JP4746307B2 - Method for controlling paper post-processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for controlling a sheet post-processing apparatus connected to an electrophotographic printing apparatus or the like.

  A post-processing device typified by a finisher equipped with a post-processing device such as a stacker or stapler equipped with a paper tray is connected to the subsequent stage of an image forming device typified by a printer or copier, and the printed sheet 2. Description of the Related Art Image forming apparatus systems that improve handling and work efficiency have been put into practical use. In such an image forming apparatus system, control is performed so as to switch the sheet conveyance path when stapling is performed and when it is not performed.

  FIG. 3 is an example of a post-processing apparatus connected to the subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus. The paper printed by the image forming apparatus 1 is discharged to the post-processing device 7. The post-processing device 7 switches the switching gate 2 depending on whether the discharged paper is stapled. When stapling is not performed, the sheet is conveyed to the conveyance path 3 by the switching gate 2 and is discharged to the stacking tray 6 as it is. When stapling is performed, the sheet is transported to the transport path 4 by the switching gate 2 and the paper temporarily stays in the intermediate tray 5.

When the sheets to be stapled are stopped on the intermediate tray 5 as many sheets as the number of sheets to be stapled are stacked, the sheets are aligned by a sheet alignment member (not shown) and then stapled by a stapler (not shown). It becomes a sheet bundle. Thereafter, it is discharged to the stacking tray 6.
The stapler moves from the initial position to the stapling position on the paper and performs the stapling operation. Therefore, the stapling printing mode is changed to the stapling printing mode or the stapling printing mode to the stapling printing mode. In this case, waiting for paper feeding to the post-processing apparatus for a predetermined time is performed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  This operation will be described with reference to FIGS. When the image forming apparatus 1 receives print information from a host device (not shown) connected to the image forming apparatus (S1), the post-processing information corresponding to the paper is usually sent to the post-processing device 7 along with the feeding of the paper. When the print mode is switched (S2) and the print mode is switched (S2), post-processing information corresponding to the first sheet in the subsequent print mode is transmitted to the post-processing device 7 (S3), and a preset print mode switching time is set. After the elapse of time (S4), the first sheet in the subsequent printing mode is fed out (S5). In the subsequent printing mode, the second and subsequent sheets are fed out as usual, and at the same time, post-processing information corresponding to the sheet is transmitted to the post-processing device 7 (S6, S7). By such a method, after the processing in the post-processing device 7 for the preceding paper is completed, the first paper in the subsequent printing mode is discharged to the post-processing device 7 to secure a post-processing time when the print mode is switched. Yes.

  Further, as a method of using an image forming apparatus system in which a post-processing apparatus is connected to a subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus, different sheets are fed to a plurality of sheet feeding trays provided in the image forming apparatus, and the first sheet is fed. After performing printing to staple a plurality of sheets from a tray, one sheet of color paper, which is a sorting sheet, is printed from another sheet feeding tray, and printing is performed to staple a plurality of sheets from another tray. .

JP 2001-146359 A

  In the image forming system as described above, printing with stapling and printing without stapling are frequently switched, and the time required for the operation of the stapler increases accordingly. As a result, the printing speed is significantly reduced. There was a point.

  The present invention provides a sheet aligning member that aligns sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus, an intermediate tray having a stapler that staples the sheets, a stacking tray that loads sheets discharged from the intermediate tray, and the image In a paper post-processing apparatus having a non-post-processing discharge path for discharging the paper discharged from the forming apparatus without performing post-processing, the processing of the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus is performed from a plurality of staples. When switching to non-stapling, the one non-staple sheet is discharged to the stacking tray via the intermediate tray without passing through the non-post-processing discharge path.

  Further, when discharging one sheet of non-staple paper through the intermediate tray, whether or not to return a discharge signal to a host device connected to the image forming apparatus can be selected by a command of the host device. And

  According to the present invention, since only one non-staple print and a plurality of staple prints are handled as the same staple print, the time required for switching the paper transport path and the time required for the initial operation of the stapler can be eliminated, and the printing speed can be eliminated. Can be significantly improved.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, when the image forming apparatus 1 receives print information from a host apparatus (not shown) connected to the image forming apparatus 1 (S11), the sheet is normally fed and post-processing corresponding to the sheet is performed. Information is transmitted to the post-processing device 7 (S17, S18). When the print mode is switched (S12), it is determined whether the next print mode is non-staple printing (S13).

