JPH04257493A - Sheet distributing and receiving device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a sorter capable of performing a high-speed stapling function at two places. CONSTITUTION:In a means 9 for controlling the bin trays 6 arranged vertically movably in a plurality of tiers and a stapler 7 arranged laterally movably, a stapling method comprising setting the stapler 7 in a first stapling position P1, moving the bin trays 6 in one direction successively to staple one portion of a sheaf of papers in each bin tray 6 corresponding to the position P1, resetting the stapler 7 in a second stapling position P2, moving the bin tray 6 successively in the reverse direction to staple the other portion of the sheaf of the papers in each bin tray 6 corresponding to the position P2, the number of times that the stapler 7 is moved being small, whereby a high-speed stapling operation can be attained.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a sheet distributing and storing device that distributes and stores recording sheets discharged from an image recording device such as a copying machine or a printer, and particularly relates to a sheet distributing and storing device that distributes and stores recording sheets discharged from an image recording device such as a copying machine or a printer. This invention relates to an improvement in a sheet distribution/accommodation device that enables post-processing such as punching.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art In general, a sheet distribution/accommodation device called a sorter has a sheet conveying path formed in a housing, and conveying rollers are appropriately arranged along this sheet conveying path. The recording sheet discharged from the sheet discharge port of the image recording device is conveyed to a preset sheet distribution stage, and a plurality of bin trays are arranged in the vertical direction on one side of the housing.
There is a system in which each bin tray is sequentially moved to the sheet distribution stage in accordance with the recording sheet distribution timing, and recording sheets are sequentially distributed and accommodated in each bin tray.

Recording sheets distributed and accommodated in the sorter described above are often subjected to post-processing such as stapling. There is a demand for automatic processing.

[0004] Sorters that meet such demands include:
For example, those disclosed in JP-A-63-41360, JP-A-63-252872, and JP-B-64-302 are already known.

However, the former (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-41360
In the type (No.), post-processing is performed using a stapler after the recording sheet bundle distributed and stored in the bin tray is re-stored in the post-processing tray.
Inevitably, a post-processing tray must be provided separately from the bin tray, and a conveyance means must be provided to convey the stack of recording sheets to the post-processing tray, which only complicates the sorter configuration. Alternatively, when the bundle of recording sheets is transferred to the post-processing tray side, there is a risk that the bundle of recording sheets that have been aligned on the bin tray may be dispersed, and there is a problem that the post-processing by the stapler tends to be wasteful.

[0006] Also, the latter (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 63-252872
In the case of the type (Japanese Patent Publication No. 64-302), a stapler is installed near the sheet distribution stage that does not interfere with the sheet conveying member, and post-processing by the stapler ( Since the stapling process is performed on one corner of the stack of recording sheets stored in the bin tray, the technical problems associated with the former type can be avoided; There has been a problem in that it is not possible to perform dual stapling processing in which the parts are stapled at two locations.

[0007] For this reason, the inventors of the present application have previously proposed a sheet distribution and storage device having the following configuration.

Specifically, the sheet conveying means is disposed inside the housing and conveys the recording sheet discharged from the sheet discharge port of the image recording apparatus to a preset sheet distribution stage, and a plurality of sheet conveying means arranged in the vertical direction on one side of the housing. A bin tray that is arranged in stages and moves sequentially to the sheet distribution stage according to the distribution timing of recording sheets, and a space within the housing that is located below or above the sheet conveyance means and extends in the width direction of the sheet conveyance means. A post-processing unit disposed, a position moving means movably supporting the post-processing unit at least in the width direction of the sheet conveying means, and a post-processing stage different from the sheet distribution stage, Post-processing control means for causing the post-processing unit to sequentially perform predetermined post-processing on a plurality of locations along one end edge of the recording sheet in each bin tray after moving and setting the post-processing unit to a post-processing target position. This is a sheet distribution and storage device.

[0009] With this configuration, it is possible to perform post-processing (such as stapling processing) on a plurality of locations along one edge of the bundle of recording sheets stored in the bin tray.

The movement of the bin tray, the operation of the position moving means, the operation of the post-processing unit, etc. by the post-processing control means are controlled, for example, at two points along one side edge of the recording sheet (first processing target position). , second processing target position), first set a predetermined bin tray on the post-processing stage, and move the post-processing unit from the home position of the post-processing unit to the first processing target position. After moving the post-processing unit to the second processing target position and activating the post-processing unit, the machine returns to the home position or the first processing target position and waits for the next processing. The bin tray is set at the post-processing stage, and these steps are repeated to perform post-processing on all target recording sheets.

[0011]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, according to conventional control, movement from the home position to the first processing target position or movement to the home position or the first processing target position after post-processing on one recording sheet is not possible. Since this is performed every time for each bin tray, the time required for this is very long, and there is a problem in that it takes a long time to complete the post-processing for all recording sheets.

The present invention has been made in view of these points, and its purpose is to speed up the post-processing of all recording sheets.

[0013]

[Means for Solving the Problems] For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a recording sheet 4 disposed in a housing 1 and discharged from a sheet discharge port 3 of an image recording device 2 is set in advance. a sheet conveying means 5 that conveys the sheet to the sheet distribution stage S1; a bin tray 6 that is arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction on one side of the housing 1 and that sequentially moves to the sheet distribution stage S1 according to the distribution timing of the recording sheet 4; One post-processing unit 7 located below or above the sheet conveying means 5 and disposed in a space within the housing 1 extending in the width direction of the sheet conveying means 5; After the post-processing unit 7 is moved and set to a predetermined post-processing target position using a position moving means 8 that movably supports the post-processing unit 7 and a post-processing stage S2 different from the sheet distribution stage S1. , recording sheet 4 in each bin tray 6
The post-processing control means 9 causes the post-processing unit 7 to sequentially perform predetermined post-processing on locations along one side edge of the apparatus.

A first step of setting the post-processing unit 7 to one of the plural post-processing target positions M1 and M2 where post-processing is not being performed; A second step in which the operation and the movement of the bin tray 6 one stage at a time are repeated in sequence, and the post-processing unit 7 performs post-processing on the recording sheets 4 accommodated in each bin tray 6 to the set post-processing target position. The post-processing control means 9 is configured to alternately repeat the following steps. Hereinafter, this will be referred to as the first method.

Further, the above-mentioned post-processing unit 7 is set at one of the plural post-processing target positions M1 and M2 where post-processing is to be performed, and the post-processing unit 7 is operated and moved to the adjacent post-processing target position. A first step in which all post-processing is performed on the recording sheets 4 stored in one bin tray 6, and a second step in which the bin tray 6 is moved step by step are alternately repeated. The post-processing control means 9 is configured as follows. Hereinafter, this will be referred to as the second method.

