JPH08268634A - Postprocessing contrivance for image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To straighten as well as to guide the paper sheets by constituting a postprocessing contrivance, which is connected to an image forming device and binds paper sheets, so that one side binding and center binding can be selected and arranging two sets of straightening carrier members on a stable. CONSTITUTION: A postprocessing contrivance connected to an image forming device is arranged with a paper sheet stabling device and a paper sheet straightening carrier member 110, 120 and the respective members are provided movable in the width direction of the paper sheets. The carrier members 110, 1120 are respectively arranged with stopper members 116, 126 and a damper member 130 and, when the paper sheets are to be bound at one side, positioning of the paper sheets is performed by corresponding the two carrier members 110, 120 to the end portion of the paper sheets and bound by locking the paper sheet end portion. When the center of the paper sheets is to be bound, paper sheets are positioned by corresponding the space between the two damper members 130 of the straightening carrier members 110, 120 to the width of the paper sheets and straightened by tapping on the damper members 130 after the paper sheets have passed through.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a post-processing device for aligning and binding sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to binding to edge portions of sheets and saddle stitching to central portions of sheets. The present invention relates to a post-processing apparatus that is configured to be capable and that includes an auxiliary member that can correct the curl and the like of the leading edge of the sheet when aligning the leading edge of the sheet in accordance with the binding mode of the sheet.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A post-processing apparatus, which is connected to an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine or a laser beam printer to bind a copy, has been generally used. As a device for simply binding with staples, for example, a device as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 62-35863 is known. In the conventional example, one stapling device is provided so as to be movable along the end portion of the bundle of sheets to be bound, and the stapling can be performed at any place by the staple. Further, as a device in which a stapling device is arranged with respect to a sorter device which is connected to an image forming device and sorts sheets, and which binds a corner portion of a bundle of sheets, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-4345.
Devices such as those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 6 are known. In the stapling apparatus of the conventional example, the tray of the sorter is positioned at the stapling position and then the stapling apparatus is used for stapling, so that the post-processing work of the sheets can be easily performed.

In addition to the conventional stapling apparatus as described above, as shown in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-219601, a large size sheet is bound at the central portion in the length direction to produce a bookbinding product. After that, a device for folding the bookbinding product in half through the binding portion may be used. In the above-mentioned conventional example, the stitcher member and the clincher member are individually movably provided corresponding to the upper and lower positions of the stack of accumulated sheets, and the two staple members are interlocked,
It is stopped at the binding position so that the staples can be bound. Then, by using the stapling device as described above, it is possible to perform binding with a staple in an arbitrary position of the bundle of sheets.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problem to be Solved by the Invention
Even when using a stapling device such as that disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 601, the binding to the paper is performed in two modes: edge binding for binding the edge of the sheet and saddle stitching for binding the central portion in the length direction of the sheet. There is a problem that you can not do. This is because, in each of the edge binding and the saddle stitching modes as described above, the distance between the leading edge of the sheet to be bound and the binding portion by the staple is different, and therefore, when one aligning member is provided. Is due to the fact that the aligning action on the paper cannot be easily performed. Further, when the leading end portion of the paper is curled, when the paper is positioned by the stopper member or the like in correspondence with the binding position by the stapling device, it is not possible to favorably perform the paper alignment operation. The problem occurs.

Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 64-43456, a means for pressing the curl of the leading edge of the sheet may be arranged. To be a method. However, the curl presser shown in the conventional example is arranged at a fixed position with respect to a tray or the like, and it is difficult to apply the curl presser to a stapling device that is movable in the width direction of a sheet. In addition, by using a stapling device, it is possible to perform two operations such as edge binding and saddle stitching
When the bookbinding product is configured to be created in one of the two modes, especially when performing saddle stitching operation of the paper, the paper passes through the stapling device and the stopper member is placed in the downstream portion. It is necessary to perform a process of abutting and stopping. However, when the paper is passed between the upper and lower stapling members and guided toward the downstream paper transport path, the curl at the leading edge of the paper is engaged between the connecting portions of the guide plates of the paper transport path. It may stop and cause jamming. In addition to the above-mentioned problems, when a binding member such as a tamper is arranged on the lateral portion of the sheet to be bound, and the aligning action is to be applied to the sheet, the movement range of the stapling apparatus is increased. When a tamper or the like is arranged, there is a problem that both members interfere with each other.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problems of the sheet aligning device arranged in the conventional stapling device as described above, and provides a stapling device by providing a guiding means for a curled sheet or the like at the leading end. To provide a device that can be aligned with the binding position of the edge binding by the first
For the purpose of, the device for guiding the sheet to the portion of the stapling device corresponding to the saddle stitching is provided, and the device for performing the aligning action in the width direction of the sheet is provided at a position not interfering with the stapling device. A second object is to provide a processing device.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is an apparatus for connecting sheets to a sheet discharge section of an image forming apparatus, aligning sheets, and binding them with staples. The present invention relates to a stapling device which is provided so as to be vertically movable along a width direction of a sheet and is bound by a staple. In the present invention, a curl guide member that guides the leading end of the paper is arranged upstream of the upper staple member, and the stapling device constitutes a means for guiding the end of the paper. Further, in the present invention, it is possible to provide means for positioning the tip end portion of the curl guide member by abutting it on the upper surface of the upstream upper guide plate member. Further, in the present invention, it is possible to provide a means for positioning the curl guide member in the non-operating position in correspondence with the position of movement of the staple member in the width direction of the sheet.

In addition to the above configuration, in the present invention, the stapling device is configured to correspond to saddle stitching of sheets,
On both sides of the upper stapling member of the stapling device, a guide member for the sheet conveyed toward the downstream portion is provided,
Means may be provided for positioning the guide member in the non-operating position in correspondence with the position of movement of the upper staple member in the width direction of the sheet. Further, in the present invention, a stopper member or a tamper member that reciprocates in parallel with the upper stapling member of the stapling apparatus is arranged, and the first driving means for driving the upper stapling member and the stopper member or the tamper member are provided. Second driving means for driving, and driving for the two moving members,
Control means for performing positioning may be provided. It is also possible to integrally provide a stopper member and a tamper member that reciprocate in parallel with the upper stapling member of the stapling device in one carrier.

[0009]

In the sheet post-processing apparatus of the present invention configured as described above, two staple members arranged above and below the sheet conveying path are combined to form one stapling apparatus, and the two staple members are used for the sheet. The apparatus is provided so as to be movable in the width direction, the binding position can be arbitrarily selected, and the staple needle can be driven. Then, two types of end stitching and saddle stitching by the stapling device
Two modes are selectable, and when the leading edge of the paper is positioned with respect to the stapling device and aligned to correspond to the edge binding mode, and when the paper is fed to the stopper arranged at the downstream of the stapling device, The saddle stitching mode for binding the center portion can be supported.

