JP6833399B2 - Post-processing equipment and image forming equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a post-processing device and an image forming device that perform post-processing such as shift processing on a recording material on which an image is formed.

The post-processing apparatus has a function of performing post-processing such as shift processing on the paper conveyed from the image forming apparatus and loading on the processing tray, and discharging the bundle of paper after the post-processing to the loading tray.

The paper transported to the aftertreatment device may be curled. If curling occurs, the post-processing device may not be able to perform post-processing with high accuracy, and the loadability of the paper deteriorates. Therefore, various methods for correcting this curl have been conventionally proposed.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method of correcting curl of paper by providing a dedicated curl correction mechanism for correcting curl of paper by pressing a decal roll against paper. Patent Document 2 describes a method of raising a loading tray on which a bundle of papers is loaded and bringing the upper surface of the bundle of papers into contact with a top plate to correct curl.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 60-52459 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-0897

Here, in the method of straightening the curl provided with the decal roll of Patent Document 1, the apparatus configuration becomes complicated due to the dedicated curl straightening mechanism, which leads to an increase in cost and an increase in size. Further, in the method of Patent Document 2, since the loading tray is brought close to the top plate, new paper cannot be received during the curl correction, and the productivity is lowered.

An object of the present invention is to provide a post-processing device and an image forming device having a simple structure and good loading alignment without providing a dedicated mechanism for curl correction and without reducing productivity.

The post-processing apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object is a post-processing apparatus that can be attached to the image forming apparatus, and includes a first loading means on which the recording material conveyed from the image forming apparatus is loaded and the above-mentioned. A post-processing means that executes a predetermined post-treatment on the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and after the predetermined post-processing is executed by the post-processing means, the recording material is loaded on the first loading means. It has a discharge means for discharging the recording material, a second loading means on which the recording material discharged by the discharge means is loaded, a post-processing means, and a control means for controlling the discharge means. In a state where the processing device is mounted on the image forming apparatus and the recording material in which curls are generated in a predetermined direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means is loaded on the second loading means, the predetermined When a plurality of recording materials in which curls are generated in a direction opposite to the direction of the above are discharged to the second loading means, the control means is a part of the plurality of recording materials by the post-processing means. The predetermined number of recording materials is subjected to the predetermined post-processing, a part of the number of recording materials is discharged to the second loading means by the discharging means, and then the plurality of recording materials are recorded by the post-processing means. It is characterized in that the remaining recording material among the materials is made to execute the predetermined post-treatment, and the post-processing control is executed in which the remaining recording material is discharged to the second loading means by the discharging means.

The image forming apparatus of the present invention for achieving the above object includes an image forming means for forming an image on a recording material and a first loading means on which the recording material on which an image is formed by the image forming means is loaded. A post-treatment means that executes a predetermined post-treatment on the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and a post-treatment means that executes the predetermined post-treatment by the post-treatment means and then loads the recording material on the first loading means. It has a discharging means for discharging the recorded material, a second loading means on which the recording material discharged by the discharging means is loaded, and a control means for controlling the post-processing means and the discharging means. In a state where the recording material in which curls are generated in a predetermined direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means is loaded on the second loading means, curls are generated in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. When the plurality of recording materials are discharged to the second loading means, the control means uses the post-processing means to perform the predetermined post-treatment on a part of the plurality of recording materials. Is executed, the partial number of recording materials are discharged to the second loading means by the discharging means, and then the predetermined recording material among the plurality of recording materials is discharged by the post-processing means. It is characterized in that a post-processing is executed and a post-processing control is executed in which the remaining recording material is discharged to the second loading means by the discharging means.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a post-processing device and an image forming device having a simple structure and good loading alignment without providing a dedicated mechanism for curl correction and without reducing productivity. Become.

It is the schematic of the image forming apparatus and the post-processing apparatus in the Example of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the functional structure in an Example of this invention. It is a figure explaining the loading state in the shift process of the conventional lower curl paper. It is a flowchart of post-processing control in an Example of this invention. It is sectional drawing explaining the loading state of the paper of post-processing control in an Example of this invention. It is a top view explaining the loading state of the post-processing control paper in the Example of this invention. It is a flowchart of the image forming apparatus and post-processing control in Example 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart of the image forming apparatus and post-processing control in Example 3 of this invention. It is sectional drawing explaining the loading state of the paper in Example 3 of this invention.

