JP2024104671A - Image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an image forming system which can remove a sheet within the image forming device while positioning a sheet processing device relative to the image forming device, in a configuration that a feeding device for feeding the sheet from outside the image forming device and the sheet processing device are arranged side by side on one side of the image forming device.SOLUTION: An image forming system has a base that supports a sheet processing device so that the sheet processing device is slidably movable, and a feeding device is movable in a width direction in a state that the sheet processing device is slidably moved.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming system that includes an image forming apparatus and a sheet processing apparatus that processes sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus.

In image forming devices such as copiers and printers, a feeding unit feeds sheets loaded on a stacking unit, and an image is formed on the sheets fed by the feeding unit. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration in which sheets stored in a feeding device provided on the side of an image forming device are fed into the image forming device. Patent Document 1 also discloses an image forming system in which a sheet processing device that performs various processes on sheets on which images have been formed is provided above the feeding device provided on the side of the image forming device.

On the other hand, some sheet processing devices connected to image forming apparatuses are equipped with a discharge tray capable of stacking a large amount of processed sheets, as in Patent Document 2. The discharge tray in Patent Document 2 is capable of stacking a large amount of sheets by lowering while sheets are stacked on it. In order to support the large amount of sheets stacked on the tray, such sheet processing devices are not configured in such a way that the sheet processing device is supported by the image forming apparatus as in Patent Document 1, but rather the sheet processing device itself is installed via an installation part such as casters on the installation surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed.

JP 2016-85468 A JP 2013-130730 A

When connecting the sheet processing device described in Patent Document 2 to an image forming device system such as that of Patent Document 1, it is possible to configure the system by connecting an relay conveying device above the feeding device, which conveys sheets discharged from the image forming device to the sheet processing device. In this way, when the image forming device and the sheet processing device are connected by an relay conveying device, the image forming device and the sheet processing device can be positioned via the relay conveying device.

However, in a configuration in which the image forming device and the sheet processing device are positioned only by the relay conveying device located above in the vertical direction, if a force is applied to the sheet processing device that pushes it from the front to the rear, the installation state of the sheet processing device may become unstable. This is because the lower part of the sheet processing device is not positioned with respect to the image forming device in the vertical direction, and if a user presses the lower part of the sheet processing device, the lower part of the sheet processing device will shift in the front-to-rear direction relative to the positioned upper part. If only the lower part of the sheet processing device shifts while the upper part is positioned, the installation state relative to the installation surface of the installation part such as casters becomes unstable. Therefore, if the positioning is performed with respect to the image forming device only by the upper part of the sheet processing device in the vertical direction, the installation of the sheet processing device may be insufficient. If the installation state of the sheet processing device relative to the installation surface becomes insufficient in this way, abnormal sheet transport (so-called jam) may occur at the sheet transfer part with the image forming device, or the sheet may be installed at an angle to the installation surface, which may reduce the alignment of the sheet on the discharge tray.

In response to this, it is conceivable to connect the image forming device and the sheet processing device at the upper part by an intermediate conveying device, and to position the image forming device and the sheet processing device at the lower part using a separate positioning member.

On the other hand, in a configuration in which a cassette that stores sheets is provided below the image forming device, if a sheet transport abnormality occurs in the transport path in which the sheet is fed from the cassette to the image forming unit, it is necessary to open a cover provided below the image forming device and remove the sheet. However, when the sheet processing device and the image forming device are positioned below the sheet processing device, an image forming system configuration that allows easy removal of sheets fed from a cassette in the image forming device has not yet been considered.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems with the conventional technology, and aims to provide an image forming system that is configured to position a sheet processing device relative to an image forming device, and that can easily perform sheet removal work when a sheet transport abnormality occurs in the image forming device.

An image forming system according to one embodiment of the present invention is an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus having an accommodation unit that is arranged below the image forming unit in the vertical direction of the image forming apparatus and is capable of accommodating sheets to be supplied to the image forming unit; a sheet processing apparatus that performs a binding process on sheets on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus; a sheet feeding device that is arranged between the image forming apparatus and the sheet processing apparatus in the width direction of the image forming apparatus and has an accommodation unit that accommodates sheets, and feeds the sheets accommodated in the accommodation unit to a feed port arranged on one side of the image forming apparatus; a transport device that is arranged above the feeding device in the vertical direction and transports sheets discharged from a discharge port arranged on the one side of the image forming apparatus in the width direction to the sheet processing apparatus; a fixed unit that is fixed to the image forming apparatus when installed on an installation surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed; a loading unit on which the sheet processing apparatus is placed; and a slide rail that allows the loading unit to slide in the width direction relative to the fixed unit. The sheet processing device is movable to a first position that forms a transport path that can receive a sheet transported from the image forming device via the transport device in association with the sliding movement of the placement unit, and to a second position that is moved in the width direction away from the image forming device from the first position, and the sheet feeding device is movable to a third position that can feed a sheet to a feed port of the image forming device, and to a fourth position that is moved in the width direction away from the image forming device from the third position, and when the sheet processing device is moved to the second position, the sheet feeding device is movable from the third position to the fourth position, and the image forming device has a cover that can open a transport path that transports a sheet stored in the storage unit toward the image forming unit and is provided on one side in the width direction, and the cover overlaps with the feeding device in the vertical direction, and is openable when the sheet processing device is moved to the second position and the sheet feeding device is moved to the fourth position.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an image forming system that can easily perform sheet removal work when a sheet transport abnormality occurs in the image forming device, in a configuration that positions a sheet processing device relative to the image forming device.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the overall configuration of an image forming system. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of the sheet folding device of FIG. 1 . 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing the folding process performed by the sheet folding device in the order of steps. 5(d) to 5(f) are explanatory diagrams showing the folding process following FIG. 3 in the order of steps. 5(g) to 5(i) are explanatory views showing the additional folding process following FIG. 4 in the order of steps. FIG. 2 is a front view of the image forming system in a state where the sheet processing apparatus is separated. FIG. 2 is a front view of the image forming system in a state where the feeding device is separated. FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a placement unit on which a sheet processing apparatus is placed. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of a positioning member. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of a positioning member. FIG. 13 is an exploded perspective view showing another example of a positioning member.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, identical or similar components are designated by the same reference numerals.

[Image forming system]
1 shows the entire configuration of image forming system 1000 from the front side. In this specification, the front is the position facing image forming system 1000 for operation by a user, as shown in FIG. 1, unless otherwise specified. In other words, the side on which operation unit 20 operated by the user is located is the front side, which is the front side of image forming apparatus A. In this specification, left and right refer to the left and right sides when image forming system 1000 is viewed from the front.

