JPH09255220A - Finisher - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a finisher capable of preventing staple failures or staple clogging by accurately making the stop positions of a staple sticking section and a staple receiving section coincident with each other without reducing copying productivity relating to binding process. SOLUTION: A finisher is provided with a staple unit 441 for individually moving a staple sticking section 443 and a staple receiving section 444 provided separately to a staple position. A light emitting element SE33a is attached to the staple sticking section 443 and a light receiving element SE33b is attached to the staple receiving section 444. First, the staple sticking section 444 is moved/stopped in a specified staple position and then the staple receiving section 444 is moved. The staple receiving section 444 is stopped when the light receiving element SE33b receives a light from the light emitting section SE33a.

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 a desired number of copies of an image-formed sheet discharged from a copying machine or a printer and stapling the sheets. In the conventional staple unit, the stapler unit and the staple receiving unit are fixed at fixed positions and the staple unit is bound only at one position of the sheet bundle. On the other hand, in recent years, with the progress of automation and diversification of image formation, the processing content of the finisher has also diversified, and there has been a demand for edge binding for binding the leading edge or the trailing edge of a sheet bundle at a plurality of locations.

[0003]

In order to perform the edge binding, it is necessary to move the staple unit in the width direction of the sheet bundle. It is preferable that the staple striking portion and the staple receiving portion that form the staple unit are integrally coupled by a connecting portion in terms of alignment between the staple striking portion and the staple receiving portion.
However, if the connecting portion is present, the sheet bundle can be carried into and out of the staple processing portion only after the connecting portion is retracted, so that the processing time becomes long and the copy productivity is lowered.

In view of the above inconvenience, if the connecting portion is omitted by making the needle striking portion and the needle receiving portion movable separately, it is possible to solve the decrease in copy productivity relating to the binding process. However, when the needle striking portion and the needle receiving portion are moved separately, it is necessary to accurately match the stop positions of both. That is, when the stop positions of the staples deviate from each other, the staple needles ejected from the staple striking portion cannot be accurately set in the staple receiving portion, and defects such as defective bending of the staple needles and staple clogging occur.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to prevent staple defects and staple clogging by accurately matching the stop positions of the staple striking portion and the staple receiving portion without causing a decrease in copy productivity in the binding process. It is to provide a finisher that can be prevented.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the finisher according to the present invention has a sheet stacking means for receiving and stacking sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and a sheet stack. A staple striking portion for striking a staple needle, a staple receiving portion for receiving and bending a staple needle punched from the staple striking portion, a moving means for independently reciprocating the staple striking portion and the staple receiving portion, and the staple Position detecting means for detecting the mutual positions of the hitting portion and the needle receiving portion, and either one of the needle hitting portion or the needle receiving portion is moved to a predetermined staple position, and then the other is moved to the detection point of the position detecting means. And moving control means.

In the above structure, the staple striking portion and the staple receiving portion are separately moved to the predetermined stapling position to bind the sheet bundle on the sheet stacking means or pulled out from the means. In the present invention, there is no connecting part for connecting the staple striking part and the staple receiving part, and it is not necessary to wait until the connecting part retracts in order to carry in and carry out the sheet bundle to the stapling position, so that copy productivity Is never reduced.

In addition, the stop position of the needle striking portion and the needle receiving portion can be accurately matched with each other by the position detecting means for detecting the position of each other. Therefore, since the staple needle ejected from the staple striking portion accurately hits the staple receiving portion, it is possible to eliminate problems such as a defective bending of the staple needle and a staple clogging.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a finisher according to the present invention will be described 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 ejects the copied sheets one by one with the image forming surface facing upward from the sheet ejection unit 11. An automatic document feeder 20 (hereinafter referred to as ADF) is mounted on the top of the copying machine 10. The ADF 20 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 placed on the tray 22.
Eject / load on top. 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 Structure of Finisher) As shown in FIG. 1, the finisher 40 includes a non-sort tray 401 for stacking / accommodating sheets discharged from the copying machine 10 and a processing section 41 for stapling the sheets after they are stacked. 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.

(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 ejecting section 11 of the copying machine 10 and conveying it downward, and a front / back / front / 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.

