JP2018079700A - Sheet binding device and image forming device - Google Patents

Abstract

A sheet binding apparatus, a sheet processing apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming system capable of suppressing sticking of a sheet bundle subjected to pressure binding to a movable pressure-bonding member. A pair of pressure-bonding members 261 having concave and convex teeth, one of a pair of pressure-bonding members, a binding position for binding a bundle of sheets together with the other pressure-bonding member 261a, and a retracted position retracted from the binding position. And a crimping member moving means 269 that moves the movable crimping member 261b that is movable between the movable crimping member 261b. In the sheet binding device 280 of the crimping and binding method that sandwiches and binds the sheet bundle, when the movable crimping member moves from the binding position to the retracted position, the separating unit 20 contacts the sheet bundle and separates the sheet bundle from the movable crimping member. Was provided within the movable range of the movable pressure-bonding member. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a paper binding device that performs binding processing on paper, a paper processing device including the paper binding device, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming system.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as an image forming system, there is known an image forming system including a sheet processing apparatus provided with a sheet binding apparatus that performs a binding process on a sheet bundle on which an image is formed by an image forming apparatus.

  In Patent Document 1, a paper bundle is strongly entangled with a crimping tooth which is a crimping member having a pair of concave and convex tooth portions without using a metal needle, whereby the fibers of the paper are entangled and the papers are crimped together. A paper binding apparatus of a crimping binding method for binding a paper bundle is described.

  In this paper binding apparatus, one of the pair of pressure-bonding teeth is a fixed pressure-bonded tooth assembled to the fixed member, and the other is assembled to a movable member that can contact and separate from the pressure-bonded member assembled to the fixed member. It is a movable crimping tooth.

  By binding the sheet bundle by crimping without using the metal needle, it is possible to save the trouble of removing the metal needle from the sheet bundle when discarding the sheet bundle or applying a shredder.

  However, when the paper bundle is strongly meshed with a pair of pressure-bonding teeth, a strong pressure is required. Therefore, when releasing the meshing of the paper bundle by the pair of pressure-bonding teeth, the movable pressure-bonded tooth may move away from the fixed pressure-bonding tooth in a state in which the paper-sheet that has been crimp-bonded is stuck to the movable pressure-bonding tooth. is there. As described above, if the sheet bundle sticks to the movable pressure-bonding teeth, there is a possibility that it may lead to a paper jam or damage to the sheet.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a sheet binding device that can suppress sticking of a sheet bundle subjected to crimping binding to a movable crimping member, and sheet processing including the sheet binding device. An apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and an image forming system are provided.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 is a pair of pressure-bonding members having concave and convex teeth, and one of the pair of pressure-bonding members, and a binding position for binding a bundle of sheets together with the other pressure-bonding member; And a crimping member moving means for moving a movable crimping member provided movably between the retracted position retracted from the binding position, and the movable crimping member moving means moves the movable crimping member to the binding position. In the sheet binding apparatus of the crimping binding method in which the sheet bundle is sandwiched between the pair of crimping members and bound to the sheet bundle, when the movable crimping member moves from the binding position to the retracted position, A separating means for contacting the sheet bundle and separating the sheet bundle from the movable crimping member is provided within a movable range of the movable crimping member.

  As described above, according to the present invention, there is an excellent effect that it is possible to suppress the sheet bundle subjected to the crimping binding from sticking to the movable crimping member.

(A) Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the binding tool and its drive mechanism in the state where the tooth mold is open, (b) Explanatory drawing showing an example of the binding tool and its drive mechanism in the state where the tooth mold is closed. 2 is a diagram showing two aspects of the image forming system according to the embodiment. FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the sheet post-processing apparatus in FIG. 2. FIG. 3 is a front view of the sheet post-processing apparatus in FIG. 2. The figure which shows the principal part of the sheet | seat post-processing apparatus centering on a branching claw when the branching claw in FIG. 4 is a paper conveyance state. The figure which shows the principal part of the paper post-processing apparatus centering on a branch claw when the branch claw in FIG. 4 switches a paper back. FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when an initial operation is completed when online binding is performed by the sheet post-processing apparatus. FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state immediately after the first sheet is discharged from the image forming apparatus and carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus from the state of FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the rear end of the sheet has separated from the nip of the entrance roller and exceeded the branch path from the state of FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a state when the paper is switched back from the state of FIG. 9 to align the paper conveyance direction. FIG. 11 is an operation explanatory diagram showing a state when the first sheet is made to wait on the branch path from the state of FIG. 10 and the next second sheet is carried in. Operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows a state when the 2nd sheet | seat is carried in from the state of FIG. FIG. 13 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the final sheet is aligned from the state of FIG. 12 to form a sheet bundle. Operation | movement explanatory drawing which shows the state when performing the binding operation time from the state of FIG. FIG. 15 is an operation explanatory diagram illustrating a state when the sheet bundle is discharged from the state of FIG. 14. The schematic diagram of the peeling member in which the hole part which a tooth | gear part can advance / retreat was formed. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the binding tool in the state where the tooth type was opened, and its drive mechanism. Explanatory drawing which shows an example of the binding tool of the state with which the tooth type | mold was closed, and its drive mechanism. The figure explaining stacking | stacking a sheet | seat on a conveyance path. The figure explaining the processing operation after the 2nd copy.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating aspects of the image forming apparatus and the image forming system according to the embodiment. That is, FIG. 2A shows the image forming apparatus 101 in which a sheet post-processing apparatus 201 as a sheet processing apparatus is installed in the conveyance path of the image forming apparatus 101. FIG. 2B illustrates an image forming system including the image forming apparatus 101 and a sheet post-processing apparatus 201 provided outside the conveyance path of the image forming apparatus 101.

  The sheet post-processing apparatus 201 includes a pressure binding apparatus 280 that is a sheet binding apparatus that binds sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus 101. Further, the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 has an alignment function for stacking and aligning sheets in the conveyance path and a binding function for binding the aligned sheet bundle in the conveyance path.