The image forming system 1000 is composed of an image forming apparatus A, a sheet processing apparatus B as a post-processing apparatus for sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus, a sheet folding apparatus C connected between them, an external feeding apparatus D that supplies sheets stored in the image forming apparatus A, and a conveying apparatus E that conveys sheets between the image forming apparatus A and the sheet folding apparatus C. In the following description, the sheet conveying direction is the direction in which the sheet is conveyed from the feeding side to the discharge side in each of the image forming apparatus A, the sheet processing apparatus B, and the sheet folding apparatus C, and the direction in which the sheet is conveyed from the image forming apparatus A side to the sheet folding apparatus C and the sheet processing apparatus B side, and when the terms "upstream side" and "downstream side" are simply used, they mean the upstream side and downstream side of the sheet conveying direction. In this embodiment, the arrow X direction is the width direction of the image forming system 1000 including the image forming apparatus A, the Z direction is the vertical direction, and the Y direction is the front-rear direction of the image forming system 1000 including the image forming apparatus A.

[Image forming apparatus]
The image forming apparatus A includes an image forming unit A1, an image reading unit A2, and a document feeding unit A3. The image forming unit A1 is of a type that forms an image on a sheet by a known inkjet printing mechanism, and includes a main body feeding unit 2, an image forming unit 3, a conveying unit 4, and a main body control unit (not shown) provided therein.
An image reading section A2 having an image reading unit 5 therein, and an original feeding section A3 having an original feeding unit 6 that transports an original to the image reading section A2 are provided above the image forming section A1. An operation section 20 that can be operated by a user is provided on the front side of the image reading section A2. The operation section 20 is provided with a touch panel 21, and a user can instruct the image forming apparatus A on the processing contents by touching the touch panel 21. Although the operation section 20 having only the touch panel 21 is illustrated in this embodiment, the operation section 20 may also be provided with various hard keys.

The image forming device A of this embodiment is a so-called internal paper discharge type, with the image forming unit 3, transport unit 4, and image reading device A2 arranged in a roughly U-shape. In the vertical direction, a paper discharge space (internal space) is located between the image forming unit 3 and the image reading device A2, with the left side in the figure (sheet processing device B side) and the front side open. An intermediate transport unit A4 is disposed in the paper discharge space.

As shown in FIG. 1, an outlet 17 is provided on one side surface 51 (in this embodiment, the left side surface) of the image forming device A in the width direction X. The outlet 17 is an outlet for discharging a sheet from the image forming device A to the outside of the device, and in this embodiment, it is an outlet in the relay transport unit A4. The paper discharge section A5 is fixed and supported so as to be located at the upper left corner of the image forming section A1, to the left of the image reading unit A2 and the document feeding unit A3. The paper discharge section A5 has a transport guide for receiving a sheet from the relay transport section A4 through the outlet 17 and transporting it further downstream. In this embodiment, the outlet 17 provided in the relay transport unit A4 is the outlet of the image forming device A, but the outlet provided in the paper discharge section A5 may be the outlet of the image forming device A.

Meanwhile, below the image forming device A in the vertical direction and below the image forming unit 3, there is provided a main body feeding section 2 that stores sheets and feeds the stored sheets to the image forming unit 3. The main body feeding section 2 has multiple stages (two stages in this embodiment) of cassettes 2a, 2b that can be detached. The cassettes 2a, 2b can also store sheets of different sizes. The main body feeding section 2 feeds sheets of the size specified by the user via the operation section 20 or an external device from the corresponding feeding cassette to the feeding path 8 and sends them out to the image forming section 3.

In addition to the main body feed section 2 built into the image forming device A, the image forming unit A1 is provided with a manual feed section 9. In other words, the side surface 51 of the image forming device A is provided with a manual feed section 9. The manual feed section 9 has a manual feed tray 10 provided on the side surface 51 of the image forming device A. The manual feed tray 10 can be rotated between an open position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1 and a closed position shown by a broken line around a rotation shaft 54 near its lower end when viewed from the front side. When the manual feed tray 10 is in the open position, the upper surface 10a is open approximately horizontally, and the manual feed tray 10 has a loading surface 10a for loading sheets to be supplied to the image forming unit A1. The rotation of the manual feed tray 10 opens a manual feed port (not shown) provided on the side surface 51 of the image forming device A. When the manual feed tray 10 is not in use, it can be returned to the closed position along the side surface 51 of the image forming device A, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1, to close the manual feed opening.

When the manual feed tray 10 is in the open position (feed position), sheets loaded on the loading surface 10a are fed into the image forming section A1 by a feed roller R1 provided near the manual feed port of the image forming device A, merge with the feed path 8, and are sent to the image forming unit 3. The manual feed tray 10 can be provided with an integrated feed mechanism (described later) so that a larger number of sheets can be loaded in an aligned state.

The feeding device D is connected to the feed port provided on the side surface 51 of the image forming device A so that the feeding device D can feed sheets, and can be separated from the image forming device A by moving in the width direction X. The separating operation of the feeding device D will be described later. The feeding device D is configured to have a large capacity so that it can accommodate a larger number of sheets (e.g., several hundred to several thousand sheets) than the cassettes 2a and 2b of the main body feeding section 2. The sheet fed from the feeding device D is fed into the image forming device A by the feeding roller R2 provided near the feed port of the image forming device A, and is sent to the image forming section 3 by joining the feeding path 8. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the feeding device D is provided between the image forming device A and the sheet processing device B in the width direction X of the image forming device, and is provided below the conveying device E in the vertical direction Z.

The image forming section A1 is further provided with a reversing paper outlet 264 for reversing a sheet with an image formed on one side by the image forming unit 3 to form an image on the back side as well. The reversing paper outlet 264 is located on the side surface 51 of the image forming device A, just like the manual feed section 9.

The image forming unit 3 has a unit for each color, such as yellow, magenta, cyan, and black, and can form an image on the transported sheet. In this embodiment, the image forming unit 3 refers to an inkjet head in which each color is unitized. Note that the image forming unit 3 only needs to be configured to form an image on the sheet fed from the main body feed section 2, the manual feed section 9, or the feed device D, and various image forming mechanisms can be adopted. In this embodiment, an inkjet type image forming unit is shown, but it is also possible to adopt various other image forming mechanisms such as an electrophotographic type, an offset printing type, or a silk screen printing type.

The transport section 4 is provided with a feed path 8 that transports sheets from the main body feed section 2, the manual feed section 9, and the feed device D to an image formation position by the image forming unit 3, and a transport path 12 that transports the sheet on which an image is formed by the image forming unit 3 further downstream. The transport path 12 is provided with a first transport path 13 that transports the sheet to the reversing tray 11, a second transport path 14 that switches back from the reversing tray 11 and transports the sheet to the image forming section 3, and a main transport path 15 that transports the sheet from the image forming section 3 to the paper discharge section A5 (internal space). Although not explained, each transport path is provided with multiple transport roller pairs as shown in the figure, and the sheet is transported by each transport roller pair.

