JPH08295459A - Finisher - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a finisher to rapidly output a paper bundle, on which staple processing is applied, from a staple device and improve staple processing efficiency. CONSTITUTION: A staple unit 441 is movable in a direction crossing a conveyance direction (h) of a paper bundle and driving of a needle in positions R1 , R2 , and Rn or a home position H is practicable. When a final needle drive in the position Rn is completed, movement aside of a staple unit 441 to the home position H is started. Simultaneously, conveyance in the direction of an arrow mark (h) of a paper bundle is started and when the staple unit 441 is moved aside to the home position H, the conveyance speed of the paper bundle is switched to a high speed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a finisher, and more particularly to a finisher for performing post-processing for sorting and binding sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine and a laser printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, various finishers have been provided for sorting image-formed sheets discharged from a copying machine into a desired number of copies and stapling. In a conventional stapling apparatus, it is known that the sheets are aligned on the tray, the sheet bundle is moved to the staple position by the chucking means, and the sheet bundle is returned to the original position after the stapling operation is completed. By the way, in recent years, the contents of processing have been diversified, and a saddle-stitching method (finishing like a weekly magazine) for binding at the center of a sheet bundle has been demanded.

[0003]

In order to enable processing by the saddle stitching method, the stapling unit and the staple receiving unit are formed as separate bodies and they are connected by a connecting unit to form a staple unit. Then, it is possible to load half of the sheet bundle into the stapling device, move the staple unit in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction to perform stapling operation at multiple locations, and then send out the sheet bundle in the same direction as loading. Is advantageous. In such a stapling device, it is necessary to retract the connecting portion that may interfere with the sheet bundle from the sheet bundle conveying path after the stapling operation is completed. However, if the stack of sheets was started to be conveyed after such evacuation was completed, the efficiency of the stapling process would decrease, and the process of sending the next set of sheets to the finisher (including the copy process) would then wait. As a result, the overall copy productivity deteriorates.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a finisher which can quickly carry out a stapled sheet bundle from the stapling apparatus and improve the efficiency of the staple processing.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, the finisher according to the present invention comprises a sheet stacking unit and a staple for driving a staple needle to a sheet stack carried out from the stacking unit. And a conveying means for conveying the sheet bundle after the stapling processing, and a sheet bundle conveying speed control means. The stapling means moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the bundle of sheets, and staples can be driven at a plurality of positions in the moving direction, and the staple means retracts to the outside of the sheet conveying path after the completion of staple driving. The control means
When the stapling means retreats out of the sheet conveying path, the sheet bundle conveying speed of the conveying means is increased. By this control, the sheet bundle after the stapling process is promptly discharged from the stapling means, and the stapling process for the sheet bundle of the next set can be started early without waiting.

The control means also controls the moving operation of the stapling means. When the distance between the leading end position of the sheet bundle and the interference position of the stapling means with respect to the sheet bundle during the stapling process is large, the stapling means sets the final staple. The timing of starting the movement to the retreat position after the end of the striking and the timing of starting the conveyance of the sheet bundle by the conveying means are set at the same time. By this control, the sheet bundle after the stapling process is promptly discharged from the stapling means, and the stapling process for the sheet bundle of the next set can be started early without waiting.

[0007]

Embodiments of the finisher according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. (Copying System) FIG. 1 shows a copying system including a finisher 40 which is an embodiment of the present invention, and the finisher 40 is connected to a copying machine 10. The copying machine 10 forms an image on a sheet by a well-known electrophotographic method, and outputs the copied sheet from the sheet discharge section 11 with the image forming surface facing upward.
Eject one by one. An automatic document feeder 20 (hereinafter referred to as ADF) is mounted on the top of the copying machine 10. AD
The F20 feeds the originals set on the tray 21 one by one onto a platen glass (not shown) of the copying machine 10, and after the image reading is completed, the originals are discharged / loaded onto the tray 22. A document set on the platen glass automatically by the ADF 20 or manually by an operator has its image read by an image reader (not shown) built in the copying machine 10 and converted into digital data to be controlled by the control unit. Stored in memory. The copy operation is executed by reading out this image data and adding necessary edits. In particular, in this control unit, a process for changing the page order of the original document, an image inversion process for rotating the original image by 180 ° for copying, or a process for arranging two original images side by side on one sheet, It is possible to do double-sided copying, etc.

(Schematic Configuration of Finisher) As shown in FIG. 1, the finisher 40 includes a non-sort tray 401 for stacking / accommodating sheets ejected from the copying machine 10 and a processing section 41 for stapling the sheets after they have been accumulated. A storage unit 46 for storing the stapled sheet bundle, and the copying machine 1
The paper transport unit 4 that selectively transports the paper discharged from 0 to the non-sort tray 401, the processing unit 41, or the storage unit 46.
7 and 7.

(Paper Conveying Section) As shown in FIG. 2, the paper conveying section 47 has a conveying path 48 for receiving a sheet from the sheet discharging section 11 of the copying machine 10 and conveying it downward, and a front / back / front and back side of the sheet. A switchback transport path 49, a transport path 50 for transporting a sheet to the non-sort tray 401, and a transport path 50.
A conveyance path 51 for branching from the sheet and conveying the sheet to the processing section 41
And a transport path 52 that branches from the transport path 50 and transports the sheet to the storage section 46.

As shown in FIG. 3, the conveying path 48 has a pair of conveying rollers 481 and 481 that rotate normally in the sheet conveying direction (arrow c).
2, a guide plate 483, 484, and a sheet detection sensor SE1. Switchback transport path 49
Is a conveyance roller 49 that can rotate in the forward / reverse direction of the arrow a / b.
1, a driven roller 492 which rotates in contact with the roller 491, a pair of transport rollers 493 which transports the switched-back sheet in the direction indicated by the arrow d, and a guide plate 49.
4 and a sheet detection sensor SE2.
A flexible resin sheet 497 is provided on the bent portion of the guide plate 483.
Is affixed.