The conveying path 48 is composed of conveying roller pairs 481 and 482.
have. The switchback transport path 49 includes a transport roller 491 that can rotate in forward / reverse directions, a driven roller 492 that rotates in contact with the roller 491, and a transport that transports the switched-back sheet to the transport path 50 or the transport path 52. It is composed of a roller pair 493 and a sensor SE2 for detecting a sheet. The sheet conveyed downward in the conveying path 48 is guided to the switchback conveying path 49. When the rear edge of the sheet is detected by the sensor SE2 and a predetermined time has passed,
That is, when the trailing edge of the sheet enters the conveyance path 49, the roller 49
1 is switched to reverse rotation, and the sheet is conveyed upward.

The conveying path 50 includes a pair of conveying rollers 501 and 50.
2, 503, 504 and a pair of discharge rollers 505. A punch mechanism 90 for forming punch holes at the leading edge or the trailing edge of the sheet is installed in the transport path 50 during the sheet transport. The description of the punch mechanism 90 is omitted.

The transport path 51 has a switching claw 511 for switching the transport destination of the paper, a transport roller pair 512 and a discharge roller pair 513. The transport path 52 has a switching claw 521 for switching the transport destination of the sheet, transport roller pairs 522, 523, and a discharge roller pair 524.

The switching claws 511 and 521 are rotatable by solenoids (not shown), so that the sheet conveyed from the switchback conveying path 49 is switched claw 5.
The guide 21 guides the carrier path 50 or 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 sheets are transferred from the discharge roller pair 505 to the non-sort tray 401, and the discharge roller pair 5 respectively.
13 is sent to the processing section 41, and the discharge roller pair 524 is sent to the storage section 46.

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 immediately 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. 3 and 4, 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. 4 and 5,
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 aligning plate 413 stands by at the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 4, and advances to the aligning position (shown by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4) corresponding to the size of the paper P 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 in the conveying section 47 with the center as a reference, and from the discharge roller pair 513 in the conveying path 51 to the stacking tray 4.
It is discharged onto 11 (see the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 4). After a lapse of a predetermined time until the paper is completely stored on the tray 411, the stepping motor M1 is driven to rotate normally.
When one sheet of paper is aligned between the alignment plate 413 and the reference plate 414, the motor M1 is rotated in the reverse direction and the alignment plate 413 is rotated.
Retreats to home position. That is, the matching plate 413
Each time one sheet of paper is accommodated on the tray 411, it moves forward in the direction of arrow i to bring the sheet into contact with the reference plate 414 and align it on the tray 411 with one side reference.

(First Chuck Means) As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, 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. 6, 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. 6 by a spring 435 wound around the 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 grips the side portions of the sheet bundle to staple 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 disk 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 disk 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. 4),
The friction plates 417a and 418a can grip the sheet bundle and can move in the transport direction h.

As shown in FIG. 3, the tip of the spiral shaft 426 extends to a position near the staple portion 440, and the first chuck means 415 moves to this position.
At this time, the leading end of the sheet bundle gripped by the friction plates 417a and 418a is conveyed by the conveyance roller 46 in the staple unit 440.
The sheet bundle is sandwiched by 9, 470, and thereafter, the sheet bundle is conveyed by the conveying roller 46.
It is conveyed by 9,470.

(Tip Stopper) As shown in FIG. 8, the tip stopper 412 is rotatably attached to the back side of the tip 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. By being urged by 710, it rotates in the counterclockwise direction, and the leading end projects onto the tray 411, and regulates the leading end of the paper. The stopper 412 has a comb-teeth shape and, as shown in FIG. 4, protrudes upward from a 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 bundled 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 direction of arrow h integrally with the first chuck means 415, and as shown in FIG. 9, rotates the cam 712 in the clockwise direction. At the same time, the leading end stopper 412 also rotates clockwise around the pin 711 as a fulcrum and retracts to the back surface side of the tray 411. While the bundle of sheets is being conveyed, that is, while the first chuck means 415 is in the forward position from the home position H ₁ , the leading end stopper 412 has the cam 712 with the lever 71.
By being pressed by 3, the sheet is held on the back side of the tray 411, and the sheet can be conveyed. Stopper 412
When the stopper 412 is in the retracted state, the leading end portion 412a thereof is located on substantially the same plane 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 sheet bundle is delivered to the stapling section 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. 10 and 11, the second chuck means 416 includes friction plates 417b and 418b made of an elastic material and a support 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
Home position H shown in solid line in 4 _TwoFrom 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. _TwoTo 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. 4),
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.

