JPH04361096A - Image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To carry out quality bookbinding without exposing folded part of paper and bent part of staple, select a proper bookbinding mode dependent on use, and carry out the bookbinding correctly without irregular alignment of paper bundle. CONSTITUTION:A bundle of paper S is stapled with staples 304 from a cover paper C having a size of at least double or more paper size so as to stitch the bundle of paper through a last paper. Thereafter, the bundle of paper is folded at about the center of cover paper C in such a manner to wrap the bundle of paper so as to bind it.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image forming system, and more particularly, to an image forming system that records images on recording sheets using a copying machine or the like and binds a bundle of recording sheets into a book.

0002

[Prior Art] In recent years, in image forming systems such as copying machines, laser printers, and facsimile machines,
The expansion of post-processing equipment is remarkable, and efforts are being made to improve added value through smaller, multi-functional post-processing equipment. The functions of the post-processing device include functions of sorting and stacking sheets on which images have been formed, as well as a bookbinding function including a stapling 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 are roughly classified into the following methods. <Gluing method> This method has been proposed for a long time,
Generally, the method is to cut out the spine binding part used for gluing the printed material and then glue it. Furthermore, in order to prevent printed matter from falling apart, a device is used to attach cloth to the spine binding section. As a bookbinding device such as a copying machine using such a gluing method, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-2
The one described in Japanese Patent No. 53992 is known. <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. As a bookbinding apparatus such as a copying machine using such a method, for example, the one described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 196677/1983 is known. This device is equipped with one sheet staple tray and a stapler (binding means such as a stapler) provided on the sheet staple tray. For example, after folding A3 size paper into a Z shape to make A4 size, After the sheets are stapled in the staple tray, an end fence supporting one edge of the sheets is released, and the sheet bundle is discharged from the staple tray by its own weight to a sheet storage tray provided below. <Method of stapling the front cover, back cover, etc. after stacking the paper stack> This method has become commonly used in post-processing devices such as copying machines in recent years. In this method, after the covers are stacked, a stapler is used to staple the stack of sheets for each front and back cover. <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. As a bookbinding apparatus for a copying machine using such a method, for example, the one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-33065 is known. This device includes one sheet staple tray and a stapler provided on the sheet staple tray, and after stapling a bundle of sheets in the staple tray, the end fence supporting one end edge of the bundle of sheets is moved in the paper conveyance direction, that is, , the apparatus is moved in the lateral direction to discharge the paper bundle from the staple tray to the sheet storage tray.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the conventional image forming system using the bookbinding method as described above, the quality of the bookbinding deteriorates and the binding device's performance deteriorates due to the following reasons. There are problems such as an increase in installation area and cost, and a decrease in operability.

[0004] In other words, when the gluing method is used, many processes such as cutting, gluing, and cloth pasting are required, and to mechanize and automate it, the equipment becomes large and the operation of the equipment is complicated. This increases the size of the device and increases the cost. When using the center stop method, although this method itself is simple, it is necessary to set the pages in advance, print, and then execute the stop process, which makes page alignment complicated, and the center stop part is Problems such as easy removal may occur.

[0005] When using the method of stapling after paper folding, the process of folding the printed matter in half itself is complicated. Further, the bent portion of the tip of the stapler of the stapler is exposed, resulting in problems such as poor appearance and the stapler getting caught in fingers or the like. Furthermore, since stapling is performed after the paper is folded, most of the staple body is located outside the paper surface, increasing the size of the apparatus.

Furthermore, in the method described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-196677, the paper stack is discharged from the staple tray by its own weight to the sheet storage tray provided below, so that the paper stack may fall. Not only does this sometimes cause paper folds, but there is also a risk that the paper stack may fall apart due to the wind pressure and physical friction force that the paper stack receives when it falls, as well as the impact when it falls.

[0007] When using a method in which the front cover, back cover, etc. are interleaved with a paper stack and then stapled, or a method in which the paper stack is simply stapled, the bent portion of the tip of the stapler needle is exposed from the paper stack. Problems such as poor appearance and the needle getting caught in fingers, etc. occur. Particularly, when the thickness of the paper bundle is thin, the amount of protrusion of the bent portion of the stapler from the paper surface is large, and there is a risk of injuring fingers.

[0008]The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and the invention as claimed in claim 1 is such that the paper edge on the binding margin side is protected against wind pressure or physical friction force such as when a stack of paper falls. It is an object of the present invention to provide an image forming system that is capable of binding books with good appearance without folding the paper easily and without exposing the bent portions of staples and the like. Further, the invention as claimed in claim 2 is such that a normal bookbinding mode in which only recording paper without a cover is attached and a special bookbinding mode with a cover in which binding is performed with a cover approximately twice the size of the recording paper are selected as appropriate depending on the purpose. The object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system that can perform bookbinding.

