JP6003344B2 - Paper processing apparatus and paper processing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper processing apparatus and a paper processing method for forming a crease on a paper on which an image is formed.

  By connecting various paper processing apparatuses in the image forming apparatus, various bookbinding processes can be performed and used as a printing apparatus.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 21, a sheet bundle is formed by forming a central fold (a1) of the sheet and the sheet is folded in half, and then stapling (ST in FIG. 21) is performed on the fold portion of the bundle. Is possible.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 22, the back of the saddle-stitched sheet bundle is pressed with a roller or the like, and the spine cover is formed by folding the corners b1 and b2 to make the backstrip-like state. Processing is possible.

  Note that such saddle stitching processing and square back processing are proposed in the following patent documents.

JP 2009-120398 A JP 2004-196523 A JP2011-116101A

  In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, the center folding of the sheet is folded from both sides by rollers to perform center folding for saddle stitching, but the roller clamping pressure is set according to the presence or absence of square back processing. It is made to change, and it is made to perform a square back process favorably.

  Moreover, the above-mentioned patent document 2 proposes a mechanism that makes a fold stand out.

  And in the above-mentioned patent document 3, the proposal about the control at the time of performing an appropriate square back process according to the paper type is made.

  Since the square back process is executed after the above-described middle folding process and saddle stitching process, as shown in FIG. 23, the middle fold a1 ′ during the saddle stitching process remains on the spine cover portion, and the booklet quality is reduced. Turned out to be lower.

  In this case, instead of the conventional thin knives with a sharp tip, a thick fold knife or a fold knife with no sharp tip is used to make the middle folds on the back cover inconspicuous. It is considered possible.

  However, at the same time, the folds of all the sheets other than the spine cover are weakened, so that it becomes unpreferable as a middle fold. In other words, if an appropriate crease is not provided by the middle fold, the accuracy of the binding position can be maintained by conveying from the folded portion to the overlapping portion or the saddle stitching portion, positioning in the overlapping portion or the saddle stitching portion, or the like. A new problem occurs.

  That is, it has been impossible to achieve both the improvement of the booklet quality by erasing the middle fold of the spine and the appropriate folding of the entire paper other than the spine.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a sheet processing apparatus and a sheet processing method capable of executing an appropriate half-folding process according to an application.

  That is, the present invention for solving the above-described problems is as follows.

  (1) According to the present invention, a folding portion that forms a crease in a sheet by pressing a folding knife against a portion that becomes a fold valley of the sheet and sandwiching a portion that becomes a ridge of the sheet with a plurality of rollers. A position determining unit that positions both ends of the sheet parallel to the fold line in the folding unit, a control unit that controls rotation of the plurality of rollers, movement of the folding knife, and positioning of the position determining unit; A sheet processing apparatus for forming a crease in the sheet, or a sheet processing method in the sheet processing apparatus, wherein the control unit is configured to form the sheet in a state where the fold knife exists in a portion that becomes the valley of the fold. A first folding mode in which the plurality of rollers are rotated and the plurality of rollers are rotated to discharge the paper together with the folding knife. After the plurality of rollers sandwich the sheet in a state where the if exists, both ends of the sheet are positioned and pressed by the position determining unit, and the folding knife sandwiched between the sheets is pulled out without rotating the plurality of rollers. Then, it is possible to switch between two modes of a second folding mode in which the sheet is discharged by rotating the plurality of rollers.

  (2) In the above (1), the control unit has a function of controlling the clamping pressure of the plurality of rollers, and the clamping pressure is maintained at a predetermined first pressure in the second folding mode. In this state, after the plurality of rollers sandwich the sheet in which the folding knife is present in the portion that becomes the fold valley, the both ends of the sheet are positioned and pressed by the position determining unit, and the plurality of rollers are not rotated. The folding knife sandwiched between the sheets in a state is pulled out, and the plurality of rollers are rotated to discharge the sheet while the clamping pressure is changed to a second pressure higher than the first pressure. It is characterized by that.

  (3) In the above (1)-(2), the sheet processing apparatus performs a square back process for flattening a back folding portion of a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets of folds. A processing unit, and the control unit controls to form a crease in the first folding mode for at least the outermost sheet of the sheet bundle when the square back process is performed. It is characterized by.

(4) In the above ( 3 ), the control unit controls to form a crease in the second folding mode for paper other than the paper that is the outermost of the paper bundle. It is characterized by.

  (5) In the above (1) to (4), the position determination unit determines the sheet position from the leading end stopper that determines the leading end position of the sheet on the leading end side in the sheet traveling direction and the trailing end side in the traveling direction of the sheet. And a matching section that is determined and matched.

