JP2920425B2 - Sorter with stapler device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sorter attached to an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printing machine or a laser beam printer for separating and storing sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus. And a stapler device for aligning and binding sheets stored in the bins.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a sheet post-processing apparatus having a stapler device for binding sheets discharged from a copying machine or the like, a stapler is used for each sheet together with a machine such as a circulation type automatic document feeder (RDH). Although there is a sheet post-processing device (finisher) for stopping, there is a disadvantage that the mechanism is complicated and expensive.

(1) A device in which a relatively simple bin-moving sorter is provided with a stapler device (JP-A-64-43457) is disclosed. This device is a sorter in which a stapler device for binding sheets stored in a bin is disposed so as to be able to advance and retreat with respect to the bin.

(2) In other sorters, when stapling a large number of sheet bundles, a fixed stapler device is provided for each bin, and each bin is moved to the staple position to staple the sheet bundle. .

(3) The sorter disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-244869 moves a bin on which paper is loaded to a position where staples can be driven, drives staples, and uses the staple device when driving other bins. Is moved in the vertical direction.

[0006]

Among the sorters with the stapler device described above, the type in which the first stapler device is advanced or retracted has a different approaching stroke depending on the size of the sheet, and if all the vertical intervals between the bins are widened, the sorter is required. Has become larger,
There is a problem that the mechanism becomes complicated when an operation of expanding only the interval between the bins into which the stapling device enters is performed.

[0007] The second sorter has a problem that the configuration of the entire sorter is complicated and a special stapler device is required when the interval between the bins is narrow.

In the third sorter, each bin on which paper is deposited is moved straightly along a bin guide at an appropriate time and is moved horizontally to a staple position, and there is a disadvantage that the structure of the apparatus is complicated and large.

In any sorter, when the sheets aligned on the bin are moved to the stapler position or when the stapler device is inserted between the bins, the sheet bundle on the bin is not fixed at all. Previously, the sheets are stapled without being aligned, resulting in sheet irregularities.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a structure in which a relatively simple sorter can fix a sheet immediately before a bin is moved, align the sheet, and bind the sheet to a fixed position. The purpose is to eliminate the problem.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a sorter provided with the stapler apparatus of the present invention that achieves the above object has a plurality of bins for classifying and storing sheets, and a bin for storing sheets in the bin. And a stapler device for stapling the folded sheet bundle .
The bin is disposed on the side of the taper device and is engaged with the bin.
Swinging means for swinging the swinging means.
A bottle swinging equipment for swinging the sheet bundle accumulated on the bin stapling possible positions of the stapler device Ri,
The side edge of the sheet discharged onto the bin is
All bins are simultaneously moved in the direction perpendicular to the
Placed on the side plate side of the bin where the butting width is aligned
The bin is pivotally supported by the bin so as to be movable up and down.
The swing just before the start of the bottle by location, in pressure contact with the upper surface of the sheet bundle composed of a sheet bundle holding device that holds up stapled possible position to fix the sheet stack in the bin, prior to
The swinging means engages with the bin via a sheet bundle holding device.
Then, the sheet of the sheet pressing device is
After lowering the presser to bring the upper surface of the sheet into pressure contact,
It is characterized by swinging the bin .

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a sorter connected to a main body 1 of an image forming apparatus (for example, a copying machine). The sorter of the present invention includes a base unit 10, a downward transport unit 20, an upward transport unit 30, and a bin moving unit 40.

The base 10 comprises a caster 11, connecting means 12 for connecting to the image forming apparatus main body, a conveyor belt 13, driven rollers 14, guide plates 15A and 15B, driving means (not shown), and the like, and is fixed on the floor. Is done.

The downward transport section 20 is connected to the paper discharge roller 2 and the paper discharge port 3 of the image forming apparatus main body 1, receives the discharged paper P by the guide plate 21, and conveys it downward. Conveyor belt 22 and driven roller for feeding into conveyor belt 13 in section 10
Consists of 23 mag. Further, the image forming apparatus includes a transporting unit 24 and a tray 25 that branch off from the transporting path and discharge the preceding sheet P when a jam occurs in the image forming apparatus main body 1. Note that the upper part of the housing of the downward transport unit 20 swings freely so that the jammed paper in the downward transport unit 20 can be taken out.

