JP5332758B2 - Sheet processing apparatus, image forming apparatus, image forming system, sheet processing control method, and sheet processing control program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention includes a sheet aligning device that aligns a sheet-like recording medium (in the present specification, simply referred to as “sheet”) such as paper, recording paper, transfer paper, and OHP sheet, and the sheet aligning device. Sheet processing apparatus, image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, printer, facsimile, and digital multi-function peripheral equipped with a sheet aligning apparatus, an image forming system including the sheet processing apparatus and the image forming apparatus, a sheet processing method, and sheet processing It relates to the control program.

  Various sheet processing apparatuses that automatically sort, punch, and bind sheets discharged from image forming apparatuses such as copiers and printers have been provided in recent years. Are diversified and sophisticated. In particular, there is a great need for the accuracy of aligning (aligning) a bundle of sheets that have been bound. As a technique relating to such matching, for example, an invention described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-027802) is known.

  The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus having a stack unit that stacks a plurality of sheets and an aligning unit that aligns the edges of the plurality of sheets by pressing only one side of the sheets stacked in the stack unit.

  The sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus are once stacked, stacked and discharged into the stacking tray, and after the discharged sheets are aligned in the conveyance direction and the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, binding, folding, etc. In a device having a post-processing function for performing the above processing, conventionally, in the case of a sheet that cannot be stacked and discharged into the stacking tray, that is, a Z-folded sheet or a sheet-mixed sheet in which sheets with different sheet lengths are mixedly loaded In the case of sheets that are discharged one by one into the stacking tray, such as sheets, the sheet surface is adjusted without using an alignment method of hitting (pushing) and aligning the leading end side in the sheet conveyance direction as in the invention described in Patent Document 1. A method of aligning sheets by hitting with a hitting roller and pressing the rear end of the sheet against a reference position is employed. In the example using the tapping roller, the size of the conveyed sheet or the number of processed sheets is identified, and the start time of the tapping operation and / or the tapping operation speed are set appropriately according to the contact time required for the alignment operation. This improves the quality of the alignment process.

  However, when the binding process is performed on the sheet bundle subjected to the alignment process in this way, in the case of a small number of sheets, the sheet bundle is not stabilized due to vibration of the binding device that performs the binding process, and a part of the sheet bundle is Floating, binding misalignment, and worst case missing binding. Even for a sheet with a large sheet curl state, due to the curl of the sheet binding portion, the curled sheet is lifted during the sheet binding process, and binding deviation occurs.

  Accordingly, the problem to be solved by the present invention is to reduce misalignment that occurs at the time of sheet bundle binding processing even for sheets with non-uniform sheet length, such as Z-fold sheets, and sheets that are in a curled state. It is to improve the quality of the sheet bundle.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a stacking unit that stacks conveyed sheets, a surface of the sheet stacked on the stacking unit, and abuts the sheet against an abutting member. A first aligning means that aligns the sheet, a second aligning means that abuts against the leading end of the sheet bundle stacked on the stacking means, abuts the sheet against the abutting member, and aligns in the sheet conveying direction; A sheet processing apparatus including a binding unit that stacks and aligns a bundle of sheets stacked on the stacking unit, and for the sheets for which pre- stack processing is prohibited, the first alignment unit The leading end of the aligned and bundled sheet bundle is pressed by the second aligning means, and the binding process is executed in the pressed state, and the pre-stack process For sheets that are not prohibited, aligned by the second aligning means, the hold-down by aligned sheet bundle of the tip of the second aligning means, including a control means for executing the binding process in a state of pressing down It is characterized by that.

  In the embodiment described later, the stacking means is on the end surface binding processing tray F, the abutting member is on the rear end fences 51a and 51b, the first alignment means is on the tapping roller 12, and the second alignment means is on the front end stopper 512a. 512b, the binding means is the end-face stitching stapler S1, the control means is the CPU 360, the third alignment means is the jogger fences 53a and 53b, the sheet processing apparatus is the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, and the image forming apparatus is the code PR. , Respectively.

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to reduce the bad alignment binding when binding Ji treatment can improve the quality of stapled sheet bundle.

