JP3437511B2 - Sheet processing apparatus and image forming apparatus having the same - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus, and more specifically, for example, recording sheets or the like carried out from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile or the like are sequentially disposed in a processing apparatus main body. The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus for selectively performing sheet processing such as punching on the sheet and an image forming apparatus including the sheet processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine performs a punching process on a sheet on which an image is recorded or a sheet process such as a binding process in order to reduce the labor required for the sheet process after copying. A sheet processing apparatus for selectively applying the sheet is configured to be attached, and by connecting these to the image forming apparatus main body, an image forming apparatus configured to efficiently perform sheet processing is configured. .

In the above-mentioned sheet processing apparatus, in order to perform the above-mentioned sheet processing, punching means for punching the sheets is provided upstream of the processing apparatus main body having a stacking means for loading the sheets.

[0004]

However, in the above-described conventional example, when the punching means punches a sheet to be conveyed when the sheet to be conveyed is carried into the main body of the processing apparatus,
When a sheet is jammed in the conveyance path including the punching means, the processing apparatus main body must be separated from the image forming apparatus main body to pull out the sheet, and the jam processing of the jammed sheet is troublesome. was there.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a sheet processing apparatus capable of easily removing a jammed sheet when a sheet is jammed in a conveyance path including punching means, and an image forming apparatus including the sheet processing apparatus. It is what

[0006]

The invention according to claim 1 is
A punch unit for selectively performing drilling process to the sheet to be conveyed, and processing means unit which incorporates the punch means,
Loading means and said processing means unit as the loading means for loading a sheet conveyed from the processing unit unit
And a transport path up to
It is characterized in that it is provided so that it can be opened and closed in one direction .

The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the processing means unit can be opened and closed centering on one end side in the width direction of the conveyed sheet.

The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that the processing means unit is provided with a transport guide which constitutes the transport path . The invention according to claim 4 is the processing hand.
The corrugated unit is characterized in that it has means for detecting the lateral edge of the sheet.
To collect. The invention according to claim 5 is the processing unit unit.
If it closes, it will engage and retain the processing means unit.
It has a holdable engagement means. The invention according to claim 6 is
Form an image on any one of the sheet processing devices and sheets
Image forming means for forming an image
A discharger for discharging the formed sheet to the sheet processing apparatus
And a step.

[Operation] Based on the above construction, when the conveyed sheet is conveyed to the main body of the processing apparatus of the sheet processing apparatus through the punching means, if the sheet is jammed,
The jammed sheet can be easily removed by opening the processing means unit upward with respect to the processing apparatus main body incorporating the sheet processing means.

Further, when the processing means unit in the open state is closed at a predetermined position of the processing apparatus main body, the processing means unit is engaged with and held by the processing apparatus main body by the engaging means, so that the positional accuracy of the punch means is improved. It is possible to prevent the influence of vibration during holding and operation of the device.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the internal construction of a copying machine which is an example of an image forming apparatus to which the present invention can be applied. The reading unit 2 and the sheet processing apparatus B are connected to each other.

Here, first, the overall configuration of the image forming apparatus will be briefly described, and then the configuration of the sheet processing apparatus B will be described in detail.

[Overall Configuration of Image Forming Apparatus] The image forming apparatus main body A optically reads a document automatically fed from a document feeding apparatus 1 mounted on the upper portion of the apparatus by a reading section 2 which is an optical unit. The image information is transmitted to the image forming means 3 as a digital signal and recorded on a recording sheet such as plain paper or OHP sheet.

A plurality of sheet cassettes 4 accommodating sheets P of various sizes are attached to the lower part of the image forming apparatus main body A, and the sheets P fed from the sheet cassettes 4 and conveyed by the conveying rollers 5 are An image is recorded in the image forming means 3 by an electrophotographic method. That is, based on the image information read by the reading unit 2, a laser beam is irradiated from the light irradiation unit 3a onto the photosensitive drum 3b to form an electrostatic latent image, which is developed by the developing unit 3c to form a toner image. The image is transferred onto a sheet P, the sheet P is conveyed to the fixing device 6, and the image is permanently fixed by applying heat and pressure.

