JP5954023B2 - Paper discharge device and image forming unit - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper discharge device and an image forming unit.

  Conventionally, various image forming apparatuses using an electrophotographic system have been devised as image forming apparatuses such as copying machines, facsimiles, and printers, and are well known in the art. In the image forming process, an electrostatic latent image is formed on the surface of the photosensitive drum as an image carrier, and the electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum is developed with a toner as a developer to be visualized and developed. The image is formed by a process in which the transferred image is transferred to a recording medium (also referred to as paper, recording paper, or recording material) by a transfer device to carry the image, and the toner image on the recording paper is fixed by a fixing device using pressure, heat, or the like. Yes.

  In addition, using an apparatus including a recording head composed of a liquid discharge head, an ink as a liquid is attached to the recording medium while conveying the recording medium, and image formation (recording, printing, printing, printing is also synonymous) A so-called inkjet image forming apparatus is also known.

  Further, printing according to the plate-making image is performed by winding a stencil sheet that has been perforated on the outer peripheral surface of the plate cylinder, and transferring the ink supplied from the inside of the plate cylinder to the recording medium via the perforation part of the stencil sheet. A stencil printing type image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording medium is also known.

  An image forming unit including an image forming apparatus of the above-described electrophotographic method, wherein a recording medium on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus is transported to a post-processing device (paper discharge device), and sort processing is performed in the post-processing device. In general, punching processing, stapling processing, and the like are also performed.

  Furthermore, it is known that a purge unit device (purge device) is used as a paper discharge option device (paper discharge device) in the conveyance path between the image forming device and the post-processing device of such an image forming unit. In the purge unit device, a recording medium in which image formation has not been completed normally for some reason (printing conditions) such as a difference in recording medium size or a conveyance error in the image forming apparatus is conveyed and stored.

  That is, when a recording medium that cannot be printed due to the printing conditions of the image forming apparatus is stopped inside the image forming apparatus, it is necessary to take out the recording medium from the inside of the image forming apparatus after the conveyance stops. It is not easy to take out because of its complicated structure. Therefore, by using the above-described purge unit device, it is possible to easily take out a recording medium that has not been able to form an image normally by sending it to a separate purge unit device without stopping it inside the image forming device. It is what I did.

  As such a technique, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses an image forming apparatus including an interleaf feeding device provided between a main body apparatus (image forming apparatus) and a post-processing apparatus. The structure provided with the storage container which stores some paper to be paper-sheeted is disclosed.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-259542 discloses an intermediate tray that temporarily stores paper discharged from an electrophotographic image forming unit, and an image that is printed by supplying the paper temporarily stored in the intermediate tray to an image forming unit that uses an inkjet method. A forming apparatus is disclosed. In this image forming apparatus, a group of originals in which black and white originals and color originals are mixed is quickly performed by two image forming units.

  However, since the conventional purge unit device described in Patent Document 1 has only a function as a paper discharge option device that stocks paper that could not be printed, for example, paper that could not be printed. When there is no paper, etc., it is not used, and the paper discharge option device has a low usage rate.

  Further, the technique described in Patent Document 2 executes printing similar to that performed by an ink jet type single image forming apparatus even in an ink jet type second image forming unit. As described above, in order to print the paper discharged by the image forming apparatus one by one using the ink jet apparatus according to the printing conditions, an ink jet apparatus capable of printing according to the paper conveyance speed discharged by the image forming apparatus is used. It becomes necessary. For example, a line head type ink jet apparatus is required, which increases costs and requires a cleaning mechanism and the like. Therefore, there is a problem that the apparatus becomes complicated and it is difficult to reduce the size of the apparatus.

  On the other hand, for example, a recording medium that does not meet the printing conditions stored in the purge unit device is not simply stored, but a predetermined specific printing (color mark such as a company emblem) is performed at high speed on the purge unit device side. If you can keep running, it will be very effective. However, there has been no conventional technique for increasing the usage rate of the purge unit device and effectively using it.

  Therefore, the present invention enables low-cost and high-speed second image formation by enabling predetermined specific printing at high speed with a simple configuration on a recording medium stored on the paper discharge device (purge unit device) side. It is an object of the present invention to provide a paper discharge device capable of realizing the means and increasing the usage rate of the paper discharge device and an image forming unit including the paper discharge device.