[0016]

[Operation] For convenience of explanation, the following description assumes that post-processing is performed at two locations (a first processing target position and a second processing target position) along one side edge of the recording sheet.

According to the first means, the post-processing unit 7 is set at the post-processing target position (in this case, the first processing target position) where the post-processing is to be performed, and the post-processing unit 7 is set at the top stage of the target bin tray 6. Alternatively, the lowest stage (the lowest stage in the bin tray 6 used for distributing and storing the recording sheets 4, and is not limited to the physical lowest stage) is set as the post-processing stage S2 (in this case, the topmost bin tray is set). )
. Next, the post-processing unit 7 is activated to perform post-processing on the first processing target position. And bin tray 6
is raised, the next bin tray 6 is set to the post-processing stage S2, and the post-processing unit 7 is activated. Hereafter, these steps are repeated sequentially to cover all target recording sheets 4.
Post-processing is performed on the first processing target position.

At this point, the post-processing unit 7 is moved to the second processing target position, and the post-processing unit 7 is activated. Next, the bin tray 6 is lowered, the next bin tray 6 is set to the post-processing stage S2, and the post-processing unit 7 is activated. Thereafter, these processes are repeated in sequence, and the post-processing is performed on all the target recording sheets 4 at the second processing target positions.

As described above, when the time for raising and lowering the bin tray 6 is shorter than the moving time for the post-processing unit 7, according to the first means, the movement of the post-processing unit 7 is limited to the first object to be processed first. Since all the post-processing can be performed in two steps: movement to the position and movement from the first processing target position to the second processing target position, high speed can be achieved.

Further, according to the second means, the post-processing unit 7 is set at the post-processing target position (in this case, the first processing target position) where the post-processing is to be performed, and the post-processing unit 7 is set at the post-processing target position where the post-processing is to be performed (in this case, the first processing target position) The upper stage or the lowest stage (the lowest stage in the bin tray 6 used for distributing and storing the recording sheets 4, and is not limited to the physical lowest stage) is set as the post-processing stage S2 (in this case, the top stage bin tray 6 ). Next, the post-processing unit 7 is activated, and post-processing is performed on the first processing target position of the recording sheet 4. Next, the post-processing unit 7 is moved and set to the second processing target position, the post-processing unit 7 is activated, and post-processing is performed on the recording sheet 4 at the second processing target position.

At this point, the post-processing unit 7 is stopped, the bin tray 6 is raised, and the next bin tray 6 is
is set in the post-processing stage S2. Then, the post-processing unit 7 is activated, and post-processing is performed on the second processing target position of the recording sheet 4 in the corresponding bin tray 6. Next, the post-processing unit 7 is moved and set to the first processing target position, and the post-processing unit 7 is activated to perform post-processing on the first processing target position of the recording sheet 4 stored in the corresponding bin tray 6. It will be done. Thereafter, the bin tray 6 is raised and the next bin tray 6 is set to the post-processing stage S2. Thereafter, these processes are repeated in sequence, and post-processing is performed on the first and second processing target positions of all target recording sheets 4.

As described above, when the movement time of the post-processing unit 7 is shorter than the time for raising and lowering the bin tray 6, the second means allows the recording sheets 4 stored in one bin tray 6 to be The processing unit 7 is moved from the first processing target position to the second processing target position, or from the second processing target position to the first processing target position, and the bin tray 6 is moved up or down. All post-processing can be performed on the recording sheet 4, and overall speeding up can be achieved.

[0023]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described in detail below based on embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings.

Table of Contents I. Overview of the device II. Configuration of each part of the device (1) Sheet conveyance system (2) Bin tray (2-a) Basic configuration (2-b) Bin tray movement system (3) Sheet alignment mechanism (4) Stapler (4-a) Basic stapler configuration (4- b) Stapler forward/backward movement system (4-c) Stapler processing position movement system (4-d) Sheet presence/absence detection system (5) Device control system III. Equipment operation (1) Sorting process (2) Stapling process

I. Outline of the device Figures 3 and 4 show an ADF (Auto Docum) not shown.
This embodiment is a copying machine main body 10 with a sheet distribution/accommodation device (hereinafter referred to as a sorter in this embodiment) 20 to which the present invention is applied.

In the figure, reference numeral 21 is a housing of the sorter 20, which is movable on casters 22. A recess 23 having a U-shaped cross section is formed vertically on the opposite side of the housing 21 from the copying machine main body 10 . An opening 24 leading to is opened.

Further, a plurality of stages (20 stages in this embodiment) of bin trays 40 are vertically movably disposed at a location facing the recess 23, and the protruding end of each bin tray 40 is placed inside the recess 23. It is placed protruding from the On the other hand, on the top of the housing 21, a non-sorting tray 25 is arranged, which is used when sorting processing is not required.Although not shown, an operation panel is provided with operation buttons, indicators, etc. is provided.

Furthermore, a sheet introduction port 26 is provided in the housing plate 21a corresponding to the sheet discharge port 11 of the copying machine main body 10, and the recording sheet 12 introduced from the sheet introduction port 26 is transferred to the sheet conveyance system 30. The sheets are conveyed to either each bin tray 40 or the non-sorting tray 25 via the .

Furthermore, a sheet alignment mechanism 70 is disposed near the bin tray 40, and this sheet alignment mechanism 70 aligns the recording sheets 12 in the bin tray 40 at predetermined timing intervals during the sorting process, and The recording sheet 12 is pressed down during stapling processing.

Further, a stapler 100 is disposed in a space within the housing 21 located below the sheet conveyance system 30 and along the width direction of the sheet conveyance system 30, and a stapler 100 is provided at a location opposite to the stapler 100. is set as the post-processing stage S2. The stapler 100 performs dual stapling on one side edge of the recording sheet 12 accommodated in the bin tray 40 located in the post-processing stage S2, or performs dual stapling on one side edge of the recording sheet 12.
It is designed to staple the corners of 2.

II. Configuration of Each Part of the Apparatus (1) Sheet Conveyance System In the diagram 4, the sheet conveyance system 30 has a common sheet conveyance path 31 that goes from the sheet introduction port 26 into the housing 21, and a first path that goes downward from the common sheet conveyance path 31. A sheet conveyance path 32 and a second sheet conveyance path 33 heading upward are branched, and the first sheet conveyance path 32 is connected to a sheet distribution stage (a target bin tray 4 in which recording sheets 12 are stored).
0 arrangement stage) S1, and on the other hand, the second sheet conveyance path 33 leads to the non-sort tray 25 position.