The main transport path 15 is connected to the first relay transport path 16 provided in the first relay transport unit A4 so that the sheet can be delivered to the first relay transport path 16. The first relay transport path 16 has a plurality of transport roller pairs arranged along the sheet transport direction and is connected to the discharge port 17. The paper discharge section A5 is provided with a transport path for discharging the sheet transported from the first relay transport unit A4 through the discharge port 17 to the transport device E.

The image reading unit 5 can read the document image by irradiating light from a light source onto the document placed on a platen glass (not shown) and inputting the reflected light into a CCD. The image reading unit 5 can also read the image of the document transported by the automatic document feeder 6 by stopping at a flow-reading position (not shown). The read document image is converted into an electrical signal and transmitted to the image forming unit 3 as image data. The above-mentioned platen glass (not shown) is configured to be exposed by rotating the document feeder 6 upward.

[Sheet Processing Device]
The sheet processing device B is disposed downstream in the sheet conveying direction with respect to the image forming device A. The sheet processing device B is installed on the same installation surface 56 as the image forming device A. The sheet processing device B is combined with a sheet folding device C, which will be described later, and is connected to the image forming device A via a conveying device E.

The sheet processing device B has a feed port 22 on the right side for receiving sheets on which an image has been formed by the image forming device A. Inside the sheet processing device B, first to third processing sections B1 to B3 are provided for performing different post-processing on the sheets fed from the feed port 22. The sheet processing device B also has a sheet transport path (not shown) for transporting the sheets from the feed port 22, which branches out toward the first to third processing sections B1 to B3. In this embodiment, the first processing section B1 is a punching processing section that performs punching processing on the sheets, the second processing section B2 is a binding processing section that binds the ends of multiple sheets, and the third processing section B3 is a folding processing section that performs folding processing such as folding the sheets in half or in thirds, and saddle stitching processing that binds the center of the sheets and performs folding processing.

The sheets bound by the second processing unit B2 are discharged to the stacking tray 23. The stacking tray 23 is provided with a mechanism that can move in the direction indicated by the dashed line, and can stack many sheets (for example, 2000 sheets). The sheet bundle folded by the third processing unit B3 is discharged to the stacking tray 24. The above-mentioned processing of the sheet processing unit B is merely an example, and the sheet processing unit B may be provided with a unit that performs an offset processing that offsets the conveyed sheet by a predetermined amount in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. The offset-processed sheet may be discharged to the stacking tray 25. The stacking tray 25 may be used as a stacking tray for discharging the sheet without performing various processing. The image forming system 1000 is provided with a positioning member 700 for preventing the image forming unit A and the sheet processing unit B from being misaligned at their lower positions. The base 700 is configured so that the lower part of the sheet processing device B does not shift in the front-rear direction (Y direction) relative to the position where the image forming device A and the sheet processing device B are connected at their upper parts to the sheet folding device C and the conveying device E. The base 700 is also provided so that the image forming device A and the sheet processing device B can be easily positioned even when the sheet processing device B is reconnected from a state where it has been separated from the image forming device A. The base 700 will be described in detail later.

[Transportation device]
The image forming system 1000 includes an image forming apparatus A, a sheet processing apparatus B, and a conveying apparatus E. The relay conveying apparatus E receives a sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus A via a sheet discharge section A5, and conveys the sheet to a sheet folding apparatus C or to the sheet processing apparatus B via the sheet folding apparatus C.

The distance between the relay conveying path d and the bottom 263 of the conveying device E in the vertical direction is longer than the distance between the discharge port 17 and the reverse discharge port 30 of the image forming device A in the vertical direction. Therefore, in order to perform the sheet reversal process in the image forming device A, the conveying device E is provided with a sheet receiving port 264 at a position corresponding to the reverse discharge port 30 of the image forming device A. As a result, when the sheet is reversed through the first conveying path 13, the end of the sheet on the leading edge side in the conveying direction enters the inside of the conveying device E. Then, the rear end of the sheet is conveyed to the second conveying path 14, so that the end of the sheet that entered the inside of the conveying device E passes through the sheet receiving port 264 and the reverse discharge port 30 and returns to the inside of the image forming device A. In this way, even if the conveying device E having a certain length in the vertical direction is connected to the image forming device A, the sheet receiving port 264 can be provided in the conveying device E to suppress the obstruction of the reversing operation of the image forming device A.

The conveying device E can open the upper guide that forms the relay conveying path d at the position 262 indicated by the dashed line, with the relay conveying path d as the boundary. This allows the sheet to be easily removed even if a sheet jam occurs in the conveying path of the conveying device E. In other words, there is no need to separate the units when performing the work to clear the sheet jam, improving workability.

[Sheet folding device]
As shown in Fig. 1, the sheet folding device C is connected between the conveying device E and the sheet processing device B. The sheet folding device C is a device that performs folding processing on the sheet discharged from the image forming device A. Fig. 2 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the sheet folding device C.

The sheet folding device C is arranged so that the feed opening 101a, which is the upstream end of the transport path 101 provided inside the sheet folding device C, can accept the sheet discharged from the discharge opening of the conveying device E. Furthermore, the sheet folding device C is arranged so that the sheet can be transported from the discharge opening 101b to the feed opening 22 of the sheet processing device B. Therefore, the sheet transported from the conveying device E to the sheet folding device C is folded in the sheet folding device C, and then transported to the sheet processing device B and discharged to the stacking tray 25. Note that the sheet folding device C can also transport the sheet from the conveying device E to the sheet processing device B without performing folding on the sheet.

2, the conveying path 101 of the sheet folding device C is provided with one or more pairs of conveying rollers 102 and a folding mechanism 103, i.e., a folding processing section, disposed downstream of the pair of conveying rollers 102, and an additional folding unit 104 is provided at the end of the conveying path 101 downstream of the folding mechanism 103. As a result, the sheet folding device C can fold a sheet conveyed along the conveying path 101 with the folding mechanism 103, and then additionally fold the sheet with the additional folding unit 104, and deliver the sheet that has been folded and additionally folded to the sheet processing device B.

Sensors 304a and 304b are provided on the conveying path 101 to detect the leading and trailing ends of the conveyed sheet. Sensor 304a is disposed between image forming device A and conveying roller pair 102 on the upstream side of conveying roller pair 102, and sensor 304b is disposed downstream of folding roller pair 105 between folding roller pair 105 and additional folding unit 104.

The conveying roller pair 102 is made of rubber rollers and includes an upper conveying roller 102a arranged on the upper side and a lower conveying roller 102b arranged on the lower side opposite the upper conveying roller 102a. In this embodiment, the upper conveying roller 102a is connected to a conveying roller drive motor (not shown) and rotates with the rotation of the conveying roller drive motor, while the lower roller 102b is pressed against the upper conveying roller 102a by the biasing force of a spring (not shown) and rotates passively. However, the conveying roller pair 102 is not limited to the above configuration as long as it can convey the sheet S, and any appropriate configuration can be adopted.

