JP7419692B2 - Alignment device, image forming device, image forming system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an alignment device, an image forming device, and an image forming system.

In recent years, there has been a trend toward digitization of information, and image forming apparatuses used for outputting digitized information have become indispensable equipment. Such an image forming apparatus can be used as a printer, scanner, facsimile, or copying machine by having a reading function for reading a sheet, an image forming function for forming an image on the sheet, a communication function, and the like.

Some image forming apparatuses include a device that aligns and aligns a bundle of sheets within the apparatus barrel. During sheet alignment, an aligning member supports the bottom of the bundle of sheets, and also supports the alignment member in a direction transverse to the sheet conveyance direction (the width of the sheet A technique for matching the direction) has been disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1).

During sheet alignment, the sheet bundle is aligned by the alignment members sandwiching the sheet bundle (by pushing the sheet bundle from both sides). When this pinching operation is performed, the sheet bundle may move and tilt from its normal position due to the effects of timing discrepancies between the alignment members, deformation of the members due to loosening of fasteners, inertia of the sheets, etc. The sheet may be misaligned if it moves out of position.

The technique of Patent Document 1 also does not mention the above-mentioned viewpoint, and the same problem is inherent therein.

An object of the present invention is to stabilize the position of a sheet bundle during alignment and improve alignment.

In order to solve the above problems, an aligning device includes a stacking means for stacking sheet bundles, an aligning means for moving in a first direction and aligning the sheet bundles loaded on the stacking means, and a stacking means for moving in a first direction to align the sheet bundles stacked on the stacking means; a moving mechanism that engages the alignment means at a plurality of locations that are different from each other in a second direction intersecting with the alignment means, and moves the alignment means in the first direction at each of the plurality of locations; The alignment means includes a sheet stacking section that stacks the sheet bundle, and a sheet aligning section that aligns the position of the sheet bundle in the width direction, and the sheet stacking section and the sheet aligning section are configured to stack the sheet bundle. The member is made of a member that is longer than the length of the sheets in the conveyance direction of the sheets constituting the bundle, and the position of the engagement portion between the moving mechanism and the aligning means is such that at least one portion is located in the sheet aligning portion. , the other location is located upstream of the first location in the transportation direction, and the moving mechanism includes a motor and a rotational movement of the motor. converting means for converting the aligning means into a linear motion in a first direction, and the moving mechanism is characterized in that it has the converting means at each of the one motor and the engagement location. .

According to the present invention, the position of the sheet bundle during alignment can be stabilized and alignment can be improved.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an outline of an image forming system. FIG. 3 is a top view of the post-processing device. FIG. 3 is a side view of the post-processing device. FIG. 3 is a side view of the post-processing device for explaining a shift mode. FIG. 3 is a top view of the post-processing device for explaining a shift mode. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation in shift mode. FIG. 2 is a side view of the post-processing device for explaining stipple mode. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a transition state of the post-processing device in stipple mode. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a transition state of the post-processing device in stipple mode. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a transition state of the post-processing device in stipple mode. FIG. 3 is a top view showing a transition state of the post-processing device in stipple mode. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation in stipple mode. FIG. 3 is a top view showing the positions of a rear end guide and a paper surface detection sensor. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the positions of a rear end guide and a paper surface detection sensor. It is a top view which shows the 1st structural example of the mechanism which drives a jogger fence. It is a top view which shows the 2nd structural example of the mechanism which drives a jogger fence. It is a top view which shows the 1st structural example when a jogger fence is divided into two.

Hereinafter, an alignment device, an image forming device, and an image forming system according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following explanation, "image forming apparatus" and "image forming system" refer to sheets of paper, OHP sheets, threads, fibers, fabrics, leather, metals, plastics, glass, wood, ceramics, etc., as well as developer and other materials. Refers to a device that forms images by depositing ink. Furthermore, "image formation" refers not only to adding meaningful images such as characters and figures to media (sheet-like media), but also to adding meaningless images such as patterns to sheets. do.

In the following embodiments, "paper (sheet)" will be described as an example of a medium (sheet-like medium). In addition, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangement thereof, etc. in the description of each component are merely illustrative, and the scope of the present invention is not intended to be limited thereto unless specifically stated.

Further, the directions of the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis shown in each drawing are common to each drawing. Note that the X-axis direction means the sub-scanning direction and the paper conveyance direction (sheet conveyance direction), and the Y-axis direction means the main scanning direction and the paper width direction (sheet width direction). The Z axis means the height direction, the vertical direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the Y-axis direction is sometimes expressed as "back side" or "front side."