In the binding device constructed as described above, each of the means for aligning the leading edge of the sheet in correspondence with the two binding modes is provided, and when the edge binding mode is set, the sheet is fed. The curl pressing means is provided in correspondence with the curl of the leading edge of the sheet so that the sheet can be aligned in a good condition. Further, by arranging the curl pressing means on the stapling device on the upper guide plate arranged in the upstream portion of the stapling device, even for a sheet having an upward curl,
Since no catching portion is formed on the guide surface, it is possible to guide the paper. Further, in the saddle stitching mode of the paper, in order to allow the paper to pass at the position of the stapling device, while holding the curl of the paper against the upper stapling member, the leading end of the paper is moved toward the downstream paper transport path. Since the means for guiding is provided, the aligning action in the aligning section corresponding to the saddle stitching mode can be easily performed.

In addition to the above construction, means for guiding the paper to be placed on the upper stapling member is provided integrally with the upper stapling member in correspondence with the saddle stitching mode, and the hitting action from the side surface of the paper is performed. The tamper member to be added may be integrated into a carrier member, and the carrier may be provided so as to be movable in the width direction of the sheet. When two actuating members are provided for the carrier,
By moving the carrier according to the size of the paper, it becomes possible to exert the guiding and aligning action on the paper. Therefore, by arranging the two types of sheet aligning members having the above-described configurations, it is possible to easily set two types of binding modes for the post-processing apparatus, and for the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. The binding work can be easily performed.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A post-processing device for an image forming apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the illustrated example. The sheet post-processing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is connected to an image forming apparatus such as a laser beam printer and constitutes an apparatus for processing sheets,
An apparatus that can arbitrarily perform the operation of introducing the paper discharged from the image forming apparatus through the upper conveyance path 2 and directly discharging it to the discharge tray 6 and the operation of stapling it by using the stapling device is configured. In the upper transport path 2 arranged in the sheet post-processing device 1, a plurality of transport roller devices 3, 3a ...
And a discharge roller device 5. The discharge roller device 5 is configured by combining a driving roller member 5a and an orbit roller 5b as a pinch roller member.

In the discharge roller device 5, when the sheet is inverted and guided toward the staple tray member 10, the orbit roller 5b is nipped between the drive roller member 5a and the pinch roller member 5b. Is rotated around the drive roller member to guide the leading edge of the paper toward the staple tray member 10. Further, in the upstream portion of the discharge roller device 5, a mechanism for swinging the upper guide plate 4 through the support shaft 4a when reversing the sheet is provided to guide the sheet while largely curving the sheet and forming a loop. Means are provided.

In the discharging roller device 7 disposed downstream of the discharging roller device 5, the pinch roller member 7b is provided so as to be separable from the driving roller member 7a. When the sheet is directly ejected, the drive roller member 7a is driven in the ejection direction. Also,
When the sheet is deposited on the staple tray member 10 by using the switchback type transport system without performing the reverse discharge by the discharge roller device, the discharge roller device 5 is used to leave the paper by the discharge roller device 5 while keeping the discharge part roller device 7 apart. Can be discharged in a free fall state on the staple tray member without reversing. Further, with the discharge section roller, it is also possible to discharge the document bound on the staple tray member 10 toward the discharge tray 6, and in order to correspond to such various transport modes, the drive roller member. 7a to the pinch roller member 7
b is separable.

A stapling device 20 for binding sheets is provided corresponding to the staple tray member 10 arranged below the conveying path 2 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1.
The upper stapling member 21 and the lower stapling member 25 are arranged so as to be located above and below the sheets stacked on the staple tray member. Further, the staple tray member 10 does not constitute a member for supporting a sheet by one plate member, but as will be described later, a guide plate of the lower staple member and a sheet support plate member arranged in the front and rear positions thereof. Are combined to form a member capable of exhibiting the action as one staple tray member. Then, the upper stapling member 2 constituting the stapling device 20.
A stopper device is arranged at a position corresponding to 1, and the stopper device 40 is provided so as to be retractable in and out of the paper transport path. Further, an oscillating guide plate member 70 and a paddle 81 which can be retracted into and out of the sheet conveying path are arranged above the staple tray member 10 at the upstream side of the stapling device 20 so that a sheet edge binding mode is set. The first paper aligning means (paper aligning device) is constituted by the stopper device and the paddle in correspondence with the above.

A second paper aligning means (paper aligning device) 12 for aligning the leading end portions of the paper is provided in the downstream portion of the stapling device, and the paper aligning device 12 is provided with a stopper 13. The paddle 14 is arranged and the transport roller device 11 is provided. The sheet aligning device 12 is provided so as to be movable in the upstream and downstream directions, and the sheet aligning device can be held at an arbitrary position when binding the leading edge of the sheet. Further, when performing binding (saddle stitching) to the central portion in the length direction of the paper, for example, for A3 size paper, the paper aligning device 12 is moved to a position indicated by a virtual line in the drawing, and A4 For sheets of different sizes, the sheet aligning device is positioned at the positions indicated by the solid lines in the figure so that the central portions of the sheets of the respective sizes can be aligned at the position where they coincide with the binding line T. Further, in the sheet post-processing device 12, the discharge path 17 is arranged from the end portion of the staple tray member toward the lower part of the apparatus main body, and the gate member 15 and the discharge roller device 16 are arranged to bind the bound document. To be discharged toward the bottom of the device. In addition,
In the binding device, when the sheet aligning device 12 is moved to the position of the virtual line and the central portion of the sheet is bound,
With the binding operation completed, the transport roller device 11 is driven in the reverse direction, and after the leading edge of the document reaches the upstream portion of the gate member 15, the transport roller device is driven in the forward direction again to discharge the document from the discharge path 17. It acts to guide you to.

[0017]

[Structure of Stapling Apparatus] The stapling apparatus 20 incorporated in the sheet post-processing apparatus of the present invention can be constructed as shown in FIG. 2 so that it is positioned above and below the sheets stacked on the staple tray member. The upper staple member 21 and the lower staple member 25 are arranged. The stapling device 20 constitutes a device for guiding the lower staple member 25 provided with a stitcher member 26 for arranging means for driving staples by sliding the guide bars 28 and 28a.
A belt member 39 for driving 5 is provided. Further, in the upper staple member 21 located above the sheet, a clincher member 22 for bending and stopping the tip end portion of the staple is arranged, and guide bars 24, 24a for guiding the upper staple member 21 are arranged.
Is arranged to form a means for driving the belt member 36. Further, the upper stapling member 21 and the lower stapling member 25 are provided with guide plates 23 and 27, respectively, for guiding the sheets, so that the sheets can be guided on the staple tray member. To

In the stapling device 20, a driving device 30 is arranged to drive the upper stapling member 21 and the lower stapling member 25, and the rotation of the motor 31 is transmitted to the driving shaft 33 via the transmission device 32. To do. A pulley 3 is attached to the drive shaft 33 via a clutch 34.
5, the belt member 36 is driven through the pulley 35, and the upper staple member 21 is driven. Further, the lower staple member 25 is driven by winding a belt member 39 around a pulley 38 provided via a clutch 37 provided on the drive shaft 33 and driving the lower staple member connected to the belt member 39. To do. Then, by configuring the motor as a stepping motor capable of driving in the forward and reverse directions, the upper and lower staple members are moved in an arbitrary direction, moved by an arbitrary distance, and positioned at a binding position, and a staple needle is used. A binding operation can be performed. In the stapling apparatus 20, when moving the upper and lower stapling members, for example, the side portion of the lower stapling member 25 is positioned with respect to the sensor S to perform the initialization operation, and then the motor is driven to a predetermined position. By applying several pulses, the positioning with respect to the staple member is performed, and the binding position by the staple is set.