The folding mechanism 103 is composed of a pair of folding rollers 105 and abutment plate 107. The pair of folding rollers 105 is made of rubber rollers, and includes an upper folding roller 105a arranged on the upper side, and a lower folding roller 105b arranged on the lower side opposite the upper folding roller 105a. The lower folding roller 105b is pressed against the upper folding roller 105a by the biasing force of a spring (not shown), and the upper folding roller 105a and the lower folding roller 105b are connected to a common folding roller drive motor (not shown), and rotate in opposite directions with the rotation of the folding roller drive motor. The butt plate 107 is arranged between the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105, and is connected to a butt plate drive motor (not shown), and moves linearly in the sheet conveying direction parallel to the conveying path 101 upstream of the folding roller pair 105 with the drive of the butt plate drive motor.

The conveying path 101 between the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 is provided with an upper conveying guide 108, a lower conveying guide 109, an upper folding guide 110, and a lower folding guide 111.

The upper conveying guide 108 is formed from immediately after the conveying roller pair 102 to above the abutment plate 107 so as to guide the leading edge of the sheet S from the conveying roller pair 102 to the abutment plate 107. The upper conveying guide 108 is for guiding the conveying direction of the sheet S conveyed along the conveying path 101, and is disposed above the conveying path 101, and is shaped to bend downward as it approaches the downstream side. The upper folding guide 110 is disposed between the upper conveying guide 108 and the folding roller pair 105, and extends immediately before the folding roller pair 105 so as to guide the leading edge of the sheet S and the folded portion of the sheet S to the folding roller pair 105. The upper folding guide 110 is for guiding the conveying direction of the sheet S in the folding processing mechanism 103, and is disposed downstream of the upper conveying guide 108 and above the conveying path 101.

The lower conveying guide 109 is for guiding the conveying direction of the sheet S conveyed along the conveying path 101, and is disposed below the conveying path 101. Like the upper conveying guide 108, the lower conveying guide 109 is bent downward as it approaches the downstream side. The lower conveying guide 109 ends just before the abutment plate 107, and an open loop forming space 50 is formed downstream of the lower conveying guide 109. The lower folding guide 111 is disposed downstream of the abutment plate 107, and has a horizontal surface for guiding the leading edge of the conveyed sheet S and the folded portion of the sheet S, which will be described later, to the nip portion of the folding roller pair 105, and an inclined surface for guiding the leading edge to the horizontal surface.

The abutment plate 107 is moved in the sheet conveying direction by a not-shown abutment plate drive device consisting of a abutment plate drive motor and a not-shown control unit. The abutment plate 107 is also arranged to fill the loop forming space 50 between the lower conveying guide 109 and the lower folding guide 111 when the sheet S is conveyed along the conveying path 101 to the folding roller pair 105 by the conveying roller pair 102, and guides the leading edge of the conveyed sheet S to the lower folding guide 111.

Based on the detection results detected by the sheet position detection sensors 304a, 304b and the sensor 304c that detects the position of the abutment plate 107, and various information input from the image forming device A, the conveying roller pair 102, the folding roller pair 105, the abutment plate 107, the slider 124, and the support member 112 are each driven to perform sheet conveyance, folding processing, and additional folding processing in the sheet folding device C.

When the leading edge of the sheet S being conveyed is nipped by the pair of folding rollers 105, the abutment plate 107 is moved to a retracted position below the lower conveying guide 109 to open the loop forming space 50 between the lower conveying guide 109 and the lower folding guide 111 in order to form a folded portion in the sheet S. After that, when the sheet S is conveyed a predetermined amount by the pair of conveying rollers 102 with the leading edge of the sheet S nipped by the pair of folding rollers 105, the middle portion of the sheet S is bent downward from the conveying path 101 in the loop forming space 50 to create a loop portion.

In this state, the abutment plate 107 is moved horizontally from the retracted position toward the pair of folding rollers 105 to form a folded portion in the sheet S. After the abutment plate 107 reaches just before the pair of folding rollers 105, the pair of folding rollers 105 is driven to transport the sheet S. This forms a first fold 132 in the sheet S. Furthermore, after the abutment plate 107 is moved to the retracted position, the pair of folding rollers 105 transports the sheet S to nip the loop portion. This forms a second fold 133, and the Z-folded sheet S is transported downstream.

As shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1, the sheet folding device C has a top cover 142 located above the transport path 101, which is configured to be rotatable upward around a pivot (not shown) on the sheet processing device B side. By rotating the top cover 142 to the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1, the top of the sheet folding device C is opened, so that when a jam occurs inside, the jam can be cleared, such as by removing the sheet.

In this embodiment, the sheet folding device C has a vertically lower portion that is inclined so as not to impede the rotation of the manual feed unit 9 provided in the image forming device A. This makes it possible to open and close the manual feed unit 9 without disconnecting the image forming system 1000.

[Folding and additional folding]
The folding process and additional folding process of the sheet folding device C will be specifically described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figures 3(a) to (c), Figures 4(d) to (f), and Figures 5(g) to (f) show the process in which the sheet folding device C receives a sheet, transports it, and performs the folding process and additional folding process in the order of steps.

First, if the abutment plate 107 is not in the home position, it is moved to the home position (the position in FIG. 3(a)). Then, when the leading edge of sheet S conveyed from image forming device A is detected by sensor 304a with the conveying roller pair 102 stopped rotating and a predetermined time has elapsed, the conveying roller drive motor is driven to rotate the conveying roller pair 102, which receives the sheet as shown in FIG. 3(a) and starts conveying it. The predetermined time is the time necessary and sufficient for the leading edge of the sheet to come into contact with the nip portion of the conveying roller pair 102 and align the leading edge position.

Then, with the abutment plate 107 positioned to close the loop-forming space 50 between the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 (home position), the conveying roller pair 102 is rotated to convey the sheet S along the conveying path 101, and after the leading edge of the sheet S passes the leading edge of the abutment plate 107 (position 19 mm before the nip point of the folding roller pair 105) as shown in FIG. 3(b), the folding roller pair 105 is rotated and the abutment plate drive motor is driven to start moving the abutment plate 107 toward the retracted position (see FIG. 3(c)) located below the lower conveying guide 109.

As shown in FIG. 3C, when the leading edge of the sheet S passes the sensor 304b and is conveyed a predetermined distance (20 mm), the abutting plate 107 reaches the retreat position. The position of the leading edge of the sheet S is controlled by detecting the drive amount of the folding roller pair 105 from the point when the leading edge of the sheet S is detected by the sensor 304b while the sheet S is nipped by the folding roller pair 105. When the abutting plate 107 moves to the retreat position, the loop space 50 is opened below the conveying path 101. When the leading edge of the sheet S reaches 20 mm downstream of the sensor 304b, the folding roller pair 105 is reversed to switchback convey the leading edge of the sheet S toward the upstream side in the sheet conveying direction. During this time, the conveying roller pair 102 continues to rotate to convey the sheet S in the sheet conveying direction, so that the part of the sheet S upstream of the folding roller pair 105 curves in a loop shape and hangs down from the conveying path 101 into the loop forming space 50, forming a folding loop FL for forming a crease in the sheet. After that, the loop FL increases according to the amount of sheet S sent by the conveying roller pair 102.