<1. Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an image forming system. The image forming system 1 includes an image forming apparatus 100, a post-processing apparatus 200 (alignment apparatus) including a paper stacking apparatus (sheet stacking apparatus), and an image reading apparatus 300.

The image forming apparatus 100 is an indirect transfer tandem type image forming unit capable of forming color images. The image forming apparatus 100 includes an image forming section 110 in which four color image forming stations 111 are arranged, and an optical writing section 113 provided below and adjacent to the image forming section 110. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a paper feed section 120 provided below the image forming section 110 and a paper feed conveyor that guides the paper picked up by the paper feed section 120 to be conveyed to a secondary transfer section 140 and a fixing section 150. 130. The image forming apparatus 100 includes a paper discharge path 160 that guides the paper on which the image has been fixed to be conveyed to the post-processing apparatus 200, and a paper discharge path 160 that guides the paper on which the image has been fixed to be conveyed to the post-processing apparatus 200, and a paper discharge path 160 that guides the paper on which the image has been formed on one side and inverts the paper so that the image is formed on the other side. It has a double-sided conveyance path 170.

The image forming station 111 of the image forming section 110 includes a photoreceptor drum for each color of YMCK, a charging unit, a developing unit, a primary transfer unit, a cleaning unit, and a static eliminating unit arranged along the outer periphery of the photoreceptor drum. have The image forming section 110 includes an intermediate transfer belt 112 that intermediately transfers a toner image formed on a photoreceptor drum by a primary transfer unit, and an optical writing section 113 that writes an image for each color onto the photoreceptor drum. The optical writing section 113 is arranged below the image forming station 111, and the intermediate transfer belt 112 is arranged above the image forming station 111. Intermediate transfer belt 112 is rotatably supported by a plurality of support rollers. One of the support rollers 114 is opposed to the secondary transfer roller 115 via the intermediate transfer belt 112 in the secondary transfer section 140, and is configured to be able to secondary transfer the toner image on the intermediate transfer belt 112 onto the paper. ing. Note that a known image forming process may be employed as such an image forming process.

The paper feed section 120 includes a paper feed tray 121, a pickup roller 122, and a paper feed conveyance roller 123. The paper feed section 120 separates and conveys the sheets picked up from the paper feed tray 121 one by one by the paper feed conveyance roller 123, and then feeds the sheets. The paper is sent upward along the paper transport path 130. The fed paper has a toner image transferred thereto by a secondary transfer section 140, and is then sent to a fixing section 150. The fixing unit 150 includes a fixing roller and a pressure roller, and as the paper passes through the nip between them, heating and pressure are applied to fix the toner image on the paper, thereby converting the toner image onto the paper. It is formed.

A paper discharge path 160 and a double-sided conveyance path 170 are provided downstream of the fixing unit 150, and both are branched into two directions by a branching claw 161. A conveyance path is selected depending on whether the object is conveyed or not. Note that a branching conveyance roller 162 is provided immediately upstream of the branching claw 161 in the paper conveyance direction, and conveys the sheet on which the toner is fixed to the paper discharge path 160 or the double-sided conveyance path 170.

The post-processing device 200 includes a pair of entrance rollers 202, a guide plate 201, and a pair of paper discharge rollers 203, and performs predetermined processing (for example, alignment processing) on the image-formed paper that is conveyed from the image forming device 100 via these. The paper is then subjected to paper binding processing and binding processing) and then stacked on the paper discharge tray 204 located at the most downstream position, and the details will be described later. Note that when the image reading device 300 is provided as shown in FIG. The tray 180 is installed in a space that is originally used as a paper output tray 180. This makes it possible to utilize space effectively and promote space saving.

The control unit 250 arranged in the post-processing device 200 is a board that includes, for example, a central processing unit, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, etc., and is a unit that operates each piece of hardware through software processing. The control unit 250 inputs a detection signal indicating the presence or absence of paper from a sensor installed in each transport path, controls the transport of paper within the post-processing device 200 based on the detection signal, and controls the transport of each unit described below. Performs operation control. Note that a control section provided within the image forming apparatus 100 may collectively control each unit within the post-processing apparatus 200.

The image reading device 300 optically scans an original set on a contact glass to read an image on the original surface. The configuration and functions of the image reading device 300 itself may be publicly known.