1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of a system including a sheet post-processing apparatus and an image forming apparatus as a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic block diagram which looked at the end surface binding processing tray from the stacking surface side of the tray. It is a figure which shows the principal part structure of the jogger fence part which aligns the width direction of a sheet | seat. It is a perspective view which shows schematic structure of an end surface binding processing tray and its attachment mechanism. It is a block diagram which shows the outline of the control apparatus of a sheet | seat post-processing apparatus. It is a principal part perspective view for demonstrating the operation | movement at the time of alignment of an end surface binding processing tray, and shows the state at the time of alignment by the jogger fence after sheet discharge. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a main part for explaining an operation at the time of alignment of the end surface binding processing tray, and shows an operation at the time of alignment by a leading end stopper after sheet discharge. It is a principal part perspective view for demonstrating the operation | movement after alignment of an end surface binding process tray, and shows the state at the time of performing a binding process in the state which hold | maintained the sheet bundle by the front-end | tip stopper and a jogger fence. FIG. 5 is a front view of the tray binding processing tray for explaining the operation when aligning the end surface binding processing tray, and shows a state when alignment is performed by the jogger fence after the alignment operation by the front end stopper. FIG. 7 is a front view of the tray after the alignment of the end-face binding processing trays, viewed from the stacking surface side, and shows a state when binding processing is performed with the sheet bundle held by the tip stopper and the jogger fence. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the matching process in embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure which sets the pushing amount when hold | maintaining a sheet bundle according to the sheet | seat state in embodiment of this invention.

  The present invention relates to a case where a binding process is performed on a sheet bundle formed of sheets having non-uniform lengths such as a sheet that cannot be pre-stacked, for example, a sheet mixed in size, or a sheet that has been folded such as Z-folding. In the case of a small number of bundles, in the case of a sheet with low stiffness, if the rigidity of the sheet itself is weak, misalignment may occur, so in order to deal with this, the sheets were aligned and hit against the rear end fence When binding with a stapler in this state, deviation, lifting, large curl, and the like generated in the sheet bundle are pressed by a member having an alignment function to enable accurate binding processing.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing a system including a sheet post-processing apparatus PD and an image forming apparatus PR as a sheet processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  In FIG. 1, the sheet post-processing apparatus PD is attached to the side portion of the image forming apparatus PR, and the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus PR is guided to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD. The sheet has a conveyance path A having post-processing means for performing post-processing on one sheet (in this embodiment, a punch unit 100 as a punching means), and a conveyance path that leads to the upper tray 201 through the conveyance path A. B, the transfer path C leading to the shift tray 202, and the transfer path D leading to the processing tray F (hereinafter also referred to as “end face binding processing tray”) for performing alignment, stapling, and the like, are distributed by the branching claws 15 and 16 respectively. It is configured as follows.

  The image forming apparatus PR includes an image processing circuit that converts input image data into printable image data (not shown), and an optical writing apparatus that performs optical writing on a photoconductor based on an image signal output from the image processing circuit. A developing device for developing the latent image formed on the photosensitive member by optical writing, a transfer device for transferring the toner image visualized by the developing device to the sheet, and a fixing device for fixing the toner image transferred on the sheet At least the sheet on which the toner image is fixed is sent to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD, and desired post-processing is performed by the sheet post-processing apparatus PD. Here, the image forming apparatus PR is of an electrophotographic system as described above, but any known image forming apparatus such as an ink jet system or a thermal transfer system can be used. In this embodiment, the image processing circuit, the optical writing device, the developing device, the transfer device, and the fixing device constitute image forming means.

  The sheet guided to the end-face binding processing tray F through the transport paths A and D, and aligned, stapled, and the like in the end-face binding processing tray F is guided to the shift tray 202 by the guide member 44. Are arranged so as to be distributed to the saddle stitching / folding processing tray G (hereinafter simply referred to as “saddle stitching processing tray”), and the sheet subjected to folding or the like in the saddle stitching processing tray G passes through the conveyance path H. Guided from the paper discharge roller 83 to the lower tray 203. Further, a branching claw 17 is disposed in the conveyance path D, and is held in the state shown in the figure by a low load spring (not shown). After the trailing edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveyance roller 7 passes through the branching claw 17. Then, at least the transport roller 9 among the transport rollers 9 and 10 and the staple paper discharge roller 11 is reversed to reverse the sheet along the turn guide 8. As a result, the sheet is guided from the rear end of the sheet to the sheet storage unit E (prestack conveyance path) to stay (prestack), and can be conveyed while being overlapped with the next sheet. By repeating this operation, two or more sheets can be stacked and conveyed. Reference numeral 304 denotes a prestack sensor for setting a reverse feed timing when the sheets are prestacked.

  In the conveyance path A common to the upstream of the conveyance path B, the conveyance path C, and the conveyance path D, an inlet sensor 301 that detects a sheet received from the image forming apparatus PR, an inlet roller 1, a punch unit 100, The punch and waste hopper 101, the conveying roller 2, the branching claw 15 and the branching claw 16 are sequentially arranged. The branching claws 15 and 16 are held in the state shown in FIG. 1 by a spring (not shown). When the solenoid (not shown) is turned on, the branching claws 15 and 16 are driven to change the combination of the two. The sheet is distributed to the path B, the conveyance path C, and the conveyance path D.

