet is taken out by the operator at an appropriate timing.

  In the present embodiment, the discharge belt 140 is extended to a position where the booklet S3 can be easily taken out. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the discharge belt 140 is approximately the same length as the receiving belts 137 and 138. In this way, the protruding portion of the discharge belt 140 is eliminated, and the booklet stacking apparatus 100 is further reduced in size. Alternatively, it is also possible to accumulate in a fixed horizontal tray instead of the discharge belt 140, which has the advantage that the booklet stacking apparatus 100 can be further miniaturized and the apparatus can be simplified.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

  The booklet receiving means receives the booklet from the bookbinding apparatus, conveys the booklet to a predetermined position, transports the received booklet downward in the vertical direction, and drops the booklet on the booklet stacking means arranged vertically below the predetermined position so as to overlap. Therefore, booklet collection is performed reliably, and problems such as breakage of sheets and cover sheets constituting the booklet during collection can be prevented.

  Since the booklet stacking means is disposed vertically below the predetermined position, the booklet stacking device can be reduced in size and the space can be used effectively.

  ・ After the booklet receiving means starts accepting booklets from the booklet binding device, it takes time to transfer the booklet to a predetermined position, lower it, deliver it to the booklet stacking means, and ascend and return to the predetermined position. Since it is controlled to be shorter than the time interval at which the booklet is ejected from the apparatus, the booklet bookbinding apparatus in the previous process and the image forming apparatus connected in front thereof are not stopped, and productivity is improved. I can do it.

1 is a front view of a booklet stacking apparatus 100. FIG. The side view of the booklet stacking apparatus 100. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a part of the booklet stacking apparatus 100. FIG. 3 is a control configuration diagram of the booklet stacking apparatus 100.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Bookbinding apparatus 11 Booklet conveyance conveyor 100 Booklet collection apparatus 100A Booklet receiving means 100B Booklet collection means 101, 102 Side plate 103 Connecting plate 105, 106 Moving plate 107 Lift drive shaft 108, 109, 110, 111 Pulley 112, 113 Lift belt 114 , 115 pulley 116, 117 elevating belt 124 guide bar 125 rotating shaft 130, 131 booklet receiving frame 132, 133 pulley 134 wire 135, 136 driving belt 137, 138 receiving belt 140 discharging belt 200 control means G 1, G 2, G 3, G 4 gear Row M1 Lifting motor M2 Receiving motor M3 Separation / contact motor M4 Ejecting motor S1 Sheet bundle S2 Cover S3 Booklet SE1 First sensor SE2 Second sensor SE3 Third sensor

Claims (2)

A booklet receiving means for receiving a booklet discharged from the bookbinding apparatus at a predetermined time interval;
In a booklet stacking apparatus comprising booklet stacking means capable of stacking a plurality of booklets received by the booklet receiving means,
The booklet receiving means receives a booklet discharged from the booklet bookbinding apparatus and transfers the booklet to a predetermined position, and transfers the booklet transferred to the predetermined position downward in the vertical direction. A delivery mechanism that delivers the booklet to the booklet stacking means disposed vertically below and returns to the predetermined position ;
The time from when the booklet receiving means starts accepting the booklet until the delivery mechanism returns the booklet to the predetermined position after delivering the booklet to the booklet stacking means is shorter than the predetermined time interval. A booklet stacking apparatus comprising control means for controlling the booklet receiving means . A bookbinding system comprising: a booklet binding apparatus that creates a booklet; and the booklet stacking apparatus according to claim 1 that receives a booklet discharged from the booklet binding apparatus and stacks the booklet in the booklet stacking unit.

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