JP6834380B2 - Recording material processing equipment and image formation system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording material processing apparatus and an image forming system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for binding a bundle of recording materials by applying pressure to the bundle of recording materials.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-201653

By the way, in a device for binding a recording material bundle by applying pressure to the recording material bundle, when a force for applying pressure to the recording material bundle is applied to the binding mechanism, it usually opposes the support member supporting the binding mechanism. Force is applied. If the binding mechanism is supported by the frame, a reaction force is applied to the frame. Since the reaction force increases as the force applied to the binding mechanism increases, it is necessary to increase the strength of the support member (for example, the frame) and the entire unit including the binding mechanism in order to withstand the reaction force.

An object of the present invention is to reduce the reaction force applied to a bundle of recording materials in a device for binding by applying pressure, as compared with the case where the reaction force of the pressure is received by the support member itself of the binding mechanism. is there.

The invention according to claim 1 has two swinging members that are arranged so as to face each other and can swing around a rotation fulcrum, and the recording material bundle is sandwiched between the two swinging members and the recording material is pressed by pressure. A binding mechanism for binding a bundle, a transmission member for transmitting a force for swinging the two swinging members, and a force from the transmission member for the two swinging members to sandwich the recording material bundle. It has an intermediate member that is transmitted to the binding mechanism as pressure, and a shaft member that is provided at a rotation fulcrum of the binding mechanism in contact with the transmission member and moves in response to the swing of the binding mechanism . wherein when the intermediate member is transmitting a force from said transmission member in contact with the transmission member to the binding mechanism, the transmission member, the front sandwiched between carboxymethyl Yafuto member and the intermediate member, the condition The recording material processing apparatus is characterized in that the shaft member pushes the transmission member, and the intermediate member pushes the transmission member from a direction opposite to the direction in which the shaft member pushes the transmission member.

In the invention according to claim 2, the transmission member is a cam capable of rotationally moving around a rotational fulcrum of the transmission member, and the intermediate member binds the force due to the rotational movement of the cam to the recording material bundle. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a link member that converts the two rocking members into a force for bringing them closer to each other at a processing position.

In the invention according to claim 3, the cam transmits a force to the intermediate member by pushing the intermediate member, and the intermediate member transmits a force from the cam in a direction in which the cam pushes the intermediate member. Is converted into a force acting in different directions and transmitted to the binding mechanism, and the force acting in the different directions is a force acting in a direction in which the two swinging members are brought closer to each other at the binding processing position. The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 2.

The invention according to claim 4 is the recording material processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the intermediate member transmits a force corresponding to the amount of rotation of the cam to the binding mechanism. is there.

The invention according to claim 5 is the recording material processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the intermediate member transmits a larger force to the binding mechanism as the amount of rotation of the cam increases. ..

The invention according to claim 6 comprises an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, a recording material processing apparatus for performing preset processing on a bundle of recording materials including a plurality of recording materials on which an image is formed, and the like. The recording material processing apparatus includes two rocking members that are arranged to face each other and can swing around a rotation fulcrum, and the recording material bundle is sandwiched between the two rocking members by pressure. The binding mechanism for binding the recording material bundle, the transmission member for transmitting the force for rocking the two rocking members, and the force from the transmission member are transmitted by the two rocking members to the recording material bundle. As a force for pinching, an intermediate member transmitted to the binding mechanism and a shaft member provided at a rotation fulcrum of the binding mechanism in contact with the transmission member and moving according to the swing of the binding mechanism. has, when said intermediate member is transmitting a force from said transmission member in contact with the transmission member to the binding mechanism, the transmission member, the front sandwiched between carboxymethyl Yafuto member by said intermediate member In that state, the image forming system is characterized in that the shaft member pushes the transmission member, and the intermediate member pushes the transmission member from a direction opposite to the direction in which the shaft member pushes the transmission member.

According to the inventions according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 6, in an apparatus for applying pressure to a bundle of recording materials for binding, the support member receives the reaction force of the pressure as compared with the case where the support member itself of the binding mechanism receives the reaction force. It is possible to reduce the applied reaction force.

According to the inventions of claims 4 and 5, it is possible to transmit a force corresponding to the amount of rotation of the cam to the binding mechanism.

It is a figure which shows the image formation system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the recording material binding apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the inside of the recording material binding apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the inside of the recording material binding apparatus. It is an exploded perspective view of the recording material binding device. It is a perspective view which shows the main part of the binding operation part. It is a perspective view which shows the main part of the binding operation part. It is a perspective view which shows the delivery spring. It is a perspective view which shows the support spring. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the binding operation part. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the binding operation part. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the binding operation part. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the binding operation part. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the binding operation part.

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

<Explanation of image formation system>
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a schematic configuration of an image forming system 11 including a recording material binding device 10 as a recording material processing device according to the present embodiment. The image forming system 11 includes, for example, an image forming apparatus 12 having a printing function and a copying function by an electrophotographic method, and a recording material after the image is formed by the image forming apparatus 12, for example, after drilling or binding. The recording material post-processing apparatus 13 for processing is provided. The recording material binding device 10 of the present embodiment can be mounted on the recording material post-processing device 13.