(Chucking Operation) In this embodiment, the first chucking means 415 operates in three kinds of modes described below. In the first mode, the side portions of the sheets accommodated / aligned on the stacking tray 411 are alternately gripped by the second chuck means 416 one by one. 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 alternate chucking operation, the first chucking means 415, as shown in FIG. 4, moves from the home position H ₁ to the position Q facing the second chucking means 416 regardless of the size of the sheet.
It moves by rotating the motor M2 forward. 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 is also at the home position H ₂
Waiting at

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 chucking 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. 4). This is to set the leading end of the sheet bundle to the stapling position X (X indicates the stapling position in the transport direction, see FIG. 3) 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 tip stopper 412 rotates downward to release the tip regulation, as described above. 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 arrow h by rotating the motor M2 in the forward direction, and delivers 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 by the distance L _{3 in the} direction of the arrow h until it is sandwiched by 70 (see FIG. 4). This is for stapling the rear end 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. In this embodiment, as the staple unit 441, a type dedicated to the trailing edge binding is used as described below. Therefore, it is in the third mode that the first chuck means 415 actually conveys the sheet bundle.

(Stapling Section) As shown in FIG. 3, the stapling section 440 is composed of a stapling unit 441 and a sheet bundle conveying section 465.

(Stapling Unit, First Embodiment) As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, a staple unit 441 includes a staple striking portion 443 for striking a staple and a staple for receiving and bending the staple. Receiver 4
44 is independently installed so as to be movable. The staple striking portion 443 is slidably mounted on the two guide shafts 445 and 446, and the sheet conveying direction h is accompanied by the forward / reverse rotation of the spiral shaft 449 driven by the motor M21.
It is movable in a direction orthogonal to. The needle receiving portion 444 is slidably mounted on the two guide shafts 447 and 448 and is driven by the motor M22.
With 0 forward / reverse rotation, it can move in a direction orthogonal to the paper conveyance direction h.

Light shielding plates 451 and 452 are fixed to the needle striking portion 443 and the needle receiving portion 444, respectively. The light shielding plates 451 and 452 are light transmitting sensors SE31 and SE.
The position detected by 32 is each home position. A stepping motor is used as the motor M21, and the number of rotations can be controlled by the number of drive pulses.
The needle striking portion 443 can be moved from the home position and stopped at a predetermined position. A light emitting element SE33a is attached to the needle striking portion 443, and a light receiving element SE33b is attached to the needle receiving portion 444. These elements SE33a and SE33b are for mutually detecting the stop positions of the needle striking portion 443 and the needle receiving portion 444,
The control will be described below.

Further, as shown in FIG.
3 has a needle cartridge 453 built-in. The staple cartridge 453 is detachable from the staple striking portion 443, and is a well-known staple cartridge 454.
The staples 454 are formed by arranging wires one by one and adhering them in a plate shape with an adhesive, and are accommodated in a state that they are wound in a needle cartridge 453.

The staple striking portion 443 is provided with a staple feeding member 455, a staple cutting member 456 and a staple bending member 457, and by rotating toward the staple receiving portion 444 side, the staple needles 454 are cut / separated one by one. , Fold it into a U-shape and hit it into the stack. The staple feeding member 455 rotates intermittently in conjunction with this staple striking operation to feed the staples 454 one pitch at a time.

Next, the stapling process by the stapling unit 441 will be described. When a set of sheets is stored on the stacking tray 411, the bundle of sheets is carried out from the tray 411 in the direction of arrow h by the first chucking means 415, and further, the rear end of the bundle of sheets is conveyed by the conveying rollers 469 and 470. The sheet is conveyed until it is set to the staple position X. At this time, the rear end of the sheet bundle is the element SE33.
a, Stop on the transport direction h side of the SE 33b optical axis.
That is, the sheet bundle does not block the optical axes of the elements SE33a, 33b.

