JPH04361094A - Bookbinding device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a bookbinding device wherein a drive-in body of a stitching means moves being guided by a support unit and the staple drive in body is made to rotate along rotation of the support unit, so as to stitch a paper bundle at an optional stitching position if it is the moving direction of the staple drive-in body of the stitching means. CONSTITUTION:A stapler body 302 is constituted of a staple drive-in unit 302a, a staple housing unit 302b, a plate protrusion 302c, a plate spring 302d, an arm 302e, and is supported by a supporting shaft 303 rotatably. Staples 304 housed in the staple housing unit 302b are to be pushed out one by one downward by the plate protrusion 302c provided at the staple drive-in unit 302a. The pushed out staples 304 perforate a paper bundle S arranged on a finish tray 400 by jogging operation. The tips of the staples 304 are clinched in a shape along surface shapes of staple guard units 306a and 306b. Thus, the stapling operation of the paper bundle will be completed.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bookbinding apparatus, and more particularly, to a bookbinding apparatus for binding sheets on which images have been formed, such as in a copying machine.

0002

[Prior Art] In recent years, the number of post-processing devices for copying machines, laser printers, facsimile machines, etc. has been remarkable. It is being The functions of the post-processing device include sorting and collating paper on which images have been formed.
In addition to the sorting and stacking functions, binding (stapling)
There is a bookbinding function including operation. In general, bookbinding technology has a long history, and many bookbinding methods have been proposed up to the present, mainly in the printing industry. Many bookbinding devices have also been proposed. Bookbinding methods can be roughly classified into the following methods.

<Gluing method> This method has been proposed for a long time, and is generally a method in which the spine binding portion of the printed matter used for gluing is cut and pasted. Furthermore, in order to prevent printed matter from falling apart, a device is used to attach cloth to the spine binding section. <Central stop method> This method is most commonly used today, and is often used in general magazines such as weekly magazines. After page alignment, a stop is provided at the center of the paper stack, and the paper is centered around the stop. This is the orthodox method of folding the bundle in half. <Method of stapling after paper folding> In this method, a bundle of printed matter is folded in half, for example, and then the bundle of printed matter is stapled using a stapler.

<Method of stapling the front cover, back cover, etc. after interleaving them into a stack of paper> This method has recently become commonly used in post-processing devices such as copying machines, and it is necessary to staple the front and back covers onto the top and bottom of the stack of paper. In this method, after the front and back covers are stacked, the stack of paper is bound together with the front and back covers using a stapler. <Method of simply stapling a bundle of sheets> This method is the simplest method in which a bundle of sheets is directly stapled using a stapler.

On the other hand, as bookbinding apparatuses employing the above-mentioned bookbinding method, those described, for example, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Nos. 196677-1982 and 33065-1999 are known. The former method described in the publication adopts the above-mentioned method of stapling after paper folding, and includes one sheet staple tray and a stapler (binding means such as a stapler) provided on the sheet staple tray. After folding A3 size paper into a Z shape to make A4 size, staple the stack of paper in the staple tray.
An end fence supporting one edge of the paper is released, and the paper bundle is discharged from the staple tray by its own weight to a sheet storage tray provided below.

[0006] The latter publication adopts the above-mentioned method of simply stapling a bundle of sheets, and is equipped with one sheet staple tray and a stapler provided on this sheet staple tray, and has a stapler installed in the staple tray. After the paper bundle is stapled, an end fence that supports one end edge of the paper bundle is moved in the paper conveyance direction, that is, in the lateral direction of the apparatus, and the paper bundle is discharged from the staple tray to the sheet storage tray.

[0007]

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in such a conventional bookbinding device, the stapler is fixed to the finish tray, so it is difficult to perform arbitrary binding, especially when binding sheets of various sizes. This poses a problem in that it becomes extremely difficult to bind a bundle of sheets at the binding position, and the range of possible binding is restricted due to its structure, making it difficult to use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, the present invention provides an easy-to-use bookbinding device that has a simple structure, low cost, compact size, and can bind a bundle of sheets at any binding position in the direction of movement of the stapler body of the binding means. The challenge is to provide this.

[0009]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 provides a stacking means for stacking a plurality of sheets and stacking them as a stack of sheets, and a stack parallel to the stack of sheets on the stacking means. a needle drive body that is movable in a predetermined direction with respect to the mounting means and drives the needle into the paper bundle and penetrates the paper stack; a support unit that supports the needle drive main body; and a needle drive unit that bends the tip of the needle that has penetrated the paper stack. a binding device having a staple receiving portion, and a bookbinding device in which a stapler main body portion and a staple receiving portion of the binding device are arranged to face each other across a stack of sheets placed on a placing device, The stapler main body of the binding means moves while being guided by a support part, and the bundle of sheets on the mounting means is stapled by rotating the stapler main body around the support part. In addition to the structure of claim 1, the invention as claimed in claim 2 further supports the stapler main body of the binding means so as to be slidable in the predetermined direction, and that during the binding operation of the stapler main body. A needle drive body approaching/separating means is provided which allows rotation of the needle drive body in the binding operation direction and rotates the needle drive body to a predetermined standby position where the needle drive body is separated from the mounting means when the needle drive body is not in operation. The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, in addition to the structure according to claim 1 or 2, the needle driver is connected to the stapler main body of the binding means, and the needle driver is provided with the needle driver main body of the binding means. A needle drive body moving means is provided to move the needle drive body by applying a driving force in a predetermined direction, and a connecting position of the needle drive body and the needle drive body moving means is arranged near a position where the needle drive body is supported by the support part. The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in addition to the structure according to claim 2 or 3, the support portion of the binding means penetrates one end of the stapler main body. The needle driver main body is slidably supported, and the needle driver main body moving/separating means places the other end of the needle driver main body and supports the needle driver slidably.