The image forming apparatus 100 configured as described above generates image data used for writing based on original data read by the image reading apparatus 300 or print data transferred from an external personal computer or the like. Then, the optical writing unit 113 performs optical writing on each photoreceptor drum based on the image data, and the toner images formed for each color at each image forming station 111 are sequentially transferred to the intermediate transfer belt 112. As a result, a color image in which toner images of four colors are superimposed is formed on the intermediate transfer belt 112. On the other hand, paper is fed from the paper feed tray 121 in accordance with image formation. The paper temporarily stops at the registration roller position immediately before the secondary transfer section 140, is fed out in synchronization with the leading edge of the image on the intermediate transfer belt 112, is second-transferred at the secondary transfer section 140, and is transferred to the fixing section 150. is sent.

The paper on which the toner image has been fixed by the fixing unit 150 is conveyed to the paper ejection path 160 side by the switching operation of the branch claw 161 in the case of single-sided printing and after double-sided printing, and in the case of double-sided printing. Then, the paper is transported to the double-sided transport path 170 side. After being reversed, the paper conveyed to the double-sided conveyance path 170 is sent to the secondary transfer section 140 again, an image is formed on the other side, and then conveyed to the paper discharge path 160. The sheets conveyed to the sheet discharge path 160 are conveyed to the post-processing device 200, where they undergo predetermined processing such as binding, or are discharged to the sheet discharge tray 204 without any processing.

<2. Post-processing device>
FIG. 2 is a top view showing a schematic configuration of the post-processing device 200, and FIG. 3 is a side view of the post-processing device 200. 2 and 3 show the basic configuration applied to each embodiment described below.

The post-processing device 200 includes, from the upstream side in the paper transport direction, an entrance roller pair 202, a paper surface detection sensor 211 (see FIG. 3), a trailing edge reference fence 210, a paper ejection roller pair 203, and a pair of jogger fences 205 on the back side and the front side. , 206, a rear end guide 208 (see FIG. 3), a stipple unit 209, and a tip stopper 207. Further, the post-processing device 200 has a paper discharge tray 204 below each of these units. The jogger fence 205 includes a paper stacking section (sheet stacking section) 252 that supports and stacks conveyed sheets from below, and a paper aligning section (sheet aligning section) 251 that aligns the conveyed sheets from the side. . Similarly, the jogger fence 206 includes a paper stacking section (sheet stacking section) 262 and a paper alignment section (sheet alignment section) 261. Here, the jogger fences 205 and 206 are illustrated in which the paper stacking section and the paper alignment section are integrated, but the invention is not limited to this, and the paper stacking section and the paper alignment section are separately configured. It may be configured so that each moves independently.

A guide plate 201 that receives paper from the paper ejection transport path of the image forming apparatus 100 is arranged in the paper receiving section of the post-processing device 200, and an entrance roller pair 202 is arranged at the most upstream side of the guide plate 201 in the paper transport direction. Ru. Further, a pair of paper discharge rollers 203 is provided on the most downstream side of the guide plate 201 in the paper conveyance direction. The paper is conveyed along the guide plate 201 by rotating the entrance roller pair 202 and the paper discharge roller pair 203 by the entrance motor.

The paper ejecting operation differs between a shift mode in which the sheets are shifted and ejected (also referred to as a straight paper ejection mode because the sheets are ejected as is) and a stipple mode in which a plurality of sheets are stapled and ejected. Here, the configuration of each part will be explained for each mode.

<2.1 Shift mode>
The shift mode will be explained using FIGS. 4 to 6. Note that FIG. 4 is a side view of the post-processing device 200 for explaining the operation in the shift mode, and FIG. 5 is a top view. Further, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation in the shift mode.

In shift mode, when paper is ejected, the ejection position of the paper is shifted in the direction intersecting the paper transport direction (Y-axis direction (depth direction) in Figure 4) every predetermined number of sheets, and the paper is sorted based on this shift. mode.

In the shift mode, the paper ejection roller pair 203 provided at the most downstream end of the guide plate 201 is moved by a shift motor in a direction intersecting the paper conveyance direction (Y-axis direction (depth direction) in FIG. 4). Drive back and forth. That is, when sorting sheets in the shift mode, the paper ejection roller pair 203 moves in a direction different from the paper conveyance direction every predetermined number of sheets. Due to this movement of the paper ejection roller pair 203, the paper is ejected to a position on the paper ejection tray 204 that is shifted from the previous position. As a result, when the sheets discharged from the post-processing device 200 are stacked on the sheet discharge tray 204, the sheet discharge position is alternately shifted every predetermined number of sheets, and the sheets are sorted. Note that a known mechanism may be used as the shift mechanism itself.

Next, the operation in the shift mode will be explained using the flowchart of FIG. 6. Note that the flowchart in FIG. 6 and the flowcharts shown in the subsequent drawings are realized by each unit operating based on a control signal from the control section 250.