The sheet conveyed in the direction of arrow c through the conveying path 48 passes through the resin sheet 497 and is guided to the switchback conveying path 49. The rear end of the paper is the sensor SE
When a predetermined time elapses after being detected in step 2, that is, when the trailing edge of the paper leaves the resin sheet 497, the roller 491 is switched to the reverse rotation and the paper is conveyed in the direction of arrow d. At this time, the resin sheet 497 functions so that the paper does not return to the transport path 48.

As shown in FIG. 4, the conveying path 50 includes a pair of conveying rollers 501 and 50 for conveying the paper in the direction indicated by arrow e.
2, 503 and 504, a pair of discharge rollers 505, guide plates 506 and 507, and sensors SE3 and SE for sheet detection.
4. A punch mechanism 90 for forming punch holes at the leading end or the trailing end of the sheet is installed in the transport path 50 during the sheet transport. The punch mechanism 90
Is omitted.

The transport path 51 includes a switching claw 511 for switching the transport destination of the sheet, a transport roller pair 512 and a discharge roller pair 513 for transporting the sheet in the direction of the arrow f, guide plates 514 and 515, and a sheet detection unit. Sensor SE5. The transport path 52 includes a switching claw 521 for switching the transport destination of the paper, transport roller pairs 522 and 523 for transporting the paper in the direction of arrow g, and a discharge roller pair 524.
And a guide plate 525, 526, 527, and a sensor SE6 for sheet detection.

The switching claws 511 and 521 are respectively provided on the support shaft 5.
The switchback conveyance path 49 is rotatable by a solenoid (not shown) with 11a and 521a as fulcrums.
The sheet conveyed from is guided by the switching claw 521 to one of the conveyance paths 50 and 52. The sheet conveyed through the conveyance path 50 is conveyed along the conveyance path 50 as it is by the switching claw 511 or introduced into the conveyance path 51 in the middle thereof. The paper is discharged from the discharge roller pair 505 to the non-sort tray 401, and from the discharge roller pair 513 to the processing unit 4.
1 is sent from the discharge roller pair 524 to the accommodating portion 46. The rotation speed of each discharge roller pair 505, 513, 524 is reduced immediately after the trailing edge of the sheet is detected by each of the sensors SE4, SE5, SE6, and the sheet is discharged while being decelerated so as not to disturb the stacked state of the sheet. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the accommodating section 46 includes an accommodating tray 475, a drive mechanism 476 for raising and lowering the tray 475, a sensor SE7 for detecting the accommodating amount of the sheet, and a tray. And a sensor SE8 for detecting the lower limit position of 475. Tray 475
When a large number of sheets are copied, the sheets are fed one by one, or the sheet bundle stapled by the processing unit 41 is fed from the conveyance path 52 as described in detail below. The tray 475 is moved down by a constant amount by the drive mechanism 476 every time the sheet stored / loaded on the tray 475 is detected by the sensor SE7. When the sensor SE8 detects that the tray 475 is lowered to the lower limit, the tray 475 is full at this time, and the subsequent copying operation is interrupted. The structure of the drive mechanism 476 for lowering the tray 475 by a fixed amount for accommodating a large capacity is well known, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

(Paper Folding Mechanism) The paper folding mechanism 30 is provided directly below the conveying section 47, and has a function of folding an image-formed sheet in half at the central portion in the conveying direction, and opening the folded sheet again. A function to make a crease in the center and Z paper
It has a folding function. The paper folding mechanism 30 has three folding rollers 351, 352, 353, and paper transport paths 31, 32, 33, 34. However, details of the paper folding mechanism 30 are omitted.

(Staple Processing Section) Next, the staple processing section 41 will be described. The staple processing unit 41 is
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sheet stacking unit 410 and the staple unit 440 are used. The sheet stacking unit 410 is
Stacking tray 411 installed at an inclination, and the tray 41
It is composed of a front end stopper 412 installed at the front end of the sheet 1, a side aligning plate 413 of the sheet, and first and second chucking means 415 and 416 capable of gripping / releasing the side of the sheet.

The stacking tray 411 temporarily stacks / stores the sheets discharged from the conveying path 51 with the image forming surface facing downward for the stapling process. Tip stopper 41
2 is the leading edge of the sheet discharged onto the tray 411 (tray 4
The sheet is aligned in the conveying direction (arrow h) to the staple unit 440 by receiving the rear end when viewed from the ejecting direction to 11. The side aligning plate 413 is capable of reciprocating in a direction (arrow i) orthogonal to the transport direction, and the paper is transferred to the tray 411.
Align laterally above. The first chuck means 415 is installed on the front side of the tray 411, and the second chuck means 416 is provided.
Are installed on the back side of the tray 411, and alternately hold the side portions of the sheets, respectively, and prevent the sheets from floating. Also,
The first chucking unit 415 also has a function of gripping a sheet bundle and sending it to the staple unit 440.

(Side matching plate) As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7,
The side alignment plate 413 has a height L ₁ that is higher than the maximum height of the stack of sheets that can be stored on the stacking tray 411, and is provided at a position facing the alignment reference plate 414 attached to the first chuck means 415. There is. The alignment plate 413 is provided on the tray 41.
The spiral shaft 530 is installed on the back side of the spiral shaft 530 so as to be capable of reciprocating in the direction of arrow i based on the rotation thereof, and the spiral shaft 530 is rotationally driven by the stepping motor M1. The alignment plate 413 stands by at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 6, and advances to the alignment position corresponding to the size of the paper P (shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 6) by the forward rotation of the motor M1. At this time, the other side of the sheet P contacts the reference plate 414 and is aligned. The home position of the matching plate 413 is detected by the light blocking plate 531 fixed to the matching plate 413 entering the optical axis of the sensor SE9 provided on the back side of the tray 411. The distance L ₂ for advancing to the alignment position depends on the size of the paper P, and the stepping motor M
It is determined by controlling the number of pulses for driving 1.