0010

[Operation] In the invention as set forth in claim 1, the stapler main body of the movably provided binding means moves while being guided by the support, and the stapler main body rotates around the support to place the stapler. Since the bundle of sheets on the means is bound, it is possible to bind the bundle of sheets at any binding position in the moving direction of the binding means. By using the same function, it becomes easier to simplify the structure, reduce costs, and make it more compact.

In the invention as claimed in claim 2, in addition to the effect of claim 1, a predetermined standby position for separating the stapler body from the mounting means is provided at any position in the moving direction of the stapler body of the binding means. It is possible to rotate up to In the invention according to claim 3, in addition to the effect of claim 1 or claim 2, the connecting position of the needle driver main body and the needle driver main body moving means is near the position where the needle driver main body is supported by the support part. With this arrangement, when the needle driver body is driven by the needle driver body moving means, galling between the needle driver body and the support portion is prevented.

[0012] In the invention set forth in claim 4, in addition to the effects set forth in claim 2 or claim 3, the needle driver main body is reliably positioned with respect to the support portion of the binding means, and the other end of the needle driver main body is regulation becomes free in directions other than the gravitational direction, and galling between the stapler body and the support part is prevented while the needle driver body is reliably guided by the support part of the binding means.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be explained below based on the drawings. 1 to 33 are diagrams showing an embodiment of a bookbinding apparatus according to the present invention, and are examples in which the bookbinding apparatus is applied to a copying machine. First, the characteristic configuration of this embodiment will be briefly explained, and the detailed configuration and operation will be explained in <Stapling section 300> described later.

1, FIG. 14, FIG. 15, and FIG. 18, 400 is a finish tray, and the finish tray 400 constitutes a stacking means for stacking a plurality of sheets and stacking them as a stack S of sheets. Reference numeral 301 denotes a stapler constituting a binding means, and the stapler 301 is provided so as to be movable with respect to the finish tray 400 in a predetermined direction parallel to the sheet stack S on the finish tray 400, in this embodiment, in the direction of arrow M in FIG. Stapler body part (stapling body part) 30 that drives the staple 304 into the paper bundle S and penetrates it.
2. It has a support shaft (support part) 303 that supports the stapler main body part 302, and needle receiving parts 306a and 306b that bend the tip of the staple 304 that has passed through the sheet bundle S. The stapler main body section 302 and the staple receiving sections 306a and 306b are arranged to face each other with the sheet stack S placed on the finish tray 400 interposed therebetween. The stapler main body 302 moves while being guided by the support shaft 303, and the stapler main body 302 rotates around the support shaft 303 to remove the paper stack S on the finish tray 400.
is now bound.

312 is a staple switching arm, 313
is the shaft, 314 is the solenoid, 315 is the spring, 31
6 is a stopper, and these members are stapler 30
The stapler main body 302 of No. 1 is supported slidably in the direction of the arrow M in FIG. When the stapler body 302 is not in operation, the stapler main body 302 is placed on the finishing tray 4.
00 to a predetermined standby position away from the main body.

[0016] 325 is a belt, and the belt 325 is
It constitutes a stapling main body moving means that is connected to the stapler main body 302 and moves the stapler main body 302 by applying a driving force in the direction of arrow M in FIG. 18 (direction perpendicular to the paper conveyance direction). Stapler main body 302 and belt 325
The connection position with the stapler main body part 302 is located near the support position of the stapler main body part 302 by the support shaft 303.

[0017] The support shaft 303 is connected to the stapler main body 302.
A stapler body 302 is slidably supported through one end thereof, and includes a staple switching arm 312, a shaft 313, a solenoid 314, a spring 315, and a stopper 31.
The stapler main body part contacting and separating means comprised of 6 supports the other end of the stapler main body part 302 so as to be slidable thereon. Next, the overall configuration of the copying machine will be briefly explained.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a copying machine main body, a circulating document feeder 2 is provided on the upper part of the copying machine main body 1 in FIG. 1, and a post-processing device is provided on the right side of the copying machine main body 1 in FIG. 3 is provided. Note that FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section when the copying machine is viewed from the front on the operating side. Diagram 1 of copying machine body 1
An operation display section 500 shown in FIG. 2 is provided on the upper surface of the front side of the computer, and operation commands related to copying operations, bookbinding operations, etc. are inputted to the operation display section 500. Displays related information. The post-processing device 3 includes a bookbinding control section 800, a jogging section 100, a stapling section 300, and a discharging section 200, details of which are shown in FIGS. 14 to 20. Commands related to bookbinding operations are input from the operation display unit 500 to the bookbinding control unit 800, and the bookbinding control unit 800 controls the jogging unit 10 based on these commands.
0, the stapling section 300, the ejection section 200, etc. are controlled. 11 to 14 are paper feed cassettes, and since the copying machine main body 1 itself is a known device for forming images by electrophotographic recording, a description of its structure and operation will be omitted. The image-formed paper discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is conveyed downstream by a conveyance roller 901 of the post-processing device 3. A switching claw 902 is provided downstream of the transport roller 901, and by switching the switching claw 902, the sheet is transported to either the first or second sheet transport path 903 or 904. The paper conveyed to the first sheet conveyance path 903 is transferred to the proof tray 905.
is discharged to the top. Further, the paper conveyed to the second sheet conveyance path 904 is conveyed onto the finish tray 400.