First, when the exterior cover is closed (S600), as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the jogger fences 205 and 206 receive power from the jogger fence movement motor, and move outward ( The jogger fences 205 and 206 move away from each other to a standby position (S601). The direction in which the jogger fences 205 and 206 move to the standby position is different from the paper conveyance direction and corresponds to a direction that intersects with the paper conveyance direction. After the jogger fences 205 and 206 move to the standby position, the tip stopper 207 receives power from the tip stopper drive motor and moves to a specified standby position (S602). Then, the paper ejection tray 204 receives power from the paper ejection tray elevating motor and rises (S603). When the paper surface detection sensor 211 detects that the paper stacking surface of the paper ejection tray 204 or the top surface of the paper on the paper ejection tray 204 has risen to the position of the jogger fences 205 and 206 (S604: YES), the paper surface of the paper ejection tray 204 is The rising stops, and the paper surface detection sensor 211 retreats into the rear end reference fence 210 (S605).

Note that the paper surface detection sensor 211 includes a filler 211a and a transmission type photoelectric sensor 211A, as shown in FIG. The filler 211a is located between the light emitter and the light receiver of the photoelectric sensor 211A, and directs the optical axis from the light emitter depending on the height of the paper stacking surface of the paper output tray 204 or the top surface of the paper on the paper output tray 204. It has a mechanism to block or not block it. When the height of the paper stacking surface of the paper output tray 204 or the top surface of the paper on the paper output tray 204 is less than the height of the jogger fences 205 and 206, the photoelectric sensor 211A is blocked by the filler 211a and does not output an OFF signal. When the height of the jogger fences 205 and 206 is exceeded, the photoelectric sensor 211A outputs an ON signal without being blocked by the filler 211a. By switching ON/OFF in the paper surface detection sensor 211, the height of the paper stacking surface of the paper discharge tray 204 or the top surface of the paper on the paper discharge tray 204 is detected. Note that a sensor other than a transmission type may be employed as the photoelectric sensor 211A.

After the movement of each unit is completed, the paper is ejected from the paper ejection roller pair 203 to the paper ejection tray 204 (S606), and at the timing when the trailing edge of the paper comes out of the paper ejection roller pair 203, the trailing edge guide that was waiting at the top 208 descends toward the paper discharge tray 204 (S607). This operation can prevent the next sheet from being ejected without the trailing edge of the sheet falling from the pair of ejecting rollers 203 and causing a jam.

After the rear end guide 208 is lowered, the leading end stopper 207 moves from the standby position to the upstream side in the transport direction (S608). Then, the paper is sandwiched between the leading end stopper 207 and the trailing end reference fence 210. As a result, the paper is aligned in the transport direction. After the alignment is completed, the leading end stopper 207 and the trailing end guide 208 move to the standby position again (S609).

Further, after the alignment is completed, the paper surface detection sensor 211 returns from the retracted position (S610), and by detecting the height, the paper discharge tray 204 is lowered by the thickness of the stacked paper (S611 to S613). As a result, the distance from the nip between the pair of paper ejection rollers 203 to the topmost paper on the paper ejection tray 204 is kept constant, making it possible to stack a large number of sheets. After the paper discharge tray 204 has been lowered, the paper surface detection sensor 211 moves to the retracted position within the rear end reference fence 210. Note that the lowering operation of the paper discharge tray 204 may be performed not for each sheet but for each plurality of sheets.

If all print jobs are not completed (S614: NO), the process returns to S606. When all print jobs are completed (S614: YES), the paper discharge tray 204 is lowered to the lowest initial position (S615), and the jogger fences 205, 206 and the leading end stopper 207 are also moved to the initial position (S616).

<2.2 Stipple mode>
The stipple mode will be explained using FIGS. 7 to 12. Note that FIG. 7 is a side view of the post-processing device 200 for explaining the stipple mode, and FIGS. 8 to 11 are top views showing each transition state in the stipple mode. Further, FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of operation in stipple mode. In the following, explanation will be given along the flowchart of FIG. 12.

The stipple mode is a mode in which a predetermined number of sheets are stapled using a stapler when the sheets are ejected, and then the sheets are ejected.

First, when the exterior cover is closed (S1200 in FIG. 12), as shown in FIGS. , moves to a prescribed stipple position (S1201). Note that the paper receiving position of the paper output tray 204 is such that the height of the paper stacking surface of the paper output tray 204 or the top surface of the paper on the paper output tray 204 is the bottom of the jogger fences 205 and 206 (the height of the paper stacking portions 252 and 262). It will be about 30mm below the bottom surface. Further, the paper receiving positions of the jogger fences 205 and 206 are each 7 mm outside the width of the paper to be ejected.