Then, the sheet P is sent to the sheet processing apparatus B in the single-sided recording mode, and is transported to the resending path 7 by switchback in the double-sided recording mode, and the sheet P recorded on one side. Is again conveyed to the image forming means 3 to form an image on the other surface, and then the sheet is sent to the sheet processing apparatus B by the main body discharge roller (main body discharge means) 9.

The sheet processing apparatus B is configured as shown in FIG. 2, and when discharging the sheet P, in addition to the normal discharge mode, discharge processing is performed according to each mode such as punch mode and staple mode. It is possible.

The punch mode is a mode for punching holes in each sheet, and the staple mode is for stacking and aligning the sheets P on the staple tray 12 when the sheets P are sorted and discharged by the number of copies. Bunch stapler 13
This is an operation mode in which staples are stapled and stapled and discharged for each number of copies.

When the sheet P is discharged, the sheet P
In addition to the normal discharge control for discharging one sheet at a time, a two-sheet discharge control capable of simultaneously discharging two sheets P is possible. This two-sheet discharge control is an operation in which the sheet P sent from the image forming apparatus main body A to the sheet processing apparatus B is retained in the buffer path 14, and two sheets P are discharged at the same time so as to overlap the next discharged sheet P. Control.

The sheet P punched in the punch mode
It is also possible to stack and align the sheets on the staple tray 12 and staple them.

Next, the configuration of each part of the sheet processing apparatus B will be described in detail.

From the image forming apparatus main body A to the sheet processing apparatus B
The sheet P discharged to the processing section is carried into the processing means unit 61 provided in the processing apparatus main body 60 by the entrance guide 70. The processing means unit 61 is a punch unit (punch means) 4 as a sheet processing means which will be described later with reference to FIG.
It contains 0. A lower portion of the punch unit 40 has a pair of frames 40e that constitute a guide for the conveyed sheet P , and the lower frame 40e has a pair of frames 40e.
A plurality of punch holes for making holes in the sheet P are provided.

In the normal mode, the conveyed sheet P is conveyed by the conveying roller 15 as a sheet conveying roller pair, and at the same time, the upper discharging roller pair 16 and the lower discharging roller pair as the sheet conveying roller pair. At 17, the sheet is discharged to the stack tray 18.

At this time, as shown in FIG. 5, the lower discharge roller pair 17 has a drive motor 208 and its own drive source, and the conveying roller 15, the upper discharge roller pair 16, and the buffer roller 23 are common. Discharge motor 2 as a drive source
It is driven by 05.

The drive operation of these drive means 205, 208 is controlled by a control device (control means) 200 described later with reference to FIG. The transport roller 15, the upper and lower discharge rollers 16 and 17 and the like form a pair of sheet transport rollers for transporting the sheet P.

In the above-described two-sheet discharge control, as shown in FIG. 5, the leading sheet P2 waiting in the buffer path 14 and the leading edge of the trailing sheet P3 discharged from the main body A of the image forming apparatus are arranged. It is necessary to convey the sheet so that the deviation amount becomes constant. Therefore, when the trailing sheet P3 passes the position of the entry sensor 27 shown in FIG. After a lapse of a predetermined clock after that, the rotation of the buffer roller 23 is started so that the deviation amount between the leading edge of the preceding sheet P2 and the trailing sheet P3 becomes constant.

Therefore, in the bufferer 23 having the same drive source as the conveying roller 15 and the upper discharge roller pair 16, the trailing sheet P3 passes the position of the entry sensor 27, or the trailing sheet P3 passes the entry sensor 27. It has stopped until a predetermined clock has passed after passing.

A plurality of stack trays 18 are provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and are moved in the vertical direction by a stacker motor 209 (FIG. 10) built in the lower part thereof. In case of sort discharge,
By sequentially moving the plurality of stack trays 18 to the discharge port, the sheets P can be discharged in a state of being sorted by the number of copies. In the staple mode, the stapled sheet bundle can be discharged to the stack tray 18 in a sorted state.

The punch mode will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 8 and 9.