Hereinafter, the operation display section 500 of the copying machine main body 1,
The detailed configuration and operation of each part of the post-processing device 3, including the circulating document feeder 2, will be explained in order. <Operation Display Unit 500> In FIGS. 2 and 3, 501 is a mode clear/preheating key, and the mode clear/preheating key 501 serves both as a mode clearing key and a preheating key. That is, when the mode clear/preheat key 501 is momentarily pressed, it functions as a mode clear key, and when it is kept pressed, it functions as a preheat key. The mode clear key is a key that is pressed to return each mode described later to the standard mode, and the preheating key 501 is a key that is pressed to put the machine in the apparatus into a preheating state and to cancel the preheating state. 502 is an enter key that is pressed when inputting numerical values for zoom magnification and binding margin; 503 is an interrupt key that is pressed when making an interrupt copy; and 504
is the print key pressed when starting the copying operation. This print key 504 also serves as a ready/wait display, with a green LED lighting up when ready and a red LED lighting up when waiting.

[0020] 505 is a numeric keypad;
is used when setting the number of copies and when inputting numerical values for zoom magnification and binding margin. 506 is a clear stop key, and the clear stop key 506 has the function of a clear key during standby and a stop key during copying operation. The clear key is a key that is pressed to cancel the set number of copies. On the other hand, the stop key is a key that is pressed to interrupt the copying operation, and the machine stops when the copying operation at the time the stop key is pressed is completed. 550 is a liquid crystal display section;
The details are shown in FIG. 551 is a message display that displays information about the machine, and the message display 551 includes, for example, "You can copy.", "
Please replenish paper. ” and other messages are displayed. Reference numeral 507 denotes an automatic density key. The automatic density key 507 is a key selected when automatically adjusting the copy density according to the background density of the original. When selected, the automatic density display section 554 lights up. Density adjustment keys 508 and 509 are pressed when manually adjusting the copy density, and each time the density adjustment keys 508 and 509 are pressed, the LED 55 of the density display section
5 lights up moves to the right or left. 510 is a paper selection key, and each time the paper selection key 510 is pressed, a paper selection display frame 559 moves one after another to select automatic paper selection, manual paper feeding, or which cassette among paper feed cassettes 11 to 14 is selected. It is now displayed to show what has been done. "Auto Paper Selection" is selected to automatically select a paper cassette containing paper of the same size as the original, and "Manual Feed" is selected when feeding paper manually without using the paper cassette. selected. Reference numeral 558 denotes a display unit that displays the paper size and paper empty state of each paper feed cassette.

511 is the same size key, 512 is the enlarged key, 5
Reference numeral 13 indicates a reduction key, and these keys are pressed when specifying a same size copy, enlargement to a standard size, and reduction, respectively. 514 is a zoom up key, and 515 is a zoom down key, which are keys to press when specifying any magnification between 64% and 142%. Reference numeral 516 is a paper specifying magnification key used to automatically reduce or enlarge the original image according to the specified paper size. . 517 is a duplex key, and the duplex key 517 is pressed to select whether to convert a single-sided original to double-sided, to convert a double-sided original to double-sided, or to convert a double-sided original to single-sided, and the selected mode is known. The LED above the key lights up. Reference numeral 518 is a binding margin key that is pressed when setting the binding margin, and if the margin is 21 mm or less, the binding margin can be set on either the left or right side. Furthermore, in the case of double-sided copying, the binding margin can be set on the back side independently of the front side. The set value is displayed in the message area. 51
9 is a staple selection key, and staple selection key 5
Reference numeral 19 is a key that is pressed when selecting the one-place staple mode, the two-place staple mode, or the no-staple mode. 5
20 is a cover function selection key, and a cover function selection key 52
0 is a key pressed when selecting front cover mode, back cover mode, both front and back cover mode, or no cover mode. These cover modes indicate whether one sheet of the same size as the sheet bundle is added to the front side, the back side, or both sides of the sheet bundle on which an image has been formed, or whether no sheet is added at all. Staple selection key 519
Since bookbinding using the cover function selection keys 520 is already well-known, a detailed explanation of the modes selected by these keys will be omitted, and the following description will focus on the simple bookbinding mode, which will be described later.

Reference numeral 521 is a simple bookbinding key, and the simple bookbinding key 521 enables the simple bookbinding mode (hereinafter referred to as S.S.
B. mode), S. S. B. A release mode is selectable. Normally, when a document is set on the document table of the circulating document feeder 2, the appropriate paper is selected taking into consideration the magnification ratio. S. The paper selected when B mode is selected has a longitudinal direction that matches the front-back direction of the copying machine connecting the front side and the back side in Figure 1 (all front-back directions described below refer to this direction). These are the sheets set in the paper feed cassette, and even if they are the same size, those in the width direction are not selected. It is desirable that the paper for the cover has the same length in the transverse direction as the length in the longitudinal direction of the paper selected above, and the size in the longitudinal direction is at least twice the length in the transverse direction of the paper selected above. For example, if the document is A4 size, a standard A3 size may be selected as the cover, but in practical use, it is preferable to use a cover that is about 5 mm longer in the longitudinal direction than a standard size such as A3. Therefore, in addition to regular size paper, it is preferable to store such irregular size paper in the paper feed cassette as special cover paper. Also S. S. B. In the mode, you can select whether or not to make a cover copy. S
．． B. Mode and no cover S. S. B. It is possible to select between modes. S with cover. S. B. This mode is selected when the document already has a cover, and the final document in the document stack is determined to be the cover, and the image of the cover document is copied from the paper feed cassette to the paper fed as the cover, and then the post-processing device 3 This is the mode for transporting No cover S. S. B. This mode is selected when the original does not have a cover, and is a mode in which the sheet that will become the cover is directly conveyed from the paper feed cassette to the post-processing device 3 after the final original has been copied. These S. S
．． B. mode and no cover S. S. B. The mode can be selected by operating the bookbinding key 521. S. S
．． B. A sheet of paper bound according to the mode is shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, S is a stack of sheets, and C is a cover.