The image forming apparatus 12 has an image forming unit 14 that forms a toner image based on the acquired document information. The manuscript information may be obtained by reading the manuscript by the manuscript reading unit 15 provided in the image forming apparatus 12, or may be obtained from an external device. The image forming apparatus 12 further includes a recording material feeding mechanism 16. The recording material to be sent is a sheet-shaped recording material cut into a rectangle, and the material is, for example, paper. The recording material feeding mechanism 16 includes a supply tray 17 for holding the stacked recording materials, and a transport path 19 for feeding the recording materials from the supply tray 17 to the discharge port 18. In the process of being fed through the transport path 19, the recording material receives the toner image formed by the image forming unit 14, and the toner image is fixed. The recording material sent out from the discharge port 18 is received by the recording material aftertreatment device 13.

In the recording material aftertreatment device 13, the received recording material is laminated on the accumulation tray 20 as needed to form a recording material bundle. If accumulation is not required, the recording material is delivered to the discharge tray 21. When a predetermined number of recording materials are accumulated on the accumulation tray 20, the recording material is bound by the recording material binding device 10. The recording material binding device 10 has two tooth molds 22 and 24, each of which forms a pair in which a plurality of teeth are arranged side by side. In order to distinguish between the two tooth types, for convenience, the tooth type located on the upper side is referred to as the upper tooth type 22 and the tooth type located on the lower side is referred to as the lower tooth type 24 in FIG. The two tooth molds 22 and 24 may be arranged so as to face each other with the recording material to be bound, for example, left and right.

One or both of the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 advance and retreat toward the tooth mold on the other side by the drive mechanism, and when they advance, the tooth molds mesh with each other. When the tooth molds mesh with each other, the sandwiched recording material is deformed into a corrugated shape, and the recording materials are bonded to each other and bound. After being bound, the recording material bundle is sent out to the discharge tray 21.

Further, the image forming system 11 includes each part of the image forming device 12, the recording material post-processing device 13, and the control unit 100 that controls the operation of each mechanism.

<Appearance of recording material binding device>
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the recording material binding device 10. The outer shape of the recording material binding device 10 is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped. For the sake of brevity, the front-back, up-down, and left-right directions that are orthogonal to each other are determined according to the extending directions of the sides of this rectangular parallelepiped. The vertical direction is substantially the same as the direction in which the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 face each other, and the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28 (FIG. 3) almost coincides with the extending direction. The front upper corner of the rectangular parallelepiped that is the outer shape of the recording material binding device 10 near the corner where the upper surface 32 of the device defined by the upper surface plate 30a of the upper frame 30 and the front surface 36 of the device defined by the front plate 34a of the front frame 34 intersect. The upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 are arranged in the region 38. In the front upper corner region 38, the recording material is sandwiched and bound by the upper and lower tooth molds 22 and 24. The upper tooth mold 22 corresponds to an example of the first member, and the lower tooth mold 24 corresponds to an example of the second member. The left and right sides of the recording material binding device 10 are generally covered by two side frames, that is, the left side frame 40L and the right side frame 40R.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the recording material binding device 10 in which the right side frame 40R is removed so that the inside can be seen. The upper frame 30 includes a back plate 30c provided with an opening 30b and a support plate 30d extending forward from the lower edge of the back plate 30c. The back plate 30c is curved at the portion where the opening 30b is provided, so that the outer shape of the recording material binding device 10 is rounded in the rear upper corner region. A home position sensor 42 is arranged on the support plate 30d. The home position sensor 42 is a sensor that detects the home position of the binding operation unit, which will be described later. The detection of the home position will be described together with the operation of the binding operation unit.

The motor 46 is arranged at a diagonal position of the front upper corner region 38, that is, in the rear lower corner region 44. The motor 46 includes a motor pinion 46a (see FIG. 5) on the output shaft, and the motor pinion 46a meshes with one gear of the gear row 48 arranged outside the left side frame 40L. The gear train 48 constitutes a reduction gear train, and the motor 46 rotationally drives the cam shaft 50 via the gear train 48.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the recording material binding device 10 in which the motor 46 is further removed from the state of FIG. An encoder bracket 52 is fixed to the left side frame 40L, and an encoder 54 for detecting the rotation angle of the motor 46 is arranged on the encoder bracket 52. The encoder 54 includes a rotor 54a rotatably supported by the encoder bracket 52 and a photosensor 54b fixed to the encoder bracket 52. The rotor 54a has an impeller shape having a rotating shaft, and an encoder pinion 54c is provided at the end of the rotating shaft. The encoder pinion 54c meshes with one gear 48a (see FIG. 5) of the gear train 48, and when the motor 46 rotates, the rotor 54a rotates. The gear 48a with which the encoder pinion 54c meshes may be the first gear of the gear train 48. The photo sensor 54b has two opposing portions, and detects that the blades of the rotor 54a pass between them. The rotation angle of the output shaft of the motor 46 is detected by counting the number of times the blades have passed. The photo sensor 54b may be replaced with a sensor capable of detecting the passage of the blades of the rotor 54a.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the recording material binding device 10, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are views showing a main part of the binding operation portion. The binding actuating portion includes an upper arm 26, a lower arm 28, a lever link 56 described later, a support lever 72, and a connecting pin 58, an arm pin 64, a guide pin 70, and the like for connecting them. The binding operation unit corresponds to an example of the binding mechanism.

