JP7456194B2 - Cutting waste transport device, paper cutting device, and image forming system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cutting waste conveying device, a paper cutting device, and an image forming system.

2. Description of the Related Art Paper cutting devices are known that are connected to an image forming apparatus such as a printing machine and cut paper according to the margins or printed images of printed matter after printing. In the case of a structure in which a waste box is provided inside the paper cutting device to store the cutting waste after cutting, when the cutting waste in the waste box exceeds its storage limit, it is necessary to dispose of the cutting waste in the waste box. There is. At this time, from the viewpoint of safety, printing is temporarily stopped, the waste box is taken out from the paper cutting device, and the cutting waste in the waste box is disposed of. For this reason, it is necessary to stop printing every time the amount of trimming waste exceeds the storage limit of the waste box, which poses a problem of lowering printing productivity.

In response to this problem, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which a conveyor belt is provided to discharge cutting waste into a waste bin outside the paper cutting device. With the configuration shown in Patent Document 1, the user can dispose of the cutting waste in the waste bin that has been discharged outside the paper cutting device, allowing the user to dispose of the cutting waste without stopping printing.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-86249

By the way, the form of the cutting waste cut by the paper cutting device differs depending on the paper conditions regarding the paper. For example, the size of cutting waste varies depending on the size of the paper. More specifically, if you cut long paper, long (large) cutting waste will be generated, and if you cut A3 size paper to make business cards, small cutting waste will be generated, and the size of the cutting waste will increase. The result will be different.

For example, when cutting long paper to a length of 1300 mm, if the width of the conveyor belt that conveys the cutting waste is less than 1300 mm, the cutting waste will be folded on the conveyor belt and discharged outside the machine. It turns out. At this time, if the conveyance speed of the cutting waste by the conveyor belt (hereinafter referred to as the cutting waste conveyance speed) is slow, the cutting waste of the next long paper will be added to the cutting waste of the previous long paper that remains on the conveyor belt. They will collide and mix. In such a case, depending on the stiffness, surface properties, etc. of the paper, a jam (paper jam) may occur on the conveyor belt.

In addition, if the cutting waste is small and the cutting waste conveyance speed is too fast, depending on the stiffness and surface properties of the paper, the cutting waste may fly out when it is discharged outside the machine, and the waste may be stored in the waste box installed outside the machine. Otherwise, it may not be transferred properly to the next conveyance device.

As described above, depending on the paper to be cut, there is a possibility that the conveyance failure of the cutting waste may occur, so it is desired to prevent the occurrence of the failure in the conveyance of the cutting waste regardless of the paper to be cut.

The object of the present invention is to provide a cutting waste transport device, a paper cutting device, and an image forming system that can prevent poor transport of cutting waste regardless of the paper being cut.

The cutting waste conveying device according to the present invention includes:
a cutting waste transport unit that transports cutting waste generated by cutting the paper;
a control unit that controls a cutting waste transport speed, which is a transport speed of the cutting waste, by the cutting waste transport unit, according to paper conditions regarding the paper;
Equipped with
The control unit sets the cutting waste transport speed according to a time interval until the cut waste contacts the cutting waste transporting unit .

The paper cutting device according to the present invention includes:
a cutting section that cuts the paper;
The cutting waste conveying device;
Equipped with

The image forming system according to the present invention includes:
an image forming device that forms an image on paper;
The paper cutting device;
Equipped with

According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of poor conveyance of cutting waste regardless of the paper to be cut.

1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a block diagram showing main parts of a control system of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a cutting waste conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a case where cutting waste is larger than a predetermined size regarding setting of the cutting waste conveyance speed. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a case where the cutting waste is smaller than a predetermined size regarding setting of the cutting waste conveyance speed. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a case where cutting waste larger than a predetermined size and small cutting waste smaller than a predetermined size coexist regarding the setting of the cutting waste conveyance speed. It is a flowchart explaining the setting of cutting waste conveyance speed. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a case where cutting waste comes into contact with a conveyance belt during cutting, regarding setting of the cutting waste conveyance speed.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the overall configuration of an image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment. Further, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the main parts of the control system of the image forming system 1 according to the present embodiment.

The image forming system 1 includes an image forming device 2 and a paper cutting device 3. The image forming device 2 is a device that forms an image on paper, and the paper cutting device 3 is a device that performs cutting processing on the paper on which the image is formed. The paper cutting device 3 is arranged downstream of the image forming device 2 in the paper conveyance direction.

[Configuration of image forming apparatus]
The image forming apparatus 2 is an intermediate transfer type color image forming apparatus using electrophotographic process technology. That is, the image forming apparatus 2 primarily transfers the CMYK color toner images formed on the photoreceptor to an intermediate transfer member, superimposes the four color toner images on the intermediate transfer member, and then transfers the toner images to paper (recording medium). ) to form an image. Note that CMYK refers to C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black).

The image forming apparatus 2 employs a tandem system in which photoreceptors corresponding to the four colors of CMYK are arranged in series in the running direction of the intermediate transfer body, and toner images of each color are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer body in one step. ing.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the image forming apparatus 2 includes an image reading section 10, an operation display section 20, an image processing section 30, an image forming section 40, a paper transport section 50, a fixing section 60, a control section 70, and a memory. It includes a section 81, a communication section 82, and the like.

The image reading unit 10 includes an automatic document feeding device 11 called an ADF (Auto Document Feeder), a document image scanning device 12 (scanner), and the like.

The automatic document feeder 11 uses a conveyance mechanism to convey the document placed on the document tray and sends it to the document image scanning device 12 . The automatic document feeder 11 can continuously read images (including both sides) of multiple documents placed on a document tray at one time.