  In FIG. 2A, since the post-processing is performed in the cylinder of the image forming apparatus 101, it is also called an in-cylinder processing apparatus. As described above, the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 according to the present embodiment is small in size, and can be easily attached or arranged in the cylinder or on the side according to the form of the image forming apparatus 101.

  The image forming apparatus 101 includes an image forming engine unit 110 including an image processing unit and a paper feeding unit, a reading engine unit 103 that reads an image and converts it into image data, and an automatic document that automatically feeds a document to be read into the reading engine unit 103. And a feeding device 104.

  In FIG. 2A, the paper is discharged after image formation by a paper discharge unit provided in the cylinder of the image forming apparatus 101. In FIG. 2B, the paper is discharged after image formation. This is performed by a paper discharge unit provided outside the apparatus 101.

  3 is a plan view of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 in FIG. 2, and FIG. 4 is a front view of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 in FIG. 3 and 4, the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 includes an inlet sensor 202, an inlet roller 203, a branching claw 204, a binding tool 210, and a paper discharge roller 205 from the inlet side along the conveyance path 240.

  The entrance sensor 202 detects the leading edge, the trailing edge, and the presence / absence of a sheet discharged from the discharge roller 102 of the image forming apparatus 101 and carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. As the entrance sensor 202, for example, a reflection type optical sensor is used. Note that a transmissive optical sensor may be used instead of the reflective optical sensor.

  The entrance roller 203 is located at the entrance of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201, receives the sheet discharged by the sheet discharge roller 102 of the image forming apparatus 101, and carries the sheet into a binding tool 210 that is a binding unit included in the crimping binding apparatus 280. It has the function to do. In addition, a drive unit (drive motor) (not shown) that can control stop, rotation, and conveyance amount, and a post-processing control unit (not shown) that controls the drive unit and the crimping and binding device 280 are also provided.

  The entrance roller 203 abuts the leading end of the sheet conveyed from the image forming apparatus 101 side to the nip with the pair of rollers, and also performs skew correction.

  A branch claw 204 is disposed at the subsequent stage of the entrance roller 203. The branch claw 204 is provided to guide the rear end of the sheet to the branch path 241. In this case, after the trailing edge of the sheet has passed the branching path 241, the branching claw 204 rotates clockwise in FIG. 4 and transports the sheet in the direction opposite to the loading direction.

  As a result, the rear end side of the sheet is guided to the branch path 241 side. As will be described later, the branch claw 204 is driven by a solenoid to perform a swinging operation. A motor can be used instead of the solenoid.

  The branching claw 204 is driven in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. 4 and can press a sheet or a sheet bundle against the conveyance surface of the branching path 241 when rotated. Thereby, the branching claw 204 can fix the sheet or the sheet bundle by the branching path 241.

  The paper discharge roller 205 is located immediately before the final exit of the transport path 240 of the paper post-processing apparatus 201 and has a function of transporting, shifting, and discharging the paper. Further, similarly to the entrance roller 203, a drive source (drive motor) capable of controlling the stop, rotation, and conveyance amount of the paper discharge roller 205 is provided, and this drive source is controlled by the post-processing control unit. The paper discharge roller 205 is shifted by a shift mechanism 205M. The shift mechanism 205M includes a shift link 206, a shift cam 207, a shift cam stud 208, and a shift home position sensor 209.

  The shift link 206 is provided at the shaft end 205a of the paper discharge roller 205 and receives a shift moving force. The shift cam 207 has a shift cam stud 208 and is a rotating disk-shaped component. By the rotation of this component, the paper discharge roller 205 movably inserted into the shift link long hole portion 207a through the shift cam stud 208 moves in a direction orthogonal to the paper transport direction. This movement is a so-called shift.

  The shift cam stud 208 functions in conjunction with the shift link elongated hole portion 207 a to convert the rotational motion of the shift cam 207 into the linear motion of the paper discharge roller 205 in the axial direction. The shift home position sensor 209 detects the position of the shift link 206, sets the position detected by the shift home position sensor 209 as the home position, and executes rotation control of the shift cam 207 with reference to the home position. This control is executed by the post-processing control unit.

  The binding tool 210 includes a paper edge detection sensor 220, a binding tool home position sensor 221, and a guide rail 230 for moving the binding tool. The binding tool 210 is a mechanism for binding the sheet bundle PB and is called a so-called stapler.

  In the present embodiment, the sheet is deformed by being sandwiched between a pair of tooth molds 261 and pressurized, and a function of binding and binding the fibers of the sheet is provided.

  In addition to this binding method, there is also known a stapler that uses a binding tool such as half punching, cutting, bending, and passing through a hole.

  In any case, supply consumption can be reduced or it can be easily recycled, and it can be directly shredded. For this reason, when such a binding tool 210 is used, even a paper post-processing apparatus, a so-called finisher, can perform binding processing on a single sheet like a crimped binding without using a metal needle.

  The paper edge detection sensor 220 is a sensor for taking out the side edge of the paper, and aligns this sensor detection position with reference when aligning the paper.

  The binding tool home position sensor 221 is a sensor that detects the position of the binding tool 210 that can move in the paper width direction. The home position is a position where the binding tool 210 is positioned so as not to obstruct even when the maximum size paper is conveyed. , Detect its position.

  The guide rail 230 is a rail that guides the movement of the binding tool 210 so that the binding tool 210 can move stably in the paper width direction. The guide rail 230 is installed so as to be movable in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveyance direction of the conveyance path 240 of the sheet post-processing device 201 from the home position to a position where the binding tool 210 can bind the sheet of the minimum sheet size. Yes.

  The binding tool 210 moves along the guide rail 230 by a moving mechanism including a drive motor (not shown).

  The conveyance path 240 is a conveyance path for conveying and discharging the received paper, and penetrates from the inlet side to the outlet side of the paper post-processing apparatus 201. The branch path 241 is a transport path that reversely transports the paper (switches back) and carries it in from the rear end side, and branches from the transport path 240. The branch path 241 is provided to align and align the sheets, and functions as a stacking unit.

  The abutting surface 242 is a reference surface that is provided at the end of the branch path 241 and abuts and aligns the rear end of the sheet.