An appropriate number of conveyance rollers 34 and 35 are arranged at predetermined intervals along the first and second sheet conveyance paths 32 and 33.
Discharge rollers 36 and 37 are disposed at the distal ends of the rollers 3, respectively. Further, a sheet exit sensor (hereinafter abbreviated as EXIT SNR in some cases) 38 is disposed immediately before the discharge roller 36 of the first sheet conveyance path 32, which outputs, for example, a high level signal when the recording sheet 12 passes. It is set up.

[0033] Reference numeral 39 indicates the common sheet conveyance path 31.
This is a switching gate disposed within the sheet transport path 32 and 33 for switching and selecting one of the sheet conveyance paths 32 and 33.

(2) Bin tray (2-a) Basic configuration In FIGS. 3 to 5, the bin tray 40 is located in the recess 2.
A flat tray base that is inclined downward at a predetermined angle toward the opening 24 side of No. 3 and slightly inclined toward the front side in its width direction (corresponding to the width direction of the sheet conveyance path 32). 41 and the opening 2 of this tray base 41
Stapling by the positioning flange 42 erected on the four side edges and the stapler 100 formed at three locations (one corner and two locations sandwiching the center) of the opening 24 side edge of the tray base 41 Processing notches 43, 44,
45, a notch 46 for gripping the recording sheet 12 which is cut out approximately in the center of one side edge located on the front side in the width direction of the tray base 41, and a positioning flange 42 on the back side in the width direction of the tray base 41. A substantially triangular tamper opening 47 is formed on the side. In addition, the bin tray 40
As a configuration, a reinforcing flange may be formed at one end edge located on the back side of the tray base 41 adjacent to the positioning flange 42 to increase the rigidity of the bin tray 40.

The housing plate defining the front side of the recess 23 of the housing 21 functions as a positioning wall 48 for the recording sheets 12 accommodated in the bin tray 40.

Note that the gripping notch 46 and the tamper opening 4
7, at least the protruding direction side edge 46 of the bin tray 40
a, 47a are formed to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to the width direction of the bin tray 40, and are blocked by the edges of the notch 46 or the opening 47 when the recording sheet 12 enters the bin tray 40 during the sorting process. Care has been taken to ensure that this does not occur.

(2-b) Bin tray movement system In FIGS. 5 to 7, a pair of engagement pins 51 and 52 are directly protruded on both sides of the bin tray 40 in the width direction near the positioning flange 42, and A V-shaped support arm 54 is attached to one side in the width direction, and an engagement pin 53 is protruded from the lower end of the support arm 54.

Cam screws 55 to 57 are rotatably provided upright in portions of the housing 21 located on both widthwise sides of the recess 23 corresponding to each of the engagement pins 51 to 53, respectively. ~53 is each cam screw 55
-57 cam grooves 55a-57a.

In this embodiment, each cam groove 55a to 5
The pitch of 7a is not constant, and the pitch of the portion corresponding to the sheet distribution stage S1 and the post-processing stage S2 is set to be sufficiently larger than the pitch of the other portions.

More specifically, in this embodiment, the bin trays 40 located in the sheet distribution stage S1 and the post-processing stage S2 are in a continuous positional relationship, and the bin trays 40 located in the sheet distribution stage S1 and the bin trays 40 above it are in a continuous positional relationship. The gap g1 between the bin tray 40 located at the post-processing stage S2 and the gap g2 between the bin tray 40 located above and below it are made sufficiently larger than the gap g0 between the other bin trays 40. It is set. Incidentally, here, the gap g1
, g2 are set within a range that does not interfere with the sorting process and stapling process, and the gap g0 is set within a range where the bin tray 40 does not come into contact with it.

The drive system for each of the cam screws 55 to 57 includes a bin drive motor 58 (stepping motor in this embodiment) capable of forward and reverse rotation;
a driving pulley 59 fixed to the output shaft of the cam screw, driven pulleys 60 to 62 attached to the lower ends of the cam screws 55 to 57;
and a timing belt 64 that is stretched between each of the driven pulleys 60 to 62 and transmits the driving force from the bin drive motor 58 to each of the cam screws 55 to 57 at the same timing. It is configured.

In this embodiment, when each cam screw 55 to 57 has made one revolution, each bin tray 4
0 moves upward or downward by one pitch.

In FIG. 4, numeral 65 is an upper limit position detection sensor for detecting that the bin tray 40 located at the top has reached the upper limit position, and 66 is a sensor for detecting when the bin tray 40 located at the bottom has reached the lower limit position. This is a lower limit position detection sensor that detects when the

(3) Sheet Aligning Mechanism In FIG. 8, the sheet aligning mechanism 70 includes a flat tamper 71 that is disposed through the tamper opening 47 of each bin tray 40, and the upper and lower ends of the tamper 71 are connected to each other. It includes a pair of movable support mechanisms 72 and 73 that support the tamper 71 so as to move forward and backward along the width direction of the bin tray 40, and a sheet alignment drive system 80 that drives each of the movable support mechanisms 72 and 73.

In this embodiment, the movable support mechanism 7
2, 73 rotatably supports a ball screw shaft 75 between a pair of bearing brackets 74 (one not shown), a nut 76 is screwed onto the ball screw shaft 75, and the nut 7
6 are fixed to the upper and lower ends of the tamper 71.

The sheet alignment drive system 80 also includes a tamper drive motor (stepping motor in this embodiment) 8.
1, two drive pulleys 82 and 83 fixed to the output shaft of this tamper drive motor 81, driven pulleys 84 and 85 fixed to the ball screw shaft 75 of each movable support mechanism 72 and 73, and the drive pulley A timing belt 86 is stretched between 82 and 83 and driven pulleys 84 and 85, respectively.
, 87.

Note that the nut 7 of the lower movable support mechanism 73
6 is provided with a protruding piece 77 for position detection, and this protruding piece 77 is provided in correspondence with the home position as a home position sensor 78 (in this embodiment, a transmissive optical sensor 78 in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged facing each other) is provided. When the tamper 71 reaches the home position, for example, a low level signal is output from the home position sensor 78, thereby detecting that the tamper 71 has reached the home position.

(4) Stapler (4-a) Basic configuration of stapler In this embodiment, as shown in FIG.
0 is set to be moved by the processing position movement system 125 to the corner stapling position P0 and dual stapling positions P1 and P2 corresponding to the notches 43, 44, and 45 of the bin tray 40. In this case, the stapler 10 set at the corner stapling position P0
0 is arranged in a state inclined by 45 degrees on the horizontal plane compared to the case where it is set at the dual stapling positions P1 and P2.