The document image scanning device 12 optically scans the document conveyed onto the contact glass from the automatic document feeder 11 or the document placed on the contact glass, and converts light reflected from the document into a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). ) The image is formed on the sensor and the original image is read. The image reading unit 10 generates input image data based on the reading result by the original image scanning device 12. This input image data is subjected to predetermined image processing in the image processing section 30.

The operation display unit 20 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a touch panel, and functions as a display unit 21 and an operation unit 22. The display unit 21 displays various operation screens, image status displays, and the operating status of each function according to a display control signal input from the control unit 70. The operation unit 22 has various operation keys such as a numeric keypad and a start key, accepts various input operations by the user, and outputs operation signals to the control unit 70.

The image processing unit 30 includes a circuit that performs image processing on input image data according to initial settings or user settings. The image forming section 40 is controlled based on the image data that has been subjected to image processing.

The image forming section 40 includes an image forming unit 41, an intermediate transfer unit 42, a cleaning unit 43, a secondary transfer roller 44, and the like.

The image forming unit 41 includes image forming units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K, and the image forming units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K have similar configurations. Specifically, each of the image forming units 41Y, 41M, 41C, and 41K includes a photoreceptor drum 411, an exposure device, a developing device, a charging device, a drum cleaning device, and the like. Known techniques can be used for the photoreceptor drum 411, the exposure device, the developing device, the charging device, and the drum cleaning device, so detailed description thereof will be omitted here. Further, in FIG. 1, although the photoreceptor drum is illustrated, illustration of other components is omitted, and only the photoreceptor drum 411 of the image forming unit 41Y is labeled.

The image forming unit 41Y forms a toner image of Y component colored toner on the photoreceptor drum 411 based on the image data from the image processing section 30. Similarly, the image forming unit 41M forms a toner image of M component colored toner on the photoreceptor drum. Similarly, the image forming unit 41C forms a toner image of C component colored toner on the photoreceptor drum. Similarly, the image forming unit 41K forms a toner image of the K component colored toner on the photoreceptor drum.

The intermediate transfer unit 42 includes an intermediate transfer belt 421, a plurality of support rollers 422 including a backup roller 422A, and the like. The support roller 422 includes rollers such as a primary transfer roller and a drive roller in addition to the backup roller 422A, but illustration of these rollers is omitted here.

The intermediate transfer belt 421 is stretched in a loop around a plurality of support rollers 422 including a backup roller 422A, and runs in the running direction indicated by arrow A. The intermediate transfer belt 421 is disposed facing the photoreceptor drum 411 and is in pressure contact with the photoreceptor drum 411, so that the toner image formed on the photoreceptor drum 411 is transferred from the photoreceptor drum 411 to the intermediate transfer belt 421. The image is transferred to the transfer belt 421.

The backup roller 422A is pressed against the secondary transfer roller 44, which will be described later, with the intermediate transfer belt 421 sandwiched between them.

The cleaning unit 43 is disposed upstream of the photosensitive drum 411 in the movement direction A of the intermediate transfer belt 421, and is disposed opposite the intermediate transfer belt 421.

The cleaning unit 43 includes a cleaning blade 431 and the like. The cleaning blade 431 is a thin plate-shaped member made of an elastic member such as rubber, and has a width that is approximately equal to the width of the intermediate transfer belt 421 (the length in the direction perpendicular to the moving direction A of the intermediate transfer belt 421). has. The cleaning blade 431 is configured such that its tip portion slides in contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 421, and has a counter-type configuration in which the cleaning blade 431 is brought into contact with the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 421 so as to be opposed to the moving direction A of the intermediate transfer belt 421. It becomes. This cleaning blade 431 removes transfer residual toner remaining on the surface of the intermediate transfer belt 421 after the secondary transfer.

The secondary transfer roller 44 is in pressure contact with the backup roller 422A with the intermediate transfer belt 421 interposed therebetween. As a result, a secondary transfer nip is formed between the intermediate transfer belt 421 and the secondary transfer roller 44.

When the paper is conveyed to the secondary transfer nip formed by these, the toner images of each color carried on the intermediate transfer belt 421 are transferred onto the paper at once. The paper onto which the toner image has been transferred is conveyed toward the fixing section 60 by the secondary transfer roller 44 .

Note that in place of the secondary transfer roller 44, a secondary transfer belt-type secondary transfer unit stretched between a plurality of support rollers may be used.

The paper transport section 50 includes a paper feed tray 51, a paper feed transport section 52, a transport path section 53, a discharge paper transport section 54, and the like. The paper feed tray 51 stores paper (standard paper, special paper). Note that a plurality of paper feed trays 51 may be provided. In this case, each paper feed tray 51 stores sheets of paper identified based on basis weight, size, etc., for each preset type.

The sheets stored in the paper feed tray 51 are sent out one by one from the top, and are transported to the image forming section 40 by the paper feed conveyance section 52 and the conveyance path section 53. At this time, the inclination of the fed paper is corrected and the transport timing is adjusted. Then, the paper on which the image has been formed via the image forming section 40 and the fixing section 60 is sent to the paper cutting device 3 by the paper discharge conveying section 54.

The paper feed conveyance section 52, the conveyance path section 53, and the discharged paper conveyance section 54 are configured of, for example, a plurality of conveyance rollers, a drive motor that rotationally drives these rollers, and the like.

The fixing unit 60 includes a fixing roller 61, a pressure roller 62, and the like. The fixing roller 61 is heated to a predetermined fixing temperature, and the pressure roller 62 forms a fixing nip between the fixing roller 61 and the fixing roller 61 to sandwich and convey the paper. In the fixing section 60, the toner image is fixed on the paper by heating and pressurizing the paper onto which the toner image has been secondarily transferred and being conveyed in a fixing nip.

