JPH0812178A - Sheet aftertreatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a sheet aftertreatment device which does not perform inaccurate and useless stapling operation. CONSTITUTION:Stapling is performed on the sheet end in the vertical direction to the discharge direction. Even if sheets different in the size exist in sheets discharged after an image is outputted, when lengths in the vertical direction to the discharge direction are the same with each other (steps S4 and S5), the stapling is performed (a step S7), on the one hand, when the lengths in the vertical direction to the discharge direction are different from each other (a step S5), the stapling is prohibited (a step S8).

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus which determines whether or not stapling is possible when a copied sheet has a different size.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a sorter is known which sorts and stores sheets printed out from various image forming apparatuses such as a copying machine and a printer into a plurality of sort bins. further,
A stapler that automatically binds sorted and stored sheet bundles is also known as an auxiliary device for sorters. In such a stapler, a sheet bundle sorted and stored in a sort bin is aligned with a tamper, and then stapled at a predetermined position of the sheet bundle with a staple.

[0003]

However, when the originals of different sizes are included (including the case where the discharged sheets are of different sizes), the sheets should be aligned neatly with a tamper. I can't. This is because, as a result of performing tamping in accordance with the largest size sheet, the tamper does not act on the smallest size sheet. For this reason, if the discharged sheets are different, stapling is prohibited and automatic stapling after copying is not performed (for example, see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-233468).

Further, a paper folding function (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 3-1
The invention disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 83596) is used to perform the stapling operation, but the configuration becomes complicated to perform such a function.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to, if possible,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus that performs stapling operations but does not perform inaccurate and useless stapling operations.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the invention as set forth in claim 1, the discharged sheet is stored while the image is outputted and the discharged sheet is stapled. In the sheet post-processing apparatus, if the sheet size detecting means for detecting the size of the ejected sheet and the ejected sheet have different lengths at the sheet ends to be stapled, the execution of the stapling is prohibited. It is characterized in that it comprises a stapling prohibiting means.

[0007]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, even if there are sheets of different sizes among the sheets on which an image has been output and discharged, as long as the ends of the sheets to be stapled have the same length. On the other hand, while staples are being performed, if there are sheets having different lengths of the sheet ends to be stapled, the staples are not performed.

[0008]

【Example】

(Structure of Embodiment) An embodiment according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the structure of a copying apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. This copying machine 1
In the case where the light emitted from the exposure lamp 2 scans the document sent from the automatic document feeder 3,
The reflected light passes through a predetermined optical system and enters the photosensitive drum 4. As a result, an electrostatic latent image of the original is formed on the photosensitive drum 4, and toner is attached to the electrostatic latent image for development. In addition, toner is transferred to a sheet conveyed from any one of the sheet trays 5 a to 5 d when passing the lower surface of the photosensitive drum 4. The transferred sheet passes through the fixing unit 7 and is discharged to a discharge tray 8 (see a transport path indicated by an arrow in the figure).
Here, in each of the sheet trays 5a to 5d, for example,
B5 horizontal, B4 vertical, A4 vertical, and A4 horizontal sheets are stored respectively. Horizontal or vertical indicates the direction with respect to the transport direction (see FIG. 7). It should be noted that the document size is determined by a known technique (for example, prescan) before the copying operation.
Is detected by As a result, one of the optimum sheet trays for copying is automatically selected from the detected document size and copy information (magnification, etc.).

On the other hand, when the stack mode or the collating mode is selected, the sheet after fixing is the sorter 1
It is discharged to the 0 side and sorted into sort bins 11, 11 ,. Here, the stack mode is a mode in which sheets corresponding to the same page of the original are sequentially stacked,
For example, when copying 5 copies of a 10-page original, the sorting is performed in such an order that the first sort bin 11 has 5 sheets of the first page and the next lower sorting bin 11 has 5 sheets of the second page. Be done. In the collating mode, the manuscripts are sequentially stacked from the first page to the last page so that the sorting bins 11,
This mode is for sorting into 11 ..., For example, when copying 5 copies of a 10-page original, 1 is placed in the top sort bin 11.
Sorting is performed in such an order that one copy of pages 10 to 10 is stacked and one copy of pages 1 to 10 is stacked on the next sort bin 11 in the same manner.