[0023] Normal S. S. B. The mode is S with cover, assuming that the document stack has a cover. S. B. mode is set. Furthermore, S. S. B. The front cover mode and two-position staple mode are automatically selected, and the staple mode and cover mode are automatically canceled to reduce the burden on the operator. For these staple selection key 519, cover function selection key 520, and simple bookbinding key 521, the LEDs above the keys light up to indicate the selected mode.The flow of these key operations is shown in Figure 5. ~ Shown in Figure 8.

<Circulating Original Feeder 2> FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a control circuit of the circulating original feeding apparatus 2. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 9, the CPU 701 includes a ROM 701a, a RAM 701
b, AD converter 701c, serial communication port 70
It consists of a one-chip microcomputer in which 1d is integrated, and an output port 702 and an input port 703 are externally connected. A motor driver 707 for driving a document conveyance motor 704, a belt drive motor 705, and a document discharge motor 706 at a constant speed is connected to the output port 702, and drives each motor as necessary. Furthermore, the CPU 701 also drives loads such as a document feed clutch 708 and a partition pawl solenoid 709 through an output port 702. Input port 70
3 is connected to signals from a conveyance sensor, document size sensor, etc., and is configured to obtain necessary information. Hereinafter, the document feeding operation of the circulating document feeding device 2 will be explained in order, including some detailed configurations.

(1) Setting the original In FIG. 10, the original on the original placing table is placed between a side guide 601 that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the original transport direction, and a side guide 601 that is movable in the transport direction on the rear side of the original transport direction. It is regulated by an end plate 604. Further, the presence or absence of a document on the document table is detected by a reflective sensor provided on the document table.

(2) Document size detection In FIG. 10, a document size detection sensor 602 is attached to the side guide 601, and the document size detection sensor 602 generates a detection signal corresponding to the document size in the direction perpendicular to the document conveyance direction. output, and its signal terminal is 5V,
Connected to GND and signal line, and output voltage to CPU70
The width of the document is detected by reading it with the AD converter 700c in 1. Furthermore, the length of the document in the transport direction is detected depending on which sensor among the plurality of document length sensors 603 attached to the side plate of the document table detects the click claw 605 of the end plate 604, and the length of the document in the conveyance direction is detected. In combination with width and document length detection, it supports a wide variety of document sizes.

(3) Document end detection FIGS. 11 and 12 show the mechanism for document end detection.
The operation of this document end mechanism will be explained. Original partition claw 60
6, the partition pawl solenoid 709 is turned on before feeding the document.
By turning N/OFF, it moves between the solid line position (when the solenoid is ON) and the virtual line position (when the solenoid is OFF) in FIG. 12. In addition, the solenoid for the document partition claw 606 is OFF.
At times, it can rotate from the imaginary line position in FIG. 12 to the dotted line position in FIG. 12, and when located at the dotted line position in FIG. 12, it engages with the document partition claw sensor 610. When a stack of originals is placed on the original partitioning claw 606 while the original partitioning claw 606 is engaged with the original partitioning sensor 610, the original partitioning claw 606 causes the partitioning arm 608 to move to the partitioning claw rail due to the turning on of the partitioning claw solenoid 709. 611, the document partition claw 6
06 slips out from the bottom of the original. Along with this operation, the lifting pin 612 is also guided by a pin rail (not shown) and moves, and the tip of the original partition claw 606 is lifted.Furthermore, there is a magnet 609 above the partition claw, and the lifting plate 6
13 is attracted, the document partition claw 606 moves to the top. After that, the partition pawl solenoid 607 is turned off.
Then, the biasing force of the spring moves it to the upper side of the document. When all the documents below the document partition claw 606 are fed by the copying operation, the document partition claw 606 is accommodated in the document partition claw sensor 610, and the last sheet of the document is detected. (4
) Document conveyance control The circulation type document feeder 2 of this embodiment is designed to feed the last sheet of the document stack. In this type of sheet feeding, the cover comes last, so the following operation is performed. becomes.

(a) Timing diagram 13 (a) of the first part
) is a timing chart for the first copy, which shows the timing of document feeding, paper feeding, document exposure, and document ejection. First, after the document is fed, the signal from the document partition claw sensor 610 is checked at a predetermined timing to determine whether or not the document is the last sheet. If it is not the last paper, the paper is fed from a paper feed cassette, and then document exposure is started at the timing when the image and the paper match. The above-mentioned original is set on the contact glass 21 shown in FIG. 1 before exposure. Immediately after exposure is completed, the original is ejected by the original belt. For the next document, feeding is started prior to the above-described paper ejection operation. The same operation is repeated until the final document is reached, but when the final document is detected, the paper is fed from the paper cassette selected for the cover page instead of from the previous paper cassette. Ru. The exposure timing at this time is controlled so that the image is formed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the cover paper. Therefore, compared to the normal image,
The registration roller 22 in FIG. 1 starts rotating early.

(b) Timing for second and subsequent copies Once the first copy is completed as described above, the number of originals up to the final document has been recognized, so the second and subsequent copies are done as shown in FIG. 13(b). In addition, the copying operation proceeds according to the timing determined by the document replacement operation without detecting the last sheet each time the paper is fed.