The ascending transport section 30 has several endless transfer belts 31 stretched over pulleys 32 and 33 rotatably fixed to the upper and lower portions of the support frame. The conveyor belt
Inside the inside of 31, a plurality of rollers 34, which correspond to the insertion openings of the bins described later, are rotatably rolled. A plurality of transport rollers 35 are in contact with the rollers 34 and are outside of the transport belt 31 so as to roll and rotate.

In the middle of the transport roller 35, branch guides 36 are located at the entrances of the bins and swing. These branch guides 36 are rotatably supported by a shaft 37 provided on the support frame, and are swung by a lever and a solenoid (not shown) provided at the shaft end of the shaft 37. Accordingly, by rotating the branch guide 36 clockwise, the lower end pawl portion of the branch guide 36 intersects the paper transport path formed by the transport belt 31 and the transport roller 35, and is vertically moved upward of the paper. The branch guide 36 adjusts the paper receiving posture. When the sheet P is conveyed there, the sheet P is deflected in a substantially right angle direction along the inner curved surface of the branch guide 36 and is received in the bin 41.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the components and bins of the above-described paper branch conveyance path.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the bin 41.

A plurality of bins (for example, 20 bins) 41 arranged at equal intervals are swingably supported by the bin moving section 40. That is, the bottom of the bin 41 (the left side in FIG. 2)
It is slidably supported on a guide plate 38 fixed to 30.

A slide piece 44 is fitted on a fixed shaft 43 supported upright by a support member 42 fixed above and below the frame of the bin moving section 40 and positioned by a pin 45. The slide piece 44 is fitted into a hole at one end (upper right in FIGS. 2 and 3) of the bin 41, and makes the bin 41 rotatable. Pins 45 driven into the fixed shaft 43 at equal intervals are slide pieces.
Engage with the concave portions of 44 and hold the ends of the bins 41 in parallel arrangement at equal intervals.

The other end of the bin 41 is
And is supported by a rotatable roller 39 which is implanted in a part of the frame. In this way, the bin 41 is supported by the guide plate 38, the slide piece 44, and the roller 39, and is swingable about the fixed shaft 43. Reference numeral 41A denotes three claw portions provided on the bottom surface side engaging with the notches of the guide plate 38. Reference numeral 41B denotes five front stoppers provided on the paper introduction side on the upper surface side of the bin 41, and the upper end of the upright surface has a curved claw shape to prevent the paper rear end from rising out of the paper bin due to rising of the rear end of the paper. It is for.

On the other hand, an aligning device 50 for aligning the side edges of the paper P discharged from the copying machine main body 1 onto the bin 41 is provided in a part of the fixed frame of the ascending transport section 30, but FIG. FIG. 5 shows a plan view of the alignment device 50 in a front sectional view.

In the aligning device 50, a lower arm 52, which is fitted to a lower support shaft 51 attached to a lower portion of the frame and is swingable, is swung by a driving force of a pulse motor (not shown). At the tip of the lower arm 52, the lower shaft end of the mandrel 54A of the alignment rod 54 is held by a centering bearing 53A. The alignment rod 54 is coated on the outer periphery of the mandrel 54A with an elastic agent 54B made of a foam material such as sponge, and presses the side edge of the discharged paper P to align the width of the paper P.

The shaft end of the alignment rod 54 above the mandrel 54A is fitted and held in a centering bearing 53B provided at the shaft end of the upper arm 55. The upper arm 55 is swingable by engaging with an upper support shaft 56 attached to an upper portion of the frame.

An arcuate curved portion 52A protrudes from a part of the lower arm 52, and detects the home position of the lower arm by interrupting the optical path of a photointerrupter (transmission type optical sensor) 57. doing.

The swing angle of the lower arm 52 is changed according to the number of pulses set by the pulse motor so that the width of the lower arm 52 is aligned in accordance with the size of the sheet P to be discharged.

A roller 58 is rotatably fitted to a projection shaft 52B projecting from a part of the lower arm 52. The roller 58 slides on a groove cam portion 59A of a cam member 59 fixed to the frame, and when the lower arm 52 swings about the lower support shaft 51, the roller 58 slides on the groove cam portion 59A to rotate. Also swings in the direction. By such a swinging motion, the paper P described on the bin 41 is aligned by pressing the side edge of the paper downward when the paper width is aligned by the swinging of the alignment rod 54.