Hereinafter, examples of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Example 1)
Examples of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The outline of the image forming apparatus 100 and the post-processing apparatus 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

<Explanation of image forming apparatus>
The image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming section 101, a feeding and conveying section 102 for feeding and conveying the paper S (recording material) to the image forming section 101, a fixing section 103, and a paper ejection section 104. The image forming unit 101 includes a photoconductor drum 109, a charging roller 110, an exposure device 111, a developing device 112, and a transfer roller 113. The charging roller 110 charges the photosensitive drum 109, and the exposure device 111 forms an electrostatic latent image on the photosensitive drum 109 by exposing the charged photosensitive drum 109. Then, the developing device 112 supplies toner to the photosensitive drum 109 in order to visualize the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum 109. The toner image thus formed is transferred to the paper S fed and conveyed by the transfer roller 113. In this way, the image forming unit 101 forms a toner image on the paper S.

The paper feed transport unit 102 includes a plurality of sheets S of paper S used for image formation, a cassette 105 capable of accommodating the paper feed transport unit 102, a feed feed roller 106, a transport guide 107, a registration roller 108, and the like. The fixing portion 103 includes a fixing roller 114, a pressure roller 115 that is in contact with the fixing roller 114 from below, and a fixing paper discharge roller 116. The paper ejection unit 104 includes a transport roller 117 capable of forward and reverse rotation, a transport path switching member 118, an FD roller 119, a FU roller 120, and an FD tray 121 formed on the upper surface of the image forming apparatus 100. The transport path switching member 118 can be switched between the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 1 for transporting the image-formed paper S to the post-processing device 200 and the position indicated by the broken line for transporting the paper S to the FD tray 121. .. Further, between the image forming unit 101, the fixing unit 103, and the cassette 105, a double-sided transport path 122 used for forming an image on both the front and back surfaces of the paper S is provided.

When double-sided printing is performed on the paper S, the paper S on which the toner image is fixed on the surface is conveyed toward the output portion 104 by the fixing output roller 116 and the transfer roller 117. Then, when the rear end of the paper S reaches a predetermined position, the paper S is fed into the double-sided transport path 122 by reversing the transport roller 117. After that, the paper S is conveyed and retransmitted by the double-sided transfer roller 124 and the double-sided refeed roller 125, and an image is formed on the back surface of the sheet S.

When transporting to the aftertreatment device 200, the transport path switching member 118 is held at the position indicated by the solid line, so that the single-sided printed paper S or the double-sided printed paper S is fed to the FU roller 120. The paper S is continuously conveyed by the FU roller 120 and is conveyed to the aftertreatment device 200.

<Explanation of aftertreatment device>
The post-processing device 200 is a device capable of performing a predetermined post-processing on the paper S discharged from the image forming device 100. The post-processing performed by the post-processing device 200 includes a stapling process, a bookbinding process, a shift process, and the like. The stapling process is a process in which a predetermined number of sheets of paper S are loaded and then a binding process is performed in the vicinity of a certain end portion. The bookbinding process is a process in which a predetermined number of sheets of paper S are loaded and then a saddle stitch process or a saddle stitch process is performed. The shift process is a process of shifting the position of the paper S while aligning the position of the paper S in the width direction of the paper S. The post-processing device 200 can also execute a stack process of discharging the paper S discharged from the image forming device 100 without processing anything.

The post-processing device 200 includes a paper transport path 201, a reverse transport path 202, a post-processing paper discharge unit 203, a processing tray 204 (first loading means), a stapler 213, and a vertically movable loading tray 205 (second loading means). ) Is provided. A first transfer roller 206, a second transfer roller 207, and a third transfer roller 208 are arranged in the paper transfer path 201, and the paper S is conveyed toward the post-processing paper ejection unit 203. The reversing transport path 202 is provided with a reversing roller 214 capable of forward and reverse rotation. The post-processing paper ejection unit 203 is provided with a forward / reverse paper ejection roller 209 (discharging means). Further, there is a reversing transport path switching means 215 downstream of the first transport roller 206. When the post-processing apparatus 200 gives an instruction for reverse transfer, the reverse transfer path switching means 215 is held at the position of the solid line, and the paper S is fed to the reverse transfer path 202. When the rear end of the paper S reaches a predetermined position, the reversing roller 214 is reversed to convey the paper S from the rear end side toward the second transfer roller 207.

Paper S is temporarily loaded on the processing tray 204 for shift processing and staple processing. When loading the paper S on the processing tray 204, the paper discharge roller 209 is rotated in the normal direction to receive the paper S, and when the rear end of the paper S reaches a predetermined position downstream of the third transport roller 208, the paper S is discharged. The paper roller 209 is reversed and fed to the processing tray 204.