The basic configuration of the stapler 100 is as follows:
For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the base end of a movable arm 102 is rotatably supported on a lower case 101a serving as a support base by a pivot shaft 103, and the movable arm 102 is attached to the movable arm 102.
An upper case 101b is provided coaxially with the movable arm 102 and biased toward the movable arm 102 by a biasing spring not shown.
This upper case 101b includes a staple storage section 10.
4, and a driving mechanism 106 for driving the staples 105 is provided at the tip of the movable arm 102, and the driving force of the stapler drive motor 107 is transferred to the belt 1.
By transmitting the driving force to the movable arm 102 through the driving force transmission mechanism 108 consisting of the cam 108a, the cam 108b, and the link arm 108c, the movable arm 102 is swung downward during the stapling operation, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. , the movable arm 10 is held with 12 bundles of recording sheets sandwiched between the lower case 101a and the upper case 101b.
The staple 1 is driven by the driving mechanism 106 that descends together with the staple 1.
05 into 12 bundles of recording sheets.

(4-b) Stapler forward/backward movement system As shown in FIG. 12, the stapler 100 forward/backward movement system includes a guide rail 112 attached to a support bracket 111 along the direction of movement of the stapler 100.
A movable plate 11 on which a stapler 100 is installed
3 is movably supported via guide rollers 114, and an advancing/retracting drive motor 115 is disposed on the support bracket 111, and an output shaft of this advancing/retracting drive motor 115 extends in the radial direction of the output shaft. The cam arm 116 is fixed, and an engagement pin 117 is provided protruding from the rotatable free end of the cam arm 116, and an engagement plate 118 in which an engagement slit 119 extending in the vertical direction is formed is fixed to the movable plate 113. , the engagement pin 117 is movably engaged with the engagement slit 119 of the engagement plate 118.

In this embodiment, the stapler 10
0 is located at a retracted position B that does not interfere with the bin tray 40 during vertical movement of the bin tray 40, as shown in FIG. Since the engagement pin 117 of the cam arm 116 slides along the engagement slit 119 and pushes out the engagement plate 118 toward the bin tray 40, the movable plate 113 advances to a predetermined position and the stapler 1
00 is set to the stapling execution position A.

Then, the stapler 100 located at the stapling execution position A returns to the retracting position B as shown in FIG. 12 when the advancing/retracting drive motor 115 rotates another half turn. The forward and backward movement of the stapler 100 is repeated each time the stapler 100 is moved.

[0053] Also, on the support bracket 111,
Position detection sensors 121 and 122 are provided to detect whether the stapler 100 is located at either the stapling execution position A or the retreat position B. The position detection sensors 121 and 122 are transmission type optical sensors in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged facing each other. Position detection is performed by blocking the optical path of 122.

(4-c) Stapler processing position movement system In FIGS. 14 to 16, the processing position movement system 125 of the stapler 100 has a guide rail 126 for regulating the movement path of the stapler 100, and It includes a movable cart 131 for moving the stapler 100, and a stop position detection device 145 for detecting the stop position of the movable cart 131.

In this embodiment, the guide rail 1
26 is a rising flange 42 of the bin tray 40.
a linear guide section 127 extending along the bin tray 4;
The guide rail 126 has a curved guide portion 128 that curves opposite the corner portion corresponding to the notch 43 of No. 0. A cut groove 129 is formed along the longitudinal direction of the guide rail 126. A rack 130 is provided.

The movable cart 131 has guide rollers 133 attached to both sides of a rectangular movable plate 132, and is movably disposed on the upper surface of the guide rail 126 along the cut groove 129. There is.

At one end of the movable plate 132, a support bracket 111 for the stapler 100 is bent downward into a substantially L-shape through the cut groove 129. A stapler 100 is installed via a stapler movement system. Furthermore, at the other end of the movable plate 132, a substantially inverted L-shaped support bracket 134 is bent downward through the cut groove 129, and the horizontal part of the support bracket 134 is used for moving the processing position. drive motor (in this example, a stepping motor) 13
A pinion 136 that meshes with the rack 130 is rotatably supported on the movable plate 132, and a drive pulley 137 is fixed to the output shaft of the drive motor 135 and is fixed coaxially with the pinion 136. A transmission belt 139 is stretched between the driven pulley 138 and the driven pulley 138 . Incidentally, the reference numeral 140 indicates the movable plate 13.
This is a guide pulley that is rotatably supported by the rack 130 and engages with one edge of the cut groove 129 located on the opposite side of the rack 130.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the stop position detection device 145 includes a position detection sensor 146 for installing the stapler 100 at the corner stapling position P0;
Stapler 1 at dual stapling positions P1 and P2
00, and a protruding piece 149 protruding outward from one side edge of the movable plate 132. Each of the position detection sensors 146 to 148 has a light emitting element and a light receiving element arranged opposite to each other at the upper and lower parts of a U-shaped case. At this time, the sensor optical path between the light emitting element and the light receiving element is interrupted, and the level changes from high level to low level.

Furthermore, in FIG. 17, reference numeral 150 is a short-circuit switch that short-circuits the drive motor 135, and when the output of any one of the position detection sensors 146 to 148 changes from high level to low level, the drive motor 13
5 is short-circuited, and its braking action immediately stops the drive motor 135. Incidentally, reference numeral 151 is a motor driver for sending a drive signal to the drive motor 135.

(4-d) Sheet presence/absence detection system In this embodiment, two systems of sheet presence/absence detectors 160 and 165 are used to determine whether stapling processing is required.
is provided.

One of the sheet presence/absence detectors 160 has a light emitting element 161 and a light receiving element 162 arranged at the upper and lower parts of the recesses 23 corresponding to the corner cutouts 45 of each bin tray 40, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. If there is a recording sheet 12 in any of the bin trays 40, the light emitting element 1
The optical path between the recording sheet 61 and the light receiving element 162 is blocked, thereby detecting the presence or absence of the recording sheet 12.

The other sheet presence/absence detector 165 is
As shown in FIG. 9, a lower case 101a as a support stand
This is a reflective sensor (a sensor in which a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged side by side) provided at the tip of the light emitting element. For example, a high level signal is outputted, and the presence or absence of the recording sheet 12 at the stapling position is thereby detected.

(5) Device Control System The device control system in this embodiment is composed of a microcomputer system as shown in FIG.

In the figure, the microcomputer system consists of a CPU 171, a ROM 172, and a RAM 173, and the ROM 172 stores a sorting processing program (see FIGS. 19 and 20) and a stapling processing program (see FIGS. 25 to 29). etc. are stored in advance, and the CPU 171 executes each program, and the RA
A predetermined control signal is created by processing input data while appropriately exchanging data with M173.