The sheet is conveyed by the conveying section 47 with the center as a reference, and is conveyed from the discharge roller pair 513 of the conveying path 51 to the accumulating tray 4.
It is discharged onto 11 (see the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 6). After a lapse of a predetermined time until the rear end of the sheet is detected by the sensor SE5 and the sheet is completely stored on the tray 411, the stepping motor M1 is driven to rotate normally. One sheet of paper
When the alignment plate 413 and the reference plate 414 are aligned with each other, the motor M1 is reversely rotated, and the alignment plate 413 retracts to the home position. That is, the aligning plate 413 advances in the direction of the arrow i every time one sheet of paper is stored on the tray 411, abuts the sheet on the reference plate 414, and aligns the sheet on the tray 411 with one side reference.

(First Chuck Means) As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the first chuck means 415 includes friction plates 417a and 418a made of an elastic material and a support plate 419 for supporting the friction plates.
a 420a, a solenoid SL1a for moving the friction plate 417a up and down, and a support plate 422 that holds these members. The solenoid SL1a has a plunger 433a and a spring member 421a and a lever 423.
is connected to the support plate 419a via the solenoid SL
By turning on 1a, the friction plate 417a is moved to the support plate 4
It moves downward together with 19a and elastically grips the side portion of the sheet bundle on the stacking tray 411 with the friction plate 418a.

The friction plates 417a and 418a are retracted in the direction of arrow i from the chucking position shown in FIG. 8, that is, the sheets P aligned on the stacking tray 411 shown in FIG.
It is set off the side of the. This friction plate 4
A solenoid SL2 is installed on the bracket 424 in order to move 17a, 418a and its support plates 419a, 420a to the chucking position in the direction opposite to the arrow i. The plunger 434 of the solenoid SL2 has a pin 43.
It is connected to a link 436 rotatable about 7 as a fulcrum, and the tip of the link 436 is connected to the support plates 419a and 420a. The link 436 is biased clockwise in FIG. 8 by a spring 435 wound around a pin 437. When the solenoid SL2 is off, the plunger 434
Moves backward, and the friction plates 417a and 418a move to the support plate 419.
It is retracted to the outside of the sheet P together with a and 420a. This withdrawal is to prevent the friction plate 417a and the support plate 419a from interfering with the sheet when the sheet is stored on the tray 411. On the other hand, when the solenoid SL2 is turned on, the plunger 434 moves forward, the link 436 rotates counterclockwise, and the friction plates 417a and 418a move in the opposite direction to the arrow i together with the support plates 419a and 420a. It is set to the chucking position.

Further, the first chuck means 415 holds the side portion of the sheet bundle and staples the sheet bundle 44.
It can be moved back and forth in the direction of arrow h in order to convey it to 0.
For this movement, the nut member 425 fixed to the bracket 424 is screwed to the spiral shaft 426.
The spiral shaft 426 is rotatably mounted on the frame 427, and is normally / reversely rotated by the motor M2 via a drive transmission unit 428 including a gear and a belt. That is, the motor M
The forward rotation of 2 causes the spiral shaft 426 to forwardly rotate, the first chuck means 415 moves forward in the transport direction h, and the reverse rotation of the motor M2 causes the spiral chuck 415 to move backward. The fact that the first chuck means 415 is at the home position H ₁ means that the light shielding plate 430 fixed to the bracket 424 is provided on the frame S427.
It is detected by entering the optical axis of E10.

Further, a disc 431 having a large number of small holes regulated in the peripheral portion is fixed to the output shaft of the motor M2, and the sensor SE11 detects the small holes based on the rotation of the disc 431. Then, a pulse signal is generated. The movement amount of the first chuck means 415 can be detected by counting the number of pulses output from the sensor SE11, and the motor M2 is turned off at the time when a predetermined number of pulses are counted, so that the first chuck means 415 operates. The amount of movement can be controlled accurately. On the other hand, stacking tray 4
11 has a long hole 411a (see FIG. 6),
The friction plates 417a and 418a can grip the sheet bundle and can move in the transport direction h.

As shown in FIG. 10, a spiral shaft 426.
Has a tip extending to a position Y near the staple portion 440, and the first chuck means 415 moves to this position Y. At this time, the leading ends of the sheet bundle gripped by the friction plates 417a and 418a are sandwiched by the transport rollers 469 and 470 in the staple unit 440, and the sheet bundle is subsequently transported by the transport rollers 469 and 470. Therefore, the distance L3 from the position Y to the nip portion of the rollers 469 and 470 is set shorter than that of the minimum size sheet (B5Y).

(End Stopper) As shown in FIG. 11, the front end stopper 412 is rotatably attached to the back side of the front end of the stacking tray 411 with a pin 711 as a fulcrum, and a cam 712 fixed integrally with the stopper 412 is a spring. 710
It is rotated in the counterclockwise direction by being urged by, and the leading end projects onto the tray 411 to regulate the leading end of the paper. The stopper 412 has a comb-teeth shape, and as shown in FIG. 6, protrudes upward from the recess 411c at the tip of the tray 411. The tip of the lever 713 fixed to the bracket 424 of the first chuck means 415 is in contact with the upper end inclined surface of the cam 712.