  When the sheet is guided to the conveyance path B, the solenoid is kept OFF in the state of FIG. 1 (initial state), and the sheet is discharged from the conveyance roller 3 to the upper tray 201 via the discharge roller 4. When the sheet is guided to the conveyance path C, the branch claws 15 are turned upward and the branch claws 16 are turned downward by turning on the solenoids of the branch claws 15 and 16 from the state shown in FIG. Thus, the sheet is conveyed to the shift tray 202 side through the conveying roller 5 and the discharge roller pair 6 (6a, 6b). When the sheet is guided to the conveyance path D, the branching claw 16 is in the state shown in FIG. 1 and the solenoid is turned off, and the branching claw 15 is turned upward from the state shown in FIG. Guided from the roller 2 to the transport path D by the transport roller 7.

  In this sheet post-processing apparatus, punching (punch unit 100), sheet alignment + edge binding (jogger fence 53, end surface binding stapler S1), sheet alignment + saddle binding (saddle stitch upper jogger fence 250a, Each processing such as the saddle stitching lower jogger fence 250b, the saddle stitching stapler S2), the sheet sorting (shift tray 202), and the middle folding (folding plate 74, folding roller 81) can be performed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the shift tray paper discharge unit located at the most downstream portion of the sheet post-processing apparatus PD includes a shift paper discharge roller pair 6 (6a, 6b), a return roller 13, and a paper surface detection sensor 330. The shift tray 202 includes a shift mechanism (not shown) that reciprocates the shift tray 202 in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction, and a shift tray lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the shift tray 202.

  The sheets guided to the end face binding processing tray F by the staple paper discharge roller 11 are sequentially stacked on the end face binding processing tray F. In this case, alignment in the vertical direction (sheet conveyance direction) is performed by the tapping roller 12 for each sheet, and alignment in the horizontal direction (direction also orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction—also referred to as sheet width direction) is performed by the jogger fence 53. The end-face stitching stapler S1 is driven by a staple signal from the control device 350 (see FIG. 5) between job breaks, that is, between the last sheet of the sheet bundle and the first sheet bundle, and the binding process is performed. The sheet bundle subjected to the binding process is immediately sent to the shift paper discharge roller 6 by the discharge belt 52 (see FIG. 2) with the discharge claw 52a protruding, and is discharged to the shift tray 202 set at the receiving position. The

  The discharge belt 52 is positioned at the alignment center in the sheet width direction, is stretched between pulleys 52c, and is driven by a discharge motor. A plurality of discharge rollers 56 are arranged symmetrically with respect to the discharge belt 52, are provided so as to be rotatable with respect to the drive shaft, and function as driven rollers.

  The release claw 52 a is configured such that the home position is detected by a release belt HP sensor 311, and this release belt HP sensor 311 is turned on / off by a discharge claw 52 a provided on the discharge belt 52. Two discharge claws 52a are arranged at opposing positions on the outer periphery of the discharge belt 52, and the sheet bundle stored in the end face binding processing tray F is moved and conveyed alternately. Further, if necessary, the discharge belt 52 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the discharge claw 52a waiting to move the sheet bundle from now on and the back side of the discharge claw 52a on the opposite side of the sheet bundle accommodated in the end face binding processing tray F It is also possible to align the tips in the transport direction.

  In FIG. 1, reference numeral 110 denotes a rear end pressing lever, which is located at the lower end of the rear end fence 51 that can press the rear end of the sheet bundle SB accommodated in the rear end fence 51, and is an end surface binding processing tray. Reciprocates in a direction substantially perpendicular to F. Sheets discharged to the end surface binding processing tray F are tapped for each sheet and aligned in the vertical direction (sheet conveying direction) with the rollers 12, but the trailing edge of the sheets stacked on the end surface binding processing tray F is curled. When the waist is weak, the rear end tends to buckle and swell due to the weight of the seat itself. Furthermore, as the number of stacked sheets increases, the gap in which the next sheet enters the rear end fence 51 is reduced, and the vertical alignment tends to deteriorate. Therefore, the trailing edge pressing mechanism 110 reduces the swelling of the trailing edge of the sheet so that the sheet can easily enter the trailing edge fence 51, and the trailing edge pressing lever 110 directly presses the sheet. The

  FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the end face binding processing tray F as viewed from the stacking surface side of the tray. In the same figure, the alignment in the width direction of the sheet received from the upstream machine is performed by the jogger fences 53a and 53b, and the longitudinal direction is the rear end fence 51a by the front end stoppers 512a and 512b driven by the stopper drive belts 511a and 511b. , 51b (indicated by reference numeral 51 in FIG. 1) for matching. After the alignment operation is completed, the binding process is performed by the end surface binding stapler S1, and the sheet bundle after the binding process is lifted by the movable fences 57a and 57b. The receiving portion for scooping the sheet bundle of the movable fence is located slightly below the receiving portion for receiving the sheet bundle of the rear end fences 51a and 51b, and the front end stoppers 512a and 512b are attached to the rear end fences 51a and 51b. It is arranged so that it does not become an obstacle when performing vertical alignment by hitting the bundle. After the sheet bundle is lifted by the movable fences 57a and 57b, the discharge belt 52 is driven counterclockwise, and the sheet lifted by the movable fences 57a and 57b by the discharge claw 52a attached to the discharge belt 52. The bundle is scooped and the discharging operation from the end face binding processing tray F is performed. Reference numerals 64a and 64b are a front side plate and a rear side plate. Further, this operation can be performed in the case of an unbound bundle that is not subjected to the binding process after the alignment process.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a main configuration of a jogger fence unit that aligns the width direction of the sheet. The jogger fences 53a and 53b are moved in the direction of the arrow by a drive motor (not shown), respectively, to perform sheet width alignment. Further, two mylars 531 and 532 are disposed on the jogger fences 53a and 53b, respectively, to prevent the sheet discharged to the end face binding processing tray F from being bent due to curling or the like. The mylars 531 and 532 are for large size and small size, respectively, and the mounting positions, lengths, and elasticity of the two mylars 531 and 532 are conveyed when the sheet is conveyed into the stacking means. It is determined taking into consideration that it does not become a resistance at the time, can suppress the vicinity of the leading end of all sheet sizes that can be received in the end face binding processing tray F, and does not become an obstacle at the time of sheet lateral alignment. ing.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of the end face binding processing tray F and its attached mechanism. As shown in the figure, the sheets guided to the end-face binding processing tray F by the staple paper discharge roller 11 are sequentially stacked on the end-face binding processing tray F. At this time, when the number of sheets discharged to the end face binding processing tray F is one sheet, the sheet is aligned in the vertical direction (sheet conveying direction) with the tapping roller 12 for each sheet, and the jogger fences 53a and 52b are arranged in the width direction ( Alignment in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction is performed. The hitting roller 12 is given a pendulum motion by the hitting SOL 170 about the fulcrum 12a, and intermittently acts on the sheet fed to the end surface binding processing tray F to hit the sheet against the rear end fence 51. Note that the hitting roller 12 itself rotates counterclockwise.

  The jogger fence 53 is provided with a pair of front and rear (53a, 53b) as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, and is driven through a timing belt by a jogger motor 158 capable of forward and reverse rotation, and reciprocates in the sheet width direction.

  A sheet bundle deflection mechanism is provided on the downstream side in the sheet conveying direction of the end-face binding processing tray F. As shown in FIG. 1, a conveying path for conveying a sheet bundle from the end-face stitching processing tray F to the saddle-stitching processing tray G, and from the end-face stitching processing tray F to the shift tray 202, and a conveying means for conveying the sheet bundle include a sheet bundle. A conveying mechanism 35 that applies a conveying force, a discharge roller 56 that turns the sheet bundle, and a guide member 44 that performs a guide for turning the sheet bundle.

  Each detailed configuration will be described. The driving force of the driving shaft 37 is transmitted to the roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 by a timing belt. The roller 36 and the driving shaft 37 are connected and supported by an arm, and driven. The shaft 37 can be swung about the rotation fulcrum. The roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 is driven to swing by a cam 40. The cam 40 rotates about a rotating shaft 41 and is driven by a motor (not shown).

  In the transport mechanism 35, a driven roller 42 is disposed at a position opposite to the roller 36, and a sheet bundle is sandwiched between the driven roller 42 and the roller 36 and pressed by an elastic material to give a transport force.

  A conveyance path for turning the sheet bundle from the end face binding processing tray F to the saddle stitching processing tray G is formed between the discharge roller 56 and the inner surface of the guide member 44 on the side facing the discharge roller 56. The guide member 44 rotates around a fulcrum, and the drive is transmitted from the bundle branch drive motor 161.

  In the transport path for transporting the sheet bundle from the end surface binding processing tray F to the shift tray 202 serving as a stacking unit, the guide member 44 rotates around the fulcrum in the illustrated clockwise direction, and the outer surface of the guide member 44 (opposite the discharge roller 56). The space between the non-side surface and the outer guide plate is used as a conveyance path.