[0009] In addition to claim 2, the invention as claimed in claim 3 provides an image forming system that can appropriately select a bookbinding mode with a cover, in which sheets of the same size as recording sheets are bound as a front cover or a back cover, depending on the purpose. is intended to provide. Another object of the present invention is to provide an image forming system that automatically performs reliable bookbinding in which misalignment of a stack of recording sheets is unlikely to occur at the minimum required number of binding locations.

0010

[Means for solving the problem] The invention according to claim 1 includes:
In order to achieve the above object, an image forming system includes an image forming apparatus that records an image on recording paper, and a bookbinding apparatus that binds the bundle of recorded recording paper into a book.
The bookbinding device is characterized in that the bookbinding device binds the bundle of recording sheets using sheets of paper that are at least twice the size of the recording sheets as the front and back covers.

[0011] In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 2 has a bookbinding mode in which only a bundle of recorded recording sheets is bound, and a binding mode in which the bundle of recorded recording sheets is bound in at least two recording paper sizes. The present invention is characterized in that it includes a special bookbinding mode with a cover that binds with paper of twice or more paper size, and each of the modes is configured to be selectable. The invention according to claim 3 is:
In order to achieve the above object, the bookbinding device further includes:
A bookbinding mode with a cover is provided in which sheets of the same size as the recording paper size are overlapped and bound as a front cover and/or back cover on a stack of recorded recording paper, and each of the modes is configured to be selectable. .

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the invention as set forth in claim 4 is such that when the bookbinding device binds the recording sheets, a two-position stop mode in which the binding margin is bound at two places is automatically selected. Features.

[0013]

According to the invention as set forth in claim 1, the special binding means binds sheets of paper at least twice the size of the recording sheets as the front and back covers so as to wrap around the bundle of recording sheets. Therefore, the edge of the recording paper on the side to be bound is covered with the front and back covers, eliminating paper folds and misalignment, ensuring reliable bookbinding, and exposing staples, etc. in the binding margin. Looks great without having to do it. .

According to the second aspect of the present invention, bookbinding is performed by selecting a special bookbinding mode with a cover, in which the recording sheets are bound with a cover that is at least twice the size, and a normal bookbinding mode, in which only the recording sheets are bound. be able to. Therefore, it is possible to use different bookbinding modes depending on the purpose, and operability and convenience can be improved. According to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the special bookbinding mode with a cover and the normal bookbinding mode, a bookbinding mode with a cover in which a sheet of the same size as the recording paper is used as the cover can also be selected for bookbinding. Therefore, it becomes possible to respond to a wider range of uses, and it is possible to further improve operability and convenience.

[0015] According to the fourth aspect of the invention, when there is no particular designation of the position or number of binding locations, two-location binding is automatically selected. Therefore, misalignment of the recording paper bundle is less likely to occur, and reliable bookbinding can be performed.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be explained below based on the drawings. First Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 33 are diagrams showing a first embodiment of a copying machine to which a bookbinding method according to the present invention is applied, and is an example in which the method is applied to a copying machine.

First, the configuration will be explained. In Figure 1, 1
1 is a copying machine main body, in which a circulation type document feeder 2 is provided on the upper part of the copying machine main body 1 in FIG. 1, and a post-processing device 3 is provided on the right side of the copying machine main body 1 in FIG. Note that FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section when the copying machine is viewed from the front on the operating side. An operation display section 500 shown in FIG. 2 is provided on the upper surface of the front side of the copying machine body 1 in FIG.
Operation commands related to copying operations, bookbinding operations, etc. are input to 00, and information related to copying operations, bookbinding operations, etc. is displayed. The post-processing device 3 includes a bookbinding control section 800, a jogging section 100, a stapler 300, and a discharge section 200, details of which are shown in FIGS. 14 to 20. Commands related to the bookbinding operation are input from the operation display section 500 to the bookbinding control section 800, and the bookbinding control section 800 controls the jogging section 100, the stapling section 300, the discharging section 200, etc. based on these commands. 11~
14 is a paper feed cassette, and since the copying machine main body 1 itself is a known device that forms images by electrophotographic recording,
A description of its configuration and operation will be omitted. The image-formed paper discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is conveyed to the downstream side by the conveyance roller 901 of the post-processing device 3. Conveyance roller 90
A switching pawl 902 is provided downstream of the sheet conveyance path 902, and by switching the switching pawl 902, the paper is conveyed to either the first or second sheet conveyance path 903 or 904. The paper conveyed to the first sheet conveyance path 903 is placed in the proof tray.
905. In addition, a second sheet conveyance path 90
The paper conveyed to the finishing tray 400 is conveyed onto the finish tray 400.

