JP7363313B2 - Post-processing equipment and image forming system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a post-processing device and an image forming system.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a post-processing apparatus has been used to perform cutting processing on a sheet on which an image has been formed by an image forming apparatus, such as cutting the edges of the sheet or dividing the sheet into a plurality of regions. The post-processing device includes a cutting section having an upper blade and a lower blade, and a waste box is installed below the cutting section to store cutting waste generated by cutting.

In such a post-processing device, it is preferable that the cutting waste generated during cutting is smoothly collected in the waste box.For example, when the margin at the trailing edge of the paper is cut, the cutting waste is collected smoothly into the waste box. By rotating an upstream driven roller placed upstream of the blade in the paper conveyance direction with respect to the upstream drive roller around the axis of the upstream drive roller in a nip state, the cut pieces in the margin area are removed. Techniques for smoothly discharging the liquid have been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-47657

However, with the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, after the cut pieces in the margin area are ejected, the next sheet cannot be accepted until the upstream driven roller returns to its original position. There is a problem in that the quality is reduced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a post-processing device and an image forming system that can smoothly discharge cutting waste without reducing the productivity of cutting processing.

In order to solve the above problems, the post-processing device of the present invention includes:
a cutting unit that cuts the sheet conveyed along the conveyance path in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and cuts off a part of the sheet as cutting waste;
a pair of conveyance rollers disposed upstream and downstream of the cutting section in the conveyance direction to convey the sheet ;
Equipped with
Of at least one of the pairs of conveyance rollers disposed upstream and downstream , the diameter of the conveyance roller located on the side through which the cutting waste passes is set to the side opposite to the side through which the cutting waste passes. It is characterized in that the passage space for the cutting waste is expanded by making the diameter smaller than the diameter of the conveying roller located therein .

Further, the image forming system of the present invention includes:
an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet;
The above post-processing device;
It is characterized by having the following.

According to the present invention, cutting waste can be smoothly discharged without reducing the productivity of cutting processing.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming system in this embodiment. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the main part configuration of a CD cutting section. (a) is a perspective view of the CD cutting section from the upstream side with the waste guide section, the upstream drive roller, etc. removed, and (b) is a perspective view of the upstream driven roller. (a) is a perspective view of a guillotine cutter, (b) is an enlarged view of the central part of the lower blade of the guillotine cutter, and (c) is a cross-sectional view taken along line cc in (b). . It is a perspective view of an upstream guide part. It is a perspective view of a waste guide part. It is a figure for explaining an air blower and an auxiliary air blower. It is a figure for explaining each wind blowing direction of a 1st ventilation path and a 2nd ventilation path. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of an image forming system. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the movement of a CD cutting section when cutting the leading edge of a sheet. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the movement of a CD cutting section when cutting the trailing edge of a sheet. (a) and (b) are diagrams for explaining variations in cutting the leading edge and trailing edge of a sheet in the FD direction.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the illustrated example.

<Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an image forming system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The image forming system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 10 that forms an image on a sheet of paper, and a post-processing apparatus 20 that performs cutting processing on the paper on which the image has been formed by the image forming apparatus 10. .
Note that the image forming system 1 according to the present invention includes both a case where the image forming apparatus 10 and a post-processing apparatus 20, which are configured separately, are connected, and a case where they are configured integrally. obtain.

The image forming apparatus 10 forms an image on paper according to an operation instruction input from the operation display unit 18 or an image formation instruction received from a PC (Personal Computer) or the like via a communication network. The image forming apparatus 10 carries out the sheet on which the image has been formed to the post-processing apparatus 20 .
The image forming apparatus 10 includes a paper feeding section 15, an image reading section 16, an image forming section 17, an operation display section 18, and the like.

The paper feed section 15 includes a plurality of paper feed trays T1 to T3 that can store paper of different sizes, types (paper types), basis weights, etc., and stores paper stored in designated paper feed trays T1 to T3. is supplied to the image forming section 17.

The image reading unit 16 reads a document and generates image data. Specifically, the image reading unit 16 uses a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or the like to read the reflected light emitted from the light source and reflected by the document.

The image forming section 17 forms an image on paper. The image forming section 17 charges the photoconductor with a charging section, exposes and scans the photoconductor with a laser beam emitted by an exposure section based on image data to form an electrostatic latent image, and forms an electrostatic latent image using a developing section. The image is developed with toner, the toner image is transferred onto paper by a transfer section, and the toner image is fixed onto the paper by a fixing section.

The operation display unit 18 is configured by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and includes a display unit that displays various screens, and an operation unit configured by a touch panel and various keys stacked on the display unit. The operation display section 18 outputs operation signals input by touch operations or key operations to the CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 (see FIG. 9).

The post-processing device 20 is a cutting machine that performs cutting processing on paper. The post-processing device 20 performs a cutting process on the paper carried in from the image forming apparatus 10 as necessary, and discharges the product created by the cutting process to the paper discharge trays T11, T12 or the card tray T13.
The post-processing device 20 includes a conveyance path D1, a cutting section 26, a sensor 27, a waste box 29, and the like.