As described above, the set of sheets stacked on the stacking tray 411 is gripped by the first chuck means 415 and conveyed in the direction of arrow h by the forward rotation of the motor M2 (spiral shaft 426). At this time, the lever 71
3 also moves in the arrow h direction integrally with the first chuck means 415, and rotates the cam 712 in the clockwise direction as shown in FIG. At the same time, the tip stopper 412 is also pin 711.
Is rotated in the clockwise direction with the fulcrum as a fulcrum, and retracted to the back side of the tray 411. While the sheet bundle is being conveyed, that is, while the first chuck means 415 is in the forward position from the home position H ₁ , the tip stopper 412 has the cam 712 and the lever 712.
By being pressed by 13, the sheet is held on the back surface side of the tray 411, and the sheet can be conveyed. Stopper 41
When the stopper 412 is in the retracted state, the second leading end portion 412a is located on substantially the same surface as the tray 411 and guides the lower side of the conveyed sheet bundle. This facilitates the delivery of the sheet bundle from the tray 411 to the staple unit 440.

When the bundle of sheets is delivered to the staple unit 440, the solenoid SL1a is turned off and the friction plate 417 is turned off.
a and 418a release the sheet bundle, and at the same time, the motor M
2 is reversed and the first chuck means 415 retracts to the home position H ₁ . When the first chuck means 415 returns to the home position H ₁ , the lever 713 moves to the cam 71.
The pressure on 2 is released, and the leading end stopper 412 rotates upward to prepare for accommodation of the next set of sheets.

(Second Chuck Means) As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the second chuck means 416 includes friction plates 417b and 418b made of an elastic material and a supporting plate 4 for supporting the friction plates.
19b and 420b, a solenoid SL1b for moving the friction plate 417b up and down, and a support plate 724 that holds these members. The solenoid SL1a has a plunger 433b whose spring 421b and lever 423b.
Is connected to the support plate 419b via the solenoid SL1.
By turning on b, the friction plate 417b is moved to the support plate 419.
b together with the friction plate 418b, the tray 4
The side portion of the sheet stack on 11 is elastically gripped. It should be noted that this configuration is the same as the first chuck means 415.

Further, the second chuck means 416 is shown in FIG.
Home position H shown by solid line in 6 ₂From the transport direction h
The position where the side of the paper P can be gripped in the orthogonal direction (arrow i)
It can be moved back and forth to the storage. Because of this movement, the support
The nut member 725 fixed to the plate 724 is attached to the spiral shaft 7.
It is screwed to 26. The spiral shaft 726 is a frame
727 is rotatably mounted and is geared by the motor M3.
Forward / reverse rotation via a drive transmission unit 728 consisting of a belt or belt
Is done. That is, the forward rotation of the motor M3 causes the spiral shaft.
726 also rotates normally, and the second chuck means 416 moves in the direction of arrow i.
The motor M3 moves backward, and the motor M3 rotates backward to move backward. Second Chi
The back means 416 is at the home position H. ₂To be in
Is a light-shielding plate 730 fixed to the support plate 724.
By entering the optical axis of the sensor SE12 provided in
Is detected.

Further, a disk 731 having a large number of small holes regularly formed in the peripheral portion is fixed to the output shaft of the motor M3, and the sensor SE13 detects the small holes based on the rotation of the disk 731. Then, a pulse signal is generated. The movement amount of the second chuck means 416 can be detected by counting the number of pulses output from the sensor SE13, and the motor M3 is turned off at the time when a predetermined number of pulses are counted, so that the second chuck means 416 can be operated. The amount of movement can be controlled accurately. On the other hand, stacking tray 4
11 has a long hole 411b (see FIG. 6),
The friction plates 417b and 418b can hold the sheet bundle and can move in the direction of arrow i.

The size of the paper stored in the stacking tray 411 varies from the minimum B5Y to the maximum A3T. Like the side aligning plate 413, the second chucking means 416 uses the aligning plate 413 and the reference plate 414 in accordance with the size of the sheet sent from the control unit of the copying machine 10 to the control unit of the finisher 40. Advance the side of the aligned sheet to a position where it can be gripped.

(Chuck Operation) In the present embodiment, the first
The chucking means 415 operates in the three modes described below. In the first mode, the side portions of the sheets accommodated / aligned on the stacking tray 411 are transferred side by side to the second chuck means 4 one by one.
Grasp with 16 alternately. This alternate chuck operation is executed when the paper folding mode is selected. When stapling a sheet that is not folded, the first chuck means 415 stands by at the home position H ₁ . In the case of the alternate chuck operation, the first chuck means 415 rotates the motor M2 forward from the home position H ₁ to the position Q facing the second chuck means 416, as shown in FIG. 6, regardless of the size of the paper. To move by. At this position Q, the solenoids SL1a and SL2 are turned off, and the friction plates 417a and 418a are retracted to the outside of the alignment reference line A of the reference plate 414 while being opened vertically. The second chuck means 416 also stands by at the home position H ₂ .

The paper P is fed from the conveying path 51 to the accumulating tray 4
When ejected to 11, the aligning plate 413 advances from the home position in the direction of arrow i by a predetermined amount based on the sheet trailing edge detection signal from the sensor SE5, and aligns the sheet P with the reference plate 414. Next, the solenoid SL2 is turned on based on the forward movement completion signal of the matching plate 413, and the friction plates 417a,
418a advances to a position where the side portion of the aligned sheet P is sandwiched. At this time, the solenoid SL1a is turned on, and the friction plates 417a and 418a grip the side portion of the paper P. The alignment plate 413 returns to the home position when the chuck operation is completed.

When the next sheet is discharged to the tray 411,
Similarly to the above, the aligning plate 413 moves forward by a predetermined amount, and in synchronization with this, the second chuck means 416 also moves forward by a predetermined amount in the direction of arrow i from the home position H ₂ . Next, the solenoid SL1b is turned on based on the forward movement completion signal of the matching plate 413,
Friction plates 417b and 418b grip the sides of the paper. Almost at the same time, the alignment plate 413 returns to the home position and the solenoid S of the first chuck means 415 is moved.
L1a is turned off and the friction plates 417a and 418a release the paper. After that, the solenoid SL2 is turned off, and the friction plates 417a and 418a retract to the outside of the paper. Further, when the next sheet is stored, the second chucking means 416 releases the sheet bundle and retracts, so that the first chucking means 4 moves.
15 holds the sheet bundle.