Hereinafter, the operation display section 500 of the copying machine main body 1 will be described.
, the detailed configuration of each part of the post-processing device 3 including the circulating document feeder 2 will be explained in order. <Operation Display Section 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 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 preheat key 501 is a key that is pressed when the machine in the apparatus is put into a heated state and when the machine is released from a heated 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;
504 is a print key that is pressed when starting a copying operation. This print key 504 also serves as a ready/wait display, and the green LED lights when ready.
A red LED lights up when the weight is on.

[0019] 505 is a numeric keypad; numeric keypad 50
5 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, and the details of the liquid crystal display section 550 are shown in FIG. 55
1 is a message display that displays information about the machine, and a message display 551 displays messages such as "You can copy" and "Please replenish paper." Reference numeral 507 is an automatic density key, and 507 is a key selected when automatically adjusting the copy density according to the background density of the original.
When selected, the automatic concentration display section 554 lights up.
Density adjustment keys 508 and 509 are pressed when manually adjusting the copy density.
Each time is pressed, the lighting of the LED 555 in the concentration display section 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 550 moves one after another to select automatic paper selection, manual paper feeding, or which cassette among paper feeding 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,
Reference numeral 513 is a reduction key, which is pressed when specifying a same size copy, standard size enlargement, and reduction, respectively. 514 is a zoom up key, and 515 is a zoom down key, which are keys to press when specifying an arbitrary magnification between 64% and 142%. 516 is a paper specification scaling key used to automatically reduce or enlarge the original image according to the specified paper size;
The magnification during zooming is displayed numerically on the magnification display section 562. 517 is a double-sided key, and the double-sided 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.
The LED above the key lights up to indicate the selected mode. 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. Reference numeral 519 is a staple selection key, and the staple selection key 519 is a key that is pressed when selecting one-position fastening mode, two-position fastening mode, or no-staple mode. 520 is a cover function selection key, and the cover function selection key 520 is a key that is pressed when selecting front cover mode, back cover mode, front and back cover mode, or no cover mode. These cover modes indicate whether to add one sheet of the same size as the paper stack to the front side, back side, or both sides of the paper stack on which an image has been formed, or to add no paper at all. Since bookbinding using the staple selection key 519 and the cover function selection key 520 is already known, a detailed explanation of the modes selected by these keys will be omitted and will be described below.
The explanation 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 activates 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. B.
The paper selected when the mode is selected is the paper that is
The paper is set in the paper cassette so that the longitudinal direction matches the (all the front and rear directions described below refer to this direction), and even if the paper is the same size, paper in the width direction will not be selected. ing. The paper for the cover must have the same length in the short direction as the length in the long direction of the paper selected above.
It is desirable to use a paper whose length 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 as cover paper in the paper feed cassette. 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. To select the mode, press the binding key 521
This is possible by key operation. S. S. B. A sheet of paper bound according to the mode is shown in FIG. In Figure 4, S
is a stack of paper, and C is a cover.

As shown in FIG. 4, the S. S. B. In this mode, the size of the cover C is more than twice the size of the paper bundle S, and the cover is formed so as to wrap around the binding margin of the staples 304 that bind the paper bundle S. Therefore, the edge of the paper on the binding margin side is protected by the cover C, and folding of the paper is prevented. Also, S. S. B. In the mode, as shown in FIG. 4, the stapler 304 penetrates the sheet bundle S from the cover C side, bends the leading end, and staples the sheet. Since the bent portion of the tip of the needle 304 is covered by the cover C, the appearance of the stack of sheets after the bookbinding process is improved, and the bent portion does not injure fingers, etc., so that the bookbinding can be performed safely. Can be done.

[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, reducing the burden on the operator and ensuring reliable binding. is now possible. These staple selection keys 519. Cover function selection key 5
20 and the simple bookbinding key 521, the LED above the key lights up to indicate the bookbinding mode.The flow of these key operations is shown in Figs.
Shown in FIG.

The flowchart in FIG. 5 shows the case where the staple selection key 519, the cover function selection key 520, and the simple binding key 521 are operated to select the binding mode of the paper bundle. Specific flowcharts for each key operation are shown in Figures 6, 7, and 8, respectively.
is shown. First, when the staple selection key 519 is turned on, if the staple selection key 519 is in the no-staple mode, as shown in FIG. 6, pressing the key once cancels the bookbinding mode and selects the one-place staple mode. Also,
When in the one-place stop mode, pressing the key once selects the two-place stop mode. Further, if the machine is not in the one-staple mode, pressing the key once selects the no-staple mode.