  If the next print mode is determined not to be one non-staple print based on print information from a higher-level device (not shown) connected to the image forming apparatus 1, it corresponds to the first sheet in the subsequent print mode. The post-processing information to be transmitted is transmitted to the post-processing device 7 (S14). Then, after the preset printing mode switching time has elapsed (S15), the first sheet in the subsequent printing mode is fed out (S16). In the subsequent printing mode, the second and subsequent sheets are fed out as usual, and at the same time, post-processing information corresponding to the sheet is transmitted to the post-processing device 7 (S17, S18).

  If it is determined that the next printing mode is one non-staple in the determination of one non-staple (S13), a staple command is transmitted as post-processing information from the image forming apparatus 1 (S19). After the fact that the staple printing is transmitted to the post-processing device 7, the first sheet is fed out (S20). The post-processing device 7 receives the staple command and does not perform operations such as switching of the switching gate 2 and initialization of the stapler, and the paper discharged from the image forming device 1 is used as it is in the previous printing mode. Stop on the intermediate tray 5. Further, a cancel command is transmitted as post-processing information from the image forming apparatus 1 to the post-processing apparatus 7 (S21). When the cancel command is received, the post-processing device 7 discharges the sheet that has been stopped previously to the stacking tray 6 as it is without stapling.

  By the above-described operation, only one non-staple print and a plurality of staple prints are handled as the same staple print, so the time required for switching the paper transport path and the time required for the initial operation of the stapler can be eliminated, and the printing speed is remarkable. Can be improved.

  If a failure such as a paper jam occurs during the staple printing, the image forming apparatus 1 stops the printing operation and remains on the intermediate tray 5 of the post-processing device 7 without completing the staple processing. A cancel command is transmitted so that the sheet bundle is discharged to the stacking tray 6. In this case, since the post-processing device 7 has not completed printing normally, when discharging the stack of sheets to the stacking tray 6, it is not necessary to transmit a discharge signal that informs the image forming apparatus 1 that the discharge has been completed.

  On the other hand, since one sheet of non-staple printing according to the present invention is normal printing, the discharge signal needs to be transmitted to the image forming apparatus 1. Therefore, by using different commands for the cancel command that needs to send the discharge signal and the cancel command that does not send the discharge signal, transmission / non-transmission of the discharge signal can be separated.

It is one Example of the flowchart which shows the control method of the post-processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is one Example of the flowchart which shows the control method of the conventional post-processing apparatus. 1 is an example of an image forming apparatus system in which an image forming apparatus and a post-processing apparatus are connected.

Explanation of symbols

1 is an image forming apparatus, 2 is a switching gate, 3 is a conveyance path, 4 is a conveyance path, 5 is an intermediate tray, 6 is a stacking tray, and 7 is a post-processing apparatus.

Claims (2)

An intermediate having an image forming apparatus including a plurality of paper feed trays, a sheet alignment member connected to a subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus and configured to align sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus, and a stapler configured to staple the sheets. A tray, a stacking tray for stacking sheets discharged from the intermediate tray, and a sheet post-processing apparatus having a non-post-processing discharge path for discharging the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus without performing post-processing. In the image forming apparatus system, when the processing of the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus is switched from a plurality of staples to one non-staple, and the next is the one non-staple, the image forming apparatus After the staple command is transmitted to the paper post-processing device, the paper is fed from the paper feed tray, and the paper post-processing device The paper Le is stationary in the intermediate tray without passing through the non-post-treatment discharge path, when receiving the canceling command is transmitted as post-processing information from the image forming apparatus, the retention to one of the non-staple are An image forming apparatus system that discharges paper to the stacking tray without stapling.   If a failure occurs when processing a plurality of sheets of paper discharged from the image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus stops the printing operation and loads the sheets remaining on the intermediate tray. 2. The image forming apparatus system according to claim 1, wherein another cancel command is transmitted to the sheet post-processing apparatus so as to be discharged to a tray.

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