The control unit 70 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 71, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 72, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 73, and the like. The CPU 71 reads a program according to the processing content from the ROM 72, loads it into the RAM 73, and centrally controls the operation of each block of the image forming apparatus 2 in cooperation with the loaded program. At this time, various data such as an LUT (Look Up Table) stored in the storage unit 81 are referred to. The storage unit 81 includes, for example, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (so-called flash memory) or a hard disk drive.

The control unit 70 transmits and receives various data to and from an external device (for example, a personal computer) connected to a communication network such as a LAN (Local Area Network) or a WAN (Wide Area Network) via the communication unit 82. I do. The control unit 70 receives image data transmitted from an external device, for example, and forms an image on paper based on this image data (input image data). The communication unit 82 is composed of, for example, a communication control card such as a LAN card.

The communication unit 82 is also connected to a communication unit 182 of the paper cutting device 3, which will be described later, and the control unit 70 also sends and receives various data to and from the paper cutting device 3 via the communication unit 82 and the communication unit 182. conduct. In this case, the control unit 70 transmits the paper conditions regarding the paper, the cutting conditions regarding cutting, etc. to the paper cutting device 3 regarding the image forming process on the paper in the image forming device 2 .

An image reading section 10, an operation display section 20, an image processing section 30, an image forming section 40, a paper transport section 50, a fixing section 60, a storage section 81, and a communication section 82 are connected to the control section 70 via a bus. has been done. These execute predetermined processes based on instructions from the control unit 70.

[Configuration of paper cutting device]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper cutting device 3 includes a paper conveying section 110, a cutting section 120, a cutting waste conveying section 130 (cutting waste conveying device), a waste box 140 (see FIG. 3 described later), and a control unit. It includes a section 170, a storage section 181, a communication section 182, and the like. The paper cutting device 3 also includes a cutting waste state detection section 150 (detection section), a friction coefficient detection section 160, and the like.

The paper transport section 110 includes a transport path 111 and a transport path 112. The conveyance path 111 is connected to the discharge paper conveyance section 54 of the image forming apparatus 2, and conveys the paper conveyed from the discharge paper conveyance section 54 in the paper conveyance direction indicated by arrow C, and supplies the paper to the cutting section 120. do. The conveyance path 112 is configured to branch from the conveyance path 111 on the upstream side of the cutting section 120 and then merge with the conveyance path 111 downstream of the branched point. The conveyance path 112 functions as a buffer when feeding the long paper to the cutting section 120.

The cutting section 120 includes cutting machines 121 to 123. The cutting machine 121 is disposed upstream of the other cutting machines 122 and 123 in the FD (Feed Direction) direction, which is the paper conveyance direction C, and cuts the paper in the FD direction. Hereinafter, the cutting machine 121 will be referred to as the FD cutting machine 121.

Note that although detailed illustration is omitted, the FD cutting machine 121 has slitter in the number corresponding to the cutting location. The slitter has a pair of round blades, and the pair of round blades are arranged to rotate in the FD direction and are arranged to face each other vertically. Therefore, the slitter cuts the paper sandwiched between the upper and lower round blades in the FD direction by rotating the upper and lower round blades as the paper is transported.

The cutting machines 122 and 123 are arranged downstream of the FD cutting machine 121 in the paper conveyance direction C (FD direction), and the cutting machine 123 is arranged downstream of the cutting machine 122. The cutting machines 122 and 123 cut the paper in a CD (Cross Direction) direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the FD direction. The cutting machine 122 is used to cut the center part of the paper, and the cutting machine 122 is used to cut the edge part of the paper. Hereinafter, the cutting machines 122 and 123 will be referred to as CD cutting machines 122 and 123.

Note that, although detailed illustration is omitted, the CD cutting machines 122 and 123 have a number of cutters corresponding to the cutting locations. The cutter has a pair of plate-shaped cutting blades, and the pair of cutting blades are arranged so that the longitudinal direction thereof is along the CD direction and are arranged to face each other vertically. Therefore, the cutter cuts the paper sandwiched between the upper and lower cutting blades in the CD direction by moving and overlapping the upper and lower cutting blades.

As described above, the cutting section 120 includes the FD cutting machine 121 and the CD cutting machines 122 and 123, but this is just an example, and the configuration can be changed as appropriate depending on the cutting pattern. For example, only the FD cutting machine 121, only the CD cutting machine 123 may be used, or the number of the FD cutting machines 121 and the CD cutting machines 122 and 123 may be changed.

The cutting waste conveying section 130 will be explained with reference to FIG. 3 as well. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the cutting waste conveying section 130, and is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

The cutting waste transport unit 130 transports cutting waste W (see FIG. 4 described below) generated when the FD cutting machine 121 and the CD cutting machines 122 and 123 cut the paper. The cutting waste conveyance section 130 includes a conveyance belt 131, conveyance rollers 132a, 132b, a drive motor 133 (drive section), and a blade 134 (cleaning section).

The conveyance belt 131 is stretched around conveyance rollers 132a and 132b in a loop shape, and runs in the conveyance direction shown by arrow D (cutting waste conveyance direction). The cutting waste conveyance direction D is perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction C of the conveyance path 111. The conveyance belt 131 is arranged such that the end on the conveyance roller 132a side is located outside the discharge port 3a of the paper cutting device 3.

The drive motor 133 drives the conveyance roller 132b via, for example, a pulley. The drive motor 133 drives the transport roller 132b, so that the transport belt 131 runs in the cutting waste transport direction D, and the control unit 170 controls the drive motor 133 to control the cutting waste transport speed, which is the transport speed of the cutting waste W. By doing so, it is possible to set the desired speed.