Next, when the cover function selection key 520 is turned on, as shown in FIG. 7, if the cover is not in the no-cover mode, pressing the key once cancels the bookbinding mode and selects the front cover mode. Ru. In addition, when in the front cover mode state, pressing the key once selects both cover modes. Furthermore, when the device is in both cover mode, pressing the key once selects back cover mode. Also,
If you are not in double cover mode, press the key once to select coverless mode. Next, press the simple binding key 521.
When the key is turned ON, as shown in FIG. 8, if the key is pressed once, the staple mode and cover mode are canceled and the bookbinding mode with cover is selected. In addition, when the bookbinding mode with cover is in the state, pressing the key once selects the bookbinding mode without cover. Furthermore, if the bookbinding mode with cover is not in the bookbinding mode, the bookbinding mode is canceled.

In this way, the staple selection key 51
9, cover function selection key 520 and simple binding key 52
1 is configured so that each mode can be selected cyclically using one key, and each mode can be confirmed by lighting the LED. <Circulating document feeder 2> Figure 9 shows the circulating document feeder 2.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control circuit of FIG.

In FIG. 9, the CPU 701 is a ROM
701a, RAM 701b, AD converter 701
c. It consists of a one-chip microcomputer integrated with a serial communication port 701d, and an output port 702 and an input port 703 are externally attached. The output port 702 includes a document transport motor 704 and a belt drive motor 70.
5. A motor driver 707 for driving the document transport force motor 706 at a constant speed is connected to drive each motor as necessary. Further, 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 7
03 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 by a side guide 601 that is movable in a direction perpendicular to the original transport direction, and an end plate 604 that is movable in the transport direction on the rear side of the original transport direction. regulated by. Further, the presence or absence of the document on the document placement table is detected by a reflective sensor provided on the document placement 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 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the document size in the direction perpendicular to the document conveyance direction. , its signal terminal is connected to 5V, GND, signal line, and its output voltage is CP
The document width is detected by reading it with the AD converter 701c in the U 701. Furthermore, which sensor among the plurality of document length sensors 603 attached to the side plate of the document table is connected to the click claw 6 of the end plate 604.
Depending on whether 05 is detected, the length of the document in the transport direction is detected, and in combination with the document width and document length detection, various document sizes can be handled. (3) Document end detection Figures 11 and 12 show the mechanism for document end detection.
The operation of this document end mechanism will be explained. Original partition claw 6
06 is a partition pawl solenoid 709 before feeding the document.
By turning ON/OFF, the solid line position in Figure 12 (when the solenoid is ON) and the virtual line position (when the solenoid is OFF)
move between Further, when the solenoid is OFF, the document partition pawl 606 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 pawl sensor 610. Original divider claw
When a stack of originals is placed on the original partitioning claw 606 with the original partitioning claw sensor 606 engaged with the original partitioning claw sensor 610, the partitioning arm 608 moves along the partitioning claw rail 611 by turning on the partitioning claw solenoid 709. In order to move, the document partition claw 606 slips out from under the document. Along with this operation, the lifting pin 612 also moves guided by a pin rail (not shown), and the document partition claw 606
Further, there is a magnet 609 above the partition claw, and the lifting plate 613 is attracted, so that the document partition claw 606 moves to the top. After that, when the partition pawl solenoid 709 turns OFF,
It moves to the upper side of the document due to the biasing force of the spring. When all the documents below the document partition claw 606 are fed due to the copying operation, the document partition claw 606 becomes the document partition claw sensor 6.
10, and the last sheet of the original is detected. (4) Document conveyance control The circulation type document feeder 2 of this embodiment is designed to feed paper starting from the last sheet of a stack of documents.
Since the cover page comes last, the operation is as follows.

(a) Timing diagram for the first copy 13(a) is a timing chart for the first copy, and shows the timing of document 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 sheet. Therefore, compared to a normal image, the registration rollers 22 in FIG. 1 start rotating earlier.

(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.

(a) The paper reaches the end of the paper when copying the paper -- the machine stops (b) The cover reaches the end of the paper when copying the paper -- paper copy continues, the machine stops when copying the cover (c) The paper reaches the end of the paper when copying the cover --- Executing cover copy, machine stops when copying paper (d) When copying cover, the cover reaches the end of the paper -- machine stops <jogging section 100> In Figs. 14 to 17,
Reference numeral 101 denotes a brush roller, and the brush roller 101 brings the paper discharged onto the finish tray 400 by the conveyance roller 901 shown in FIG. Further, the front and back direction of the paper can be aligned by a jogging operation described below of a rear side fence 103 and a front side fence 104. An end fence 102 is a positioning fence in the conveyance direction of the paper. As shown at 15, the end fence is fixed to an end fence moving belt 105, and the end fence is supported movably in the paper conveyance direction by a moving motor 106. The position of the end fence 102 is determined so that stapling can be performed 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). end fence 1
The reference position of 02 is the convex part 1 of the end fence 102
02a is the end fence home position sensor 10
This is the position detected by 7. 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.