The transmissive sensor unit 41 (FIG. 9) is
It is fixed to the punch unit (sheet processing means) 40 and has transmission sensors 41b, 41c, 41d and 41e. The transmission sensors 41b, 41c, 41d, 41
e is arranged so that the lateral edge of the sheet P can be detected according to the paper size of the sheet P discharged from the image forming apparatus main body A, and in the present embodiment, B5, B5R, A4.
The sheet P of A4R is arranged at the lateral end position.

The punch unit 40 (FIG. 8) has a drive shaft 4
0a, a cam 40b, a vertically movable sliding frame 40c,
The punch 40d and the cam 40 holding the punch 40d
Lower frame 40 biased by a spring (not shown) to b
e and a punch motor 40f shown in FIG. The cam 40b is fixed to the drive shaft 40a, the punch 40d is fixed to the sliding frame 40c, and when the punch motor 40f is driven, the drive is transmitted to the driving shaft 40a and the cam 40b also rotates, and the sliding frame 40c. The punch 40d moves up and down. The punch 40d is arranged so as to pass through a punch hole provided in the lower frame of the pair of frames 40e forming the guide by moving up and down, and punches the sheet P (sheet processing).

Further, by engaging the rack portion 40g (FIG. 9) provided in the punch unit 40 and the pinion 42a of the slide motor 42, the punch unit 40 can be slid in the direction of arrow C in the drawing, Rack 40
The slide home sensor 43 can be shielded from light by a flag formed on a part of g.

Control of lateral registration correction of the punch unit 40 in the punch mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the transmission sensors 41b, 41c, 41d, and 41e arranged at the lateral ends of the respective sheet sizes in response to the sheet P sheet size signal sent from the image forming apparatus body A.
It is determined which of the sensors detects the lateral edge of the sheet P.

Specifically, the transmission sensor 41b is B5R,
41c detects A5, A4R, 41d detects B5, B4, and 41e detects A4, A3 (S1).

Then, the front end of the sheet P sent from the image forming apparatus main body A is detected by the transmission sensor 41a (S
2), the transmission sensor 4 is located 100 mm from the rear edge of the sheet.
When passing over 1a (S3), the slide motor 42 is driven to move the punch unit 40 and the transmission sensor unit 41 in the direction of arrow C in FIG. 9 (S4), and when the transmission sensor determined previously is shielded, slide. The motor 42 is stopped.

Since the punch unit 40 moves in synchronization with the transmission sensor unit 41, the position of the punch unit 40 can be corrected in accordance with the lateral registration of the sheet P sent from the image forming apparatus main body A (( S5, S6).
When the punching unit 40 completes the punching process for the sheet P (S7), the slide motor 42 is driven in the opposite direction to the above-described rotation operation (S8), and the punch unit 40 is moved in the direction opposite to the arrow C to slide home. When the sensor 43 shields light (S9), the slide motor 42 is stopped (S9).
10). This control is performed from the image forming apparatus main body A to the sheet P.
Is repeated every time a message is sent.

Next, the mounting structure of the processing means unit 61 will be described.

The processing means unit 61 containing the punch unit 40 as the punching means is supported by the support shaft 62 at one end (the end on the back side in FIG. 2) of the conveyed sheet P in the width direction. It is mounted on the processing device main body 60 so as to be openable and closable. Below the processing means unit 61, a punch scrap box 71 for storing punch scraps is arranged. FIG. 3 shows a state in which the processing means unit 61 is opened.

FIG . 4 schematically shows the opening operation of the processing means unit 61. A placket 63 having a downward engaging member 65 is provided on the wall surface of the processing means unit 61 on the processing device body 60 side. Further, the processing device main body 60 has a positioning hole 6 that can be engaged with the engaging member 65.
6 is provided, and when the processing means unit 61 is closed from the open position to a predetermined position, the positioning pin 6 is provided.
5 and the positioning hole 66 are engaged, the processing unit 61 and the punch unit 40 incorporated therein are accurately held at appropriate positions, and the influence of vibration in the operation of the apparatus is prevented.

As described above, since the processing means unit 61 (the one-dot chain line portion in FIG. 2) including the frame 40e can be opened upward, for example, the processing device main body 60.
When the sheet P carried into the paper jams at the position including the frame 40e, the jammed sheet is released by opening the processing means unit 61 upward.
With lifted upward, the jam of the sheet can be easily performed. Further, the jam sheet can be removed without separating the processing apparatus main body 60 from the image forming apparatus main body A, so that the jam processing property is improved.