  (6) In the above (1) to (5), in the second folding mode, the control unit releases the positioning of the paper by the position determining unit after pulling out the folding knife, and The sheet is discharged by rotating a roller.

  According to the present invention, the following effects can be obtained.

  (1) In the paper processing apparatus of the present invention or the paper processing method in the paper processing apparatus, after a plurality of rollers sandwich a paper sheet in which a folding knife exists in a fold valley, the paper is rotated by rotating the plurality of rollers. The first folding mode, which discharges the paper together with the folding knife. After a plurality of rollers sandwich the paper with the folding knife in the fold valley, the both ends of the paper are positioned and pressed by the position determining unit, and the plurality of rollers are rotated. It is possible to switch between two modes: a second folding mode in which the folding knife sandwiched between the sheets is pulled out and the sheets are discharged by rotating a plurality of rollers.

  Therefore, in the first folding mode, the sheet with the folding knife sandwiched is discharged from the plurality of rollers, so the fold is weakened. In the second folding mode, only the sheet without the folding knife sandwiched is ejected from the plurality of rollers, so the folding line is strong. Stick.

  Further, in the second folding mode, the both ends of the paper are positioned and pressed by the position determining unit, and the folding knife is pulled out without rotating the plurality of rollers, so that the paper moves when the folding knife is pulled out. Therefore, the print quality is not deteriorated, and the fold is surely formed thereafter.

  In other words, it is possible to improve the quality of the booklet by erasing the middle crease and to make an appropriate crease, making it possible to execute an appropriate middle folding process according to the application. Become.

  (2) Further, in the above (1), in the second folding mode, a plurality of rollers are used to form a sheet in which a folding knife exists in a portion that becomes a fold valley in a state where the clamping pressure is maintained at a predetermined first pressure. After nipping, both ends of the sheet are positioned and pressed by the position determining unit, the folding knife sandwiched between the sheets is pulled out without rotating the plurality of rollers, and the nipping pressure is changed to the second pressure higher than the first pressure. Since the paper is discharged by rotating the plurality of rollers, only the paper that does not sandwich the folding knife is discharged from the plurality of rollers in the second folding mode, so that the crease is strong. For this reason, it is possible to improve the quality of the booklet by erasing the middle folds and making appropriate creases, and it is possible to execute the appropriate middle folding process according to the application. become.

  (3) In the above (1)-(2), when the square back process is performed, a fold is formed in the first folding mode on at least the outermost sheet of the sheet bundle. As a result, it is possible to improve the quality of the booklet by deleting the middle fold of the back cover during the corner back processing, and it is possible to execute an appropriate half-fold processing according to the application.

(4) In the above ( 3 ), by forming a crease in the second fold mode for the paper other than the paper that is the outermost side of the paper bundle, an appropriate crease for the entire paper other than the back cover is formed. Therefore, it is possible to execute an appropriate folding process according to the application.

  (5) In the above (1) to (4), as the position determination unit, the leading end stopper that determines the leading end position of the sheet on the leading end side in the sheet traveling direction and the sheet position from the trailing end side in the traveling direction of the sheet are determined. Thus, by using the matching unit that matches, it is possible to execute an appropriate folding process according to the application without newly providing a dedicated member.

  (6) In the above (1) to (5), after the folding knife is pulled out in the second folding mode, the positioning of the sheet by the position determining unit is released, and the sheet is discharged by rotating a plurality of rollers. Accordingly, it is possible to execute an appropriate folding process according to the application without newly providing a dedicated member and without changing the conveyance of the sheet after the folding process.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a sheet processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the paper processing apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the paper processing apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a basic operation of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the sheet processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the operation state of the reverse conveying apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of saddle stitching. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of a square back process. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of a square back process.

  DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as embodiments) will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[Configuration of image forming system]
With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the configuration of an image forming system including a sheet processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming system includes an image forming apparatus 100, a reverse conveyance apparatus 200, a paper processing apparatus 300, and a paper processing apparatus 400.

  The image forming apparatus 100 controls each unit in the image forming apparatus 100 and controls the entire system as a sheet processing apparatus, a communication unit 102 for communicating with other connected apparatuses, and an operator An operation display unit 103 for notifying the control unit 101 of an operation input signal corresponding to an operation input by the user and displaying the status of the image forming apparatus 100; storing a control program and various setting data; and using it as a work area for the control program Storage unit 104, sheet feeding unit 105 that feeds the stored paper, transport unit 110 that feeds the fed and image-formed paper at a predetermined speed, and scans the document to generate image data A document reading unit 120 that performs image formation, a storage unit 130 that stores image data and various types of data when forming an image, and various image processes necessary for image formation. The image processing unit 140 to be executed, an image forming unit 150 for performing image formation (printing) on the basis of the image formation instruction and the image data is configured to include a. Note that the paper on which the image is formed by the image forming apparatus 100 is carried out toward the reverse conveyance apparatus 200 at the subsequent stage.