  The tooth mold 261 is a pair of pressure-bonding members including an upper tooth mold part 261a in which concave and convex tooth parts 26a are arranged in a predetermined direction and a lower tooth mold part 261b in which concave and convex tooth parts 26b are arranged in a predetermined direction ( (See FIG. 1). The sheet bundle PB of each of the upper tooth mold part 261a and the lower tooth mold part 261b has a function of sandwiching and pressing the sheet bundle between the opposed tooth mold surfaces to perform pressure binding.

  5 and 6 are diagrams showing the main part of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 with the branching claw 204 as the center. FIG. 5 shows the details of the related mechanism when the branching claw 204 is in the paper transport state, and FIG. 6 shows the details of the related mechanism when the paper is switched back.

  The branching claw 204 is provided so as to be able to swing within an angle range set in advance with respect to the support shaft 204b in order to switch the paper transporting path to either the transporting path 240 or the branching path 241. The branch claw 204 is a position where the paper received from the right side in the drawing can be conveyed downstream without resistance, that is, the position shown in FIG. 5 is the home position, and is always elastically pressed counterclockwise by the spring 251. Has been.

  The spring 251 is hung on the branch claw movable lever portion 204a, and the plunger of the branch solenoid 250 is connected to the branch claw movable lever portion 204a.

  The conveyance surface of the branch path 241 and the branch claw 204 hold the sheet in the branch path 241 in a sandwiched state when the sheet is conveyed to the branch path 241 in the state of FIG. can do.

  The transfer path is switched by turning on / off the branch solenoid 250. That is, when the branch solenoid 250 is turned on, the branch claw 204 rotates in the direction of the arrow R1 in FIG. 6, and the sheet can be guided to the branch path 241 by closing the conveyance path 240 and opening the branch path 241.

  FIGS. 7 to 15 are operation explanatory diagrams illustrating the online binding operation performed by the binding tool 210 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. In each figure, (a) is a plan view and (b) is a front view.

  In the present embodiment, online binding refers to installing a sheet post-processing device 201 at a paper discharge port of the image forming apparatus 101 as shown in FIG. It means to continuously accept and align and perform the binding process.

  On the other hand, a sheet printed out from the image forming apparatus 101 or a sheet printed out separately can be bound by the binding tool 210 of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. This binding method is referred to as manual binding. Manual binding is not included in the offline binding because it is not performed by a series of operations from the discharge of the image forming apparatus 101.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a state when the initial operation of the online binding operation is completed. When the output of the paper on which the image is formed from the image forming apparatus 101 is started, each unit moves to the home position, and the initial process (operation) is completed. FIG. 7 shows the state at this time.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a state immediately after the first sheet P <b> 1 is discharged from the image forming apparatus 101 and carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201. Before the first sheet P1 is carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 from the image forming apparatus 101, the post-processing control unit of the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 controls sheet processing from the CPU (not shown) of the image forming apparatus 101. Receives mode information and paper information about the mode. And based on the information, it will be in an acceptance waiting state.

  In the control mode, three modes, a straight mode, a shift mode, and a binding mode, are set. In the straight mode, after the entrance roller 203 and the paper discharge roller 205 start rotating in the paper transport direction in the standby state, the paper P1,... Pn are sequentially transported and discharged, and the final paper Pn is discharged. Then, the entrance roller 203 and the paper discharge roller 205 are stopped. Note that n is a positive integer of 2 or more.

  In the shift mode, the entrance roller 203 and the paper discharge roller 205 start to rotate in the transport direction in an acceptance standby state. In the shift discharge operation, the first sheet P1 is received and conveyed, and when the rear end of the first sheet P1 passes through the entrance roller 203, the shift cam 207 rotates by a certain amount and the discharge roller 205 moves in the axial direction. Move to. At this time, the first sheet P1 also moves together with the movement of the discharge roller 205.

  When the first sheet P1 is discharged, the shift cam 207 rotates to return to the home position, and prepares for the next loading of the second sheet P2. This shift operation of the paper discharge roller 205 is repeated until the discharge of the nth (final) paper Pn of the same portion is completed.

  As a result, the sheet bundle PB for one copy (one book) is discharged and stacked while being shifted to one side. When the first sheet P1 of the next part is carried in, the shift cam 207 rotates in the opposite direction to the previous part, and the sheet P1 moves to the opposite side to the previous part and is discharged.

  In the binding mode, the entrance roller 203 is stopped in the acceptance standby state, and the paper discharge roller 205 starts to rotate in the transport direction. Further, the binding tool 210 moves to a standby position that is retracted by a certain amount from the sheet width and stands by. In this case, the entrance roller 203 also functions as a registration roller.

  That is, the first sheet P 1 is carried into the sheet post-processing apparatus 201, the leading end of the sheet is detected by the entrance sensor 202, and further strikes the nip of the entrance roller 203. Then, the first sheet P1 is conveyed by the sheet discharge roller 102 of the image forming apparatus 101 by a distance that causes a certain amount of bending from the abutted position. After being transported by the distance, the entrance roller 203 starts to rotate.

  Thereby, skew correction of the first sheet P1 is performed. FIG. 8A and FIG. 8B show the state at this time.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a state where the trailing edge of the sheet has left the nip of the entrance roller 203 and has exceeded the branch path 241.

  The transport amount of the first sheet P1 is counted based on detection information by the entrance sensor 202 at the rear end of the sheet, and the position information of the sheet transport position is grasped by the post-processing control unit of the sheet post-processing device 201.

  When the trailing edge of the sheet passes through the nip of the entrance roller 203, the entrance roller 203 stops rotating to receive the next second sheet P2. At the same timing, the shift cam 207 rotates in the direction of arrow R4 in FIG. 9 (clockwise direction in the drawing), and the discharge roller 205 starts moving in the axial direction with the first sheet P1 nipped. As a result, the first sheet P1 is conveyed while being skewed in the direction of the arrow D1 in FIG.