When the leading edge of the sheet S is on the sensor 304b side of the nip point of the folding roller pair 105, the switchback transport of the folding roller pair 105 is stopped (a state where the sheet S is moved back 33 mm from the state shown in FIG. 3(c). The distance from the nip point of the folding roller pair 105 to the sensor 304b is 14 mm), and transport by the transport roller pair 102 is continued in the state shown in FIG. 4(d). At this time, a fold loop FL of a size suitable for forming a crease in the sheet S at a predetermined folding position is formed in the loop formation space 50 by the continuous sheet feeding by the transport roller pair 102.

When the predetermined loop FL is formed in the sheet S, the abutting plate 107 starts moving from the retracted position toward the pair of folding rollers 105, and the tip of the abutting plate 107 abuts against the folding loop FL. The abutting plate 107 then pushes against the predetermined position of the sheet with its tip, moving to just before the nip of the pair of folding rollers 105 (a push position where the tip of the abutting plate 107 is located closer to the pair of folding rollers 105 than the home position. The distance from the tip of the abutting plate 107 to the nip point of the pair of folding rollers 105 is 3 mm), as shown in FIG. 4(e). At this time, the tip of the sheet S pushed by the tip of the abutting plate 107 is provisionally folded at a folding position that will become the first fold of the sheet S.

When the abutment plate 107 reaches a position 4.5 mm before the nip point of the folding roller pair 105, the folding roller pair 105 is rotated. When the abutment plate 107 reaches the above-mentioned abutment position in this state, the folding position that will be the first fold of the sheet S is rolled up into the nip of the folding roller pair 105, and while being transported downstream, the sheet S is pressurized and folded between the upper and lower folding rollers 105a and 105b. This pressurization forms the first fold 132 in the sheet S at a predetermined folding position, as shown in FIG. 4(f). The abutment plate 107 is moved to a retracted position below the lower transport guide 109 so as not to prevent the sheet S from being rolled up into the nip of the folding roller pair 105. This reopens the loop formation space 50 below the transport path 101.

The pair of folding rollers 105 continues to rotate even after the abutment plate 107 is retracted. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4(f), the sheet S is nipped by the pair of folding rollers 105 in a state where it is folded in three (Z-fold) with the leading edge in the sheet conveying direction and the first fold 132 formed by the pair of folding rollers 105 at the front, and is conveyed downstream.

When the rear end of the sheet S in the sheet transport direction passes through the discharge outlet of the image forming device A, which is the upstream unit, and is completely transported to the sheet folding device C, as shown in FIG. 5(g), the folding roller pair 105 and the transport roller pair 102 are stopped when the first fold 132 passes the additional folding processing position and is sent downstream a predetermined transport amount. Here, the additional folding processing position is the position in the sheet transport direction where the fold of the sheet S is positioned between the additional folding roller 114 and the additional fold receiving member 120 to perform the additional folding processing.

The predetermined conveyance amount sent downstream in the sheet conveying direction until the first fold 132 of the sheet S stops from the additional folding processing position is determined by the sheet length of the sheet S in the sheet conveying direction, and can be changed according to the length. In this embodiment, as described above, it is determined according to the length of the sheet S in the sheet conveying direction so that when the folding roller pair 105 and the conveying roller pair 102 stop, the rear end of the sheet S in the sheet conveying direction has passed through the upstream unit and is completely conveyed to the sheet folding device C. The length information of the sheet S in the sheet conveying direction can be received in advance from the image forming device A, and can also be calculated from the time difference between the leading and trailing ends of the conveyed sheet S detected by the sheet position detection sensors 304a and 304b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(h), the pair of folding rollers 105 are rotated in the reverse direction while the pair of conveying rollers 102 is stopped, and the sheet S is moved upstream in the sheet conveying direction. When the first fold 132 of the sheet S is returned to the additional folding position, the pair of folding rollers 105 is stopped, and the first fold 132 is positioned at the additional folding position.

At this time, because the conveying roller pair 102 is stopped, slack is generated in the sheet S between the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105, causing the sheet S to hang down from the conveying path 101 into the loop formation space 50, forming a second loop FL2 above the previous loop FL. In this way, two loops FL, FL2 are formed in one loop formation space 50, so the device does not become unnecessarily large, and the device can be made smaller and less expensive.

When the additional folding process is completed, the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 are rotated to convey the sheet S downstream.

Here, when starting the conveyance of the sheet S downstream, the start of each of the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 may be started with a time difference. Specifically, for example, the folding roller pair 105 is started first, and the conveying roller pair 102 is started after a predetermined time has elapsed. In this way, by setting an appropriate time difference in the start of the start of the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105, the second loop FL2 formed in the loop formation space 50 can be eliminated or reduced. Also, the second loop FL2 can be formed after the previous loop FL is wound around the folding roller pair 105. The time difference can also be set by replacing it with the rotation amount of the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105, the rotation amount of the motor that drives them, the sheet conveyance amount, etc.

As the sheet S is transported downstream, the fold loop FL in the loop formation space 50 gradually becomes smaller, and the sheet S is folded in half from the top to the bottom at the desired folding position where the second fold 133 is formed. The sheet S is transported in this bent form, and is pressurized and folded at the nip of the folding roller pair 105, forming the second fold 133 at the desired position.

In this embodiment, the rear end position of the sheet S in the sheet transport direction is adjusted to a state where the sheet S has completely exited the image forming device A when the first fold 132 passes the additional folding position and the sheet S is transported downstream, stopping the folding roller pair 105 and the transport roller pair 102. However, the rotation control of the transport roller pair 102 related to the reversal of the folding roller pair 105 and the additional folding process is not limited to this.

In the step described in relation to FIG. 5(g), the folding roller pair 105 may be stopped, while the conveying roller pair 102 continues to rotate thereafter to send the rear end side of the sheet S downstream in the sheet conveying direction. The conveying of the rear end side of the sheet S by the conveying roller pair 102 may be performed during the entire period or a portion of the period until the folding roller pair 105 stops, reverses its rotation, returns the first fold 132 to the additional folding position, and stops, and until the additional folding process is performed and the next step is started.

This allows the position of the rear end of the sheet S when the additional folding process of the first crease 132 is completed and the transport of the sheet S downstream begins to be adjusted along the sheet transport direction. For example, depending on the length of the sheet transport direction, the rear end of the sheet S in the sheet transport direction may not yet be completely transported to the sheet folding device C when the folding roller pair 105 stops, and may be located within the upstream unit. Even in this case, by controlling the rotation of the transport roller pair 102 as described above, it is possible to make the rear end of the sheet S in the sheet transport direction completely leave the upstream unit at the latest when the additional folding process of the first crease 132 is completed. This allows the productivity of the entire image forming system, including the folding process, to be maintained and improved, as described above.