The alignment paddle 210 abuts the paper S received in the processing tray 204 against the ejector 212, which is a substantially U-shaped rear end stopper, and aligns the paper S in the paper ejection direction of the paper S. The jogger unit 211 was loaded on the processing tray 204 in a direction in which the processing tray 204 is parallel to the loading surface on which the paper S is loaded and is orthogonal to the paper discharge direction (discharge direction) of the paper S, that is, in the width direction of the paper S. Match the paper S. When the shift process is performed, the jogger unit 211 not only aligns the paper S loaded on the processing tray 204, but also operates so as to shift the position of the paper S in the width direction. When the stapler process is performed, the stapler 213 performs the stapler process on the bundle of paper aligned by the matching paddle 210 and the jogger unit 211.

The transport mechanism 216 and the ejector 212 operate so as to eject the paper S, which has been subjected to post-processing such as shift processing and staple processing, to the loading tray 205. The transport mechanism 216 and the ejector 212 are attached so as to be integrated (hereinafter referred to as a bundle / discharge mechanism). The bundling / discharging mechanism (discharging means) is driven by the same motor (not shown) to move in the direction of the loading tray 205 and reciprocate to return to the home position.

<Explanation of control block diagram>
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration in this embodiment. As a control unit, a printer control unit 302 that controls the image forming apparatus 100 and a post-processing device control unit 303 (hereinafter, referred to as a control unit 303) that controls the post-processing device 200 are provided. The controller 301 communicates with an external device 300 such as a host computer and receives print data. Further, the controller 301 specifies the print conditions created from the print data to the printer control unit 302 by the serial I / F, and gives a print instruction. The printer control unit 302 controls each mechanism according to the printing conditions received from the controller 301. Specifically, the paper feed transport unit 102 and the paper discharge unit 104 are controlled to feed and discharge the paper S, and the image forming unit 101 and the fixing unit 103 are controlled to form and fix the image on the paper S. Do.

The controller 301 specifies the post-processing condition 320 created from the print data to the control unit 303 by the serial I / F. In the post-processing condition 320, the paper type, paper size, number of sheets, printing status of single-sided printing or double-sided printing, post-processing method such as shift processing and staple processing, and division of the first paper and the last paper of the printing job are specified. Information is also included.

Further, the controller 301 transmits the signal of the carry-in notice 321 to the control unit 303 by the serial I / F at the timing when the paper S is conveyed. When the control unit 303 receives the signal of the carry-in notice 321, the control unit 303 controls each mechanism according to the post-processing condition 320 received from the controller 301. The transfer roller control means 305 controls the first, second, and third transfer rollers (206 to 208) and the reversing roller 214. The discharge roller control means 306 controls the paper discharge roller 209. The jogger control means 307 controls the jogger unit 211. The paddle control means 308 controls the matching paddle 210. The bundle / discharge mechanism control means 309 controls the bundle / discharge mechanism. The loading tray control means 310 controls the loading tray 205. In this way, the control unit 303 executes the designated post-processing using each control means.

Each control means may be composed of, for example, a stepping motor as a drive source, a timing belt and a pulley that convert the axial rotation of the stepping motor and the stepping motor into reciprocating motion, and the like. Alternatively, a DC motor or a DC motor and a rack and pinion mechanism may be used to realize reciprocating motion.

<Explanation of operation of aftertreatment device>
Next, the operation of the post-processing apparatus 200 during the shift processing will be described. When the paper S is sent from the image forming apparatus 100 to the post-processing apparatus 200, the paper S is conveyed by the third transfer roller 208 via the sheet transfer path 201 and the reverse transfer path 202 as described above. Then, the paper S is halfway conveyed toward the loading tray 205 by the paper ejection roller 209, and when the rear end of the paper S reaches a predetermined position downstream of the third conveying roller 208, the processing tray 204 is conveyed by the paper ejection roller 209. Will be transported to. The paper S loaded on the processing tray 204 is aligned by the matching paddle 210 and shifted by the jogger unit 211.

When performing shift processing on a plurality of sheets of paper S, the post-processing device 200 performs the same operation up to a predetermined number of sheets, and when the predetermined number of sheets is loaded on the processing tray 204, the bundling / discharging mechanism is moved to the loading tray 205. And eject the bundle of paper.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an operation of shifting the lower curled five sheets of paper when the upper curled paper S is placed on the loading tray 205 until the upper curled paper S is loaded on the loading tray 205. Here, the upper curled paper is paper in which concave curl is generated on the loading surface of the loading tray 205. Alternatively, it can be expressed as a paper that is curved so that the front and rear edges of the paper are located above the center of the paper in the vertical direction. The lower curled paper is paper that has a convex curl on the loading surface of the loading tray 205. Alternatively, it can be expressed as a paper that is curved so that the front and rear edges of the paper are located below the center of the paper in the vertical direction.

