JPH05591A - Sheet processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enhance bookblnding quality by preventing the folding of a bound sheet bundle and to process recording sheets with high safety by covering the bound part of the recording sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus with a cover sheet. CONSTITUTION:In the processing of recording sheets, at first, the recording sheets discharged from the feed route in the image recording part 10 of a copier main body 1 are stacked on the tray 400 in a post-processing apparatus 3 equipped with a bookbinding control part in a superposed state. Next, a predetermined number of the recording sheets are stacked to form a recording sheet bundle S and a cover sheet C having longitudinal length almost twice or more the length of the recording sheets in the short side direction thereof is stacked so that the longitudinal central part thereof is superposed on one end of the recording sheet bundle S in the short side direction thereof.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet processing method, and more particularly to a sheet processing method for recording an image on a recording sheet by an image forming apparatus and post-processing the recording sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the technical field of image forming apparatuses such as copiers, laser printers, and facsimile machines, post-processing methods for sorting and collating image-formed recording sheets have been known. However, in recent years, as a post-processing method, there is a method of binding a stacked sheet bundle to perform simple bookbinding.

As a post-processing method of this kind, a number of methods have been proposed mainly in the printing industry and can be roughly classified as follows. <Gluing method> This method has been proposed for a long time,
Generally, it is a method of cutting and gluing a spine binding portion used for gluing a printed matter. Further, in order to prevent the printed matter from being scattered, a device for attaching a cloth to the spine binding portion is provided. As a bookbinding apparatus such as a copying machine using such a gluing method, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-2
The one described in Japanese Patent No. 53992 is known.

<Center stop system> This system is most commonly used today, and is often used in general magazines such as weekly magazines. A stop unit is provided at the center of the sheet bundle after page alignment and the stop unit is used. It is an orthodox method that folds a sheet bundle in half at the center. <Staple Method After Folding Paper> This method is a method in which the printed bundle is folded in half and then the printed bundle is bound by a stapler. As a conventional bookbinding apparatus using such a system, for example, one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-196677 is known. This apparatus includes one sheet staple tray and a stapler (stapling device such as a stapler) provided on the sheet staple tray,
For example, use A3 size sheets so that the side edges do not overlap.
After making the size 4 and stapling the bundle of sheets in the staple tray, the end fence supporting one edge of the sheet is released, and the bundle of sheets is moved downward from the staple tray to the sheet storage tray provided downward by its own weight. I try to discharge it.

<Staping method after inserting a front cover and a back cover into a sheet bundle> This method has come to be generally used in a post-processing apparatus in recent years, and a cover sheet and a back sheet are provided above and below the sheet bundle. It is a method of binding a sheet bundle together with a front cover and a back cover with a stapler after stacking the front covers. <Simply Staple Sheet Bundle> This method is the simplest method of directly binding a sheet bundle by a stapler. As a bookbinding apparatus using such a method, for example, one described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-33065 is known. This device includes one sheet staple tray and a stapler provided in the sheet staple tray, after stapling a sheet bundle in the staple tray, an end fence supporting one end edge of the sheet bundle in the sheet conveying direction, That is, the sheet bundle is moved in the lateral direction of the apparatus and discharged from the staple tray to the sheet storage tray.

[0006]

However, in the sheet processing method using the sizing method, the cutting step,
Many processes such as gluing process and cloth bonding process are required, the device becomes huge for mechanization and automation, the operation of the device becomes complicated, the device becomes large and the cost increases. was there.

Further, in the case of the central fixing method, although the method itself is simple, it is necessary to set and print the pages in advance and then execute the stopping process, which complicates page alignment. In addition, there is a problem that the stopper at the center part is easily removed. Therefore, these are not very suitable for the sheet processing for simply binding the recorded sheets by the image forming apparatus.

On the other hand, the bookbinding method using the binding means such as a stapler is more suitable for the sheet processing for simply binding the recorded sheets by the image forming apparatus than the above-mentioned method. However, when the method of stapling after folding the paper is used, the process itself of folding the printed matter in half is complicated.
Further, the bent portion of the staple tip of the stapler is exposed and the appearance is deteriorated, or the staple is caught on a finger or the like.

Further, in the case of a method of stapling a cover sheet or a back cover sheet after inserting them into a sheet bundle, and a sheet processing method of simply stapling a sheet bundle, a bent portion of a staple tip of a stapler Is exposed and the appearance is poor, and the needle may be caught on a finger etc., and the binding margin for stapling is easy to break when dropping it onto the discharge tray after stapling. For example, when a bound document is reused as a document, a copy image is missing due to a conveyance error of the document feeder.

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional problems, and in particular, by covering the binding portion with a cover sheet, it is possible to prevent the sheet bundle from being folded and improve the quality of bookbinding. The purpose is to realize a highly safe sheet processing method.

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention according to claim 1 is directed to a recording sheet stacking step of stacking recording sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus in a bookbinding apparatus and stacking the sheets. After stacking the recording sheets into a bundle of recording sheets, a cover sheet having a length in the longitudinal direction that is approximately twice or more the length in the lateral direction of the recording sheets is used. A cover sheet stacking step of stacking so as to overlap with one end in the hand direction, and driving the needle from the cover sheet toward the recording sheet near the one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet by the bookbinding device, and the recording sheet bundle and the cover sheet. The invention according to claim 2 is characterized by including a binding step of binding A recording process of recording an image on a recording sheet from image information, a recording sheet stacking process of stacking recording sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus in a bookbinding apparatus and stacking them, and a recording sheet stacking a predetermined number of recording sheets. After bundling, the length of the recording sheet in the width direction is approximately 2
A cover sheet stacking step of stacking a cover sheet having a length of at least twice the length in the longitudinal direction so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet; A binding step of driving a needle from the cover sheet toward the recording sheet in the vicinity of one end and binding the bundle of recording sheets and the cover sheet together.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the cover sheet stacking step of stacking the cover sheets in the bookbinding apparatus and the length of the cover sheet in the longitudinal direction in the direction in which the sheet is discharged from the image forming apparatus. A recording sheet stacking step of stacking a predetermined number of recording sheets having a length in the lateral direction of half or less on the cover sheet so that the longitudinal center portion of the cover sheet and one edge in the lateral direction of the recording sheet overlap each other; Including a binding step of binding a recording sheet bundle and a cover sheet by driving a needle from the cover sheet toward the recording sheet in the vicinity of one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet by the bookbinding device. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a cover sheet stacking step of stacking cover sheets in a bookbinding apparatus and a predetermined number of images are performed by the image forming apparatus. The recording step of recording an image on the recording sheet from the image information on the first page side of the report, and the length in the lateral direction that is less than half the longitudinal length of the cover sheet in the direction in which the image is discharged from the image forming apparatus. A recording sheet stacking step of stacking a predetermined number of recording sheets on the cover sheet so that the longitudinal center portion of the cover sheet and one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet overlap each other; and the recording sheet by the bookbinding apparatus. A binding step of driving a needle from the cover sheet toward the recording sheet near one end in the short side direction and binding the bundle of recording sheets and the cover sheet together.

Further, the invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the recording step, a document is fed in the front-back direction of the image forming apparatus which is orthogonal to the recording sheet conveying direction.

[0014]

According to the first aspect of the invention, after stacking the recording sheets into a bundle, a cover sheet having a length in the longitudinal direction that is approximately twice or more the length in the lateral direction of the recording sheets is provided. The sheets are stacked so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet, and a bookbinding device drives a needle from the cover sheet toward the recording sheet in the vicinity of one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet and binds them together.

Therefore, when the cover sheet of the bound sheet bundle is folded in half at the central portion in the longitudinal direction, the bound portion is covered with the cover sheet, and the tip of the binding needle is exposed to give an external appearance. Problems such as deterioration of the needle and catching of the needle on a finger can be prevented. Furthermore, since the binding portion is covered by the cover,
It becomes difficult for the paper to break, and it is possible to prevent conveyance defects of the document feeder even when the bound document is reused as a document.

According to the second aspect of the invention, in addition to the above operation, the image information is recorded on the recording sheet from the image information on the final page side of the image information. Therefore, the image forming apparatus can perform the normal image recording operation. By simply ejecting the cover sheet on the ejected recording sheet, the bookbinding process can be performed as it is, and the sheet process can be simplified. on the other hand,
According to the third aspect of the present invention, after the cover sheets are stacked in the bookbinding apparatus, the recording having a short-side length that is less than half the length of the cover sheet in the sheet discharge direction from the image forming apparatus is performed. A predetermined number of sheets are stacked on the cover sheet such that the central portion of the cover sheet in the longitudinal direction and one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet overlap each other, and these are bound from the cover sheet side by a bookbinding device.

Therefore, when the cover sheet of the bound sheet bundle is folded in half at the central portion in the longitudinal direction, the bound portion is covered with the cover sheet, and the tip of the binding needle is exposed to give an external appearance. Problems such as deterioration of the needle and catching of the needle on a finger can be prevented. Furthermore, since the binding portion is covered by the cover,
It becomes difficult for the paper to break, and it is possible to prevent conveyance defects of the document feeder even when the bound document is reused as a document.