The alignment rod 54 draws a swing locus (dashed line) as shown in FIG. On the other hand, the bin 41 swings as shown by a dashed line in order to insert the sheets to be stacked into the stapler device, and the bin 41 moves back and forth as described later. As shown, a large concave curved opening 41C is formed. 46 is
It is a reinforcing member that closes the opening 41C of the bin 41 in order to prevent the deformation of the bin 41 due to such a large curved opening 41C. The reinforcing member is screwed to the side surface of the bin 41, and at the same time, the bin 41 into which the slide piece 44 is fitted.
And the slide piece 44 is prevented from getting out.

A stopper wall 41 is provided on one side of the bin 41.
D is upright and united. The inner surface of the stopper wall 41D has a corrugated shape to allow air to escape from the gap in the sheet bundle stacked on the bin 41.

The outer surface of the stopper wall 41D has a seal
A paper press device 60 as a press press device is mounted. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the bin 41 to which the paper press device 60 is attached. A lever 61 is swingably supported by a shaft 62 implanted on the outer surface of the stopper wall 41D. 41E is a guide portion for guiding the lever 61 slidably. An elongated shaft 63A is implanted at one end of the lever 61, and a pipe-shaped paper pressing member 63B is loosely fitted to the shaft 63A. The other end of the lever 61 is elastically pressed by a leaf spring 65. A buffer leaf spring 66 is cantilevered and fixed to a bent portion of the lever 61 below the pressed portion. The leaf spring 66 is pressed by a roller 72 attached to the tip of the second arm 71B of the bin swing device 70.

FIG. 7 shows that the bottle 41 is swung,
FIG. 3 is a plan view of a bin swinging device 70 that operates the paper press device 60.

The bin swinging device 70 is attached to the substrate 73. A first arm 71A is mounted coaxially on a rotating shaft 74 driven via a motor (not shown) and a reduction gear train transmission system. A second arm 71B having an elongated hole is spring-biased on the first arm 71A and is slidable in the radial direction. A rubber-coated roller 72 is rotatably attached to the distal end of the second arm 71B.

A cam plate 75 is attached to the rotating shaft 74. The cam plate 75 is composed of a U-shaped groove and a circular arc having an equal radius.

On the other hand, a guide member 76 provided on a part of the substrate 73
The follower shaft 78 penetrating through the long groove of the moving member 77 which can slide and move in a straight line, the groove of the cam plate 75, and the first arm 71A and the second arm 71B is spring-biased. Supported.

The other end of the cam plate 75 has a fan-shaped closing plate portion.
75A is integrated and turns on and off through a photointerrupter (transmissive sensor) 79.

The first arm 71A is shown by a broken line in FIG. The follower shaft 78 moves the moving member 77
After moving along the groove of the cam plate 75, the groove of the cam plate 75 is moved outward, and after escaping from the groove, it slides on the curved surface of the circular arc having the same radius. Prior to this, the closing plate 75 at the tail of the cam plate 75
A interrupts the optical path of the photointerrupter 79, turns off the power supply, and stops the drive rotation of the motor. Therefore, even if there is an overrun after the rotation of the motor stops, the follower shaft 78
The first arm 71A maintains the stop position at a predetermined angle and stops at the predetermined position because the first arm 71A stops at the predetermined position because the arc portion having the same radius of 75 is moved and stopped.

The substrate 73 of the bin swinging device 70 is mounted on a common frame 82 together with the substrate 81 of the stapler device, and is driven up and down on the frame of the bin moving unit 40, and Stopping for each bin 41, the paper pressing member 63
The sheet bundle deposited on the rocked bin 41 while being pressed by B enters the gap between the binding portions of the stapler device, and is stapled.

After the stapling, the second arm 71
B returns and swings, and the bin 41 is urged by the spring and swings to return to the initial paper discharge position.

Next, the stapling operation of the sheet bundle discharged to the bin 41 will be described below.

The center of positioning of the original placed on the platen glass of the copying machine body 1 includes a center line reference,
There is a single-sided alignment standard. First, the stapling operation based on the one-side alignment will be described.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the movement of the paper P due to the swing of the bin 41.