  After that, when the paper end detection sensor 220 provided or incorporated in the binding tool 210 detects the side edge of the paper P1, the shift cam 207 stops and then reverses, and the paper end detection sensor 220 is in the non-detection state of the paper P1. The shift cam 207 stops. Then, the operation is completed, and the paper discharge roller 205 stops at a predetermined position where the rear end of the paper has passed the front end of the branching claw 204.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state when the paper P1 is switched back to align the transport direction of the paper P1. The branching claw 204 is rotated from the state of FIG. 9 in the direction indicated by the arrow R5 to switch the conveyance path to the branching path 241, and then the paper discharge roller 205 is rotated in the reverse direction.

  As a result, the first sheet P1 is switched back in the direction of the arrow D2, and the rear end of the sheet is carried into the branch path 241 and further abutted against the abutting surface 242. The abutting of the trailing edge of the sheet aligns the trailing edge of the sheet with the abutting surface 242 as a reference.

  When the first sheet P1 is aligned, the paper discharge roller 205 stops. At this time, the paper discharge roller 205 slips when the first sheet P1 hits the abutting surface 242 so that no conveying force is applied. That is, when the first sheet P1 is switched back and abuts against the abutting surface 242 and the rear end of the sheet is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, it is set so that the sheet is not further buckled and buckled. ing.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the first sheet P1 is made to wait on the branch path 241 and the next second sheet P2 is carried in. After the preceding first sheet P1 is aligned with the abutting surface 242 as a reference, the branching claw 204 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R6 in the drawing.

  As a result, the contact surface 204c, which is the lower surface of the branch claw 204, strongly presses the rear end of the sheet, which is positioned in the branch path 241, against the surface of the branch path 241, and stands by without moving. When the subsequent second sheet P2 is carried in from the image forming apparatus 101, skew correction is performed by the entrance roller 203 in the same manner as the preceding first sheet P1. Next, at the same time as the rotation of the entrance roller 203 starts, the paper discharge roller 205 also starts to rotate in the transport direction.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a state when the second sheet P2 is carried in. When the second sheet P2 and the third and subsequent sheets P3,..., Pn are transported from the state shown in FIG. 11, the operations shown in FIGS. Then, the sheets conveyed from the image forming apparatus 101 are sequentially moved to a preset position and overlapped, and the aligned sheet bundle PB is stacked (accumulated) in the conveyance path 240.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a state where the final sheet Pn is aligned to form the sheet bundle PB. When the operation of the final sheet Pn as the aligned sheet bundle PB is completed, the discharge roller 205 is rotated by a certain amount in the transport direction and stopped. With this operation, the bending that occurs when the rear end of the sheet is abutted against the abutting surface 242 is eliminated.

  Thereafter, the branching claw 204 is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow R5, and the contact surface 204c is separated from the branching path 241 to release the pressure applied to the sheet bundle PB. As a result, the sheet bundle PB is released from the restraining force by the branch claw 204 and can be conveyed by the paper discharge roller 205.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a state during the binding operation.
The paper discharge roller 205 is rotated in the transport direction from the state shown in FIG. 13, and the paper bundle PB is transported by a distance that matches the position of the tooth mold 261 of the binding tool 210 and the binding position of the paper bundle PB, and stopped at that position. As a result, the processing position of the sheet bundle PB in the conveyance direction matches the position of the tooth mold 261 in the conveyance direction.

  Then, the binding tool 210 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow D3 by the distance that the position of the tooth mold 261 of the binding tool 210 coincides with the processing position of the paper, and stops. As a result, the processing position in the width direction of the sheet bundle PB matches the position of the tooth mold 261 in the transport direction and the width direction. At this time, the branching claw 204 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow R6 and returns to the paper receiving state.

  Thereafter, the drive motor 265 is turned on, and the sheet bundle PB is pressurized by the tooth mold 261 and is squeezed to perform crimp binding.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state when the sheet bundle PB is discharged. The sheet bundle PB bound as shown in FIG. 14 is discharged by the rotation of the discharge roller 205.

  After the sheet bundle PB is discharged, the shift cam 207 is rotated in the direction of the arrow R7 to return to the home position (position in FIG. 7). In parallel with this, the binding tool 210 is moved in the direction of the arrow D4 in the figure, and returned to the home position (position in FIG. 7). Thereby, the binding operation is completed for the alignment operation of one copy (one copy) of the sheet bundle PB. If there is a next part, the operations shown in FIGS. 7 to 15 are repeated to create one sheet bundle PB that has been crimped in the same manner.

  FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the drawing and crimping mechanism 269 in the crimping and binding apparatus 280. FIG. 1A is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the binding tool 210 in a state where the tooth mold 261 is opened and the driving mechanism thereof, and FIG. 1B is a diagram illustrating the binding tool 210 in a state where the tooth mold 261 is closed. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the drive mechanism.

  In the present embodiment, the tooth mold 261 has an upper tooth mold part 261a and a lower tooth mold part 261b, and has a meshing shape. The upper tooth mold portion 261a is configured by providing an uneven tooth portion 26a on the lower surface of the fixing member 27a. The lower tooth part 261b is configured by providing an uneven tooth part 26b on the upper surface of the movable member 27b so as to face the upper tooth part 261a.

  Further, it is movable between a binding position for binding the sheet bundle PB together with the upper tooth portion 261a as shown in FIG. 1B and a retracted position retracted from the binding position as shown in FIG. 1A. As described above, the lower tooth mold portion 261 b is provided to be rotatable about the rotation shaft 23.

  The crimping and binding apparatus 280 shown in FIG. 1 includes a drawing and crimping mechanism 269 as a pressing force applying unit that moves the lower tooth mold portion 261b and applies a pressing force to the tooth mold 261.

  The drawing / crimping mechanism 269 includes a link mechanism 270, a crank mechanism 271 that operates the link mechanism 270, and the like. The link mechanism 270 and the crank mechanism 271 are rotatably connected at the first node 269a.

  The link mechanism 270 includes a first connecting rod 270a and a second connecting rod 270b. One end of each of the first connecting rod 270a and the second connecting rod 270b is connected to the first node 269a, and the other end is rotatably connected to the second node 270c and the third node 270d.