According to the invention described in claim 4, claim 3
In addition to the operation of the invention described above, the image is recorded on the recording sheet from the image information on the first page side of the image information. Therefore, by only ejecting the cover sheet first, the normal image recording operation is performed. The binding process can be done easily. Further, in the fifth aspect of the invention, in the recording step, since the document is fed in the front-back direction of the image forming apparatus which is orthogonal to the paper discharge direction of the recording sheet, the document may be fed depending on the type of the document. It is possible to facilitate the sheet processing.

[0019]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 33 are views showing a first embodiment of a sheet processing system for carrying out a sheet processing method according to the inventions of claims 1 and 2, and the present invention is applied to a copying machine and a sheet post-processing apparatus thereof. An example is shown.

1 and 2, the copying machine main body 1 shown in FIG.
1 is provided with a circulating type document feeder 2 and a post-processing device 3 is provided on the right side of FIG.
Note that FIG. 1 shows a schematic cross section of the copying machine as viewed from the front of the operating side. As shown in FIG.
The operation display unit 500 shown in FIG.
An operation command or the like related to the copying operation or the bookbinding operation is input to, and information related to the copying operation or the bookbinding operation is displayed.

The main body 1 of the copying machine is a known device for forming an image by an electrophotographic recording system. In the recording mode, the document set on the contact glass 1a is scanned and illuminated by the circulating document feeder 2 and charged. The photoconductor 5 uniformly charged by the container 4 is exposed by the reflected light of the document to form an electrostatic latent image, and the developing unit 6 develops the toner by toner. Then, at the transfer / separation unit 7, the paper feed cassette 11
The toner image is transferred onto the recording paper fed from any one of the above-mentioned items 14 to 14 and is heated and fixed in the fixing section 8. As described above, the copying machine main body 1 includes the charger 4, the photoconductor 5, the developing unit 6, the transfer
An image recording unit 10 including a separation unit 7 and a fixing unit 8 is provided. In this image recording unit 10, the recording paper is a photosensitive member 5.
The sheet is conveyed through the first conveying path 9 between the transfer / separation section 7 and the fixing section 8 and is discharged to the post-processing apparatus 3 side.

The post-processing apparatus 3 has a jogging section 100, a stapling section 300, and a discharging section as shown in detail in FIGS.
200 and a bookbinding control unit 800. This bookbinding control unit
Commands related to the bookbinding operation are input to the operation display unit 500 at 800. Then, the bookbinding control unit 800, based on the input command, the jogging unit 100, the staple unit 300,
The discharge unit 200 and the like are controlled (details will be described later).

Reference numerals 11 to 14 denote paper feed cassettes provided inside the copying machine main body 1, and any one of the paper feeding cassettes 11 to 14 inside the copying machine main body 1, for example, the paper feeding cassette 12 is a cover sheet. Is a cover sheet feeding means that stores the. The cover sheet stored in the paper feed cassette 12 is, for example, A
It is an ordinary recording sheet of three sizes or a sheet having a size (length in the longitudinal direction) different from that of the ordinary recording sheet.

The image-formed paper (recording sheet) discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is conveyed by the conveying roller 90 of the post-processing device 3.
1 is transported to the downstream side. A switching claw 902 is provided downstream of the transport roller 901. By switching the switching claw 902, the sheet is transported to one of the first and second sheet transport paths 903 and 904. The sheet conveyed to the first sheet conveying path 903 is discharged onto the proof tray 905. Further, the sheet carried to the second sheet carrying path 904 is carried onto the finish tray 400 by the carrying-in means 910. This carry-in means 910 is
It has a conveying roller 901, a switching claw 902, a second sheet conveying path 904, and a pair of conveying rollers 906 and 907 arranged on the conveying path 904. The recorded sheet is carried onto the sheet mounting surface of the finish tray 400. Place multiple sheets of paper on top of each other.

The detailed structure of each section of the post-processing apparatus 3 including the operation display section 500 of the copying machine main body 1 and the circulation type document feeding apparatus 2 will be described below in order. <Operation Display Unit 500> In FIGS. 2 and 3, 501 is a mode clear / preheat key, and the mode clear / preheat key 501 serves both as a mode clear and a preheat key. That is, the mode clear / preheat key 501 functions as a mode clear key when momentarily pressed, and functions as a preheat key when continuously pressed. The mode clear key is a key that is pressed when returning each mode to be described later to the standard mode, and the preheat key 501 is a key that is pressed when the machine in the apparatus is brought into a preheat state and released from the preheat state. 502 is an enter key that is pressed when inputting a numerical value for zoom magnification and binding, 503 is an interrupt key that is pressed when interrupt copying is performed, and 504 is a print key that is pressed when starting a copying operation. is there. This print key 504 also serves as a ready / weight display. The green LED when ready and the red LE when waiting
D is turned on.

Numeral 505 is a ten-key, and ten-key 505 is
This is used when setting the number of copies, zooming zooming, entering a binding margin value, and the like. Reference numeral 506 denotes a clear stop key. The clear stop key 506 has the functions of a clear key during standby and a stop key during copying.
The clear key is a key that is pressed to cancel the set number of copies. The stop key is a key that is pressed when the copying operation is interrupted, and the machine is stopped when the copying operation at the time of pressing is stopped. Reference numeral 550 is a liquid crystal display unit, and details of the liquid crystal display unit 550 are shown in FIG. 551 is a message display that displays information about the machine, and the message display 551 displays messages such as "copy is possible." And "please supply paper." Reference numeral 507 denotes an automatic density key, and the automatic density key 507 is a key to be selected when the copy density is automatically adjusted according to the background density of the document, and when selected, the automatic density display section 554 lights up. Reference numerals 508 and 509 denote density adjustment keys to be pressed when manually adjusting the copy density, and each time the density adjustment keys 508 and 509 are pressed, the lighting of the LED 555 of the density display section moves to the right or left. 510 is a paper selection key, and each time the paper selection key 510 is pressed, the paper selection display frame 559 moves one after another, and automatic paper selection, manual paper feeding, or any one of the paper feeding cassettes 11 to 14 is selected. It is supposed to be displayed. "Automatic paper selection" is selected when automatically selecting a paper feed cassette that contains paper of the same size as the original, and "manual feed" is used when paper is fed manually instead of using the paper feed cassette. To be selected. Reference numeral 558 denotes a display unit that displays the paper size and the paper-free state of each paper feed cassette.

Reference numeral 511 is a same size key, 512 is an enlargement key, and 513 is a reduction key. These keys are keys that are pressed to specify equal size copying, enlargement / reduction of a standard size, respectively. 51
4 is a zoom up key, 515 is a zoom down key,
These are keys to be pressed when designating any magnification between 64% and 142%. Reference numeral 516 is a paper designation scaling key used when automatically reducing or enlarging the image of the original according to the designated paper size. The scaling factor at the time of scaling is displayed as a number on the magnification display unit 562. .. 517 is a double-sided key. The double-sided key 517 is pressed to select a single-sided original for double-sided printing, a double-sided original for double-sided printing, or a double-sided original for single-sided printing. like,
The LED above the key lights up. A binding margin key 518 is pressed when setting the binding margin, and in this embodiment, the binding margin can be set on either the left or right side if the binding margin is 21 mm or less. In case of double-sided copy,
The binding margin can be set on the back side and independently of the front side. The set value is displayed in the message area.

Reference numeral 519 denotes a staple selection key, and the staple selection key 519 is a key pressed when selecting the one-point stop mode, the two-point stop mode, or the no-staple mode. Reference numeral 520 denotes a front cover function selection key, and the front cover function selection key 520 is a key pressed when selecting a front cover mode, a back cover mode, both front and back cover modes, and a no cover mode. These cover modes are modes indicating whether one sheet of the same size as the sheet bundle is added to the front side, the back side, or both the front and back sides of the image-formed sheet bundle, or no sheet is added at all. Since bookbinding by the staple selection key 519 and cover function selection key 520 is known, a detailed description of the modes selected by these keys will be omitted, and hereinafter, a simple bookbinding mode described later will be mainly described.

521 is a simple bookbinding key, and a simple bookbinding key 5
A simple binding mode (to be referred to as an SSB mode hereinafter) and an SSB cancel mode, which will be described later, can be selected by 21.
Normally, when a document is set on the document table of the circulation type document feeder 2, an appropriate sheet is selected in consideration of the scaling factor. However, when the SSB mode is selected The paper selected for is the paper set in the paper feed cassette such that the longitudinal direction thereof coincides with the front-back direction of the copying machine body 1 (the front-back directions described below all refer to this direction) and has the same size. However, the short-side direction is not selected. It is desirable that the cover sheet has a length in the lateral direction that is substantially the same as the length in the longitudinal direction of the sheet selected above, and a length in the longitudinal direction that is at least twice the length in the lateral direction of the sheet selected above. .. For example, when the original is A4 size, the A3 size in the paper feed cassette 12 may be selected as the cover, but in actual use, it is 5 m larger than the standard size such as A3.
It is advisable to store a long sheet having a length of about m in a sheet feeding cassette dedicated to the cover.