Note that a speed reducer (power transmission unit) is provided to transmit the driving force output by the drive motor 133 to the transport roller 132b, and by controlling the speed reducer and changing the reduction ratio, the cutting waste transport speed can be adjusted to a desired speed. It may be set to the speed. The control of the speed reducer may be performed by the control unit 170, or a lever may be provided to control the speed reducer so that the user can change the speed reduction ratio by switching the lever.

The blade 134 is disposed below the conveyor belt 131 at the end of the conveyor belt 131 on the conveyor roller 132a side, and its tip portion contacts and slides on the lower belt surface of the conveyor belt 131. It is configured like this. The blade 134 is a thin plate-shaped member made of an elastic member such as rubber, and has a width that is approximately equal to the width of the conveyor belt 131 (the length of the conveyor belt 131 in the direction perpendicular to the cutting waste conveying direction D). It has a width. This blade 134 removes cutting waste W remaining on the surface of the conveyor belt 131 and cleans the surface of the conveyor belt 131.

The waste box 140 is arranged directly below the end of the conveyor belt 131 on the conveyor roller 132a side. The conveyed waste conveyed by the conveyance belt 131 in the cutting waste conveyance direction D falls from the conveyance belt 131 at the end of the conveyance belt 131 on the conveyance roller 132a side, and is stored in the waste box 140. Even if there is cut waste that sticks to the surface of the conveyor belt 131 and does not fall from the conveyor belt 131, the conveyor waste is scraped off by the blade 134 and stored in the waste box 140. It turns out. Note that in place of this waste box 140, another conveying device for further conveying the cutting waste W may be provided.

The guide plate 135, together with the cutting debris transport section 130, is disposed below the FD cutter 121, CD cutters 122, and 123. Specifically, the guide plate 135 is disposed directly below the FD cutter 121 and CD cutter 122, and the cutting debris transport section 130 is disposed directly below the CD cutter 123. The guide plate 135 has a bottom surface 135a, which is inclined so that the side of the transport belt 131 is downward (see FIG. 1).

The width of the conveyor belt 131 is longer than the length of the CD cutter 123 in the sheet conveyance direction C, but shorter than the length of the entire cutting section 120 (FD cutter 121, CD cutter 122, 123) in the sheet conveyance direction C. This is to avoid increasing the size of the cutting waste transport section 130 and the paper cutting device 3.

Cutting waste W generated when the FD cutting machine 121 and the CD cutting machines 122 and 123 cut the paper falls downward from the FD cutting machine 121 and the CD cutting machines 122 and 123. Specifically, the cutting waste W falling downward from the CD cutting machine 123 falls onto the conveyor belt 131 and is conveyed. On the other hand, the cutting waste W falling downward from the FD cutting machine 121 and the CD cutting machine 122 falls onto the guide plate 135, is guided by the slope of the bottom surface 135a of the guide plate 135, and falls onto the conveyor belt 131. transported.

The control unit 170 includes a CPU 171, a ROM 172, a RAM 173, and the like. The CPU 171 reads a program according to the processing content from the ROM 172, loads it in the RAM 173, and centrally controls the operation of each block of the paper cutting device 3 in cooperation with the loaded program. At this time, various data such as an LUT stored in the storage unit 181 are referred to. The storage unit 181 is configured with, for example, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (so-called flash memory) or a hard disk drive.

The control unit 170 is connected to the communication unit 82 of the image forming apparatus 2 via the communication unit 182, and transmits and receives various data to and from the image forming apparatus 2 via the communication unit 82 and the communication unit 182. conduct. In this case, the control unit 170 receives the paper conditions regarding the paper, the cutting conditions regarding the cutting, etc. regarding the image forming process on the paper in the image forming apparatus 2 . The communication unit 182 may be connected to the communication unit 82 via a communication network such as a LAN or WAN, and in that case, the communication unit 182 may be configured with a communication control card such as a LAN card.

The control unit 170 is connected to a paper transport unit 110, a cutting unit 120, a cutting waste transport unit 130, a cutting waste state detection unit 150, a friction coefficient detection unit 160, a storage unit 181, and a communication unit 182, respectively. ing. These execute predetermined processes based on instructions from the control unit 170.

By the way, the form of cutting waste cut by a conventional paper cutting device differs depending on the paper conditions regarding the paper. Therefore, depending on the paper to be cut, there is a possibility that the cutting waste may be conveyed incorrectly.

In order to avoid such conveyance defects, it is conceivable to make the width of the conveyor belt 131 equal to or greater than the entire length of the cutting section 120, but in that case, the device becomes larger, which increases the cost and installation of the device. This results in an increase in area.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 controls the cutting waste transport speed by the cutting waste transport unit 130 according to the paper conditions regarding the paper.

Further, in the present embodiment, the paper cutting device 3 includes a cutting waste mode detection section 150, a friction coefficient detection section 160, etc. in connection with control for setting the cutting waste conveyance speed. The cutting waste state detection unit 150 is a sensor, such as a camera, that detects the size of the cutting waste W. Further, the friction coefficient detection unit 160 is a sensor that detects the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131.

Control for setting the cutting waste conveyance speed according to paper conditions regarding paper will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6.

[In the case of cutting waste W larger than the specified size]
FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a case where the cutting waste W is larger than a predetermined size with respect to changing the setting of the cutting waste transport speed. As a paper condition regarding the paper, when the paper is a long paper, for example, when the paper is a long paper with a length of 900 mm, the paper is cut into slits in the FD direction by the FD cutting machine 121. In this case, by slit cutting the paper to a constant width, the length of the cut waste W is 900 mm, which is longer (larger) than a predetermined size (for example, 800 mm).