One of the causes of curling on the paper is the amount of heat applied to the paper by the fixing portion 103. When heat is applied from the fixing portion 103 to fix the toner image on the paper, the water contained in the paper evaporates and the paper shrinks. At this time, depending on the configuration of the fixing portion 103, there may be a difference in the amount of heat applied between the front surface and the back surface of the paper, and in such a case, upper curl or lower curl occurs. For example, in the configuration of this embodiment, it is assumed that the paper on which the lower curl occurs is the paper on which double-sided printing is executed, and the paper on which the upper curl occurs is the paper on which single-sided printing is executed.

FIG. 3A shows a state in which the newly conveyed paper P is sequentially loaded on the processing tray 204 in a state where the upper curled paper S is placed on the loading tray 205. The paper P conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 is conveyed in the direction of the loading tray 205 until the timing when the paper ejection roller 209 is reversed and is conveyed to the processing tray 204. At this time, since the paper P is curled downward, the frictional force of the tip in contact with the paper S is high, so that the paper P tries to stay on the spot, but at a certain timing, the tip jumps up and the paper S is shown in FIG. It will be pushed out a little in the direction of the arrow in (A).

FIG. 3B shows a state in which the lower curled five sheets of paper P are loaded on the processing tray 204. At this point, the paper S on the loading tray 205 has undergone the phenomenon of FIG. 3A five times, and is further extruded from the situation of FIG. 3A. 3 (C) and 3 (D) show a state in which the stack / discharge mechanism is moved toward the loading tray 205 and the stack is discharged to the loading tray 205. When the lower curled paper bundle is ejected as shown in FIG. 3 (C), the paper is gradually ejected while being extruded due to the high frictional force with the paper S, and finally in FIG. 3 (D). As described above, the paper S is in a state of protruding from the loading tray 205.

In order to solve the problem that the loadability of paper is deteriorated in this way, the following control is performed in this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the post-processing device 200 of this embodiment. The control based on these flowcharts is executed by the control unit based on a program stored in a ROM (not shown) or the like.

When the print job starts, the control unit 303 acquires the post-processing condition 320 from the controller 301 (S400). The control unit 303 determines whether the paper conveyed from the post-processing condition 320 is a paper on which lower curl occurs (S401). The conditions for determining whether the paper has lower curl shall be determined based on the data acquired in advance.

When the control unit 303 determines that the paper has lower curl, it turns on the load alignment improvement control execution flag (S402). Next, the control unit 303 waits for the receipt of the carry-in notice 321 in order to confirm whether or not the paper is conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 (S403).

When the control unit 303 receives the carry-in notice 321, it confirms whether the load alignment improvement control execution flag is ON (S404). When the load alignment improvement control execution flag is ON, the control unit 303 confirms whether it is the first paper of the print job (S405). If it is the first paper, the control unit 303 loads the first paper on the processing tray 204 by the paper ejection roller 209 or the like (S406), and shifts the first paper by the jogger unit 211 (S407). Then, the paper is discharged to the loading tray 205 by a bundle / discharge mechanism or the like (S408). When the ejection of the first paper is completed, the carry-in notice 321 is waited for receiving the remaining paper of the print job.

If it is determined in S401 that the paper is not the lower curl paper, the control unit 303 proceeds to the process of S403 and waits for the paper to be conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100. Even after receiving the carry-in notice 321 if the load alignment improvement control execution flag is not ON or the job start paper is not determined in S404, the control unit 303 sequentially loads a plurality of sheets into the processing tray 204 (S409). ). Then, the control unit 303 shifts a plurality of sheets of paper in the same direction as the first paper (S410). The control unit 303 confirms whether the remaining paper of the job has been conveyed (S411), and when all the remaining paper of the print job has been conveyed, discharges the paper bundle to the loading tray 205 (S412).

5 and 6 are views showing a loading state when the operation of this embodiment is executed. 5 and 6 correspond to each other, and the states shown in FIGS. 5A to 5C are the same as the states shown in FIGS. 6A to 6C. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the aftertreatment device 200, and FIG. 6 is a top view.

5 (A) and 6 (A) show the state of the loading tray 205 after executing the processes of S400 to S410. Here, the paper S indicates the paper already loaded on the loading tray 205, and the papers P1 to P5 indicate the paper newly discharged to the loading tray 205.

If the processes S400 to S408 are executed while the upper curled paper S is placed on the loading tray 205, only one lower curled paper P1 is shifted and placed on the paper S. In this way, the remaining paper of the print job conveyed from the image forming apparatus 100 remains in contact with the paper P1 and is placed in the processing tray 204 by reversing the paper ejection roller 209 until the loading tray 205 is placed. Transported in the direction. Since the frictional force of the portion in contact with the lower curled paper P1 is weaker than that of the upper curled paper S, the paper tip is conveyed along the paper P1 without jumping up as described in FIG. .. Therefore, the paper S and the paper P1 already placed on the loading tray 205 are not pushed out.