  When the sheet bundle P is sent from the end surface binding processing tray F to the saddle stitching processing tray G, the trailing edge of the sheet bundle aligned on the end surface binding processing tray F is pushed up by the discharge claw 52a, and the roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 and A sheet bundle is sandwiched between the opposed driven rollers 42 facing each other, and a conveying force is applied. At this time, the roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 stands by at a position where it does not hit the leading end of the sheet bundle P.

  Next, after the front end of the sheet bundle P passes, the roller 36 of the transport mechanism 35 is brought into contact with the sheet surface to apply a transport force. At this time, the guide member 44 and the discharge roller 56 form a guide for the turn conveyance path, and convey the sheet bundle P to the downstream saddle stitching processing tray G.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the saddle stitch processing tray G is provided on the downstream side of the sheet bundle deflection mechanism including the conveyance mechanism 35, the guide member 44, and the discharge roller 56. The saddle stitching processing tray G is provided substantially perpendicularly on the downstream side of the sheet bundle deflection mechanism, with the center folding mechanism at the center, the bundle conveyance guide plate upper 92 above, and the bundle conveyance guide below. A lower plate 91 is arranged.

  Further, an upper bundle conveying roller 71 is provided above the upper bundle conveying guide plate 92, and a lower bundle conveying roller 72 is provided below the upper bundle conveying guide plate 92. A saddle stitch upper jogger fence 250a is arranged on both sides along the side surface of 92. Similarly, a saddle stitch lower jogger fence 250b is provided on both sides along the side surface of the bundle conveyance guide plate lower 91, and a saddle stitch stapler S2 is disposed at a place where the saddle stitch lower jogger fence 250b is installed. The saddle stitching upper jogger fence 250a and the saddle stitching lower jogger fence 250b are driven by a driving mechanism (not shown) and perform an alignment operation in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction (sheet width direction). The saddle stitching stapler S2 is a pair of a clincher portion and a driver portion, and two pairs are provided at a predetermined interval in the sheet width direction.

  A movable rear end fence 73 is arranged so as to cross the lower bundle conveyance guide plate 91, and can be moved in the sheet conveyance direction (vertical direction in the figure) by a moving mechanism including a timing belt and its driving mechanism. . As shown in FIG. 1, the drive mechanism includes a drive pulley and a driven pulley on which the timing belt is stretched, and a stepping motor that drives the drive pulley. Similarly, a rear end tapping claw 251 and its drive mechanism are provided on the upper end side of the upper bundle transport guide plate 92. The trailing edge tapping claw 251 can reciprocate in a direction away from the sheet bundle deflecting mechanism and a direction pushing the trailing edge of the sheet bundle (the side that contacts the trailing edge when the sheet bundle is introduced) by a timing belt 252 and a driving mechanism (not shown). ing.

  The center folding mechanism is provided at a substantially central portion of the saddle stitching processing tray G, and includes a folding plate 74, a folding roller 81, and a conveyance path H that conveys the folded sheet bundle. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 326 denotes a home position sensor for detecting the home position of the rear end tapping claw 251, reference numeral 323 denotes a folded portion passage sensor for detecting a folded sheet, and reference numeral 321 denotes a sheet bundle. A bundle detection sensor 322 for detecting that the center folding position has been reached is a working rear end fence home position sensor for detecting the home position of the movable rear end fence 73.

  In this embodiment, a detection lever 501 for detecting the stacking height of the sheet bundle folded in the lower tray 203 is provided to be swingable by a fulcrum 501a, and the angle of the detection lever 501 is detected by the paper surface sensor 505. Then, the raising / lowering operation and overflow detection of the lower tray 203 are performed.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an outline of a control device 350 equipped with a microcomputer having a CPU 360, an I / O interface 370, and the like. The control device 350 receives signals from each switch such as a control panel of the image forming apparatus main body (not shown), and an upper discharge sensor 302, a paper presence sensor 310, a staple discharge sensor 305, a paper surface detection sensor 330, and the like. Input to the CPU 360 via the I / O interface 370, and the CPU 360 controls each solenoid such as a driving motor for controlling the mechanisms such as the tip stopper 512, the discharge belt 52, the movable fence 57, and the hitting SOL based on the input signal. To do.

  The control is executed based on a program defined by the program code while the CPU 360 reads a program code stored in a ROM (not shown) and uses a RAM (not shown) as a work area and a data buffer.

  6 to 8 are perspective views of relevant parts for explaining the alignment operation of the end face binding processing tray F, and FIGS. 9 and 10 are front views of relevant parts.

  The sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus PR to the sheet post-processing apparatus PD is conveyed to the end face binding processing tray F along the conveyance path ADF shown in FIG. In the case of a normal sheet, it is possible to perform pre-stack conveyance in which the sheet is conveyed to the pre-stack conveyance path E after being conveyed through the conveyance path D, and the sheet is retained together with the subsequent sheet and conveyed to the end face binding processing tray F. .