  The reverse conveying apparatus 200 is connected to the subsequent stage of the image forming apparatus 100, and includes a control unit 201 that controls each unit in the reverse conveying apparatus 200 and a communication unit 202 for communicating with the image forming apparatus 100 and the sheet processing apparatus 300. A storage unit 204 that stores the control program and various setting data and is used as a work area for the control program, a conveyance unit 210 that conveys the sheet at a predetermined speed, and an inversion unit that inverts the sheet from the image forming apparatus 100 220 and an aligning unit 230 that aligns the reversed paper.

  The sheet processing apparatus 300 is connected to the subsequent stage of the reverse conveying apparatus 200, and includes a control unit 301 that controls each unit in the sheet processing apparatus 300 and a communication unit 302 that communicates with the image forming apparatus 100 and the reverse conveying apparatus 200. A storage unit 304 that stores a control program and various setting data and is used as a work area of the control program, a discharge path selection unit 305 that selects a discharge path for discharging a post-processed sheet bundle, and a predetermined sheet. Folded by the conveyance unit 310 that conveys at a speed, the folding unit 320 that folds the sheet in half or in three, the overlapping unit 330 that stacks the sheets for post-processing to form a bundle of sheets, and the folding unit 320 Square-back processing for performing a square-back process for flattening a saddle-stitched portion 340 for performing saddle-stitching as a post-processing on a sheet and a back-folded portion of a sheet bundle on which a folding line for saddle-stitching is formed 350, and includes a cutting unit 360 for cutting the fore edge portion of the saddle-stitched sheet bundle, a discharge unit 390 for discharging the saddle-stitching or the middle-folded sheet bundle, a.

  The sheet processing apparatus 400 is connected to the subsequent stage of the sheet processing apparatus 300, and includes a control unit 401 that controls each unit in the sheet processing apparatus 400 and a communication unit 402 that communicates with the image forming apparatus 100 and the sheet processing apparatus 300. A storage unit 404 that stores a control program and various setting data and is used as a work area of the control program, a discharge path selection unit 405 that selects a discharge path for discharging a post-processed sheet bundle, and a predetermined sheet. A transport unit 410 that transports at a speed, a staple unit 420 that staples a bundle of sheets, a main tray discharge unit 440 that discharges sheets with the main tray as a discharge destination, and a sub-tray discharge unit 450 that discharges sheets with the sub-tray as a discharge destination And comprising.

  In the paper processing device 300, when the paper transported from the image forming apparatus 100 in the X direction in FIG. 2 is post-processed by the paper processing device 400, the paper processing device 300 performs the post-processing while transporting the paper as it is. To discharge.

  On the other hand, when the post-processing is executed in the sheet processing apparatus 300, as shown in FIG. 2, the folding unit 320 performs the middle folding with the Y direction as a ridgeline and conveys the Y direction, while superimposing the unit 330 and the saddle stitching unit 340. In addition, the saddle stitching is performed while being overlapped with each other, and further, the spine back processing unit 350 performs the square back processing to flatten the back cover portion with the roller 350R by the square back processing unit 350, thereby performing the post-processing execution efficiency. As a result, the productivity of the image forming system can be increased. Then, as shown in FIG. 3, the sheet bundle subjected to the square back processing is transported in the −X direction and the cutting portion 360 fore edge is cut, and then transported in the Z direction, so that the discharge roller 390r and the discharge belt It is discharged in the X direction by 390b.

  In addition, the connection of the image forming apparatus 100, the reverse conveying apparatus 200, the paper processing apparatus 300, and the paper processing apparatus 400 in FIGS. 1 to 3 is an example of an image forming system, and is not limited to such a connection. Absent.

[Folder configuration]
Here, the configuration of the folding unit 320 in which the control of the two folding modes of the first folding mode and the second folding mode is executed will be described with reference to FIG.

  4A and 4B show the basic configuration of the folding unit 320 in the sheet processing apparatus 300 in FIG. 4A as a planar configuration on the XY plane, and FIG. 4B shows the end configuration on the XZ plane.

  Here, the paper P conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 or the reverse conveying apparatus 200 to the folding unit 320 is conveyed at a predetermined speed in the X direction through the folding unit 320 by a conveyance roller (not shown).