The paper P discharged from the copying machine body 1 is
The aligning rod 54 to swing, as shown in FIG. 3, is a paper assortment example pressed against the stopper wall 41D one by one to <br/> base line BL of the solid line position of FIG.

When it is detected that the set number of sheets are all stored in the bin 41, the bin swinging device 70
Of the second arm 71B starts swinging, and the roller at the tip thereof
72 presses the stopper wall 41F protruding downward from the side surface of the bin 41 via the buffer leaf spring 66, swings the lever 61 against the urging force of the leaf spring 65, and the paper pressing member 63B holds the paper bundle. Press from above to prevent the paper from shifting.

When the second arm 71B further swings, the bin 41 swings around the slide piece 44 while holding the paper, and reaches the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. The upper sheet swings to the position shown by the dashed line in FIG. 8 and stops (staple line SL).

In this stop position, the leading edge of the sheet bundle is inserted into the gap between the binding portions of the stapler device 80, and the staple 83 is driven and bound by the driving of the stapler device 80.

[0047] After staple ends, by returning to the original being driven arm 71B, together with the return are bottles 41 spring urged to its original position, the paper pressing member 63 B is spaced from the sheet bundle face, paper The bundle can be taken out from the bin 41.

When the stapling of the sheet bundle contained in the uppermost bin 41 of the bins 41 is completed, a common frame body in which the stapler device 80 and the bin swinging device 70 are integrally formed.
82 is lowered by the drive source to swing the bin 41 one step below, and performs the stapling operation in the same manner as described above. During this time, the paper discharging operation is being performed on the bin 41 one or two stages lower.

The above is the description of the stopper wall 41D (base line B).
L) is a staple operation of a type in which the paper is aligned on one side basis. Next, the staple operation of the sheet bundle P discharged on the center line CL will be described below.

In the first method, the sheet P discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is pressed and shifted by the alignment rod 54 each time, and is brought into contact with the stopper wall 41D to align the sheets . The paper P is swung as shown in FIG.
8 is moved to the position indicated by the dashed line and stapled in the same manner as described above. However, in this method, the drive structure is a simple, different sheet shifting amount at the bottle 41 by the paper size, especially for small-sized paper (for example B5 size paper), the movement of the biasing of the on bottle 41 The amount is large (shown W
3) There is a disadvantage that the alignment is uncertain.

Therefore, the second method is a bin moving unit including a bin 41 for stacking and stacking a sheet bundle according to the sheet size.
This is a method in which the entirety 40 is advanced in a direction perpendicular to the sheet discharging direction, the sheet bundle is moved to the position of the base line BL, and then the bin 41 is rocked and stapled in the same manner as described above. The stapling operation by this method is shown in the plan views of FIGS. 9 and 10, and the time chart of FIG. 11, and will be described below.

(1) When the size of the paper (copying paper) P discharged from the copying machine main body 1 is manually set or automatically determined, the bin moving unit 40 of the sorter is electrically driven, and the predetermined size corresponding to the paper size is determined. Is reached, a stand-by state is entered in which the operation is stopped by a signal from the position detection sensor. In this standby position, the stopper wall 41D of the bin 41 is located at a distance of 1 (for example, about 10 mm) from the widthwise side edge of the paper P that enters.

(2) In this state, the sheet P enters from the left side in the figure and rises along the slope of the bin 41, and then slides down by its own weight to come into contact with the front stopper 41B of the bin 41 and stop.

(3) After the paper P is stopped, the alignment rod 54 swings and presses one side edge of the paper P, and the paper P is shifted toward the front side by a shift amount l, and the other side of the paper P is shifted. Edge to stopper wall 41
Contact D. This offset amount 1 is set to be substantially the same for other sheets of different sizes (for example, A4 size, B4 size, A3 size, etc.).

(4) Next, the bin moving unit 40 is electrically driven forward and stopped at a predetermined position (BL) common to each sheet size. The moving amount x is set to half (for example, 87.4 mm) obtained by subtracting the minimum size (for example, B5 size, 257 mm) from the maximum size (for example, 17 inches) of the sheet. During this time, the side edge of the sheet bundle on the bin 41 is pressed by the alignment rod 54 and moves.