Here, the alignment operation in the end face binding processing tray F will be described.
The sheet bundle accumulated in the prestack conveyance path E is conveyed to the staple tray by the prestack conveyance, hits the sheet surface with the tapping roller 12, and is pressed against the rear end fence 51 to perform alignment processing in the sheet conveyance direction. The tapping roller 12 rotates in a direction to move the sheet toward the rear end fence 51, and the alignment process is executed by bringing the tapping roller 12 into and out of contact with the sheet by a solenoid. This is referred to as vertical alignment means 1.

  In this embodiment, the front end stoppers 512a and 512b are provided, and the front end stoppers 512a and 512b strike the front end of the sheet bundle discharged to the end surface binding processing tray F and drop the sheet bundle into the rear end fence 51. The matching process is performed. This is referred to as vertical alignment means 2. Further, the sheet bundle conveyed to the end face binding processing tray F is subjected to a jogging operation in the lateral direction of the sheet bundle by the jogger fences 53a and 53b, thereby performing alignment processing in the sheet bundle lateral direction. This is referred to as lateral alignment means. After the sheet alignment processing is performed by these three types of alignment means, the end surface binding stapler S1 performs the binding processing on the end portion of the sheet bundle.

  Thus, in the case of a normal sheet, it can be processed as a sheet bundle in which a plurality of sheets are stacked in a prestack. However, the sheets on which the pre-stack prohibition information is placed are not transported pre-stacked and are transported one by one to the end face binding processing tray F. Specific examples include size-mixed sheets, sheets that have been subjected to folding processing such as Z-folding, and sheets that are not subject to prestack processing.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the control procedure of the matching process in the present embodiment. The matching operation in this embodiment will be described below with reference to this flowchart and FIGS.

  Regarding the sheets subjected to folding processing such as size-mixed sheets and Z-fold sheets as described above, the sheet length conveyed to the end surface binding processing tray F is different. In such a case, a sufficient vertical alignment function cannot be obtained. Therefore, the sheets for which pre-stack processing is prohibited are conveyed one by one to the end face binding processing tray F (steps S101 to 113), and the vertical direction by the tapping roller 12 (vertical alignment means 1) as shown in FIG. And alignment processing are performed by the jogger fences 53a and 53b (lateral alignment means) (steps S114 and S121).

  The aligned sheet bundle is directly subjected to the binding process by the end-face stitching stapler S1, but in the case of a small number of sheets, the sheet bundle is not stabilized due to vibration or the like due to the driving of the end-face stitching stapler S1 that performs the binding process. A part of the surface is lifted, and a binding deviation occurs. Even for a sheet with a large sheet curl state, due to the curl of the sheet binding portion, the curled sheet may be lifted at the time of the sheet binding process, and binding deviation may occur.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, after the vertical alignment processing is performed on the sheet bundle, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 9, the front end stoppers 512a and 512b (longitudinal alignment means 2) are arranged in the vicinity of the front end position of the sheet bundle. And press the tip of the sheet bundle. This stabilizes the sheet bundle. In a state where the sheet bundle is stable, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the binding process is performed by the end face binding stapler S1 (step S116).

  Further, the pushing amount of the sheet bundle is changed depending on the following sheet states. In other words, when the number of sheets is small, the sheet size is small, or the sheet stiffness is weak depending on the sheet type, the push-in amount is reduced (approximately 0 mm with respect to the sheet size), and the leading end stopper is moved to a position where the sheet does not float during the binding process. The positions of 512a and 512b (longitudinal alignment means 2) are set. This is to prevent the buckling of the sheet due to pressing.

  On the other hand, when the number of sheet bundles is large, the sheet size is large, and the stiffness of the sheet is strong depending on the sheet type, the pushing amount of the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b from the leading end position of the sheet size is increased (relative to the sheet position). The positions of the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b (longitudinal alignment means 2) are set to positions where the sheet bundle can be more stabilized.

  Further, in order to enhance the stability of the sheet bundle during the binding process, in addition to the vertical pressing operation by the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b, the width direction of the sheet bundle is pressed by the jogger fences 53a and 53b as shown in FIG. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the sheet bundle is held simultaneously in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction (step S117). Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the sheet bundle from being shifted in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction, and the alignment accuracy can be further improved.

  Hereafter, the procedure of this process is demonstrated along a flowchart.

