JPH10175768A - Sheet post processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform a staple binding, transporting recorded sheets which are matched at a matching and binding stage, by arranging at least one stapler on one side of a sheet transporting direction of a sheet placing plate having an inclined placing surface in which the discharge side of recorded sheets is raised. SOLUTION: A sheet placing plate 51 is provided with a relaying guide 52 which is opened upward by facing a vertical direction carrier belt 34. Recorded sheets X which are taken into this guide 52 are located on a smooth placing surface 66 which is inclined by a revolving motion of a relaying roller 65 located at the exit. Because the discharge side of the recorded sheets X is raised, recorded sheets X collected on the placing surface 66 become a state that the rear ends are aligned to a rear end cursor 67 provided on a take-in side by gravity. On one side of the sheet placing plate 51, an edge side cursor 68 matching the locations of the edge sides of recorded sheets X collected and a stapler 85 driving staples in the matched recorded sheets X and binding the recorded sheets X are arranged.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a recorded sheet on which an image is recorded by an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a sheet post-processing apparatus for aligning pages of a recorded sheet and binding them by stapling.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a sheet post-processing apparatus for aligning pages of a recorded sheet on which an image is recorded by an image forming apparatus and binding the sheets by stapling is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-76190. Known sheet post-processing devices are known. In other words, this sheet post-processing apparatus includes two independent inclined conveying paths capable of discharging paper to different discharge trays, respectively, in a conveying system for taking in recorded sheets. Are provided with staplers for binding recorded sheets.

That is, in this sheet post-processing apparatus, a series of processing steps such as collecting, aligning, binding, and discharging captured recorded sheets require a certain amount of time. During the processing step, the recorded sheet is collected on the other transport path to reduce waiting time as much as possible.

[0004]

However, since the conventional sheet post-processing apparatus has a structure in which staplers are respectively arranged on the fetch side of each transport path, the stapling position of the recorded sheet is set after the recorded sheet. Since it is limited to the end side, there are many problems. First, since the trailing edge of the recorded sheet in each transport path for collecting the plurality of recorded sheets is based on the corresponding stapler, it is difficult to accurately keep the plurality of recorded sheets in perfect alignment. .

[0005] In the closing step, the collected recorded sheets are kept stationary in the transport path, so that after the stapler binds, the recorded sheets are transferred from the transport path longer than the recorded sheets to be handled. It takes time to completely discharge the sheet, and it is not possible to efficiently process the recorded sheet, resulting in a difference between the processing capacity of the high-speed image forming apparatus and the processing capacity of the sheet post-processing apparatus. Further, when it is necessary to close a plurality of places of the collected recorded sheet with staples, a plurality of staplers adjacent in the width direction of the recorded sheet can be prepared or can be moved in the same width direction. Although the stapling is performed by one stapler, the former structure increases the production cost due to the increase in the number of staplers, and the latter movable stapler causes the stapler moving time to be increased. There is a problem that the processing time becomes longer.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional sheet post-processing apparatus, it is an object of the present invention to obtain a completely recorded sheet alignment state, to shorten the processing time, and to prevent the recorded sheet from being conveyed. An object of the present invention is to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus capable of binding recorded sheets with staples.

[0007]

In order to achieve this object, according to the present invention, a plurality of recorded sheets taken in from an image forming apparatus are sequentially conveyed to an alignment stitching stage and captured by the alignment stitching stage. In a sheet post-processing apparatus that staples the collected plurality of recorded sheets with a staple and then discharges the sheets onto a discharge bin, the alignment and binding stage is configured such that a discharge side of the recorded sheets is inclined to be higher. The present invention proposes a sheet post-processing apparatus including a sheet mounting table having a mounting surface, and at least one stapler disposed on one side of the sheet mounting table in a sheet conveying direction. In the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the stapler has a structure in which staples are driven into the surface of a recorded sheet at a plurality of positions during the conveyance of the recorded sheet on the sheet mounting table, Has a structure in which the recorded sheets in a stacked state are aligned toward a side edge cursor on a side corresponding to the stapler, and the alignment stitching stage simultaneously simultaneously records the plurality of recorded sheets collected on the sheet mounting table. A structure will be described in which a conveying means for moving toward the stapler is provided, and the recorded sheet conveyed by the conveying means can reach the stapler after being conveyed a specific approach distance.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show the entirety of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention, and the outline of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