(5) FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a bin swinging process showing a stapling operation. The bin moving unit in the stopped state
When a staple signal is input to 40, the bin swinging device 70 is driven first, and the arm 71B swings to cause the roller at the leading end to swing.
72 presses the leaf spring 66 at the lower end of the paper presser 60, and pivots the lever 61 against the spring biasing force of the leaf spring 65 further above.
The paper pressing member 63B presses the upper surface of the sheet on the bin 41 by swinging counterclockwise around the center 62.

(6) Subsequently, the roller 72 at the tip of the arm 71B further swings to swing the bin 41 about the slide piece 44 ( about 12 °) , and the bin 41 is pressed while the sheet on the bin 41 is pressed. Swing 41.

(7) When the follower shaft 78 of the bin oscillating device 70 rises to an arcuate curved surface having the same radius as the outermost diameter of the cam plate 75, the photosensor 79 detects the position and stops driving, or the inertia depends on the inertia. Even if the rotation is continued slightly, the position of the roller 72 does not change, and the swing of the bin 41 is stopped. (8) Hereinafter, the staple 83 is driven as described above.

(9) Next, the bin swinging device 70 enters a return operation, and returns the bin 41 and the paper pressing member 63B to the initial positions.

(10) Subsequently, the second and third bins are similarly swung to perform a stapling operation.

(11) When the stapling of all the sheet bundles is completed, the bin moving unit 40 returns to the home position and enters a standby state. This home position may be a position where the bin moving unit 40 is most advanced or a position where it is most retracted.

[0062]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The bin is oscillated by a mechanism that swings the bin that accumulates and stores the sheets for stapling, and by providing a sheet presser that presses and fixes the sheet bundle to the bin surface immediately before the bin is swung. There is no misalignment during middle and staple operations, which makes it easy to stabilize the staple position in all bins, accurately positions the staples at the specified position on the paper with a simple configuration, and staps the paper bundle accurately and securely can do.

[0063] In particular, the advantages by attaching the sheet hold-down device on the sheet contacting surfaces of each bin (stopper wall), and align the sheet becomes stapling processable at a constant position regardless of the sheet size, stapling accuracy is improved There is.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a sorter connected to an image forming apparatus main body.

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of components and bins of a branch conveyance path for sheets.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a bin.

FIG. 4 is a front sectional view of the matching device.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the matching device.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a bottle equipped with a paper presser.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the bin swinging device.

FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the swinging process of sheets of various sizes set on one side basis.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing the linear movement of the bin.

FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a swinging process of the bin.

FIG. 11 is a timing chart of main components of the sorter.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Image forming apparatus main body (copier main body) 10 ... Base part 20 ... Down conveyance part 30 ... Up conveyance part 40 ... Bin moving part 41 ... Bin 43 ... Fixed shaft 44 ... Slide piece 50 ... Alignment device 51 ... Lower support Shaft 52 ... Lower arm 54 ... Alignment rod 55 ... Upper arm 56 ... Upper support shaft 60 ... Paper holding device 61 ... Lever 62 ... Shaft 63A ... Shaft 63B ... Paper holding member 65 ... Leaf spring 66 ... Leaf spring 70 ... Bin swing Device 71A: First arm 71B: Second arm 72: Roller 74: Rotating shaft 75: Cam plate 78: Follower shaft 80: Stapler device 83: Staple P: Paper (sheet)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) B65H 39/11 B65H 37/04 G03G 15/00 534

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of bins for sorting and storing sheets,
A stapler device for stapling the sheet bundle stored in the bin , wherein the bin is disposed on the stapler device side of the bin,
Swing means for swinging the bin by engaging with
A bin oscillating device that oscillates a sheet bundle deposited on the bin to a stapleable position of the stapler device by oscillating the moving unit, and a side edge of the sheet discharged onto the bin is aligned by an alignment device.
All bins are simultaneously moved in the direction perpendicular to the
Placed on the side plate side of the bin where the butting width is aligned
The bin is pivotally supported by the bin so as to be movable up and down.
The swing just before the start of the bottle by location, in pressure contact with the upper surface of the sheet bundle composed of a sheet bundle holding device that holds up stapled possible position to fix the sheet stack in the bin, said rocking means Through the sheet bundle holding device
The swinging means engages with the bin, and
Lower the sheet holding part of
A sorter provided with a stapler device , wherein the bin is rocked after being brought into contact .