In this case, since the cut waste W is larger than a predetermined size, if the cutting waste conveying speed is slow, it will collide with and mix with the next cutting waste W, causing a JAM. Therefore, the cutting waste conveying speed is increased to, for example, 900 mm/s.

[In the case of small cutting waste W less than the specified size]
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the case of small cutting waste W having a predetermined size or less regarding the setting change of the cutting waste transport speed. Regarding paper conditions, if the paper is A3 size, the paper is cut into business cards using the FD cutting machine 121 and the CD cutting machines 122 and 123. In this case, by cutting in the FD direction and the CD direction, the cut waste W becomes smaller than a predetermined size (for example, 800 mm).

In this case, the cut waste W will be smaller than a predetermined size, so if the cutting waste conveyance speed is high, it may fly out when being discharged outside the machine and may not be able to be discharged into the waste box 140. There is sex. Therefore, the cutting waste conveying speed is slowed down to, for example, 300 mm/s.

[When large cutting waste W and small cutting waste W are mixed]
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a case where cutting waste W larger than a predetermined size and small cutting waste W smaller than a predetermined size coexist with respect to changing the setting of the cutting waste conveyance speed. As for paper conditions regarding the paper, if the paper is A3 size, the paper is cut into four sides by the FD cutting machine 121 and the CD cutting machines 122 and 123. In this case, due to the four-sided cutting in which the four sides of the paper are cut in the FD direction and the CD direction, the trimming waste W that has been cut includes a mixture of cutting waste W larger than a predetermined size and small cutting waste W smaller than the predetermined size. Become.

In this case, cutting waste W larger than a predetermined size and small cutting waste W smaller than a predetermined size coexist. Therefore, the cutting waste conveying speed is increased to, for example, 900 mm/s, until the cutting waste W reaches the discharge port 3a, and the cutting waste conveying speed is slowed to, for example, 300 mm/s from the discharge port 3a. .

Since the cutting waste transport speed is increased until the cutting waste W reaches the discharge port 3a, neither the small cutting waste W nor the large cutting waste W will collide with or mix with the cutting waste W of the next cutting. JAM can be prevented. Furthermore, since the cutting waste conveyance speed from the discharge port 3a is slowed down, both small cutting waste W and large cutting waste W can be reliably discharged into the waste box 140 when being discharged outside the machine.

Control of the cutting waste conveyance speed as described above is performed in accordance with the procedure shown in FIG. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating how to change the cutting waste conveyance speed setting.

(Step S11)
The control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 receives the paper conditions from the image forming device 2 after the image forming process is performed by the image forming device 2 . For example, in the case of FIG. 4, the paper condition is received that the paper is long paper, and in the cases of FIGS. 5 and 6, the paper condition is that the paper is A3 size.

When the cutting section 120 consists of only the FD cutting machine 121, in the case of FIG. can perform subsequent control.

When the cutting unit 120 includes an FD cutting machine 121 and CD cutting machines 122 and 123, the control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 also receives cutting conditions from the image forming device 2. For example, in the case of FIG. 4, the cutting conditions are received as slit cutting, in the case of FIG. 5, cutting to a business card, and in the case of FIG. 6, cutting conditions are received as four-sided cutting.

(Step S12)
The control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 obtains the size of the cutting waste W based on the received paper conditions (or paper conditions and cutting conditions) (obtaining unit). For example, in the case of FIG. 4, since the long paper (length 900 mm) is cut into slits in the FD direction, it can be determined that the length of the cut waste W is 900 mm.

In each case of FIGS. 5 and 6, the size of the cutting waste W is determined based on the paper conditions (or the paper conditions and the cutting conditions). For example, the size of the cutting waste W is determined based on the size of the paper and the cutting direction with respect to the paper. By determining the size of the cutting waste W, in the case of FIG. 4, the cutting waste W is large, in the case of FIG. 5, the cutting waste W is small, and in the case of FIG. 6, it is determined that the cutting waste W is large and the small cutting waste W. It can be seen that debris W is mixed.

Here, the control unit 170 (obtaining unit) of the paper cutting device 3 obtains the size of the cutting waste W based on the paper conditions and cutting conditions, but the size of the cutting waste W may be obtained by other methods. For example, the size of the cutting waste W may be detected using the cutting waste state detection unit 150 shown in FIG. good.

(Step S13)
The control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 determines the cutting waste transport speed corresponding to the determined size of the cutting waste W. The correspondence relationship between the size of the cutting waste W and the cutting waste transport speed is stored in the storage unit 181 in advance as a LUT, for example.

(Step S14)
The control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 checks the current cutting waste conveyance speed.

(Step S15)
The control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 determines whether the current cutting waste conveying speed needs to be changed based on the obtained cutting waste conveying speed. If it is necessary to change the current cutting waste conveyance speed (YES), the process advances to step S16, and if it is not necessary to change the current cutting waste conveyance speed (NO), the process advances to step S17.

(Step S16)
If the current cutting waste transport speed needs to be changed, the control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 changes it to the cutting waste transport speed determined in step S13. For example, in the case of FIG. 4, the cutting waste conveyance speed is changed to 900 mm/s, and in the case of FIG. 5, the cutting waste conveyance speed is changed to 300 mm/s. In the case of FIG. 6, the cutting waste conveying speed is 900 mm/s until the cutting waste W reaches the discharge port 3a, and the cutting waste conveying speed is 300 mm/s from the discharge port 3a.

The cutting waste conveyance speed may be changed by controlling the drive motor 133 as described above, or if a reduction gear is provided, the cutting waste conveyance speed may be changed by controlling the reduction gear. It may be changed. Further, FIGS. 4 to 6 are illustrative, and the cutting waste conveyance speed may be changed to 0 mm/s depending on paper conditions. That is, the conveyor belt 131 may be stopped.

