JPH05201605A - Image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the productivity by moving a stapling means to a position corresponding to a sorting start bin when the number of documents delivered from a tray is an odd number, and by moving the stapling means to the position corresponding to a sorting finish bin in the case of an even number. CONSTITUTION:Documents set in a document tray 21 are fed one by one by a paper feed roller 24. A paper feed sensor 23 counts the number of fed paper sheets to input it to a CPU. The CPU judges whether an inputted number is an odd number or an even number. In the case of the odd number, a staple sorter 30 moves a stapler 32 to correspond to the bin 31 at a sorting start position. In the case of the even number, it moves the stapler 32 to correspond to the bin 31 at a sorting finish position.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention has a stapling function for sorting image-formed sheets discharged from a copying machine, a laser printer or the like into a plurality of bins and then binding the sorted sheet group to each bin. The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional copying machine or the like, a sorter has been developed which, after copying a set number of originals for a set number of copies, automatically aligns the pages of the copied sheets and sorts them. A staple sorter has also been developed which automatically staples a sheet group sorted by the sorter. For such a staple sorter, the copy sheets for the first original are sequentially sorted from the first bin to the bin corresponding to the set number of sheets for the purpose of reducing the sorting time, and then the copy sheets for the next original are copied. A so-called reciprocating collapsing type staple sorter has also been developed and put into practical use, in which the sorting order is changed every time an original is replaced so that the group is sorted from the bin corresponding to the set number of sorts to the first bin.

[0003]

With the above-described reciprocating and collating type staple sorter, the sorting processing time has been sufficiently shortened. However, regarding the staple processing,
The current situation is that the time has not been shortened to meet the sort processing of the reciprocating collation method.

[0004]

Therefore, in the present invention, means for counting the number of fed originals at the same time as the operation of feeding the originals by the original feeding device is provided, and the sorting is first performed after the counting of the number of originals is completed. And a means for moving the stapler to a position corresponding to the bin in which the completion is completed.

[0005]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A copying machine equipped with a staple sorter according to the present invention will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, a copying machine equipped with a staple sorter according to the present invention includes a copying machine body 10 and an automatic document feeder 20 (hereinafter referred to as A) attached to the copying machine body 10.
DF) and the staple sorter 30 installed on the side of the copying machine main body 10. Since the structure of the copying machine main body 10 is well known, its description is omitted. The ADF 20 shown in FIG. 2 is known per se, and includes a document tray 21 on which a document group is placed, a document set sensor 22 that detects whether the document group is set on the document tray 21, and a document is fed. A paper feed sensor 23 is provided for detecting that the original has been fed by the paper feed roller 24 and is set at an exposure position on the original glass (not shown) by the conveyor belt 25. The transport belt 25 sends the sheet to a discharge roller (not shown) and discharges it outside the machine. When the paper feed roller 24 feeds a document group on the document tray 21 one by one, the paper feed sensor 23 counts the number of documents, and when there are no documents on the document tray 21, the document set sensor 22 is turned off, and the paper feed sensor 2
The number of originals counted by 3 is input to the CPU 40 incorporated in the copying machine, and it is determined whether the count value of the number of originals input to the CPU 40 is an even number or an odd number. The process of counting the number of documents and the control of the CPU will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 3, the staple sorter 30 includes a plurality of bins 3 for sorting discharged sheets.
1, a stapler 32 for binding the copy sheet group stored in the bin 31, a guide 33 for moving the stapler 32 to a position corresponding to each bin, a stepping motor 34 for driving the stapler 32, and an initial stage of the stapler 32. The stapler 32 is provided with a home position sensor 35 for detecting the position, and the stapler 32 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction in the drawing via the guide 33 by the drive control of the stepping motor 34, and the stapler 32 has completed the sorting. The sheet group is stepped down or raised step by step corresponding to the bin 31, and the group of sheets sorted in the bin 31 is stapled and bound one by one.