As described above, when the sorter 10 is used, the sheet bundle stacked on the sort bin 11 may be further stapled. In this case, the sort bin 11 accommodating the sheet bundle to be stapled moves up and down,
2, the stapling device 12 approaches the sort bin 11 in which the sheet bundle to be stapled is stored and automatically binds the sheet bundle at a predetermined position. The stapling device 12 performs a stapling operation on a bundle of sheets in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction or at a corner of the sheet.

Here, the configuration of the sorter 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the sorter 10. In this figure, 15 is a bin motor, and the sort bin 1
.. are moved up and down according to the sort mode and stapling operation. Reference numeral 16 is a tamping motor, and a spiral shaft 17 is connected to its rotation shaft. A unit for supporting one end of the tamper 18 is provided on the spiral shaft 17 (this is provided with a spiral hole).
19 is screwed together. The rotation of the tamping motor 17 is also transmitted to the spiral shaft 21 via the belt 20, and a unit for supporting the other end of the tamper 18 (also a spiral hole) is provided on the spiral shaft 21. 22) are screwed together. As a result, when the tamping motor rotates forward and backward, the tamper 18
Moves in the direction of the double-headed arrow in the figure. The movement of the tamper 18 allows the sheets stored in the sort bin 11 to be aligned in one side direction. In addition,
As can be seen from the figure, the sort bin 11 is used in the copying apparatus 1.
The sheet discharged to the sort bin 11 is inclined toward the lower side toward the end and has an L-shaped end.
The other side is aligned by its own weight. As a result, the directions of both sides of the sheet are aligned. 24 is a tamper sensor, which is a unit 19,
That is, the position of the tamper 18 is detected.

Next, the electrical configuration of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration. Three
Reference numeral 1 is an image formation control unit that controls image formation in a copying operation, and 32 is a sorter control unit that controls the sorter 10. In the image formation control unit 31, various commands and mode commands from the operation unit 41 are sent to the interface 42.
Is input to the CPU 40 via. The output signal of the sensor 43 that detects the position of the sheet in the copying operation is input to the CPU 31 via the interface 44, and the CPU 40 controls each unit with reference to this signal. For example, a drive signal is sent to the driver 46 to drive the paper transport motor 47. ROM
A program and the like used in the CPU 40 are stored in the 48, and various data are temporarily stored in the RAM 49, and a work area is set.

The CPU 40 of the image forming controller 31 and the CPU 60 of the sorter controller 32 exchange information with each other via the communication interfaces 51 and 52. Thus, for example, the CPU 60 can know the detected document size, the mode (sort mode, staple mode, etc.) instructed by the operation unit 41, the number of documents, the number of copies, and the like. The output signal of the tamper sensor 24 (see FIG. 2) is input to the CPU 60 via the interface 61. Reference numeral 65 is a ROM in which programs and the like used in the CPU 60 are stored, and 66 is an RA in which various data are temporarily stored and a work area is set.
It is M.

The CPU 60 follows a program stored in the ROM 65, detects a signal from the tamper sensor 24, and detects the CPU.
The respective units are controlled by referring to the information from 40. For example, when a drive signal is sent to the driver 67, the motor 23 that conveys the sheet rotates on the sorter 10 side, and the rotation conveys the sheet. When a drive signal is sent to the driver 68, the tamping motor shown in FIG. 2 rotates,
The sheets stored in the sort bin 11 are aligned in one side direction. Similarly, when a drive signal is sent to the driver 69, the motor 12a for stapling is driven,
As a result, the stapling device 12 (see FIG. 1) binds the sheets. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the bin motor 15 in FIG. 2 is also driven in the same manner, and the sort bin 11 moves up and down according to the mode.

(Operation of the Embodiment) Next, the operation of the embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining data exchanged between the CPU 40 of the image forming control unit 31 and the CPU 60 of the sorter control unit 32.