(Step S17)
The control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3 cuts the paper on which the image has been formed by the cutting unit 120, changes the cutting waste transport speed (or does not change it), and transfers the cutting waste W to the cutting waste transport unit 130. After transport, the above control ends.

As described above, the cutting waste conveying device according to the present embodiment includes the cutting waste conveying section 130 that conveys the cutting waste W generated by cutting the paper. The cutting waste conveying device includes a control unit 170 that controls the cutting waste conveying speed by the cutting waste conveying unit 130 according to paper conditions regarding the paper.

According to the present embodiment configured in this way, the cutting waste conveying speed is controlled according to the paper conditions, so the cut waste W can be appropriately conveyed regardless of the paper to be cut, and the cutting waste W can be appropriately conveyed, It is possible to prevent the occurrence of poor transport of waste W. In other words, whatever the size of the cutting waste W, the cutting waste W can be appropriately discharged to the waste box 140 outside the machine without being retained in the paper cutting device 3.

<Modification 1>
In the above embodiment, the cutting waste conveyance speed was controlled according to the paper conditions, but in this modification, in addition to the paper conditions, the paper conveyance speed, which is the paper conveyance speed at the time of cutting, is also taken into consideration. Control the waste conveyance speed.

When the CD cutting machines 122 and 123 cut the paper, the paper transport unit 110 stops transporting the paper, and the CD cutting machines 122 and 123 cut the stopped paper in the CD direction. Since the stopped paper is cut in the CD direction by the CD cutting machines 122 and 123, the cut waste W falls freely onto the conveyor belt 131. Since the cutting waste W falls freely, the falling time of the cutting waste W tends to vary, and the time interval between the falling pieces of cutting waste W tends to fluctuate, so the cutting waste conveying speed is set to be high.

However, as described above, the cutting waste W cut by the CD cutting machines 122 and 123 is small, and if the cutting waste conveying speed is fast, it may fly out when being discharged outside the machine and cannot be discharged into the waste box 140. There is sex. Therefore, the cutting waste conveying speed is increased until the cutting waste W reaches the discharge port 3a, and the cutting waste conveying speed is slowed from the discharge port 3a.

On the other hand, when the FD cutting machine 121 cuts the paper, the paper conveying unit 110 continues to convey the paper, and the FD cutting machine 121 cuts the paper being conveyed in the FD direction. Since the FD cutting machine 121 cuts the paper in the FD direction while transporting the paper, the cut waste W falls onto the transport belt 131 due to the influence of the paper transport speed in the paper transport unit 110. Become. Since the falling speed of the cutting waste W is affected by the paper conveyance speed, the time interval between the falling pieces of cutting waste W is likely to be stable. to control the cutting waste conveyance speed.

As explained above, since the falling speed of the cutting waste W may be influenced by the paper conveyance speed, in this modification, the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled according to the paper conveyance speed. Note that, as described above, the paper conveyance speed during cutting differs depending on whether the cutting direction is the FD direction or the CD direction, so this embodiment also controls the cutting waste conveyance speed depending on the cutting direction. Become.

According to this modified example of controlling in this way, the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled according to the paper conveyance speed, so that the cut waste W can be appropriately conveyed, and the occurrence of defective conveyance of the cutting waste W can be avoided. can be prevented.

<Modification 2>
In the embodiment described above, the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled according to the paper conditions, and when the cut waste W is large, the cutting waste conveyance speed is increased, but in this modification, furthermore, The cutting waste conveying speed is controlled in consideration of the state of contact of the cutting waste W with the conveyor belt 131.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a case where cutting waste W comes into contact with the conveyance belt during cutting, regarding a setting change of the cutting waste conveyance speed. As a paper condition regarding the paper, when the paper is a long paper, for example, when the paper is a long paper with a length of 1300 mm, the paper is cut into slits in the FD direction by the FD cutting machine 121. In this case, by slit cutting the paper to a constant width, the cut waste W is long (large) with a length of 1300 mm. As described above, the size of the cutting waste W may be determined by the control unit 170 based on the paper conditions and the cutting conditions, or may be obtained using the cutting waste state detection unit 150.

As described above, depending on the paper conditions and cutting conditions, when the cutting waste W becomes large, a part of the cutting waste W during cutting may come into contact with the conveyance belt 131 of the cutting waste conveying section 130. In such a case, when the conveyor belt 131 attempts to convey the cutting waste W, the conveyor belt 131 may pull the cutting waste W in the middle of cutting, which may affect the cutting accuracy.

Therefore, in this modification, when the cutting waste W comes into contact with the conveyor belt 131 during cutting, the cutting waste conveying speed is set to be lower than the paper conveying speed. For example, when a long sheet of paper with a length of 1,300 mm is transported at a paper transport speed of 1,000 mm/s and the FD cutting machine 121 cuts the paper into slits in the FD direction, the cutting waste transport speed is set to be equal to or lower than the paper transport speed. ~1000mm/s. If the paper conveyance speed changes, the cutting waste conveyance speed may also be set to follow this change.

Further, the cutting waste conveyance speed may be set to 0 mm/s as long as it is lower than the paper conveyance speed. That is, the conveyor belt 131 may be stopped. However, when the conveyor belt 131 is stopped, the conveyor belt 131 is stopped and conveyance of the cutting waste W is stopped until the cutting is finished, and after the cutting is finished, the conveyor belt 131 is driven again and the cutting is continued. Start conveying the waste W.

As explained above, since the cutting waste W may come into contact with the conveyor belt during cutting, in this modification, the cutting waste conveying speed is controlled according to the contact state of the cutting waste W with the conveyor belt 131. I have to.