[0031] Side fences 103 and 104 are positioning fences in the front and back direction, and each side fence is a
108 and 109 on the upper side of the paper. Moving belts 108 and 109 are pulleys 106 to 119
and are independently driven by side fence moving motors 111 and 110. That is, the side fences 103 and 104 are moved back and forth independently from each other in the arrow directions in FIG. 16, so that the sheets are aligned in the front-back direction. Movement belt 108,
Patterns 112 and 113 are provided at predetermined positions of 109, and patterns 112 and 113 are sensors.
Side fence detected by 114 and 115 10
The position 3,104 becomes the reference position. 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.

The positional relationship among the end fence 102, the side fences 103 and 104, and the stapler main body 302 of the stapler 301 to be described later is as clear from FIGS. 1 and 15, where the end fence 102 and the stapler main body 302 are in opposing positions Side fences 103 and 104 are arranged between the end fence 102 and the stapler body 302.

[0033] After finishing the jogging operation, use the stapler 30.
When stapling, which will be described later, is completed in step 1, the side fences 103 and 104 move in the same direction, as shown in FIG. 17, and discharge the paper toward the front side of the apparatus. Note that 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 1. After paper ejection is complete, side fence 1
03 and 104 move in the same direction and return to their original positions,
Move 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 sheet 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 includes a stapler main body section 302 and staple receiving sections 306a and 306b, which are separated with the finish tray 400 in between.
It consists of 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 part 301 includes a staple driving part 302a, a staple storage part 302b, a plate-shaped projection 302c, and a plate spring 302.
d and an arm 302e. Needle driving part 3
02a and the needle storage portion 302b are rotatably supported by a shaft 303. The needle stored in the needle storage part 302b 304 is a plate-shaped projection provided in the needle driving part 302a
The needles 302c are pushed out one by one in the downward direction in FIG. Needle holder 30
6a and 306b, thereby completing the stapling of the sheet bundle S.

[0035] The needle 304 is an eccentric cam 30 for stapling.
It is extruded by the rotation of 7a and 307b. That is, two eccentric cams 307a and 307b are provided at a predetermined upper position of the stapler main body 302 in FIG. Note that the number of eccentric cams 307a, 307b may be one or three or more. Normal eccentric cam 307a, 3
07b is stopped and stands by at a position where it does not come into contact with the needle driving part 302a by position detection by a sensor (not shown) or the like (state shown in FIG. 18). When stapling, the penetrating shaft 308
is driven one rotation by a motor (not shown) via gears or the like. Due to this rotation, the eccentric cam 307 becomes the leaf spring 3
02d, and the needle driving part 302a is pressed and rotated downward about the shaft 308 by the reaction force of the leaf spring 302d. As described above, the needle 304 is pushed out and stapling is performed.

The arm 302c is fixed to the tip of the stapler 302a and engages with the staple switching arm 312. Staple switching arm 312 is shaft 313
and rotates with the shaft 313. When stapling, the staple switching arm 312 is the solenoid 31
4, the staple switching arm 312 is rotated clockwise in FIG. 18, and the staple switching arm 312 is separated from the arm 302c. 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 body 302 is forced to move counterclockwise by the spring 315. 312, it is held in an upwardly lifted state, that is, in a state separated from the sheet bundle S that is sequentially conveyed and stacked.

[0037] The needle receivers 306a and 306b are provided separately below the eccentric cams 307a and 307b, respectively.
The needle receivers 306a and 306b are arranged in the finish tray on the same plane or below (with the needle receivers 306a and 306b not protruding). Therefore, when the stapler main body 302 is in the standby state, the paper is conveyed between the stapler main body 302 and the staple receivers 306a, 306b without being caught by either.

[0038] The stapler main body 302 is a belt 32
5, and is driven by a belt 325 as shown in Figure 1.
It is movable in the direction of the arrow 8. Therefore, the stapler body 302 can staple at two positions directly above the staple holders 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. Opening 2
01 is formed along the extending direction of the above-mentioned finish tray 400, and a paper output tray 202 is arranged below the opening 201.
is supported by the frame 3a.