  In order to achieve such an object, a paper discharge device according to the present invention is a paper discharge device that stores at least a part of a recording medium discharged from an image forming apparatus, and includes a conveying unit that conveys the recording medium, A recording medium holding unit for holding a recording medium conveyed from the conveying unit, and a part of each recording medium in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium when the recording medium is conveyed to the recording medium holding unit A recording medium shifting and conveying means that conveys the recording medium in a shifted manner, and an inkjet head that operates in a direction perpendicular to the recording medium conveyance direction to perform image formation on the recording medium. An image having a predetermined content is formed on a non-overlapping portion of each recording medium held in a state where a part of the recording medium holding unit is non-superimposed in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the recording medium.

  According to the present invention, a low-cost and high-speed second image forming unit can be realized, and the usage rate of the paper discharge device can be increased.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating an entire image forming unit. It is a schematic block diagram of a purge unit apparatus. It is a schematic block diagram of a purge unit device, and is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a stop positioning means is in an open state. It is explanatory drawing of a recording medium shift conveyance means. It is a side view of a printed matter storage conveyance roller and a head moving device. It is a front view from the conveyance direction of a printed matter storage conveyance roller and a head moving device. It is a top view of an inkjet head and printed matter storage conveyance roller.

  Hereinafter, a configuration according to the present invention will be described in detail based on the embodiment shown in FIGS.

  The paper discharge device (purge unit device 30) according to the present embodiment is a paper discharge device that stores at least a part of the recording medium (paper P) discharged from the image forming device (image forming device 10). Conveying means for conveying the recording medium (purge conveying roller 31 or the like), recording medium holding means for holding the recording medium conveyed from the conveying means (printed material storing and conveying unit 38), and recording to the recording medium holding means When transporting to the medium, the recording medium shifting transport means (printed material storage transport roller 37) for transporting each recording medium by shifting the recording medium in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the recording medium so as to be partially non-overlapping, An inkjet head (inkjet head 40) that operates in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction to form an image on the recording medium, and the inkjet head records on the recording medium holding means. The non-overlapping portion of the recording medium a part of which is held in a state of a non-overlapping in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the body and an image is formed of a predetermined content. In addition, the code | symbol in embodiment and the example of application are shown in a parenthesis.

(Image forming unit)
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an image forming unit according to the present embodiment. The image forming unit 100 is provided on the downstream side of the image forming apparatus 10 that forms a predetermined image on the paper P and a paper discharge port (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 10, and is predetermined on the paper P on which image formation has been performed. A post-processing device 20 that performs post-processing is provided.

  The image forming apparatus 10 in the image forming unit 100 is not particularly limited, and may be any known or new image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic system, a stencil printing system, and an ink jet system, and may be a monochrome (single color) system or color. Any of the methods may be used. In the following description, a monochrome electrophotographic image forming apparatus will be described as an example. Further, it is possible to set a print execution command, print conditions, and the like from the operation unit (operation panel) 11 of the image forming apparatus 10.

  The post-processing device 20 is not particularly limited, and a known or new configuration device can be used. For example, the paper P on which the image has been formed only needs to have a sorter function, a finisher function, and the like that perform sort processing, punching processing, stapling processing, and the like. After a predetermined process in the post-processing device 20, the paper P is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 21.

  An image forming unit 100 shown in FIG. 1 includes a paper discharge device (hereinafter referred to as a purge unit device) 30 downstream of the discharge port of the image forming apparatus 10 and upstream of the carry-in port of the paper discharge post-processing device 20. I have. The purge unit device 30 is a purge unit device 30 having an inkjet image forming unit as described below.

  The paper P on which image formation has been performed by the image forming apparatus 10 in accordance with the printing conditions is directly guided to the post-processing apparatus 20 via the transport path of the purge unit apparatus 30, and predetermined processing is performed by the post-processing apparatus 20. Is done.

  On the other hand, for the paper P that could not be printed for some reason (difference in printing conditions) such as a difference in paper size, a paper conveyance error, etc., as described below, specific printing is performed in the purge unit device 30 and a printed matter tray. 41 or in the purge tray 36 as it is. The image forming unit 100 is not necessarily provided with the post-processing device 20, and the image forming unit 100 may be configured by the image forming device 10 and the purge unit device 30.

(Paper output device)
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the purge unit device 30 shown in FIG. In the purge unit device 30, a purge conveyance roller 31, a purge switching claw 32, a branch claw 33, a conveyance guide plate 34, and a conveyance roller 35 are arranged substantially horizontally in this order from the upstream side of the conveyance path of the paper P.