Next, the control of the CPU will be described.

As shown in FIG. 4, the CPU 40 has a key input from a print key, a staple mode key, a numeric keypad, etc. on an operation panel provided on the copying machine main body 10 and a document set sensor provided on the ADF 20. 22 signal (presence / absence of document on document tray 21), paper feed sensor 23
From the home position sensor 35 in the staple sorter 30 (whether the stapler 32 is at the position of the home position sensor 35). The CPU 40 is configured to control the copy control circuit of the copying machine main body 10, the paper feed and count control circuit of the ADF 20, and the stapler drive circuit of the staple sorter 30 by inputting the signals.

Next, the main flow chart shown in FIG. 5 will be described.

First, in step S1, each device is initialized, and in step S2, an internal timer for setting the processing time of the main routine is started. Then, step S3
Key input from the operation panel, signal input from the sensor group of the ADF 20, home position sensor 3 of the staple sorter
A process for checking the signal input from 5 is performed, and an output process for the input is performed in step S4. Thereafter, in step S5, a document count process for counting the number of documents is performed, stapling control is performed in step S6, and other processes are performed in step S7. In step S8, the end of the internal timer is confirmed and the process returns to step S2.

Next, the control of the count processing of the number of originals in step S5 will be described with reference to FIG. ADF
20 receives a copy start command, feeds a document, leaves it at the exposure position, and when the set number of copies is completed, the process of discharging the document is sequentially performed. However, the operation control of the ADF 20 is known. The description is omitted, and the counting process according to the present invention will be described.

First, under the condition that the document set sensor 22 in step S10 is ON (there is a document on the document tray 21),
In step S11, it is determined whether the paper feed sensor 23 is on edge. If it is on edge, step S
In step 12, it is determined whether or not the staple mode is selected. If the staple mode is selected, the process proceeds to step S13 and the count of the number of documents is incremented. , If the staple mode is not selected,
The process returns to the main routine without counting the number of documents.

Next, the staple control in step S6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9.

First, in step S100, the number of the state counter is determined. The case where the state counter is 0 will be described in order. First, if the print key is on edge in step S101 and the staple mode is selected in step S102, step S103
Set the state counter to 1. If the print key is not on or the staple mode is not selected, the process returns. When the state counter becomes 1, it is determined in step S111 whether the home position sensor 35 is on or off. If the home position sensor 35 is off, the stapler 32 is moved to the position of the home position sensor 35 in step S112. .. The movement of the stapler 32 is continued until the home position sensor 35 is turned on. When the home position sensor 35 is turned on, the movement of the stapler 32 is stopped in step S113, the state counter is set to 2 in step S114, and the return is performed. To do. When the state counter reaches 2, step S121
In step 4, the CPU 40 checks the value of the copy number set by the operator, and moves the stapler 32 to a position intermediate between the uppermost bin and the bin corresponding to the value of the copy number set by the operator in step S122. To do. If the set number of copies is more than one, for example, if the number of copies is 20, 10
If the number of copies is odd, for example, if the number of copies is 19, it is 10 in the middle of the 12th and 11th bins.
Move the stapler 32 to the position of the second bin. The movement of the stapler 32 is performed until the movement to the intermediate position between the uppermost bin in step S123 and the bin corresponding to the value of the number of copies set by the operator is completed, and when the movement of the stapler 32 is completed, In step S124, the state counter is set to 3.

When the state counter reaches 3, first, in step S131, it is determined whether the document set sensor 22 is on or off. When the document set sensor 22 is on (when there is a document on the document tray 21), the process returns, but when the document set sensor 22 is off (the document tray 2
If there is no original document on 1), the process proceeds to step S132,
The CPU 40 determines whether the value of the number of originals counted in the count processing subroutine is an even number or an odd number. If the number of documents is odd, the stapler 32 is moved to the uppermost bin in step S133, the process proceeds to step S134, and the state counter is set to 4. If the number of originals is an even number, the stapler 32 is moved to the bin corresponding to the value of the number of copies set by the operator in step S135 (for example, the 20th bin when the number of copies is 20), and step S136.
And the state counter is set to 5.