According to this modified example of controlling in this way, the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled according to the contact state of the cutting waste W with the conveyor belt 131, so that the conveyance of the cutting waste W is prevented from affecting the cutting accuracy. can do.

<Modification 3>
In the above embodiment, the cutting waste transport speed was controlled according to the paper conditions, but in this modification, in addition to the paper conditions, the time interval until the cutting waste W contacts the transport belt 131 is also taken into consideration. , controls the cutting waste conveyance speed.

In the image forming apparatus 2, the time interval between sheets on which image forming processing is performed may become long. For example, when the image forming apparatus 2 performs double-sided printing on paper or prints on thick paper, the time interval between sheets becomes longer than when printing on one side of plain paper. Furthermore, in the image forming apparatus 2, the time interval between sheets of plain paper may become longer due to execution of a device adjustment mode or the like.

When the time interval between sheets in the image forming apparatus 2 becomes longer, the time interval between sheets to be cut also becomes longer in the paper cutting device 3. For example, when the image forming apparatus 2 performs double-sided printing on a sheet of paper, after the paper cutting device 3 completes conveyance of the cutting waste W until the cutting waste W of the next cutting comes into contact with the conveyance belt 131, For example, there may be a gap of 10 seconds.

In this way, in the image forming apparatus 2, when the time interval between sheets becomes long, the expected waiting time is notified to the control unit 170 of the sheet cutting device 3, for example. Based on this notification, the control unit 170 changes the cutting waste conveying speed until the cutting waste W of the next cutting comes into contact with the conveyor belt 131. For example, the control unit 170 changes the cutting waste conveying speed for 8 seconds, or stops the drive for 8 seconds, or at a low speed. drive.

As explained above, since the time interval until the cutting waste W contacts the conveyor belt 131 may become long, in this modification, the time interval until the cutting waste W contacts the conveyor belt 131 increases. , the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled.

According to this modified example of controlling in this way, depending on the time interval until the cutting waste W comes into contact with the conveyor belt 131, when there is no need to convey the cutting waste W, the driving of the conveyor belt 131 is stopped or Since the speed is low, power consumption can be reduced. This also improves the durability of the cutting waste conveying section 130.

<Modification 4>
In the above embodiment, the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled according to the paper conditions, and the focus is on the size of the paper as the paper conditions. However, in this modification, the following conditions are also taken into consideration as the paper conditions. to control the cutting waste conveyance speed.

(1) Type of paper Consider the type of paper as a paper condition. Types of paper include plain paper, coated paper, special paper (embossed paper, laminated paper), etc., but the ease with which it sticks to the conveyor belt 131 differs depending on the type, so the control unit 170 Change the cutting waste conveyance speed in consideration of this. For example, since coated paper tends to stick to the conveyor belt 131 more easily than plain paper, the cutting waste conveying speed is set to be faster than that of plain paper. The correspondence between the paper type and the cutting waste conveyance speed is stored in the storage unit 181 in advance as a LUT, for example.

(2) Stiffness of paper Consider the stiffness of paper as a paper condition. Stiffness, also called "firmness" or "stiffness," is an indicator of the resistance of paper when it is bent. The stiffness of paper is determined based on the paper type, thickness, density, grain direction, etc. When the stiffness of the paper is high, when the paper is discharged from the conveyor belt 131, it gains momentum and the cutting waste W is likely to fly off. Therefore, the control unit 170 slows down the cutting waste transport speed as the stiffness of the paper increases. . The correspondence between the paper stiffness and the cutting waste conveyance speed is stored in the storage unit 181 in advance as a LUT, for example.

(3) Smoothness of the paper surface The smoothness of the paper surface is considered as the paper condition. The smoothness of the paper surface is determined based on the paper type, printing pattern, etc. When the surface smoothness of the paper is low, the cutting waste W is difficult to slip on the conveyor belt 131 and the conveying force becomes high. Slow down. The correspondence between the smoothness of the paper surface and the cutting waste conveyance speed is stored in the storage unit 181 in advance as a LUT, for example.

(4) Charging state of paper As the paper condition, consider the charging state (amount of charge) of paper. The charged state of paper is determined based on the paper type, toner, print pattern, printing environment (temperature, humidity), etc. When the paper is electrically charged, the cutting waste W tends to stick to the conveyor belt 131, so the control unit 170 increases the cutting waste conveying speed as the paper becomes more electrically charged (the amount of electrical charge increases). do. The correspondence between the amount of charge on the paper and the cutting waste conveyance speed is stored in the storage unit 181 in advance as a LUT, for example.

(5) Curled state of paper The curled state of paper is considered as the paper condition. When the curl of the paper is large, the cutting waste W is likely to curl up, and jams are likely to occur at the discharge port 3a, etc. Therefore, the control unit 170 increases the cutting waste transport speed as the curl of the paper increases. do. The correspondence between the size of paper curl and the cutting waste conveyance speed is stored in the storage unit 181 in advance as a LUT, for example.

(6) Moisture content of paper Consider the moisture content of paper as a paper condition. When the moisture content of the paper is high, it tends to stick to the conveyor belt 131 and the rigidity of the paper decreases, so the control unit 170 increases the cutting waste conveyance speed as the moisture content of the paper increases. . The correspondence between the moisture content of the paper and the cutting waste conveyance speed is stored in the storage unit 181 in advance as a LUT, for example.

Note that in (1) to (6) above, the input information input by the user in the image forming apparatus 2 is sent to the control unit 170 of the paper cutting device 3, and the control unit 170 uses this input information to make a determination. Good too. Alternatively, a sensor may be provided to detect the above (1) to (6), and the control unit 170 may make a determination based on the detection result of the sensor.