The upper arm 26 has an arm portion 26a that extends substantially forward and has an upper tooth mold 22 attached to the tip portion, and a connecting portion 26b that branches from the arm portion 26a and extends downward and is connected to the lever link 56. The connecting portion 26b and the lever link 56 are rotatably connected to each other around the connecting pin 58 by the connecting pin 58. An upper guide plate 60 is attached to the tip of the upper arm 26 so as to be located in the vicinity of the upper tooth mold 22. The left and right portions of the upper tooth mold 22 of the upper guide plate 60 have a V-shaped portion 60a that is formed by bending a steel plate such as a spring steel plate and is open forward. The V-shaped portion 60a closes the V-shape when the recording material is bound, and the recording material after being bound is pulled away from the upper tooth mold 22 by the force of opening the V-shape by elasticity. The connecting pin 58 has a cylindrical shaft portion 58a and guide protrusions 58b protruding from both ends of the shaft portion 58a.

The lower arm 28 has two arm plates 28a and 28b extending forward with a gap, and a tip base 28c arranged so as to connect them to the tips of the arm plates 28a and 28b. The lower tooth mold 24 is mounted on the tip base 28c. The lower guide plate 62 is arranged so as to surround the lower tooth mold 24. The lower guide plate 62 is formed in a V shape with the front open by bending a steel plate such as a spring steel plate. When the recording material is closed, the V-shape of the lower guide plate 62 is closed, and the recording material after being closed is pulled away from the lower tooth mold 24 by the force of opening the V-shape by elasticity.

The upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28 are connected at their rear ends by arm pins 64 in a manner that allows them to rotate independently of each other. When connected, the upper arm 26 is located between the two arm plates 28a, 28b of the lower arm 28. The rotation of the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28 around the arm pin 64 brings the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 closer to each other and further away from each other. The arm pin 64 has a cylindrical shaft portion 64a and guide protrusions 64b protruding from both ends of the shaft portion 64a.

The two arm plates 28a and 28b of the lower arm 28 are formed with openings 28d through which the cam shaft 50 passes. Two drive cams, that is, a left drive cam 66L and a right drive cam 66R, which are located on the left and right sides of the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28 when assembled, are fixed to the cam shaft 50. In addition to the circular cross section, the cam shaft 50 is provided with two deformed cross-sectional shaft portions 50a having a fan-shaped cross section excluding the central portion, and the left and right drive cams 66L are provided with deformed cross-sectional holes 66a suitable for these cross-sectional shapes. , 66R has. A fixing pin 68 is erected or penetrates the irregular cross-sectional shaft portion 50a of the cam shaft in a direction intersecting the axis line, and a pin receiving groove 66b for receiving the fixing pin 68 is provided on the left and right drive cams 66L and 66R. It is provided (see FIG. 7). The left and right drive cams 66L and 66R are fixed to the cam shaft 50 in the rotational direction by engaging with the irregular cross-sectional shaft portion 50a of the cam shaft and the fixing pin 68. The left and right drive cams 66L and 66R are more firmly fixed in the rotational direction by engaging with the fixing pin 68 in addition to engaging with the deformed cross-sectional shaft portion 50a.

At the left end of the cam shaft 50, a fitting portion 50b having two parallel planes is provided. The fitting portion 50b is fitted into one gear of the gear row 48, for example, a fitting hole 48c provided in the final gear 48b of the gear row 48. By this coupling, the cam shaft 50 is rotationally driven by the motor 46 via the gear train 48.

The lever link 56 is further connected to the support lever 72 by a guide pin 70. The guide pin 70 has a shaft portion 70a and guide protrusions 70b extending from both ends of the shaft portion. The cross-sectional shape of the shaft portion 70a is non-circular. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a non-circular cross-sectional shape composed of one string of a circle and the larger arc of the arc divided by the strings. Have. The hole of the lever link 56 that receives the guide pin 70 has a shape that fits the shaft portion 70a of the lever link. As a result, the guide pin 70 is fixed to the lever link 56 in the rotational direction.

When binding the recording material, the support lever 72 supports the tip base 28c of the lower arm from below and receives a reaction force due to the binding operation. The support lever 72 has a support base 72a located below the tip base 28c of the lower arm when binding the recording material, and two lever portions 72b extending rearward from the support base 72a to the outside of the lower arm 28. A support bar 74 is fixed on the support base 72a. The support bar 74 has a cylindrical shaft portion 74a and guide protrusions 74b protruding from both ends of the shaft portion 74a. At the rear ends of the two lever portions 72b, cam followers 72c capable of contacting the left and right drive cams 66L and 66R are provided, respectively.

The left side frame 40L has a left side panel 76L and a left guide plate 78L. When assembled, the left side panel 76L and the left guide plate 78L are overlapped and integrated. The right side frame 40R has a right side panel 76R and a right guide plate 78R. When assembled, the right side panel 76R and the right guide plate 78R are overlapped and integrated.

The cam shaft 50 is rotatably supported by the left and right side frames 40L and 40R by passing the bearing bush 80 mounted on the left side frame 40L and the bearing hole 78a provided in the right guide plate 78R.

Each of the left and right guide plates 78L and 78R is provided with guide grooves 82, 84, 88 and guide holes 86 for guiding the movements of the connecting pin 58, the arm pin 64, the guide pin 70 and the support bar 74.