(5) Processing at paper end S. S. B.
When adding the cover C in this mode, two paper feed cassettes are used, one for paper and one for the cover, as described above. The processing at the end of the paper at this time is as follows. (b) When copying paper, the paper reaches the end of the paper...the machine stops (b) When copying the paper, the cover reaches the end of the paper......
Paper copy continues, machine stops when copying cover (c) Paper reaches paper end when copying cover...Cover copy executes, machine stops when copying paper (d) Cover ends paper when copying cover...machine stops <Jogging section 100> Figure 14 to 17,
101 is a brush roller, and the brush roller 101 is
The paper discharged onto the finish tray 400 by the conveyance roller 901 shown in FIG.
2 to align the leading edges in the paper conveyance direction. Further, the front and back directions of the sheets are aligned by jogging operations of the rear side fence 103 and the front side fence 104, which will be described later.

The end fence 102 is a fence for positioning the sheet in the transport direction, and is fixed to an end fence moving belt 105 as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15.
It is supported movably in the paper conveyance direction by an end fence moving motor 106. The position of the end fence 102 is determined so that stapling, which will be described later, can be done at any position according to the paper size or the operator's preference (for example, the margin of the document, the binding margin value created by the copying machine). The reference position of the end fence 102 is a position where the convex portion 102a of the end fence 102 is detected by the end fence home position sensor 107. The end fence home position sensor 107 is set at a position where the end of the largest sheet of paper that can be copied can be stapled.

[0032] The side fences 103 and 104 are positioning fences in the front and back direction, and each side fence 103 and 104 is a fence for positioning in the front and back direction, and each side fence 103 and 104 is a
, 109 on the upper side of the paper. The moving belts 108 and 109 are supported by pulleys 116 to 119, and are independently driven by side fence moving motors 111 and 110. That is, side fence 1
03 and 104 are reciprocated independently of each other in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 16, so that the sheets are aligned in the front-rear direction. Patterns 112 and 113 are provided at predetermined positions on the moving belts 108 and 109.
The positions of the side fences 103 and 104 where 113 is detected by the sensors 114 and 115 are the reference positions. Note that the operation of aligning the sheets in the front-rear direction, that is, the jogging operation, is performed every time one sheet of paper is ejected.

[0033] End fence 102, side fence 1
03, 104, the positional relationship of the stapler main body 302 of the stapler 301, which will be described later, is as clear from FIGS.
and the side fence 103 between the stapler main body 302
, 104 are arranged. After the jogging operation is completed, the stapler 301 completes stapling, which will be described later.
As shown in FIG. 17, the side fences 103 and 104 are
move in the same direction and eject the paper toward the front of the device. In addition,
When the paper is ejected, the front side fence 104 moves along the circumference of the pulley 116, so that it does not interfere with the ejection of the paper bundle S. Further, the rear side fence 103 needs to move at least a distance until the paper bundle S falls from the finish tray 400 when discharging the paper, but this distance may be changed depending on the paper size. Furthermore, since the front side fence 104 may be stopped at a height that allows the sheet bundle S to pass through, there is no need to provide a retraction space for the side fence. After paper ejection is completed, the side fence 103,
104 moves in the same direction, returns to its original position, and moves on to the next cycle.

On the other hand, after stapling is completed, it is also possible to align the end fence 102 to a fixed position regardless of the paper size, and then discharge the paper using the side fences 103 and 104. By operating in this manner, the end portion of the paper bundle S can be guided by the end fence 102 and ejected at a fixed position. <Staple section 300> In FIG. 18, 301 is a stapler, and the stapler 301 is a stapler body section 3 that is separated with a finish tray 400 in between.
02, needle receivers 306a, 306b, and support shaft 3
It has 03. Although only two needle receivers are shown in FIG. 18, it is preferable to provide a large number of needle receivers to accommodate various paper sizes. The stapler main body 302 includes a stapler 302a, a staple accommodating portion 302b, a plate-like projection 302c, a leaf spring 302d, and an arm 302e, and is rotatably supported by a support shaft 303. The needle 304 stored in the needle storage section 302b is inserted into the plate-shaped protrusion 302 provided on the needle driving section 302a.
c, the needles 304 are pushed out one by one in the downward direction in FIG. Needle receiving parts 306a, 306b
The stack of sheets S is folded along the surface shape of the stack of sheets S, thereby completing the stapling of the bundle of sheets S.

The staple 304 is an eccentric cam 307a for stapling.
, 307b around the support shaft 303. That is, two eccentric cams 307a, 307 are provided at a predetermined position above the stapler main body 302 in FIG.
b, and the eccentric cams 307a, 307b are fixed to the through shaft 308 and rotate together with the through shaft 308. Note that the number of eccentric cams 307a and 307b is one or three.
There may be more than one. Normally, the eccentric cams 307a and 307b are stopped and on standby at a position where they do not come into contact with the leaf spring 302d, as detected by a sensor (not shown) or the like (state shown in FIG. 18). During stapling, the through shaft 308 is driven one rotation by a motor (not shown) via a gear or the like. Due to this rotation, the eccentric cam 307 pressurizes the leaf spring 302d, causing the leaf spring 3
The needle driver 302 is pressed and rotated downward about the shaft 308 by the reaction force 02d. As described above, the needle 304 is pushed out and stapling is performed.

The arm 302e is fixed to the tip of the stapler 302a and engages with the staple switching arm 312. Staple switching arm 312 is fixed to shaft 313 and rotates with shaft 313. During stapling, the staple switching arm 312 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 18 by the solenoid 314, and the staple switching arm 312 is separated from the arm 302e, allowing rotation of the stapler body 302 in the stapling operation direction. As a result, the tip of the stapler body 302 falls under its own weight and comes into contact with the topmost sheet of the stack of sheets S stacked below. Therefore, the stapler main body portion 302 presses the paper stack S from above, and serves as a paper guide to prevent the paper stack S from shifting during stapling. On the other hand, when not stapling, the staple switching arm 312 is biased counterclockwise by the spring 315 and stops at the position where it abuts against the stopper 316. Therefore, when not stapling, the stapler main body 302 is moved counterclockwise by the spring 315. 312
The state of the standby position lifted upward by the
It is maintained in the state shown in FIG. 18 where it is separated from the stack of sheets S that is sequentially conveyed and stacked. Therefore, the stapler body 302 can be moved by the staple switching arm 312 without interfering with the stack of sheets S on the finish tray 400.