  The folding unit 320 includes a conveyance guide plate 3201 on which the paper P is placed at a predetermined position when the folding is performed, a position determination unit 3210 that positions the leading end of the paper P parallel to the fold, and a parallel to the fold on the paper P. A position determination unit 3220 for positioning the rear end, a folding knife 3250 that is driven by a folding knife driving unit (not shown) and used to form a paper fold, and the folding knife 3250 and the paper P are sandwiched to hold the fold line. And folding rollers 3241 and 3242 to be formed.

  The conveyance guide plate 3201 includes a hole 3201h0 through which the folding knife 3250 passes, a cutout 3201h1 through which the tip stopper 3211 moves, and a cutout 3201h2 through which the alignment unit 3221 moves.

  The position determination unit 3210 is driven by the position determination drive unit 3212 to determine the front end position of the paper P, and controls to determine the front end position of the paper P by driving the front end stopper 3211 with a belt-like driving member. And a position determination drive unit 3212 for performing. The position determination unit 3220 is driven by the position determination drive unit 3222 to determine the rear end position of the paper P and aligns it, and the alignment unit 3221 is driven by a belt-like driving member to drive the rear end position of the paper P. And a position determination drive unit 3222 for performing control for determining and matching. Here, FIG. 4 shows a state in which the leading end stopper 3211 and the aligning portion 3221 are in the retracted positions that do not affect the sheet passing, and are positioned at the leading edge and the trailing edge of the sheet, respectively, when determining the position. Driven.

  Note that the notch 3201h1 and the notch 3201h2 can be positioned and pressed by the leading edge stopper 3211 and the alignment part 3221 so that the positions of both ends of the sheet when the sheet is sandwiched between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 can be positioned. In addition, the tip stopper 3211 and the alignment portion 3221 are configured to be movable.

  In these configurations, since a motor, an actuator, and the like serving as a drive source are known members, their presence and description are omitted.

  Further, in the above configuration, the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 are provided with a clamping pressure application unit (not shown) that makes the clamping pressure for the paper variable when the paper is sandwiched and conveyed in the middle.

  Further, in this embodiment, the folding knife 3250 is thicker than the conventional folding knife and is configured not to have a sharp tip so that the fold mark is not conspicuous in the middle folding of the spine cover. .

〔basic action〕
Hereinafter, the basic operation of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts in FIG. Here, a paper processing apparatus 300 in the image forming system in the connected state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is taken as a specific example.

  When image formation is started, the control unit 301 of the sheet processing apparatus 300 requests the control unit 101 for information (post-processing mode information) related to the processing mode for post-processing (step S11 in FIG. 5). .

  Here, the sheet processing apparatus 300 requests post-processing mode information regarding the folding type (half-fold / three-fold), the presence / absence of saddle stitching, and the presence / absence of the corner back processing. In this embodiment, in addition to the post-processing mode information described above, the paper processing apparatus 300 requests information on whether or not the paper to be processed is a cover page.

  In response to the request for post-processing mode information from the control unit 301 described above, the control unit 101 notifies the control unit 301 of post-processing mode information related to the paper processing apparatus 300 from the job information. Note that settings relating to post-processing are made on the operation display unit 103 of the image forming apparatus 100 before the start of image formation or on the operation screen of an external PC (not shown). Therefore, the control unit 101 extracts necessary information based on such settings relating to post-processing, and notifies the control unit 301 of post-processing mode information.

  The control unit 301 that has received the post-processing mode information from the control unit 101 determines a folding type such as whether the folding type of the sheet processing for the image formation to be executed is “tri-fold” or “half-fold” (FIG. 5 in step S12).

  Here, if the folding type for the sheet processing to be executed is “tri-fold” (“tri-fold” in step S12 in FIG. 5), the control unit 301 instructs the folding unit 320 to perform tri-fold, The unit 320 executes tri-fold control to fold the paper in three (step S17 in FIG. 5). Note that the three-fold control is a known control in which the folding unit 320 folds the paper in a folding manner such as winding three-fold, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  On the other hand, if the folding type for the sheet processing to be executed is “middle folding” (“middle folding” in step S12 in FIG. 5), the control unit 301 determines whether square corner processing is selected (FIG. 5). 5 in step S13).

  Here, if it is half-folded and there is no square back processing (NO in step S13 in FIG. 5), the control unit 301 instructs the folding unit 320 to perform the second folding mode control as normal middle-folding control. The folding unit 320 executes normal middle folding control to fold the paper in half (step S15 in FIG. 5).