Guide protrusions 58b provided at both ends of the connecting pin 58 are fitted into the left and right connecting pin guide grooves 82, respectively. The guide protrusion 58b has a stepped cylindrical shape, and the connecting pin guide groove 82 also has a stepped groove shape in which the center of the groove is deep and the vicinity of the edge of the groove is shallow. The articulated pin guide groove 82 has a bottom and is not open to the outer surfaces of the left and right guide plates 78L and 78R. Although the connecting pin guide groove 82 is bent, it extends substantially in the vertical direction.

Guide protrusions 64b provided at both ends of the arm pin 64 are fitted in the arm pin guide groove 84, respectively. The arm pin guide groove 84 extends in the front-rear direction, and guides the movement of the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28 in the front-rear direction. The arm pin guide groove 84 is provided so as to penetrate the thickness of the left and right guide plates 78L and 78R.

Guide protrusions 70b provided at both ends of the guide pin 70 have entered the guide holes 86, respectively. The guide protrusion 70b has an approximately oval irregular cross-sectional shape. The cross-sectional shape of the guide hole 86 is generally trapezoidal, which is larger than the guide protrusion 70b as a whole. Therefore, the guide protrusion 70b is allowed to move up and down and back and forth within the range of the guide hole 86. The dimensions of the guide holes 86 are extended in the left-right direction by extension walls 86a erected on the outer surfaces of the left and right guide plates 78L and 78R.

Cylindrical guide protrusions 74b are provided at both ends of the support bar 74 integrated with the support lever 72, and these are fitted in the support lever guide grooves 88. The support lever guide groove 88 extends substantially in the vertical direction, and guides the vertical movement of the support lever 72, particularly the support base 72a. The support lever guide groove 88 is provided so as to penetrate the thicknesses of the left and right guide plates 78L and 78R.

The left and right drive cams 66L and 66R have a first cam surface 66c that contacts the arm pin 64 and a second cam surface 66d that contacts the cam follower 72c provided on the support lever 72 (see FIG. 7). The first cam surface 66c and the second cam surface 66d project from the cam basal plane 66e, which is a part of a cylindrical surface having an axis common to the axis of the cam shaft 50. Further, the first cam surface 66c protrudes from the second cam surface 66d.

As shown in FIG. 7, a home position detector 90 is rotatably mounted around the arm pin 64 at the left end of the arm pin 64. The home position detector 90 has a detection piece 90a that is a detection target portion of the home position sensor 42, and a cam follower 90b that abuts on the second cam surface 66d of the left drive cam 66L. The home position detector 90 swings with the rotation of the left drive cam 66L, and the detection piece 90a moves back and forth with respect to the home position sensor 42. A photo sensor can be used as the home position sensor 42, and the home position of the binding operating portion is detected when the detection piece 90a enters between the two parts.

FIG. 8 shows a delivery spring 92 (corresponding to an example of a spring). The delivery spring 92 abuts on the upper arm 26 and urges the entire binding actuating portion toward the front and lower directions. The delivery spring 92 has an operating portion 92a that comes into contact with a spring receiving surface 26c (see FIG. 5) provided slightly behind the upper part of the upper arm 26. The operating portion 92a has a substantially U-shape, and the fixing portion 92c is connected via the coil portions 92b at both ends. The fixing portion 92c is fixed to the inner surface of the upper surface plate 30a of the upper frame, and the operating portion 92a can rotate around the coil portion 92b. The delivery spring 92 urges the binding actuating portion so that the entire binding actuating portion is fed forward and downward.

FIG. 9 shows the support spring 94. The support spring 94 supports the support lever 72 so that the position of the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 does not drop too much when the support lever 72 is separated from the drive cams 66L and 66R. By supporting the support lever 72, when the drive cams 66L and 66R rotate, the second cam surface 66d comes into contact with the cam follower 72c. The support spring 94 has a cylindrical coil portion 94a mounted on a boss 78Ra (see FIG. 6) of the right guide plate 78R. The bent tip of the fixing arm 94b extending from the coil portion 94a engages with the engaging hole 78Rb provided on the outer surface of the right guide plate 78R, and the support spring 94 is fixed in the rotational direction. The support arm 94c of the support spring 94 extends from the coil portion 94a along the inner surface of the right guide plate 78R. The tip of the support arm 94c supports the lower surface of one lever portion 72b of the support lever 72. The support arm 94c may be separated from the support lever 72 when the drive cams 66L and 66R are in contact with the support lever 72.

<Explanation of operation of binding operation part>
10 to 13 are explanatory views of the operation of the binding operation unit of the recording material binding device 10. The binding operation unit operates so as to bind the recording paper by the drive cam 66. When it is not necessary to distinguish between the left and right drive cams 66L and 66R in the operation description, the drive cam 66 is simply referred to as the drive cam 66 for simplification.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the binding operating portion is in the home position (corresponding to an example of the retracted position). At the home position, the first cam surface 66c of the drive cam is in contact with the shaft portion 64a of the arm pin 64. As a result, the first cam surface 66c retracts the arm pin 64 most, and the entire binding operating portion is retracted. The upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 are also in the retracted positions and are farthest from each other. The connecting portion 26b of the upper arm is also pulled up until the guide protrusion 58b of the connecting pin 58 is located near the upper end of the connecting pin guide groove 82. Depending on the position of the connecting pin 58, the guide protrusion 70b of the guide pin 70 is located at the center of the upper side of the guide hole 86, and the guide protrusion 74b of the support bar 74 is located near the upper end of the support lever guide groove 88. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the home position detector 90 has the cam follower 90b in contact with the second cam surface 66d, and the detection piece 90a is located at the detection target position on the home position sensor 42. Based on the detection of the detection piece 90a by the home position sensor 42, the control unit 100 recognizes that the binding operation unit is in the home position.