The recorded sheets X ejected one by one from the image forming apparatus 2 indicated by the imaginary line are sent to the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 upwardly with respect to the paper surface of FIG. The recorded sheet X that has been taken in and does not need to be aligned and bound by the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 is rotated by the paper discharge roller 3 above the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 so as to have a housing. Paper discharge tray 5 composed of the upper part of 4
Is discharged on top. Then, the recorded sheets X that need to be processed by the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 are sequentially supplied one by one to a sheet taking stage 10 in the housing 4 and the sheet taking stage 10 Is changed in a different direction, and a sheet reversal conveyance path 30 described in detail later
And is collected from the sheet reversing conveyance path 30 by the aligning and binding stage 50 that can move up and down.

Further, the plurality of recorded sheets X in the stacked state collected on the aligning and binding stage 50 are adjusted to the aligned state and then closed by staples while being discharged from the aligning and binding stage 50. Are combined. At the front of the casing 4 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1, that is, at the operator side, a paper output bin unit 90 having a plurality of paper output bins 91 aligned in the vertical direction is provided. The processed and recorded sheets X are collected in a state where they are classified into the corresponding discharge bins 91.

As shown in FIG. 2, the sheet take-in stage 10 to which the recorded sheet X from the image forming apparatus 2 is supplied is vertically and horizontally maintained at an interval through which one recorded sheet X can pass. The upper horizontal guide plate 11 includes two pairs of intake driven rollers 13 aligned in the take-in direction A, and a direction changing driven roller oriented at right angles to the intake driven rollers 13. 14 is attached. On the surface of the lower horizontal guide plate 12, cutout windows 15 corresponding to the intake driven rollers 13 and the direction change driven rollers 14 are formed, and the cutout windows 15 correspond to the intake driven rollers 13 corresponding to the cutout windows 15. Intake drive roller 16 and direction change drive roller 1 that can be in rolling contact with direction change driven roller 14
7 is arranged so that it can appear and disappear. That is, both the take-in drive roller 16 and the direction changing drive roller 17 attached to the lower portion of the lower horizontal guide plate 12 are usually settled below the notch window 15 and the corresponding take-in It can roll on the driven roller 13 and the direction changing driven roller 14.

FIG. 3 shows a drive control section of the take-in drive roller 16 and the direction change drive roller 17 typified by the direction change drive roller 17, and a direction change drive driven by a drive motor 18 and a timing belt 19. The roller 17 is pivotally supported by a support arm 21 centered on a fulcrum shaft 20, and an operation arm 23a of an electromagnetic solenoid 23 is engaged with the support arm 21 urged in one direction by an urging spring 22. Therefore, when the electromagnetic solenoid 23 is excited,
The direction changing drive roller 17 is settled below the notch window 15, and the direction changing drive roller 17 is raised above the notch window 15 by the force of the urging spring 22 due to the demagnetization of the electromagnetic solenoid 23, and the direction changing driven roller 14 is rotated. , And the recorded sheet X sandwiched between the same direction conversion driven roller 14 can be conveyed.

An exit roller 31 is disposed at an exit portion of the sheet take-in stage 10, and the direction changing drive roller 1 is provided.
7 and the recorded sheet X whose conveyance direction has been changed by the direction changing driven roller 14 is sent to a sheet reversing conveyance path 30 arranged adjacent to the aligning and stitching stage 50 in the horizontal direction. At 30 the front and back are reversed. The sheet reversing conveyance path 30 shown in detail in FIGS. 2 and 5 includes a plurality of endless vertical conveyance belts 34 that are continuous with the curved guide plate 33, and the vertical conveyance belts 34 face each other in the vertical direction. It is bridged between the lower sprocket 35 and the upper sprocket 36 in the state.