  The second node 270c is installed on the back surface of the lower tooth mold portion 261b, and the third node 270d moves to the fixing member 270f on the extension of the reciprocating linear motion of the lower tooth mold portion 261b (on the extension line of the virtual straight line 270e). It is impossible to install. The imaginary straight line 270e corresponds to a trajectory in which the lower tooth part 261b is guided by a guide member (not shown) that guides the lower tooth part 261b.

  The crank mechanism 271 includes a third connecting rod 271a, a drive motor 271m, a rotating shaft 271b, and a rotating rod 271c that is fixed to the rotating shaft 271b and rotates integrally.

  The third connecting rod 271a has one end rotatably connected to the tip of the rotating rod 271c and the fourth node 271d and the other end rotatably connected to the first node 269a. That is, one end of the first connecting rod 270a, the second connecting rod 270b, and the third connecting rod 271a is connected to the first node 269a. The position of the rotating shaft 271b of the drive motor 271m is fixed.

  Further, the first connecting rod 270a and the second connecting rod 270b are connected at an angle that does not coincide with the virtual straight line 270e when the lower tooth portion 261b is displaced to the maximum extent toward the upper tooth portion 261a. .

  In other words, the first connecting rod 270a and the second connecting rod 270b are connected at an angle such that the angle α between the both sides of the first node 269a is not 180 degrees (straight line). A link connected in such a state is also referred to as a “kaku character link”.

  The “shaped link” means a link mechanism including the first connecting rod 270a and the second connecting rod 270b, and the first node 269a.

  In this mechanism, the third connecting rod 271a is connected to the first node 269a, and the first node 269a is moved in the direction of the arrow D1 or in the direction opposite to the arrow D1 by the rotating rod 271c driven by the drive motor 271m. At this time, each part of these mechanisms is arranged so that the dead point of the first node 269a in the direction of the arrow D1 comes to a position immediately before reaching the virtual straight line 270e.

  Thereby, the first connecting rod 270a and the second connecting rod 270b do not become a straight line, and a maximum pressing force can be applied at a position immediately before the straight line. With such a configuration, the first node 269a always has an apex angle, so to speak, it has a shape like a "<", so it is called a "<" link.

  In the diaphragm pressing mechanism 269 configured as described above, when the drive motor 271m rotates in the clockwise direction in the drawing, the third connecting rod 271a pushes the first node 269a in the direction of the arrow D1 and the first node 269a is shown in the drawing. Move in the direction of arrow D1. Then, the angle α between the first connecting rod 270a and the second connecting rod 270b increases.

  On the other hand, since the position of the third node 270d is fixed, the lower tooth portion 261b moves in the direction of the arrow D2 in the drawing. Then, when the lower tooth part 261b moves to the upper tooth part 261a side with the paper bundle PB inserted between the gaps L, a pressing force is applied to the paper bundle PB, and a crimping operation is performed. become.

  Such binding by the pressing force applying mechanism is referred to as squeezing and crimping binding as described above because it has a squeezing operation as an operation preceding the crimping operation.

  The link mechanism 270 is configured to displace the lower tooth portion 261b, and a means for transmitting a driving force to the link mechanism 270 is a crank mechanism 271.

  As described above, the link mechanism 270 generates a very strong force in the vicinity where the first connecting rod 270a and the second connecting rod 270b extend, and is used for a jack of a car. Therefore, when the link mechanism 270 is driven, the relationship between the two is set so that the maximum force can be produced at the timing when the crank mechanism 271 wants the most force.

  Further, after the paper bundle PB is bound, the drive motor 271m is rotated in the counterclockwise direction in the drawing when the distance between the tooth mold parts is increased so that the paper bundle PB can be taken out between the tooth mold parts. As a result, the third connecting rod 271a pushes the first node 269a in the direction opposite to the illustrated arrow D1, and the first node 269a moves in the direction opposite to the illustrated arrow D1. Then, the angle α between the first connecting rod 270a and the second connecting rod 270b is narrowed.

  On the other hand, since the position of the third node 270d is fixed, the lower tooth mold portion 261b is in the direction opposite to the direction of the arrow D2 in the drawing, that is, the lower tooth mold portion 261b is the upper tooth mold portion 261a. Move away from. As a result, the crimping operation is released, the gap L between the upper tooth part 261a and the lower tooth part 261b is increased, and the sheet bundle PB can be taken out between the tooth parts.

  In the present embodiment, when the lower tooth mold portion 261b moves from the binding position to the retracted position, the separation mechanism 20 contacts the paper bundle PB and separates the paper bundle PB from the lower tooth mold portion 261b. Is provided within the movable range of the lower tooth mold portion 261b.

  The separation mechanism 20 has an upper surface that is a contact surface that comes into contact with the surface facing the lower tooth mold portion 261 b of the sheet bundle PB, and is a peeling member that is a plate-like member that can rotate around the rotation shaft 23. 21. As shown in FIG. 16, the peeling member 21 is formed with an opening 21b through which the concave and convex tooth portion 26b of the lower tooth mold portion 261b can advance and retreat.

  Further, the separation mechanism 20 comes into contact with a protrusion 21 a provided on the lower surface that is the surface opposite to the upper surface of the peeling member 21, so that the stopper 22 is a rotation restricting member that restricts the rotational movement of the peeling member 21. have. And the protrusion part 21 and the stopper 22 of the peeling member 21 contact, and the rotational movement of the peeling member 21 is restrict | limited by the stopper 22 in the range smaller than the movable range of the lower tooth type | mold part 261b.

  The rotation center of the peeling member 21 is coaxial with the rotation shaft 23 of the lower tooth mold portion 261b, and the peeling member 21 is also configured to be rotatable in conjunction with the rotational movement of the lower tooth mold portion 261b. Yes.

  When the lower tooth mold portion 261b moves from the retracted position to the binding position, the upper surface of the movable member 27b of the lower tooth mold portion 261b and the lower surface of the peeling member 21 come into contact with each other. Then, while the peeling member 21 is pushed up by the lower tooth part 261b, the peeling member 21 also rotates in conjunction with the rotational movement of the lower tooth part 261b.