When the drive cam 66 rotates counterclockwise F in the drawing from the home position, the shaft portion 64a of the arm pin 64 is disengaged from the first cam surface 66c at a certain position, and the cam base bottom surface 66e shifts to the contact state. ..

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state immediately after the shaft portion 64a of the arm pin 64 is disengaged from the first cam surface 66c. Since the shaft portion 64a and the first cam surface 66c are disengaged, the binding actuating portion is fed forward and downward as a whole (lower right in the drawing) by the urging force U of the delivery spring 92. The position where the binding operation unit is sent out corresponds to an example of the processing position (binding position). That is, the urging force U of the delivery spring 92 moves the binding operation unit from the home position (retracted position) to the processing position. The arm pin 64 moves forward along the arm pin guide groove 84, and the upper arm 26 also moves forward accordingly. At the same time, the upper arm 26 also moves downward as the guide protrusion 58b of the connecting pin 58 at the lower end of the connecting portion 26b is guided downward along the connecting pin guide groove 82. Therefore, the upper tooth type 22 advances downward while advancing forward. The lower arm 28 moves forward as the arm pin 64 moves forward. Further, the lower arm 28 is guided by the cam shaft 50 penetrating the opening 28d and moves substantially forward without rotation. Therefore, the lower tooth mold 24 also advances forward. The upper tooth mold 22 advances forward and downward, and the lower tooth mold 24 advances forward, so that the upper and lower tooth molds 22 and 24 approach each other while advancing forward. The delivery spring 92 corresponds to an example of the first pressurizing means, and the force (urging force U) due to the delivery spring 92 corresponds to the first force.

Since the upper portion of the connecting pin guide groove 82 extends diagonally downward and forward, the lever link 56 also moves downward and forward as the connecting pin 58 moves along the connecting pin guide groove 82. However, when the guide protrusion 70b of the guide pin 70 hits the front edge of the guide hole 86, the lever link 56 cannot move forward any more, and thereafter, it rotates counterclockwise around the guide pin 70. As the guide pin 70 moves downward and forward, the support lever 72 also moves. Since the support bar 74 integrated with the support lever 72 moves along the support lever guide groove 88 extending substantially vertically, even if the guide pin 70 moves forward, it does not move forward. As shown in the figure, the support lever guide groove 88 extends rearward as it goes downward, so that the support lever 72 is rotated counterclockwise. As a result, the cam follower 72c at the rear end of the support lever 72 moves downward. At this time, the support spring 94 supports the rear portion of the support lever 72 from below so that the cam follower 72c does not move too much.

The home position detector 90 moves forward together with the arm pin 64, and the detection piece 90a deviates from the detection target position of the home position sensor 42.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the drive cam 66 further rotates counterclockwise F and the second cam surface 66d is in contact with the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72. The arm pin 64 abuts on the cam basal plane 66e of the drive cam 66 and is located further forward than the position shown in FIG. As a result, the upper arm 26 also moves forward and downward from the state shown in FIG. 11, and the lower arm 28 also moves further forward and downward. As the connecting portion 26b of the upper arm moves downward, the guide protrusion 58b of the connecting pin 58 is guided along the connecting pin guide groove 82. The connecting pin guide groove 82 is bent, and the lower portion from the bending point extends rearward as it goes downward. The upper arm 26 rotates clockwise because the lower portion of the connecting pin guide groove 82 extends rearward. Further, the lever link 56 is pulled downward by the connecting pin 58, while the downward movement of the guide protrusion 70b of the guide pin 70 is restricted by the guide hole 86, so that the lever link 56 rotates counterclockwise. The guide projection 70b of the guide pin 70 moves to the central portion of the guide hole 86 by the downward and rearward movement of the connecting pin 58 and the counterclockwise rotation of the lever link 56. At the same time, the guide protrusion 74b of the support bar 74 moves upward along the support lever guide groove 88, and the support lever 72 moves upward. Further, since the guide protrusion 74b of the support bar 74 is restricted from moving backward by the support lever guide groove 88, the guide pin 70 moves backward to rotate clockwise around the support bar 74. As the support lever 72 rotates clockwise, the cam follower 72c rises to a position where the second cam surface 66d of the drive cam 66 can come into contact with the cam follower 72c. The spring 94 assists the rise of the cam follower 72c. When the second cam surface 66d of the drive cam 66 comes into contact with the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72, the support lever 72 rotates clockwise due to the further rotation of the drive cam 66. Further, the support bar 74 comes into contact with the lower surface of the lower arm 28.

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the drive cam 66 further rotates counterclockwise and the recording material is sandwiched between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24. The cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 is further pushed upward by the second cam surface 66d from the state shown in FIG. On the other hand, the guide protrusion 74b of the support bar 74 reaches the upper end of the support lever guide groove 88, and the support lever 72 rotates clockwise around the support bar 74. As the support lever 72 rotates, the guide protrusion 70b of the guide pin 70 moves to the rear end of the guide hole 86, and the lever link 56 further rotates counterclockwise. By these operations, the connecting pin 58, the guide pin 70, and the support bar 74 are aligned substantially in a straight line. Further, the support bar 74 pushes up the lower arm 28 so that the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 are in mesh with each other.