  If the sheet processing to be executed is half-folded and there is a corner processing (YES in step S13 in FIG. 5), the control unit 301 determines whether or not the page to be processed is a cover page. Is determined (step S14 in FIG. 5).

  If the sheet is folded in the middle, the square back process is performed, and the sheet is not a cover (NO in step S14 in FIG. 5), the control unit 301 performs the second folding as the normal folding control for the folding unit 320. An instruction for mode control is given, and the folding unit 320 executes normal half-folding control to fold the sheet in half (step S15 in FIG. 5).

  On the other hand, if it is half-folded, square-back processing is performed, and the sheet is a cover (YES in step S14 in FIG. 5), the control unit 301 sets the cover-folding control as the cover-folding control. An instruction for one-fold mode control is given, and the folding unit 320 executes half-folding control suitable for the cover sheet to fold the sheet into two (step S16 in FIG. 5).

  Here, the normal half-fold control is a half-fold control for creating a normal crease in which a fold mark remains in a streak shape, as will be described later. Further, the cover half-folding control is a process for making the folds of the middle fold weaker and less conspicuous than the normal half-folding control, as will be described later.

  Here, it is determined whether or not the cover is a cover, but it may be determined that the cover is one or two sheets close to the cover and the cover, or other sheets. This is because, in the case of thick paper, the case of the middle folding as shown in FIG. In this case, according to the sheet thickness, the first folding mode control may be performed only for the cover when the sheet is thin, or for the cover plus several sheets when the sheet is thick.

[First folding mode control]
Hereinafter, the first folding mode control as the normal folding control will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  Here, the first folding mode control refers to a normal folding knife that is thicker than the conventional folding knife and has a sharp tip when the square back process is performed on the cover sheet of the sheet bundle. This is a control of the process for making the fold of the middle fold weaker and less conspicuous than the middle fold control.

  First, at the start of normal half-fold control, the sheet conveyed in the X direction from the image forming apparatus 100 stops in a state where the leading end position is regulated by the leading end stopper 3211 and is aligned from the trailing end by the aligning unit 3221. Then, it stops at a predetermined position (see FIG. 7). At this timing, the folding knife 3250 is waiting at the standby position.

  In the state of FIG. 7, the control unit 301 controls the clamping pressure between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 to a low pressure (step S101 in FIG. 6), and applies the folding knife 3250 to the portion that becomes the valley of the sheet fold. Then, control is performed so that the sheet and the folding knife 3250 are inserted between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 (step S102 in FIG. 6). As a result, the sheet and the folding knife 3250 are integrated and sandwiched between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242. At this time, the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 in a rotatable state rotate in the normal rotation direction (the direction in which the paper is inserted) by inserting the paper and the folding knife between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242. (See FIG. 8).

  After the control unit 301 recognizes that the driving of the folding knife 3250 has been performed for a certain period of time or until the position detected by the sensor (YES in step S103 in FIG. 6, FIG. 9), the control unit 301 performs the operation of the folding roller. 3241 and 3242 are driven in the reverse direction (direction in which the paper is discharged to the original position), and the folding knife 3250 is driven in the direction to return to the standby position (step S104 in FIG. 6). Are controlled to be discharged from between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 (step S105 in FIG. 6, FIG. 10).

  It is detected that the paper and the folding knife 3250 are completely discharged from between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 (YES in step S106 in FIG. 6), and each step to be executed in the control of the first folding mode is as follows. When the completion is detected (YES in step S107 in FIG. 6), the control unit 301 stops the rotational driving of the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 (step S108 and FIG. 11 in FIG. 6).

  Thereafter, under the control of the control unit 301, the sheets are conveyed and overlapped in the Y direction, and after all the sheets of the booklet have been prepared, saddle stitching, corner back processing, cutting processing, discharge processing, etc. are executed. Is done.

  In the first folding mode, the sheet having the folding knife 3250 having a thickness larger than that of the conventional folding knife and having the tip not sharpened is ejected from the plurality of rollers, so that the leading end of the folding knife 3250 is used as the folding line of the sheet. A crease with a rounded cross section is weakly attached to the shape. In other words, it is possible to improve the quality of the booklet by removing the middle crease during the corner back processing.

[Second folding mode control]
Hereinafter, the second folding mode control as the normal middle folding control will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  Here, the second folding mode control means that the conventional thin knives have a sharp tip even when using a fold that can be weakened by a fold knife that is thicker than the conventional knives and has a sharp tip. This is the control of the process for forming a sharp crease similar to that when using a folding knife.

  In the state explanatory diagrams of FIGS. 13 to 19, for the sake of clarity, only one sheet is shown, but actually, a plurality of sheets can be processed simultaneously.