When the folding roller pair 105 is stopped and rotated in the reverse direction to transport the sheet S upstream in the sheet transport direction, the transport roller pair 102 may also be stopped and rotated in the reverse direction to transport the rear end side of the sheet S upstream in the sheet transport direction. In this case, the transport roller pair and the folding roller pair are controlled so that the sheet transport amount caused by the reverse rotation of the transport roller pair 102 is less than the sheet transport amount caused by the reverse rotation of the folding roller pair 105.

This makes it possible to eliminate or reduce the size of the second loop FL2 in the loop formation space 50. In this case, the rear end of the sheet S in the sheet transport direction moves toward the image forming device A of the upstream unit, but even in this embodiment, it is preferable from the viewpoint of the productivity of the entire system described above that the sheet S should have completely exited the image forming device A at the latest when the additional folding process of the first fold 132 is completed.

Here, the sheet transport amount by the reverse rotation of the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 can be set based on the transport distance in the sheet transport direction of the sheet S, the transport time, the rotation amount (rotation speed, rotation time) of the conveying roller pair and the folding roller pair, etc. Also, the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 do not necessarily have to start reverse rotation and/or stop reverse rotation at the same time. For example, the conveying roller pair 102 can start reverse rotation later than the folding roller pair 105 starts reverse rotation, or the conveying roller pair 102 can stop reverse rotation earlier than the folding roller pair 105 stops reverse rotation.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5(i), when the second fold of the sheet S, i.e., the second fold 133, reaches the additional folding position, the folding roller pair 105 and the conveying roller pair 102 are stopped, and the second fold 133 is positioned at the additional folding position. In this state, the additional folding drive motor 128 is driven to additionally fold the second fold 133 using the additional folding rollers 114 and the additional folding receiving member 120. When the additional folding is completed, the folding roller pair 105 is rotated to convey the sheet S downstream and discharge it to the downstream sheet processing device B.

This completes the series of folding and additional folding processes in the sheet folding device C. At this point, the rear end of the sheet S has completely passed through the sheet folding device C, so the upstream image forming device A is ready to send the next sheet to the sheet folding device C, maintaining and improving productivity throughout the system as a whole.

[Improved workability]
As described above, in addition to the main body feeding section 2 provided inside the image forming apparatus A, a manual feeding section 9 and an external feeding device D are provided on the one side surface of the image forming unit A1 as feeding means for externally supplying sheets to the image forming apparatus A. Furthermore, a sheet processing device B and a sheet folding device C are also disposed on the one side surface of the image forming unit A1 as post-processing devices for performing post-processing on sheets on which an image is formed by the image forming apparatus A.

This arrangement allows the user to replenish sheets to the manual feed section 9 and the feed device D, and to remove post-processed sheets from the stacking trays 23-25 of the sheet processing device B, while remaining on one side 51 of the image forming unit A1. Furthermore, the user can also perform troubleshooting and maintenance work for sheet jams and other issues that occur in the manual feed section 9, the feed device D, the sheet processing device B and/or the sheet folding device C, while remaining on the one side of the image forming unit A1. This allows the user to efficiently perform the various tasks described above for the image forming processing system 1000.

In addition, in order to perform the above-mentioned folding process, the sheet folding device C needs to secure a sufficiently large loop forming space 50 below the transport path 101, and therefore the portion of the sheet folding device C below the transport path 101 protrudes significantly downward. On the other hand, the sheet folding device C is shaped so as not to interfere with the range in which the manual feed tray 10 is opened and closed (the quarter-circular range shown by the dashed line in FIG. 1). In other words, in the configuration of the image forming system 1000 shown in FIG. 1, the manual feed tray 10 can be moved from a closed state to an open state. Therefore, by placing sheets on the loading surface 10a with the manual feed tray 10 in the open state, feeding from the manual feed tray 10 is possible.

[Separate configuration of each device]
The image forming apparatus A of the image forming system 1000 is provided with a cover 2c that is opened when a sheet fed from the cassettes 2a and 2b due to a sheet transport abnormality or the like is to be removed from the transport path. The cover 2c is integrally provided with one of a pair of guide members that guide the transport of the sheet fed from the cassettes 2a and 2b. Therefore, the transport path is opened by opening the cover 2c. When a sheet must be removed due to a sheet transport abnormality or the like, the user can remove the sheet by opening the cover 2c.

The cover 2c is provided on the left side (one side) 51 of the image forming apparatus A, and is provided in a position covered by the feeding device D when the image forming system 1000 is operating. In other words, the cover 2c of the image forming apparatus A overlaps with the feeding device D in the vertical direction. Therefore, in order to open the cover 2c of the image forming apparatus A, it is necessary to separate the sheet processing apparatus B, which is arranged on the side 51 side of the image forming apparatus A, from the feeding device D.

Next, the separation operation of the image forming system 1000 will be described with reference to FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the sheet processing device B and the sheet folding device C of the image forming system 1000 are separated. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which the feeding device D is separated. As shown in FIG. 6, when the feeding device D is separated from the image forming device A, the sheet processing device B is first separated in the +X direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the feeding device D is moved in the +X direction relative to the image forming device A to separate the feeding device D from the side surface 51 of the image forming device A. As a result, the side surface 51 in the width direction X of the main body feeding section 2 of the image forming device A is opened from the feeding device D, and a relatively large space is defined. As a result, the inner surface of the openable cover 2c provided on the side surface on one side can be opened upward as shown in FIG. 7, and the main body feeding section 2 can secure a working space for clearing a jam of a sheet sent from the main body feeding section 2 to the feeding path 8.

After opening the cover 2c and removing the sheet, the image forming system 1000 can be returned to an operable state by connecting in the reverse order of the separation operation. That is, after closing the cover 2c, the feeding device D is moved in the -X direction to connect to the image forming device, and the sheet processing device B is moved in the -X direction. In this embodiment, a configuration is shown in which the sheet processing device B and the sheet folding device C operate integrally. That is, the sheet folding device C is supported (fixed) by the sheet processing device B. Therefore, when the sheet processing device B is moved in the width direction X, the sheet folding device C also moves in the width direction X, and the sheet folding device C is separated from the conveying device E.

Here, the sheet processing device B can be separated from the image forming device A while placed on the base 700. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the position of the sheet processing device B from shifting relative to the image forming device A when the sheet processing device B is separated or connected. The detailed configuration of the base 700 will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the base 700.

The base 700 has an installation section 701 that is installed on the installation surface 56 on which the casters 300 of the image forming apparatus A are installed, and a placement section 702 on which the sheet processing apparatus B is placed while being supported by the installation section 701. As shown in FIG. 1 etc., the installation section 701 is fixed to the bottom plate portion of the frame (not shown) of the image forming apparatus A. As a result, the sheet processing apparatus B is positioned relative to the image forming apparatus A via the base 700. In this embodiment, the installation section 701 is an example of a fixed section that is fixed to the image forming apparatus.