A pressing tape 37 for fixing the leading end to the sheet mounting table 51 of the aligning and binding stage 50 is stretched over the upper part of each of the vertical conveying belts 34.
These pressing tapes 37 and the corresponding vertical transport belts 34
The recorded sheet X can be held between the recording sheet X and the surface of the recording sheet X. That is,
The tape base winding 38 shown in FIG. 5 is provided with a rotation characteristic in the winding direction, and the pressing tape 37 guided from the tape base winding 38 is provided with the guide roller 39 at the exit of the curved guide plate 33 and the sheet. Curved relay guide 5 of sheet mounting table 51 for picking up recorded sheet X from reverse transport path 30
2, the sheet placing table 5 via the lower guide roller 40.
The top ends are fixed to the tape stays 53 on the upper surface of the device 1, respectively. Therefore, since the upper sprocket 36 is driven clockwise in FIG. 2 by the transport motor 41, the recorded sheet X guided by the curved guide plate 33 is
The sheet is conveyed downward along the sheet reversing conveyance path 30 in a state where it is prevented from dropping by the attachment, and is taken up by the relay guide 52 of the aligning and binding stage 50 described above.

FIG. 4 shows an alignment stage up-down mechanism 6 for raising and lowering the sheet table 51 of the alignment stitching stage 50 described above.
0, a vertically extending guide groove 55 is formed between a pair of vertical guide frames 54F and 54B opposed to each other in the front-rear direction. These guide grooves 55 are rotatable on both sides of a vertically movable plate 56. The driven piece 57 is supported by the driven piece 57. An upper drive shaft 58 and a lower driven shaft 59 are provided above and below the guide frames 54F and 54B, respectively, and are provided between the upper drive sprocket 61 and the lower driven sprocket 62 provided on the upper drive shaft 58 and the lower driven shaft 59. An upper and lower timing belt 63 that partially secures the upper and lower movable plates 56 is stretched.

A support bracket 64 extending in a substantially horizontal direction is fixed to the upper and lower movable plate 56 in a cantilever manner, and the alignment bracket 64 extends directly below the sheet take-in stage 10. The sheet mounting table 51 of the binding stage 50 is mounted. Therefore, according to the alignment stage up / down mechanism 60 having such a structure, the upper mounting shaft 58 is driven by a stepping motor (not shown) to move the sheet mounting table 51 with respect to the respective output bins 91 of the output bin unit 90 in the vertical direction. The corresponding position of is calculated,
The recorded sheet X that has been processed in the alignment binding stage 50 is discharged and collected on the designated sheet mounting table 51.

The sheet mounting table 51 shown in detail in FIGS. 1 and 2 has a relay guide 52 opened upward facing the vertical transport belt 34, and a recorded guide captured by the relay guide 52. The sheet X is positioned on a smooth placing surface 66 inclined by the rotational movement of the relay roller 65 located at the exit. That is, as can be understood from FIG. 2, the placement surface 66 on which the captured plurality of recorded sheets X can be collected in a stacked state has a higher discharge side of the recorded sheets X. Recorded sheet X collected on placing surface 66
Are in a state where the rear end is aligned with the rear end cursor 67 provided on the capturing side due to their own weight.

As shown in FIG. 6, on one side of the sheet mounting table 51, a side edge cursor 68 for aligning the position of the side edge of the collected recorded sheet X and the aligned recorded sheet A stapler 85 is provided in which staples are driven into X and bound. That is, the sheet mounting table 51
An alignment belt 72 driven by a reversible alignment motor 71 is stretched over an alignment frame 69 that straddles the frame, and the width of a recorded sheet X formed on the upper side 69 a of the alignment frame 69 is stretched over the alignment belt 72. An alignment plate 75 that can reciprocate along the width direction groove 73 is fixed. The lower end of the alignment plate 75 is inserted into an open window 76 formed on the side of the mounting surface 66 opposite to the stapler 85, so that the alignment motor 75 X
When the sheet X is reciprocated in the width direction, one side edge of the stacked recorded sheet X positioned on the mounting surface 66 is moved to the side edge cursor 68.
And the positions of these recorded sheets X in the width direction are aligned.

