JP2005089024A - Paper post-processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a paper post-processing device capable of improving the quality of paper binding processing.
A sheet post-processing apparatus according to the present invention includes a binding processing unit that sequentially aligns sheets discharged from an image forming apparatus and performs a binding process, and a main unit that conveys the sheet toward the binding processing unit. A transport path 11 and a sub-transport path 13 that branches from the main transport path 11 and joins the main transport path 11 again. The preceding paper P1 is guided to the sub-transport path 13 to temporarily stop the transport, and After the sheet P2 is guided to the main transport path 11, the preceding sheet P1 and the next sheet P2 are simultaneously transported in an overlapping manner.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

    The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing apparatus applied to an electrophotographic copying machine, a printer, a facsimile, and the like.

  Conventionally, a sheet post-processing apparatus is connected to an image forming apparatus, conveys sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus to a binding processing unit, performs edge alignment and binding operations of the sheet bundle accumulated in the binding processing unit, Further, the sheet bundle for which the binding operation has been completed is moved from the binding processing unit to the paper discharge tray (Patent Document 1).

JP 2001-158564 A

  In the prior art described in Patent Document 1 described above, as shown in FIGS. 9A to 9C, when the preceding paper 101 subjected to the punching process is used for a cover sheet or a slip sheet, a binding processing unit is used. In this case, there is a problem that the next sheet 105 is caught in the hole 103 of the preceding sheet 101, and it is difficult to align the ends of the sheet bundle in the binding processing unit, and the quality of the binding process is deteriorated.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is that it provides a sheet post-processing apparatus capable of improving the quality of sheet binding processing.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the invention described in claim 1 is a binding processing unit that sequentially aligns the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus and performs a binding process, and conveys the sheets toward the binding processing unit. A main transport path and a sub transport path that branches off from the main transport path and joins the main transport path again. The preceding paper is guided to the sub transport path and transport is temporarily stopped, and the next paper is transferred to the main transport path. In this case, the preceding sheet and the next sheet are simultaneously stacked and conveyed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus and the sheet post-processing apparatus include a plurality of sheet feeding units, and the preceding sheet is conveyed from one sheet feeding unit. In this case, the preceding sheet is transported to the sub transport path, and when the preceding sheet is transported from the other paper feeding unit, the preceding sheet is transported to the main transport path.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the present invention, the sub-transport path includes a sheet detection unit that detects the presence or absence of a sheet, and the sheet detection unit includes a sheet in the sub-transport path. If it is determined that the sheet is guided to the main transport path, and if it is determined that there is no sheet in the sub transport path, the sheet is guided to the sub transport path.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus is conveyed toward the binding processing unit that performs the binding process on the end of the sheet, but the preceding sheet is guided to the sub-transport path. Then, the conveyance is temporarily stopped and the next sheet is guided to the main conveyance path, and then the preceding sheet and the next sheet are simultaneously stacked and conveyed.

  In this way, the preceding paper and the next paper can be overlapped and conveyed to the binding processing unit, so even when a paper with a high friction coefficient is used or there is a clip mark or the like on the paper, the binding processing unit Thus, it is possible to prevent a misalignment from occurring at the leading edge of each sheet, and to provide a sheet post-processing apparatus with stable binding quality.

  In particular, when a paper that has been subjected to perforation processing is bound as a cover sheet or slip sheet, the next paper will be caught in the hole portion of the perforated paper, and a misalignment may occur at the front end of the paper in the binding processing section. Can be prevented.

  According to the second aspect of the invention, the same effect as that of the first aspect of the invention can be obtained, and only the paper set in one of the paper feeding sections is guided to the sub-transport path. By setting the paper in one paper feeding unit, the perforated paper and the normal paper can be stacked and conveyed to the binding processing unit.

  According to the invention described in claim 3, since the same effect as that of the invention described in claim 1 or 2 can be obtained and the sheet detecting means is provided in the sub-transport path, the presence / absence information of the punched sheet is provided. Even when the paper sizes are different, the paper can be kept waiting at a predetermined position in the sub-transport path, and the position of the overlap with the next paper can be accurately adjusted. .