Next, the control of the carrying system in the punch mode will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, after the transmission sensor 41a shields light, after a specified clock, the conveyance speed is reduced (S11, S12),
After L1 mm is conveyed after the light is received by the transmission sensor 41a, the drive motor 208 is stopped and the lower discharge roller pair 17 is stopped (S13, S14). After stopping the drive motor 208, L2m
m, the discharging motor 205 is stopped, and the conveying roller 15, the upper discharging roller pair 16 and the buffer roller 23 are stopped (S15). After the discharge motor 205 is stopped, L3 mm is conveyed and the conveyance of the sheet P is stopped (S16).

At this time, the sheet P forms a loop in the path between the rollers, but the carry amounts L2 and L3 are determined so that the loop of the sheet P does not become larger than the path (thickness of the path). Further, the transport amounts L2 and L3 may be determined so that the path shape between the roller pairs is formed in consideration of the loop of the sheet P and the sheet P is positively looped.

As described above, by providing a time difference between the stop timings of the rollers, the sheet P forms a loop between the rollers. Therefore, when the pair of sheet conveying rollers is stopped, the sheet P is transferred between the rollers. It is possible to avoid pulling each other and causing harmful effects.

After the sheet P is stopped, the punch unit 40 punches the sheet P (S17). After perforating the sheet P, after conveying a certain amount, the conveying roller 15 is driven (S18), after conveying the certain amount, the upper discharge roller pair 16 is driven (S19), and the perforated sheet P is conveyed, The upper discharge roller pair 16 and the lower discharge roller pair 17 discharge to the stack tray 18 (S20).

6 and 7 in the staple mode.
As shown in FIG. 6, the swing guide 20 that is rotatable about the swing shaft 20a is opened, and the upper discharge roller pair 16
After the sheet P is discharged to the staple tray 12 by a and 16b, the paddle 31 provided on the swing guide 20 and the knurled belt 32 that is rotated by the driving of the upper discharge roller pair 16 are rotated in the arrow direction to move the sheet rearward. Return to the position where the end contacts the rear end stopper 33.

Then, the sheet P is pushed to one side by the side guide 11 to align it, and then the stapler 13
(Binding means) staples the sheet bundle. After that, the retract roller 35 retracts the knurled belt 32 from the upper surface of the sheet, the swing guide 20 descends, and the stack of sheets P stapled by the lower ejection roller pair 17 is ejected to the stack tray 18.

The distance detection sensor 54 provided above the swing guide 20 detects the level of the sheets P stacked on the stack tray 18 or the uppermost surface of the sheet bundle. The distance measuring sensor 54 has a light emitting unit for irradiating the sheet P bundle with light rays such as infrared rays, and a light receiving unit for receiving the light rays diffusely reflected by the sheet P bundle. By measuring the angle of the reflected light, the level of the discharged sheet (or sheet bundle) is detected.

Further, the three stack trays 18 are fixed to the tray frame 58, and the three stack trays 18 can be moved up and down (elevated) integrally with the sheet processing apparatus B. This tray frame 58
The vertical movement of the stack tray 18, that is, the vertical movement of the stack tray 18, drives the stacker motor 209 in the forward and reverse directions to provide a rack portion 58 provided in a part of the tray frame 58 by a pinion gear (not shown).
By transmitting to a, it is configured to be moved up and down.
By configuring the sheet processing apparatus B with such a configuration, it is possible to detect the uppermost surface of the sheets P stacked on the stack tray 18 and move the stack tray 18 to a position where the sheet discharge port is not blocked. Has become.

[Configuration of Control System] Here, the configuration of the control system in the sheet processing apparatus B will be described with reference to FIG.

In FIG. 10, reference numeral 200 denotes an MPU 200 as a control means, and this MPU 200 has a carry-in sensor 28, an entrance sensor 27, a buffer sensor 26, an ejection sensor 29, a distance measuring sensor 54, a stack sensor 53, and a drive motor 40. The signals from the drive motor rotation detection sensor 55, the transmissive sensor 41, the paper size signal 201, the slide home sensor 43, and the like, which detect the number of rotations, are input.