The chuck means 415, 416 alternately repeats forward / backward movement to the chucking position every time one sheet of paper is thus fed onto the tray 411, and holds the sheet bundle. By the operation in the first mode, it is possible to prevent the sheets from floating and it is possible to set the stacking amount of the stacking tray 411 to be large. In particular, it is effective when the paper folding mechanism 30 accommodates a sheet that is folded in half or Z-folded.

In the second mode, the first chuck means 415 moves the stack of sheets on the stacking tray 411 to the home position H ₁
Then, the sheet bundle is conveyed by L _{4 in the} direction of arrow h (see FIG. 6). This is to set the leading end of the sheet bundle to the staple position X (X indicates the staple position in the transport direction, see FIG. 10) in order to staple the leading end of the sheet bundle.

In this second mode, when one set of paper is aligned on the tray 411, the second chuck means 41
In the state where 6 is waiting at the home position H ₂ , the first chuck means 415 grips the sheet bundle at the home position H _{1 and} advances the distance L _{4 by the} forward rotation of the motor M2. At this time, the leading edge stopper 412 is rotated downward to release the leading edge regulation, as described above, and after the leading edge of the sheet bundle is detected by the sensor SE18 (see FIG. 19) of the stapling section 440, a predetermined time has passed. After a lapse of time, the normal rotation of the motor M2 is turned off. A staple is driven into the leading end of the sheet bundle conveyed by the distance L ₄ .

After the stapling process is completed, the first chuck means 415, while holding the sheet bundle, further moves in the direction of the arrow h by rotating the motor M2 in the forward direction to transfer the sheet bundle to the conveying rollers 469, 470. Add The first here
Stopping of the chuck means 415 is controlled based on the pulse signal from the sensor SE11. After that, the first chuck means 415 and the solenoids SL1a and SL2 are turned off, and the motor M2 is rotated in the reverse direction to return to the home position H ₁ .

In the third mode, the first chuck means 415 moves the stack of sheets on the stacking tray 411 to the home position H ₁
Grip the sheet bundle with the leading edge of the transport rollers 469, 4
The sheet is conveyed in the direction of arrow h by a distance L ₃ until it is sandwiched by 70 (see FIG. 6). This is to staple the central portion of the sheet bundle or to staple the rear end portion of the sheet bundle.

In this third mode, when one set of paper is aligned on the tray 411, the second chuck means 416 is used.
In the state of waiting at the home position H ₂ , the first chuck means 415 grips the sheet bundle at the home position H _{1 and} advances the distance L _{3 by the} forward rotation of the motor M 2.
At this time, the tip stopper 412 rotates downward to release the tip regulation, as described above. The stop of the first chuck means 415 at the distance L ₃ is controlled based on the pulse signal from the sensor SE11. Thereafter, the first chucking means 415 returns to the position H ₁ by turning off the solenoids SL1a and SL2 and reversing the motor M2. Paper bundles are conveyed by rollers 469, 4
The sheet 70 is further conveyed in the direction of the arrow h and the stapling process is performed, which will be described later.

(Stapling Section) As shown in FIGS. 10 and 15, the stapling section 440 includes a stapling unit 44.
1, a unit moving unit 454, and a sheet bundle conveying unit 465. (Staple Unit) The staple unit 441 is
As shown in FIGS. 15, 16, and 17, the needle cartridge 442, the needle striking portion 443, the needle receiving portion 444, and the connecting portion 4 that connects the needle striking portion 443 and the needle receiving portion 444.
45 and.

The staple cartridge 442 is detachable from the staple striking portion 443, and is a well-known cartridge which accommodates the staple 603. The staples 603 are formed by arranging wires one by one and adhering them in a plate shape with an adhesive, and are accommodated in a state of being wound in a needle cartridge 442. The needle striking portion 443 includes a needle feed member 535, a needle cutting member 536, and a needle bending member 537 on the bracket 450, and the support shaft 44.
It can be rotated about 6 as a fulcrum. The staple striking portion 443 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 15 with the support shaft 446 as a fulcrum to cut / separate the staples 603 one by one, bend the staples 603 into a U-shape, and drive them into the sheet bundle. The needle feed member 535 rotates intermittently in conjunction with this needle striking operation,
The staples 603 are fed one pitch at a time. The staple striking portion 443 has a sensor (not shown) for detecting the presence or absence of the staple 603 in the staple cartridge 442.

Further, the staple striking portion 443 is provided with the paper pressing members 479 on both sides thereof, in synchronization with the staple striking operation, and at a timing slightly earlier than the time when the staple needle 603 comes into contact with the sheet bundle. The sheet bundle inserted between 443 and the staple receiving portion 444 is pressed to prevent the sheet bundle from being displaced. The paper pressing member 479 is a support shaft 552.
It is rotatable about a fulcrum and is pressed against a cam 551 rotated by a needle driving motor (not shown) by a spring 553. Based on the rotation of the cam 551, the bundle of sheets is pinched between the staple receiving portion 444 and the sheet bundle. After the needle is hit and the needle is hit, the needle moves backward in synchronization with the needle hit part 443. In addition, the needle striking portion 443
The drive function of is well known and its detailed description is omitted.

The staple receiving portion 444 includes a staple receiving member 448 for bending the staple needle 603 punched out of the sheet bundle inward, and a support plate 449 for reducing the impact of the staple driving portion 443 during the staple driving operation. It is configured.

(Connecting part) The connecting part 445 is composed of first and second support plates 451 and 453. First support plate 4
Reference numeral 51 is installed integrally with the bracket 450 of the needle striking portion 443. The second support plate 453 has the needle receiving portion 444 attached to the front end, and the rear end is connected to the first support plate 451 via the support shaft 452.