5 (B) and 5 (C) and 6 (B) and 6 (C) show the state of the loading tray 205 when the processes S411 to S412 are executed. When all the remaining papers (P2 to P5) of the print job are conveyed, the paper bundle is ejected, but at this time as well, the paper is ejected without being extruded along the paper P1. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 5 (C) and 6 (C), the paper bundle containing the paper S and the paper P1 is loaded on the loading tray 205 with high alignment.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even if the curled paper is conveyed to the post-treatment device, a post-treatment device having good loading alignment is provided without using a dedicated decal straightening mechanism. be able to. In addition, since there is no need to leave a special space between papers, productivity is not reduced.

In the above-described first embodiment, the shift process has been described as an example of the post-processing executed by the post-processing device 200, but the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention can be applied even in the case of so-called stack processing in which a plurality of sheets of paper are once loaded on the processing tray 204 and then collectively discharged to the loading tray 205.

Further, in the first embodiment, the control of ejecting the first sheet of the plurality of sheets to the loading tray 205 first has been described. However, it is not limited to this. For example, in the case of a job of ejecting 5 sheets of paper to the loading tray 205, 2 or 3 sheets of paper (a part of the number of sheets), which is less than 5 sheets, are ejected to the loading tray 205 first. It may be controlled as follows. As a result, the loadability is improved as compared with the conventional method of ejecting five sheets of paper from the processing tray 204 to the loading tray 205 at once.

Further, in the first embodiment, as described in the flowchart of FIG. 5, control is performed so that the first sheet of paper is uniformly discharged to the loading tray 205 for the paper bundle in which the lower curl occurs. Was running. However, the post-processing control may be switched based on the information of the previous job. That is, when the control unit can determine from the information of the previous job that the paper already loaded in the loading tray 205 is the lower curl paper, or that there is no paper loaded in the first place, the conventional paper is ejected all at once. Switch to control.

(Example 2)
In this embodiment, a case where the aftertreatment device 200 executes the staple processing will be described. The stapling operation cannot be executed unless all of the target plurality of sheets of paper are loaded on the processing tray 204. Therefore, unlike the first embodiment, it is not possible to eject a part of the paper of the job to be post-processed from the processing tray 204 to the loading tray 205 first. The description of the main part is the same as that of the first embodiment, and only the part different from the first embodiment will be described here.

FIG. 7A is a flowchart showing the operation of the image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment. The control based on the flowchart of FIG. 7A is executed by the controller 301 based on a program stored in a ROM or the like (not shown).

First, when the controller 301 acquires the print data from the external device 300 (S500), it determines whether or not it is a staple job (S501). If it is determined that the paper is a staple job, the controller 301 determines whether or not the paper targeted for the staple job is the lower curl paper (S502). The conditions for determining whether or not the paper is the lower curl paper are the same as in the first embodiment, and the controller 301 determines that the paper is the lower curl paper in the case of double-sided printing and the upper curl paper in the case of single-sided printing.

Then, when it is determined that the paper is the lower curl paper, the controller 301 issues a transport instruction to the printer control unit 302 in order to transport the uncurled paper to the loading tray 205 of the post-processing device 200 (S503). Further, the controller 301 issues a transport instruction to the control unit 303 in order to transport the uncurled paper to the loading tray 205 of the post-processing device 200 (S504). Here, the uncurled paper is a blank paper on which an image is not formed.

When the transfer of the uncurled paper to the loading tray 205 of the post-processing device 200 is completed, the controller 301 informs the printer control unit 302 and the control unit 303 of the printing instruction corresponding to the staple job, the post-processing condition 320, and the delivery notice 321. Is notified (S505). If it is determined in S501 that it is not a staple job, or if it is determined in S502 that it is not a lower curl paper, the controller 301 executes the process of S505.

FIG. 7B is a flowchart showing the operation of the aftertreatment device 200 in this embodiment. The control based on the flowchart of FIG. 7B is executed by the control unit 303 based on a program stored in a ROM or the like (not shown).