In such a system, the sheet exit sensor 38, the vertical position detection sensor 65, the lower limit position detection sensor 66, the sheet presence/absence detection sensor 160, 165, the tamper home position sensor 78, the stapler position detection sensor 121, 122, the corner tape Ring position detection sensor 146, dual stapling position detection sensors 147, 148, stapling process start switch 181, stapling mode selection switch 18
Each signal from the second etc. is taken in as input data to the CPU 171 via the input interface 174.
Each control signal from 71 is sent via the output interface 175 to a feed motor 183 that drives each roller of the sheet conveyance system 30, a solenoid 184 for driving the switching gate 39, a bin drive motor 58, and a tamper drive motor 80.
, the stapler drive motor 107, the stapler advance/retreat drive motor 115, the processing position movement drive motor 135, the short circuit switch 150, and other control devices, and the control devices are controlled as appropriate.

In this embodiment, the copying machine main body 1
The main body side CPU 176 provided on the 0 side and the above CPU 17
1, and various information such as the document size and the number of copies of the document by the ADF are taken into the CPU 171.

III. Operation of the Apparatus (1) Sorting Process ◎Processing Overview It is now assumed that a predetermined number of original sheets are copied using the ADF on the copying machine main body 10 side, and the copies are sorted.

[0068] At this time, a sorting selection signal is fetched from the main body side CPU 176 to the CPU 171, and the sorting processing program is executed.

Then, first, the switching gate 38 selects the first sheet conveying path 32 by driving the solenoid 184, and each conveying roller 34, 35 and discharge roller 36, 37 is driven by driving the feed motor 183. Ru. In this state, the recording sheets 12 discharged from the sheet discharge port 11 of the copying machine main body 10 are sequentially conveyed from the common sheet conveyance path 31 through the first sheet conveyance path 32 to the sheet distribution stage S1, and then to the sheet distribution stage S1. The bottles are sequentially distributed and accommodated in the bin trays 40 that are sequentially moved to S1.

◎Bin Tray Movement Control FIG. 19 shows the movement control flow of the bin tray 40 during the sorting process.

In the figure, after copying is started on the main body 10 side of the copying machine, the CPU 171 drives the bin drive motor 58 in units when the sheet exit sensor 38 changes from on to off. 1
Raise only the pitch (step [hereinafter abbreviated as ST] 1,
2) Check whether the final copy of the job, that is, the copy job of each page of the original, has been completed (
ST3).

Next, if the final copy of the job has not been completed, the processes from ST1 to ST3 are repeated,
At the stage when the final copy of the job has been completed, it is checked whether all jobs, that is, the copy job of the entire document has been completed (ST4).

Furthermore, if all the jobs have not been completed, at the stage when the sheet exit sensor 38 changes from on to off, each bin tray 40 is lowered by one pitch by unit driving the bin drive motor 58 ( ST5,6),
Check whether the last copy of the job has finished (
ST7).

[0074] If the final copy of the job has not been completed, the processes from ST5 to ST7 are repeated,
At the stage where the final copy of the job is completed, it is checked whether the bin home sensor (corresponding to the lower limit position detection sensor 66) is turned on (ST8), and then it is checked whether all jobs have been completed (ST9). . At this time, ST9
If it is determined that all jobs have not been completed, the process returns to ST1 again and a series of subsequent processes are performed.

[0075] In this processing process, if it is determined that all jobs have been completed in ST4 or ST9,
Finish the series of sorting processes.

[0076] In ST8, the bin home sensor 6
6 is not turned on, FAIL is displayed (ST10).

◎Tamper Movement Control The movement control flow of the tamper 71 during sorting processing is shown in FIG.

In the same figure, the CPU 171 is connected to the main body side C.
By fetching the size information of the recording sheet 12 from the PU 176 (ST1) and driving the tamper drive motor 80 in forward rotation according to the motor signal (RA area) shown in FIG. 23, the home position indicated by the solid line is set as shown in FIG. The tamper 71 located at is moved to the size-specific reference position (a position slightly larger than the storage position of the recording sheet 12) indicated by the dashed-dotted line (ST2).

After that, the number of ejected recording sheets 12 is counted by counting the on->off signal of the sheet ejection sensor 38 (ST3), and the final copy of the job, that is, the copy job of each page of the original, is determined. It is checked whether the job has been completed (ST4), and if it is determined that the final copy of the job has not been completed, the processes of ST3 and ST4 are repeated.

Then, in ST4, when it is determined that the final copy of the job has been completed, the tamper drive motor 80 is rotated forward and reverse within a predetermined range according to the motor signal (R2 area) shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 22, the tamper 7 is located at the reference position for each size indicated by the solid line.
1 to the edge position of the recording sheet 12 (indicated by the one-dot chain line), press the recording sheet 12 against the positioning wall 48 to align it, and then return it to the standard position for each size (ST
5).

[0081] Thereafter, it is checked whether all the copy jobs have been completed (ST6), and if it is determined that all the copy jobs have not been completed, the processes from ST3 to ST6 are repeated.

In ST6, if it is determined that all the copy jobs have been completed, the tamper drive motor 80 is driven in reverse rotation according to the motor signal (R3 area) shown in FIG. The tamper 71 located at the size-specific reference position indicated by the solid line is moved back to the home position indicated by the two-dot chain line (ST7), and at this stage, the tamper operation during the sorting process is ended. It is to be noted that whether or not the vehicle has returned to the home position is determined by the signal of the tamper home sensor 78 changing from a low level to a high level, as shown in FIG.

◎Specific example of sorting processing (see FIG. 24) Now, it is assumed that the ADF is used to copy k sheets of document n sheets at a time and to sort them.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 24(a), first, the first original copy recording sheet 12(1) is placed in the uppermost bin tray 40 (located on the sheet distribution stage S1).
1), and then, as shown in FIGS. 24(b) and 24(c), after the second-stage bin tray 40(2) is set on the sheet distribution stage S1, this bin tray 40
The recording sheet 12(1) is distributed and stored in (2), and from then on,
Bin trays 40(3)...40(n) from the 3rd stage to the nth stage
) The recording sheets 12(1) are sequentially distributed and accommodated.

Next, when the copying operation of the second original is started, the second original copy recording sheets 12(2) are sequentially conveyed to the sheet distribution stage S1. Then, Figure 2
4(d), first, the sheet distribution stage S1
The recording sheets 12(2) are distributed and accommodated in the n-th bin tray 40(n) located at
), the n-1st bin tray 40 (n-1
) is set on the sheet distribution stage S1, the recording sheet 12 (2) is distributed and accommodated in this bin tray 40 (n-1), and thereafter, the bin trays 40 (n-2) from the n-2th stage to the top stage 2)… Record sheet 12 (2) on 40 (1)
) are distributed and accommodated sequentially.