In the S.S.B. mode, the presence or absence of the cover copy is determined by the S.S.B. mode with the cover or the S.S.S. without the cover.
B. Mode can be selected. The SSB mode with cover page is selected when the document already has a cover page, the final document of the document stack is judged to be the cover page, and the image of the cover document is transferred to the sheet fed as the cover sheet from the paper feed cassette. Is a mode in which the sheet is transferred to the post-processing apparatus 3 after being copied. Without cover S.
The SB mode is a mode that is selected when there is no cover on the original, and after the final copy of the original, the cover sheet is conveyed from the paper feed cassette to the post-processing device 3 as it is. The SSB mode with the cover and the SSB mode without the cover can be selected by operating the bookbinding key 521.
The sheets bound in the SSB mode are shown in FIG. 4, where S is a sheet bundle and C is a cover sheet.

The normal SSB mode is set to the SSB mode with cover, assuming that the original bundle has a cover. Furthermore, in the SSB mode, the front cover mode and the two-point staple mode of staple are automatically selected.
The staple mode and the cover mode are automatically released to reduce the burden on the operator.
In these staple selection key 519, cover function selection key 520 and simple bookbinding key 521, the LED above the key is lit so that the selected mode can be known, and each key 519, 520 or 521 is pressed. Each time, the mode is switched one by one. The processing procedure by these key operations is shown in FIGS.

<Circulating Document Feeder 2> FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a control circuit of the circulating document feeder 2. In the figure, the CPU 701 includes a ROM 701a, a RAM 701b, and an AD.
A converter 701c and a serial communication port 701d are integrated into a one-chip microcomputer, and an output port 702 and an input port 703 are externally attached. Output port 702 has
A document driver motor 704, a belt drive motor 705, and a motor driver 707 for driving the document carry-out motor 706 at a constant speed are connected, and each motor is driven as necessary. Furthermore, C
The PU 701 outputs the document feed clutch 70 through the output port 702.
8. Drives the load such as the partitioning claw solenoid 709. The input port 703 is connected to signals from a conveyance sensor, a document size sensor, etc., and is configured to obtain necessary information. The document feeding operation of the circulation type document feeder 2 will be described below in order including a part of the detailed configuration.

(1) Setting of Original Document In FIG. 10, the original document on the original table is movable in the direction orthogonal to the original document conveying direction, and the side guide 601 is movable in the conveying direction behind the original document conveying direction. It is regulated by the end plate 604. Further, the presence / absence of a document on the document table is detected by a reflection type sensor provided on the document table.

(2) Original Size Detection In FIG. 10, an original size detection sensor 602 is attached to the side guide 601. The original size detection sensor 602 detects the original size in the direction orthogonal to the original conveyance direction. Is output, and its signal terminal is 5V, GN
The document width is detected by connecting the output voltage to the D and signal lines and reading the output voltage via the AD converter 700c in the CPU 700. Further, the length of the document in the conveyance direction is detected depending on which of the plurality of document length sensors 603 attached to the platen of the document placing plate detects the click claw 605 of the end plate 604, and these document lengths are detected. It supports various document sizes in combination with width and document length detection.

(3) Original End Detection FIGS. 11 and 12 show the original end detection mechanism.
The operation of this document end mechanism will be described. Document divider claw 606
The divider claw solenoid 709 turns on /
By turning it off, the solid line position in Fig. 12 (solenoid ON
Time) and a virtual line position (when the solenoid is OFF). In addition, the document partitioning claw 606 is
It is possible to rotate from the phantom line position of FIG. 12 to the dotted line position of FIG. 12, and when it is located at the dotted line position of FIG. 12, it engages with the document partitioning claw sensor 610. The document divider claw 606 is the document divider sensor 61.
When the document stack is placed on the document partitioning claw 606 while being engaged with 0, the document partitioning claw 606 moves the partitioning arm 608 along the partitioning claw rail 611 when the partitioning claw solenoid 709 is turned on. The document divider claw 606 comes out from under the document. Along with this operation, the lifting pin 612 is also moved by being guided by a pin rail (not shown), the leading end of the document partitioning claw 606 is lifted, and further, since the magnet 609 is above the partitioning claw and the lifting plate 613 is attracted, Document divider claw 606
Moves to the top. After that, when the partitioning claw solenoid 607 is turned off, it moves to the upper side of the document by the urging force of the spring. When all the originals under the document divider claw 606 are fed by the copying operation, the document divider claw 606 is housed in the document divider claw sensor 610, and the final document sheet is detected. (4) Document Conveyance Control The circulation type document feeder 2 of the present embodiment feeds from the last sheet of the document bundle. In such a sheet feeding, the cover sheet comes at the end so that It will work.

(A) Timing of the first copy FIG. 13A is a timing chart of the first copy, showing the timings of document feeding, paper feeding, document exposure, and document ejection. First, after the document is fed, the signal of the document partitioning claw sensor 610 is checked at a predetermined timing to determine whether or not the document is the final sheet. If it is not the final sheet, the sheet is fed from the sheet feeding cassette, and then the document exposure is started at the timing when the image and the sheet match. The above manuscript is
Before exposure, it is set on the contact glass 1a of FIG. When the exposure is completed, the original is immediately discharged by the original belt. Feeding of the next original is started prior to the above-described paper discharge operation. After that, the same operation is repeated until the final document, but when it is detected that the document is the final document, the paper is fed from the paper feed cassette selected for the cover instead of the previous paper feed cassette. It The exposure timing at this time is controlled so that an image is formed on the downstream side in the transport direction of the cover sheet. Therefore, as compared with the normal image, the registration roller 22 in FIG. 1 starts rotating earlier.

(B) Timing of the second copy and thereafter When the copy of the first copy is completed as described above, the number of originals up to the final original is recognized.
As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the copying work is advanced at the timing determined by the document replacement operation without detecting the final paper for each paper feed.

(5) Processing at paper end When the cover sheet C is added in the SSB mode, two sheet feeding cassettes for the sheet and the cover sheet are used as described above. The processing at the paper end at this time is as follows. (B) Paper end when copying paper ... Machine stops (b) Paper cover ends when copying paper ... Paper copy continues, machine stops when copying cover (c) Paper end when cover copy ... Paper cover execution , Machine stop during copy of paper (d) Paper cover is paper end during cover copy ... Machine stop <Jogging unit 100> In FIGS. 14 to 17, 101 is a brush roller, and the brush roller 101 is the conveyance shown in FIG. The sheet discharged onto the finish tray 400 by the rollers 901 and the like is brought into contact with the end fence 102 to align the leading ends in the sheet conveying direction. Further, the front and rear directions of the sheets are aligned by a jogging operation described later by the rear side fence 103 and the front side fence 104.

As shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, the end fence 102 is fixed to the end fence moving belt 105, and is moved in the sheet conveying direction by the operation of the end fence moving motor 106. Staples can be stapled at arbitrary positions according to the size or operator's preference (for example, the margin of a document, the binding margin value created by a copying machine). Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 15, the end fence 102 is arranged so as to face the stapler main body portion 302 of the stapler 301 with the finish tray 400 interposed therebetween, and in the direction of the mounting surface of the finish tray 400. , End fence 102 and stapler body 3
Side fences 103 and 104 are arranged between 02. The reference position of the end fence 102 is that the convex portion 102a of the end fence 102 is the end fence home position sensor 107.
This is the position detected by. The end fence home position sensor 107 is set at a position where the end portion of the maximum copyable sheet can be stapled.

The side fences 103 and 104 are fixed to the moving belts 108 and 109 on the upper side of the sheet. These 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, the side fences 103, 1
04 are reciprocally driven independently of each other in the direction of the arrow in FIG.
Both sides of the paper (front and back sides of the device) are aligned. Further, sensing patterns 112, 113 are provided at predetermined positions of the moving belts 108, 109, and these patterns 112, 113 are detected by the sensors 114, 115 to determine the reference positions of the side fences 103, 104. It In addition,
The jogging operation for aligning the sheets is performed every time one sheet is ejected.

After the jogging operation is completed, the stapler 301
Side staples 103, 1
As shown in FIG. 17, 04 moves in the same direction and ejects the paper to the front side of the apparatus. When ejecting the sheets, the side fence 104 on the front side of the apparatus moves along the circumference of the pulley 116, and therefore does not hinder the ejection of the sheet bundle S. Further, the side fence 103 on the rear side of the apparatus needs to move at least until the bundle of sheets S falls from the finish tray 400 by its own weight, but the moving distance may be changed according to the sheet size. Further, since the side fence 104 may stop at a height at which the sheet stack S can pass, the side fence 104
There is no special need for 104 shelters. After the paper discharge is completed, the side fences 103 and 104 move in the same direction, return to their original positions, and move to the next cycle.