Based on the signal, the first flapper solenoid 202 for switching the first flapper 22 and the second flapper solenoid 203 for switching the second flapper 25, the buffer roller 23, the upper roller 23, and the like via the drivers D2 to D12. Ejection roller pair 16 and knurled belt 32
A discharge motor 205 for driving the paddle 31 to rotate the paddle 31, a side guide motor 207 for sliding the side guide 11, a swing of the swing guide 20, and a downstream discharge roller 17
a, a drive motor 208 for performing forward / reverse rotation drive of a, a stacker motor 209 for vertically moving the stack tray 18, and a stapler motor 21 for binding the stapler 13 and feeding the staples.
0, a stapler moving motor 211 for moving the position of the stapler 13, a punch motor 40f for punching, a slide motor 42 for moving the position of the punch unit, and the like are controlled.

Further, the MPU 200 shuts off the drive between the discharge motor 205 on the downstream side and the transport roller 15, the upper discharge roller 16, and the buffer roller 23, and between the drive motor 208 and the lower discharge roller pair 17. It also controls a plurality of clutches (drive disconnection means) 215 that disconnect the drive.

The motors 211, 205, 208 are
The amount of movement of the peripheral surface of the first and second sheet conveying roller pairs 10 and 15 and the upper and lower discharge rollers 16 and 17 (sheet conveying amount) by control input pulses or encoder inputs for detecting the rotation amount, respectively. ), And speed etc. are controlled.

[0056]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Since the processing means unit containing the punching means for punching the sheet to be conveyed is provided so as to be openable and closable above ,
It is possible to easily perform jam processing for a sheet jammed by the processing unit .

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional front view of an image forming apparatus to which a sheet processing apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of a finisher as a sheet processing apparatus.

FIG. 3 is likewise a side view of the processing means unit in an open state.

FIG. 4 is likewise a schematic view of the opening operation of the processing means unit, in which (a) is a side view and (b) is a perspective view.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a buffer path unit that retains a preceding sheet and a plurality of sheet conveying rollers during a two-sheet discharge control.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional side view of a swing guide of the finisher and a staple tray 12 portion.

FIG. 7 is a front view of a staple tray unit and a sheet width matching unit.

FIG. 8 is a vertical side view of the punch unit.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the punch unit section and the transmission sensor section.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an outline of a control system of the finisher unit.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart of the lateral registration correction operation of the punch unit in the punch mode.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart of the operation of the sheet conveying system in the punch mode.

[Explanation of symbols]

A Image forming apparatus body B finisher (sheet processing device) P sheet P2 preceding sheet P3 trailing seat 3 Image forming means 9 Body discharge roller (body discharge means) 40 Punch unit (punch means) 40e Frame with sheet guide function 61 processing means unit 62 spindle 65 Positioning pin (engaging member) 66 Positioning hole 65, 66 engaging means 200 MPU (control means)

Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-9-151025 (JP, A) JP-A-11-79539 (JP, A) JP-A-4-317930 (JP, A) JP-A-4-235837 (JP , A) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-250915 (JP, A) Jitsuhei 3-25919 (JP, Y2) (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65H 37/04

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] And 1. A punch means selectively performing drilling process to the sheet to be conveyed, and processing means unit which incorporates the punch means, a stacking means for stacking sheets conveyed from the processing unit unit, said processing Conveyance path through the means unit to the loading means
When, wherein the processing means unit, the sheet processing apparatus characterized by being openably provided upward. 2. The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is openable and closable around one end side in the width direction of the conveyed sheet. 3. The processing means unit connects the transport path
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a constituent conveyance guide . 4. The processing means unit is a lateral edge of a sheet.
4. A detector according to claim 1, further comprising detection means.
The sheet processing apparatus according to claim 1. 5. The processing means unit is used in the case of blockage.
Engaging means capable of engaging and holding the processing means unit
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:
The sheet processing apparatus according to item 1. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.
Sheet processing device and image forming for forming an image on a sheet
Means and a sheet image-formed by the image forming means
And a discharging means for discharging the sheet to the sheet processing apparatus.
An image forming apparatus characterized by the above.