The placement unit 702 is connected to the sheet processing device B by a connecting mechanism (not shown). Therefore, the placement unit 702 is slidable in the width direction X relative to the installation unit 701 with the sheet processing device B placed thereon. That is, the placement unit 702 slides relative to the installation unit 701 in response to the movement of the sheet processing device B in the width direction. The placement unit 702 is slidable by slide rails 703a and b extending in the width direction X. The placement unit 702 is slidable from the position shown in FIG. 1 to the position shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment, the position of the sheet processing device B shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a first position that forms a conveying path that can accept a sheet conveyed from the image forming device A. The position of the sheet processing device B shown in FIG. 6 is an example of a second position that is moved in a direction away from the image forming device A from the first position in the width direction X. The position of the feeding device D shown in FIG. 1 is an example of a third position that can feed a sheet to the feeding port of the image forming device A. 6 is an example of a fourth position that is moved away from the image forming apparatus A from the third position. The image forming system 1000 can move the feeding device D to the fourth position by moving the sheet processing apparatus B to the second position.

Next, a method for mounting sheet processing device B on base 700 will be described. Figure 9 is a perspective view showing sheet processing device B mounted on mounting portion 702 of base 700. Note that installation portion 701 is omitted in Figure 9. Base 700 has slopes 701a, b provided on installation portion 701 for moving sheet processing device B in the direction of arrow W (width direction X) and placing it on base 700, and slopes 702a, b provided on mounting portion 702.

There are two slopes 701a, b and 702a, b so that casters ba, bb are placed on the front and rear directions (Y direction) of the sheet processing device B. The sheet processing device B can be placed on the installation parts 702a, b by climbing up the slopes 701a, b and 702a, b. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the slopes 701a, b and the slopes 702a, b are arranged so that they are continuous with each other when the installation part 702 is located at the end side (left side in FIG. 1) of the installation part 701. In other words, in the state shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the sheet processing device B can be placed on the base 700. This allows the sheet processing device B to be easily placed on the base 700, improving the workability when installing the image forming system 1000.

The grooves 702c, d provided in the placement portion 702 extend along the width direction X, and a flat portion 702e is provided between each groove. The casters ba, bb of the sheet processing device B fit into the grooves 702c, d, respectively, to prevent the position of the sheet processing device B from shifting in the front-rear direction Y relative to the image forming device A. This also improves the ease of use when the user opens the cover 2c of the image forming device A to remove the sheet.

In this embodiment, the width of the casters ba and bb in the front-rear direction Y is 50 mm. The width of the grooves 702c and d in the front-rear direction Y is 52 mm. As a result, the rotation of the casters ba and bb is restricted by the grooves 702c and d, so that the sheet processing apparatus B can be prevented from being displaced in the front-rear direction Y relative to the image forming apparatus A. The dimensions of the casters and grooves are not limited to those described above, and may be within a range that can prevent the position from being displaced in the front-rear direction Y. For example, the width of the grooves 702c and d may be approximately 5 mm larger than the width of the casters ba and bb in the front-rear direction Y. In order to further prevent the position from being displaced, the width of the grooves 702c and d in the front-rear direction Y may be approximately 2 to 3 mm larger than the width of the casters ba and bb in the front-rear direction Y.
In addition, if the height of the sheet processing apparatus B is lower than that of the image forming apparatus A, it is necessary to increase the height of the sheet processing apparatus B in order to transfer the sheet. In this case, it is preferable to set the height of the base 700 so that the height of the sheet processing apparatus B matches that of the image forming apparatus A.

In this embodiment, the feeding device D is installed on the installation section 701 of the base 700. The slide rails 703a, b provided on the installation section 701 are provided in a position narrower in the front-rear direction Y than the spacing between the casters d provided on the feeding device D at the front and rear. In this embodiment, when the spacing between the front and rear casters provided on the feeding device D is L1 and the spacing between the slide rails 703a, 703b is L2, the relationship L1>L2 is satisfied. As a result, even if the installation section 701 is provided with the slide rails 703a, b, the feeding device D can move in the width direction X.

The shape of the base 700 may be changed as long as the feeder D is movable in the width direction X. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the shape of the installation section 705 may have slide rails 703a, b. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing another example of the positioning member 710. In FIG. 10, the same components as those of the base 700 shown in FIG. 8 are denoted by the same reference numerals and will not be described.

The positioning member 710 in FIG. 10 differs from the positioning device 700 shown in FIG. 8 in that the feeding device D is not placed on the installation portion 705. Therefore, the installation portion 705 is shaped so as not to hinder the movement of the feeding device D in the width direction X. Specifically, the portion 705b located below the feeding device D in the vertical direction is narrower than the portion 705a where the slopes 701a and 701b are provided in the vertical direction, and is narrower than the spacing between the casters of the feeding device D. Specifically, when the spacing between the front and rear casters provided on the feeding device D is L1, the spacing between the slide rails 703a and 703b is L2, the width of the portion 705b located below the feeding device D in the vertical direction is L3, and the width of the portion 705a where the slopes 701a and 701b are provided in the vertical direction is L4, the relationship is set so that L4>L1>L3>L2. This allows the feeding device D to be moved in the width direction X even when it is not placed on the installation section 705. The length in the width direction X of the part of the installation section 705 with the width L3 in the front-rear direction Y may be a length that can secure the separation amount of the feeding device D required to open the cover 2c of the image forming apparatus A. In this embodiment,

The base 700 may have any other shape as long as it is capable of positioning the sheet processing device B without impeding the movement of the feeding device D in the width direction X. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the installation portion 702 may be provided with installation grooves 702f-i. As shown in FIG. 11, by providing installation grooves 702f-i recessed with respect to the grooves 702c, d, the sheet processing device B can be more reliably positioned. The installation grooves 702f-i can be provided for each installation portion such as casters bb, ba provided on the sheet processing device B to restrict the movement of the sheet processing device B. In the shape shown in FIG. 11, there is no need to provide a separate member for fixing the sheet processing device B to the placement portion 702, and the sheet processing device B can be positioned with a simple configuration. The portion 705a where the slopes 701a, b are provided in the vertical direction is an example of a first support portion that supports the placement portion 701 when the sheet processing device B is separated. Furthermore, the portion 705b located vertically below the feeding device D is an example of a second support portion that supports the placement portion 701 when the sheet processing device B is connected.