In order to take out the processed recorded sheet X, a plurality of transport belts 77 extending in the transport direction of the recorded sheet X are provided on the sheet mounting table 51 of the alignment and binding stage 50. As shown in FIG. 6, each of the transport belts 77 disposed in the belt groove 66a of the above-described loading surface 66 includes a transport section driven sprocket 78 and a transport section drive sprocket provided on the loading side and the ejection side of the sheet loading table 51. A transport motor 81 (shown in FIG. 2) that is stretched between 79 and drives the transport unit drive sprocket 79.
Is driven clockwise in FIG. In addition, a hook claw 82 that can protrude from the belt groove 66a onto the mounting surface 66 is fixed to a part of the transport belt 77, so that when the transport belt 81 is driven by the transport motor 81, The hooks 82 are engaged with the trailing edge of the aligned recorded sheet X, and the recorded sheet X is moved toward the recorded sheet X. As shown in FIG. 2, there is an approach distance L between the leading end of the recorded sheet X located on the mounting surface 66 and the staple driving position of the stapler 85, so that the At this time, since an adjustment force due to the forced movement acts between the recorded sheets X, irregularities in the transport direction of the recorded sheets X in an inconsistent state are automatically corrected.

Although the structure of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 according to the illustrated embodiment has the above-described structure, the conveyance system of the recorded sheet X includes a sheet detection sensor SS1 as shown in FIG. SS5 is disposed, and these sheet detection sensors SS1 to SS5
The conveyance state of the recorded sheet X is monitored by the detection signal of (1). FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the relationship between the image forming apparatus 2 and the sheet post-processing apparatus 1. As can be understood from FIG. 7, the control unit CPU of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 includes: Processing mode from the image forming apparatus 2,
Information such as the number of originals and the number of prints is read, and the vertical position of the sheet mounting table 51 with respect to the sheet take-in stage 10, the designated discharge bin 91, the sheet reversal conveyance path 30, the alignment stitching, is instructed by the control device CPU. Stage 50
Transport motor 81 and matching motor 71, stapler 8
5. The discharge bin unit 90 is controlled, and the details of these control operations will become clear later.

Next, the actual processing operation of the recorded sheet X in the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 described above with reference to FIGS. 8 to 10 will be described. 8, when the power of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 is turned on, the upper and lower timing belts and the transport belt 77 are driven (step S1), and the recorded sheet X remaining on the transport path of the recorded sheet X is discharged. After being discharged to the bin unit 90, the take-in drive roller 16 and the direction changing drive roller 17 are also rotationally driven (step S2),
The recorded sheet X remaining in the sheet take-in stage 10 is similarly discharged to the discharge bin unit 90. Next, it is checked by the sheet detection sensor SS1 that there is no remaining recorded sheet X on the sheet taking-in stage 10 (step S3). However, the recorded sheet X on which the image is recorded from the image When it is taken into the processing apparatus 1, the take-in drive roller 16 is raised and the take-up driven roller 1 is taken up.
At the same time as being pressed against 3, the take-in drive roller 16 is driven to rotate. In this case, the direction changing drive roller 17 stops rotating and is lowered from the notch window 15. Therefore, the recorded sheet X is completely drawn into the sheet take-in stage 10 by the rotational movement of the take-in drive roller 16.

After the recorded sheet X is completely pulled into the sheet take-in stage 10, the passage of the rear end of the recorded sheet X is checked by the sheet detection sensor SS1 (step S4), and the take-in drive roller 16 stops. (Step S5), the take-in drive roller 16 is lowered, and the direction change drive roller 17 is raised and pressed against the direction change driven roller 14, and the direction change drive roller 17 is rotationally driven (Step S6). , Same direction conversion drive roller 1
7, the direction is changed to a direction perpendicular to the above-described take-in direction A, and conveyed through the sheet take-in stage 10 (step S7).