On the other hand, after stapling is completed, the end fence
It is also possible to align the sheet 102 at a fixed position regardless of the sheet size and then eject the sheet by the side fences 103 and 104. By operating in this way, the lower end portion of the sheet bundle S can be discharged while being guided to a constant height by the end fence 102. <Stapling Unit 300> In FIG. 18, 301 is a stapler, and the stapler 301 is composed of a stapler main body unit 302 (needle striking unit) and needle receiving units 306a and 306b that are provided separately by sandwiching the finish tray 400. .. Although only two needle receiving portions are shown in FIG. 18, a large number of needle receiving portions can be provided so that various sheet sizes can be accommodated. The stapler main body portion 302 is composed of a driving portion 302a, a needle accommodating portion 302b, a plate-like protrusion 302c, a leaf spring 302d and an arm 302e. The driving portion 302a and the needle accommodating portion 302b are provided with a shaft 303.
It is rotatably supported by. The needle 304 accommodated in the needle accommodating portion 302b is a plate-like protrusion 302 provided in the driving portion 302a.
The needles 304 are pushed out one by one in the downward direction of FIG. 18 by c, and the pushed needles 304 penetrate the bundle of sheets S aligned on the finish tray 400 by the jogging operation, and the tips of the needles 304 are The staple trays 306a and 306b are bent along the surface shape, and the stapling of the sheet bundle S is completed.

The needle receiving bases 306a and 306b are eccentric cams, respectively.
The sheets are separately (divided) below the sheets 307a and 307b, and are arranged on the same surface as the sheet mounting surface of the finish tray 400 or below the sheet receiving surface (without the needle receiving bases 306a and 306b protruding). Two eccentric cams 307a and 307b are provided at predetermined positions above the stapler main body 302 in FIG. 18, and the needle 304 is pushed out by the rotation of the staple eccentric cams 307a and 307b. The eccentric cams 307a and 307b are fixed to the penetrating shaft 308 and rotate together with the penetrating shaft 308. The number of the eccentric cams 307a and 307b may be one or three or more. Eccentric cam 307
The a and 307b are stopped at a position where they do not contact the leaf spring 302d by the position detection of a sensor (not shown) or the like (the state shown in FIG. 18). At the time of stapling, the penetrating shaft 308 is driven only once by a motor (not shown) through a gear or the like,
This rotation causes the eccentric cam 307a to press the leaf spring 302d,
The driven-in portion 302a is pressed downward about the shaft 308 by the reaction force of the leaf spring 302d.

The arm 302e is fixed to the tip of the driving portion 302a, and is engaged with the staple switching arm 312. The staple switching arm 312 is fixed to the shaft 313,
It rotates together with the shaft 313, and at the time of stapling, this staple switching arm 312 moves the solenoid 314.
Is rotated clockwise in FIG. As a result,
The stapler main body 302 drops by its own weight, and its leading end (specifically, the needle storage portion 302b) comes into contact with the uppermost sheet of the lower sheet bundle S and stops. At this time, the staple accommodating portion 302b of the stapler main body 302 presses the sheet bundle S from above, and functions as a sheet guide that prevents the sheet bundle S from being displaced during stapling. On the other hand, except when stapling, the staple switching arm 312 rotates counterclockwise by the restoring force of the spring 315 and stops at the position where the restoring force is restricted by the stopper 316. For this reason, the stapler body 302 is not connected to the staple switching arm 312 except when stapling.
Is lifted to the uppermost stop position and sequentially transported,
It is held in a state of being separated from the stacked sheet stack S.

The stapler main body 302 is fixed to the belt 325 and can be moved in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 18 by driving the belt 325. Therefore, the stapler body
The staple 302 can be stapled at two positions directly above the staple receiving bases 306a and 306b by rotating the eccentric cams 307a and 307b. <Discharging Section 200> In FIG. 19, 3a is a frame of the simple post-processing apparatus 3, and an opening 201 is provided on the front side of the frame 3a.
Are formed. The opening 201 is formed along the extending direction of the finish tray 400 described above, and a discharge tray 202 is provided below the opening 201 while being supported by the frame 3a. The stapled sheet bundle S on the finish tray 400 is discharged onto the sheet discharge tray 202 outside the apparatus through the opening 201 by the movement of the side fences 103 and 104. That is, the side fence 10
Denoted at 3 and 104 are carry-out means for carrying out the sheet bundle S on the finish tray 400, and the carry-in means 910 and the carry-in means 910 constitute a carrying means of the post-processing apparatus as a whole.

<Control Unit 800 of Post-Processing Device> Next, referring to FIG.
The configuration and control operation of the bookbinding control unit 800 will be described based on FIG. (1) Configuration In FIG. 20, the CPU 801 includes a ROM 801a and a RAM 80.
1b, a serial communication port 801c is integrated into a one-chip microcomputer, and an output port 802, a staple control input / output port 803, and an input port 804 are externally attached.
This control circuit receives a command from the control unit of the copying apparatus main body 1 at the serial communication port 801c to perform a necessary operation, and at the same time, the operation information (for example, flag information) from the serial communication port 801c to the copying machine main body 1 side. Can be sent. The output port 802 has a jogger motor 850 (corresponding to the side fence moving motors 110 and 111), an end fence moving motor 806, and a staple forward / backward moving motor 80.
7, Transport roller drive motor 808, Lift belt motor
A motor driver 810 for driving the 809 at a constant speed is connected, and each motor is driven as needed. Further, the load such as the switching claw solenoid 811 is also driven via the output port 802. The staple control input / output port 803 includes a staple vertical movement motor 812 and a staple operation motor 813.
Etc. are connected, and the staple control input / output port 803 is independently provided with signals necessary for the operation of the staple unit. A home position sensor, a conveyance sensor, and the like are connected to the input port 804 so that necessary sensor information can be obtained.

Here, a list of commands from the copying machine 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 page Conveyance Staple command: Staple execution When the bookbinding control unit 800 receives the above command, first,
As shown in FIG. 21, it is checked which command it is, and the process corresponding to each command is executed (FIGS. 22 to 29).

(2) Operation control As the operation of the post-processing device 3, the operation of discharging the paper to the proof tray 905, the operation of discharging the paper to the finish tray 400, the sheet aligning operation, the binding operation, and the discharge of the paper to the discharge tray 202 Since each operation of the operation is performed, the operation control by the control unit 800 is also described in the order of items (a) to (e). (B) Selecting the tray for ejecting the paper The mode command is sent from 1 at the start of the copying operation. According to this mode command, one of the three modes of the north staple mode, the normal staple mode and the SSB mode is selected, and the operation corresponding to each mode is performed. If the sent mode command is the north staple mode command, the switching claw 902 is switched to the proof tray 905 side, and if it is the staple mode and the SSB mode, it is switched to the finish tray 400 side.

(B) Determining the staple position In the staple mode, the sheets are discharged to the finish tray 400, the discharged sheets are temporarily stacked, the sheets are aligned, and the stapling operation is performed when one copy is completed. Then, the stapled sheet bundle S is discharged. The stapling position can be changed by moving the end fence 102 at D1 shown in FIG. 30 and by moving the stapler main body 302 at D2 shown in FIG. 30, and the information is given by a position command. Side fences 103, 104 and end fences 102
The position control of is as follows.

If the mode command sent first is the staple command, the size command sent after the mode command is referred to, and the side fences 103 and 104 are driven in the longitudinal direction of the paper size by driving the side fence moving motors 110 and 111. While moving to the corresponding position, the end fence 102 is moved to the position corresponding to the lateral direction of the sheet by driving the end fence moving motor 806. The position of the stapler main body 302 is the end fence 102.
Since it is fixed to the position facing the end fence
At the position 102, the staple position of the paper is determined. The distance of the staple position from the end face in the longitudinal direction of the sheet is given by the position command.

(C) Discharging the Paper to the Finish Tray 400 When the recorded paper is sent from the copying machine main body 1 to the post-processing device 3, the paper send command is sent for normal paper before the paper is conveyed, For cover paper, a Coversend command is sent. In the SSB mode, the cover send command is also a signal that the size of the paper sent from the main body is at least twice the size of the paper up to that time. When the paper is carried into the finish tray 400, the two side fences 103 and 104 are moved in opposite directions while being synchronized with each other by driving the side fence moving motors 110 and 111 to align the front and rear directions of the paper. As will be described later, the side fences 103 and 104 also serve as paper ejection means, and therefore have independent drive means. The state of this jogging operation is shown in FIG. 15 as described above.

(D) Binding operation The flow of the stapling operation is shown in FIG. When the staple command is sent from the copying machine main body 1, the staple flag is set, and it waits until the paper is carried into the finish tray 400 by the number of the paper send command and the cover send command sent so far. When the number of sheets matches the number of commands, the stapling motor
The sheet bundle S is stapled by turning ON 813 and rotating the eccentric cams 307a and 307b once (see FIG. 30). When the stapling operation is completed, the stapling flag is reset, the number of sheets memory for counting the number of sheets conveyed in the finish tray 400 is cleared, and the discharging flag is set to shift to the next discharging operation.