[0086] Thereafter, similar operations are repeated until the copying of the k-th document is completed.

[0087] In such a series of copy jobs,
As shown in FIGS. 24(a) to 24(f), the tamper 71 is set at the reference position for each size at the time of copy start, and is applied to each bin tray in order from the first sheet at each time each original copy job is completed. 40 to the edge position of the recording sheet 12, and align the recording sheets 12.

(2) Stapling Process Basic Stapling Control The basic control flow of the bin tray 40 and stapler 100 during stapling processing is shown in FIG.

In the figure, the CPU 171 first controls the copying machine main body 10 based on information from the main body side CPU 176.
Checks whether or not is in ADF use mode (ST1),
If it is the DF use mode, it is checked whether the final original copying by the ADF has been completed (ST2), and when the final original copying by the ADF has been completed, it is determined that all sorting processing has been completed (ST3). If the copying machine main body 10 is not in the ADF use mode, it is checked whether the manual start switch 181 at the start of the stapling process is on (ST4), and if the start switch 181 is on, the sorting process is started. It is determined that everything has been completed (ST3).

Thereafter, it is checked whether or not stapling processing is required according to the output of the first sheet presence/absence detector 160 (ST5). If it is determined that stapling processing is required, the bin tray 40 is The bin tray 40 is moved downward by the pitch, and the bin tray 40 is set at the initial stapling position so that the top bin tray 40 or the bin tray 40 in the number of stages corresponding to the sorting number is located on the post-processing stage S2 (ST6).

After that, it is checked whether the stapling mode is dual mode or not according to the information from the stapling mode mode selection switch 182 (ST7).
If the mode is dual mode, dual stapling processing is executed (ST8), whereas if it is not dual mode, it is determined that it is corner mode and corner stapling processing is executed (ST9).

[0092] Then, at the stage when a series of stapling processes are completed, or when it is determined in ST5 that stapling processing is not required (the output of the light receiving element 162 of the sheet presence/absence detector 160 is at a high level),
In preparation for the next sorting process, each bin tray 40 is returned to the initial sorting position so that the topmost bin tray 40 is placed on the sheet distribution stage S1 (ST10), and then the series of processes ends.

◎Dual stapling process (1) Figure 2
The process of ST8 in step 5 is shown in FIG.

In the figure, the CPU 171 first drives the movable cart 131 by driving the drive motor 135.
is moved, the drive motor 135 is stopped based on information from the position detection sensor 147, and the stapler 100 is set at the dual stapling position P1 (ST1).

At this stage, the basic stapling operation is performed (ST2), it is checked whether or not the stapling target is the final bin tray 40 (ST3), and if it is not the final bin tray 40, the bin tray 40 is raised by one pitch. Alternatively, move the bin tray 40 downward and set the next stapling target bin tray 40 on the post-processing stage S2 (S
T4), from now on, the stapling target is the final bin tray 4.
The processes from ST2 to ST4 are repeated until the value becomes 0.

Then, at the stage where the final bin tray 40 has been stapled, the movable cart 131 is moved by driving the drive motor 135 again, and the drive motor 135 is stopped based on information from the position detection sensor 148. and sets the stapler 100 at the dual stapling position P2 (ST5).

At this stage, basic stapling operations are performed (ST6), it is checked whether or not the stapling target is the final bin tray 40 (ST7), and if it is not the final bin tray 40, the bin tray 40 is raised by one pitch. Alternatively, move the bin tray 40 downward and set the next stapling target bin tray 40 on the post-processing stage S2 (S
T8), from now on, the stapling target is the final bin tray 4.
The processes from ST6 to ST8 are repeated until the value becomes 0.

In ST7, if it is determined that the stapling target is the final bin tray 40, the drive motor 135 is reversely driven to move the movable cart 131, and the drive motor 131 is moved based on the information from the position detection sensor 146. 135, and move the stapler 100 to the corner stapling position (in this example, the initial position) P0.
is returned (ST9), and at this stage it is determined that the stapling process is completed (ST10).

◎Dual stapling process (2) Figure 2
FIG. 27 shows other processing of ST8 in step 5.

In the figure, the CPU 171 first drives the movable cart 131 by driving the drive motor 135.
is moved, the drive motor 135 is stopped based on information from the position detection sensor 147, and the stapler 100 is set at the dual stapling position P1 (ST1).

At this stage, the basic stapling operation is performed (ST2), the movable cart 131 is moved by driving the drive motor 135 again, and the drive motor 135 is stopped based on the information from the position detection sensor 148. , the stapler 100 is set at the dual stapling position P2 (ST3).

At this stage, the basic stapling operation is performed (ST4), and it is checked whether or not the stapling target is the final bin tray 40 (ST5), and if it is not the final bin tray 40, the bin tray 40 is raised by one pitch. Alternatively, move the bin tray 40 downward and set the next stapling target bin tray 40 on the post-processing stage S2 (S
T6), and basic stapling operations are performed (ST7).

Next, the movable cart 131 is moved by driving the drive motor 135, and the position detection sensor 1 is moved.
The drive motor 135 is stopped based on the information from 47, and the stapler 100 is moved to the dual stapling position P1.
is reset (ST8), and the basic stapling operation is performed (ST9). At this stage, it is checked again whether the stapling target is the final bin tray 40 (
ST10), if it is not the final bin tray 40, move the bin tray 40 up or down by one pitch (ST10).
11) From now on, the stapling target is the final bin tray 4.
The processes from ST2 to ST11 are repeated until the value becomes 0.

Then, in ST5 or ST10, if it is determined that the stapling target is the final bin tray 40, the movable cart 131 is moved by driving the drive motor 135, and is driven based on the information from the position detection sensor 146. The motor 135 is stopped, the stapler 100 is returned to the corner stapling position (in this embodiment, the initial position) P0 (ST12), and it is determined that the stapling process is completed at this stage (ST13).

◎ Corner stapling process ST in Figure 25
The process of step 9 is shown in FIG.

In the figure, the CPU 171 first checks whether the stapler 100 is at the corner stapling position (initial position) P0 (ST1), and if not, moves the movable cart 131 by appropriately driving the drive motor 135. is moved, the drive motor 135 is stopped based on the information from the position detection sensor 146, and the stapler 100 is set at the corner stapling position P0 (ST2
).

Then, when it is confirmed that the stapler 100 is at the corner stapling position P0, the basic stapling operation is performed (ST3), and it is checked whether or not the stapling target is the final bin tray 40 (ST4). ), if it is not the final bin tray 40, move the bin tray 40 up or down by one pitch,
The next bin tray 40 to be stapled is set on the post-processing stage S2 (ST5), and thereafter, the processes from ST3 to ST5 are repeated until the final bin tray 40 is to be stapled.