In the stapling process, first, the motor M21 is driven to move / stop the stapling portion 443 to a predetermined stapling position. Then, the motor M22 is driven to move the needle receiver 444 from the home position. The motor M22 is driven by the light receiving element SE33.
It is stopped when b receives the light from the light emitting element SE33a. With this, the needle striking portion 443 and the needle receiving portion 444 are provided.
Will be accurately aligned. Needle part 4
When 43 and the staple receiving portion 444 stop at a predetermined staple position, the staple striking portion 443 operates to strike the staple needle into the sheet bundle. When there are a plurality of staple positions, first, the staple striking portion 443 moves to the staple position first, and then the staple receiving portion 444 moves to a position where the optical axes of the elements SE33a and SE33b coincide with each other to perform staple driving.

In the first embodiment, the needle receiving portion 444 may be moved first. Further, the light emitting element SE33a is attached to the needle receiving portion 444, and
33b may be attached to the needle striking portion 443. Further, as the driving motor, it is preferable to use a pulse driving motor as the motor to be moved first in order to accurately control the moving distance. The motor to be moved later may be a DC motor.

(Stapling Unit, Second Embodiment) FIG. 1
5 and 16 show a staple unit 441 having the same configuration as that of the first embodiment, which includes a staple striking portion 443 and a staple receiving portion 44.
A light reflection type photosensor SE34 is provided in order to accurately perform the alignment with the staple position at the staple position. In addition,
In FIGS. 15 and 16, the same members as those in FIGS. 12 and 13 are designated by the same reference numerals.

That is, a light reflection type photosensor SE34 is attached to the needle striking portion 443, and a reflecting plate 460 is attached to the needle receiving portion 444. Immediately below the reflector 460, another reflector 461 is fixed to the frame 462. The reflecting plate 461 has a plurality of openings 46 corresponding to predetermined staple positions for each paper size.
1a is formed. The opening 461a corresponds to a predetermined stapling position for each of a plurality of types of paper sizes.

This stapling unit 441 also performs stapling processing on the rear end of the sheet bundle. The sheet bundle conveyed from the tray 411 during the stapling process has its rear end stopped on the conveying direction h side with respect to the optical axis of the photosensor SE34. In the stapling process, first, the motor M21 moves the stapling portion 443 to a predetermined stapling position and stops. Here, when the light emitted from the photosensor SE34 enters the opening 461a of the reflection plate 461 and is not reflected, that is, when the photosensor SE34 is turned off, the movement of the needle striking portion 443 is stopped. Since the photo sensor SE34 is turned off every time the photo sensor SE34 passes through the opening 461a, it is determined whether or not it is at a predetermined staple position by counting the number of times the sensor SE34 is turned off.

Next, the motor M22 drives the needle receiving portion 44.
Move 4. When the reflection plate 460 moves together with the needle receiving portion 444 and the reflection plate 460 reaches the opening 461a,
The light of the sensor SE34 is reflected through the opening 461a. Here, the sensor SE34 is turned on,
The movement of the needle receiver 444 is stopped. Needless to say, the needle striking portion 443 and the needle receiving portion 444 are set so that the reflecting plate 460 faces each other correctly when the sensor SE34 is turned on.

The photosensor SE34 is connected to the needle receiving portion 4
44, and the reflection plate 460 may be attached to the stapling portion 443. In this case, the needle receiver 444 will be moved first.

(Sheet Bundle Conveying Section) As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the conveying section 465 has conveying rollers 469 and 470 and a conveying roller pair 474. 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 sheet bundle is sent to the conveyance path 52 through the conveyance roller pair 474, and the discharge roller pair 52
It is sent out to the storage tray 475 while being decelerated from 4.

(Operation Panel) FIG. 17 shows an operation panel 220 installed on the copying machine 10. Operation panel 22
0 is a liquid crystal touch panel 221, a numeric keypad 222,
Copy start key 223, staple mode selection key 241, paper folding mode selection key 242, corner binding mode display 231, edge binding mode display 232, bag binding mode display 233, Z folding mode display 235, two-fold mode A display device 236 and the like are installed. Each time the staple mode selection key 241 is turned on, the indicators 231 to 233 sequentially light up, and the corresponding staple mode is selected. Each time the paper folding mode selection key 242 is turned on once, the indicators 235 and 236 are sequentially turned on and the corresponding paper folding mode is selected.

(Control Unit) FIG. 18 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 a load such as various motors and solenoids, while a detection signal from a detection unit such as a sheet detection sensor is input.