When the state counter is 4 (when the number of originals is an odd number), it is determined in step S141 whether the copy sheet of the final original has been ejected to the uppermost bin, and the copy sheet of the final original is ejected. When it is confirmed that the sorting is completed, the process proceeds to step S142, and the stapler 32 is activated. After stapling, step S143
The staple count is incremented in step S
At 144, the values of the number of staples and the number of copies are compared. If the number of staples is equal to the number of copies, stapling is completed, and the state counter is set to 6 in step S145. If the number of staples is not equal to the number of original copies, the stapler 32 is moved one step further from the current position in step S146. Move to the position corresponding to the lower bin and return.

When the state counter is 5 (when the number of originals is an even number), when it is confirmed in step S151 that the copy sheet of the final original is ejected to the bin corresponding to the number of copies set by the operator, steps S152 to S152. S154
Up to step S142 to step S144 of the state counter 4 are controlled in the same manner. In step S154, the values of the number of copies and the number of copies are compared. If the number of staples and the number of copies are equal, stapling is completed, and the state counter is set to 6 in step S155. If they are not equal, the stapler 32 is moved to the position corresponding to the bin one step higher than the current position of the bin in step S156, and the process returns.

When the state counter reaches 6, stapling for all the bins is completed, the counter value of the number of originals is cleared in step S161, the staple number counter is cleared in step S162, and the state counter is cleared in step S163. In step S164, the stapler 32 is moved to the position of the home position sensor 35, and the process returns to the main routine.

In this embodiment, a document set sensor 22 is provided, and when the document set sensor 22 is turned off,
The configuration is such that it is determined that the counting of the number of all originals has ended, but if the next original is not fed within a certain time after feeding the original, the counting of the total number of originals has ended. You may make a judgment.

In the present embodiment, the number of originals is counted. However, the determination of the bin into which the copy sheets of the final original are first sorted is determined by whether the originals are odd or even. May be configured to be raised or lowered, and the flag may be used to determine whether the number of originals is even or odd.

In this embodiment, the copying machine body 10 and the AD
F20 and staple sorter 30 are controlled by one CPU
40, the copying machine main body 10, ADF2
CPUs may be provided in each of 0 and the staple sorter 30, and control may be performed by data transfer between the respective CPUs.

[0023]

Since the original detection is performed at the same time as the original feeding operation, at the time of feeding the final original, it is possible to determine whether the total number of originals is even or odd, and the stapler sorts the copy sheets of the final original by this even or odd determination. Since it can be moved to a position corresponding to the first completed bin, the staple process can be performed quickly, the time until the staple process is completed can be shortened, and the productivity can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall view of a copying machine of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an automatic document feeder (ADF).

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a staple sorter.

FIG. 4 is a control block diagram of a CPU.

FIG. 5 is a main flowchart of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of document count processing.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of stapling control.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of stapling control.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of stapling control.

[Explanation of symbols]

 32 stapler

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of originals placed on an original tray are conveyed one by one, left still at an exposure position, a set number of copies of the original placed at the exposure position are created, and then the original is exposed. It has a document feeder that ejects from the position and multiple bins that store copy sheets, and sorts the copy sheets of the first document sequentially from the sorting start bin to the sorting end bin corresponding to the set number of copies. , The next original copy sheet is sorted from the sorting end bin to the sorting start bin in sequence, and the staple sorter having stapling means movable along the plurality of bins is placed on the original tray. Further, a detecting means for detecting the originals each time a plurality of originals are conveyed one by one is provided, and the detecting means discriminates whether the number of originals is odd or even. When the number of originals is even, the stapler is moved to a position corresponding to the sorting start bin.
An image forming apparatus, wherein the stapling means is moved to a position corresponding to a sorting end bin.