The stapled paper stack S on the finish tray 400 is connected to side fences 103 and 104.
As the paper moves, the paper is discharged through the opening 201 onto a paper discharge tray 202 outside the apparatus. <Control unit 800 of post-processing device> In FIG. 20, 8
00 is a control unit of the post-processing device 3, hereinafter referred to as control unit 8
The configuration and control operation of 00 will be explained in this order. (1) In the configuration diagram 20, the CPU 801 is the ROM 801a
Consists of a one-chip microcomputer that integrates , RAM801b, and serial communication port 801c, and an output port
802, a staple control input/output port 803, and a manual port 804 are attached externally. This control circuit transmits commands from the copying machine main body 1 to the serial communication port 80.
Receive at 1c and perform the necessary actions. Its command and contents are shown below. The output port 802 has a jogger motor 805 (side fence movement motor 110,
111), end fence movement motor 80
6. Staple back and forth movement motor 807, conveyance roller drive motor 808, lift belt motor 8
A motor driver 810 for driving 09 at a constant speed is connected, and each motor is driven as necessary. Furthermore, the load of the switching pawl solenoid 811 etc. is also transferred to the output port 8.
02. The staple control input/output port 803 is connected to a staple vertical movement motor 812, a staple operation motor 813, etc., and the staple control input/output port 803 is independently provided with signals necessary for operating the staple unit. Input port 8
04 is connected to signals from a home position sensor, a transport sensor, etc., and is configured to 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: Transport motor OFF paper send Command: Paper transport cover send Command: Cover transport stapling Command: Execute stapling The flowcharts of FIGS. 21 to 29 show the processing upon reception of the above command. (2) The operations of the operation control 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 is. Hereinafter, the operation control by the control unit 800 will be described in (a) to (
E) will be explained one by one item by item.

(a) Selection of the tray from which 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. 1 of 3 modes
Select one and operate according to each mode. If the sent mode command is a no-staple mode command, the switching claw 902 is switched to the proof tray 905 side, and the staple mode and S. S. B. mode, switch 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 positions are D1 shown in Fig. 30, D1 on the end fence 102,
2 can be changed depending on the position of the stapler body 302, and this information is given by a position command. For this purpose, it is necessary to move the side fences 103, 104 and the end fence 102 to predetermined positions. 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 fence 103, 1 is
The end fence 102 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 transverse direction of the paper.
It is moved by driving 806. Stapler body part 3
Since the position 02 is fixed at a position facing the end fence 102, the stapling position of the paper is determined at the position of the end fence 102. 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. In the case of cover paper, a cover send command is sent. The cover send command is
．． S. B. In the case of 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, two side fences 103, 1
04 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. side fence 103,
As will be described later, the numerals 104 also serve as paper ejecting means, so they each have a driving means independently. The state of this jogging operation is shown in FIG. 15 as described above, and the speed waveforms of the side fences 103 and 104 during jogging are shown in FIG. 32.

(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 of paper matches the number of commands, the staple operation motor 813 is turned on, and the eccentric cams 307a, 307b
By rotating once, the paper bundle S is stapled. After the stapling operation is completed, the staple flag is reset.
The sheet count memory that counts the number of sheets conveyed into the finish tray 400 is cleared, and the discharge flag is set to proceed to the next discharge operation.

(e) Paper ejection The paper is disposed through the side fences 103, 1 as described above.
It is discharged by the movement of 04. Figure 32 shows side fences 103 and 104 during jogging and when paper is ejected.
The speed waveform during paper ejection is shown in the ejection (forward) part. side fence 103,
The stack of sheets S, which has been stapled after the jogging operation in step 104, is first fixed at a fixed ejection position regardless of the size by moving the end fence 102, that is, the stack of sheets S
After aligning the rear end to the designated ejection position, remove the side fence.
It is sent to the front side of the device at a constant speed by 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 the speed is temporarily reduced just before the paper stack S falls. This deceleration operation is for reducing the impact when the paper bundle S falls. FIG. 33 is a diagram showing the difference in the stop position depending on the paper size, and the stop position is changed for each size to shorten the ejection 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 the first embodiment, since it is constructed as described above, the following effects can be obtained. First, a sheet of paper that is at least twice the size of the paper stack S is stacked on top of the paper stack S as a cover C, and after the paper stack and one end of the cover C are provided, the cover C is placed near the approximate center of the cover C. The needle 304 is driven into the paper stack S from above, the tip of the needle 304 is bent, and the paper stack S is bound together with the cover C.
By simply folding the cover C in half toward the paper stack S, both the front and back sides of the paper stack can be covered with the cover, and the appearance of the paper stack after bookbinding can be improved. Also needle 30
The folded part at the tip of 4 is also covered by the cover C, so that the folded part does not injure your fingertips, other objects get caught in the folded part, or the needle 304 becomes easily detached. This can be reliably prevented. Therefore, the quality of bookbinding can be improved.