The conveyance path D1 is provided with a long paper conveyance path D2 that branches from the conveyance path D1 and merges downstream thereof. The long paper transport path D2 is used as a buffer when transporting long paper.

The cutting unit 26 performs a cutting process to cut the paper being conveyed. The cutting section 26 includes FD cutting sections 26a and 26b and a CD cutting section 100 at a plurality of positions on the paper conveyance path D1.
The FD cutting units 26a and 26b are slitters that cut the paper along the feed direction. The FD cutting section 26a includes a vertical slitter that cuts the ends (back side/front side) of the sheet in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction. The FD cutting section 26b includes a gutter cutting slitter that cuts a margin between adjacent products in a direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction.
The CD cutting section 100 includes a guillotine cutter that cuts the paper along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (Cross Direction).

Whether or not to use the FD cutting sections 26a, 26b and the CD cutting section 100 is determined according to the cutting mode. The cutting mode refers to a cutting control method determined by the cutting type, paper size, type, basis weight, etc.

Note that each of the FD cutting sections 26a and 26b and the CD cutting section 100, which constitute the cutting section 26, may be modularized and made detachable from the main body of the post-processing device 20. In this case, the arrangement order of each module can also be changed.

The sensor 27 detects cutting waste at a predetermined position in the depth direction (Z direction shown in FIG. 1) in the waste box 29, and outputs the detection result to the CPU 21 (see FIG. 9). That is, the sensor 27 detects that a certain amount of cutting waste has been loaded in the waste box 29.

The waste box 29 is installed below the cutting section 26 and stores the cutting waste generated by the cutting operation of the cutting section 26 and falling from the cutting section 26. The user opens the door of the post-processing device 20, takes out the waste box 29, and discards the cutting waste in the waste box 29.

Here, the detailed configuration of the CD cutting section 100 will be explained.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing the main part configuration of the CD cutting section 100.
As shown in FIG. 2, the CD cutting section 100 includes, for example, a guillotine cutter 101 including an upper blade 101a and a lower blade 101b extending along the CD direction of the conveyance path D1, and an upstream side of the lower blade 101b in the FD direction. an upstream guide section 103 provided on the downstream side of the lower blade 101b in the FD direction, a waste guide section 105 provided at a position facing the upstream guide section 103 across the conveyance path D1, A blower unit 106 blows air near the cutting position of the paper by the upper blade 101a and the lower blade 101b, an auxiliary air blower 108 (see FIG. 7) blows wind auxiliary near the cutting position, and a blower unit 108 blows wind around the cutting position of the paper by the upper blade 101a and the lower blade 101b. It includes an upstream conveyance roller pair 111 provided on the upstream side, a downstream conveyance roller pair 112 provided on the downstream side of the guillotine cutter 101 in the FD direction, and a prevention member 113.

Three upstream transport roller pairs 111 are arranged in series on the upstream drive roller 111a and on the lower side of the upstream drive roller 111a (on the side where cutting waste falls) facing the upstream drive roller 111a. Upstream driven rollers 111b are respectively driven (see FIG. 3(a)).
The upstream driven roller 111b is designed to ensure a movable range of the upstream guide section 103 as well as a space for dropping cutting waste between the lower blade 101b and the upstream driven roller 111b. The diameter of the roller is reduced. Therefore, the conveyance pressure of the upstream conveyance roller pair 111 is adjusted to be higher than the conveyance pressure of the downstream conveyance roller pair 112 and the like. Here, under the control of the CPU 21, the conveyance pressure of the upstream conveyance roller pair 111 can be adjusted by, for example, adjusting the rotational position of the cam by driving a motor of an adjustment section (not shown). Note that the adjustment of the conveying pressure of the pair of downstream conveying rollers 112, which will be described later, is also performed in a similar manner.

Note that the diameter (radius) of the upstream driven roller 111b is, for example, the distance between the axes of the upstream drive roller 111a and the downstream drive roller 112a, the diameter (radius) of the downstream driven roller 112b, and the width of the lower blade 101b (width in the FD direction). ), a space between the upstream driven roller 111b and the lower blade 101b where cutting waste falls (width in the FD direction), a space between the downstream driven roller 112b and the lower blade 101b where cutting waste falls (width in the FD direction) ) is derived based on each value.
Specifically, the distance between the axes of the upstream drive roller 111a and the downstream drive roller 112a is A, the diameter (radius) of the downstream driven roller 112b is L2, the width (width in the FD direction) of the lower blade 101b is B, and the upstream driven roller The space between the roller 111b and the lower blade 101b where cutting waste falls (width in the FD direction) is X1, and the space between the downstream driven roller 112b and the lower blade 101b where cutting waste falls (width in the FD direction). When X2 is assumed, the diameter (radius) L1 of the upstream driven roller 111b is derived from the following equation (1).
L1=A-L2-B-X1-X2...(1)