  First, at the start of normal middle folding control, in FIG. 13, the leading end stopper 3211 is driven from the retracted position (broken line) to the paper leading end position (solid line). Here, the sheet conveyed in the X direction from the image forming apparatus 100 stops in a state where the leading end position is regulated by the leading end stopper 3211 and is also aligned from the trailing end by the aligning unit 3221 and stops at a predetermined position. (See FIG. 13). In this state, the control unit 301 controls the clamping pressure between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 to a low pressure (step S201 in FIG. 12). In this state, the folding knife 3250 is waiting at the standby position.

  Then, as illustrated in FIG. 14, the control unit 301 controls the sheet knife and the folding knife 3250 to be inserted between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 by applying a folding knife 3250 to a portion that is a valley of the sheet fold. Along with step S202 in FIG. 12, the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 are controlled to rotate in the forward rotation direction (the direction in which the paper is inserted) (step S203 in FIG. 12). As a result, the sheet and the folding knife 3250 are integrated and sandwiched between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242.

  After the control unit 301 recognizes that the driving of the folding knife 3250 has been performed for a certain time or a position detected by the sensor (YES in step S204 in FIG. 12), as shown in FIG. 15, the folding roller 3241 , 3242 are positioned and pressed by the leading edge stopper 3211 and the aligning portion 3221 (step S205 in FIG. 12). At this time, the leading end stopper 3211 and the aligning portion 3221 may move to positions calculated from the paper size and the moving amount of the folding knife 3250, or the edge position of the paper detected by a sensor (not shown). You may move on.

  Then, the control unit 301 stops the rotation of the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 and fixes the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 to a stopped state (step S206 in FIG. 12).

  Then, when the completion of the control for fixing the folding state of the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 is detected (YES in step S207 in FIG. 12), the control unit 301 keeps the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 in the fixed state, and the folding knife 3250. Is driven to return to the standby position, and control is performed so that only the folding knife 3250 is pulled out from between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 separately from the paper (step S208 in FIG. 12, FIG. 16).

  In this state, the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 in a fixed state press the paper with a weak clamping pressure, and the toner image is not disturbed (scratched) by the friction between the folding knife 3250 and the paper, and the folding knife Only 3250 is withdrawn.

  In addition, since the positions of both ends of the sheet sandwiched between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 are positioned and pressed by the leading end stopper 3211 and the alignment unit 3221, the sheet does not move when the folding knife 3250 is pulled out. .

  In addition, if there is no positioning by the front-end | tip stopper 3211 and the alignment part 3221, when extracting the folding knife 3250, a sheet | seat will move and it is not desirable. Further, if the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 are set to have a strong clamping pressure so that the paper does not move in a state where the positioning is not performed, the toner image may be disturbed (scratched) due to friction between the paper and the folding knife 3250. is there. Similarly, even if the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 are rotated in the clear sky direction so that the paper does not move without positioning, there is friction between the paper and the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 and between the paper and the folding knife 3250. The toner image may be disturbed (scratched) by the toner. However, in this embodiment, there is no possibility that such a problem will occur.

  When the completion of pulling out of the folding knife 3250 is detected by a sensor or the like (not shown) (YES in step S209 in FIG. 12), the control unit 301 controls the clamping pressure between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 to be a high pressure (FIG. 12 (step S210 in FIG. 12, FIG. 17), the distal end stopper 3211 and the alignment portion 3221 are returned to the retracted position (step S211 in FIG. 12, FIG. 18).

  Further, the control unit 301 drives the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 in the reverse direction (the direction in which the nipped paper is discharged to the original position) (step S212 in FIG. 6). At this time, the folding knife 3250 is not sandwiched between the sheets, and the crease portion of the sheet is crushed between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 having a strong clamping pressure (FIGS. 18 to 19). Proper and sharp folds are formed, similar to the use of a sharp fold knife.

  When it is detected that the sheet is completely discharged from the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 and it is detected that each step to be executed by the control in the second folding mode is completed (YES in step S213 in FIG. 12). ), The control unit 301 stops the rotation of the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 (step S214 in FIG. 12), and switches the clamping pressure between the folding rollers 3241 and 3242 to a low pressure (step S215 in FIG. 12).

  For this reason, in the second folding mode, even when the folding knife 3250 that is thicker than the conventional folding knife and has a sharp tip is used, only the paper that does not sandwich the folding knife is removed from the plurality of rollers. Since it is discharged, the crease is strongly attached. That is, even when the folding knife 3250 for improving the booklet quality by erasing the middle fold is used, it is possible to apply a proper and sharp crease similar to the conventional one, and an appropriate one according to the application. It is possible to execute the middle folding process.