[0019]

[Structure and Operation of Sheet Aligning Device] A stopper device and a conveying member which constitute the first sheet aligning device in combination with the stapling device shown in FIG. 2 are configured as shown in FIG. The stopper device 40 among the respective constituent members is provided on the upper staple member. Also,
The mechanism for supporting and swinging the guide plate member 70 is arranged with respect to a fixed frame that is separate from the stapling device,
The guide plate member 70 is swung with following the operation of vertically moving the paddle 81 of the transport member 80. In addition, in the example shown in FIG. 3, a guide member 60 as a curl guide member that is arranged close to the stopper device.
2 refers to the guide plates 23 and 23a arranged on both sides of the upper stapling member in FIG. 2, but the reference numerals are changed in FIG. 3 and they are described in relation to other members.

The guide members 60, 60a are supported via a support shaft 66 provided on the upper staple member, and an arm 65 is arranged with respect to the support shaft 66, and a rear end portion of the arm 65 is provided. Is provided with a biasing means by a spring 67, and biases the arm 65 in the clockwise direction (direction in which the guide member is lowered) via the support shaft 66. Further, a link 63 is arranged at the tip of the arm 65, and the link 63 is
A guide member 70 is arranged via a support shaft 62 provided at the tip of the. Although the two members of the arm 65 and the link 63 can be configured as an integral unit, in order to finely adjust the arrangement position of the guide member,
It is preferable that the two arm members are slidable with respect to each other so that they can be fixed at arbitrary positions. Then, the guide member 60
The guide surface on the upstream side of the sheet conveyance direction is provided so as to ride on the end portion of the guide plate member 70, as will be described later, and guides the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveyance path to stop the stopper. It is stopped by the stopper 41 of the device 40.

In the first sheet aligning device shown in FIG. 3, the guide plate member 70 arranged above the sheet conveying path so as to face the staple tray member 10 has a sheet inserting side as shown in FIG. It is provided via a support shaft at a position near the tip of the discharge roller device 5. Then, with respect to the guide plate member 70, springs 73 and 73a are arranged at the downstream portion in the sheet conveying direction to urge the guide plate member in the upward direction. The action of lifting the downstream end of
This is performed in association with the action of the vertical movement of the paddle 81 on the transport member 80. The paddles 81 and 81a, which are arranged corresponding to the guide plate member 70, are fixedly arranged so as to sandwich the roller 82 with respect to the drive shaft 83, and the collar members 84 and 84a provided on the drive shaft 83 are used as guide plates. It is located above the member 70, and the collar member prevents the guide plate member from swinging upward by the force of the spring. The drive shaft 83 provided with the paddle can be rotated using any drive means.

A link 85 is arranged through a long hole 86 with respect to a drive shaft 83 that supports the paddle, and an upper end portion of the link 85 is supported by a support shaft 91 through an arm member 9.
The link 85a and the arm member 90a are similarly arranged on the rear side of the apparatus. The ends of the arm members 90 and 90a are connected using a long shaft member 92, and the shaft member 92 is connected to a solenoid 95.
Is rotated to cause the drive shaft supporting the paddle to move up and down. Further, a spring 98 is arranged on the shaft member 92 via a rear link 97, and constitutes a means for urging the arm member 90 in the clockwise direction when viewed from the side surface via the shaft via the shaft. Further, in the conveying member, the roller member 82 and the paddle 8 arranged on the drive shaft are arranged.
1 is configured so that the weights of these members are applied to the sheet and the function of feeding the sheet is exhibited.

Therefore, in the conveying member 80, as shown in FIG. 3, at the position where the paddles 81 and 81a are lowered, the sheet inserted between the guide plate member 70 and the staple tray member 10 is padded. 81 makes it possible to carry out the action of conveying toward the stopper. In the conveying member 80, the paddles 81 and 81a provided on the drive shaft 83 are the same as the paddles generally used for paper feeding, and are different from the cylindrical member provided on the drive shaft in the vicinity of the soft rubber or the like. A large number of blade members are arranged so as to project. By arranging the paddle and the roller member in close proximity to each other, when the paddle and the roller member are pressed against the paper by their own weight, the outer peripheral portion of the roller member comes into contact with the paper and the blade member of the paddle is Since it is not bent excessively, the feeding action by the paddle can be exhibited in a good state.

The stopper device 40 arranged corresponding to the upper stapling member together with the conveying member 80 is provided so that the stopper 41 is supported by the frame 42 so that the stopper 41 can be retracted from the sheet conveying path. A means for swinging the frame 42 of the stopper 41 via a support shaft is provided. Then, in order to drive the stopper device 40, a driving device using a solenoid 50 is arranged, and a gear 53 connecting the solenoid link 51 and the rotation of the gear 53 are transmitted to the gear 55, and the driving shaft 56 is driven. The gear 5 of the drive unit of the stopper 41 is provided via the provided gear 55a.
7 is driven to swing the stopper 41 via the support shaft of the frame. Further, the rear side guide member 60a
Although similar stoppers are also arranged in the vicinity of, the drive mechanisms for them are configured similarly to those for the stopper 41, and therefore are not shown. The stopper device 40
The operation will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 10 and subsequent figures, but springs 44 and 54 are arranged to urge the stopper 41 toward the position where the sheet conveyance path is closed.

Gear 55a for driving the stopper 41
Is provided slidably with respect to the drive shaft 56, and the drive shaft 56 is configured to have a D-cut cross section,
The shaft hole corresponding to the shaft of the gear 55a is configured to correspond to the D-cut cross section of the drive shaft. And the two gears 5
When the stopper provided so as to be swingable via 3, 57 is moved together with the upper stapling device, the stopping action on the sheet can be performed at an arbitrary position where the stopper is moved along the drive shaft. . In the example shown in FIG. 3, the drive device and the shaft 5 by the solenoid 50 are used.
The gear 55 and the like arranged in 6 are arranged outside the arm member 90a, but in the present invention, they are described inside the arm member for convenience of explanation.