  When the lower tooth mold portion 261b is located at the binding position, the lower teeth of the peeling member 21 are opened from the opening 21b of the peeling member 21 with the lower surface of the peeling member 21 in contact with the upper surface of the movable member 27b of the lower tooth mold portion 261b. The tooth part 26b of the mold part 261b protrudes. Thereby, the sheet bundle PB can be bound by the pair of tooth molds 261.

  On the other hand, when the lower tooth mold portion 261b moves from the binding position to the retracted position, the protrusion of the peeling member 21 is moved while the peeling member 21 moves in conjunction with the movement of the lower tooth mold portion 261b by its own weight. The portion 21a comes into contact with the stopper 22, and the rotational movement of the peeling member 21 stops. When the lower tooth portion 261b is located at the retracted position, the peeling member 21 remains located at a position where it comes into contact with the stopper 22.

  As a result, when the lower tooth mold portion 261 b moves from the binding position to the retracted position, the sheet bundle PB that has been crimped and bound stops on the upper surface of the peeling member 21. Therefore, the lower tooth mold portion 261b and the sheet bundle PB are separated from each other, so that a gap is formed, and the sheet bundle PB can be peeled from the lower tooth mold portion 261b.

  Therefore, when the engagement of the sheet bundle PB by the pair of tooth molds 261 is released, it is possible to suppress the sheet bundle PB from sticking to the lower tooth mold portion 261b that moves from the binding position to the retracted position. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the paper bundle PB from sticking to the lower tooth mold portion 261b and causing a paper jam or paper damage.

  Further, since it is not necessary to separately provide a drive source to control the rotational movement of the peeling member 21 in order to move the peeling member 21 to a position in contact with the lower tooth portion 261b or the stopper 22, the size of the apparatus is increased. Moreover, it can suppress that control becomes complicated.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the opening 21b through which the lower tooth portion 261b can advance and retreat is formed in the peeling member 21, so that the paper can be removed by the peeling member 21 without obstructing the crimping and binding operation with a simple configuration. The bundle PB can be prevented from sticking to the lower tooth part 261b.

  17 and 18 are explanatory views showing other examples of the configuration and operation of the binding tool 210, respectively. FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the binding tool 210 and its driving mechanism with the tooth mold 261 open, and FIG. 18 shows an example of the binding tool 210 and its driving mechanism with the tooth mold 261 closed. It is explanatory drawing shown.

  In FIG. 17, the tooth mold 261 has an upper tooth mold portion 261 a and a lower tooth mold portion 261 b and has a meshing shape. The upper tooth mold portion 261a is assembled to the tip of the movable link member 263.

  The lower tooth mold portion 261b is assembled to the fixed link member 264 so as to face the upper tooth mold portion 261a.

  The movable link member 263 is configured such that the tooth molds 261 come in contact with and separate from each other by the rotation of the pressure lever 262.

  The pressure lever 262 rotates in the direction of arrow A3 in FIG. 18 by a cam 266 that rotates in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG. The cam 266 is rotated by being applied with a driving force from the drive motor 265, and is controlled to be located at the detection position based on detection information of the cam home position sensor 267.

  The detection position of the cam home position sensor 267 is the home position (standby position) of the cam 266, and the tooth mold 261 is open at this position.

  When binding sheets, the operation is as shown in FIG. With the pair of teeth 261 open, the paper P is inserted between them, and the cam 266 is rotated in the direction of arrow A2 in FIG.

  Due to the displacement of the cam surface, the pressure lever 262 rotates in the direction of arrow A3 in the figure. The rotational force increases through the movable link member 263 using a lever, and is transmitted to the upper tooth portion 261a at the end.

  When the cam 266 rotates by a certain amount, the upper tooth part 261a and the lower tooth part 261b are engaged with each other, and the paper P is pinched. By this clamping, the paper P is deformed and pressed, and the fibers of adjacent papers are entangled and bound.

  Thereafter, the drive motor 265 rotates in the reverse direction and stops at the detection position of the cam home position sensor 267. Further, the pressure lever 262 has a spring property, and is bent when an overload is applied, so that the overload is released.

  In the binding tool 210 having the configuration shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the binding force, which is the force with which the pair of tooth molds 261 that hold the paper P so as to deform and press the paper P, is changed, and the fibers of the papers are intertwined to form a paper bundle. The binding strength when binding is changed. The binding force when the pair of teeth 261 are engaged with each other varies depending on the rotational force (torque) when the pressure lever 262 is rotated via the cam 266, that is, the torque (moment of force) generated by the drive motor 265. To do.

  The torque generated by the drive motor 265 changes according to the motor current supplied to the drive motor 265. Therefore, by controlling the motor current supplied to the drive motor 265, the binding force of the binding tool 210 is changed according to the binding mode such as the main binding mode and the temporary binding mode, and the binding strength of the sheet bundle is changed. be able to.

  Further, even for the binding tool 210 having such a configuration, a separation mechanism that separates the sheet bundle PB as described above from the upper tooth mold portion 261a is provided within the movable range of the upper tooth mold portion 261a, thereby being crimped. It is possible to prevent the bound sheet bundle PB from sticking to the upper tooth mold portion 261a.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 19 shows an image forming system including an image forming apparatus 101 that forms an image on a sheet, and a sheet post-processing apparatus 201 that performs a binding process on a bundle of sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus 101. A schematic diagram is shown.

With reference to FIG. 19, the stacking of sheets on the conveyance path will be described.
The sheet output from the image forming apparatus 101 enters the sheet post-processing apparatus 201 and is conveyed by the conveying roller 4 and the conveying roller 5. The switching claw 9 is rotated by the moving force of the sheet, and the conveying path secured by the rotation is thereby achieved. Then, the sheet is conveyed to the alignment unit 18 by the conveying roller 7 and the conveying roller 8.