Thereafter, the recorded sheet X is driven by the vertical conveying belt 7734 of the sheet reversing conveying path 30 to drive the sheet X.
Alignment stitching stage 5 through sheet reversing conveyance path 30
From the relay guide 52 of No. 0, the sheet advances on the mounting surface 66 of the sheet mounting table 51. Since the mounting surface 66 is in an inclined state, the recorded sheet X slides on the mounting surface 66, and the rear end thereof moves rearward. It stops in a state where it has hit the end cursor 67. When the leading edge of the recorded sheet X is detected by the sheet detection sensor SS3 (step S8) at the time of shifting to the alignment binding stage 50, a timer for controlling the alignment unit of the alignment binding stage 50 is set (step S9). ) And the placement surface 6 described above
After waiting for the stationary time of the recorded sheet X on Step 6 (Step S10), the alignment motor 71 is started (Step S11),
The alignment plate 75 is reciprocated one time so that the side edge of the recorded sheet X located on the mounting surface 66 abuts on the side edge cursor 68. In the above-described steps from the taking-in of the recorded sheet X to the alignment operation by the alignment unit, a predetermined number of pages of the recorded sheet X or a predetermined number of the recorded sheets X is This process is repeated until the sheet 66 is placed in the stacked state. However, when the operation of aligning the predetermined number of the recorded sheets X is completed (step S12), the aligning plate 75 is retreated to a position separated from the recorded sheet X in the stacked state. (Step S13).

Next, in the aligning and binding stage 50, the transport motor 81 is started (step S14), and the transport belt 77 is moved.
The recorded sheet X in the stacked state aligned by the hooking claw 82 fixed to the stapler 85 is conveyed toward the stapler 85.
In this case, since the approach distance L is provided between the leading end of the recorded sheet X at the alignment position and the stapler 85, even if the recorded sheet X is not aligned in the transport direction, the hooking claw By the rapid forced movement by 82, the irregular state of the recorded sheet X is naturally corrected. After the conveyance of the recorded sheet X by the conveyance belt 77 is started, it is checked whether or not there is a stapling command (step S15). If there is a stapling command, it is checked whether or not there are a plurality of stapling points ( Step S16) will be performed.

If there are a plurality of binding instructions, the process proceeds to the step of FIG.
It is checked whether or not the sheet X has been transported to the first binding position (step S17). When the recorded sheet X has been transported to the first binding position, the transport belt 77 is temporarily stopped (step S18). The stapler 85 is operated (Step S19), and the recorded sheet X being conveyed is closed with staples.

Thereafter, when the operation of the stapler 85 is completed (step S20), the driving of the transport belt 77 is restarted (step S21), and the recording sheet X is stapled by the hooking claw 82 of the transport belt 77 for the second time. (Step S22), the transport belt 77 is stopped again at the second binding position (Step S23), and the stapler 85 is stopped.
Is operated again (step S24). After the second binding is completed (step S25), the transported belt 77 is driven (step S26), and the recorded sheet X that has been bound is discharged from the alignment binding stage 50. Although the sheet is discharged and collected in the discharge bin 91 corresponding to the aligning and binding stage 50, the trailing end of the recorded sheet X from the aligning and binding stage 50 is detected by the sheet detection sensor SS5 (step S26). After
The transport belt 77 is stopped (Step S27), and all the processing operations are completed.