Further, as shown in FIG. 18, the connecting portion 445 is arranged such that the connecting portion 452a by the support shaft 452, the stapling portion 443 and the staple receiving portion 444 are orthogonal to the sheet bundle conveying direction (arrow h). They are arranged in a staggered manner. FIG.
The position H indicated by the solid line is the home position of the staple unit 441. In this home position H, the connecting portion 452a is located outside the sheet passing path, and the staple striking portion 443 and the staple receiving portion 444 are the corner portions of the sheet bundle. It is set at the position to bind.

As shown in FIG. 10, the distance L ₅ between the support shaft 452 and the staple position X is set to be slightly longer than 1/2 of the maximum sheet passing length (corresponding to A3T size), and is conveyed to the staple unit 440. Not only the process of binding the leading end of the sheet bundle but also the process of binding the central portion of the sheet bundle is possible. Further, if the sheet bundle has a length that is ½ or less of the maximum sheet-passing size, the process of binding the rear end of this sheet bundle is possible. In the case of the trailing edge binding mode, since the stacking tray 411 is empty during the stapling process, it is possible to immediately start accommodating the next set of sheets in the tray 411, and efficiently execute the copy / stapling process as a whole. It becomes possible.

The distance L ₆ between the staple position X and the leading edge stopper 412 is set longer than the distance L ₇ between the staple position X and the trailing edge of the sheet sent to the staple portion 440 at this time. This prevents the stopper 412 from interfering with the trailing edge of the sheet when binding the trailing edge of the sheet.

(Movement Unit of Staple Unit) The unit movement unit 454 reciprocates the staple unit 441 in the direction (arrow i) orthogonal to the sheet bundle conveyance direction h in order to drive the staples into the sheet bundle at a plurality of positions. It is for. This moving part 454 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 5, a spiral shaft 455 provided orthogonal to the transport direction h, and a forward / reverse rotatable motor M that is a drive source.
4 and a drive transmission unit (not shown) that transmits the rotation of the motor M4 to the spiral shaft 455. The bracket 450 of the staple unit 441 is screwed to the spiral shaft 455, and moves in the arrow i direction and the opposite direction based on the forward / reverse rotation of the spiral shaft 455. The spiral shaft 455 extends over the maximum width of paper passing (corresponding to A3T and A4Y), and the front side (left side in FIG. 18) extends to the vicinity of the exterior frame 458.
Sensors SE15 and SE16 are installed on a frame 460 that supports the spiral shaft 455, and a light shielding plate 463 attached to the bracket 450 of the staple unit 441 can move forward and backward along the optical axes of the sensors SE15 and SE16. The fact that the staple unit 441 is at the home position H shown by the solid line in FIG. 18 is detected by the light shielding plate 463 entering the optical axis of the sensor SE15. Further, the staple unit 441 is further on the front side (left side).
When moved to, the light shielding plate 463 enters the optical axis of the sensor SE16. This position is the staple needle replacement position, and the operator can replace the staple cartridge 442 by opening the small door 459 of the exterior frame 458.

Further, a disc 464 having a large number of notches regularly formed in the peripheral portion is fixed to the output shaft of the motor M4, and the sensor SE17 detects the notches based on the rotation of the disc 464. Then, a pulse signal is generated. The movement amount of the staple unit 441 can be detected by counting the number of pulses output from the sensor SE17, and the motor M4 is turned off at the time when the predetermined number of pulses are counted, so that the staple unit 44 is
It is possible to accurately control the movement amount of 1, that is, the staple position. The stapling position (stop position) will be described later. The return of the staple unit 441 to the home position H and the movement to the staple replacement position are detected by the detection signals from the sensors SE15 and SE16,
The drive of the motor M4 is turned off by this detection signal.

(Staple Mode) Basically, three kinds of staple modes can be set. The first mode is a process of binding the leading end of the sheet bundle in the transport direction, and is further divided into a mode of binding the corner and a mode of binding a plurality of positions of the leading end. The second mode is a process of binding the rear end portion of the sheet bundle in the transport direction, and is further divided into a mode of binding the corner portion and a mode of binding multiple portions of the rear end portion. The third mode is a process of binding the central portion of the sheet bundle at a plurality of places.
The movement of the staple unit 441 during the staple mode processing will be described later.

(Bunch of Sheets Conveying Section) As shown in FIG. 19, the conveying section 465 includes a guide plate 466 fixed to the inside of the supporting plate 451 and a support shaft 452 inside the supporting plate 453.
Guide plate 468 rotatably mounted about the fulcrum
And a conveying roller 46 that is driven to rotate in the sheet bundle conveying direction.
9, 470 and a sensor SE18 for detecting a sheet,
It consists of SE19. The conveying roller 469 can be brought into contact with and separated from the conveying roller 470 by a solenoid (not shown). When the sheet bundle is carried in by the first chuck means 415, the conveying roller 469 is separated from the conveying roller 470 and receives the sheet bundle, and thereafter. The sheet bundle is pinched with the transport roller 470 and transported.

The bundle of sheets conveyed by the conveying section 465 is
The paper is sent to the above-described carrying path 52, and is sent out to the storage tray 475 while being decelerated from the discharging roller pair 524 through the carrying roller pair 474.

(Leading edge binding mode) This is a mode for binding the leading edge of the sheet bundle. When binding the corner portion, as shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 20, the staple unit 441 moves to the staple position R ₀ before the sheet bundle reaches the staple portion 440. At this time, the staple unit 4
41 slightly passes the staple position R _0, and then stop the staple position R ₀ by returning to the stapling position R _0.