  The transported paper falls by its own weight in the direction of arrow B, and the transport direction is aligned by the rear end fence 11. The trailing edge of the sheet is detected by the sensor S2 in advance, and the width direction is aligned by the alignment fence 10 after a time during which the sheet conveyance direction can be aligned. By repeating this operation, a large number of sheets are aligned one by one.

  When the final sheet is aligned, the aligned sheet bundle is crimped by the crimping binding device 12, the discharge belt 14 in the alignment unit 18 rotates in the direction of arrow C, and the alignment claw 13 attached thereto rotates the alignment unit. The sheet bundle is discharged from the direction 18 to the arrow D direction. The sheet bundle is discharged and stacked on the tray 3 by the discharge roller 15 and the driven roller 16. The tray 3 has a mechanism that moves up and down according to the number of stacks.

  The follower roller 16 is attached to a conveyance guide plate 17 and is configured to be rotatable around a fulcrum 17a so that the same conveyance force can be obtained even if the thickness of a sheet bundle to be conveyed changes. The discharge roller 15 is pressurized by 17's own weight. The above is the operation in the case of one copy.

  When the number of copies is two or more, the image forming apparatus 101 continuously copies the copy interval between the last sheet of the first set and the first sheet of the next set at the same interval as in other cases. To 201.

  Processing operations for the second and subsequent copies will be described with reference to FIGS. 20 (a), 20 (b), 20 (c), and 20 (d).

  The conveying rollers 4 and 5 rotate in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 20A, and the second sheet of the first sheet is conveyed. When the sensor S2 detects the trailing edge of the sheet and the alignment unit 18 is not in a state of accepting the sheet, the transport rollers 6, 7, and 8 are reversed in the direction of the arrow in FIG. Then, the sheet is conveyed by the switching claw 9 as shown in FIG. 20B, and is stopped when the end of the sheet is detected by the sensor S2.

  As shown in FIG. 20C, the second sheet of the second copy is conveyed by the conveying rollers 4 and 5, and when the sensor S2 detects the leading edge, the conveying rollers 6 and 6 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7 and 8 are rotated and transported in a state where two sheets are stacked. At this time, when the trailing edge of the sheets is detected by the sensor S2, if the alignment unit 18 is in a state of accepting the sheets, the sheets are discharged as they are.

  On the other hand, when the alignment unit 18 is not in a state of receiving paper, the same operation as that of the first paper is repeated. In this way, the second and subsequent sheets of the second copy are overlapped with two or more sheets after repeating the same operation as the first sheet until the alignment unit 18 is ready to accept the sheets. Discharge in a wet state.

  With the above operation, it is possible to efficiently perform post-processing without reducing productivity when processing two or more copies.

  Further, as the configuration of the crimping and binding apparatus 12 of the present embodiment, the same configuration as that of the crimping and binding apparatus 280 of the first embodiment can be adopted, and the same effect as when the crimping and binding apparatus 280 of the first embodiment is provided. Can be obtained.

What has been described above is merely an example, and the present invention has a specific effect for each of the following modes.
(Aspect A)
A binding member that binds a sheet bundle such as a sheet bundle PB together with a crimp member such as a pair of tooth molds 261 having concave and convex tooth portions and the other crimp member such as the upper tooth mold portion 261a. A crimping member moving means such as a crimping mechanism 269 that moves a movable crimping member such as a lower tooth mold portion 261b provided to be movable between a position and a retracted position retracted from the binding position. In a paper binding apparatus such as a pressure binding apparatus 280 of a pressure binding system that sandwiches a paper bundle by the pair of pressure members and binds the paper bundle by moving the movable pressure bonding member to the binding position by a member moving unit. When the movable crimping member moves from the binding position to the retracted position, a separation unit such as a separation mechanism 20 that contacts the sheet bundle and separates the sheet bundle from the movable crimping member is movable. It provided in the movable range of Chakubuzai.
In (Aspect A), when the movable crimping member moves from the binding position to the retracted position, the crimped and bound sheet bundle can be separated from the movable crimping member by the separating means. Thereby, when the engagement of the sheet bundle by the pair of crimping members is released, the sheet bundle can be prevented from sticking to the movable crimping member that moves from the binding position to the retracted position. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the sheet bundle from sticking to the movable pressure-bonding member and causing a paper jam or a sheet damage.
(Aspect B)
In (Aspect A), the separation means includes a plate-like member such as a peeling member 21 having a contact surface that contacts a surface of the sheet bundle facing the movable pressure-bonding member. An opening such as an opening 21b in which a tooth part such as the tooth part 26b of the movable crimping member can advance and retreat is formed. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to suppress the sheet bundle from sticking to the movable crimping member with a simple configuration without hindering the crimping and binding operation.
(Aspect C)
In a paper processing apparatus including at least a paper binding apparatus that performs a binding process on a paper bundle, the paper binding apparatus according to (Aspect A) or (Aspect B) is used as the paper binding apparatus. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to suppress the sheet bundle subjected to the crimping binding from sticking to the movable crimping member, and continuously without causing a paper jam or a sheet damage. Paper binding processing can be performed.
(Aspect D)
In the image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet; and a sheet binding device that performs a binding process on a bundle of sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming unit. The sheet binding apparatus of (Aspect A) or (Aspect B) was used. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to suppress the sheet bundle subjected to the crimping binding from sticking to the movable crimping member, and continuously without causing a paper jam or a sheet damage. Paper binding processing can be performed.
(Aspect E)
In the image forming system including an image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet and a sheet binding apparatus that performs a binding process on a bundle of sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus, the sheet binding apparatus includes: The sheet binding apparatus of (Aspect A) or (Aspect B) was used. According to this, as described in the above embodiment, it is possible to suppress the sheet bundle subjected to the crimping binding from sticking to the movable crimping member, and continuously without causing a paper jam or a sheet damage. Paper binding processing can be performed.