  The paper P that has been ejected from the paper discharge port (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 1 and is transported to the post-processing device 20 includes a purge transport roller 31, a purge switching claw 32, a branch claw 33, a purge unit device 30. The paper P is transported in the order of the transport guide plate 34 and the transport roller 35 and is transported to a paper feed port (not shown) of the post-processing device 20.

  On the other hand, the sheet P that has not been printed by the image forming apparatus 1 due to non-conformity of printing conditions and the like and is not subjected to specific printing is guided and stored in the purge tray 36 of the purge unit device 30. This is a function of the conventional purge unit device, and is processing when execution of specific printing is not set. Whether or not to execute specific printing may be set in advance by the user.

  In this case, the purge switch claw 32 is rotated until the paper P is transported by rotating the purged pawl 32 by the rotation mechanism (not shown) of the paper P transported by the purge transport roller 31 and the transport path is switched. The paper P that has been kept operating and whose transport path has been switched by the purge switching claw 32 is transported to the purge tray 36.

  Further, when specific printing is performed by the purge unit device 30, the sheet P conveyed by the purge conveying roller 31 is switched by the branching claw 33 to change the conveying path, and serves as a recording medium holding unit constituted by a conveying belt. The printed matter is conveyed to the storage and conveyance unit 38. At that time, the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37 conveys the paper P while shifting it in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction (paper width direction). The printed matter storage and conveyance roller 37 will be described later.

  The paper P transported to the printed product storage and transport unit 38 comes into contact with the stop positioning means 39 as a paper stopper by the rotation operation of the printed product storage and transport unit 38, so that the paper P stops in a state where the leading ends in the transport direction are aligned. To do. Subsequently, conveyance of a predetermined number of sheets that can be printed at once by the inkjet head 40 is continued.

  At this time, it is preferable to provide the printed matter storage and conveyance unit 38 so as to be inclined so that the leading end side of the paper P is lowered in the vertical direction. Thereby, the front end of the paper P can be easily aligned by the stop positioning means 39. At this time, by controlling the rotational position of the stop positioning means 39, the holding position in the transport direction of the paper P in the printed matter storage and transport section 38 can be displaced.

  In this way, a plurality of paper sheets P are temporarily held in the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38 in a state of being shifted in the width direction. In addition, an ink jet head 40 is provided at a position where an image can be formed by the ink jet method in a state where the paper P is stopped in the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38, and a predetermined number of sheets of paper P that can be printed at once by the ink jet head 40. Is in a state of being held in the printed matter storage and conveyance unit 38, predetermined specific printing is performed on each sheet by the inkjet head 40.

  Here, the specific printing is, for example, a color mark, and specifically includes printing of a company emblem with red ink. Accordingly, the purge unit device 30 can print a predetermined color mark on a plurality of sheets at a time.

  It is also preferable to print the printing information (such as an error code) of the printing paper guided to the purge unit device 30 instead of the color mark. In this way, by printing the print information that has been purged and discharged, when unprintable sheets are taken out from the purge unit device 30, the discharged condition can be known for each sheet, and the image forming apparatus 10 It can be used for repair and maintenance information.

  The inkjet head 40 only needs to be able to print monochrome, full color, or a predetermined color, and may be selected according to the content of specific printing. In addition, the inkjet head 40 may be replaced. In the present embodiment, the inkjet head 40 may have at least a mechanism that can reciprocate in the paper width direction (main scanning direction). By fixing the head in the transport direction, a simple configuration can be achieved, and high-speed printing is possible.

  After specific printing is performed on the paper P conveyed to the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38 by the inkjet head 40, as shown in FIG. 3, the stop positioning means 39 is rotated to bring the stop position into an open state. The printed paper P can be stored in the printed product tray 41. At this time, the printed material storing and conveying unit 38 is rotated in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG.

  After the printed paper P is discharged to the printed product tray 41, the stop positioning means 39 is rotated again to return to the original position, and the paper P conveyed thereafter is held by the printed product storage and transport unit 38. A large amount of printing is possible by continuously printing.

[Recording medium shifting transport means]
Next, the printed matter storage and conveyance roller 37 which is a recording medium shifting and conveying means will be described. When the specific printing is performed by the purge unit device 30, as described above, the paper P transported from the page transport roller 31 is transported by the printed material storage transport roller 37, and the branch claw 33 is rotated by a rotation mechanism (not shown). , The transport path is switched and transported to the printed product storage and transport unit 38. At that time, the printed product storage and transport roller 37 is used to transport the paper P in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (paper width direction). .