When the print job starts, the control unit 303 acquires the post-processing condition 320 from the controller 301 (S510). The control unit 303 waits for the delivery notice 321 to be notified (S511), and when the delivery notice 321 is notified, determines from the post-processing condition 320 whether or not the corresponding paper needs to be loaded on the processing tray 204 (S512). ). Then, when it is determined that the processing tray 204 needs to be loaded, the control unit 303 loads the processing tray 204 (S513). After the loading on the processing tray 204 is completed, or when it is determined in S512 that the processing tray 204 does not need to be loaded, the control unit 303 determines whether the final paper of the print job has been conveyed from the post-processing condition 320 (S514). .. When it is determined that the final paper is being conveyed, the control unit 303 discharges the corresponding paper to the loading tray 205 (S515).

The control unit 303 operates based on the post-processing condition 320 from the controller 301 and the carry-in notice 321. Therefore, in FIG. 7A, even when the controller 301 is performing the operations from S500 to S504 or the operation of S505, the operation of FIG. 7B is performed.

In this way, by transporting the uncurled paper to the loading tray 205 before executing the staple job, even if the stapled lower curl paper bundle is transported, the upper curl that has already been loaded is loaded. It is possible to prevent the paper from being extruded.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, even when the stapling process is performed while the upper curl paper is loaded on the loading tray 205, the same state as in FIG. 5 can be obtained. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the upper curl paper already placed on the loading tray 205 from being pushed out.

In the above-described second embodiment, the staple process has been described as an example of the post-processing executed by the post-processing device 200, but the present invention is not limited to this. The control of the present embodiment may be executed when the bookbinding process, the shift process of the first embodiment, or the stack process is performed.

Further, in the second embodiment described above, only one sheet of uncurled paper is first conveyed to the loading tray 205 before the staple job is executed, but the present invention is not limited to this. A plurality of sheets of paper may be conveyed.

Further, in the second embodiment, as described in the flowchart of FIG. 7, control is executed in which the uncurled paper is first discharged to the loading tray 205 for the paper bundle in which the lower curl occurs. Was. However, the post-processing control may be switched based on the information of the previous job. That is, if the control unit can determine from the information of the previous job that the paper already loaded in the loading tray 205 is the lower curl paper, or that there is no paper loaded in the first place, the staple job is immediately executed. May be good.

Further, in the second embodiment, the uncurled paper is first conveyed to the loading tray 205 before the staple job is executed, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the lower curl paper on which double-sided printing has been performed may be conveyed to the loading tray 205 first. In addition, the message may be printed on the paper to be transported so that the extra paper can be identified.

(Example 3)
In this embodiment, when a plurality of sheets of paper are conveyed to the loading tray 205, the control of ejecting the paper in the state where the paper having the last image formation order is the lower curl paper will be described. The description of the main part is the same as that of the first embodiment, and only the part different from the first embodiment will be described here.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the image forming apparatus 100 in this embodiment. The control based on the flowchart of FIG. 8 is executed by the controller 301 based on a program stored in a ROM (not shown) or the like.

First, when the controller 301 acquires the print data from the external device 300 (S600), the controller 301 determines whether or not the print job generates the upper curl paper (S601). When it is determined that the print job generates the upper curl paper, the controller 301 changes the final paper of the print job to the print condition (image formation condition) in which the lower curl paper occurs (S602).

In the configuration of this embodiment, the printing condition in which the lower curl occurs is that double-sided printing is executed, and the printing condition in which the upper curl occurs is that single-sided printing is executed. That is, the instruction content is changed so that the double-sided printing is executed on the paper for which the single-sided printing is instructed. Here, if the single-sided print is changed to the double-sided print, the front and back sides of the paper are reversed when the paper is ejected to the loading tray 205. Therefore, the controller 301 also changes the order of image formation when changing the single-sided print to the double-sided print. When making a single-sided print a double-sided print, it is not always necessary to print an image on the other side. Even if the image is not printed, the lower curl paper can be obtained by passing the fixing portion 103 twice.

When the print condition is changed in S602, the controller 301 gives a print instruction to the printer control unit 302, notifies the post-processing control unit 303 of the post-processing condition 320 and the carry-in notice 321 and processes the print job (S603). If it is determined in S601 that the upper curl does not occur, the controller 301 executes the print operation of S603 without changing the print conditions of the print job.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a loading state when the operation of this embodiment is executed. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the aftertreatment device 200 as in FIG.

FIG. 9A shows the state of the loading tray 205 after executing the processes of S600 to S603. Here, the paper S1 and the paper S2 are the papers conveyed to the loading tray 205 as a result of executing the same print job. Paper S1 and paper S2 were instructed to be upper curled, that is, single-sided printing, but the last paper, S2, became lower curled paper because double-sided printing was executed.