The needle receivers 306a and 306b are separately (divided) below the eccentric cams 307a and 307b and arranged in the finish tray on the same plane or below (with the needle receivers 306a and 306b not protruding). has been done. Therefore, when the stapler main body 302 is in the standby state, the paper is transferred between the stapler main body 302 and the staple receiver 30.
6a and 306b without being caught between them.

The stapler main body 302 is fixed to a belt 325, and can be moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 18 by driving the belt 325. Therefore, the stapler body 302 can staple at two positions directly above the staple receivers 306a, 306b by rotating the eccentric cams 307a, 307b. <Discharge section 200> 3a is a frame of the simple post-processing device 3, and an opening 201 is formed on the front side of the frame 3a in FIG. 19, that is, on the operation front side. The opening 201 is formed along the extending direction of the finish tray 400 described above, and below the opening 201 is a paper discharge tray 20.
2 are arranged, and the paper discharge tray 202 is supported by the frame 3a. The stapled paper stack S on the finish tray 400 passes through the opening 201 by moving the side fences 103 and 104 and is delivered to the paper output tray 202 outside the apparatus.
It is designed to be discharged upward. <Control unit 800 of post-processing device> In FIG. 20, 800
8 is a control section of the post-processing device 3, and the configuration and control operation of the control section 800 will be explained below in this order.

(1) In the configuration diagram 20, the CPU 801 includes the ROM 801a, R
Consists of a one-chip microcontroller that integrates AM801b and serial communication port 801c, output port 802,
Staple control input/output port 803, input port 804
is attached externally. This control circuit receives commands from the copying apparatus main body 1 through the serial communication port 801c and performs necessary operations. Its command and contents are shown below. The output port 802 has a jogger motor 850 (corresponding to the side fence movement motors 110 and 111), an end fence movement motor 806, a staple back and forth movement motor 807, a conveyance roller drive motor 808, a lift belt motor 809, etc. A motor driver 810 for driving the motors at high speed is connected, and each motor is driven as necessary. Furthermore, loads such as the switching pawl solenoid 811 are also driven via the output port 802. The staple control input/output port 803 is
A staple vertical movement motor 812, a staple operation motor 813, etc. are connected, and the staple control input/output port 803 is independently provided with signals necessary for operating the staple unit. The input port 804 is configured to connect signals from a home position sensor, a transport sensor, etc., and obtain necessary information.

Here, a list of commands from the copying machine main body 1 is shown. Mode Command: Staple mode, non-staple mode Size Command: Paper size information Position Command: Staple position information (front/back direction, left/right direction) Motor on Command: Transport motor ON, motor OFF
Command: Conveyance motor OFF paper send Command: Paper conveyance cover send Command: Cover conveyance staple Command: Execute stapling The processing upon reception of the above command is shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 21 to 29.

(2) Operation control The operations of the post-processing device 3 include: discharging paper to the proof tray 905; discharging paper to the finish tray 400; aligning paper; binding; discharging paper to the discharge tray 202; There are various actions. Hereinafter, the operation control by the control unit 800 will be described as (a) to (e).
Each item will be explained in order: (a) Selection of the tray from which the paper is to be ejected The tray from which the paper is to be ejected is selected by a mode command sent from the copying machine main body 1 at the start of the copying operation. Depending on this mode command, no staple mode, normal staple mode, S. S. B. Select one of the three modes and operate according to each mode. If the sent mode command is a no-staple mode command, the switching claw 902 is moved to the proof tray 90.
5 side, staple mode and S.5 side. S. If it is B mode, it is switched to the finish tray 400 side.

(b) Determining the stapling position In the stapling mode, the sheets are ejected to the finish tray 400, the ejected sheets are temporarily stacked, the sheets are aligned, and the stapling operation is performed when one copy is completed. , and then discharges the stapled paper bundle S. The staple position can be changed by changing D1 to the end fence 102 and D2 to the stapler body 302 shown in FIG. 30, and the information is given by a position command. for that,
Side fences 103, 104 and end fence 102
need to be moved into position. The control is as follows.

If the first mode command sent is a staple command, the size command sent after the mode command is referred to, and the side fences 103 and 104 are
is moved to a position corresponding to the longitudinal direction of the paper size by driving the side fence moving motors 110 and 111, and the end fence 102 is moved to a position corresponding to the lateral direction of the paper by driving the end fence moving motor 806. let Since the stapler main body 302 is fixed at a position facing the end fence 102, the position of the end fence 102 determines the stapling position of the paper. The distance of this stapling position from the longitudinal end surface of the sheet is given by a position command.

(c) Discharging the paper to the finish tray 400 When recorded paper is sent from the copying machine main body 1 to the post-processing device 3, a paper send command is sent in the case of normal paper before the paper is sent to the cover. For paper, a cover send command is sent. The cover send command is the S. S. In the case of B mode, it is also a signal that the size of the paper sent from the main body is more than twice the length of the previous paper size. When the paper is carried into the finish tray 400, the two side fences 103 and 104
are moved in opposite directions in synchronization with each other by driving the side fence moving motors 110 and 111 to align the sheets in the front-back direction. As described later, the side fences 103 and 104 also serve as paper ejecting means, and therefore each has a driving means independently. The state of this jogging motion is shown in FIG. 15 as described above, and the side fence 103,
The speed waveform of No. 104 during jogging is shown in FIG.