After the binding operation for the bundle of sheets is completed, the staple unit 441 returns to the home position H. The sheet bundle is maintained in a state of being gripped by the first chucking unit 415, is transported in the direction of arrow h by the first chucking unit 415, and is delivered to the transport rollers 469 and 470. On the other hand, when binding at a plurality of places, as shown in FIG. 21, first, the staple unit 441 moves to the staple position R ₁ before the leading end P _{L of the} sheet bundle reaches the staple unit 440. At this time, the staple unit 4
41 starts moving from home position H and moves to position R ₁
After passing a little, go back to the position R ₁ . After the stapling operation at the position R ₁ , the stapling unit 441 temporarily stops at the stapling positions R ₂ and R _n , executes the stapling operation, and returns to the home position H. The conveyance of the sheet bundle after the stapling process is the same as in the corner stapling mode.

By the way, in the present embodiment, the bundle of sheets passes through the inside of the stapling unit 441, and if the staple striking portion 443 and the staple receiving portion 444 are completely separated, the staple striking portion 443 is formed. It becomes extremely difficult to align the needle receiver 444 with the needle. In view of this, in the present embodiment, both of them are integrally connected to each other by the support plates 451 and 453 along the conveyance path of the sheet bundle, so that the positional alignment can be surely performed and the stapling mistake is prevented. Then, in the leading edge binding mode, the staple unit 441 is moved farthest from the home position H before the arrival of the sheet bundle and the staple position R ₀ or R ₁
The time required for the stapling process is shortened by moving the stapler to the home position H and performing the binding operation from a position far from the home position H to a position closer to the home position H. Further, the connecting portion 445 of the staple unit 441 is
Since the sheet is dislocated outward from the side of the sheet bundle, the timing of disclosing the conveyance of the sheet bundle can be advanced.
Moreover, even at the home position H, the binding operation can be executed without moving the staple unit 441, and the conveyance of the sheet bundle can be started immediately after the binding operation.

(Rear end binding mode) This is a mode for binding the rear end of the sheet bundle. The sheet bundle is the first chuck means 415.
It is carried to the carrying rollers 469, 470 by the carrying rollers 469, 470. The rotation of the transport rollers 469 and 470 is stopped when the trailing edge of the sheet bundle reaches the staple position X after the leading edge of the sheet bundle is detected by the sensor SE19.

When binding the corner portion, as shown in FIG. 22, the staple unit 441 performs the binding operation without moving from the home position H. On the other hand, when binding at a plurality of locations, as shown in FIG. 23, the stapling unit 441 first moves to the stapling position R ₁ (movement mode is the same as the leading edge stapling mode), performs stapling operation, and then staples the position R. _{At 2} , R _n , the binding operation is performed while temporarily stopping, and the home position H is restored.

(Saddle-stitching mode) This is a mode in which the central portion of a sheet bundle is bound at a plurality of locations. The sheet bundle is conveyed to the conveying rollers 469 and 470 by the first chuck means 415, and further conveyed by the conveying rollers 469 and 470. The rotation of the conveying rollers 469 and 470 is stopped when the central portion reaches the staple position X in accordance with the sheet size after the leading edge of the sheet bundle is detected by the sensor SE19.
The movement of the staple unit 441 is as shown in FIG. 24, and is the same as the movement mode shown in FIGS.

(Conveying a bundle of sheets after stapling) By the way, in the above various staple modes, when the staple unit 441 performs stapling at the home position H, the bundle of sheets is conveyed at a high speed immediately after the end of stapling. Since the connecting portion 445 is retracted out of the sheet bundle conveying path, the connecting portion 445 does not interfere with the sheet bundle. However, in the other stapling modes, the timing and movement speed of the stapling unit 441 withdrawing from the stapling positions R _o and R _n , the sheet bundle conveyance start timing and the conveyance speed become problems. In order to efficiently perform the stapling process one after another, it is preferable to convey the sheet bundle at an early timing and at a high speed after the last stapling is finished.
If it is too early, the connecting portion 445 may interfere with the sheet bundle during conveyance.

Therefore, the conditions under which the bundle of sheets can be efficiently conveyed will be examined. First, in the present embodiment, the position of the sheet bundle during stapling, the position of the staple unit 441, and the transport speed at which no interference occurs in the sheet bundle are shown in Table 1 for the staple mode and the sheet size. The transport length L ₅ (see FIG. 10) is 235 mm, and the distance L ₉ (see FIG. 20) from the center of the needle striking portion to the connecting portion 445 is 20 m.
m. The moving speed of the staple unit 441 is 250 mm / s.

[0063]

[Table 1]

Next, Table 2 shows stapling positions on the sheet in each staple mode.

[0065]

[Table 2]

Under the above conditions, assuming that the timing at which the staple unit 441 starts retracting from the final stapling position to the home position H and the timing at which the sheet bundle starts to be conveyed are the same, the leading edge of the sheet bundle is connected. Part 44
Before the staple unit 441 reaches 5, the staple unit 441 retracts to the outside of the sheet bundle conveying path (home position H),
Set the sheet bundle transport speed. Staple unit 441
If there is a margin in the evacuation of, the conveyance speed is set faster, and if there is no margin, it is set a slower speed.

Specifically, the sheet bundle conveying speed until the staple unit 441 is retracted to the home position H is set to the value shown in the right end column of Table 1 above. This transport speed is 80mm / s, 200mm / s, 300mm
/ S. Conditionally, they are classified as shown in Table 3 below.

[0068]

[Table 3]

After the stapling unit 441 is retracted to the home position H, No. 3 in Table 3 is set. 1, N
o. In the case of 2, the sheet bundle conveying speed is increased to 300 mm / s. No. In the case of 3, the same transport speed is maintained.