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the binding processing conveyance path shown in FIG. 7, and is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the preceding paper is guided into the sub-conveyance path. FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the preceding sheet and the next sheet are simultaneously stacked from the state illustrated in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating the control of the conveyance process according to the present invention. 5 is a plan view showing the operation panel of FIG. 6, FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the operation unit of the image forming apparatus, FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing the entire sheet post-processing apparatus of the present invention, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a state in which the sheet post-processing apparatus is attached to a side portion of the image forming apparatus.

  The sheet post-processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is attached to a side portion of the image forming apparatus 100, and a conveyance roller 3 that receives a sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus 100 is provided at an entrance of the sheet post-processing apparatus 1. An entrance sensor is provided immediately before the transport roller 3 to detect the leading and trailing edges of the transported paper. Deflection claws 5 and 6 are provided on the downstream side of the conveying roller 3, and the deflection claws 5 and 6 are driven by a solenoid and a spring (not shown).

  The deflection claws 5 and 6 include a first transport path A that guides the paper discharged by the image forming apparatus 100 to the proof tray 7, a second transport path B that guides the paper discharged to the stipple tray E for stapling, and a large-volume discharge tray. Branches to a third conveyance path C that guides the sheet to 9. Note that the sheets that have been stapled (bound in the staple tray E) are finally stacked on the mass discharge tray 9 located on the most downstream side.

  The second transport path B includes a main transport path 11 that guides the paper that has passed through the deflection claw 5 to the staple tray E, and a sub-transport path 13 that branches from the main transport path 11 and joins the main transport path 11 again. I have. In the main transport path 11 and the sub transport path 13, transport rollers 17 and 20 controlled by a drive unit (not shown) are provided. Further, a branching claw 15 capable of switching the paper between the main transport path 11 and the sub transport path 13 is provided at a branch point between the main transport path 11 and the sub transport path 13. Further, a paper detection sensor (paper detection means 19) for detecting the presence or absence of paper is provided in the sub-transport path 13.

  The staple unit E includes an alignment tray 21 for temporarily stacking sheets, a jogger fence 23 for aligning sheets in the horizontal direction, a roller unit 25 capable of contact / separation for aligning sheets in the vertical direction, and sheets Are provided with a reference fence 27 for aligning the leading ends of the paper, a binding device 29 that can move in the horizontal direction according to the size and binding position of the paper, and the like.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the image forming apparatus 100 includes an operation unit 40. The operation unit 40 includes a start button 43 for starting a copy operation, an operation panel 41 for performing various settings by touch panel operation, and the like. . The operation panel 41 includes buttons for setting / changing the size, magnification, density, and the like of copy paper, as well as a cover / interleaf button for using the paper to be fed as a cover or slip sheet.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment will be described based on the configuration described above. The sheet fed from the sheet feed tray 50 of the image forming apparatus 100 is guided into the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 after the image forming process is performed. When the binding process is performed, the sheet passes through the conveyance roller 6 and proceeds to the second conveyance path B and is guided to the staple unit E.

  When performing the binding process using the preceding paper (preceding paper) P1 as a cover or slip sheet, the preceding paper P1 is set in advance on the cover / interleaf tray 60 provided on the upper part of the paper feed tray 50 or the sheet post-processing apparatus 1. To do. The cover / interleaf tray 60 is selected by specifying the paper feed destination on the operation panel of the image forming apparatus 100, the cover / interleaf mode is selected by the cover / interleaf button of the operation panel 41, and inserted at the position designated by each part. Set to be.

  When the preceding sheet P1 is carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 (step S1 in FIG. 4), whether or not there is a sheet in the sub-transport path 13 is detected by the sheet detection sensor 19 provided in the sub-transport path 13. Is determined (step S2).

  If it is determined that there is no sheet in the sub-transport path 13, it is determined whether or not the preceding sheet P1 is a cover sheet or a slip sheet (step S3). When the preceding sheet P1 is a cover sheet or a slip sheet, it receives slip sheet (cover page) information from the main body, and when it is determined that it is a slip sheet (cover sheet), the switching claw 15 switches to the position shown in FIG. The sheet P1 is guided to the sub transport path 13. When the preceding paper P1 is guided into the sub-transport path 13 and the paper is detected by the paper detection sensor 19, the transport roller 17 of the sub-transport path 13 is temporarily stopped, and the transport of the paper is stopped.