(E) Paper Ejection The paper is ejected by the movement of the side fences 103 and 104 as described above. FIG. 32 shows speed waveforms in the front-rear direction of the side fences 103 and 104 during jogging operation and paper discharge (the backward speed is +), and the speed waveform during paper discharge is shown in the discharge (forward) portion. Indicates. The sheet bundle S that has been stapled after the jogging operation of the side fences 103 and 104 first moves the end fence 102 so that the sheet discharge position is constant regardless of the size, that is, the rear end of the sheet bundle S is set to a predetermined discharge position. After matching, 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 have started moving at the same time, the side fence 104 on the front side stops when retracting from the movement path, but the side fence 103 on the rear side further moves and immediately before the sheet bundle S falls. Slow down once. This deceleration operation is for reducing the impact when the sheet bundle S is dropped. FIG. 33 is a diagram showing the difference in stop position depending on the paper size, and the stop position is changed for each size to shorten the discharge time. When the discharge of the sheet bundle S is completed, the load is reduced, and the sheet returns at a speed faster than the moving speed toward the front side.
Prepare for the next jogging operation.

In this embodiment, the maximum number of staples is set. The maximum number of staples in the post-processing apparatus 3 varies depending on the thickness of the paper used, but when the designated paper is used, the number is determined. In this embodiment, the maximum number of staples is set to 30.
On the other hand, in this copying apparatus, the SSB mode without a cover can be selected. In this mode, since the cover is added to the number of originals, the maximum number of originals is reduced accordingly. In general, the cover sheet is thicker than the normal sheet, and therefore it is desirable to define it according to the thickness, but in this embodiment, the cover sheet is one sheet.

Next, the first embodiment of the sheet processing method of the present invention for simple bookbinding using the system having the above-mentioned configuration will be described, and the operation will be described together. First, as shown in FIG. 13, the copier body 1 records an image on a recording sheet from the image information on the last page of a predetermined number of document image information (recording step), and copies the image-recorded recording sheet. The sheets are sequentially discharged into the post-processing apparatus 3 arranged on the right side of the machine body 1 (sheet discharging step). At this time, in the post-processing apparatus 3, the recording paper discharged from the copying machine main body 1 for each image recording operation is sequentially stacked and stacked on the finish tray 400 by the carry-in means 910 (recording sheet stacking process).

A predetermined number of recording sheets are provided on the finish tray.
When stacked on 400, a recording sheet bundle S corresponding to one copy (excluding the cover) is bound. Next, a cover sheet C having a length in the longitudinal direction that is approximately twice or more the length in the lateral direction of the recording paper is stacked so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps one end in the lateral direction of the recording paper stack S. (Cover sheet stack process). At this time, if an image is recorded on the cover sheet, as shown in FIG. 13A, the recording timing of the cover image is set to be later than the normal recording timing, and the recorded image is displayed on the image surface of the sheet bundle S. Located in.

Next, the stapler 301 of the post-processing apparatus 3 drives a needle from the cover sheet C toward the recording sheet bundle S near one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet bundle S, and the recording sheet bundle S and the cover sheet C Are bound by the staples 304 (binding step). As described above, according to the sheet processing method of this embodiment, the recording paper is fed to the finish tray 40.
After stacking on 0 and forming a bundle, a cover sheet C having a length in the lengthwise direction that is approximately twice or more the length in the widthwise direction of the bundle of recording papers S is formed. The sheets are stacked so as to overlap one end in the short side direction, and the post-processing device 3 drives the staple needle 304 from the cover sheet C toward the recording sheet bundle S in the vicinity of one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet,
Staple these. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, when the cover sheet C of the stapled sheet bundle is folded in half at the center in the longitudinal direction, the portion bound by the staples 304 is covered with the cover sheet C, and after binding, It is possible to prevent problems that the tip of the 304 is exposed to the outside and the appearance is deteriorated, or the needle 304 is caught on a finger or the like. Further, since the binding portion (side edge portion) of the sheet bundle S is covered with the cover sheet C, it is difficult for the sheet to be folded, and when the bound document is reused as a copy document, the document is caught due to being caught. It is possible to prevent the conveyance failure of the feeding device.

Further, in the present embodiment, the document feeding device 2 feeds the document to the copying machine main body 1 from the image information of the last page of the predetermined number of image information, and records the images in that order, and Since the recorded sheet is discharged to the right side of the copying machine main body 1, a normal image recording operation is performed in the copying machine main body 1, and a cover sheet is placed on the bundle S of recording paper discharged from the copying machine main body 1. By simply ejecting the sheet C, the bookbinding process can be directly performed by the staple unit 300, and a series of sheet processing operations can be simplified.

Further, in the sheet processing system used in this embodiment, the stapler body 302 of the stapler 301 is used.
The (needle striking portion) and the needle receiving portions 306a and 306b are provided so as to face each other with the sheet conveying track surfaces of the carry-in means 910 and the side fences 103 and 104 including the sheet mounting surface of the finish tray 400 interposed therebetween. The stapler body 30
The stapler 301 including the two and the needle receiving portions 306a and 306b can be arranged in the horizontal projection plane of the finish tray 400, and the installation area can be reduced as compared with the conventional case where the stapler is arranged on the side end side of the finish tray. However, the size can be reduced.

At the standby position of the stapler main body 302, the stapler main body 302 of the stapler 301 is located closer to the finish tray 400 than the lower surface (guide plate) of the needle accommodating portion 302b that guides the sheet on the placing means. Therefore, a stable binding operation can be performed. Further, when the stapler main body 302 of the stapler 301 is in the standby position or the binding position, the carrying-in / carrying-out operation of the sheet on the finish tray 400 by the carrying means (the carrying-in means 910 and the side fences 103 and 104) is prohibited. Therefore, malfunction can be prevented in advance.

FIG. 34 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the sheet processing system for carrying out the sheet processing method according to the first and second aspects of the present invention. It shows what is. In the present embodiment, members that are the same as or correspond to those in the above-described example will be described with the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

In FIG. 1, the copying machine body 1 discharges paper from the left side, and the post-processing device 3 is arranged on the paper discharge side. In addition, the circulation type document feeder 2
Is configured to feed a bundle of documents from the final page side onto the contact glass 1a. The post-processing device 3 is provided with a bookbinding control unit 800, a jogging unit 100, a stapling unit 300, and a discharging unit 200 as in the above example, although the left and right directions are opposite. Then, when a command related to the bookbinding operation is input from the operation display unit 500, the bookbinding control unit 800, based on these commands, the jogging unit 100, the stapling unit 300,
It controls the discharge unit 200 and the like.

Next, an embodiment of the sheet processing method according to the present system will be described and its operation will be described. First, as shown in FIG.
Thus, an image is recorded on a recording sheet from the image information on the final page side of the predetermined number of document image information (recording step), and the recording sheet on which the image is recorded is arranged on the left side of the copying machine main body 1. The sheets are sequentially discharged into the sheet 3 (sheet discharging step). At this time, in the post-processing apparatus 3, the recording paper discharged from the copying machine main body 1 for each image recording operation is sequentially stacked and stacked on the finish tray 400 by the carry-in means 910 (recording sheet stacking process).

A predetermined number of sheets of recording paper are placed on the finish tray.
When stacked on 400, a recording sheet bundle S corresponding to one copy (excluding the cover) is bound. Next, a cover sheet C having a length in the longitudinal direction that is approximately twice or more the length in the lateral direction of the recording paper is stacked so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps one end in the lateral direction of the recording paper stack S. (Cover sheet stack process). At this time, if an image is to be recorded (cover copy) on the cover sheet, as shown in FIG. 13A, the recording timing of the cover image is set to be later than the normal recording timing, and the recorded image is printed on the sheet bundle S. Is placed on the image plane of. If the front cover copy is not performed, the stack operation is executed without performing such processing.

Next, the stapler 301 of the post-processing apparatus 3 drives the staples 304 from the cover sheet C toward the recording sheet bundle S in the vicinity of one end (the left end in the drawing) of the recording sheet bundle S in the short-side direction, thereby recording the recording sheet bundle S. The bundle S and the cover sheet C are stapled by the staple needle 304 (binding step). As described above, also in the sheet processing method of the present embodiment, after the recording sheets are stacked on the finish tray 400 to form a bundle, the lengthwise direction of the recording sheet bundle S is about twice or more the longitudinal direction. A cover sheet C having a length,
The sheets are stacked so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction thereof overlaps one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet, and the post processing device 3 causes the staple needle 304 to move from the cover sheet C toward the recording sheet bundle S in the vicinity of the one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet. Type in and bind them together. The cover sheet C of the bound sheet bundle
As shown in FIG. 4, when the sheet is folded in half at the central portion in the longitudinal direction, the portion bound by the staple needle 304 is covered with the cover sheet C, and the tip end of the needle 304 is exposed to the outside after bookbinding and the appearance is shown. It is possible to prevent problems such as deterioration of the needle and the needle 304 being caught on a finger or the like. Further, since the binding portion (side edge portion) of the sheet bundle S is covered with the cover sheet C, it is difficult for the sheet to be folded, and when the bound document is reused as a copy document, the document is caught due to being caught. It is possible to prevent the conveyance failure of the feeding device.

Further, in this embodiment as well, the original feeding device 2 feeds the original to the copying machine main body 1 from the image information on the last page of the predetermined number of image information, and the images are recorded in that order. While performing a normal image recording operation in the machine body 1, by simply ejecting the cover sheet C on the bundle S of recording sheets ejected from the copying machine body 1, the stapling unit 300 performs the bookbinding process as it is. Therefore, a series of sheet processing operations can be simplified.