[0108] Then, when the stapling process has been performed on the final bin tray 40, it is determined that the stapling process has been completed (ST6).

◎Basic stapling operations (stapler)
FIG. 29 shows an operation flow of the stapler 100 during basic stapling operations.

In the figure, the CPU 171 first moves the stapler 1 to the stapling execution position A (see FIG. 13).
00 is moved forward (ST1), and the sheet presence/absence detector 16
Based on the information from No. 5, it is checked whether a stapling operation is required (ST2). That is, it is detected whether or not the recording sheet 12 exists at the target stapling position, and only when the recording sheet 12 exists, it is determined that the stapling operation is required.

[0111] Then, when it was determined that a stapling operation was necessary, the stapling operation was executed (ST3).
After that, the stapler 100 is moved backward to the retracted position B (see FIG. 12) (ST4). On the other hand, if it is determined that the stapling operation is not required, the stapler 100 is immediately moved backward to the retracted position (ST4), Stapler 100
Finish the basic operation.

◎Basic Stapling Operation (Tamper) Figure 3 shows the operation flow of the tamper 71 during the basic stapling operation.
0.

In the figure, the CPU 171 first moves and sets the tamper 71 to the reference position for each size (see FIG. 21) (ST1), and then moves the stapler 100 to the stapling execution position based on information from the position detection sensor 121. A (ST2), and if it is determined that the stapler 100 is at the stapling execution position A, the tamper 71 is moved to the sheet holding position as shown in FIG.
is moved (ST3).

Next, it is checked whether the stapler 100 is at the retracted position B based on the information from the position detection sensor 122 (ST4), and if it is determined that the stapler 100 is at the retracted position B, the position is moved as shown in FIG. Then, the tamper 71 located at the sheet holding position is moved to the standard position for each size (ST5).

[0115] Before the final stapling operation is performed, the tamper 7 is moved to the reference position for each size.
When it is determined that the final stapling operation has been performed (ST6), the tamper 71 is returned to the home position (ST7), and then the basic stapling operation is finished. do.

◎Specific example of stapling processing (corresponding to the processing shown in FIG. 26) Now, for example, use the ADF to copy k sheets of originals one by one, sort them, and then perform dual stapling. Assume that

At this time, if the number k of originals is an even number, the top bin tray 40(1) is positioned on the sheet distribution stage S1 when the sorting process is completed, as shown in FIG. 31(a). Each bin tray 40 is placed at the initial sorting position, and the stapler 1
00 is set as the corner stapling position (initial position) P0.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 31(b), first, each bin tray 40 moves down by one pitch, and the topmost bin tray 40(1) is set to the post-processing stage S2, and the mode selection is performed. By selecting the dual mode with the switch 182, the stapler 100 is set to the first dual stapling position P1, and the recording sheet 12 on the top bin tray 40(1) is set to the first dual stapling position P1.
A staple 105 is driven into one side edge.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 31(c) and 31(d), the bin tray 40 is sequentially moved up by one pitch, and then moved up by two pitches.
The subsequent bin trays 40(2)...40(n) are set to be sequentially moved to the post-processing stage S2, and the stapler 100 set at the dual stapling position P1 performs the following operations.
Bin trays 40(2)...40( for each stapling target)
Staple 1 on one side edge of the recording sheet 12 for n)
05 are entered in sequence.

[0120] Then, dual stapling position P1
When the stapling for the final bin tray 40(n) is completed, the stapler 100 moves to the second dual stapling position P2, as shown in FIG. 32(e).
The staple 105 is driven into one edge of the recording sheet 12 relative to the final bin tray 40(n).

Next, as shown in FIGS. 32(f) and 32(g), the bin tray 40 is sequentially moved down by one pitch, and n
-Bin tray 40 (n-1)...4 from the first stage to the top stage
0 (1) are sequentially moved to the post-processing stage S2, and the stapler 100 set at the dual stapling position P2 moves each bin tray 4 to be stapled.
Staples 105 are sequentially driven into one side edge of the recording sheet 12 for 0(n-1)...40(1).

[0122] When the stapling process for the topmost bin tray 40(1) is completed, the series of stapling processes ends, and each bin tray 40 returns to the initial sorting position as shown in FIG. 32(h). At the same time, the stapler 100 also returns to the corner stapling position (initial position) P0.

[0123] If the number k of originals is an odd number, the n-th bin tray 40 (n) will be located on the sheet distribution stage S1 when the sorting process is completed. In the ring processing, first, each bin tray 40 is moved down by one pitch, the n-th bin tray 40 (n) is set on the post-processing stage S2, and the stapler 100 is set at the dual stapling position P1. , each bin tray 40 is moved down by one pitch, and each bin tray 40(n)...40(
The recording sheets 12 of 1) are sequentially stapled, then the stapler 100 is set to the dual stapling position P2, and thereafter each bin tray 40 is moved upward by one pitch, and each bin tray 40(1)... 40
(n) Recording sheets 12 are sequentially stapled.

◎Specific example of stapling processing (corresponding to the processing shown in FIG. 27) Now, for example, use an ADF to copy k sheets of originals into n sheets, sort them, and then perform dual stapling. Assume that

At this time, if the number of originals k is an even number, the topmost bin tray 40(1) is positioned on the sheet distribution stage S1 when the sorting process is completed, as shown in FIG. 33(a). Each bin tray 40 is placed at the initial sorting position, and the stapler 1
00 is set as the corner stapling position (initial position) P0.

In this state, as shown in FIG. 33(b), first, each bin tray 40 moves down by one pitch, and the topmost bin tray 40(1) is set to the post-processing stage S2, and the mode selection is performed. By selecting the dual mode with the switch 182, the stapler 100 is set to the first dual stapling position P1, and the recording sheet 12 on the top bin tray 40(1) is set to the first dual stapling position P1.
A staple 105 is driven into one side edge.

Next, as shown in FIG. 31(c), the stapler 100 moves to the second dual stapling position P2.
The staple 105 is driven into one edge of the recording sheet 12 relative to the uppermost bin tray 40(1).

Next, as shown in FIG. 33(d), the bin tray 40 is moved upward by one pitch, and the second bin tray 40 (2) is set to the post-processing stage S2, and the second dual stapling is performed. After the stapler 100 waiting at position P2 drives the staple 105 into one side edge of the recording sheet 12 relative to the bin tray 40(2), the stapler 100 waits at position P2.
00 is moved to the first dual stapling position P1, and staple 1 is placed on one side edge of the recording sheet 12.
05 is entered.