Next, the leading end stopper 207 moves to a specified paper receiving position, and the paper surface detection sensor 211 retreats into the rear end reference fence 210 when the movement of the paper discharge tray 204 is completed (S1202). The paper receiving position of the leading end stopper 207 is a position retracted downstream from the trailing end reference fence 210 by about 25 mm plus the length of the ejected paper in the conveying direction. In addition, in the case of stipple mode, the paper surface detection sensor 211 is configured to turn ON when the distance is 30 mm or less from the bottom of the jogger fences 205 and 206, and to turn OFF when the distance is greater than 30 mm. The height can be detected by switching OFF.

After the movement of each unit is completed, the paper is ejected from the paper ejection roller pair 203 to the paper ejection tray 204 (S1203), and at the timing when the trailing edge of the paper comes out of the paper ejection roller pair 203, the trailing edge guide waiting at the top 208 descends toward the paper discharge tray 204 (S1204). By this operation, it is possible to prevent the next sheet from being ejected without the trailing edge of the sheet falling from the pair of ejecting rollers 203 and causing a jam.

After the trailing edge guide 208 is lowered, the leading edge stopper 207 moves upstream in the paper conveyance direction (X-axis direction) as shown in FIG. 9, and the jogger fences 205 and 206 move closer to each other. By sandwiching the paper, the paper is aligned in the paper transport direction (X direction) and the paper width direction (Y axis direction) (S1205). After the alignment is completed, the jogger fences 205, 206, leading end stopper 207, and trailing end guide 208 move to the paper receiving position again (S1206).

The above positioning operation is repeated from the first sheet to the last sheet (S1207: NO loop), and when the positioning of the last sheet is completed (S1207: YES), the leading end stopper 207 is retracted from between the jogger fences 205 and 206 ( S1208). Then, the jogger fences 205 and 206 move the stack of paper to the installation position of the stipple unit 209 in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction) while maintaining the distance between them with the paper sandwiched between them in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction). ) (see Figure 10).

After the jogger fences 205 and 206 move the paper stack to the stipple installation position of the stipple unit 209, the stapling unit 209 performs a stapling process on the paper stack (S1210).

After the stapling process by the stipple unit 209 is completed, the jogger fences 205 and 206 move to the position where the paper was aligned in the width direction as shown in FIG. It moves to the alignment position (S1211A). After the movement of the jogger fences 205, 206 and the end stopper 207 is completed, the jogger fences 205, 206 are moved to the outside (in the width direction of the paper) in order to drop the stack of paper by its own weight to the paper output tray 204 located at the bottom of the jogger fences 205, 206. (in a direction in which they are separated from each other) (S1212). After the paper bundle falls, the jogger fences 205, 206 and the leading end stopper 207 move to the above-mentioned paper receiving position. Further, after the paper bundle falls from the jogger fences 205 and 206, the paper surface detection sensor 211 returns from the retracted position (S1213).

The paper surface detection sensor 211 detects the height of the top surface of the paper on the paper discharge tray 204, so that the paper discharge tray 204 is lowered by the thickness of the stack of paper stacks (S1214 to S1216). This maintains a constant distance from the bottom of the jogger fences 205, 206 to the topmost sheet on the paper discharge tray 204, making it possible to stack a large number of sheets.

If all print jobs have not been completed (S1217: NO), the process returns to S1202. When all print jobs are completed (S1217: YES), the paper discharge tray 204 is lowered to the lowest position (initial position), and the other units are also moved to the specified initial position (S1218).

Here, the positions of the trailing edge guide 208 and the paper surface detection sensor 211 will be supplementarily explained. 13 and 14 are a plan view and a perspective view showing the positions of the rear end guide 208 and the paper surface detection sensor 211.

The rear end guide 208 and the paper surface detection sensor 211 are provided at positions where the arm portions do not come into contact with the jogger fences 205 and 206 that have been moved to the paper receiving position. In addition, the trailing edge guide 208 and the paper surface detection sensor 211 are arranged at the center of the paper in the width direction (Y direction) that is aligned with the jogger fences 205 and 206 so that there is no need to move the paper in the width direction to avoid contact. is laid out.

<3. Aspects of embodiment>
The moving mechanism (moving drive mechanism) for moving the jogger fences 205 and 206 in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction) will be described below with reference to FIGS. 15 to 17.