FIG. 3(a) is a perspective view of the CD cutting section 100 from the upstream side with the waste guide section 105, the upstream drive roller 111a, etc. removed, and FIG. 3(b) is a perspective view of the upstream driven roller 111b. It is a diagram.
As shown in FIG. 3A, the upstream driven rollers 111b are arranged in series at intervals of a predetermined width on the front side, center, and back side of the conveyance path D1 in the CD direction. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3(b), each upstream driven roller 111b has a diameter of the center portion 111b2 smaller than the diameters of the left portion 111b1 and the right portion 111b3. As described above, since the diameter of each upstream driven roller 111b is smaller than the diameter of the other conveyance rollers, each upstream driven roller 111b is susceptible to bending force and easily bends. Therefore, if the diameter of each upstream driven roller 111b is uniform, when the divided paper is conveyed to the CD cutting section 100, there is a risk that the divided paper will be nipped at the center of each upstream driven roller 111b. As a result, there is a problem in that the divided paper rotates during cutting, resulting in poor cutting. Therefore, by making the center part 111b2 of each upstream driven roller 111b thinner than the left part 111b1 and right part 111b3, when the divided sheet CS is conveyed to the CD cutting section 100, as shown in FIG. In addition, the divided sheet CS is nipped not at the center portion 111b2 of each upstream driven roller 111b but at both end portions 111b1 and 111b3 to prevent the divided sheet CS from rotating during cutting.

The downstream conveyance roller pair 112 includes a downstream drive roller 112a and a downstream driven roller that is disposed opposite to the downstream drive roller 112a and below the downstream drive roller 112a (on the side where cutting waste falls), and that is driven by the downstream drive roller 112a. A roller 112b is provided.

The prevention member 113 is a member for preventing cutting waste from entering between the upstream driven roller 111b and the upstream guide section 103 (upstream guide section 103 switched to the "path forming position"; see FIG. 11).

4(a) is a perspective view of the guillotine cutter 101, FIG. 4(b) is an enlarged view of the central part of the lower blade 101b of the guillotine cutter 101, and FIG. 4(c) is a perspective view of the guillotine cutter 101. ) is a sectional view of the lower blade 101b taken along line cc.
As shown in FIG. 4A, the guillotine cutter 101 includes an upper blade 101a disposed above the conveyance path D1 and a lower blade 101b disposed below the conveyance path D1. The guillotine cutter 101 is arranged so that its longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the conveyance path D1, and the upper blade 101a moves downward with respect to the fixed lower blade 101b, so that the upper blade 101a and the lower blade The paper is cut at the cutting position between the blades of the blades 101b.
As shown in FIG. 4(b), the lower blade 101b is provided with a plate 102, which is an auxiliary member, at the center in the longitudinal direction of the lower blade 101b to prevent cutting debris generated during cutting from sticking.
As shown in FIG. 4(c), the plate 102 is provided at the upper end of the lower blade 101b, so that the upper end 102a of the plate 102 floats above the tip slope (rake face) 101c of the lower blade 101b. is set up. This creates a gap between the lower blade 101b and the generated cutting debris, and prevents the cutting debris from sticking to the lower blade 101b.
Note that the plate body 102 may be disposed not only at the central portion in the longitudinal direction of the lower blade 101b but also at the left or right portion in the longitudinal direction.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upstream guide section 103.
As shown in FIG. 5, the upstream guide section 103 is a long member including a conveyance guide section 103a and a falling path forming section 103b, and either one of the conveying guide section 103a or the falling path forming section 103b is functional. The upstream guide section 103 is provided with a variable mechanism 103c (see FIG. 2) that moves (swings) the upstream guide section 103 so that the upstream guide section 103 is in the position shown in FIG.
The upstream guide section 103 is installed below the conveyance path D1 on the upstream side of the lower blade 101b in the FD direction, with its longitudinal direction along the CD direction.
The upstream guide section 103 is swingable around a rotation axis (predetermined axis) R1 (see FIG. 2), and has a "conveyance guide position" for functioning as a sheet conveyance guide, and a conveyance path for cutting waste (falling A "route forming position" for forming a route). Furthermore, by arranging the rotation axis R1 of the upstream guide section 103 at a position farther from the guillotine cutter 101 than the upstream driven roller 111b, the upstream guide section 103 can be rotated greatly, and the "route forming position It is configured so that when the switch is switched to ``, a large space can be provided for the conveyance path of cutting waste.