(Other Paper Bundle Conveyance Control) On the other hand, in addition to controlling the paper bundle conveyance speed after stapling as described above, the conveyance can be controlled as follows. That is, in all the staple modes, the sheet bundle conveying speed after the staple processing is uniformly set to, for example, 300 mm / s. In this case, Table 3 No. In case of 3, there is no problem. No. 1, No. In the case of 2, the transport speed is too fast and the connecting portion 445 interferes with the sheet bundle, but only in this case, the transport start timing of the sheet bundle is delayed. Specifically, the conveyance may be started when the staple unit 441 retracts to the home position H.

(Control Unit) FIG. 25 shows a control unit of the copying system, which is mainly composed of a CPU 201 for controlling the copying machine 10 and a CPU 202 for controlling the finisher 40. CPU 202 is a ROM 20 storing control information
3, a control signal is output to loads such as various motors and solenoids, while a detection signal from a detection unit such as a paper detection sensor is input.

(Control procedure 1) FIG. 26 shows the state after stapling processing.
A first example of a control procedure for conveying a sheet bundle is shown in FIG. here
First, confirm that the final stitching has been completed in step S1.
If confirmed, the size of the sheet bundle is calculated in step S2,
The home position of the staple unit 441 in step S3
Start saving to Option H. Transport set at this time
Feeding speed V ₁Is the value shown in the rightmost column of Table 1,
The optimum value is preset depending on the stack size and staple mode.
Is set.

Next, when it is confirmed in step S5 that the sensor SE15 is on, that is, when the staple unit 441 is retracted to the home position H, the staple unit 441 is stopped in step S6, and step S7 is performed. Paper bundle conveyance speed is V ₂ (300 mm / s)
Raise to

(Control Procedure 2) FIG. 27 shows a second example of a control procedure for transporting a bundle of sheets after stapling. Here, first, when it is confirmed in step S11 that the final stapling is completed, in step S12, the leading end of the sheet bundle and the connecting portion 4 are connected.
The distance La to 45 is calculated, and the retracting of the staple unit 441 to the home position H is started in step S13. Then, in step S14, the distance La and the distance Lb are compared. The distance Lb is the staple unit 44.
Even if the evacuation of 1 and the conveyance of a bundle of sheets are started at the same time, the connecting portion 4
45 corresponds to the shortest distance that does not interfere with the sheet bundle. Lb <
In the case of La, since there is no interference, the conveyance of the sheet bundle is started in step S15. Next, when it is confirmed in step S16 that the staple unit 441 has retracted to the home position H due to the sensor SE15 being turned on, the staple unit 441 is stopped in step S17.

On the other hand, if Lb ≧ La, interference occurs, so that it is confirmed in step S18 that the sensor SE15 is turned on, the conveyance of the sheet bundle is started in step S19, and the stapling unit 441 is stopped in step S17. .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a copying system including a finisher according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the finisher.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view showing a conveyance path in the finisher.

FIG. 4 is an elevation view showing another transport path in the finisher.

FIG. 5 is a front view showing a staple processing unit.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a stacking tray.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view showing a stacking tray.

FIG. 8 is a front view showing a first chuck means.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing a first chuck means.

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a staple processing unit.

FIG. 11 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the operation (during regulation) of the tip stopper.

FIG. 12 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the operation of the tip stopper (when the regulation is released).

FIG. 13 is a front view showing second chuck means.

FIG. 14 is a side view showing second chuck means.

FIG. 15 is a front view showing a staple unit.

FIG. 16 is a front view showing the internal structure of the staple unit.

FIG. 17 is a view on arrow Y of FIG.

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing a moving state of the staple unit.

FIG. 19 is a partial cross-sectional view showing a sheet bundle transport unit.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing leading edge corner binding processing.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing leading edge multiple binding processing.

FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing a trailing edge corner binding process.

FIG. 23 is an explanatory diagram showing a trailing edge multiple binding process.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing saddle stitching processing.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing a control unit.

FIG. 26 is a flowchart showing a first example of a control procedure for conveying a bundle of sheets after stapling processing.

FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing a second example of a control procedure for conveying a sheet bundle after stapling processing.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Copying machine 40 ... Finisher 41 ... Staple processing unit 202 ... CPU 440 ... Staple unit 411 ... Stacking tray 441 ... Staple unit 445 ... Coupling unit 454 ... Staple unit moving unit 465 ... Paper bundle conveying unit 469, 470 ... Paper bundle conveying roller H ... home position SE15 ... home position detection sensor R _n ... stapling final position

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A finisher for binding a stack of sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and binding the stack of sheets, comprising: the finisher receiving the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. Stacking sheet stacking means, stapling means for driving a staple needle to the sheet stack carried out from the sheet stacking means, the stapling means moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet stack, and staples at a plurality of moving directions. It is possible to drive a needle,
After the stapling is completed, the paper is retreated to the outside of the paper conveyance path; a detection means for detecting that the stapling means has retreated to the outside of the paper conveyance path; a paper bundle conveyance means for conveying the stapled paper bundle; Control means for increasing the speed of conveying the sheet bundle of the conveying means when it is detected that the stapling means has retreated to the outside of the sheet conveying path. 2. A finisher for binding a stack of sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and binding the stack of sheets, comprising: the finisher receiving the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. Stacking sheet stacking means, stapling means for driving a staple needle to the sheet stack carried out from the sheet stacking means, the stapling means moves in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the sheet stack, and staples at a plurality of moving directions. It is possible to drive a needle,
After the stapling is completed, the sheet is retreated to the outside of the sheet conveying path; a sheet bundle conveying unit that conveys the stapled sheet bundle; a control unit that controls the moving operation of the stapling unit and the sheet bundle conveying operation of the conveying unit; When the distance between the leading end position of the sheet bundle and the interference position of the stapling unit with respect to the sheet bundle during the stapling process is large, the control unit sets the timing at which the stapling unit starts moving to the retracted position after the end of the final stapling and the conveying unit. Simultaneously set the timing for starting the conveyance of the sheet bundle.