FIG. 15 is a top view showing a first configuration example of a moving mechanism (moving drive mechanism) that moves jogger fences 205 and 206 in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction). The jogger fence moving drive mechanism 500 is composed of four moving drive mechanisms 500A to 500D. Since all of the moving drive mechanisms 500A to 500D have the same configuration, only the moving drive mechanism 500A will be described here.

The moving drive mechanism 500A is configured to move the jogger fence 205 in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction), and includes a drive motor 501A, an endless belt 502A, a pulley 503A, a slider 504A, and a shaft 505A.

The slider 504A is engaged (joined) with the jogger fence 205 (more specifically, the paper alignment section 251) near the downstream end of the jogger fence 205 in the paper conveyance direction (X-axis direction). , slides on a shaft 505A extending in the width direction (Y-axis direction) of the paper. The endless belt 502A is stretched around a pulley 503A and a drive motor 501A so as to be disposed side by side along a shaft 505A. Furthermore, a slider 504A is fixed at a specific position on the endless belt 502A.

With this configuration, when the drive motor 501A rotates forward and backward, a specific position of the endless belt 502A reciprocates in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction), and in conjunction with this, the slider 504A is guided by the shaft 505A in the paper width direction. (Y-axis direction). The jogger fence 205 that is engaged (joined) with the slider 504A also reciprocates in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction).

The moving drive mechanism 500B similarly has a configuration that moves the jogger fence 205 in the paper width direction, but the engagement (joining) of the slider 504B with the jogger fence 205 (more specifically, the paper alignment section 251) The position is on the upstream side of the slider 504A in the paper conveyance direction.

With this configuration, the jogger fence 205 has two different drive engagement (joint) locations in the paper conveyance direction, resulting in two-point support.

The jogger fence 206 (more specifically, the paper aligning section 261) engages (joins) the slider 504C of the moving drive mechanism 500C near the end on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction, and the slider 504C of the moving drive mechanism 500D on the upstream side thereof. is engaged (joined) with the slider 504D. With this configuration, the jogger fence 206 also has two different driving engagement (joining) locations in the paper conveyance direction, and is supported at two points.

By changing the jogger fences 205 and 206 from the conventional one-point support to two-point support (support at multiple points at different positions in the paper conveyance direction), when the jogger fences 205 and 206 align the paper stack, the jogger The fences 205 and 206 are less likely to tilt, and the position of the stack of sheets can be stabilized. Further, here, the jogger fences 205 and 206 are each supported (engaged) at two points, but any structure may be used as long as they are each supported at two or more points. Further, although the number of support points is the same for jogger fences 205 and 206 (two points each), they may be different. The engagement (joining) points between the jogger fence and the slider may be provided at a plurality of different locations in the paper conveyance direction, but it is preferable that the jogger fence be provided at a plurality of different places in the paper conveyance direction so that the end of the jogger fence in the paper conveyance direction does not become a free end. It is preferable to provide at least one near the end on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction.

Note that the operation timing of the jogger fences 205 and 206 in FIG. 15 is the same as in the stipple mode described above. In the example of FIG. 15, the moving drive mechanisms 500A and 500B synchronize and operate in the same manner, that is, the sliders 504A and 504B move so that the movement start timing, speed, direction, and distance are all the same. The jogger fence 205 can move in the paper width direction so that there is no difference between the front and back in the transport direction. In addition, by synchronizing the moving drive mechanisms 500C and 500D and performing the same operation, the jogger fence 206 can also move in the sheet width direction so that there is no difference between the front and back in the conveyance direction.

FIG. 16 is a top view showing a second configuration example of a moving mechanism (moving drive mechanism) that moves the jogger fences 205 and 206 in the width direction of the paper (Y-axis direction). The jogger fence moving drive mechanism 600 is composed of two moving drive mechanisms 600A and 600B. Since the moving drive mechanisms 600A and 600B both have the same configuration, only the moving drive mechanism 600A will be described here.

The moving drive mechanism 600A has a configuration that moves the jogger fence 205 in the paper width direction, and includes a drive motor 601A, endless belts 602A, 612A, pulleys 603A, 613A, 623A, sliders 604A, 614A, and shafts 605A, 615A. have Further, in FIG. 16, the moving direction of the endless belts 602A, 612A according to the rotational direction of the drive motor 601A is shown by solid line arrows and broken line arrows.