Then, in FIGS. 9B and 9C, the papers P1 to P4 are newly conveyed to the loading tray 205. Papers P1 to P4 are papers conveyed to the loading tray 205 as a result of executing the same print job. As shown in FIG. 9C, since the paper S2 is the lower curl paper, even if the lower curl papers P1 to P4 are collectively transported from the processing tray 204 to the loading tray 205, the positions of the papers S1 and S2 Is not out of alignment.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the print job in which the upper curl is determined to occur is executed, the paper placed at the top is placed in the lower curl state. As a result, when receiving a new print job, it is possible to provide a post-processing device having the same loading alignment as the state shown in FIG.

In the above-mentioned Examples 1 to 3, an example in which the post-processing apparatus 200 is integrally configured with the image forming apparatus 100 has been described. On the other hand, the post-processing device 200 may be provided in a detachable state with respect to the image forming device 100. In that case, the post-processing apparatus 200 may be provided with an independent control unit to communicate with the control unit provided in the image forming apparatus 100 to control the operation. Further, the post-processing device 200 may be provided in a state where it can be simply attached to the image forming device 100.

Further, in Examples 1 to 3 described above, an example of a laser beam printer is shown, but the image forming apparatus to which the present invention is applied is not limited to this, and printers of other printing methods such as an inkjet printer can be used. Alternatively, it may be a copying machine.

100 Image forming device 200 Post-processing device 204 Processing tray 205 Loading tray 209 Paper ejection roller 212 Ejector 301 Controller 302 Printer control unit 303 Post-processing device control unit

Claims (19)