35 to 39 are views showing a first embodiment of a sheet processing system for carrying out the sheet processing method according to the inventions as claimed in claims 3 and 4, and a right paper discharge type copying machine and its sheet. 1 shows a system consisting of a post-treatment device. In the present embodiment, members that are the same as or correspond to those in the above-described example will be described with the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

In FIGS. 35 to 39, the image-formed recording sheet discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is conveyed to the downstream side by the conveying roller 901 of the post-processing apparatus 3. Transport roller 9
A switching claw 902 is provided downstream of 01. By switching the switching claw 902, sheets are transferred to the first and second sheet conveying paths 903, 9
It is transported to one of 04. The sheet conveyed to the conveying path 903 is discharged onto the proof tray 905. In addition, the transport path 9
The sheet conveyed to 04 is conveyed onto the finish tray 130 by the carry-in means 910. The carry-in means 910 includes a carrying roller 901, a switching claw 902, a second sheet carrying path 904, and a pair of carrying rollers 906 and 907 arranged on the carrying path 904, and places a recorded sheet on the finish tray 130. Carry it on the placement surface and stack multiple sheets.

Further, the circulation type document feeder 2 feeds from the first document (the document on the first page side) of the document bundle with the image surface facing downward. If there is a cover document, the cover copy is made first, and the operation is as follows. FIG. 39 is a timing chart showing the timing of document feeding, sheet feeding, document exposure, and document ejection.

First, while a cover original is fed, a cover sheet is fed from the paper feed cassette 12 at a predetermined timing prior to that, and then an image is transferred to the rear half of the cover sheet (rear side in the carrying direction). The document exposure is started at a timing delayed so that the document is formed. The cover original is set on the contact glass 1a in FIG. 1 before exposure. When the exposure of this original is completed, the cover original is immediately discharged by the original belt. The feeding of the next original (the original corresponding to the first page) is started prior to the discharge of the cover original, and then the original is exposed at the timing when the image and the recording paper match. When feeding recording paper, it goes without saying that paper feed cassettes 21-23
Either of these is used. When the exposure is completed, the original is immediately discharged by the original belt, and an image is recorded on the recording paper. Then, this recording sheet is placed on the latter half of the cover sheet in an overlapping manner. Thereafter, the same operation is repeated until the final document, but when it is detected from the signal of the document partitioning claw sensor 610 that the document is the final document, the copying of the first copy is completed and the copying of the second copy is started. The paper cassette is changed. The same procedure is performed for the second and subsequent copies,
The copying work will proceed depending on the timing determined by the document replacement operation.

As the method of recording the cover image, not only the exposure is delayed as described above, but the cover original is conveyed to the position corresponding to the latter half portion on the contact glass 1a, and the entire surface is exposed. A method of performing the operation and erasing the first half portion with an eraser may be used. Further, it is preferable to increase the document conveying speed and the exposure speed in the region corresponding to the first half of the document during the cover copy.

As shown in FIGS. 35 to 38, the post-processing apparatus 3 has a stapler 350, and the stapler 350 has a staple striking portion 351 and a staple receiving stand 360 which are provided separately by sandwiching the finish tray 130. It consists of In addition,
A plurality of needle holders 360 can be provided. Needle striking part 351
Is an internal driving part (not shown) and the tip projection 351a.
The needle striking portion 351 is rotatably supported by the shaft 353 and has a protrusion 35 by its own weight.
Stop 1a against the stopper 355. In addition, below the needle striking portion 351 in FIG.
(Only one is shown) are provided, and these eccentric cams 357 are fixed to the penetrating shaft 358.
Rotate with. The number of eccentric cams 357 is 1 or 3.
It may be more than one. Normally, the eccentric cam 357 is stopped at a position where it does not come into contact with the leaf spring 354 by the position detection of a sensor (not shown) or the like (see FIG. 36).
The eccentric cam 357 presses the leaf spring 354 by the motor (not shown) through a gear or the like for one rotation, and the reaction force of the leaf spring 354 causes the needle striking portion 351 to move upward about the shaft 353. It is pushed. Then, the needles (not shown) accommodated in the needle accommodating portion 352 are pushed out one by one by an ejection plate (not shown) in the upward direction, and the extruded needles are aligned on the finish tray 130 by a jogging operation. The stapling of the sheet bundle S is completed by penetrating the sheet bundle S and bending the tips of the staples by the staple receiving base 360.

The needle holder 360 is rotatably supported by the shaft 361, and is constantly urged upward by the spring 365. Also, the needle holder 360 has a protrusion 360a.
And a leaf spring 364, and the leaf spring 364 is in contact with the eccentric cam 363 by the biasing force (tension) of the spring 365. Then, when the eccentric cam 363 rotates together with the shaft 362, the needle receiving base 360 rotates downward against the tension of the spring 365, and approaches or contacts the sheet bundle S. It should be noted that when the protrusion 360a of the needle receiving base 360 is stopped by the stopper 366, a predetermined space is secured between the finish tray 130 and the needle receiving base 360, and the paper to be loaded onto the finish tray 130 is kept. The tip is designed not to get caught in the needle holder 360. Further, the shaft 362 and the eccentric cam 363 rotate almost simultaneously with the eccentric cam 357, and a predetermined stapling operation is executed.

In the system of this embodiment, first, when the staple command is sent from the copying machine main body 1, it is checked whether the staple flag is set and the result is Yes.
If it is s, the finish tray 13 is equal to the number of paper send commands and cover send commands sent so far.
Wait for the paper to be transported within 0. When the number of sheets matches the number of commands, the stapling motor 813 turns off.
The sheet bundle S is stapled by rotating the eccentric cam 357 once. When the stapling operation is completed, the stapling flag is reset, the sheet number memory for counting the number of sheets conveyed in the finish tray 130 is cleared, and the ejection flag is set to shift to the next ejecting operation. The paper is the side fence 103, 1 as described above.
Emitted by moving 04.

Next, an embodiment of the sheet processing method according to this system will be described, and its operation will be described. First, if an image is to be recorded (cover copy) on the cover sheet, as shown in FIG. 39, the image is recorded at a timing later than the normal recording timing, and the recorded image is positioned at the latter half of the conveyance direction of the cover sheet. Let
Next, or alternatively, when the cover sheet is not copied, the cover sheet C is discharged from the copying machine main body 1 to the right post-processing apparatus 3 as it is, and is stacked on the finish tray 130 by the carry-in means 910 (the cover sheet). Stack process).

Next, the copying machine main body 1 records an image on a recording sheet from the image information of the first page of the document image information for a predetermined number of sheets (recording step). The recording paper at this time is
The length in the lateral direction of the cover sheet C in the direction of being discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is half or less than the length in the longitudinal direction of the cover sheet C. A predetermined number of sheets are stacked on the cover sheet C so that one end of the recording paper in the lateral direction (the upper right end in FIG. 37) overlaps with the other (the recording sheet stacking step).

A predetermined number of recording sheets are provided on the finish tray.
When the sheets are stacked on the sheet 130, a bundle of recording sheets S corresponding to one copy (excluding the cover) is bound. Next, the staple unit 350 of the post-processing apparatus 3 drives a needle from the cover sheet C toward the sheet bundle S near one end in the short side direction of the sheet bundle S to bind the recording sheet bundle S and the cover sheet C ( Binding process).

As described above, according to the sheet processing method of this embodiment, after the cover sheets C are stacked in the post-processing apparatus 3, the length of the cover sheet C in the longitudinal direction in the sheet discharge direction from the copying machine body 1 is increased. On the other hand, a predetermined number of recording sheets having a length in the lateral direction of half or less are stacked on the cover sheet C so that the longitudinal center portion of the cover sheet C and one edge in the lateral direction of the recording sheet overlap each other, Staple part of the post-processing device 3
By 350, the cover sheet C and the sheet bundle S are stapled from the cover sheet side.

Therefore, when the cover sheet of the stapled sheet bundle is folded into approximately half at the central portion in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 4, the binding portion by the staples is covered with the cover sheet, and the tip of the binding needle. It is possible to prevent problems such as the exposed parts and the poor appearance, and the needle being caught on a finger or the like. Further, since the binding portion is covered by the cover, it is difficult to break the paper,
Even when the bound document is reused as a document, it is possible to prevent conveyance failure of the document feeder.

Further, in this embodiment, the circulation type document feeder 2 feeds a predetermined number of documents from the first page side to the copying machine main body 1 and records the images on the recording sheets in that order. By simply ejecting the sheet C first, it is possible to perform a simple bookbinding process while performing the normal image recording operation of the copying machine body 1. FIG. 40 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the sheet processing system for carrying out the sheet processing method according to the third and fourth aspects of the invention, which is composed of a left paper discharge type copying machine and its sheet post-processing apparatus. Is shown.

In the present embodiment, members similar to or corresponding to those in the above-described example will be described with the same reference numerals,
A duplicate description will be omitted. In FIG. 40, the copying machine main body 1 discharges paper from the left side, and the post-processing device 3 is arranged on the paper discharge side. Further, the circulation type document feeder 2 feeds a bundle of documents from the final page side onto the contact glass 1a.