As described above, in this modified example, the cutting waste transport speed is controlled taking into consideration one or more of the following paper conditions: paper type, stiffness, surface smoothness, charge state, curl state, and moisture content.

According to this modified example of controlling in this way, the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled according to the paper conditions, so that the cut waste can be appropriately conveyed.

<Modification 5>
In the above embodiment, the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled according to the paper conditions, but in this modification, the cutting waste conveyance speed is controlled by taking into account the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 in addition to the paper conditions. Control.

In relation to (3) above, the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 also influences the conveyance force of the cutting waste W. Therefore, when the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 is low, such as when there are no irregularities on the surface of the conveyor belt 131, the cutting waste conveyance speed is slowed down. Further, when the surface of the conveyor belt 131 has a high coefficient of friction, such as when the surface of the conveyor belt 131 is uneven, the cutting waste conveying speed is increased.

In this case, using a predetermined friction coefficient as a criterion, it is determined whether the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 is high or low with respect to the predetermined friction coefficient, and based on this determination, the cutting waste conveyance speed is may be changed. For example, the friction coefficient of SUS (stainless steel) with respect to the paper is set as a predetermined friction coefficient, and it is determined whether the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 with respect to the paper is higher or lower than the predetermined friction coefficient. Based on this determination, if the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 with respect to the paper is lower than a predetermined friction coefficient, the cutting waste conveying speed may be made slower than if it is higher than a predetermined friction coefficient.

The friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 may be detected using the friction coefficient detection unit 160 shown in FIG. 2, or may be determined based on the type of conveyor belt 131. In this case, the cutting waste conveying speed may be increased as the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 increases. In this case, the correspondence between the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 and the cutting waste conveying speed is stored in advance as an LUT in the memory unit 181, for example.

As explained above, in this modification, the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131 is also taken into consideration to control the cutting waste conveyance speed.

According to this modified example of controlling in this way, the cutting waste conveying speed is controlled according to the friction coefficient of the surface of the conveyor belt 131, so that the cut waste W can be appropriately conveyed, and the cutting waste W can be conveyed appropriately. The occurrence of transportation defects can be prevented.

It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed as limited by these embodiments. That is, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from its gist or main features.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Image forming system 2 Image forming device 3 Paper cutting device 110 Paper transport section 120 Cutting section 121 FD cutter 122, 123 CD cutter 130 Cutting waste transport section 131 Transport belt 132a, 132b Transport roller 133 Drive motor 134 Blade 135 Guide plate 140 Waste box 170 Control section

Claims (18)

a cutting waste transport unit that transports cutting waste generated by cutting the paper;
a control unit that controls a cutting scraps transport speed, which is a transport speed of the cutting scraps by the cutting scraps transport unit, in accordance with a paper condition related to the paper;
Equipped with
The control unit sets the cutting scrap transport speed in accordance with a time interval until the cut cutting scraps contact the cutting scrap transport unit.
Cutting waste transport device. comprising a drive unit that drives the cutting waste conveyance unit,
The control unit controls the drive unit to set the cutting waste conveying speed to each speed.
The cutting waste conveying device according to claim 1. a drive unit that outputs driving force;
a power transmission section that transmits the driving force to the cutting waste conveyance section;
Equipped with
The control unit controls the power transmission unit to set the cutting waste conveying speed to each speed.
The cutting waste conveying device according to claim 1. The control unit sets the cutting waste conveyance speed to 0,
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. An acquisition unit for acquiring the size of the cutting waste,
The control unit sets the cutting scrap transport speed in accordance with the acquired size of the cutting scraps.
The cutting waste transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. When the size of the obtained cutting waste is larger than a predetermined size, the control unit makes the cutting waste conveying speed faster than when the size is less than the predetermined size.
The cutting waste conveying device according to claim 5. The acquisition unit acquires the size of the cutting waste based on the size of the paper and the cutting direction with respect to the paper.
The cutting waste conveying device according to claim 5 or 6. comprising a detection unit that detects the size of the cutting waste,
The acquisition unit acquires the size of the cutting waste detected by the detection unit.
The cutting waste conveying device according to claim 5 or 6. The control unit sets the cutting waste conveyance speed according to a paper conveyance speed that is a conveyance speed of the paper during cutting.
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The control unit sets the cutting waste conveyance speed according to the cutting direction for the paper.
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. When the cutting waste comes into contact with the cutting waste transport unit during cutting of the paper, the control unit sets the cutting waste transport speed to a paper transport speed that is a transport speed of the paper at the time of cutting, or less.
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. When the cutting waste comes into contact with the cutting waste conveying unit during cutting of the paper, the control unit stops conveying the cutting waste by the cutting waste conveying unit until the cutting is completed, and the control unit stops conveying the cutting waste by the cutting waste conveying unit until the cutting is completed. After the completion, the cutting waste transport unit starts transporting the cutting waste;
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 8. The paper condition is any one or more of the paper type, stiffness, moisture content, surface smoothness, charging state, and curl state.
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 12 . The cutting waste transport section is a transport belt,
The control unit sets the cutting waste conveying speed according to a friction coefficient of a surface of the conveying belt on which the cutting waste is placed.
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 13 . When the friction coefficient is lower than a predetermined friction coefficient, the control unit makes the cutting waste conveying speed slower than when it is higher than the predetermined friction coefficient.
The cutting waste conveying device according to claim 14 . The cutting waste transport section is a transport belt,
comprising a cleaning section that cleans the surface of the conveyor belt on which the cutting waste is placed;
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 15 . a cutting section that cuts the paper;
The cutting waste conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 16 ,
A paper cutting device comprising: an image forming device that forms an image on paper;
A paper cutting device according to claim 17 ;
An image forming system comprising:

Images