[0026]

[Operation Corresponding to Binding of Paper] As described above, the stopper device 40 arranged corresponding to the upper stapling member of the stapling device is interlocked with the operation of raising the drive shaft of the conveying member 80 to move from the paper conveying path. The operation of saving is performed. Further, the guide member 60 is lifted by the guide plate member 70 by the operation of raising the guide plate member 70, and is separated from the staple tray, so that the paper transport path is largely opened. Then, when the stopper 41 is arranged at the position where the sheet conveying path is closed, the conveying member 80 brings the leading end of the sheet into contact with the stopper so as to align the sheet, and the end binding mode in which the leading end of the sheet is bound is set. Can be adapted. On the other hand, when the stopper 41 is swung to a position retracted from the sheet conveying path, the sheet aligning device 12 shown in FIG. Make the binding operation used.

When the edge binding mode is set,
The respective constituent members are positioned in the state shown in FIG. 4, and the guide plate member 70 and the paddle 81 are positioned at the alignment position with respect to the upper and lower staple members 21 and 25 constituting the stapling apparatus. Also, the upper staple member 2
The stopper 41 provided at 1 is positioned at a position where the sheet conveyance path is closed. Then, from the upstream portion, the discharge roller device 5
The leading end portion of the paper P sent through the paper is fed by a paddle and locked by the stopper 41 for alignment, so that the binding operation is performed on the end portion of the paper.

Therefore, in the edge-stitching mode shown in FIG. 4, the sheet aligning device 12 arranged downstream of the stapling device is not operated. Further, the paper discharged from the discharge roller device 5 can be sent to the staple tray member 10 by a switchback method so as to slide down toward the staple device along the inclination of the tray. Then, the sheet fed into the tray member 10 is fed by the paddle 81 between the guide plate member 70 and the staple tray member 10, and the end portion of the sheet P is guided from the guide surface of the guide member 60 to the guide member. The sheet is guided along the guide surface 61 of the sheet 60, aligned while being locked by the stopper 41, and end-stitching action is given to the accumulated sheets.

The example shown in FIG. 5 shows a state in which saddle stitching of paper is performed. The stopper 41 is swung clockwise through a support shaft to retract from the paper transport path, and the paddle 81 is moved.
By raising the guide plate member 70, the leading end of the sheet is sent toward the second sheet aligning device 12. Then, the paddle and the guide plate member arranged at the position corresponding to the stapling device, and each member of the stopper,
Since the sheet P is retracted more than the distance between the upper and lower staple members, the movement of the sheet P toward the second sheet aligning device 12 is not hindered. Further, as will be described later, the guide member arranged corresponding to the upper stapling member prevents the leading end of the sheet from being caught on the lower surface of the upper stapling member so that the guiding action can be maintained. .

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, when the paddle 81 is swung upward, the guide plate member 70 is raised by the spring 73 while being released from the restraint by the drive shaft of the paddle. It shows the state. Then, when the guide plate member 70 is raised by following the operation of raising the paddle 81, by limiting the rising position of the guide plate member 70, the blades of the paddle 81 are spaced more than the lower surface of the guide plate member. It is set to a state in which it is positioned above by h so that it does not hinder the paper passing through the paper transport path. Further, when the stopper 41 is swung and the guide plate member 70 is swung upward,
Since a large clearance space can be formed between the staple tray member 10 and the upper guide plate member and the like, it is possible to favorably set the operation for aligning the sheets in correspondence with the saddle stitching mode. it can. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the orbit roller 5b of the discharge roller device 5 is used.
Is rotated planetarily with respect to the drive roller 5a to guide the leading edge of the paper toward the stapling device. Further, in the discharge roller device 5, the orbit roller 5b is returned to the original position (shown in FIG. 4) in a state where the trailing edge of the sheet has passed through the nip position of the discharge roller device. As described above, by positioning the sheet in correspondence with the second sheet aligning device, the binding position of the sheet is positioned in correspondence with the stapling device to perform saddle stitching.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the structure for raising the guide plate member 70 by raising the paddle 81 is set in the relationship as shown in FIG. The guide member 60, which is on the tip of the member 70, is raised. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, with the link swinging counterclockwise via the support shaft 66, the paper transport path is opened widely.
Further, in conjunction with the operation of raising the guide member 60 and the guide plate member 70, the stopper 41 is swung to open the paper conveyance path, and the leading end of the paper P is fed toward the second paper alignment device. Will be able to.

In addition to the example shown in FIG. 6, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7, a mechanism for combining the guide plate member 70 and the guide member 60 to raise both members in a linked state is provided. Can be configured. In the example shown in FIG. 7, a concave portion 64 is provided on the upstream side of the guide member 60, and a flange 74 is formed at the downstream end of the guide plate member 70 via a rising portion. By inserting the flange 74 of the guide plate member 70 into the concave portion 64 of the guide member 60 and assembling it, a large step may be generated on the paper guide surface by both members when the guide plate member 70 is raised. Therefore, the guiding action on the sheet can be performed in a good state.

[0033]

[Rotating Mechanism of Stopper] As shown in FIG. 3, in a stopper device 40 provided with a driving means by a solenoid 50, springs 44 and 54 are arranged in opposition to the solenoid in order to rock the stopper 41. Therefore, the stopper 41 is maintained in a state of being projected to the sheet conveying path by the spring. A mechanism for retracting the stopper 41 from the sheet conveyance path by the solenoid is constructed as shown in FIG.
The gear 57 and the stopper frame 42 are rotatably and rotatably supported via the. Then, through the stud member 58 provided so as to project from the gear 57 to the side,
By transmitting the stopper 41 to the supporting frame 42, a mechanism for swinging the stopper 41 is configured.
Further, a cam member 45 is arranged in order to adjust the position where the stopper 41 closes the sheet conveyance path, and by rotating the cam member 45 via a shaft 46,
The stop position with respect to the stopper 41 can be adjusted.

Stopper device 40 constructed as described above
In FIG. 3, when the sheet edge binding mode is set in FIG.
Since the solenoid is turned off and the gear is rotated by the spring, the gear 55a is caused to rotate clockwise as shown in FIG. Since the gear 57 meshing with the gear 55a rotates counterclockwise about the shaft 43, the stud member 58 is separated from the position for pressing the frame 42, and the frame 42 is biased by the spring 44. , Is stopped at a position where it abuts on the cam member 45. Therefore, the stopper 41 is stopped and held in correspondence with the reference line K for stopping the sheet, and the feeding operation and the aligning operation are performed by the paddle arranged in the first sheet aligning device.