The post-processing device 3 is provided with a bookbinding control section 800, a jogging section 100, a stapling section 300, and a discharging section 200 as in the first embodiment, although the left and right directions are opposite. Then, when commands related to the bookbinding operation are input from the operation display unit 500, the bookbinding control unit 800 controls the jogging unit 100, the staple unit 300, the ejection unit 200, and the like based on these commands.

Next, an embodiment of the sheet processing method according to the present system will be described, and its operation will be described. First, if an image is to be recorded (cover copy) on a cover sheet, the image is recorded at a timing later than the normal recording timing and the recorded image is used for the cover as in the case of the first embodiment shown in FIG. The sheet C is located in the latter half of the conveyance direction. Next, or alternatively, when the cover sheet copy is not performed, the cover sheet C is discharged to the post-processing device 3 on the left side from the copying machine main body 1 as it is, and the carrying-in means 91.
0 stacks on the finish tray 130 (sheet stacking process for cover).

Next, the copying machine main body 1 records an image on a recording sheet from the image information of the first page of the document image information for a predetermined number of sheets (recording step). The recording paper at this time is
The length in the lateral direction of the cover sheet C in the direction of being discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is half or less than the length in the longitudinal direction of the cover sheet C. And one edge of this recording sheet in the short side direction overlap,
A predetermined number of sheets are stacked on the cover sheet C (recording sheet stacking step). When a predetermined number of recording sheets are stacked on the finish tray 130, a recording sheet bundle S corresponding to one copy to be bound (excluding the cover) is formed.

Next, the staple unit 350 of the post-processing apparatus 3
The needle is driven from the cover sheet C toward the sheet bundle S in the vicinity of one end in the short side direction of the sheet bundle S to bind the recording sheet bundle S and the cover sheet C (binding step).
As described above, also in the sheet processing method according to the present embodiment, after stacking the cover sheets C in the post-processing apparatus 3, the sheet discharge direction from the copying machine body 1 is half the length of the cover sheet C in the longitudinal direction. A predetermined number of recording sheets having the following length in the short side direction are stacked on the cover sheet C so that the central portion in the length direction of the cover sheet C and one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet are stacked, and the post-processing device The cover sheet C and the sheet bundle S are stapled from the cover sheet side by the stapling unit 350 of No. 3.

Therefore, when the cover sheet of the stapled sheet bundle is folded in half at the central portion in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 4, the binding portion by the staple is covered with the cover sheet, and the tip of the binding needle. It is possible to prevent problems such as the exposed parts and the poor appearance, and the needle being caught on a finger or the like. Further, since the binding portion is covered by the cover, it is difficult to break the paper,
Even when the bound document is reused as a document, it is possible to prevent conveyance failure of the document feeder.

Further, in the present embodiment, the circulation type document feeder 2 feeds a predetermined number of originals from the first page side to the copying machine main body 1 and records an image on the recording sheet in that order. By simply ejecting the sheet C first, it is possible to perform a simple bookbinding process while performing the normal image recording operation of the copying machine body 1. FIG. 42 is a diagram showing a third embodiment of the sheet processing system for carrying out the sheet processing method according to the third and fourth aspects of the invention, which comprises a right paper discharge type digital copying machine and its sheet post-processing apparatus. Shows the system.

In the present embodiment, members similar to or corresponding to those in the above-mentioned example will be described with the same reference numerals,
A duplicate description will be omitted. 41 and 42, 1
Is a main body of the copying machine as an image recording means, and a circulation type document feeder 2 is provided on the upper part of the copying machine main body 1 in FIG.
The post-processing device 3 is located on the right side of the front of the copying machine body 1.
Is provided.

In the main body 1 of the copying machine, the document set on the contact glass 1a by the circulation type document feeder 2 is scanned and illuminated by the light source 5 (fluorescent lamp) of the image reading section 4, and the reflected light is reflected by a mirror, a lens, etc. Optical path consisting of 6
It is taken into CCD 1101 via. The CCD 1101 converts the reflected light of the document into an electric signal.
The image data converted into an electric signal by the amplifier 1102
After being amplified by, it is sent to the shading correction circuit 1103. The shading correction circuit 1103 is for correcting the fluctuation of the light amount of the light source and the distortion of the image signal due to the dark current of the CCD 1101, and the output signal thereof is set by the A / D conversion circuit 1104.
Converted to a bit digital signal. The image data converted into a digital signal in this manner is input to the image memory 1105, image-converted as necessary, and the writing control board 11
Sent to 06. Then, the laser diode 1107 of the laser optical scanning system 11 emits a beam in response to a signal from the writing control plate 1106, the beam emitted from the laser diode 1107 is converted into a parallel light flux by a collimator lens (not shown), and the beam shaping optical system is further changed. Then, the light enters the polygon mirror unit 12.

The beam polarized by the polygon mirror unit 12 is scanned on the photoconductor 15 via the Fθ lens, the surface tilt correction optical system (details not shown) and the mirror 13, and is uniformly charged in advance by the charger 14. The photoconductor 15 thus exposed is exposed to the scanning light to form an electrostatic latent image, and the developing unit 16 develops the toner by toner. Then, in the transfer / separation unit 17, paper feed cassettes 21 to 24 provided in the copying machine main body 1
The toner image is transferred onto the recording paper fed from any one of them, and is heated and fixed by the fixing unit 18.

The image memory 105, the writing control board 1106,
Laser diode 1107, charger 14, photoconductor 15, development unit
16, the transfer / separation unit 17, and the fixing unit 18 constitute an image recording unit 10 that records an image on a recording sheet (recording sheet) based on the image information read by the CCD 1101 of the image reading unit. In the recording unit 10, the recording paper is conveyed to the post-processing device 3 side through a conveyance path 19 between the photoconductor 15 and the transfer / separation unit 17 and to the fixing unit 18, and is ejected.

A sheet stored in any one of the paper feed cassettes 21 to 24 set in the copying machine main body 1, for example, the paper feed cassette 24 is, for example, A3 size normal recording paper,
Alternatively, it is a cover sheet having a size (length in the longitudinal direction) different from that of a normal recording sheet. The circulation type document feeder 2 of the present embodiment also feeds from the first document of the document bundle with the image surface facing downward, and if there is a cover document, the cover copy is made first.

Next, the operation of the sheet processing method in this system will be described together with an embodiment.
First, when image recording (cover copy) is performed on a cover sheet, image information read from an original by the image reading unit 4 of the copying machine main body 1 is recorded on the sheet by the image recording unit 10, and then the sheet is turned face up. Aftertreatment device 3 on the right
To eject the paper. At this time, an image is recorded at a timing later than the normal recording timing, and the recorded image is positioned at the latter half portion of the cover sheet C in the conveyance direction. Then, or
When the cover sheet is not copied, the cover sheet C is discharged from the copying machine main body 1 to the right side post-processing apparatus 3 as it is, and is stacked on the finish tray 130 by the carry-in means 910 (cover sheet stacking step).

Next, the copying machine main body 1 records an image on a recording sheet from the image information of the first page of the document image information for a predetermined number of sheets (recording step). The recording paper at this time is
The length in the lateral direction of the cover sheet C in the direction of being discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is half or less than the length in the longitudinal direction of the cover sheet C. And one edge of this recording sheet in the short side direction overlap,
A predetermined number of sheets are stacked on the cover sheet C (recording sheet stacking step). When a predetermined number of recording sheets are stacked on the finish tray 130, a recording sheet bundle S corresponding to one copy to be bound (excluding the cover) is formed.

Next, the staple unit 350 of the post-processing apparatus 3
The needle is driven from the cover sheet C toward the sheet bundle S in the vicinity of one end in the short side direction of the sheet bundle S to bind the recording sheet bundle S and the cover sheet C (binding step).
As described above, also in the sheet processing method according to the present embodiment, after stacking the cover sheets C in the post-processing apparatus 3, the sheet discharge direction from the copying machine body 1 is half the length of the cover sheet C in the longitudinal direction. A predetermined number of recording sheets having the following length in the short side direction are stacked on the cover sheet C so that the central portion in the length direction of the cover sheet C and one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet are stacked, and the post-processing device The cover sheet C and the sheet bundle S are stapled from the cover sheet side by the stapling unit 350 of No. 3.

Therefore, when the cover sheet of the stapled sheet bundle is folded into approximately half at the central portion in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 4, the binding portion by the staple is covered with the cover sheet and the tip of the binding needle. It is possible to prevent problems such as the exposed parts and the poor appearance, and the needle being caught on a finger or the like. Further, since the binding portion is covered by the cover, it is difficult to break the paper,
Even when the bound document is reused as a document, it is possible to prevent conveyance failure of the document feeder.