(Control Procedure) FIG. 19 shows the main routine of the copying system. The internal timer is set in step S1, and the processing mode is determined based on the information input from the operation panel 220 in step S2. Next, in step S3, the ADF 20 is operated to circulate the original document to count the number of original documents, and it is also determined whether or not the stapling process is possible in relation to the processing mode. Next, step S
In step 4, the copying machine 10 is operated to perform copy processing, and in step S5, the finisher 40 is operated to process the paper in a predetermined mode. When the count-up of the internal timer is confirmed in step S6, the process returns to step S1.

FIG. 20 shows a subroutine of finisher processing executed in step S5 of the main routine. Here, in step S11, the staple striking portion 443 and the staple receiving portion 444 are moved to a predetermined stapling position, and then in step S11.
At 12, the staple needle is driven into the sheet bundle. Further, in step S13, necessary processing such as conveyance of a bundle of sheets is executed.

21 and 22 show the stapling unit 4 shown as the first embodiment executed in step S11.
41 shows a subroutine 41 for moving the needle striking portion / needle receiving portion.
Here, in step S20, the count value of the state counter A (the initial state is "0") is checked, and the following processing is executed according to the count value.

When the state counter A is "0", it is determined in step S21 whether or not the stapling process is to be executed. If so, the stapling position is determined in step S22. The stapling position differs depending on the paper size and the staple mode (corner binding, edge binding). Next, in step S23, the state counter A is set to "1". When the state counter A is "1", the staple striking portion 4 to the staple position is pressed in step S24.
The moving distance L of 43 is determined. Next, in step S25, the motor M21 is normally rotated, and in step S26, the state counter A is set to "2".

When the state counter A is "2", when it is determined in step S27 that the needle striking portion 443 has moved the distance L, the motor M21 is stopped in step S28. Further, the motor M22 is normally rotated in step S29, and the state counter A is set to "3" in step S30. When the state counter A is "3", it is confirmed in step S31 that the light receiving element SE33b is turned on, that is, the light receiving element SE33b is turned on by the light emitting element SE3.
When the light of 3a is detected and the needle receiving portion 444 reaches the same position as the needle striking portion 443, the motor M22 is operated at step S32.
To stop. Next, the stapling operation is permitted in step S33, and the state counter A is set to "4" in step S34.

When the state counter A is "4", it is determined in step S35 whether or not one staple is completed, and if YES, it is determined in step S36 whether or not all staples are completed. If staples at a plurality of locations are to be processed, the state counter A is set to "1" in step S40, and steps S24 to S34 are repeated. If all the staples are completed, step S
The motors M21 and M22 are reversely rotated at 37 and S38, and the state counter A is set to "5" at step S39.

When the state counter A is "5", when it is confirmed in step S41 that the sensor SE31 is turned on, that is, when the needle striking portion 443 returns to the home position, the motor M21 is stopped in step S42.
Further, when it is confirmed in step S43 that the sensor SE32 is turned on, that is, when the needle receiver 444 returns to the home position, the motor M22 is stopped in step S44. Next, in step S45, the motors M21 and M2 are
When it is confirmed that both of the two are stopped, the state counter A is reset to "0" in step S46.

23 and 24, the stapling unit 4 shown as the second embodiment is executed in step S11.
41 shows a subroutine 41 for moving the needle striking portion / needle receiving portion.
Here, in step S50, the count value of the state counter B (the initial state is "0") is checked, and the following processing is executed according to the count value.

When the state counter B is "0", it is determined in step S51 whether or not the stapling process is to be executed. If so, the stapling position is determined in step S52. The stapling position differs depending on the sheet size and the staple mode (corner binding, edge binding), and the opening 461 formed in the reflection plate 461.
The position of a corresponds to the staple position. Next, in step S53, the state counter B is set to "1".

When the state counter B is "1", the motor M21 is normally rotated in step S54, and step S5 is performed.
At 5, it is determined whether the sensor SE34 is turned off. The sensor SE34 maintains the ON state when the light is reflected by the reflection plate 461, and turns off when the light enters the opening 461a. At this time, it is determined in step S56 whether or not the predetermined stapling position is set, and if it is the predetermined stapling position, the state counter B is set to "2" in step S57.