When setting the saddle stitching mode,
The gear 55a is rotated counterclockwise by the solenoid,
Since the gear 57 is rotated clockwise, the stud member 5
The frame 42 is oscillated in the clockwise direction via 5. Then, as shown in FIG. 10, the stopper 41 is swung via the shaft 43 to set a wide paper passage path so that an arbitrary number of paper sheets can be accumulated, and the saddle stitching mode is supported. The second paper aligning device is used for alignment. Further, when the sheets are stacked on the staple tray member in the saddle stitching mode, the second sheet aligning device shown in FIG. 1 can be positioned according to the size information of the sheets. Thus, the binding operation for the central portion of the paper in the length direction can be easily performed.

[0036]

[Sheet Guide Device Arranged Corresponding to Saddle Stitching] In the stapling device configured as described above, when performing the saddle stitching operation of the paper, it is necessary to feed the paper to the downstream portion of the binding position by the stapler device. When the paper passing through the stapling device is curled, the leading end of the paper may be caught at the stapling device. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, with respect to the upper staple member 21, guide arm members 100 and 101 are provided on both sides of the upper staple member so as to be swingably supported by supporting shafts 102, respectively. Further, in the guide arm member, the guide surface formed on the lower surface is formed as an arc surface, and even when the leading end portion of the sheet is curled in a state of protruding upward,
Through the curved guide surface formed on the lower surface of the guide arm member, the leading end of the curl of the sheet can be passed while being pushed down.

As described above, when the guide portion for the sheet conveyed toward the downstream portion of the stapling apparatus is configured, when the stapling apparatus is moved in the width direction of the sheet to perform the binding operation, A state occurs in which one side portion of the upper stapling member projects from the side surface of the sheet with respect to the binding position by the stapling device. Therefore,
When the guide arm member is disengaged from the side of the sheet, the guide arm member swings downward about the support shaft, and unless the supporting member of the guide arm member has a restoring action, Next, when trying to move the upper staple member, the guide arm member is caught on the side surface of the paper,
There is a problem that the lateral movement of the upper staple member is hindered. Therefore, in the present invention, at the position where the guide arm member protrudes from the side surface of the paper, the end of the guide arm member does not swing toward the lower part, so that the upper part of the guide arm member does not move. The lever member 103 is provided so as to project, and the lever guide member 105 is arranged corresponding to the lever member. Then, by guiding the lever member 103 in a state of sliding on the plate cam 106 of the lever guide member 105, the guide arm member can be positioned.

In the plate cam 106 provided on the lever guide member 105, a concave portion 107 is arranged at the central portion in the width direction of the sheet, and projecting portions 108 are provided at both end portions. Then, by sliding the lever member 103 provided on the guide arm member with respect to the plate cam 106,
At the position where the lever member slides in the recess 107 in the central portion of the plate cam, the guide arm member is guided in a freely swingable state via the support shaft. Further, since the lever member is pressed by the protrusions 108 on both sides of the lever guide member, swinging of the guide arm member is limited, so that the guide member is guided even at a position outside the side portion of the sheet. It is possible to prevent the arm member from swinging downward.

As shown in FIG. 11, the guide arm members 100 and 101 are arranged on both sides of the upper stapling member 21, and the binding operation is performed on the sheets while moving them in the width direction of the sheet together with the upper stapling members. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13, when the stapling device is located at the center of the paper P, the upper stapling member 2
The guide arm members on both sides of 1 are set to press against the paper. On the other hand, the upper stapling member moves to both sides of the sheet, and at the position of, the guide arm member that is disengaged from the sheet is fixed to the non-actuated position and maintains a state in which it does not exert a pressing action on the sheet. . Then, as shown in the above, in the state in which the guide arm member moved to the side portion of the paper P is held at the position where it is raised by using the cam device, the lever is moved during the movement of the upper staple member thereafter. It is possible to lower the guide arm member at a position where the lever member is disengaged from the protrusion provided on the guide member and to control the guide arm member to ride on the sheet. Therefore,
It is possible to prevent the inconvenience of the guide arm member coming into contact with the side portion of the sheet during the movement of the upper staple member in the width direction of the sheet, and it is possible to align the sheet with the sheet when performing saddle stitching. It is possible to prevent the operation from being hindered.

A member similar to the guide arm member arranged on the side of the upper stapling member as shown in FIG. 12 is provided on the stopper 13 arranged on the downstream side of the stapling apparatus as shown in FIG. It can also be arranged correspondingly. As shown in FIG. 1, the stopper 13 is used in combination with the paddle 14 to align and position the leading end of the sheet, and corresponds to saddle stitching of the sheet. Then, by arranging the guide arm member 109 on the upstream side of the stopper 13 and guiding the leading end of the paper to push it down, it is possible to assist the alignment operation with respect to the paper, and the leading end is curled. It is possible to deal with the action of passing the existing paper between the upper and lower stapling members constituting the stapling device.

As shown in FIG. 14, when the guide arm members are arranged on both sides of the upper stapling member 21 to form a guide mechanism for a sheet passing through a portion of the stapling device, a downstream portion of the stapling device is formed. It constitutes an auxiliary means for guiding the paper between the upper and lower guide plates 75 and 76 which form the paper transport path. Further, the guide arm member can guide the leading end portion of the paper so as not to be caught in the connecting portion of the guide plate, and the paper transport path arranged in the downstream portion of the stapling device can be configured to be relatively narrow. Is. Further, when a large number of sheets can be stacked on the sheet conveying path at the downstream side of the stapling device, the interval between the upper and lower guide plates is set to be large. With this configuration, the leading end of the sheet can be pressed by the guide arm member 109 to be guided to the stop position, so that the sheet stopped by the stopper 13 can be prevented from being disturbed.

Further, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 15, it is possible to provide a guide means for a guide plate member different from that shown in FIGS. The example shown in FIG. 15 can be applied, for example, in the case where the gap L between the end portion of the guide plate member 70 and the staple member is set large at the upstream portion of the binding portion formed by the staple members. Further, it can be applied even when the end-stitching sheet is stopped, and the guide member 60 is largely projected to the upstream side in correspondence with the distance between the guide member 60 as a curl guide member and the guide plate member 70. 63 arranged to hold the guide member 60 via a support shaft 66.
Support. Then, the cam follower 69 is provided so as to project toward the upper portion on the downstream side of the link 63, and the cam follower 69 is slid on the protrusion 108a of the lever guide member.

Therefore, when it is feared that the guide member 60 will come into contact with the end portion of the paper when the guide member 60 is moved in the width direction of the paper together with the staple member, the guide member is moved to the paper. Be able to hold it in the raised position so that it cannot be transferred to In the embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the cam projection 1 of the lever guide member is projected at both ends of the paper in the width direction.
When the cam follower 69 reaches the position corresponding to the protruding portion while the upper staple member is moving in the width direction of the sheet with the 08a arranged, the guide member 6 via the link 63.
Be able to raise 0.