  Thereafter, under the control of the control unit 301, the sheets are conveyed and overlapped in the Y direction, and after all the sheets of the booklet have been prepared, saddle stitching, corner back processing, cutting processing, discharge processing, etc. are executed. Is done.

[Effect of the embodiment]
As described above, in the first folding mode, the sheet with the folding knife sandwiched is discharged from the plurality of rollers, so the fold is weakened. In the second folding mode, only the sheet without the folding knife sandwiched is ejected from the plurality of rollers. Is strongly attached. Furthermore, in the second folding mode, since both ends of the paper are positioned and pressed and the folding knife sandwiched between the papers is pulled out without rotating a plurality of rollers, the paper does not move when the folding knife is pulled out. The quality does not deteriorate, and the crease is surely formed thereafter. In other words, it is possible to improve the quality of the booklet by erasing the middle crease and to make an appropriate crease, making it possible to execute an appropriate middle folding process according to the application. Become.

  In the second folding mode, after a plurality of rollers sandwich a sheet in which a folding knife exists in a portion that becomes a fold valley while the clamping pressure is maintained at a predetermined first pressure (weak pressure), Position and hold both ends, pull out the folding knife sandwiched between the sheets without rotating the rollers, and rotate the rollers while changing the clamping pressure to the second pressure (strong pressure) higher than the first pressure. In order to discharge the sheet, in the second folding mode, only the sheet that does not sandwich the folding knife is discharged from the plurality of rollers, so that the crease is strong. For this reason, it is possible to improve the quality of the booklet by erasing the middle folds and making appropriate creases, and it is possible to execute the appropriate middle folding process according to the application. become.

  In addition, when square spine processing is performed, a fold is formed in the first folding mode for at least the outermost paper in the bundle of sheets, thereby eliminating the middle fold of the spine cover during square spine processing. Thus, it is possible to improve the quality of the booklet, and it is possible to execute an appropriate folding process according to the application.

  In addition, by forming a crease in the second fold mode for the paper other than the paper that is the outermost of the paper bundle, it is possible to make an appropriate crease for the entire paper other than the back cover, depending on the application. It is possible to execute an appropriate folding process.

  In addition, for positioning of both ends of the paper when pulling out the folding knife, a stopper portion that determines the front end position of the paper on the front end side in the paper traveling direction, and an alignment portion that determines and aligns the paper position from the rear end side in the paper traveling direction. By using this, it is possible to execute an appropriate folding process according to the application without newly providing a dedicated member.

  Also, in the second folding mode, after the folding knife is pulled out, the positioning of the paper is released, the paper is discharged by rotating a plurality of rollers, and a special folding member is not provided, and the middle folding process It is possible to execute an appropriate half-folding process according to the application without changing the subsequent sheet conveyance.

[Other Embodiments]
In the above-described embodiment, in the image forming system that transports the paper on which the image is formed in the X direction, the folded or saddle stitched paper is transported in the Y direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. A half-folded or saddle-stitched sheet may be conveyed in the X direction, or may be conveyed in an intermediate direction between X and Y.

  Further, the retracting positions of the leading end stopper 3211 and the aligning portion 3221 are not limited to the positions shown in FIGS. 4, 18, and 19, and various modifications are possible as long as they do not affect the sheet conveyance. is there. For example, as shown in FIG. 20, the position opposite to the conveyance guide plate 3201 can be a retracted position between the tip stopper 3211 and the alignment portion 3221.

  Further, when positioning the sheet in the state of FIG. 15, an auxiliary leading end stopper different from the leading end stopper 3211 and an auxiliary aligning portion different from the aligning portion 3221 are prepared in the retracted position, and these auxiliary leading ends are arranged. The configuration may be such that the sheet is positioned at a predetermined position by causing the stopper and the auxiliary alignment portion to protrude in the Z direction.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Image forming apparatus 101 Control part 102 Communication part 103 Operation display part 104 Storage part 105 Paper feed part 130 Storage part 140 Image processing part 150 Image formation part 200 Reverse conveyance apparatus 300 Paper processing apparatus 301 Control part 302 Communication part 310 Conveyance part 320 Folding unit 330 Overlapping unit 340 Saddle stitching unit 350 Square spine processing unit 360 Cutting unit 390 Discharge unit 400 Saddle stitching device

Claims (12)