  FIG. 4 is a schematic view from the upper surface of the printed matter storage and conveyance roller 37. When the leading end side in the conveyance direction of the paper P is conveyed to the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37, the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37 is moved in the paper width direction in a state where the paper P is sandwiched between the printed material storage and conveyance rollers 37. Since the paper P moves in the paper width direction together with the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37, the paper P is conveyed in a state shifted to the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38, and the front end portion in the conveyance direction is aligned by the stop positioning unit 39, and the paper P stops. . Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4, a part of the paper P is stored in a non-overlapping state.

  FIG. 5 shows a side view of the printed matter storage and conveyance roller 37 and the head moving device 42 as a driving means thereof. FIG. 6 is a front view of the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37 and the head moving device 42 from the conveyance direction.

  The operation of the head moving device 42 will be described with reference to FIGS. As described above, when the leading end side in the conveyance direction of the paper P is conveyed to the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37 and the paper P is sandwiched between the printed material storage and conveyance rollers 37, the printed material storage and movement motor 43 of the head moving device 42 is moved. By rotating, the head moving pinion 44 provided on the shaft of the printed material storing and moving motor 43 rotates, and by moving the head moving rack 45, the printed material storing and conveying roller 37 can be moved in the paper width direction. Further, by rotating the printed matter storage and conveyance roller driving motor 46, the printed matter storage and conveyance roller 37 rotates and the sheet P can be conveyed.

  The configuration of the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37 and the head driving device 42 has been described as an example of the recording medium shifting and conveying unit. However, the recording medium shifting and conveying unit is not limited to this, and the paper P is stored when being stored in the printed material storage and conveying unit 38. As long as a part thereof can be non-superimposed.

[Inkjet head]
FIG. 7 is a top view of the inkjet head 40 and the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37. As shown in FIG. 7, the color mark 47, which is a specific print, is printed by the inkjet head 40 on the paper P that is sequentially shifted from the back side (upper side in the drawing) of the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38 by the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37. Printing is done.

  The amount of movement for shifting the paper P is determined based on the printing position of the color mark 47. Here, the color mark horizontal printing interval 48 (that is, the shift amount) is calculated by a control unit (arithmetic device substrate) (not shown) and corresponds to a time calculated by the printed matter storage movement motor 43 of the head moving device 42. By rotating the printed matter storing and moving motor 43, the printed matter storing and conveying roller 37 can shift the paper P.

  Further, the paper P is shifted and conveyed sequentially from the back side of the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38 using the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37, but the number of sheets printed on the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38 at a time is equal to the paper size of the paper P. The sheet P is held by being shifted by the calculated amount calculated by the control means (not shown) according to the printing position of the data and the color mark.

  After the paper P is shifted and conveyed by the number of sheets to be printed at a time to the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38, the color mark is placed at a predetermined position of the paper P, which is partially non-overlapped, by scanning the inkjet head 41. It is possible to print color marks at once from 47 write-out horizontal positions 50.

  Here, the inkjet head 40 only needs to have at least a mechanism capable of reciprocating in the paper width direction (main scanning direction). In the present embodiment, the ink jet head 40 is held by a guide lot 51 horizontally mounted on a side plate (not shown), and is moved and scanned in the main scanning direction by a main scanning motor (not shown).

  In addition, the writing mark vertical position 49 of the color mark 47 may be adjusted by the rotation position (opening amount) of the stop positioning means 39 in the transport direction to displace the holding position of the paper P. Needless to say, the inkjet head 40 may be driven in the transport direction.

  Further, by rotating the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38 in accordance with the movement of the inkjet head 40, the paper P held by the printed material storage and conveyance unit 38 can be conveyed, and the main scanning and the printed material by the inkjet head 40 can be performed. The printing range of the inkjet head 40 can be expanded by conveying (sub-scanning) the paper P by the storage and conveyance unit 38. According to this configuration, a lot of printing is possible in the transport direction of the paper P. Therefore, it is also suitable for printing specific information (such as an error code) other than the color mark.