  When the transport of the preceding paper P1 is stopped, the switching claw 15 returns to the original position shown in FIG. 2, and the next paper P2 is guided into the main transport path 11 (step S4). As shown in FIG. 3, the transport roller 17 of the sub transport path 13 rotates again, and is transported to the staple unit E in a state where the preceding paper P1 and the next paper P2 overlap each other at a predetermined timing. In step S2, if the sheet detection sensor 19 determines that there is already a sheet in the sub-transport path 13, the sheet is guided to the main transport path 11 and the preceding sheet of the sub-transport path 13 as described above. It is transported together with P1 (step S6). Further, when the preceding paper P1 is not in the cover / interleaf mode, a normal paper discharge process is performed.

  The preceding paper P1 and the next paper P2 further proceed along the second conveyance path B, are guided by the staple unit E, are guided into the alignment tray 21, and are dropped by the roller unit 25 onto the lower reference fence 27. When the preceding paper P1 and the next paper P2 come into contact with the reference fence 27, the jogger fence drive motor is driven and the jogger fence 23 moves in the direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction to press both ends of the paper and transport the paper. Align in the center of the direction. Then, the leading ends of the respective sheets are aligned, and the binding process is performed by the binding device 29.

  In this way, the preceding paper P1 and the next paper P2 can be overlapped and conveyed to the staple unit E. Therefore, when the edge of the paper is aligned by the reference fence 27, the preceding paper P1 and the next paper P P2 can be prevented from shifting due to surface friction or the like, and the binding quality can be stably performed.

  In particular, when the preceding paper P1 is a paper that has been subjected to perforation processing, it is possible to prevent the next paper P2 from being caught in the hole portion of the preceding paper P1 and causing a misalignment at the front end of the paper by the staple unit E. Thus, it is possible to provide the sheet post-processing apparatus 1 with stable binding quality.

  Note that misalignment between the preceding paper P1 and the next paper P2 occurs not only when a paper having been subjected to perforation processing is used, but also when a paper with a high friction coefficient is used or when the paper is used. Even if there are clip marks etc., it is expected that misalignment will occur, but even in such a case, by performing the above-described control, it is possible to prevent misalignment from occurring at the leading edge of each paper, It is possible to provide a paper post-processing apparatus with stable binding quality.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the above-described embodiment, the paper on which the punching process has been performed in advance is set in the cover / interleaf tray 60 provided on the upper part of the paper feed tray 50 or the paper post-processing apparatus 1. A punching device may be provided in the apparatus 1, and the paper that has been punched by the punching device may be used as a cover sheet or a slip sheet.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating the binding processing conveyance path illustrated in FIG. 7, and is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which the preceding sheet is guided into the sub conveyance path. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a next sheet is conveyed from the state illustrated in FIG. 1 into a main conveyance path. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state in which a preceding sheet and a next sheet are simultaneously stacked and conveyed from the state of FIG. 2. It is a flowchart which shows control of the conveyance process of this invention. It is a top view which shows the operation panel shown in FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an operation unit of the image forming apparatus. FIG. It is the schematic which shows the whole paper post-processing apparatus of this invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a state where the sheet post-processing apparatus of the present invention is attached to a side portion of the image forming apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the state of the paper in the binding process conveyance path | route shown in a prior art example.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Paper post-processing apparatus 11 Main conveyance path 13 Sub conveyance path 19 Paper detection sensor (paper detection means)
100 Image forming apparatus P1 Preceding paper P2 Next paper E Staple tray (binding processing section)

Claims (3)

  A binding processing unit that sequentially aligns the sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus and performs a binding process, a main conveyance path that conveys the sheets toward the binding processing unit, and a branch from the main conveyance path to join the main conveyance path again. The preceding sheet is guided to the sub-transport path and transport is temporarily stopped. After the next sheet is guided to the main transport path, the preceding sheet and the next sheet are overlapped at the same time. A paper post-processing apparatus that is conveyed.   The image forming apparatus and the sheet post-processing apparatus include a plurality of sheet feeding units. When a preceding sheet is conveyed from one sheet feeding unit, the preceding sheet is conveyed to the sub-conveying path and from the other sheet feeding unit. 2. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when a preceding sheet is conveyed, the preceding sheet is conveyed to a main conveyance path. The sub-transport path is provided with a paper detection means for detecting the presence or absence of paper. When the paper detection means determines that there is paper in the sub-transport path, the paper is guided to the main transport path, and the paper is placed in the sub-transport path. 3. The sheet post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the sheet does not exist, the sheet is guided to the sub-transport path.

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