Further, the guide member 60 shown in FIG.
Apart from the above example, a guide mechanism for the guide arm member 100 may be configured as in the example shown in FIG. In the example shown in FIG. 16, the upper staple member 21
On the other hand, the support shaft 102 of the guide arm member 100 is supported via a bracket that largely projects to the upstream side. Then, at the position where the lever member 103 arranged at the end portion of the guide arm member 100 is engaged with the protrusion 108 of the plate cam of the lever guide member, the lever member 103 is largely swung, and the paper of the guide arm member 100 is moved. Try to raise the guide surface greatly. Therefore, also in the example shown in FIG. 16, it is possible to prevent the inconvenience that the guide arm member comes into contact with the end portion of the sheet when the guide arm member moves in the width direction of the sheet together with the staple member.
Further, in the present embodiment, in correspondence with the case where the distance L between the end of the guide plate member 70 and the staple member is set large, only the guide arm member 100 is used without using the guide member. The function as the curl guide member and the function of guiding the paper as shown in FIGS. In the examples shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the positional relationship between the rocking member and the guide member by the cam can be arbitrarily set according to the respective functions.

[0045]

[Structure and Operation of Alignment Carrier Member] In the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the guide arm member and the guide member 60 are provided for the upper staple member of the stapling apparatus, and the guide member 60 is used for end binding. The guide arm member 100 constitutes a mechanism for guiding the leading edge of the sheet to be fed and for guiding the sheet to be fed to the downstream portion of the stapling apparatus. On the other hand, in the present invention, as shown in FIG. 17, the guide member 60 and the guide arm member 1
00 is provided for one aligning carrier member 120, and a stopper member 125 corresponding to end binding and a tamper member 126 corresponding to saddle stitching are integrally provided to configure a mechanism for guiding and aligning sheets. You can also do it. The matching carrier member 120 shown in FIG.
Shows the structure of the members arranged on the rear side of the apparatus. As shown in FIG. 18, the matching carrier member 110 is provided on the front side of the apparatus in correspondence with the matching carrier member 120. The two aligning carrier members are arranged and arranged to provide guiding and aligning action on the paper.

In the matching carrier member 120 shown in FIG. 17, two sliding members 123 and 124 are provided,
Main body 122 configured to be movable parallel to the stapling device
The tamper member 126 parallel to the moving direction of the paper
And a stopper member 125 formed at right angles to the tamper member. Support shafts 127 and 128 are provided on both sides of the tamper member 126 so as to project therefrom, and the support shaft 1 corresponding to the stopper member 125 is provided.
28, a guide member 60 is swingably supported, and the other support shaft 127 corresponds to a sheet passing between upper and lower stapling members of the stapling apparatus.
00 is arranged.

In the aligning carrier member 120, the aligning carrier member is driven by a means for moving the aligning carrier member in the width direction of the sheet, and when the edge binding operation of the sheet is performed, the aligning carrier member is moved. The stopper member 125 can be stopped at a position corresponding to the front surface of the sheet, and the sheet can be regulated by the guide member 60 and brought into contact with the stopper member 125 to perform the aligning action. Further, when the sheet is made to correspond to the saddle stitching operation, while the sheet is guided to the inside of the tamper member 126 of the aligning carrier member, the curl of the sheet is guided by the guide arm member 100 while the sheet at the downstream portion is guided. When the sheet is fed toward the aligning device and the sheet is stopped by the stopper, the action of pressing the tamper member 126 against the side surface of the sheet can be performed to perform the aligning action of the sheet.

The alignment carrier member as shown in FIG. 17 can be constructed as a device that moves in parallel with the stapling device, as shown in FIG. FIG. 1
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 8, the stapling device for binding while reciprocating in the width direction of the paper is composed of upper and lower stapling members 21 and 25, and a belt around which pulleys 35 and 35a are arranged on both sides of the device. Driven by 36. In addition, the alignment carrier members 110 and 120 that move in parallel to the stapling device are arranged so as to cross the sheet conveyance path.
5, the stepping motor 1 provided in the drive device 130 is arranged so as to be slidably guided with respect to the driving device 130.
It drives using 31. In the drive unit 130, the rotation of the motor 131 is transmitted to the drive shaft 133 via the gear 132, and the rotatable pulley 141 is driven via the slip clutch member 140. A pulley 142 is arranged at the other end corresponding to the drive pulley 141, a wire 143 is wound around both pulleys, one end of the wire 143 is directly connected, and the other end of the wire is a spring. Connected to the matching carrier member 120 via 144.

Another clutch member 15 provided on the drive shaft
0 drives the drive pulley 151, arranges the wire 153 with respect to the pulley 152 arranged on the tension side, and directly connects one end of the wire 153,
The other end is connected to the matching carrier member 110 via a spring 154. Further, a stopper 147 for defining a stop limit on the rear side with respect to the matching carrier member 120 is arranged on the guide rod 145 that guides the two matching carrier members, and the matching carrier member 120 is rear. Even when the sensor Sp arranged at the home position is detected during the movement to the side, the stopper 147 can stop the movement when the movement is further attempted. Apart from the alignment carrier member 120, the alignment carrier member 110 located on the front side of the apparatus has a guide rod 146.
, And stoppers 157 and 158 are arranged, and the stopper 157 is arranged so as to define the stop limit on the front side. On the other hand, another stopper 158 is arranged at the side register corresponding to the mode, and when the alignment carrier member 110 is stopped with respect to the stopper 158, one side of the sheet is set to the front side reference line. We will guide you when carrying along the line. However, if the paper transport mode in the device is center register,
It is not necessary to provide the stopper 158.

In the aligning carrier member for guiding the sheet by using the driving device as described above, the aligning carrier member 1 is made to correspond to both sides of the stapling device.
10 and 120 are provided so as to be positioned, respectively, and one of the two aligning carrier members is positioned corresponding to the center of the leading end of the sheet when the sheets are bound by the stapling device. Then, the stopper members 115, 12
It is possible to regulate the front end portion of the sheet by means of 5, and to cope with the binding operation by the stapling device. Further, when the stapling device comes into contact with the aligning carrier member during the binding operation, the stapling device presses the aligning carrier member, and the slip clutch member 140 acts to drive the drive shaft 133. When the pulley 141 (151) slips, the aligning carrier member can be moved together with the stapling device. In the case of performing saddle stitching on a sheet separately from the edge-stitching operation, the spacing between the inner surfaces of the tamper members 116 and 126 of the two aligning carrier members 110 and 120 is set according to the size of the sheet. The sheet is passed between the upper and lower staple members 21 and 25, and when the sheet is passed, the curl is pressed by the guide arm member to guide it. Further, when the saddle stitching operation of the sheet is performed, when the sheet passes between the two aligning carrier members and is aligned by the sheet aligning device at the downstream portion, the aligning carrier member is moved in the width direction of the sheet. The reciprocating movement is performed with a small amplitude, and the tampering member strikes the side surface of the paper to perform the aligning operation.