In FIG. 2, a sheet of paper at least twice the size of the sheet bundle S is conveyed as a cover C onto the sheet bundle S, and
Since high-quality bookbinding can be achieved as described above simply by binding the sheet bundle S together with the cover C, the configuration of the apparatus can be simplified and costs can be reduced. Third
There are a bookbinding mode that binds only a stack of paper without a cover, a special bookbinding mode with a cover that binds with a cover that is at least twice the size of the paper stack, and a bookbinding mode with a cover that binds with a cover that is the same size as the paper stack. Since the binding mode can be selected as appropriate, there is the convenience of being able to freely select the bookbinding mode depending on the purpose.

Fourth, since two-place binding is automatically selected and bookbinding is performed, it is possible to reliably bind a bundle of sheets and prevent sheets from shifting. Fifth, the stapler main body 30
2 and the staple receivers 306a, 306b are separated above and below the paper stack, the stapler 301 consisting of the staple main body 302 and the staple receivers 306a, 306b can be placed within the horizontal projection plane of the finish tray 400. , stapler is finish tray 400
Compared to the conventional stapler 301, which is disposed at the side end of the stapler and protrudes from the side of the apparatus, the stapler 301 can be prevented from protruding from the side of the apparatus, and the installation area of the apparatus can be reduced.

Sixthly, as mentioned above, the stapler main body 3
02 and the needle receivers 306a and 306b are separated, the bound paper stack can be ejected from three sides other than the end fence 102 side. For example, as in this embodiment, the paper stack can be ejected from the front side of the device. can be discharged. 7th
Since the bound paper stack is ejected to the front side of the device,
Compared to an apparatus in which a bookbinding discharge tray is provided in the lateral direction of the apparatus, the width of the apparatus can be shortened, and the actual installation area of the apparatus can be reduced.

Eighth, since the bundle of bound sheets is ejected to the paper output tray 202 on the front side of the apparatus, the movement is small compared to conventional systems that had a paper output tray on the side of the apparatus. The stack of sheets can be taken out from the paper discharge tray 202, and operability can be improved. Second Embodiment FIGS. 34 to 38 are diagrams showing a second embodiment of a bookbinding apparatus applicable to the present invention, and show an example in which the structure of the paper post-processing device 3 is different from the above-mentioned example.

In the paper post-processing device 3 of the second embodiment shown in FIG.
2, the paper is discharged to the discharge tray 1303 or sent to the conveyance path 1304 on the finish tray 1306 side. Note that the conveying means 1300 for loading (and placing) and unloading sheets on the staple tray 1306 is connected to the sheet receiving opening 1.
301, staple switching claw 1302, conveyance path 1304,
It consists of an alignment brush 1305, a lift belt 1309, and a lift hook 1310. The sheets that have passed through the staple conveyance path 1304 are aligned in a staple tray 1306 by an alignment brush 1305. Further, the position of the paper bundle S can be changed up and down by a back fence 1308, thereby adjusting the binding position in the paper conveyance direction.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 35, an alignment brush 1305, a jogger 1307, and a back fence 1308 are provided around the staple tray 1306, and the alignment brush 1305 is connected from the transport path 1304 to the staple tray 1306 side. It serves to discharge the paper and align the paper to the back fence 1308 side. The alignment brush 1305 also prevents the paper on the staple tray 1306 from being pushed up by the paper carried out from the conveyance path 1304. The jogger 1307 is supported by a jogger guide 1312, and a timing belt 131 is provided parallel to the jogger guide 1312.
3 to a jogger motor 1314. The jogger 1307 is moved by the rotation of the jogger motor 1314, and the sheets are aligned in the lateral direction (the longitudinal direction of the apparatus). Note that the position of the jogger 1307 differs depending on the size of the paper, but its positioning is determined by the output signal of a jogger home sensor (not shown) and the number of movement pulses of the jogger motor 1314. The same goes for positioning the lift belt 1309. As shown in FIG. 37, the lift hook 1310 rotates the rotary member 1321, and at a predetermined rotation position, the light-shielding state of the optical sensor 1322 is released, thereby positioning the lift belt 1309 at the reference position. This is done by counting the number of drive pulses of the belt drive motor.