In the present embodiment, the circulation type document feeder 2 feeds a predetermined number of documents from the first page side to the copying machine main body 1 and records images on the recording sheets in that order. By simply ejecting the sheet C first, it is possible to perform a simple bookbinding process while performing the normal image recording operation of the copying machine body 1. Further, in the present system, by changing the order of data transfer from the image memory 1105 to the writing control board 1106, or by changing the image memory 1105
By appropriately rearranging the data inside, the image to be copied can be rotated 180 degrees. It is also possible to obtain a copy image rotated by 180 degrees by reading the image information from the center to the end of the contact glass 1a by reversing the scanning direction of the image reading unit 4 and writing the read data at this time. In each of the above-described embodiments, the document feeding device 2 conveys the document in the left-right direction of the copying machine main body 1. However, depending on the type of document used and the system configuration, the document feeding device may serve as a copying machine. It is also possible to use a known document transporting device that transports a document in the front-back direction of the main body 1. In this way, the original is fed in the front-back direction of the image forming apparatus, which is orthogonal to the paper discharge direction of the recording paper. Therefore, depending on the type of the original, the original may be easily fed to facilitate sheet processing. You can

Further, it goes without saying that the image forming apparatus is not limited to a copying machine which directly uses a copy original, but the present invention can be applied to a printer or the like which performs a recording operation according to image information from the outside.

[0099]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, after the recording sheets are stacked and bundled, the length of the recording sheets in the longitudinal direction is about twice or more the length in the lateral direction of the recording sheets. The sheets are stacked so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction thereof overlaps one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet, and a needle is driven from the cover sheet toward the recording sheet in the vicinity of one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet, and these are bound together. As a result, the cover sheet of the bound sheet bundle can be covered with the cover sheet only by folding the cover sheet in the longitudinal center in half, and the tip of the binding needle is exposed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the appearance from being deteriorated and the binding needle from being caught on a finger or the like, and further, it is possible to prevent the folding of the binding portion. As a result, the quality of bookbinding can be improved and a highly safe sheet processing method can be realized.

Further, according to the second aspect of the invention, since the image information is recorded on the recording sheet from the image information of the last page of the image information, the image is discharged from the image forming apparatus while performing the normal image recording operation. By simply ejecting the cover sheet on the recording sheet, the bookbinding process can be performed as it is, and the sheet process can be simplified. On the other hand, according to the third aspect of the present invention, after stacking the cover sheets in the bookbinding apparatus, the length in the lateral direction is half or less than the longitudinal length of the cover sheet in the paper discharge direction from the image forming apparatus. A predetermined number of the recording sheets having a thickness on the cover sheet such that the central portion of the cover sheet in the longitudinal direction and one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet are stacked, and these are bound from the cover sheet side, Only by folding the cover sheet of the bound sheet bundle in the longitudinal center portion, the bound portion can be covered with the cover sheet,
It is possible to prevent the distal end portion of the binding needle from being exposed and the appearance thereof to be deteriorated, or to prevent the needle from being caught on a finger or the like, and further, to prevent the folding of the binding portion. As a result, the quality of bookbinding can be improved and a highly safe sheet processing method can be realized.

Further, according to the invention described in claim 4, since the image information is recorded on the recording sheet from the image information on the first page side of the image information, the cover sheet is usually discharged first. The bookbinding process can be easily performed while performing the image recording operation. According to the fifth aspect of the invention, in the recording step, since the original is fed in the front-back direction of the image forming apparatus which is orthogonal to the paper discharge direction of the recording sheet, the original may be fed depending on the type of the original. It is possible to facilitate feeding and facilitate sheet processing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment of a sheet processing system for carrying out a sheet processing method according to the first and second aspects of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of an operation display unit in FIG.

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

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

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

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

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector B in FIG.

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

9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit of the circulation type document feeder in FIG.

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

11 is a perspective view of essential parts of a final document detecting mechanism of the circulating document feeder in FIG.

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

13A and 13B show timings of document feeding / discharging, sheet feeding, and document exposure of the copying machine in FIG. 1, where FIG. 13A is a timing chart of the first copy thereof, and FIG. It is a timing chart.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a main portion of a jogging portion in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a front view of a main portion of a jogging portion in FIG.

16 is an explanatory diagram of a jogging operation of a jogging unit in FIG.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram of a sheet bundle discharging operation of the jogging unit in FIG.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a main portion of a staple unit in FIG.

FIG. 19 is an external perspective view showing the discharge tray side of the post-processing apparatus in FIG.

20 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit of the post-processing apparatus in FIG.

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

22 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector C1 in FIG. 21. FIG.

23 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector C2 in FIG. 21. FIG.

FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector C3 in FIG. 21;

25 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector C4 in FIG.

FIG. 26 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector C5 in FIG. 21;

27 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector C6 in FIG. 21. FIG.

28 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector C7 in FIG. 21. FIG.

29 is a diagram showing a processing flow subsequent to the connector C8 in FIG. 21. FIG.

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

31 is a diagram showing a processing flow at the time of stapling of the post-processing apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG.

32 is a diagram showing velocity waveforms of a side fence and an end fence in FIG.

33 is an explanatory diagram of a stop position when discharging the rear side fence in FIG. 14. FIG.

FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a second embodiment of the sheet processing system for carrying out the sheet processing method according to the first and second aspects of the invention.

FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a first embodiment of the sheet processing system for carrying out the sheet processing method according to the invention of claims 3 and 4.

36 is a front sectional view of the post-processing device in FIG. 35.

37 is an enlarged front view of the main parts of the post-processing device in FIG. 35.

38 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the finish tray in FIG. 36. FIG.

FIG. 39 is a timing chart showing the timing of document feeding / ejection, paper feeding, and document exposure of the copying machine in FIG.

FIG. 40 is a sectional view showing the overall construction of a second embodiment of the sheet processing system for carrying out the sheet processing method according to the invention of claims 3 and 4.

FIG. 41 is a sectional view showing the overall construction of a third embodiment of the sheet processing system for carrying out the sheet processing method according to the third and fourth aspects of the invention.

42 is a block diagram of an image reading / writing unit of the copying machine in FIG. 41. FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Copier main body (image forming device) 1a Contact glass 2 Circular document feeder 3 Post-processing device (bookbinding device) 11 to 14, 21 to 24 Paper feed cassette 100 Jogging unit 103, 104 Side fence 130, 400 Finish tray 200 Ejection unit 300 Staple unit 301 Stapler (binding device) 302 Stapler main unit 302a Driving unit 302b Needle storage unit 304 Needles 306a, 306b Needle receiving unit 350 Stapler (Binding device) 351 Needle hitting unit 352 Needle storage unit 360 Needle receiving base 500 Operation Display unit 800 Bookbinding control unit 910 Loading means S Sheet bundle (record sheet bundle) C Cover sheet

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification number Reference number within the agency FI Technical display location G03G 15/00 114 7369-2H (72) Inventor Masami Higuchi 1-3-3 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo No. 6 In Ricoh Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Fumio Kurizumi 1-3-3 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo In-house Co., Ltd. (72) Masago Eda 1-3-6 Nakamagome, Ota-ku, Tokyo Stock company Ricoh

Claims (1)

Claims: 1. A recording sheet stacking process of stacking recording sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus in a bookbinding apparatus and stacking a predetermined number of recording sheets into a recording sheet bundle. After that, a cover sheet having a length in the longitudinal direction that is approximately twice or more the length in the lateral direction of the recording sheet is stacked so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet. A stacking step, and a binding step of stitching the recording sheet bundle and the cover sheet by driving a needle from the cover sheet toward the recording sheet in the vicinity of one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet by the bookbinding device. Sheet processing method. 2. A recording step of recording an image on a recording sheet from the image information of the last page of a predetermined number of image information by the image forming apparatus, and a recording sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus in the bookbinding apparatus. Stacking recording sheets and stacking a predetermined number of recording sheets into a bundle of recording sheets, and for a cover sheet having a length in the longitudinal direction that is approximately twice or more the length in the lateral direction of the recording sheets A cover sheet stacking step of stacking the sheets so that the central portion in the longitudinal direction overlaps one end in the lateral direction of the recording sheet; and Stitching the recording sheet bundle and the cover sheet,
A sheet processing method comprising: 3. A cover sheet stacking step for stacking a cover sheet in a bookbinding apparatus, and a length in a lateral direction which is half or less of a longitudinal length of the cover sheet in a direction in which the cover sheet is ejected from an image forming apparatus. A recording sheet stacking step of stacking a predetermined number of recording sheets on the cover sheet so that the longitudinal center portion of the cover sheet and one end in the short side direction of the recording sheet overlap each other; and the recording sheet by the bookbinding apparatus. And a binding step of stitching a needle from the cover sheet toward the recording sheet in the vicinity of one end in the lateral direction of the sheet and binding the recording sheet bundle and the cover sheet together. 4. A cover sheet stacking step of stacking cover sheets in a bookbinding apparatus, and an image forming apparatus records an image on a recording sheet from image information on the first page side of a predetermined number of image information. In the recording step, a recording sheet having a short-side length that is less than half the longitudinal length of the cover sheet in the direction in which the sheet is discharged from the image forming apparatus is used. Recording sheet stacking step of stacking a predetermined number of sheets on the cover sheet so that one end in the short side of And a binding step of binding the recording sheet bundle and the cover sheet together. 5. The sheet processing method according to claim 2, wherein in the recording step, the original is fed in the front-back direction of the image forming apparatus which is orthogonal to the recording sheet conveyance direction.