If it is checked in step S15 whether there is a binding command, if there is no binding command signal, steps S16 to S25 are omitted, and the driving of the transport belt 77 is continued (step S28). )
Then, the process proceeds to step S26, in which the alignment staging stage 50
, The recorded sheet X is discharged. further,
At the time of checking the binding mode in step S16, if there is only one binding position, the process proceeds to FIG. 10, and the transported belt 77 conveys the recorded sheet X to the one binding position, and the same one binding position. When reaching the alignment position (step S29), the transport belt 77 is temporarily stopped (step S30). Therefore, the transport belt 7
After stopping the stapler 7, the stapler 85 is operated (step S31), the recorded sheet X is stapled by stapling, and after the operation of the stapler 85 is completed (step S32), the drive of the transport belt 77 is restarted (step S33). Returning to step S26, the recorded sheet X bound on the discharge bin 91 is discharged.

The vertical position of the aligning and binding stage 50 with respect to the paper discharge bin unit 90 is determined by the number of paper discharge bins used in accordance with the collation of the recorded sheets X transmitted from the image forming apparatus 2 and the number of sheets to be bound. It is determined by the selection signal 91. In other words, one or a plurality of output bins 91 for collecting the recorded sheet X are designated according to the page alignment signal or the number of sheets to be bound from the image forming apparatus 2, and the designated output bin 9 is designated.
The height of the sheet mounting table 51 of the aligning binding stage 50 is adjusted in advance to a height corresponding to 1, and the recorded sheet X processed by the aligning binding stage 50 is discharged to the discharge bin 91.

[0029]

As is apparent from the above description, in the present invention, a plurality of recorded sheets are sequentially taken into a sheet mounting table having an inclined mounting surface, and a plurality of recording sheets are recorded on the sheet mounting table. The stacked sheets are placed in a stacked state, aligned on one side, and stapled with a stapler located on the same side, so that a plurality of recorded sheets can be perfectly aligned and stapled while discharging. Therefore, a high-speed sheet post-processing apparatus with a short processing time can be achieved. Also,
In the present invention, stapling can be performed while conveying the recorded sheets aligned on the alignment stitching stage, so that the stapler provided on one side can perform stapling at a plurality of locations, and the stapler can be reached. When the approach distance is provided, there is also an effect that the alignment state of the recorded sheet in the transport direction is naturally adjusted during the transport.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention, which is partially cut away.

FIG. 2 is an overall side sectional view of the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a drive unit of a direction changing drive roller used in the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alignment stage vertical mechanism of the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a sheet reversing conveyance path and an alignment binding stage of the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alignment unit of the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a control unit of the sheet post-processing apparatus.

FIG. 8 is a control flow from the start of the sheet post-processing apparatus to the alignment process in the binding mode.

FIG. 9 is a control flow from the alignment process to the binding process of the sheet post-processing apparatus in the binding mode.

FIG. 10 is a control flow from the binding step to the end of discharge of the sheet post-processing apparatus in the binding mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A Take-in direction X Recorded sheet 1 Sheet post-processing device 2 Image forming device 10 Sheet take-in stage 30 Sheet reversal transport path 50 Alignment binding stage 51 Sheet mounting table 60 Alignment stage up-down mechanism 66 Mounting surface 68 Side edge cursor 85 Stapler 90 Output bin unit 91 Output bin

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of recorded sheets taken in from an image forming apparatus are sequentially conveyed to an aligning and binding stage, and the plurality of recorded sheets collected on the aligning and binding stage are stapled. In the sheet post-processing apparatus that discharges the printed sheet onto a discharge bin, the aligning and stitching stage includes a sheet mounting table having an inclined mounting surface with a higher discharge side of the recorded sheet. A sheet post-processing apparatus, wherein at least one stapler is disposed on one side of the sheet conveying direction. 2. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stapler drives staples on the surface of the recorded sheet at a plurality of positions during the conveyance of the recorded sheet on the sheet mounting table. 3. The sheet according to claim 1, wherein the alignment stitching stage has an alignment unit that aligns the stacked recorded sheets toward a side edge cursor on a side corresponding to the stapler. Post-processing device. 4. The aligning and stitching stage includes a transport unit for simultaneously moving a plurality of recorded sheets collected on the sheet mounting table toward the stapler, wherein the recorded sheet transported by the transport unit is provided. 2. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet can reach the stapler after being transported by a specific approach distance.