Reference numeral 1400 denotes a staple unit (stapling unit) that constitutes a binding means together with a staple receiving part (for example, similar to the staple receiving stands 306a and 306b), which is not shown.This staple unit 1400 has two staple guides. It moves in the front and back direction along lines 1401 and 1402, and can staple the paper at fixed locations (for example, two locations). As shown in FIGS. 37 and 38, the staple unit 1400 includes a vertically movable staple section 1450, a slide screw 1403 that supports the staple section 1450, and a staple section 1403 that supports the staple section 1450.
a guide rod 1404 that guides 50 in the vertical direction;
It has a staple vertical motor 1405 that moves the staple section 1450 in the vertical direction. Staple part 1
450 is provided with a dot member 1451 sandwiched between the front surface 1452 of the needle striking part and the presser member 1453, and the dot member 1451 is connected to the coupling member 1454 and the push-down arm 14.
55 and the slide screw 14 via the coil spring 1456.
57, and moves up and down by the rotation of a slide screw 1457 to drive out the needle 1461. Further, the slide screw 1457 is rotationally driven by a staple motor 1458 via a gear stage 1459.

The needle 1461 pushed downward by the dotting point member 1451 penetrates the sheet stack S aligned on the finishing tray 400 by the jogging action, and the needle 1461
The leading end of the sheet 461 is bent by the staple holder, thereby completing the stapling of the sheet bundle S. Further, the sheet bundle S stapled together with the cover sheet C by the stapling unit 1400 is moved to the staple tray 13 by a lift hook 1310 provided on the lift belt 1309.
06 and the staple ejection tray 1311
is discharged.

According to the second embodiment, the structure of the paper post-processing device 3 is different from that of the first embodiment, but in this case as well, as shown in FIG. After stacking sheets of paper approximately twice the size as the cover C and aligning one end of the paper stack and the cover C, insert the needle 304 into the paper stack S from above the cover C.
Fold the leading edge of the paper stack S together with the cover C. Then, just fold the cover C in half toward the paper stack S,
Both the front and back sides of the paper stack can be covered with a cover, and the appearance of the paper stack after binding can be improved.

[0057] Furthermore, since the bent portion at the tip of the needle 304 is also covered by the cover C, this bent portion may damage fingertips, etc., or other objects may get caught in the bent portion, or the needle 304 may easily come off. can be reliably prevented. Therefore, the quality of bookbinding can be improved. Further, as described above with reference to FIG. 34, the staple unit 1400 is slidable in the front-rear direction along the two staple guides 1401 and 1402. Therefore, a desired number of staples can be stapled at predetermined locations in the binding margin of the bundle of sheets. Here, since two-position stop is usually automatically selected, it is possible to reliably bind a stack of sheets without misalignment.

[0058]

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to perform high-quality bookbinding without exposing paper folds or the bent portions of staples, and it is also possible to appropriately select the binding mode according to the application. To ensure that the bundle is bound without misalignment.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1: A first copying machine to which the bookbinding method according to the present invention is applied.
It is a schematic sectional view showing an example.

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, where (a) is a timing chart for the first copy, and (b) is a timing chart for the second copy. It is.

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.

FIG. 34 is a sectional view showing a second embodiment of the bookbinding apparatus according to the present invention.

35 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the staple tray in FIG. 34. FIG.

FIG. 36 is an explanatory diagram of a lift belt positioning method in FIG. 34;

37 is a front sectional view of the stapling part of the staple unit in FIG. 34. FIG.

38 shows the staple unit in FIG. 34, in which (a) is a side sectional view thereof, and (b) is a front sectional view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

S Paper bundle C Cover 1 Copying machine main body (image forming device) 2 Circulating document feeder 3 Post-processing device (bookbinding device) 300 Staple section 301 Stapler 302 Stapler main body section 302 a Driving section 302 b Staple storage section 304 Needle 306 a , 306 b needle receiver 500
Operation display section 800 Bookbinding control section

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An image forming system comprising an image forming apparatus that records an image on recording paper, and a bookbinding apparatus that binds the recorded stack of recording paper into a book, wherein the bookbinding apparatus binds the cover of the stack of recording paper. and an image forming system characterized in that binding is performed using paper having a size at least twice the size of recording paper as a back cover. 2. A bookbinding mode in which the bookbinding device binds only a bundle of recorded recording sheets, and a special binding mode with a cover in which the bundle of recorded recording sheets is bound with sheets of paper at least twice the size of the recording sheets. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein each of the modes is selectable. 3. The bookbinding device further includes a bookbinding mode with a cover in which sheets of the same size as the recording paper size are overlapped and bound as a front cover and/or a back cover on a bundle of recorded recording sheets, and each of the modes 3. The image forming system according to claim 2, wherein the image forming system is configured to be selectable. 4. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein when the bookbinding device binds the recording sheets, a two-position stop mode in which the binding margin is bound at two places is automatically selected. .