The aligning carrier member and the stapling device shown in FIG. 18 are moved as shown in FIGS. 19 to 25, respectively, so that the aligning operation with respect to the sheets and the binding action of the stapling device can be assisted. . The example shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 is for performing an operation corresponding to the edge binding of sheets. As shown in FIG. 19, the matching carrier members 110 and 120 on both sides are brought into contact with the stoppers at the end portions and slipped. By doing so, positioning is performed, and the home position is set. After that, as shown in FIG. 20, an operation of moving the two aligning carrier members toward the central portion is performed, one carrier member is brought into contact with the stapling device, and is slipped with respect to the driving member. It is positioned at the center of the paper transport path corresponding to the leading edge of the paper. Then, the leading end of the sheet is locked and aligned by the stopper member positioned at the center of the sheet conveying path, and the stapling device 20 binds the leading end of the sheet. As shown in FIG. 20, when performing stapling operation by laterally moving the stapling device when performing stapling with the stapling device, with respect to the alignment carrier member stopped in the movement path of the stapling device. Even if the stapling device is brought into contact with the stapling device, the lateral movement slip clutch member of the aligning carrier member can allow it.

The examples shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 show a case where two aligning carrier members are arranged in correspondence with saddle stitching of paper. As shown in FIG. 21, aligning carrier members on both sides are arranged. A space S corresponding to the width of the sheet is set between the sheets so that the sheet can pass between the tamper members of the aligning carrier member. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 22, the alignment carrier members 110 and 120 are laterally moved by a predetermined distance S in a state where the sheet is positioned corresponding to the saddle stitching, and the side surface of the sheet is hit with the tamper member. To perform a matching action in the width direction of the paper.

The examples shown in FIGS. 23 to 25 show the operation of setting the alignment carrier member at the home position and performing positioning at the start of the operation. First, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the alignment carrier members 110 and 120 are positioned so as to abut against the stoppers 147 and 157, respectively. After that, as shown in FIG. 24, the two matching carrier members are moved in a direction in which they are close to each other, and the matching carrier member 120 is moved to a position detected by the sensor Sp. Next, as shown in FIG. 25, the stapling device 20 is moved to a position along the stop reference line and stopped, and the stapling device 20 is made to stand by corresponding to the next binding mode.

[0054]

[Control of Binding Operation] When performing the binding operation on the sheet using the apparatus shown in FIG.
By performing the steps shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 to 29, the work of binding the sheets can be performed. The flowcharts shown in FIGS. 26 and 27 show the operation corresponding to the edge binding of the sheet. When the binding mode is set corresponding to the edge binding and the start signal is input, first, step a- At 1, the stapling device is stopped at a position corresponding to end binding. Next, in step a-2, the two aligning carrier members are moved to a position corresponding to the leading edge of the sheet and stopped, and then step a-3.
The operation for storing the paper is performed at step a-4.
Then, the alignment operation for the paper is performed. Then, the operations of steps a-3 and 4 are continuously performed for the number of sheets corresponding to one bound product, and after all the sheets to be bound are accommodated and aligned, the clamp of step a-5 is performed. Move to operation.

The operation of clamping the bundle of sheets in the step a-5 can be performed by performing a nip by the discharge roller shown in FIG. 1 or pressing the paddle onto the sheet. After that, the binding operation is performed by the stapling device in step a-6, and the bound booklet that has been bound is driven toward the ejection tray (FIG. 1) in step a-7 to be ejected by the ejection unit roller device 7. . Then, when the binding operation is continued in step a-8 following step a-7, the process returns to step a-3,
Start the operation of storing the paper. When it is confirmed in step a-8 that the binding operation is completed, the process proceeds to the flowchart of FIG. 27, and the operation of moving the alignment carrier member toward the home position is performed.

In the flow chart of FIG. 27,
First, in step a-9, the operation of moving the two aligning carrier members toward the respective ends is performed by the reverse driving of the motor, and the aligning carrier member is engaged with the stopper as in step a-10. Reverse rotation ends at the position where it is stopped. Next, in step a-11, the operation of rotating the motor in the normal direction is performed, and it is determined whether the matching carrier member is detected by the sensor Sp (step a-12). further,
In step a-13, the stapling device is moved toward the home position position, and in a state where the stop position of the stapling device is confirmed in step a-14, the operation corresponding to the end-stitching mode ends.

The examples shown in FIGS. 28 and 27 show the order in which the aligning carrier member and the stapling device are operated in correspondence with the saddle stitching operation of the sheet, and the saddle stitching mode is set for the device. Then, by inputting the start signal, the operation of moving the stapling device to the first binding position is performed in step b-1. Then step b
-2, the aligning carrier member is moved to a position corresponding to both sides in the width direction of the sheet, and the sheet storing operation in b-3 and the aligning operation using the tamper member with respect to the sheet (step b-4 ) And do. Then, the operations of b-3 and b-4 are repeatedly executed to align and stack all the sheets to be bound, and then the process proceeds to step b-5 to clamp and hold the sheets, and step b At -6, the first binding is performed. Further, in step b-7, the stapling device is moved, and the process proceeds to the flowchart of FIG.

In the flowchart of FIG. 29, the second binding is performed in step b-8 to finish the bookbinding work, and the bookbinding product is discharged in step b-9. When the bookbinding product is discharged in step b-9, it is sent out toward the paper folding device arranged on the downstream side of the bookbinding unit, the binding portion of the paper is folded, and the folded bookbinding product is discharged. To do. Following Step b-9, Step b-1
In the state where it shifts to 0 and continues the binding work,
In step b-11, the stapling apparatus is moved to the first binding position, and the step b- in FIG. 28 is performed.
Returning to step 3, the bookbinding work on the sheets is continued.

When it is confirmed in step b-10 that the binding work is completed, the process proceeds to step b-12, in which the motor is rotated in the reverse direction to move the alignment carrier member toward both ends. Starting, the reverse rotation is stopped at the position where the alignment carrier member is locked to the stopper as in step b-13. Next, in step b-14, the motor is rotated in the forward direction, and it is determined whether the matching carrier member is detected by the sensor Sp (step b-15).
To do. Further, in step b-16, the stapling device is moved toward the home position, and step b-1
After confirming the stop of the stapling device in step 7, the operation corresponding to the saddle stitching mode is finished, and the stapler device stands by for the next binding operation.

Therefore, by performing the control operation in accordance with the flow charts shown in FIGS. 26 to 29, the stapling apparatus and the aligning carrier member are bound as shown in FIGS. The movement corresponding to the mode can be performed. Then, as shown in FIG. 18, the stapling device and the aligning carrier member are individually movable.
By binding the sheets, the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus can be discharged as a bound product.