Next, as shown in FIGS. 34(f) and 34(g), the bin trays 40 are sequentially moved upward by one pitch, and the third and subsequent bin trays 40(3)...40(n) are sequentially moved to the post-processing stage. By the stapler 100 set to move to S2 and set to dual stapling position P1 or P2, each bin tray 40 (3) to be stapled is
...40(n), staples 105 are sequentially driven into one side edge of the recording sheet 12. Then, when the stapling for the final bin tray 40(n) is completed at the dual stapling position P1 (if n is an even number, or P2 if n is an odd number), as shown in FIG. 34(h), Each bin tray 40 returns to the initial sorting position, and the stapler 100 also returns to the corner stapling position (initial position) P0.

[0130] If the number k of originals is an odd number, the n-th bin tray 40 (n) will be located on the sheet distribution stage S1 when the sorting process is completed; In the ring processing, first, each bin tray 40 is moved down by one pitch, the n-th bin tray 40 (n) is set on the post-processing stage S2, and the staples 105 are moved in the order of dual stapling position P1 → P2. Alternatively, stapling is performed at two locations in the order of P2→P1, and thereafter each bin tray 40 is moved downward by one pitch to sequentially staple the recording sheets 12 of each bin tray 40(n) . . . 40(1).

[0131] In the above embodiment, a case is explained in which a stapler is employed as the post-processing unit, but the present invention is of course not limited to this, and holes may be punched at two locations on the recording sheet. It can be configured using dual punchers.

[0132]

[Effects of the Invention] Since the present invention is configured as detailed above, the number of times the post-processing unit is moved can be greatly reduced when post-processing is performed at multiple locations on recording sheets stored in one bin tray. This has the effect of significantly increasing the speed of post-processing as a whole.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a sheet distribution and storage device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a moving state of a post-processing unit according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the sheet distribution and storage device according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line a-a in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a view taken from the direction b in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a front view showing details of the bin tray moving system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing details of the bin tray moving system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing details of the sheet alignment mechanism according to the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing details of the stapler according to the example.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing details of the stapler according to the example.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing details of the stapler according to the example.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing the advancing and retracting operating states of the stapler according to the embodiment.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the advancing and retracting operating states of the stapler according to the embodiment.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory plan view showing details of the stapler processing position movement system according to the embodiment.

15 is a view taken from the direction c in FIG. 14; FIG.

16 is a sectional view taken along line dd in FIG. 15. FIG.

FIG. 17 is a circuit diagram showing the principle of stopping the drive motor of the stapler processing position movement system.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a device control system according to an embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing the operation process of the bin tray during sorting processing in the embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing the operation process of the sheet alignment mechanism during sorting processing in the embodiment.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing details of the operation process of the sheet alignment mechanism.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing details of the operation process of the sheet alignment mechanism.

FIG. 23 is a timing chart showing an example of a drive signal for the sheet alignment mechanism.

FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the operation of the bin tray and sheet aligning mechanism during the sorting process in the embodiment.

FIG. 25 is a flowchart showing a stapling process in the embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing a processing process during dual stapling.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing other processing steps during dual stapling.

FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing a processing process during corner stapling.

FIG. 29 is a flowchart showing a stapler control process during basic stapling operations.

FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing a tamper control process during basic stapling operation.

FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram showing a specific example of the operation of the bin tray and stapler during the stapling process in the embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram showing a specific operation example of the bin tray and stapler in the stapling process in the embodiment.

FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram showing a specific operation example of the bin tray and stapler in another stapling process in the embodiment.

FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing a specific operation example of the bin tray and stapler in another stapling process in the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols] S1 Sheet distribution stage S2 Post-processing stage 1 Housing 2 Image recording device 3 Sheet discharge port 4 Record sheet 5 Sheet conveyance means 6 Bin tray 7 Post-processing unit 8 Position movement means 9 Post-processing control means

Claims (2)

[Claims] Claim 1: A recording sheet (4) disposed within a housing (1) and discharged from a sheet discharge port (3) of an image recording device (2) is conveyed to a preset sheet distribution stage (S1). a sheet conveyance means (5) for
A bin tray (6) is arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction on one side of the housing (1) and moves sequentially to the sheet distribution stage (S1) according to the distribution timing of the recording sheets (4), and the sheet conveying means ( 5) one post-processing unit (7) located below or above the housing (1) and extending in the width direction of the sheet conveying means (5); ) and a post-processing stage (S2) different from the sheet distribution stage (S1) to carry out predetermined post-processing. After moving and setting the post-processing unit (7) to the target position, move each bin tray (6) to the target position.
) A post-processing control means (9) for causing a post-processing unit (7) to sequentially perform predetermined post-processing on a portion along one side edge of a recording sheet (4) in a first step of setting the post-processing unit (7) to one of the plurality of post-processing target positions (M1, M2) to which post-processing is not performed; The operation of and the movement of the bin tray (6) step by step are sequentially repeated, and the post-processing unit (7) moves the recording sheets (4) stored in each bin tray (6) to the set post-processing target position. The second step of performing post-processing is repeated alternately, and the post-processing is performed at either of the post-processing target positions (M1, M2).The recording sheet (4) of each bin tray (6) to be post-processed is After completing the post-processing, set the post-processing unit (7) to the other position and record the recording sheets (4) of all the bin trays (6) to be post-processed.
The post-processing control means (9) performs post-processing on the
) A sheet distribution and storage device comprising: 2. A recording sheet (4) disposed within the housing (1) and discharged from a sheet discharge port (3) of an image recording device (2) is conveyed to a preset sheet distribution stage (S1). a sheet conveyance means (5) for
A bin tray (6) is arranged in multiple stages in the vertical direction on one side of the housing (1) and moves sequentially to the sheet distribution stage (S1) according to the distribution timing of the recording sheets (4), and the sheet conveying means ( 5) one post-processing unit (7) located below or above the housing (1) and extending in the width direction of the sheet conveying means (5); ) and a post-processing stage (S2) different from the sheet distribution stage (S1) to carry out predetermined post-processing. After moving and setting the post-processing unit (7) to the target position, move each bin tray (6) to the target position.
) A post-processing control means (9) for causing a post-processing unit (7) to sequentially perform predetermined post-processing on a portion along one side edge of a recording sheet (4) in The above-mentioned post-processing unit (7
), the operation of the post-processing unit (7) and movement to the adjacent post-processing target position are repeated sequentially, and all post-processing is performed on the recording sheets (4) stored in the first bin tray (6). The post-processing control means (9) is configured to alternately repeat a first step of moving the bin tray (6) step by step and a second step of moving the bin tray (6) one step at a time. Sheet distribution and storage device.