The "conveyance guide position" is a position in which the conveyance guide section 103a of the upstream guide section 103 is arranged parallel to the conveyance path D1. The "path forming position" means that when the upstream guide section 103 rotates a predetermined angle counterclockwise from the "conveyance guide position", a space is created in the conveyance path D1 on the upstream side of the lower blade 101b to serve as a conveyance path for cutting waste. This is a position that is formed.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5, ribs 103d extending in the vertical direction are provided at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction on the upstream guide portion 103 to prevent cutting waste falling down the conveyance path from sticking to the upstream guide portion 103. It has become so.
Further, the variable mechanism 103c includes, for example, a rotating shaft R1 that pivotally supports the upstream guide section 103 and a motor that rotates the rotating shaft R1, and swings the upstream guide section 103 as described above under the control of the CPU 21. let

Returning to FIG. 2, the downstream guide section 104 is a long member that includes a conveyance guide section 104a and a falling path forming section 104b, and either the conveying guide section 104a or the falling path forming section 104b functions. A variable mechanism 104c is provided that moves (swings) the downstream guide section 104 so that the downstream guide section 104 reaches the desired position.
The downstream guide section 104 is installed below the conveyance path D1 on the downstream side of the lower blade 101b in the FD direction, with its longitudinal direction along the CD direction.
The downstream guide section 104 is configured to be swingable around the rotation axis R2, and has a "conveyance guide position" for functioning as a paper conveyance guide and a "pathway" for forming a conveyance path (falling path) for cutting waste. It can be either a "forming position" or a "retreat position" to avoid movement of the upper blade 101a.

The "conveyance guide position" is a position in which the conveyance guide section 104a of the downstream guide section 104 is arranged parallel to the conveyance path D1. The "path forming position" means that when the downstream guide section 104 rotates by a predetermined angle clockwise from the "conveyance guide position", a space is formed in the conveyance path D1 on the downstream side of the lower blade 101b to serve as a conveyance path for cutting waste. This is a position where The "retreat position" is a position where the rotation angle of the downstream guide section 104 is smaller than the "route forming position" and the conveyance guide section 104a is retracted from the conveyance path D1.
Further, the variable mechanism 104c includes, for example, a rotating shaft R2 that pivotally supports the downstream guide section 104 and a motor that rotates the rotating shaft R2, and swings the downstream guide section 104 as described above under the control of the CPU 21. let

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the waste guide section 105.
As shown in FIG. 6, the waste guide section 105 is an elongated member including a conveyance guide surface 105a and a waste guide surface 105b, and a position where either the conveyance guide surface 105a or the waste guide surface 105b functions. A variable mechanism 105c is provided to move (swing) the waste guide section 105 so that
The waste guide section 105 is installed above the conveyance path D1 on the upstream side of the upper blade 101a in the FD direction so that its longitudinal direction runs along the CD direction. The waste guide section 105 is arranged at a position generally facing the upstream guide section 103.
The waste guide section 105 is swung around a rotation axis R3 (see FIG. 2), and has two positions: a "conveyance guide position" for functioning as a paper conveyance guide, and a "waste guide position" for suppressing flying up of cutting debris. , or a "jam processing position" for enabling jam processing when a jam occurs.

The "conveyance guide position" is a position where the conveyance guide surface 105a of the waste guide section 105 is arranged parallel to the conveyance path D1. The "waste guide position" is a position where a guard covering the lower blade 101b is formed above the lower blade 101b by rotating the scrap guide part 105 by a predetermined angle counterclockwise from the "conveyance guide position". The "jam processing position" is a position in which a jam processing space is formed on the upstream side of the lower blade 101b by rotating the waste guide section 105 clockwise by a predetermined angle from the "conveyance guide position".

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, ribs 105d extending in the vertical direction are provided on the scrap guide surface 105b at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction to prevent cutting scraps from sticking. There is.
Further, an opening 105e is formed in the waste guide surface 105b, and wind from above can escape through the opening 105e, making it possible to prevent the cut waste from becoming vertical due to the blowing of the wind. ing.
Furthermore, a blow guide surface 105f is provided on a part of the waste guide surface 105b. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the upper part of the waste guide surface 105b is bent by a predetermined angle from the central part in the longitudinal direction of the waste guide surface 105b to the back side (left side in the figure). A blow guide surface 105f is formed. This air blowing guide surface 105f becomes approximately parallel to the rubbing surface of the upper blade 101a and the lower blade 101b when the waste guide part 105 is converted to the "waste guide position" (see FIG. 11), and the second air blowing path 106d (described later) and auxiliary fan 108a (described later) is guided downward.
Further, the variable mechanism 105c includes, for example, a rotating shaft R3 that pivotally supports the waste guide section 105, a motor that rotates the rotating shaft R3, etc., and swings the waste guide section 105 as described above under the control of the CPU 21. let

FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the air blower 106 and the auxiliary air blower 108.
The air blowing unit 106 is a mechanism for blowing air toward a cutting position sandwiched between the upper blade 101a and the lower blade 101b from diagonally above the cutting position on the downstream side.
The ventilation unit 106 includes, for example, a fan 106a that generates wind, a first ventilation path 106b that is a distribution path (airflow path) for the generated air, and a shutter member 106c that serves as an adjustment mechanism provided in the first ventilation path 106b. and a second air passage 106d branched from the first air passage 106b.

The fan 106a may have any configuration as long as it can generate a predetermined amount of air. That is, it may be one fan or a combination of multiple fans.