  The CPU 360 of the sheet post-processing apparatus acquires the sheet size, the presence / absence of sheet mixing, and the pre-stack prohibition information for the conveyed sheet from the image forming apparatus PR side (step S101), and based on the acquired information, the pre-stacking information is acquired. It is determined whether the size is out of the target (step S111). If it is determined that the size is not a pre-stack target (step S-YES), the sheet surface is tapped and tapped with the roller 12, the sheet is dropped to the rear end fences 53a and 53b, and the rear end of the sheet is aligned (step S114). ).

  In the case of a prestack target sheet size (step S111-NO), the presence / absence of mixed loading (step S112), the presence / absence of prestack prohibition (step S113) is determined. If it is prohibited (step S113-YES), alignment processing by the hitting roller 12 is executed in step S114, and there is no size loading (step S112-NO), and if there is no stack prohibition setting (step S113). -NO), alignment processing is performed by hitting the leading edge of the sheet using the leading edge stoppers 512a and 512b (vertical alignment means 2) (step S131).

  When the alignment process using the tapping roller 12 is executed in step S114, it is determined whether or not the received sheet is the final sheet (step S115). In the case of the final sheet, the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b and the jogger fences 53a and 53b are moved. Each is moved to a position set to hold the sheet bundle (steps S116 and S117), and the process proceeds to the binding process. When the alignment operation is performed by the hitting roller 12 or the tip stoppers 512a and 512b, alignment processing by the jogger fences 53a and 53b is also executed in parallel (step S121). The set position differs depending on the push-in amount from the sheet edge, and the push-in amount is set based on any one or more of the number of sheet bundles, sheet size, sheet bundle thickness, and sheet type. . This setting is executed by the CPU 360, and an optimal push amount is obtained in advance for each element according to each model, the value is stored in a storage means (not shown), and is called and used every time the binding process is performed. The

  In the present embodiment, although it is an example for a sheet on which pre-stack prohibition information is obtained as determined in step S101 and determined in step S113, or a sheet that cannot be pre-stacked, press As for the tack sheet process, the alignment process according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 11 is effective as long as the productivity during the binding process can be maintained.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a specific control procedure of step S116 and step S117 for setting the pushing amount when holding the sheet bundle according to the sheet state.

  In the figure, when a user inputs a sheet type, for example, a thick paper sheet or an OHP sheet from an operation panel (not shown) of the image forming apparatus PR (steps S201 and S202), it is determined whether or not the sheet rigidity is equal to or greater than a threshold value ( Step S203). The default sheet type is plain paper, and the processes of steps S201 and S202 are performed only when the sheet type is specified. Next, a threshold set in advance for the input sheet type or the default (plain paper) paper type is compared (step S203), and if the sheet rigidity is equal to or greater than the threshold (step S203—YES), the sheet The size is compared with the threshold (step S204. The sheet size set as the threshold is the letter size (LT). If the sheet size is equal to or larger than the letter size (step S204-YES), the number of sheets to be bound is compared with the threshold. When the number of sheets set as the threshold is 10 and the number of sheets is 10 or more (step S205—YES), the pushing amount of the jogger fences 53a and 53b is set to Y1 mm (step S206). The pushing amount of the tip stoppers 512a and 512b is set to X1 mm (step S207 Pressing the sheet bundle as, executes the binding process operation (step S208).

  On the other hand, if the sheet stiffness is less than the threshold value in step S203, if the sheet size is less than the letter size in step S204, or if the number of sheets to be bound is less than 10 mm in step S205, the pushing amount of the jogger fences 53a and 53b is set to Y2 mm. (Step S217), the pushing amount of the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b is set to X2 mm (Step S216), the sheet bundle is pressed, and the binding processing operation is executed (Step S208).

  The pushing amounts X1, X2, Y1, and Y2 mm are values that are set as appropriate. In this embodiment, as described above, X1 is 3 mm, X2 is 0 mm, Y1 is 2 mm, and Y2 is 0 mm. Is set. Note that the pushing amount of Y1 is the pushing amount with respect to the sheet bundle, and the jogger fences 53a and 53b are also received on both sides, so that they are pushed toward the center by 1 mm from one side of the sheet.

As described above, according to the present embodiment,
1) The vertical sheet state of the sheet bundle including the sheets having different sheet lengths aligned in the end surface binding processing tray F can be stabilized by the front end stoppers 512a and 512b. It is possible to reduce vertical binding alignment failure and sheet binding omission.
2) Since the jogger fences 53a and 53b can be used in addition to the leading end stoppers 512a and 512b to stabilize the sheet state in the vertical and horizontal directions of the sheet bundle, It is possible to reduce lateral binding alignment defects.
3) The optimum push-in amount can be set according to the state of the sheet bundle such as the number of sheet bundles, the sheet size, the bundle thickness, and the sheet characteristics, and the sheet bundle can be processed properly in a stable state.
4) Because of the effects as described above, in a sheet processing apparatus equipped with an end-face-bound sheet bundle conveyance mechanism, a sheet bundle having a highly reliable and simple configuration with respect to a sheet bundle including sheets having different sheet lengths. Binding alignment accuracy can be improved.
5) At that time, the tip stoppers 512a and 512b and the jogger fences 53a and 53b which are conventionally provided can be used, and the above-described effects can be obtained by the drive control thereof. The apparatus and the image forming system can be provided at a lower cost.
There are effects such as.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to this embodiment, All the technical matters contained in the technical thought described in the claim are object.