  As described above, the purge unit device according to the present embodiment shifts the sheets discharged by the image forming apparatus to a plurality of sheets after shifting each sheet by a predetermined amount calculated in advance according to the printing conditions for specific printing. Can be once stacked on the storage section, and then specific printing such as color marks can be printed on a plurality of sheets of paper at the same time by scanning once or a plurality of times. Therefore, it is possible to realize image formation by the second image forming means (inkjet head) at a lower cost and at a higher speed than printing using an expensive line head type inkjet head or the like for each sheet. In addition, the purge unit apparatus can be provided with an image forming function that is not conventionally provided, and the usage rate of the purge unit apparatus can be increased.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the recording medium shifting conveyance unit is configured by the printed material storage and conveyance roller 37 and each sheet is shifted in the width direction of the sheet P has been described. However, the printed material storage is not performed without shifting the sheet in the width direction. The conveyance unit 38 may be configured to hold the sheet P in the conveyance direction by rotating the shift amount calculated according to the printing content by the control unit for each conveyance of the sheet. In this case, the printed material storing and conveying unit 38 is provided substantially horizontally and has a function as a recording medium shifting and conveying unit. Further, in this configuration, the inkjet head 40 is configured to be capable of reciprocating in the paper transport direction, so that the paper P stacked with a predetermined amount of shift can be printed on the paper under predetermined printing conditions, as in the above embodiment. Printing can be simultaneously performed using the ink jet head 40 having a simple configuration capable of reciprocating only in the transport direction.

  The above-described embodiment is a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image forming apparatus 11 Operation panel 20 Post-processing apparatus 21 Paper discharge stand 30 Purge unit apparatus (paper discharge apparatus)
31 Purge transport roller 32 Purge switching claw 33 Branch claw 34 Transport guide plate 35 Transport roller 36 Purge tray 37 Print product storage transport roller 38 Print product storage transport unit 39 Stop positioning means 40 Inkjet head 41 Print product tray 42 Head moving device 43 Print product storage movement Motor 44 Head moving pinion 45 Head moving rack 46 Printed product storing and conveying roller driving motor 47 Color mark 48 Color mark horizontal printing interval 49 Writing vertical position 50 Writing horizontal position 51 Guide lot 100 Image forming unit P Paper (recording medium)

JP 2008-74553 A JP-A-10-820

Claims (10)

A paper discharge device for storing at least a part of a recording medium discharged from an image forming apparatus,
Conveying means for conveying the recording medium;
Recording medium holding means for holding the recording medium conveyed from the conveying means;
A recording medium shifting and conveying means for conveying each recording medium so as to be partially non-overlapping in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the recording medium when conveying the recording medium to the recording medium holding means;
An inkjet head that operates in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the recording medium and forms an image on the recording medium;
The inkjet head performs image formation of a predetermined content on a non-overlapping portion of each recording medium held in a state in which the ink-jet head is partially non-superimposed in a direction orthogonal to the recording medium conveyance direction. A paper discharge device.   The recording medium shifting and conveying means is provided in the middle of the conveying means, sandwiches the upstream side of the recording medium in the conveying direction, and shifts the recording medium by a predetermined amount in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction to continue conveying. The paper discharge device according to claim 1, comprising:   2. A control unit that controls the recording medium shifting and conveying unit by calculating a shift amount of the recording medium by the recording medium shifting and conveying unit based on the image formation content of the inkjet head. Or the paper discharge apparatus of 2. The recording medium holding means is provided with a stop positioning means for positioning the leading end side of the recording medium in the conveying direction on the lower side of the recording medium holding means, with the leading end side in the conveying direction of the recording medium inclined downward in the vertical direction. And
4. The stop positioning unit is configured to be rotatable in a conveyance direction, and releases a holding state of a recording medium held by the recording medium holding unit and discharges it to a tray. The paper discharge device according to any one of the above.   5. The paper discharge apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the stop positioning unit displaces a holding position in the conveyance direction of the recording medium by the recording medium holding unit by controlling a rotation amount in the conveyance direction.   The recording medium holding unit is a conveyance belt that rotates by placing a recording medium, and rotates when the image is formed by the inkjet head, and displaces the position in the conveyance direction of the recording medium. The paper discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The paper discharge device guides a recording medium when a predetermined printing condition is not satisfied in the image forming apparatus,
The paper discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the ink jet head prints a color mark or a condition guided by the paper discharge device on a non-overlapping portion of each recording medium. The paper discharge device guides a recording medium when a predetermined printing condition is not satisfied in the image forming apparatus,
8. The paper discharge device according to claim 1, further comprising a tray for storing a recording medium on which image formation by the ink jet head is not performed.   9. An image forming unit comprising the paper discharge device according to claim 1 and the image forming device.   A post-processing device that performs predetermined post-processing on a recording medium that is not stored in the paper discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 among the recording media discharged from the image forming apparatus. Image forming unit.

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