[0061]

The post-processing apparatus of the image forming apparatus of the present invention is
As described above, one stapling device is configured by combining two staple members arranged above and below the sheet conveying path, and the two staple members are provided so as to be movable in the width direction of the sheet, and the binding position is arbitrarily set. The staple needle can be selected and driven. Then, two modes of edge binding and saddle stitching by the stapling device are configured to be selectable, and the front end portion of the sheet is positioned with respect to the stapling device and aligned in correspondence with the edge binding mode,
It is possible to feed a sheet to a stopper arranged in the downstream portion of the stapling apparatus and to correspond to a saddle stitching mode in which the central portion of the sheet is bound.

Further, the apparatus of the present invention is provided with means for aligning the leading end portions of the sheets corresponding to the two binding modes, and when setting the end binding mode, the curl of the leading edge portions of the sheets is set. The curl pressing means is provided correspondingly, and the alignment with respect to the paper can be performed in a good state. And
By arranging the curl pressing means arranged in the stapling device on the upper guide plate arranged in the upstream part of the stapling device, the curl pressing means for guiding the curl upward is also formed. Since no catch is formed on the surface, it is possible to guide the paper. Further, in the saddle stitching mode of the paper, in order to allow the paper to pass at the position of the stapling device, while holding the curl of the paper against the upper stapling member, the leading end of the paper is moved toward the downstream paper transport path. Since the means for guiding is provided, it becomes possible to easily perform the aligning action in the aligning section corresponding to the saddle stitching mode.

In addition to the above effects, means for guiding the paper to be placed on the upper staple member in correspondence with the saddle stitching mode is integrally provided with the upper staple member, and the hitting action from the side surface of the paper is performed. The added tamper member may be integrated into a carrier member, and the carrier may be provided so as to be movable in the width direction of the paper. When the two operating members are provided for the carrier, the carrier can be moved in accordance with the size of the sheet, so that the guiding and aligning action for the sheet can be achieved. Therefore, by arranging the two types of sheet aligning members having the above-described configurations, it is possible to easily set two types of binding modes for the post-processing apparatus, and for the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. The binding work can be easily performed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a post-processing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a configuration of a stapling apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a sheet aligning member arranged with respect to the stapling apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a position of an alignment device corresponding to edge binding of sheets.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a position of an aligning device corresponding to saddle stitching of sheets.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which a guide member provided in the stapling device is positioned on a guide plate member.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which a guide member provided on the stapling device is positioned in combination with a tip end portion of a guide plate member.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship of members arranged corresponding to stoppers in the first sheet aligning apparatus.

FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a state in which the stopper of FIG. 8 is positioned in correspondence with end binding.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which the stopper of FIG. 8 is positioned corresponding to saddle stitching.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus in which a guide arm member is attached to a stapling apparatus.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a guide arm member arranged in the stapling apparatus.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the guide arm member with respect to a sheet.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of an example in which a guide arm member is provided at a position corresponding to saddle stitching.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory view of a guide mechanism of a guide plate member different from FIGS. 6 and 7.

16 is an explanatory view of a guide mechanism of a guide arm member different from FIG.

FIG. 17 is an explanatory view showing the structure of the matching carrier member of the present invention.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of an apparatus in which an aligning carrier member and a stapling apparatus are combined.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram showing an operation of setting home positions of the aligning carrier member and the stapling apparatus.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of the positioning operation of the aligning carrier member and the stapling device corresponding to the end binding.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing the positions of the aligning carrier member and the stapling device corresponding to saddle stitching.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of aligning sheets corresponding to saddle stitching.

FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of returning the matching carrier member.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the alignment carrier member is returned to the home position position.

FIG. 25 is an explanatory diagram showing a state where the stapling device has been returned to the home position.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing an operation for edge binding of sheets.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing an operation of returning each member.

FIG. 28 is a flowchart showing an operation for saddle stitching a sheet.

FIG. 29 is a flowchart showing an operation of returning each member.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 post-processing device, 5 discharge roller device, 5b
Orbit roller, 7 Ejection roller device, 10
Staple tray member, 12 second sheet aligning device, 13 stopper, 14 paddle, 20
Stapling device, 21 Upper stapling member, 25
Lower staple member, 30 drive device, 40
Stopper device, 41 stopper, 50 solenoid, 56 drive shaft, 60 guide member, 70
Guide plate member, 73 spring, 80
Transport member, 81 paddle, 83 drive shaft, 90
Arm, 95 solenoid, 100/101
Guide arm member, 103 lever member, 105
Lever guide member, 110/120 alignment carrier member, 115/125 stopper member, 116, 1
26 tamper member, 130 drive device, 140
150 clutch members, 143/153 wires,
145/146 Guide rod 147/157 /
158 stopper.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI Technical display location G03G 15/00 534 G03G 15/00 534

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for connecting sheets to a sheet discharge section of an image forming apparatus, aligning sheets, and binding the sheets with staples, the apparatus being arranged along a top and bottom of a stack of sheets stacked at a binding position,
In a stapling device in which a stapling member is provided so as to be movable in the width direction of a sheet and binding is performed by a staple, a curl guide member that guides the leading end of the sheet is arranged upstream of the upper stapling member, and the stapling device is used to end the sheet. A post-processing device for an image forming apparatus, comprising means for guiding a sheet for binding a set. 2. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the leading end of the curl guide member is brought into contact with the upper surface of the upper guide plate member of the upstream portion to position the curl guide member. 3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising means for positioning the curl guide member at a non-operating position in correspondence with a position of movement of the staple member in the width direction of the sheet. Aftertreatment device. 4. A device, which is connected to a paper discharge unit of an image forming apparatus, aligns paper sheets and binds them with staples, combines a stitcher member and a clincher member, and puts them above and below a stack of paper sheets stacked at the binding position. Along
In a stapling device in which stapling members are individually movably provided in the width direction of a sheet and bound by staples, the stapling device is configured to correspond to saddle stitching of sheets, and the stapling device is provided on both sides of an upper stapling member of the stapling device. A guide member for the sheet conveyed toward the downstream portion, and means for positioning the guide member in the non-actuated position in correspondence with the position of movement of the upper staple member in the width direction of the sheet. Post-processing device for image forming apparatus. 5. A device, which is connected to a paper discharge unit of an image forming apparatus, aligns paper sheets, and binds the sheets with staples, combines a stitcher member and a clincher member, and arranges them above and below a stack of sheets stacked at the binding position. Along
In a stapling device that individually provides staple members that are movable in the width direction of a sheet and performs end-stitching and saddle-stitching with respect to sheets with staples, a stopper member or a tamper member that reciprocates in parallel to the upper stapling member is provided in the stapling device. First drive means for arranging and driving the upper staple member, second drive means for driving the stopper member or tamper member, drive for the two moving members, and control means for positioning are provided. A post-processing device of an image forming apparatus characterized by the above. 6. The post-processing of the image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a stopper member and a tamper member that reciprocate in parallel with the upper stapling member of the stapling device are integrally provided on one carrier. apparatus.