The first air passage 106b is set so that wind is blown from diagonally above on the downstream side toward the cutting position sandwiched between the upper blade 101a and the lower blade 101b. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the tip slope ( The wind blowing direction WD1 is set so that the wind flows along the rake surface) 101c. By controlling the flow of air in this way, it is possible to make it easier to drop the cutting waste.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the second air passage 106d is a route provided by branching from the first air passage 106b, and after passing above the upper blade 101a, the second air passage 106d is a path provided below the upper blade 101a. The wind blowing direction WD2 is set so that the wind flows downward along the rubbing surface with the blade 101b. Further, the second air passage 106d is provided on the back side in the CD direction, that is, in an area where the gap between the upper blade 101a and the lower blade 101b is narrow, as shown in FIG. In this way, on the back side in the CD direction, the gap between the upper blade 101a and the lower blade 101b is narrower, and when air is sent through the first air passage 106b, the tip of the lower blade 101b is narrower than on the near side in the CD direction. Since the amount of air blown onto the slope 101c decreases, the second air passage 106d sends air to the slope 101c at the tip of the lower blade 101b, and the front side and back side of the lower blade 101b in the CD direction are heated. The amount of air blown onto the tip slope 101c is made uniform. Note that, in order not to obstruct the desired wind direction, the design is such that the amount of air passing through the first air passage 106b is greater than the amount of air passing through the second air passage 106d.

The shutter member 106c is configured to be able to swing around a fulcrum R4 by a drive unit (not shown), and has an open position where the wind flows out from the first air passage 106b and a position where the air is blocked from flowing out from the first air passage 106b. It can be operated between a closed position and a closed position. FIG. 7 shows the shutter member 106c in the open position. Note that the state in which the shutter member 106c is in the closed position is shown in FIG. 2, for example.
By opening and closing the shutter member 106c, it is possible to start and stop blowing the wind toward the cutting position.

The auxiliary blower 108 includes, for example, an auxiliary fan 108a that generates wind.
The auxiliary fan 108a has a smaller air volume than the fan 106a, and blows air from above to the position where the lower blade 101b is installed through an air passage that is different from the first air passage 106b and the second air passage 106d of the fan 106a. The wind blowing direction WD3 is set so as to flow. Further, the auxiliary blower section 108 is disposed above the longitudinally central portion of the lower blade 101b. This is to prevent the air sent from the second air passage 106d described above to the lower blade 101b from overlapping with the air sent from the auxiliary air blower 108 to the lower blade 101b.
The air sent from the auxiliary fan 108a hits the debris guide section 105 and passes through the opening 105e of the debris guide section 105. Therefore, the cutting waste can be easily dropped. Note that the air passage of the auxiliary fan 108a is also provided with an adjustment mechanism (shutter member) similar to the shutter member 106c, and can start and stop the blowing of air toward the cutting position.

In addition, among the above-mentioned structures, the upstream guide section 103, the downstream guide section 104, and the waste guide section 105 each independently move (swing), and assume a predetermined position depending on the cutting mode.
Further, the air blowing from the air blowing unit 106 and the auxiliary fan 108a is also started and stopped according to the cutting mode.
Furthermore, a fixed conveyance guide 107 (see FIG. 2) is provided at a position generally facing the downstream guide section 104 across the conveyance path D1.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the image forming system 1. As shown in FIG.
The image forming apparatus 10 includes a CPU 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a storage section 14, a paper feed section 15, an image reading section 16, an image forming section 17, an operation display section 18, and a communication I. Equipped with /F (InterFace) 19, etc. Descriptions of the functional units that have already been described will be omitted.

The CPU 11 reads out a program stored in the ROM 12, loads it in the RAM 13, and controls the operation of each part of the image forming apparatus 10 in cooperation with the loaded program.
The ROM 12 is composed of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory or the like, and stores a system program, various processing programs executable on the system program, various data, and the like.
The RAM 13 is composed of a volatile semiconductor memory, etc., and forms a work area that temporarily stores programs, input or output data, parameters, etc. read from the ROM 12 in various processes executed by the CPU 11. .

The storage unit 14 is composed of an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, and the like, and stores various data.
The communication I/F 19 includes a NIC (Network Interface Card), a modem, and the like, and transmits and receives data to and from the post-processing device 20 and the PC.

The post-processing device 20 includes a CPU 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a storage section 24, a paper transport section 25, a cutting section 26, a sensor 27, a communication I/F 28, and the like.

The CPU 21, the ROM 22, and the RAM 23 are the same as the CPU 11, the ROM 12, and the RAM 13, except that the post-processing device 20 is controlled by the CPU 21.

The storage unit 24 is composed of an HDD, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, etc., and stores various data.

The paper conveyance unit 25 conveys the paper carried in from the image forming apparatus 10 until it is discharged to the paper discharge trays T11, T12 or the card tray T13.
The communication I/F 28 is composed of a NIC, a modem, etc., and transmits and receives data to and from the image forming apparatus 10.