When the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 mesh with each other, the bundle of recording materials sandwiched between them is deformed into a corrugated shape, and the recording materials are bound to each other and bound. The second cam surface 66d of the drive cam 66 has a shape that gradually pushes up the cam follower 72c as it rotates. When the bundle of recording materials is thin, it is necessary to engage the upper and lower tooth molds 22 and 24 more deeply than when the bundle is thick, so that the control unit 100 rotates the drive cam 66 more. Information on the thickness of the bundle of recording materials is input to the control unit 100 by the input of the user of the image forming system 11, and the control unit 100 determines the rotation angle (rotation amount) of the drive cam 66 based on this information. That is, the rotation angle of the motor 46 is determined. When the rotation angle of the motor 46 from the home position is detected by the encoder 54 and reaches the rotation angle corresponding to the thickness of the recording material bundle at that time, the control unit 100 stops the rotation of the motor 46. When recording materials having the same thickness are used, the control unit 100 may control the rotation amount of the drive cam 66 based on the number of recording materials included in the recording material bundle. For example, when the number of recording materials is small (for example, when the number of recording materials is three), the control unit 100 may rotate the drive cam 66 more than when the number of recording materials is large (for example, when the number of recording materials is ten). The drive cam 66 corresponds to an example of the second pressurizing means, and the force due to the rotation of the drive cam 66 corresponds to an example of the second force. The force due to the rotation of the drive cam 66 (second force) is larger than the urging force (first force) due to the delivery spring 92, and the force due to the rotation of the drive cam 66 binds the recording material bundle.

After that, the motor 46 reverses, and the drive cam 66 rotates counterclockwise R. When the drive cam 66 rotates in the reverse direction and reaches the position shown in FIG. 12, for example, the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 are separated from each other. The bundle of recording materials is separated from the upper tooth mold 22 or the lower tooth mold 24 by the action of the upper guide plate 60 and the lower guide plate 62 arranged around the upper and lower tooth molds 22 and 24. Further, when the drive cam 66 is reversed and the first cam surface 66c comes into contact with the shaft portion 64a of the arm pin 64, the arm pin 64 is moved in the direction along the arm pin guide groove 84. Along with this, the entire binding operating portion is moved upward and backward. When the home position is returned to the position shown in FIG. 10 and the home position is detected by the home position sensor 42, the rotation of the motor 46 is stopped.

In the state shown in FIG. 11, a foreign substance or the like is caught between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, and the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 are preset in a direction opposite to the direction in which the recording material bundle is sandwiched. When a force equal to or greater than the force applied is not reduced and the distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 is not reduced, the drive cam 66 as the second pressurizing means does not apply a force to the binding actuating portion. This operation will be described in detail. In the state shown in FIG. 11, when a foreign substance or the like is caught between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the opening between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 cannot be closed. As a result, the downward movement of the connecting portion 26b of the upper arm 26 is restricted, and the connecting portion 26b does not move downward, so that the connecting portion 26b is along the connecting pin guide groove 82 of the connecting pin 58 connected to the connecting portion 26b. The movement is restricted so that the articulated pin 58 does not move downward along the articulated pin guide groove 82. As a result, the operation of the lever link 56 shown in FIG. 12 is restricted. That is, since the connecting pin 58 does not move downward, the lever link 56 is not pulled downward by the connecting pin 58 and does not rotate counterclockwise. Since the connecting pin 58 does not move downward and rearward and the lever link 56 does not rotate counterclockwise, the guide protrusion 70b of the guide pin 70 does not move to the central portion of the guide hole 86. Therefore, the guide protrusion 74b of the support bar 74 does not move upward along the support lever guide groove 88, and the support lever 72 does not move upward. Further, since the guide pin 70 does not move backward, the guide protrusion 74b of the support bar 74 does not rotate clockwise. Therefore, the clockwise rotation of the support lever 72 does not occur, and the cam follower 72c does not rise to a position where the second cam surface 66d of the drive cam 66 can come into contact with the cam follower 72c. As a result, the second cam surface 66d of the drive cam 66 does not come into contact with the cam follower 72c. That is, the drive cam 66 misses the support lever 72. In FIG. 14, the drive cam 66 in a missed state is shown by a broken line. The drive cam 66 (66R) shown by the broken line in FIG. 14 swings the support lever 72 idle and rotates to the upper side of the support lever 72. Therefore, the force of the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the support lever 72, and the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 is not pushed upward from the state shown in FIG. As a result, the upper arm 26 is not pushed down, the lower arm 28 is not pushed up, and the force (second force) by the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24. That is, a force is applied to the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 so that the cam follower 72c does not rise to a position where the cam follower 72c can come into contact with the position where the second cam surface 66d of the drive cam 66 can come into contact with the cam follower 72c. If the distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 does not decrease, the force of the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the binding actuating portion.

In this way, when the urging force U (first force) by the delivery spring 92 is applied to the binding actuating portion, foreign matter or the like is caught between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, and the upper tooth mold When a force equal to or greater than a preset force is applied in the direction opposite to the direction in which the 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 sandwich the recording material bundle, and the distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 does not decrease. , The force of the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the binding actuating portion. That is, in this case, the connecting pin 58, the connecting pin guide groove 82, the lever link 56, the guide pin 70, and the guide hole 86 function as an example of the regulating means, and bind the force (second force) by the drive cam 66. It is not transmitted to the working part and does not further reduce the distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24.