A fold part that forms a crease in the paper by pressing a fold knife against the crease valley of the paper and sandwiching the crease crest of the paper between a plurality of rollers,
A position determining unit for positioning both end portions of the sheet parallel to the fold line in the folding unit;
A control unit that controls rotation of the plurality of rollers, movement of the folding knife, and positioning of the position determination unit, and a sheet processing apparatus that forms a fold on the sheet,
The controller is
A first folding mode in which, after the plurality of rollers sandwich the paper in a state where the folding knife is present in the fold valley portion, the plurality of rollers are rotated to discharge the paper together with the folding knife;
After the plurality of rollers sandwich the sheet in a state where the folding knife is present in the fold valley portion, both ends of the sheet are positioned and pressed by the position determining unit, and the plurality of rollers are not rotated. A second folding mode for pulling out the folding knife sandwiched between sheets and then discharging the sheet by rotating the plurality of rollers;
The two modes are switchable,
A paper processing apparatus. The control unit has a function of controlling the clamping pressure of the plurality of rollers,
In the second folding mode,
In a state where the clamping pressure is maintained at a predetermined first pressure, after the plurality of rollers sandwich the paper in a state where the folding knife exists in a portion that becomes the fold valley, the both ends of the paper are positioned at the position determining unit. By positioning and holding by, pulling out the folding knife sandwiched between the paper in a state that does not rotate the plurality of rollers,
In a state where the clamping pressure is changed to a second pressure higher than the first pressure, control is performed so that the plurality of rollers are rotated to discharge the paper.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. The paper processing apparatus includes a square back processing unit that performs a square back processing to flatten a back folding portion of a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets of creases formed,
The controller is
When the square spine processing is performed, control is performed so that a fold is formed in the first folding mode for the paper that is at least the outermost side of the paper bundle.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is provided. The controller is
Control is performed so that a crease is formed in the second fold mode for paper other than the paper that is the outermost side of the paper bundle,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 3 . The position determination unit
A leading edge stopper that determines the leading edge position of the paper on the leading edge side of the paper traveling direction;
An alignment unit that determines and aligns the sheet position from the rear end side of the sheet in the traveling direction;
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is a sheet processing apparatus. The control unit, in the second folding mode, after pulling out the folding knife, cancels the positioning of the paper by the position determination unit, rotates the plurality of rollers to discharge the paper,
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet processing apparatus is configured as described above. While pressing a folding knife against the fold valley of the paper, the fold crest of the paper is sandwiched between a plurality of rollers, thereby forming a fold on the paper, and the fold at the fold A sheet processing apparatus comprising: a position determining unit that positions both ends of the sheet parallel to the fold; and a control unit that controls rotation of the plurality of rollers, movement of the folding knife, and positioning of the position determining unit. A paper processing method for forming a crease in the paper,
A first folding mode in which, after the plurality of rollers sandwich the paper in a state where the folding knife is present in the fold valley portion, the plurality of rollers are rotated to discharge the paper together with the folding knife;
After the plurality of rollers sandwich the sheet in a state where the folding knife is present in the fold valley portion, both ends of the sheet are positioned and pressed by the position determining unit, and the plurality of rollers are not rotated. A second folding mode for pulling out the folding knife sandwiched between sheets and then discharging the sheet by rotating the plurality of rollers;
A paper processing method characterized in that the two modes can be switched. The control unit has a function of controlling the clamping pressure of the plurality of rollers,
In the second folding mode,
In a state where the clamping pressure is maintained at a predetermined first pressure, after the plurality of rollers sandwich the paper in a state where the folding knife exists in a portion that becomes the fold valley, the both ends of the paper are positioned at the position determining unit. By positioning and holding by, pulling out the folding knife sandwiched between the paper in a state that does not rotate the plurality of rollers,
With the nipping pressure changed to a second pressure higher than the first pressure, the plurality of rollers are rotated to discharge the paper.
The sheet processing method according to claim 7. The paper processing apparatus includes a square back processing unit that performs a square back processing to flatten a back folding portion of a sheet bundle composed of a plurality of sheets of creases formed,
When the square spine processing is performed, a crease is formed in the first folding mode for the paper that is at least the outermost side of the paper bundle.
9. The sheet processing method according to claim 7, wherein the sheet processing method is performed. A crease is formed in the second folding mode for paper other than the paper that is the outermost side of the paper bundle,
The paper processing method according to claim 9 . The position determining unit has a tip stopper and an alignment unit,
The leading end stopper determines the leading end position of the sheet on the leading end side in the sheet traveling direction,
The alignment unit determines and aligns the sheet position from the rear end side in the sheet traveling direction.
The sheet processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the sheet processing method is performed. In the second folding mode, after the folding knife is pulled out, the positioning of the paper by the position determining unit is released, and the paper is discharged by rotating the plurality of rollers.
The sheet processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the sheet processing method is performed.

Images