First, when a start switch (not shown) for instructing the start of copying is turned on, the CPU 40 notifies the CPU 60 to that effect. Next, the CPU 40 determines the sheet trays 5a to 5d depending on the detected document size and copy information.
The CPU 60 is informed whether any of 5d is selected. The CPU 60 sends information regarding this sheet tray to
It is written and stored in the RAM 66. Here, when the original size or copy information is changed and a new sheet tray is selected, the information regarding the sheet tray is also C.
Notify PU60. The CPU 60 similarly stores the information regarding the sheet tray.

Next, when the copying operation is completed, the CPU 40 informs the CPU 60 of that fact, and subsequently supplies a staple operation execution command for instructing stapling to the CPU 60. As will be described later, the CPU 60 determines whether or not the stapling operation is possible based on the stored information, and even if a new size is selected, if the sheet size in the vertical direction with respect to the transport direction is the same, the stapling operation is possible. Then, the staple operation is executed by the staple operation execution command. Then, when the stapling operation is completed, or when the stapling operation is not successful, the CPU 60 supplies the stapling operation result information related thereto to the CPU 40.

Next, the operation of determining whether or not the stapling operation is possible will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing this operation. In the explanation of this operation, the CPU
The processing executed in 60 will be described.

First, when the state switch for instructing the start of copying is turned on, it is determined in step S1 whether or not the automatic document feeder 3 is in the mode to be used. If the automatic document feeder 3 is used, the process proceeds to the next step S2. In step S2, it is determined whether or not a sort mode (including a stack mode in a broad sense, but only the collating mode here) is designated. That is, the mode input by the operation unit 41 (see FIG. 3) is determined, and if the collation mode is designated, the process proceeds to step S3. In the next step S3, it is determined whether or not the staple mode is set. That is, it is determined whether or not the mode for stapling the sorted sheets by the operation unit 41 is selected, and if selected, the process proceeds to step S4.

In the next step S4, it is determined whether or not the tray size information previously supplied from the CPU 40 has different sizes. If the sizes are the same, skip to step S6, while if there is a different size,
In the next step S5, it is further determined whether or not the sizes AB in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (see FIG. 6) are the same. If they are the same, the copying operation is executed even if the sizes are different (step S6), and the stapling operation is performed after the aligning operation by the tamper 18 (step S7).

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S5 that there are different sizes AB in the tray size information, execution of the staple mode is prohibited in step S8. That is, in step S8, this stapling operation is prohibited even though the stapling mode is selected. On this occasion,
On the display panel (not shown) of the copying apparatus 1, a message to that effect, for example, a message "Cannot staple!" Is displayed. If the determination result of any of steps S1 to S3 is "No", or if the process of step S8 is completed, the copying operation is performed in step S9.

In the embodiment, the corner of the sheet is set to 1
In the case of binding only at one place, the stapling operation may not be prohibited even if the sheet ends have different lengths. That is, the stapling operation is not prohibited depending on the mode of stapling.

According to such an embodiment, if the sheet ends to be stapled have the same length, stapling is performed, while if the sheet ends to be stapled have different lengths, stapling is prohibited.

In the above-described embodiment, the sheet size to be discharged is indirectly determined by the sheet tray selected by the original size and the copy information. For example, the length in the direction perpendicular to the discharging direction (sheet Width) is detected directly,
It is also possible to determine whether or not stapling is possible based on this.

[0025]

According to the present invention described above, even if there are sheets of different sizes that have been outputted and discharged, as long as the sheet ends for stapling have the same length. , While staples are being made, if there are sheets with different lengths of the sheets to be stapled,
Since stapling is not performed, inaccurate and useless stapling operations can be eliminated.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a configuration of an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a sorter 10 in the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing data transfer performed by the CPU 40 and the CPU 60 in the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the relationship between the conveyance direction and the sheet in the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a sheet size in the example.

[Explanation of symbols]

5a to 5d ... Sheet tray, 12 ... Staple device, 40 ... CPU (sheet size detecting means), 60 ...
... CPU (staple prohibition means)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a sheet post-processing apparatus for accommodating a sheet from which an image has been output and ejected and stapling the ejected sheet, a sheet size detection unit for detecting the size of the ejected sheet, and an ejected sheet. The sheet post-processing apparatus further comprises staple inhibiting means for inhibiting the execution of the stapling if the lengths of the sheets to be stapled have different lengths.