With a foreign substance or the like sandwiched between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the force (second force) generated by the drive cam 66 is transmitted to the binding actuating portion to move the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24. When meshed, an excessive force may cause a failure such as damage to parts such as the drive cam 66. According to the present embodiment, when a foreign matter or the like is caught between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the force (second force) by the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the binding operation portion, so that the foreign matter or the like is caught. The occurrence of troubles such as damage to parts due to the above is prevented.

The operation when a foreign substance or the like is caught between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 will be described from another viewpoint. In the present embodiment, when the distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 is longer than the threshold value, that is, the distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 can be contacted as described above. When the distance corresponds to a distance at which the cam follower 72c does not rise to the position, the force of the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the binding actuating portion. On the contrary, when the distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 is equal to or less than the threshold value, that is, the distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 can be contacted as described above. When the distance corresponding to the distance that the cam follower 72c rises to the position, the force by the drive cam 66 is transmitted to the binding actuating portion. That is, when a bundle of recording materials, a foreign substance, or the like having a thickness such that the cam follower 72c does not rise to the above-mentioned contactable position is arranged between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, that is, the above. When a bundle of recording materials, a foreign substance, or the like having a thickness thicker than the threshold value of is arranged between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the force by the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the binding operation portion. On the contrary, when a bundle of recording materials having a thickness sufficient to raise the cam follower 72c to the above-mentioned contactable position is arranged between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, that is, the above. When a bundle of recording materials having a thickness equal to or less than the threshold value of is arranged between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the force of the drive cam 66 is transmitted to the binding actuating portion.

In this way, when the opening amount of the frontage (distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24) formed by the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 is equal to or less than the threshold value, the second pressurization is performed. A force (second force) by the drive cam 66 as a means is transmitted to the binding operation unit, and the recording material bundle is bound by the second force. On the other hand, when the opening amount (distance between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24) exceeds the threshold value, the force (second force) by the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the binding operating portion. As described above, the drive cam 66 as the transmission member transmits the force to the binding operating portion when the opening amount is equal to or less than the threshold value, and does not transmit the force to the binding operating portion when the opening amount exceeds the threshold value.

From yet another point of view, when the opening amount is equal to or less than the threshold value, the drive cam 66 comes into contact with the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 as an intermediate member, whereby the force (second force) due to the drive cam 66. Is transmitted to the binding operation part. That is, when a bundle of recording materials having a thickness such that the opening amount is equal to or less than the threshold value is arranged between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the drive cam 66 contacts the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72. As a result, the force of the drive cam 66 is transmitted to the binding operation unit. On the other hand, when the opening amount exceeds the threshold value, the drive cam 66 does not come into contact with the cam follower 72c, so that the force of the drive cam 66 is not transmitted to the binding operation unit. That is, when a bundle of recording materials or a foreign substance having a thickness such that the opening amount exceeds the threshold value is arranged between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the force of the drive cam 66 is applied to the binding operation portion. Not transmitted.

From yet another point of view, when the opening amount is equal to or less than the threshold value, the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 is arranged on the trajectory of the rotational movement of the drive cam 66, whereby the drive cam 66 comes into contact with the cam follower 72c. , The force of the drive cam 66 is transmitted to the binding operation unit. That is, when a bundle of recording materials having a thickness such that the opening amount is equal to or less than the threshold value is arranged between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 is the drive cam 66. It is placed on the orbit of rotational motion. On the other hand, when the opening amount exceeds the threshold value, the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 is arranged outside the trajectory of the rotational movement of the drive cam 66, whereby the drive cam 66 does not come into contact with the cam follower 72c and the drive cam 66 The force is not transmitted to the binding actuation part. That is, when a bundle of recording materials or a foreign substance having a thickness such that the opening amount exceeds the threshold value is arranged between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24, the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 is used as a drive cam. Arranged outside the activation of 66 rotational movements.

For example, when the opening between the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 is made wider, foreign matter or the like may easily enter the opening and be pinched. In this embodiment, in such a case. In this case as well, the occurrence of troubles such as damage to parts due to the pinching of the foreign matter is prevented. The same applies to the case where a bundle of recording materials having a thickness exceeding the thickness that can be bound by the binding operation portion or a bundle of recording materials having an increased thickness due to folding or the like enters the opening.

Further, the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28 correspond to swinging members that can swing around the shaft portion 64a (rotational fulcrum) of the arm pin 64. The drive cam 66 corresponds to a transmission member that transmits a force for swinging the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28. The support lever 72 and the lever link 56 are members that form an intermediate member, and the force from the drive cam 66 is used as a pressure for the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 to sandwich the recording material bundle in the binding operation portion. It transmits to the included upper arm 26 and lower arm 28. The lever link 56 converts the force due to the rotational movement of the drive cam 66 into a force for bringing the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28 closer to each other, that is, a force for bringing the upper tooth mold 22 and the lower tooth mold 24 closer to each other. Corresponds to a member. That is, the intermediate member converts the force from the drive cam 66 into a force acting in a direction different from the direction in which the drive cam 66 pushes the support lever 72, and transmits the force to the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28.