<Operation>
Next, the cutting process executed by the cutting section 26 will be explained.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the movement when cutting the leading end of the paper in the FD direction.
As shown in FIG. 10, when cutting the leading edge of the paper, the downstream guide section 104, which was in the "conveyance guide position" shown in FIG. , becomes a "route forming position".
As a result, a transport path for cutting waste is formed downstream of the lower blade 101b, and the cutting waste generated by cutting the leading edge of the paper falls downward without being blocked.
Thereafter, after the upper blade 101a returns to the initial position, the downstream guide section 104 returns to the original "conveyance guide position" until the leading edge of the product in the FD direction reaches the nip of the conveyance roller downstream of the downstream guide section 104. Return to
Note that, when cutting the leading edge of the paper, the upstream guide section 103 and the waste guide section 105 do not operate.

When cutting the leading edge of the paper as described above, the shutter member 106c of the air blowing section 106 rotates to the closed position, and the wind from the first air passage 106b and the second air passage 106d is blocked. Alternatively, the air volume may be reduced by controlling the rotation angle of the shutter member 106c. Note that the same applies to the auxiliary blower section 108.
This is to prevent the tip of the product from getting caught in the lower blade 101b, breaking, or jamming due to wind being blown onto the tip of the product in the FD direction and forcing the tip downward. control.
Note that the blocked or reduced wind may be returned to its original state after the leading end of the product in the FD direction reaches the nip portion of the conveyance roller downstream of the downstream guide section 104.

In addition, the air volume from the first air passage 106b and the second air passage 106d varies depending on the length of the product in the CD direction, paper basis weight, paper type, image information, presence or absence of paper curl, surrounding environment of the apparatus, etc. It can also be controlled. For example, in the case of paper whose basis weight is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and is determined to be stiff, it is less affected by the air volume, so it is possible to perform control such as reducing the amount of air volume reduction.
Note that the auxiliary air blower 108 can also be controlled in the same manner.

FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the movement when cutting the rear end portion of the paper in the FD direction.
As shown in FIG. 11, when cutting the trailing edge of the paper, the downstream guide section 104, which was in the "conveyance guide position" shown in FIG. and becomes the "evacuation position".
Thereby, even when the guillotine cutter 101 and the downstream guide section 104 are arranged close to each other, the operation of the upper blade 101a can be prevented from being hindered by the minimum movement of the downstream guide section 104. The "adjacent arrangement" is an arrangement in which the downstream guide section 104 in the "conveyance guide position" is located below the upper blade 101a, as shown in FIG. 2, for example.
Further, the upstream guide section 103 and the waste guide section 105 rotate counterclockwise at the same time as the guillotine cutter 101 cuts the paper, and are in the "path forming position" and the "waste guide position."
As a result, a transport path for cutting waste is formed upstream of the lower blade 101b, and the cutting waste generated by cutting the trailing edge of the paper falls diagonally downward without being blocked. Further, a guide is formed above the lower blade 101b to suppress scattering of cutting waste.
Thereafter, after the upper blade 101a returns to the initial position, the downstream guide section 104 returns to the original "conveyance guide" until the rear end of the product in the FD direction reaches the nip of the conveyance roller downstream of the downstream guide section 104. Return to "Position". Furthermore, after the upper blade 101a returns to the initial position, the upstream guide section 103 and the waste guide section 105 return to the original "conveyance guide position" by the time the leading edge in the FD direction of the subsequent sheet arrives.

When cutting the trailing edge of the paper as described above, the air generated from the air blowing unit 106 passes through either the first air passage 106b or the second air passage 106d, and flows from one end of the lower blade 101b in the longitudinal direction to the other end. The wind is evenly blown along the rake surface 101c of the lower blade 101b so that the cutting waste falls smoothly.
Here, since the lower blade 101b is provided with the plate 102, even if the generated cutting waste is electrostatically attracted to the lower blade 101b, it can be peeled off. Furthermore, when cutting the trailing edge of the paper, the air blowing guide surface 105f of the waste guide section 105 is approximately parallel to the rubbing surface of the upper blade 101a with the lower blade 101b, so that the air blowing guide surface 105f of the waste guide section 105 is approximately parallel to the rubbing surface of the upper blade 101a with the lower blade 101b. It is possible to guide the blown wind downward.

Moreover, even if the cutting waste is blown up by wind blowing, the flying up is suppressed by the waste guide surface 105b of the waste guide section 105, and the cutting waste can be stably dropped.
In addition, since the wind is blown from the auxiliary blower section 108 toward the lower blade 101b and exits through the opening 105e of the waste guide section 105, it is assumed that cutting waste is electrostatically attracted to the waste guide section 105. This wind can also cause them to fall.
Further, at this time, by providing the rib 105d on the scrap guide part 105, the contact area between the scrap guide part 105 and the cutting scrap can be reduced, and the attraction force of electrostatic attraction can be reduced.
Further, the rib 105d prevents the cutting waste from being in a position parallel to the direction in which the wind blows, so that wind can be stably blown onto the cutting waste.

FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining variations in cutting the leading edge and trailing edge of a sheet in the FD direction.
FIG. 12A shows a mode in which the leading and trailing ends of the paper in the FD direction (in the direction of the arrow in the figure) are each cut by 15 mm. This mode of cutting has two spaces: a space (width in the FD direction) where cutting waste falls between the upstream driven roller 111b and the lower blade 101b, and a space where cutting waste falls between the downstream driven roller 112b and the lower blade 101b. (width in the FD direction) are both 15 mm or more.For example, if each of the above spaces is 10 mm or more and less than 15 mm, cutting in this manner may cause the cutting waste to fall off. It will happen. Therefore, in such a case, as shown in FIG. 12(b), the image position printed on the paper is offset and the image position is moved 5 mm toward the rear edge, and the leading edge is trimmed twice at 10 mm intervals. Then, cut the rear end once to a width of 10 mm. As a result, it is possible to create a product that is the same as the product cut in the manner shown in FIG. 12(a).

<Effect>
As described above, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to cut a sheet conveyed along the conveyance path D1 along the width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and cut off a part of the sheet as cutting waste. CD cutting unit 100 and a pair of transport rollers (upstream transport roller pair 111 and downstream transport A pair of rollers 112) are provided, and the diameter of the upstream driven roller 111b on the side from which cutting waste falls among the pair of upstream conveying rollers 111 is smaller than the diameter of the other conveying rollers.
Therefore, it is possible to secure a space between the lower blade 101b and the upstream driven roller 111b to allow the cutting waste to fall, so that the cutting waste can be smoothly discharged. Further, since there is no need to move the upstream driven roller as in Patent Document 1, the cutting waste can be smoothly discharged without reducing the productivity of the cutting process.

Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the diameter of the upstream driven roller 111b, which is a driven roller, is reduced, so that the diameters of the drive rollers that constitute each conveyance roller pair can all be made to have the same diameter.
Therefore, it is possible to easily match the linear velocity of paper conveyance.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the upstream driven roller 111b is configured such that the diameter of the central portion 111b2 is smaller than the diameters of the left portion 111b1 and the right portion 111b3, so that the upstream driven roller 111b is transported to the CD cutting section 100. Incoming sheets (particularly divided sheets CS) can be appropriately nipped.
Therefore, since it is possible to prevent the sheet from rotating during cutting, the accuracy of the cutting process by the CD cutting section 100 can be improved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the space is disposed between the guillotine cutter 101 and each pair of conveyance rollers 111, 112 disposed upstream and downstream, and can form a space in the conveyance path D1 as a fall path for cutting waste. A guide section (upstream guide section 103, downstream guide section 104) that can be switched between an open position and a closed position that closes the space and guides the conveyed paper, and a variable mechanism that moves the guide section (upstream variable mechanism 103c). , a downstream variable mechanism 104c), and a CPU 21 that controls the variable mechanism so that the guide section is in the open position when the CD cutting section 100 cuts the sheet, and the guide section is in the closed position when the sheet is conveyed.
Therefore, when cutting, the guide part is in the open position to drop the cutting waste, and when transporting the paper, the guide part is in the closed position, making it possible to both secure a falling path for the cutting waste and stabilize paper transport. .

Further, according to the present embodiment, the guide portions include an upstream guide portion 103 disposed on the upstream side of the guillotine cutter 101 in the conveying direction, and an upstream guide portion 103 disposed on the downstream side of the CD cutting portion 100 in the conveying direction. The variable mechanism includes an upstream variable mechanism 103c that moves the upstream guide section 103, and a downstream variable mechanism 104c that moves the downstream guide section 104. By controlling the variable mechanism 104c, the positions of the upstream guide section 103 and the downstream guide section 104 can be switched independently.
Therefore, control can be performed according to the cutting position of the paper.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the rotation axis R1 of the upstream guide section 103 is arranged at a position farther from the guillotine cutter 101 than the upstream driven roller 111b, so that the upstream guide section 103 can be rotated by a large amount. This makes it possible to widen the space that serves as the conveyance path for cutting waste when switched to the "path forming position".

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the prevention member 113 that prevents cutting waste from entering between the upstream driven roller 111b and the upstream guide portion 103 is provided, it is possible to prevent the cutting waste from falling improperly.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the upstream guide section 103 includes a falling path forming section (waste guide surface) 103b that forms a transport path for cutting waste in the open position, and the scrap guide surface is provided with a rib 103d. It will be done.
Therefore, the cutting waste is prevented from adhering to the falling path, and it is possible to smoothly fall the cutting waste.

Further, according to the present embodiment, an adjustment unit (not shown) that adjusts the conveying pressure of the pair of conveying rollers 111 and 112 arranged upstream and downstream, and a conveying pressure of the pair of upstream conveying rollers 111 are adjusted to the pair of downstream conveying rollers. and a CPU 21 that controls the adjustment unit so that the conveyance pressure is higher than the conveyance pressure of 112.
Therefore, conveyance defects in the conveyance path D1 can be suppressed, and the sheet can be conveyed smoothly.