In the post-processing device that can be attached to the image forming device
A first loading means on which the recording material conveyed from the image forming apparatus is loaded, and
A post-treatment means that executes a predetermined post-treatment on the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and
After the predetermined post-treatment is executed by the post-treatment means, a discharge means for discharging the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and a discharge means.
A second loading means on which the recording material discharged by the discharging means is loaded, and
It has the post-treatment means and the control means for controlling the discharge means.
In a state where the post-processing device is attached to the image forming device and a recording material in which curls are generated in a predetermined direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means is loaded on the second loading means. When a plurality of recording materials in which curls are generated in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction are discharged to the second loading means, the control means uses the post-processing means to among the plurality of recording materials. A part of the recording materials are made to perform the predetermined post-treatment, the part of the recording materials is discharged to the second loading means by the discharging means, and then the plurality of recording materials are discharged by the post-processing means. The post-processing is characterized in that the remaining recording material of the recording material is subjected to the predetermined post-treatment, and the remaining recording material is discharged to the second loading means by the discharging means. Processing equipment. Said control means, said determining the predetermined recording material direction curl occurs is stacked on the second stacking means, a plurality of recording materials which curl occurs in the opposite direction the second When discharging to the loading means, the control means executes the post-processing control and
Said control means, said determining the predetermined recording material direction curl occurs is not stacked in the second stacking means, a plurality of recording materials which curl occurs in the opposite direction the second The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means does not execute the post-processing control when the product is discharged to the loading means. The predetermined post-treatment means that the recording material loaded on the first loading means is aligned by the jogger unit included in the post-treatment means, parallel to the loading surface of the first loading means, and the recording material. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shift process shifts the position of the matching recording material in a direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the above. The post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the partial number of recording materials is only the first recording material among the plurality of recording materials. The recording material in which curl is generated in the predetermined direction is a recording material in which concave curl is generated on the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means, and curl is generated in the opposite direction. The recording material is the recording material in which a convex curl is generated on the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means, according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The post-processing device described . In the recording material in which the concave curl is generated, the front end and the rear end of the recording material in the discharge direction are located above the central portion of the recording material in the discharge direction in the vertical direction, and the convex curl is formed. 5. The recording material in which the above-mentioned is generated is characterized in that the front end and the rear end of the recording material in the discharge direction are located below the central portion of the recording material in the discharge direction in the vertical direction. Post-processing device described in . In a state where the post-processing device is attached to the image forming device and the recording material is loaded on the second loading means, a part of the recording material loaded on the first loading means is the second. The post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising contact with a recording material loaded on the loading means . An image forming means for forming an image on a recording material,
The first loading means on which the recording material on which the image is formed by the image forming means is loaded, and
A post-treatment means that executes a predetermined post-treatment on the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and
After the predetermined post-treatment is executed by the post-treatment means, a discharge means for discharging the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and a discharge means.
A second loading means on which the recording material discharged by the discharging means is loaded, and
It has the post-treatment means and the control means for controlling the discharge means.
In a state where the recording material in which curls are generated in a predetermined direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means is loaded on the second loading means, curls are generated in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. When the plurality of recording materials are discharged to the second loading means, the control means uses the post-processing means to perform the predetermined post-treatment on a part of the plurality of recording materials. Is executed, the partial number of recording materials are discharged to the second loading means by the discharging means, and then the predetermined recording material among the plurality of recording materials is discharged by the post-processing means. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that a post-processing is executed and a post-processing control is executed in which the remaining recording material is discharged to the second loading means by the discharging means. Said control means, said determining the predetermined recording material direction curl occurs is stacked on the second stacking means, a plurality of recording materials which curl occurs in the opposite direction the second When discharging to the loading means, the control means executes the post-processing control and
Said control means, said determining the predetermined recording material direction curl occurs is not stacked in the second stacking means, a plurality of recording materials which curl occurs in the opposite direction the second The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the control means does not execute the post-processing control when the image is discharged to the loading means. The predetermined post-treatment means that the recording material loaded on the first loading means is aligned by the jogger unit included in the post-treatment means, parallel to the loading surface of the first loading means, and the recording material. The image forming apparatus according to claim 8 or 9 , wherein the image forming apparatus is a shift process for shifting the position of the matching recording material in a direction orthogonal to the discharge direction of the above. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 8 to 10 , wherein the partial number of recording materials is only the first recording material among the plurality of recording materials. The recording material in which curl is generated in the predetermined direction is a recording material in which concave curl is generated on the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means, and curl is generated in the opposite direction. The recording material is a recording material in which a convex curl is generated on the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means, according to any one of claims 8 to 11. The image forming apparatus described . An image forming means for forming an image on a recording material,
The first loading means on which the recording material on which the image is formed by the image forming means is loaded, and
A post-treatment means that executes a predetermined post-treatment on the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and
After the predetermined post-treatment is executed by the post-treatment means, a discharge means for discharging the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and a discharge means.
A second loading means on which the recording material discharged by the discharging means is loaded, and
It has the image forming means, the post-processing means, and the control means for controlling the discharging means.
In a state where the recording material in which curls are generated in a predetermined direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means is loaded on the second loading means, curls are generated in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. case of ejecting a plurality of recording material to said second stacking means, said control means is different from the recording medium image is not formed, or the plurality of recording materials and by the image forming means, wherein The recording material in which curl is generated in the opposite direction is discharged to the second loading means, then the plurality of recording materials are made to perform the predetermined post-treatment by the post-treatment means, and the plurality of recording materials are discharged by the discharge means. An image forming apparatus characterized by executing post-processing control for discharging a sheet of recording material to the second loading means. Said control means, said determining the predetermined recording material direction curl occurs is stacked on the second stacking means, a plurality of recording materials which curl occurs in the opposite direction the second When discharging to the loading means, the control means executes the post-processing control and
Said control means, said determining the predetermined recording material direction curl occurs is not stacked in the second stacking means, a plurality of recording materials which curl occurs in the opposite direction the second 13. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control means does not execute the post-processing control when the image is discharged to the loading means. The predetermined post-treatment means that the recording material loaded on the first loading means is matched by the jogger unit included in the post-treatment means, and the recording material matched by the stapler included in the post-treatment means is used. The image forming apparatus according to claim 13 or 14 , wherein the stapler processing is used for binding. In the post-processing control, the control means uses only one recording material in which the image is not formed or a recording material in which curls are generated in the opposite directions, which is different from the plurality of recording materials. The image forming apparatus according to any one of claims 13 to 15 , wherein the image is discharged to the loading means of the above. The recording material in which curl is generated in the predetermined direction is a recording material in which concave curl is generated on the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means, and curl is generated in the opposite direction. The recording material is the recording material in which a convex curl is generated upward in the vertical direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means, according to any one of claims 13 to 16. The image forming apparatus described . An image forming means for forming an image on a recording material,
The first loading means on which the recording material on which the image is formed by the image forming means is loaded, and
A post-treatment means that executes a predetermined post-treatment on the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and
After the predetermined post- treatment is executed by the post-treatment means , a discharge means for discharging the recording material loaded on the first loading means, and a discharge means.
A second loading means on which the recording material discharged by the discharging means is loaded, and
It has the image forming means, the post-processing means, and the control means for controlling the discharging means.
Under image forming conditions in which curl occurs in a predetermined direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means, an image is formed on a plurality of recording materials, and the plurality of recording materials are transferred to the second loading means. When the control means receives an instruction to eject, the control means curls the recording material having the last image formation order among the plurality of recording materials in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction. An image forming apparatus, characterized in that the image forming conditions are changed as described above. The recording material in which curl is generated in the predetermined direction is a recording material in which concave curl is generated on the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means, and curl is generated in the opposite direction. The image forming apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the recording material is a recording material in which a convex curl is generated on the upper side in the vertical direction with respect to the loading surface of the second loading means .

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