As shown in FIG. 13, when the cam follower 72c of the support lever 72 contacts the drive cam 66 and transmits the force from the drive cam 66 to the upper arm 26 and the lower arm 28, the drive cam 66 is set to the arm pin 64. It is sandwiched between the shaft portion 64a (corresponding to an example of the shaft member) and the support lever 72. As a result, the reaction force generated when the pressure in the binding direction is applied to the binding operating portion is received by the drive cam 66 for applying the pressure to the binding operating portion. That is, by sandwiching the drive cam 66 between the shaft portion 64a installed at the rotation fulcrum and the support lever 72, the shaft portion 64a of the arm pin 64 pushes the drive cam 66 and the support lever 72 pushes the drive cam 66. And are offset. More specifically, the shaft portion 64a of the arm pin 64 pushes the drive cam 66 from the rear to the front, and the support lever 72 pushes the drive cam 66 from the opposite direction (the support lever 72 pushes the drive cam 66 from the front to the rear). Therefore, the drive cam 66 receives forces from opposite directions. As a result, the forces from opposite directions cancel each other out in the drive cam 66. Since the force cancellation is completed in the binding operation part, the support member of the binding operation part (for example, the frame (for example, the left side frame 40L, the right side frame 40R)) is compared with the case where the force cancellation is not completed in the binding operation part. The force (reaction force) applied to is weakened. That is, according to the present embodiment, since the reaction force of the pressure for binding the recording material bundle is received by the drive cam 66, the reaction force is applied to the support member as compared with the case where the reaction force is received by the support member (for example, the frame) itself. The reaction force becomes smaller. Therefore, it is not necessary to increase the strength of the support member as compared with the case where the reaction force is received by the support member itself such as the frame.

As a comparative example, the cam shaft 50 (rotating shaft) of the drive cam 66 and the rotating shaft (shaft portion 64a) of the binding operation portion may be the same shaft. Also in this case, the force that the shaft portion 64a of the arm pin 64 pushes the drive cam 66 and the force that the support lever 72 pushes the drive cam 66 cancel each other out in the cam shaft 50, so that the force is canceled in the binding operation portion. It is completed and the force (reaction force) applied to the support member of the binding operation part becomes weak.

10 Recording material binding device, 11 Image forming system, 12 Image forming device, 22 Upper tooth type, 24 Lower tooth type, 26 Upper arm, 28 Lower arm, 30 Upper frame, 46 motor, 50 camshaft, 58 articulated pin, 64 Arm pin, 66L left drive cam, 66R right drive cam, 70 guide pin, 72 support lever, 74 support bar, 82 articulated pin guide groove, 84 arm pin guide groove, 86 guide hole, 88 support lever guide groove, 92 delivery spring, 94 support spring, 100 control unit.

Claims (6)

A binding mechanism that has two swinging members that are arranged facing each other and can swing around a rotation fulcrum, sandwich the recording material bundle by the two swinging members, and bind the recording material bundle by pressure.
A transmission member that transmits a force for rocking the two rocking members,
An intermediate member that transmits a force from the transmission member to the binding mechanism as a pressure for the two swinging members to sandwich the recording material bundle.
A shaft member provided at the rotation fulcrum of the binding mechanism in contact with the transmission member and moving in response to the swing of the binding mechanism.
Have,
Wherein when the intermediate member is transmitting a force from said transmission member in contact with the transmission member to the binding mechanism, the transmission member, the front sandwiched between carboxymethyl Yafuto member and the intermediate member, the condition Then, the shaft member pushes the transmission member, and the intermediate member pushes the transmission member from the direction opposite to the direction in which the shaft member pushes the transmission member.
A recording material processing device characterized in that. The transmission member is a cam that can rotate around a rotation fulcrum of the transmission member.
The intermediate member includes a link member that converts a force due to the rotational movement of the cam into a force for bringing the two swinging members closer to each other at the binding processing position of the recording material bundle.
The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 1. The cam transmits a force to the intermediate member by pushing the intermediate member.
The intermediate member converts the force from the cam into a force acting in a direction different from the direction in which the cam pushes the intermediate member and transmits the force to the binding mechanism.
The force acting in different directions is a force acting in a direction in which the two swinging members are brought closer to each other at the binding processing position.
The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 2. The intermediate member transmits a force corresponding to the amount of rotation of the cam to the binding mechanism.
The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the recording material processing apparatus is characterized in that. The intermediate member transmits a larger force to the binding mechanism as the amount of rotation of the cam increases.
The recording material processing apparatus according to claim 4. An image forming device that forms an image on a recording material,
A recording material processing device that performs preset processing on a recording material bundle containing a plurality of recording materials on which an image is formed, and a recording material processing device.
Including
The recording material processing device is
A binding mechanism that has two swinging members that are arranged facing each other and can swing around a rotation fulcrum, sandwich the recording material bundle by the two swinging members, and bind the recording material bundle by pressure.
A transmission member that transmits a force for rocking the two rocking members,
An intermediate member that transmits the force from the transmission member to the binding mechanism as a force for the two swinging members to sandwich the recording material bundle.
A shaft member provided at the rotation fulcrum of the binding mechanism in contact with the transmission member and moving in response to the swing of the binding mechanism.
Have,
Wherein when the intermediate member is transmitting a force from said transmission member in contact with the transmission member to the binding mechanism, the transmission member, the front sandwiched between carboxymethyl Yafuto member and the intermediate member, the condition Then, the shaft member pushes the transmission member, and the intermediate member pushes the transmission member from the direction opposite to the direction in which the shaft member pushes the transmission member.
An image forming system characterized by this.