(d) Stapling operation The flow of the stapling operation is shown in FIG. When a staple command is sent from the copying machine main body 1, a staple flag is set, and the copying machine waits for sheets to be conveyed into the finish tray 400 by the number of paper send commands and cover send commands sent so far. When the number of sheets matches the number of commands, the stapling operation motor 813 is turned on and the eccentric cams 307a and 307b are rotated once, thereby stapling the sheet bundle S. After the stapling operation is completed, the staple flag is reset, the number memory for counting the number of sheets conveyed into the finish tray 400 is cleared, and the ejection flag is set, thereby moving on to the next ejection operation.

(E) Paper ejection The paper is delivered through the side fences 103 and 104 as described above.
is discharged due to the movement of FIG. 32 shows velocity waveforms of the side fences 103 and 104 during jogging and paper ejection, and the ejection (forward) portion shows the velocity waveforms during paper ejection. After the side fences 103 and 104 jog the side fences 103 and 104, the stapling of the stack S is completed. First, the end fence 102 moves to keep the paper ejection position constant regardless of the size, that is, the trailing end of the paper stack S is placed at a predetermined ejection position. After matching, they are sent to the front side of the device at a constant speed by side fences 103 and 104. At this time, of the two side fences that started moving at the same time, the front side fence 104 stops when it retreats from the moving path, but the rear side fence 103 moves further and just before the paper stack S falls. Slow down for a moment. This deceleration operation is for reducing the impact when the paper bundle S falls. FIG. 33 is a diagram showing the difference in the stopping position depending on the paper size.
Efforts are being made to shorten the discharge time. When the ejection of the paper bundle S is completed, it returns at a faster speed than the moving speed toward the front side due to the reduced load, and prepares for the next jogging operation.

According to this embodiment, since it is configured as described above, the following effects can be obtained. First, since the stapler main body 302 is provided so as to be movable in the front-rear direction of the apparatus (in the direction of arrow M in FIG. 18), the stapler body 302 can drive the staple at any position in the direction of arrow M.
The stapling position (binding position) in the direction of the arrow M can be set at any position, making it easier to use.

Second, the end fence 102 moves the paper stack S on the finish tray 400 in the paper conveyance direction (
Since the stapling position can be moved to any arbitrary position in the direction perpendicular to the arrow M in FIG. Usability can be further improved. Thirdly, the support shaft 303 that supports the stapler main body 302 is
Since it serves both as a guide member for guiding the stapler body 302 and as a rotational fulcrum for the stapler body 302, the structure of the apparatus can be simplified, reduced in cost, and made more compact.

Fourthly, since the stapler body part approach/separation means consisting of the staple switching arm 312 and the like is provided, the stapler body part 302 can be moved to the finishing tray 400, that is, the sheet It can be rotated to a standby position away from the bundle S, and it is possible to prevent the stapler main body 302 from interfering with the conveyance of the sheets and the sheet bundle S when stapling is not activated.

Fifth, since the connection position between the stapler body 302 and the belt 325 is located near the position where the stapler body 302 is supported by the support shaft 303,
When the stapler main body 302 is driven by the belt 325, galling between the stapler main body 302 and the support shaft 303 can be prevented from occurring. Sixth, since the support shaft 303 passes through one end of the stapler body 302 and the staple switching arm 312 places the other end of the stapler body 302, the stapler body 302 can be reliably positioned, and the movement of the other end of the stapler body 302 is free in directions other than the direction of gravity. Also, galling between the support shafts 303 can be prevented.

Seventh, stack sheets of paper approximately twice the size of the paper stack S on top of the paper stack S as a cover C, and then stack the paper stack and the cover C.
After aligning one end, a needle 304 is driven into the paper stack S from above the cover C near the center of the cover C, the tip of the needle 304 is bent, and the paper stack S is bound together with the cover C. By simply folding the paper stack in half toward the paper stack S side, both the front and back sides of the paper stack can be covered with covers, and the appearance of the paper stack after bookbinding can be improved. In addition, since the bent part at the tip of the needle 304 is also covered by the cover C, it is ensured that this bent part does not injure your fingertips, other objects get caught in the bent part, or the needle 304 becomes easily detached. can be prevented. Therefore, the quality of bookbinding can be improved.

Eighth, a sheet of paper approximately twice the size of the sheet stack S is conveyed onto the sheet pile S as a cover sheet C, and the sheet S is transferred to the cover sheet C.
As mentioned above, high-quality binding can be achieved simply by binding the paper together, which simplifies the configuration of the device.
Cost can be reduced. Ninth, since the stapler main body 302 and the staple receivers 306a, 306b are separated above and below the sheet stack, the stapler 30 consisting of the stapler main body 302 and the staple receivers 306a, 306b
The stapler 301 can be placed in the horizontal projection plane of the finish tray 400, and the stapler 301 can be placed in the horizontal projection plane of the finish tray 400. protrusion can be prevented, and the installation area of the device can be reduced.

Tenthly, since the stapler main body 302 and the staple receivers 306a and 306b are separated as described above, the bound paper bundle is stored in three locations other than the end fence 102 side.
For example, as in this embodiment, the stack of sheets can be discharged from the front side of the apparatus. 1st
1. Since the bundle of bound sheets is ejected from the front side of the device, the width of the device can be shortened compared to a device that has an ejection tray for bookbinding in the horizontal direction of the device, making it possible to reduce the actual width of the device. The installation area of the device can be reduced.