  The present invention can be used for a sheet processing apparatus that is used by being connected to a subsequent stage of an image forming apparatus, and a bookbinding apparatus that binds and binds a sheet bundle.

12 Tapping roller 51a, 51b Rear end fence 53a, 53b Jogger fence 360 CPU
512a, 512b Front end stopper F End surface binding processing tray PD Sheet post-processing device PR Image forming device S1 End surface binding stapler

JP 2006-027802 A

Claims (8)

Stacking means for stacking conveyed sheets;
First alignment means that contacts the surface of the sheets stacked on the stacking means, abuts the sheet against the abutting member, and aligns in the sheet conveying direction;
A second aligning unit that abuts against the leading end of the sheet bundle stacked on the stacking unit, abuts the sheet against the butting member, and aligns in the sheet conveying direction;
A binding unit that stacks and aligns the bundle of sheets stacked on the stacking unit;
A sheet processing apparatus comprising:
The sheet-flop Resutakku process is prohibited, the first aligned by alignment means, the hold-down by the tip of the aligned sheet bundle second matching means, to execute the binding process in a state of pressing down,
The sheet pre-stack processing is not prohibited, the second aligned by alignment means, the hold-down by the tip of the aligned sheet bundle second matching means, control to execute the binding process in a state of pressing down sheet processing apparatus characterized by comprising means. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first aligning unit aligns each sheet. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
The sheet processing apparatus, wherein the sheet prohibited from the prestack process is any one of a size mixed sheet, a folded sheet, and a non-prestack process target setting sheet . The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 ,
A third aligning unit that abuts on an end parallel to the sheet conveying direction of the sheets stacked on the stacking unit and aligns in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction;
After the third aligning unit performs the aligning process on the sheets discharged to the stacking unit and aligns the predetermined number of discharged sheets, the control unit includes the first aligning unit. 3. A sheet processing apparatus , wherein both ends of the sheet bundle are held by the aligning unit 3 and the binding process is executed in the held state . An image forming apparatus comprising the sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 . An image forming apparatus for forming a visible image on a sheet;
The sheet processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is disposed downstream of the image forming apparatus .
An image forming system comprising: Stacking means for stacking conveyed sheets;
First alignment means that contacts the surface of the sheets stacked on the stacking means, abuts the sheet against the abutting member, and aligns in the sheet conveying direction;
A second aligning unit that abuts against the leading end of the sheet bundle stacked on the stacking unit, abuts the sheet against the butting member, and aligns in the sheet conveying direction;
A binding unit that stacks and aligns the bundle of sheets stacked on the stacking unit;
A sheet processing control method for aligning and binding sheets on the stacking means,
For sheets for which pre-stack processing is prohibited, alignment is performed by the first alignment unit, the leading end of the aligned sheet bundle is pressed by the second alignment unit, and the binding processing is executed in the pressed state.
Sheets for which pre-stack processing is not prohibited are aligned by the second aligning means, the leading end of the aligned sheet bundle is pressed by the second aligning means, and the binding process is executed in the pressed state. A sheet processing control method . Stacking means for stacking conveyed sheets;
First alignment means that contacts the surface of the sheets stacked on the stacking means, abuts the sheet against the abutting member, and aligns in the sheet conveying direction;
A second aligning unit that abuts against the leading end of the sheet bundle stacked on the stacking unit, abuts the sheet against the butting member, and aligns in the sheet conveying direction;
A binding unit that stacks and aligns the bundle of sheets stacked on the stacking unit;
A sheet processing control program for causing a computer to execute sheet binding control for aligning and binding sheets on the stacking means,
For a sheet for which pre-stack processing is prohibited, the first alignment unit aligns the sheet bundle, the leading end of the aligned sheet bundle is pressed by the second alignment unit, and the binding process is executed in the pressed state. ,
Procedures for aligning sheets that are not prohibited from prestack processing by the second aligning unit, pressing the aligned sheet bundle by the second aligning unit, and executing the binding process in the pressed state When,
Sheet processing control program comprising the.

Images