The base 700 may also be provided with a structure for restricting the movement of the feeding device D. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, grooves 701c and d having the same function as grooves 702c and d of the sheet processing device B may be provided. The grooves 701c and d may be provided to match the spacing between the casters of the feeding device D in the front-to-rear direction. For example, similar to grooves 702c and d, the grooves may have a length that is approximately 5 mm greater than the width of the casters of the feeding device d in the front-to-rear direction Y. To further suppress misalignment, the length of the grooves 701c and d in the front-to-rear direction may be approximately 2 to 3 mm greater than the width of the casters of the feeding device D in the front-to-rear direction Y.

The length of the grooves 701c and d in the width direction X may be any length that provides the required separation amount in the width direction X of the feeding device D to open the cover 2c of the image forming device A. Therefore, the grooves may extend to below the placement portion 702 in the vertical direction Z. In this way, by providing the grooves 701c and d, it is possible to suppress misalignment of the feeding device D associated with the connection and separation operations to the image forming device A. In addition, since the movement of the feeding device D can be guided by the grooves 701c and d, it is possible to improve the operability when the user opens the cover 2c of the image forming device A to remove the sheet.

[Connection configuration of each device]
The sheet processing apparatus B may be provided with a release lever for releasing the connection with an upstream apparatus in the image forming system 1000. For example, the release lever may be provided at a position that is exposed when the exterior cover 600 of the sheet processing apparatus B shown in Fig. 9 is opened. In this manner, by providing the release lever on the inside of the exterior cover 600, it is possible to prevent the sheet processing apparatus B from being separated due to an accidental touch of the release lever.

As described above, in a configuration in which the sheet processing device B and the sheet folding device C are connected and separated from the conveying device E, a release lever may be provided on the sheet folding device C. Even in this case, by providing the release lever on the inside of the exterior cover, it is possible to prevent the release lever from being operated accidentally. Furthermore, as long as the configuration can prevent operation of the release lever when it is touched accidentally, the release lever may be provided on the outside of the exterior cover.

In the above embodiment, the sheet processing device B and the sheet folding device C are configured to be connected and separated from the conveying device while connected, but as long as the connection as the image forming system 1000 can be released, the connection between any of the devices may be released. For example, if the sheet folding device C is supported by the image forming device A via the conveying device E, only the sheet processing device B may be configured to be separated in the width direction X of the image forming system 1000.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, a conveying device E and a sheet folding device C are provided between the image forming device A and the sheet processing device B, but the system configuration is not limited to this. For example, a processing device that performs a different process, rather than the sheet folding device C, may be provided between the image forming device A and the sheet processing device B. Also, the image forming device A and the sheet processing device B may be connected by only one conveying device.

In the above-described embodiment, the placement portion 702 has grooves 702c, d for positioning the sheet processing device B in the front-rear direction Y, but other configurations are possible as long as they are capable of restricting the movement of the sheet processing device B. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which a protrusion is provided instead of the grooves 702c, d to restrict the movement of the sheet processing device B in the front-rear direction Y. The movement of the sheet processing device B on the placement portion 702 may be restricted by providing an adjuster or the like on the sheet processing device B.

As described above, by providing the base 700 on which the sheet processing device B is placed and which positions it relative to the image forming device A, it is possible to prevent the position of the sheet processing device B from shifting relative to the image forming device A when the sheet processing device B is separated or connected. Furthermore, in a configuration in which the base 700 is provided, the movement of the feeding device D in the width direction X is not impeded, improving the operability when separating or connecting the sheet processing device B and the feeding device D from the image forming device A. This improves the operability when the user opens the cover 2c provided on the image forming device A to remove the sheet.

In the above embodiment, the feed tray 10 is provided on the left side of the image forming device A, but the feed tray 10 may be provided on the right side, the transport path may be reversed, and the discharge outlet 17 may be provided on the right side. In this case, each transport device and sheet processing device B may also be provided on the right side of the image forming device A. Even in this case, the same problem can be solved by positioning the image forming device A and the sheet processing device B as described above.

The present invention has been described above in relation to a preferred embodiment, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be implemented with various modifications and variations within its technical scope.

A Image forming apparatus A1 Image forming unit A4 Intermediate transport unit A5 Paper discharge section B Sheet processing device C Sheet folding device E Transport device D Feeding device 2 Cassette 2a Cover 7 Main stacking tray 9 Manual feed section 10 Manual feed tray 19 Paper discharge section relay transport path 19a Expandable path section 23 to 25 Stacking tray 50 Loop forming space 101 Transport path 700 Base 1000 Image forming processing system

Claims (4)

an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet, the image forming apparatus having a storage unit that is provided below the image forming unit in a vertical direction of the image forming apparatus and that is capable of storing a sheet to be supplied to the image forming unit;
a sheet processing device that performs a binding process on the sheets on which the images are formed by the image forming device;
a sheet feeding device having a storage section that is disposed between the image forming device and the sheet processing device in a width direction of the image forming device and that stores sheets, the sheet feeding device feeding the sheets stored in the storage section to a feed port that is disposed on one side surface of the image forming device;
a conveying device that is provided above the feeding device in the vertical direction and conveys a sheet discharged from a discharge port provided on the one side surface of the image forming device in the width direction to the sheet processing device;
a base including a fixing portion that is fixed to the image forming apparatus in a state where the image forming apparatus is installed on an installation surface on which the image forming apparatus is installed, a placement portion on which the sheet processing apparatus is placed, and a slide rail that allows the placement portion to slide in the width direction relative to the fixing portion,
the sheet processing device is movable, in association with the sliding movement of the placement unit, between a first position forming a transport path capable of receiving a sheet transported from the image forming device via the transport device and a second position moved in a direction away from the image forming device in the width direction from the first position,
the sheet feeding device is movable between a third position where a sheet can be fed to a feed port of the image forming device and a fourth position moved in a direction away from the image forming device from the third position in the width direction, and the sheet feeding device is movable from the third position to the fourth position when the sheet processing device is moved to the second position,
the image forming apparatus has a cover that is capable of opening a conveying path along which the sheet accommodated in the accommodation unit is conveyed toward the image forming unit and that is provided on the one side surface in the width direction,
2. An image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the cover is openable when the sheet processing device is moved to the second position and the sheet feeding device is moved to the fourth position. The image forming system according to claim 1, characterized in that the sheet feeding device is movable between the third position and the fourth position while placed on the fixed part. the sheet feeding device has a plurality of casters including a first caster and a second caster;
the second caster is provided behind the first caster in a front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus,
3. The image forming apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the slide rail is provided between the first caster and the second caster in the front-rear direction. the fixing portion has a first support portion that supports the placement portion when the sheet processing apparatus is located at the first position, and a second support portion that supports the placement portion when the sheet processing apparatus is located at the second position,
the sheet feeding device has a plurality of casters including a first caster and a second caster;
the second caster is provided behind the first caster in a front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus,
The slide rail is provided across the first support portion and the second support portion in the width direction,
a length of the second support portion in a front-rear direction of the image forming apparatus is shorter than a length of the first support portion in the front-rear direction;
2 . The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the second support portion is provided between the first caster and the second caster in the front-rear direction.

Images