Twelfth, since the bound paper bundle is discharged to the paper output tray 202 on the front side of the apparatus, compared to the conventional system in which the paper output tray was located in the lateral direction of the apparatus.
The paper stack can be taken out from the paper ejection tray 202 with a small movement, and operability can be improved.

[0055]

According to the invention as set forth in claim 1, the needle drive body is provided movably in a predetermined direction, and the support portion that supports the needle drive body is connected to the guide member that guides the needle drive body and the needle drive body. Since it also serves as a rotational fulcrum for the main body, the stapling position can be set at any position in the predetermined direction, simplifying the structure of the device, reducing cost, and making it more compact. It is possible to improve usability while making improvements.

According to the invention described in claim 2, in addition to the effect of claim 1, the needle driver main body can be placed at any position in the moving direction of the needle driver main body by the needle driver main body approaching and separating means. That is, it can be rotated to a standby position away from the sheet bundle, and interference between the sheet bundle and the stapler main body can be prevented during non-binding operations. According to the invention as claimed in claim 3, in addition to the effect of claim 1 or claim 2, the connecting position of the needle driver body and the needle driver body moving means is changed from the position where the needle driver body is supported by the support portion. Since they are arranged close to each other, it is possible to prevent galling between the needle driver main body and the support portion when the needle driver main body is moved.

According to the invention described in claim 4, in addition to the effects of claim 2 or 3, the support portion passes through one end of the needle driver main body, and the needle driver main body portion contacting/separating means Since the other end is placed, it is possible to prevent galling between the needle driver body and the support portion while ensuring that the needle driver body is guided by the support portion.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic sectional view of a copying machine to which an embodiment of a bookbinding apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the operation display section in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of the liquid crystal display section in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a bundle of sheets bound by the copying machine in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a processing flow of each key related to bookbinding of the copying machine in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector A in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector B in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C in FIG. 5;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the circulating document feeder in FIG. 1;

10 is a diagram illustrating a document size detection operation of the circulating document feeder in FIG. 1. FIG.

11 is a perspective view showing a main part of a final document detection mechanism of the circulating document feeder in FIG. 1. FIG.

12 is a diagram illustrating the detection operation of the final document detection mechanism in FIG. 11. FIG.

FIG. 13 shows the timing of document feed/discharge, paper feed, and document exposure of the copying machine in FIG. 1; (a) is part 1;
The timing chart of the first part, (b) is the timing chart of the second part.

14 is a perspective view of a main part of the jogging section in FIG. 1. FIG.

15 is a front view of main parts of the jogging section in FIG. 1. FIG.

16 is a diagram showing a jogging operation of the jogging section in FIG. 1. FIG.

17 is a diagram illustrating a sheet bundle discharge operation of the jogging section in FIG. 1. FIG.

18 is a perspective view of essential parts of the staple portion in FIG. 1. FIG.

19 is a perspective view of the discharge section in FIG. 1. FIG.

20 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control section of the post-processing device in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a processing flow of a bookbinding command of the post-processing device in FIG. 1;

FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C1 in FIG. 21;

23 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C2 in FIG. 21. FIG.

24 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C3 in FIG. 21. FIG.

25 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C4 in FIG. 21. FIG.

26 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C5 in FIG. 21. FIG.

27 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C6 in FIG. 21. FIG.

28 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C7 in FIG. 21. FIG.

29 is a diagram showing a processing flow following connector C8 in FIG. 21. FIG.

30 is a diagram illustrating the stapling position of the post-processing device in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 31 is a diagram showing a stapling processing flow of the post-processing device in FIG. 1;

32 is a diagram showing a velocity waveform of the side fence of the jogging section in FIG. 14. FIG.

33 is a diagram illustrating the stop position of the side fence on the rear side of the jogging section in FIG. 14. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

301 Stapler (stapling means) 302 Stapler main body (staple driving part) 303 Support shaft (support part) 306a, 306b Needle receiving part 304 Staple 312 Staple switching arm (stapling main body part approaching/separating means) 313 Shaft (stapling main body part 314 Solenoid (needle driver body part approaching and separating means) 315 Spring (needle driver body part approaching and separating means) 316 Stopper (needle driver body part approaching and separating means) 325 Belt (needle driver body part moving means) 400 Finish tray (Placement means) S
stack of paper

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A loading means for stacking a plurality of sheets of paper as a bundle of sheets, and a needle provided movably relative to the loading means in a predetermined direction parallel to the stack of sheets on the loading means. A stapler main body of the binding means, comprising: a stapler main body for driving the paper through the bundle, a support part for supporting the stapler main body, and a staple receiving part for bending the tips of the needles that have penetrated the paper bundle. In a bookbinding apparatus in which a stapler and a staple receiver are arranged to face each other across a stack of sheets placed on a loading means, the stapler main body of the binding means moves while being guided by a supporter, and A bookbinding device characterized in that a stack of sheets on a mounting means is bound by rotating a stapler main body around a support. 2. A stapler main body of the binding means is supported slidably in the predetermined direction, and when the stapler main body is performing a binding operation, the stapler main body is allowed to rotate in the direction of the binding operation, 3. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a stapler main body approaching/separating means for rotating the stapler main body to a predetermined standby position where the stapler main body is separated from the mounting means when the main body is not in operation. 3. Connected to the stapler main body of the binding means,
The needle driver body moving means is provided to move the needle driver body by applying a driving force in the predetermined direction to the needle driver main body, and the connecting position of the needle driver main body and the needle driver main body moving device is controlled by the support portion. 3. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bookbinding apparatus is arranged near the support position. 4. The support part of the binding means penetrates one end of the stapler main body and slidably supports the stapler main body, and the stapler main body part contact/separation means connects the stapler main body. 4. The bookbinding apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the other end is placed and supported slidably.