When the state counter B is "2", the motor M21 is stopped in step S58. Further, in step S59, the motor M22 is normally rotated, and in step S6
At 0, the state counter B is set to "3". When the state counter B is "3", it is confirmed in step S61 that the sensor SE34 is turned on, that is, the reflection plate 460 reaches the opening 461a and allows the light to open.
When the needle receiving portion 444 reaches the same position as the needle striking portion 443, the motor M22 is stopped in step S62. Next, the stapling operation is permitted in step S63, and the state counter B is set to "4" in step S64.
Set to.

When the state counter B is "4", it is determined in step S65 whether one staple has been completed. If YES, it is determined in step S66 whether all staples have been completed. If staples at a plurality of locations are to be processed, the state counter B is set to "1" in step S70, and steps S54 to S64 are repeated. If all the staples are completed, step S
The motors M21 and M22 are reversed in 67 and S68, and the state counter B is set to "5" in step S69.

When the state counter B is "5", when it is confirmed in step S71 that the sensor SE31 is turned on, that is, when the needle striking portion 443 returns to the home position, the motor M21 is stopped in step S72.
Further, when it is confirmed in step S73 that the sensor SE32 is turned on, that is, when the needle receiver 444 returns to the home position, the motor M22 is stopped in step S74. Next, in step S75, the motors M21 and M2 are
When it is confirmed that both of the two are stopped, the state counter B is reset to "0" in step S76.

[Other Embodiments] The finisher according to the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, but can be variously modified within the scope of the invention. In particular, the configuration of the stacking tray 411 and the transport mechanism for the sheet bundle are arbitrary.

[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 a front view showing a staple processing unit.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a stacking tray.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a stacking tray.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing a first chuck means.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing a first chuck means.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an operation (during regulation) of the tip stopper.

FIG. 9 is a partial cross-sectional view showing the operation of the tip stopper (when the regulation is released).

FIG. 10 is a front view showing a second chuck means.

FIG. 11 is a side view showing second chuck means.

FIG. 12 is a front view showing the staple unit according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing the staple unit.

FIG. 14 is a front view showing the internal structure of the staple unit.

FIG. 15 is a front view showing a staple unit according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a side view showing the staple unit.

FIG. 17 is a plan view showing an operation panel.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram showing a control unit.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing a main routine of a control procedure.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of finisher processing.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart showing a subroutine (corresponding to the first embodiment) of moving the needle striking portion / needle receiving portion.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a subroutine (corresponding to the first embodiment) of moving the needle striking portion / needle receiving portion, continued from FIG. 21;

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing a subroutine (corresponding to the second embodiment) of moving the needle striking portion / needle receiving portion.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing a subroutine (corresponding to the second embodiment) of moving the needle striking portion / needle receiving portion, continued from FIG. 23;

[Explanation of symbols]

10 ... Copying machine 40 ... Finisher 41 ... Staple processing unit 202 ... CPU 440 ... Staple unit 411 ... Stacking tray 441 ... Staple unit 443 ... Needle hitting unit 444 ... Needle receiving unit SE33a, SE33b, SE34 ... Position detecting photosensor 460, 461 ... Reflector 461a ... Aperture

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A finisher for binding a stack of sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and binding the stacked sheets, and a sheet stacking unit for receiving and stacking the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus and a stack of sheets. A staple striking portion for striking a staple needle, a staple receiving portion for receiving and bending the staple needle punched from the staple striking portion, a moving means for independently reciprocating the staple striking portion and the staple receiving portion, Position detection means for detecting the mutual positions of the stapling portion and the staple receiving portion, and either one of the staple driving portion or the staple receiving portion is moved to a predetermined staple position, and then the other is detected by the position detecting means. A finisher characterized by having a control means for moving to. 2. The finisher according to claim 1, wherein the position detecting means includes a light emitting element provided on either one of the needle striking portion or the needle receiving portion and a light receiving element provided on the other. 3. The position detecting means comprises a reflective optical sensor provided on either one of the needle striking portion or the needle receiving portion and a light reflecting plate provided on the other.
The finisher shown. 4. The finisher according to claim 3, further comprising a detected member capable of detecting a plurality of staple positions by the reflective optical sensor.