<Others>
Although preferred embodiments to which the present invention is applied have been described above, the content described in the above embodiments is a preferred example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

For example, in the above embodiment, the configuration in which the upstream guide section 103, the downstream guide section 104, and the waste guide section 105 are oscillated has been described as an example, but if it is possible to move these to predetermined positions, it is possible to oscillate them. It doesn't have to be dynamic.

Further, in the above embodiment, the diameter of the upstream driven roller 111b is reduced, but similarly to the upstream driven roller 111b, the diameter of the downstream driven roller 112b may also be reduced.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case has been described in which paper is used as the sheet, but the material of the sheet is not limited to paper, and may be a sheet-shaped resin or the like.

1 Image forming system 10 Image forming device 11 CPU
20 Post-processing device 21 CPU (position control section, cutting control section, conveyance pressure control section)
26 Cutting parts 26a, 26b FD cutting part 100 CD cutting part 101 Guillotine cutter 101a Upper blade 101b Lower blade 101c Tip slope 102 Plate 102a Upper end 103 Upstream guide part 103a Conveyance guide part 103b Falling path forming part 103c Variable mechanism 103d Rib 104 Downstream guide section 104a Conveyance guide section 104b Fall path forming section 104c Variable mechanism 105 Debris guide section 105a Conveyance guide surface 105b Debris guide surface 105c Variable mechanism 105d Rib 105e Opening 105f Air blowing guide surface 106 Air blowing section 106a Fan 106b First air passage 106c Shutter member 106d Second air passage 107 Conveyance guide 108 Auxiliary air blower 108a Auxiliary fan 111 Upstream conveyance roller pair 111a Upstream drive roller 111b Upstream driven roller 112 Downstream conveyance roller pair 112a Downstream drive roller 112b Downstream driven roller 113 Prevention member

Claims (11)

a cutting unit that cuts the sheet conveyed along the conveyance path in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and cuts off a part of the sheet as cutting waste;
a pair of conveyance rollers disposed upstream and downstream of the cutting section in the conveyance direction to convey the sheet ;
Equipped with
Of at least one of the pairs of conveyance rollers disposed upstream and downstream , the diameter of the conveyance roller located on the side through which the cutting waste passes is set to the side opposite to the side through which the cutting waste passes. A post-processing device characterized in that the passage space for the cutting waste is expanded by making the diameter smaller than the diameter of the conveying roller. The post-processing device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying roller located on the side through which the cutting waste passes is a driven roller. According to claim 1 or 2, the conveying roller located on the side through which the cutting waste passes is configured such that the diameter of the central portion of the conveying roller is smaller than the diameter of the end portions of the conveying roller. Post-processing equipment as described. The sheet is disposed between the cutting unit and each pair of conveyance rollers disposed upstream and downstream, and has an open position capable of forming a space in the conveyance path through which cutting waste passes , and a sheet that is conveyed with the space closed. a closed position that guides the
a variable mechanism that moves the guide section;
a position control unit that controls the variable mechanism so that the guide unit is in the open position when the cutting unit cuts the sheet, and the guide unit is in the closed position when the sheet is conveyed;
The post-processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising: The guide section includes an upstream guide section disposed on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the cutting section, and a downstream guide section disposed on the downstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the cutting section,
The variable mechanism includes an upstream variable mechanism that moves the upstream guide section, and a downstream variable mechanism that moves the downstream guide section,
5. The position control section is capable of controlling the upstream variable mechanism and the downstream variable mechanism to independently switch the positions of the upstream guide section and the downstream guide section, respectively. Post-processing equipment. The variable mechanism is a mechanism that rotates the guide part about a predetermined axis arranged parallel to the pair of conveyance rollers as a fulcrum,
The predetermined axis of the guide section is disposed between the cutting section and a pair of conveyance rollers in which the diameter of the conveyance roller on the side through which the cut scraps passes is smaller than the diameter of the conveyance roller on the opposite side . The post-processing device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the post-processing device is arranged at a position farther from the cutting section than the conveyance roller on the side through which the sheet passes . 7. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a prevention member that prevents the cutting waste from entering between the conveyance roller on the side through which the cutting waste passes and the guide section. Post-processing device. When the length of the cut portion of the sheet in the conveyance direction is longer than the space formed when the guide section is switched to the open position, the cutting section cuts the cut portion in multiple steps. The post-processing device according to any one of claims 4 to 7, further comprising a cutting control section that controls the cutting control section. The guide portion includes a waste guide surface that forms a conveyance path for the cutting waste in the open position,
The post-processing device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, wherein the waste guide surface is provided with a rib. an adjustment unit that adjusts the conveyance pressure of the pair of conveyance rollers arranged upstream and downstream;
The conveyance pressure of the conveyance roller pair on the side through which the cutting waste passes has a reduced diameter conveyance roller is the conveyance pressure of the conveyance roller pair on the side through which the cutting waste passes through which the conveyance roller does not have a reduced diameter. a conveyance pressure control unit that controls the adjustment unit so that the pressure is higher than the
The post-processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet;
A post-processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
An image forming system comprising:

Images