The slider 604A is engaged (joined) with the jogger fence 205 near the downstream end of the jogger fence 205 in the paper conveyance direction, and slides on a shaft 605A extending in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction). do. The endless belt 602A is stretched around the pulleys 603A, 623A and the drive motor 601A so that a part of the endless belt 602A is provided along the shaft 605A. Furthermore, a slider 604A is fixed at a specific position on the endless belt 602A.

With this configuration, when the drive motor 601A rotates forward and backward, the endless belt 502A moves, and in conjunction with this, the slider 604A is guided by the shaft 605A and moves in the width direction of the paper (Y-axis direction). Then, the jogger fence 205 that is engaged (joined) with the slider 604A also moves in the width direction of the paper (Y-axis direction).

On the other hand, the slider 614A is engaged (joined) with the jogger fence 205 at a position upstream of the slider 604A in the paper conveyance direction, and the endless belt 612A that is stretched around the pulley 613A and the drive motor 601A is specified. Fixed in position. The slider 614A slides on a shaft 615A extending in the paper width direction (Y-axis direction) via an endless belt 612A by rotation of the drive motor 601A.

With this configuration, the jogger fence 205 has two different drive engagement (joint) locations in the paper conveyance direction, resulting in two-point support.

Although the configuration here uses two endless belts, the endless belts 602A and 612A, one endless belt is used and stretched around the pulley 603A, pulley 623A, drive motor 601A, and pulley 613A. They may be arranged in the shape of a square.

The jogger fence 206 engages (joins) with the slider 604B of the moving drive mechanism 600B near the end on the downstream side in the paper conveyance direction, and engages (joins) with the slider 614B on the upstream side thereof. With this configuration, the jogger fence 206 also has two different driving engagement (joining) locations in the paper conveyance direction, and is supported at two points.

In the example of FIG. 15, four drive motors are provided, whereas in the example of FIG. 16, there are two. That is, in the example of FIG. 16, two-point support can be realized as in FIG. 15 while reducing the number of parts. Moreover, since one drive motor can be used for one jogger fence, the control operation of the motor can also be controlled more simply.

FIG. 17 shows the jogger fence moving drive mechanism 500 described in FIG. 15, and also shows a configuration in which the jogger fence 206 is divided into two in the paper conveyance direction.

One jogger fence 206A is engaged (joined) with the slider 504C of the moving drive mechanism 500C, and comes into contact with the stack of sheets on the downstream side in the sheet conveyance direction to align the edges of the sheets. The other jogger fence 206B is engaged (joined) with the slider 504D of the moving drive mechanism 500C, and contacts the stack of sheets on the upstream side in the sheet conveyance direction to align the edges of the sheets. The configuration other than this is the same as that in FIG. 15.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the jogger fence 206 is supported at two points, but in the example shown in FIG. (The configuration is such that the matching means are arranged separately for each matching means.) Even in the configuration shown in FIG. 17, the sheet bundle is less likely to tilt during the alignment operation, and the position of the sheet bundle can be stabilized.

Note that the jogger fences 206A and 206B both operate synchronously at the same timing, and operate at the same timing as in the stipple mode described above.

In the example of FIG. 17, when the size of the paper to be conveyed is large, the jogger fence 206A is moved downstream (to the left in FIG. 17), and when the size of the paper to be conveyed is small, the jogger fence 206A is moved to the upstream side (to the right in FIG. 17). move it to By performing such control by the control unit 250, the leading edge side of the paper can be correctly aligned regardless of the size of the paper, and the alignment of the paper can be improved.

15 to 17 illustrate implementation examples for a jogger fence that aligns the width direction of sheets, and an implementation in which the jogger fence is supported at two points in different directions of conveying the sheets (in FIG. 17, a bundle of sheets is supported at two points in different directions of conveying the sheets). However, the structure described in FIGS. 15 to 17 may be applied to the alignment member (for example, the leading end stopper 207) that aligns the paper conveyance direction. In this case, the paper is supported at two or more points at different positions in the paper width direction.

The aligning means corresponds to the jogger fence (205, 206, 206A, 206B) including the paper alignment section (251, 261) or the tip stopper 207 of this embodiment. The stacking means corresponds to the paper stacking units 252 and 262 or the paper discharge tray 204 of this embodiment. Further, the matching device and the matching section correspond to the post-processing device 200 of this embodiment.

When the aligning means is a jogger fence (205, 206, 206A, 206B), the first direction corresponds to the paper width direction (Y-axis direction) of this embodiment, and the second direction corresponds to the paper transport direction of this embodiment. Corresponds to the direction (X-axis direction). On the other hand, when the alignment means is the leading end stopper 207, the first direction corresponds to the paper conveyance direction (X-axis direction) of this embodiment, and the second direction corresponds to the paper width direction (Y-axis direction) of this embodiment. corresponds to In this embodiment, the paper width direction and the paper conveyance direction are orthogonal to each other, but they do not necessarily need to be orthogonal to each other as long as they intersect with each other.