3 tray 4 transport roller 5 transport roller 6 transport roller 7 transport roller 8 transport roller 9 switching claw 10 alignment fence 11 rear end fence 12 crimping binding device 13 discharge claw 14 discharge belt 15 discharge roller 16 driven roller 17 transport guide plate 17a fulcrum 18 Alignment unit 20 Separating mechanism 21 Peeling member 21a Protruding portion 21b Opening portion 22 Stopper 23 Rotating shaft 26a Tooth portion 26b Tooth portion 27a Fixed member 27b Movable member 101 Image forming apparatus 102 Paper discharge roller 103 Engine portion 110 Image forming engine portion 201 After paper Processing device 202 Inlet sensor 203 Inlet roller 204 Branch claw 204a Branch claw movable lever portion 204b Support shaft 204c Contact surface 205 Paper discharge roller 205a Shaft end 205M Shift mechanism 206 Shift link 207 Shift cam 07a Shift link long hole 208 Shift cam stud 209 Shift home position sensor 210 Binding tool 220 Paper end detection sensor 221 Binding tool home position sensor 230 Guide rail 240 Transport path 241 Branch path 242 Abutting surface 250 Branch solenoid 251 Spring 261 Tooth type 261a Upper tooth part 261b Lower tooth part 262 Pressure lever 263 Movable link member 264 Fixed link member 265 Drive motor 266 Cam 267 Cam home position sensor 269 Crimping mechanism 269a First node 270 Link mechanism 270a First connecting rod 270b First Two connecting rods 270c Second node 270d Third node 270e Virtual straight line 270f Fixing member 271 Crank mechanism 271a Third connecting rod 271b Rotating shaft 271c Rotating rod 271d Fourth node 271m Drive motor 280 Crimp binding device

JP 2010-184769 A

The present invention is a sheet binding apparatus which performs binding processing on the sheet, it relates to the images forming apparatus including the sheet stapling device.

This onset bright object, the sheet binding Ji apparatus sheet bundle can be prevented from sticking to the crimp member, it is to provide Hisage the images forming apparatus including the sheet stapling device.

To achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1, comprising a plurality of convex portions, a pair of crimping members for binding sandwich the sheet bundle, one of the pressure Chakubuzai of the pair of crimping members, a binding position for stapling the sheet bundle between the other crimping member of the pair of crimping members, and the retracted position retracted from該綴Ji position, and moving means for Ru is moved between the crimping of the one In the middle of moving from the binding position to the retracted position, the contact member that is movable in conjunction with the member, contacts the surface of the sheet bundle that faces the one crimping member, and the one crimping member, a sheet binding Ji device, characterized in that it comprises a regulating member for stopping the movement of the contact member in contact with the abutted portion provided in the contact member.

As described above, according to the present invention, there is excellent effect that sheet bundle stapled can be prevented from sticking to the crimp member.

What has been described above is merely an example, and the present invention has a specific effect for each of the following modes.
(Aspect A)
A binding member that binds a sheet bundle such as a sheet bundle PB together with a crimp member such as a pair of tooth molds 261 having concave and convex tooth portions and the other crimp member such as the upper tooth mold portion 261a. A crimping member moving means such as a crimping mechanism 269 that moves a movable crimping member such as a lower tooth mold portion 261b provided to be movable between a position and a retracted position retracted from the binding position. In a paper binding apparatus such as a pressure binding apparatus 280 of a pressure binding system that sandwiches a paper bundle by the pair of pressure members and binds the paper bundle by moving the movable pressure bonding member to the binding position by a member moving unit. When the movable crimping member moves from the binding position to the retracted position, a separation unit such as a separation mechanism 20 that contacts the sheet bundle and separates the sheet bundle from the movable crimping member is movable. It provided in the movable range of Chakubuzai.
When the sheet bundle is strongly engaged with the pair of pressure-bonding teeth, a strong pressure is required. Therefore, when releasing the meshing of the paper bundle by the pair of pressure-bonding teeth, the movable pressure-bonded tooth may move away from the fixed pressure-bonding tooth in a state in which the paper-sheet that has been crimp-bonded is stuck to the movable pressure-bonding tooth. is there. As described above, if the sheet bundle sticks to the movable pressure-bonding teeth, there is a possibility that it may lead to a paper jam or damage to the sheet.
Accordingly, in ( Aspect A), when the movable crimping member moves from the binding position to the retracted position, the crimped and bound sheet bundle can be separated from the movable crimping member by the separating means. Thereby, when the engagement of the sheet bundle by the pair of crimping members is released, the sheet bundle can be prevented from sticking to the movable crimping member that moves from the binding position to the retracted position. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the sheet bundle from sticking to the movable pressure-bonding member and causing a paper jam or a sheet damage.

Claims (5)

A pair of crimp members having concave and convex teeth,
One of the pair of pressure-bonding members, and a pressure-bonding member movement that moves a movable pressure-bonding member that is movable between a binding position where the sheet bundle is bound together with the other pressure-bonding member and a retracted position retracted from the binding position. Means and
In the sheet binding device of the pressure binding method, the movable pressure bonding member moving means moves the movable pressure bonding member to the binding position so as to sandwich the paper bundle by the pair of pressure bonding members and bind the paper bundle.
When the movable crimping member moves from the binding position to the retracted position, a separating unit that contacts the sheet bundle and separates the sheet bundle from the movable crimping member is provided within a movable range of the movable crimping member. A sheet binding device characterized by that. In the paper binding apparatus according to claim 1,
The separation means includes a plate-like member having a contact surface that contacts a surface of the sheet bundle facing the movable pressure-bonding member, and a tooth portion of the movable pressure-bonding member can advance and retreat on the plate-like member. A sheet binding device having an opening formed therein. In a paper processing apparatus including at least a paper binding device that performs a binding process on a paper bundle,
A paper processing apparatus using the paper binding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 as the paper binding apparatus. Image forming means for forming an image on paper;
An image forming apparatus including a sheet binding device that performs a binding process on a bundle of sheets on which images are formed by the image forming unit;
An image forming apparatus using the paper binding apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 as the paper binding apparatus. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on paper;
An image forming system including a sheet binding device that performs a binding process on a bundle of sheets on which images are formed by the image forming device;
An image forming system using the paper binding device according to claim 1 or 2 as the paper binding device.

Images