The conversion means corresponds to the endless belt (502, 602, 612), pulley (503, 603, 613, 623), slider (504, 604, 614), and shaft (505, 605, 615) of this embodiment. By having these members, the conversion means can convert the rotational movement of the motor into the linear movement of the alignment means in the first direction.

In the above embodiment, an image forming apparatus in which a post-processing device as an alignment section is housed in a housing, that is, an image forming apparatus having an alignment section and an image forming section, is exemplified as one aspect of an image forming system. The present invention is not limited to this, and the image forming system may have a configuration in which a post-processing device is provided at a subsequent stage outside the housing of the image forming apparatus.

As described above, according to this embodiment, it is possible to stabilize the position of the paper bundle during alignment and improve alignment.

1: Image forming system 100: Image forming apparatus 110: Image forming section 120: Paper feeding section 150: Fixing section 200: Post-processing device (alignment device, alignment section)
201: Guide plate 202: Entrance roller pair 203: Paper ejection roller pair 204: Paper ejection tray 205: Jogger fence 206, 206A, 206B: Jogger fence 207: Tip stopper 208: Rear end guide 209: Stipple unit 210: Rear end Reference fence 211: Paper surface detection sensor 250: Control section 251, 261: Paper alignment section (sheet alignment section)
252, 262: Paper stacking section (sheet stacking section)
300: Image reading device 500, 600: Jogger fence moving drive mechanism 501, 601: Drive motor 502, 602, 612: Endless belt 503, 603, 613: Pulley 504, 604, 614: Slider 505, 605, 615: Shaft

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-313363

Claims (5)

a loading means for loading the sheet bundle;
Aligning means that moves in a first direction to align the sheet bundles stacked on the stacking means;
a moving mechanism that engages with the alignment means at a plurality of positions that are mutually different in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and moves the alignment means in the first direction at each of the plurality of locations; ,
has
The alignment means includes a sheet stacking section that stacks the sheet bundle, and a sheet aligning section that aligns the position of the sheet bundle in the width direction,
The sheet stacking section and the sheet aligning section are made of members that are longer than the length of the sheets constituting the sheet bundle in the conveying direction,
At least one of the engagement points between the moving mechanism and the alignment means is located near the downstream end of the sheet aligning section in the conveying direction, and the other points are located closer to the downstream end of the sheet aligning section than the one point. It is on the upstream side in the conveyance direction,
The moving mechanism is
motor and
converting means for converting rotational movement of the motor into linear movement of the alignment means in the first direction;
The moving mechanism is characterized in that it has one of the motors and the converting means at each of the engagement locations,
Alignment device. The alignment device according to claim 1 , wherein the moving mechanism includes the motor and the converting means at each of the engagement locations. The conversion means is
a shaft extending in the first direction;
a slider that slides on the shaft and engages with the alignment means at each of the engagement locations ;
an endless belt that is attached to the shaft and is stretched between a pulley and the motor, the slider being fixed at a specific position on the belt;
The alignment device according to claim 1 or 2 , characterized in that it has: an image forming unit that forms an image on the sheet;
an image forming apparatus comprising: an aligning unit that aligns a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming unit;
The matching part is
a loading means for loading the sheet bundle;
Aligning means that moves in a first direction to align the sheet bundles stacked on the stacking means;
a moving mechanism that engages with the alignment means at a plurality of positions that are mutually different in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and moves the alignment means in the first direction at each of the plurality of locations; ,
has
The alignment means includes a sheet stacking section that stacks the sheet bundle, and a sheet aligning section that aligns the position of the sheet bundle in the width direction,
The sheet stacking section and the sheet aligning section are made of members that are longer than the length of the sheets constituting the sheet bundle in the conveying direction,
At least one of the engagement points between the moving mechanism and the alignment means is located near the downstream end of the sheet aligning section in the conveying direction, and the other points are located closer to the downstream end of the sheet aligning section than the one point. It is on the upstream side in the conveyance direction,
The moving mechanism is
motor and
converting means for converting rotational movement of the motor into linear movement of the alignment means in the first direction;
The moving mechanism is characterized in that it has one of the motors and the converting means at each of the engagement locations,
Image forming device. an image forming device that forms an image on a sheet;
The aligning device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which aligns a bundle of sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming device;
An image forming system having: