JP7727422B2 - Image forming system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an image forming system in which a paper feeder and a post-processing device are installed alongside an image forming device.

Generally, image forming systems are known in which a paper feeder and post-processing device are installed alongside an image forming device such as a copier or printer (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The post-processing device performs post-processing such as punching, binding, and sorting on sheets conveyed from the image forming device (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Furthermore, sheet folding devices are also known as post-processing devices that fold sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming device, such as by folding them in half or in thirds (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

The image forming device described in Patent Document 1 employs a so-called internal discharge type configuration, which makes the entire device compact by providing an image-formed sheet discharge section in the space inside the body formed between the image forming section and the image reading section located above it. This type of image forming device has an intermediary transport unit located inside the space inside the body, and supplies image-formed sheets to a post-processing device through an intermediary transport path inside the unit.

The image forming apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is equipped with a manual feed unit for manually feeding a relatively small number of sheets in addition to a built-in paper feed cassette, and also has an external paper feed device consisting of a large-capacity cassette for storing sheets of sizes that are consumed in large quantities. The manual feed unit often has a manual feed tray that is openable and closable and located on one side of the image forming apparatus.

JP 2013-130730 A Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-210536 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-189716

In many conventional image forming systems, when viewed from the front, a paper feed means such as a manual paper feeder or external paper feeder is located on one side of the image forming device (e.g., the right side), and a post-processing device is located on the other side (e.g., the left side). In such image forming systems, a user must move left and right across the image forming device to load sheets into the manual paper feeder or external paper feeder and remove the image-formed and post-processed sheets from the post-processing device, which creates a problem of poor work efficiency due to the long travel distance.

The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide an image forming system that includes an image forming device, a paper feeder, and a post-processing device, and that improves user work efficiency.

The image forming system of the present invention comprises:
an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet;
a stacking section provided on one side of the image forming apparatus for stacking a plurality of sheets; and a sheet supply deck for supplying the sheets stacked on the stacking section to the image forming apparatus one by one ;
a post-processing device that is provided on the one side of the image forming device, on the opposite side of the image forming device with respect to the sheet supply deck , and that performs post-processing on sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming device and discharges the sheets;
a relay unit provided on the one side of the image forming apparatus above the sheet supply deck , the relay unit relaying sheet conveyance from the image forming apparatus to the post-processing apparatus;
a manual feed tray that is provided on the one side of the image forming apparatus between the sheet supply deck and the relay unit in a vertical direction and that is openable and closable, and on which sheets to be supplied toward the image forming unit are placed when the manual feed tray is open;
The present invention is characterized by the following.

According to this invention, the post-processing device and the paper feed means are located on the same side of the image forming device, allowing the user to both replenish new sheets into the paper feed means and remove post-processed and ejected sheets from the post-processing device on the same side of the image forming device, improving work efficiency.

1 is a front view showing the overall configuration of an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of the sheet folding device of FIG. 1 . 1A to 1C are explanatory diagrams showing the folding process by the sheet folding device in the order of steps. 4(d) to 4(f) are explanatory diagrams showing the folding process in the order of steps following FIG. 3. 5(g) to 5(i) are explanatory diagrams showing the additional folding process in the order of steps following FIG. 4. FIG. 10 is a front view of the image forming system in which the sheet folding device is left on the sheet processing device side and the mounting extension portion is extended from the mounting support portion. FIG. 7 is a front view of the image forming system in FIG. 6 in which the external paper feed device is separated from the image forming apparatus. FIG. 10 is a front view of the image forming system in which the transport path cover is attached to the extended mounting extension portion. FIG. 9 is a front view of the imaging system of FIG. 8 with the mounting extension retracted. FIG. 10 is a front view of the image forming system in which the sheet folding device is left on the image forming apparatus side and the attachment extension portion is extended. In the first embodiment of the manual paper feed unit, (a) is an oblique view of the stacking plate in the paper feed position, (b) is an oblique view of the stacking plate in the first pull-out position outside the paper feed opening, and (c) is an oblique view of the stacking plate in the second pull-out position on the front side. 10A is a perspective view of a manual paper feed unit according to a second embodiment, in which FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a stacking plate in a paper feed position, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the stacking plate in a rotated position facing the front side. 10A is a perspective view of a manual paper feed unit according to a third embodiment, in which FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a front side regulating plate in a set position, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view of a front side regulating plate in a rotated position at the rear of the paper feed opening. 10A is a perspective view of a manual paper feed unit according to a fourth embodiment, in which FIG. 10A is a perspective view of a front side regulating plate in a set position, and FIG. 10B is a perspective view of the side regulating plate in a position where it is tilted toward the front side.

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

[Image forming system]
1 shows the entire configuration of an image forming system 1000 according to a first embodiment of the present invention from the front side. In this specification, unless otherwise specified, the front refers to the side seen from a position facing the image forming system 1000 for operation by a user, as shown in FIG. 1. The left and right sides refer to the left and right sides when the image forming system 1000 is seen from the front.

The image forming system 1000 is composed of an image forming apparatus A, a sheet processing apparatus B as a post-processing apparatus for sheets on which images are formed by the image forming apparatus, and a sheet folding apparatus C connected between them. The image forming system 1000 of this embodiment also includes an external paper feeder D that supplies sheets to the image forming apparatus A. In the following description, the sheet transport direction is defined as the direction in which a sheet is transported from the paper feed side to the paper discharge side in each of the image forming apparatus A, sheet processing apparatus B, and sheet folding apparatus C, and the direction in which a sheet is transported from the image forming apparatus A side to the sheet folding apparatus C and sheet processing apparatus B side. The terms "upstream side" and "downstream side" simply refer to the upstream side and downstream side in the sheet transport direction.

[Image forming apparatus]
The image forming apparatus A includes an image forming unit A1, an image reading unit A2, and a document feeding unit A3. The image forming unit A1 is of a type that forms an image on a sheet by a known electrostatic printing mechanism, and includes a main body paper feeding section 2, an image forming section 3, a transport section 4, and a main body control section (not shown) within an apparatus housing 1. The image reading unit A2, which includes an image reading section 5, and the document feeding unit A3, which includes an automatic document feeder 6, are integrally provided above the image reading unit A2 on the top of the apparatus housing 1.

The image forming apparatus A of this embodiment is a so-called internal paper discharge type, with a large paper discharge space (internal space) defined between the image forming unit 3, transport unit 4, and image reading unit 5, which are arranged in a U-shape in Figure 1, and which is open to the left side (sheet processing device B side) and the front side in the figure, and a first relay transport unit A4 is disposed within this space. Furthermore, the image forming apparatus A is integrally equipped with a paper discharge unit A5 having a relatively large main stacking tray 7. The main stacking tray 7 is rotatable around a pivot (not shown) provided at its base end, with the tip end of the tray 7 rotatable from the use position shown by the solid line in Figure 1 to the retracted position shown by the dashed line in the same figure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the image forming unit A1 has a mounting support part 200 fixed to one side (the left side in this embodiment) of the device housing 1, which extends outward (to the left in the figure) from near the top end and generally horizontally. The paper discharge part A5 is fixedly supported on the mounting support part 200 so that it is located in the upper left corner of the device housing 1 in the figure, immediately to the left of the image reading unit A2 and document feeding unit A3.

The mounting support part 200 is equipped with an extension support part 201 that extends further outward from its outer end (the left end in the figure). As will be described later, the extension support part 201 can be extended further outward than shown in Figure 1 and retracted toward the mounting support part 200. Although not shown, the extension support part 201 can be retracted within the mounting support part 200 when not in use.

The main body paper feed unit 2 has multiple stages (two stages in this embodiment) of paper feed cassettes 2a and 2b, each containing different sheet sizes, which are detachably mounted on the device housing 1. The main body paper feed unit 2 feeds sheets of the size specified by the main body control unit from the corresponding paper feed cassette to the paper feed path 8 and sends them to the image forming unit 3.

In addition to the main body paper feed unit 2 built into the device housing 1, the image forming unit A1 is also provided with a manual paper feed unit 9. The manual paper feed unit 9 has a manual feed tray 10 provided on one side of the device housing 1. The manual feed tray 10 is rotatable around a pivot (not shown) near its bottom end when viewed from the front, between a paper feed position shown by solid lines in FIG. 1 and a closed position shown by dashed lines. In the paper feed position, its top surface 10a opens roughly horizontally, providing a loading surface for sheets to be manually fed into the image forming unit A1. This rotation of the manual feed tray 10 opens a manual feed opening (not shown) provided on one side of the device housing 1. When not in use, the manual feed tray 10 is returned to the closed position along the one side of the device housing 1, as shown by dashed lines in FIG. 1, and the manual feed opening is closed.

At the paper feed position, sheets loaded on the upper surface, i.e., the loading surface 10a, of the manual feed tray 10 are fed into the paper feed path 8 of the image forming unit A1 by a paper feed roller (not shown) located near the manual feed opening in the device housing 1, and sent to the image forming section 3. A paper feed mechanism (described below) can be integrated into the manual feed tray 10 to allow a larger number of sheets to be stacked in an aligned state.

The sheet feeder D is externally and removably connected to the same side of the device housing 1 as the manual sheet feeder 9. The sheet feeder D is configured with a large capacity that can accommodate a larger number of sheets (e.g., several hundred to several thousand sheets) than the sheet feed cassettes 2a and 2b of the main body sheet feeder 2. Sheets fed from the sheet feeder D are similarly sent to the image forming unit 3 via the sheet feed path 8.

The image forming unit A1 is also provided with a reversing tray 11 for reversing a sheet that has had an image formed on one side by the image forming section 3, so that an image can be formed on the back side as well. The reversing tray 11 is located on the same side of the device housing 1 as the manual paper feed section 9, below the paper discharge section A5, ensuring a certain amount of sheet support space between it and the paper discharge section.

The image forming unit 3 is only required to be configured to form an image on a sheet fed from the main body paper feed unit 2, and various image forming mechanisms can be used. In this embodiment, as described above, the image forming unit 3 is a well-known electrostatic printing mechanism consisting of, for example, a rotating photosensitive drum, a light emitter that emits an optical beam, a developer, a cleaner, etc. The image forming unit 3 is not limited to an electrostatic printing mechanism, and various other image forming mechanisms such as inkjet image forming, offset printing, and silk printing can also be used.

The transport unit 4 has a known structure consisting of a paper feed path 8 that transports sheets from the main paper feed unit 2, manual paper feed unit 9, and paper feed device D to the image forming unit 3, a transport path 12 that transports sheets with images formed by the image forming unit 3 to the discharge unit A5, stacking tray 11, sheet processing device B, and sheet folding device C, and multiple pairs of transport rollers appropriately arranged along the paper feed path and transport path. The transport path 12 includes a first transport path 13 that transports sheets from the image forming unit 3 to the reversing tray 11, a second transport path 14 arranged parallel to the first transport path 13 so as to switch back from the reversing tray 11 and transport the sheet to the image forming unit 3, and a main transport path 15 that transports sheets from the image forming unit 3 to the discharge unit A5.

The main transport path 15 connects at its downstream end to a first relay transport path 16 provided within the first relay transport unit A4. The first relay transport path 16 has multiple transport roller pairs arranged along the sheet transport direction, and its downstream end connects to the paper feed opening 17 of the paper discharge section A5. The paper discharge section A5 has a paper discharge transport path 18 for discharging sheets fed from the first relay transport unit A4 via the paper feed opening 17 onto the main stack tray 7. The paper discharge roller pair provided at the paper discharge opening of the paper discharge transport path 18 is movable in its axial direction, allowing the position of the sheets discharged onto the stack tray 7 to be changed for sorting.

Furthermore, in the paper discharge section A5, a second relay transport path 19 branches off from the paper feed port 17 and is arranged parallel to the paper discharge transport path 18. The downstream end of the second relay transport path 19 is connected to the transport path 101 of the sheet folding device C, which will be described later.

Furthermore, the paper discharge section A5 is configured so that the top cover 210, adjacent to the image reading unit A2 and document feeding unit A3, can rotate upward around a pivot (not shown) on the image reading unit A2 side. By rotating the top cover 210 to the position shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the top of the paper discharge section A5 is opened, and if a jam occurs inside the paper discharge transport path 18, etc., it is possible to remove the sheet or perform other jamming operations.

The image reading unit 5 reads the document image by irradiating light from a scanning optical system light source onto the document placed on the platen glass and inputting the reflected light into a CCD, or by automatically transporting a document placed on a document tray to the reading unit using the automatic document feeder 6, and reading the document image. The read document image is converted into an electrical signal and transmitted to the image forming unit 3.

The main body control unit controls the paper feeding operations of the main body paper feed unit 2, manual paper feed unit 9, and paper feed device D, as well as the operations of the image forming unit 3, transport unit 4, and image reading unit 5. The main body control unit is composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and the CPU controls each of the above units by reading programs corresponding to control procedures stored in the ROM. Working data and input data are stored in the RAM, and the CPU performs control by referencing the data stored in the RAM based on the programs, etc.

[Sheet Processing Device]
Sheet processing device B is located on the same side (left side in FIG. 1 ) as the manual paper feed unit 9 and paper feed device D with respect to image forming apparatus A; in other words, on the opposite side of image forming apparatus A across the manual paper feed unit 9 and paper feed device D. Sheet processing device B is also installed on the same installation surface as image forming apparatus A. The outer end (left end in FIG. 1 ) of an extension support portion 201 extending outward from the mounting support portion 200 of image forming apparatus A is connected to the side of the device housing 21 of sheet processing device B facing image forming apparatus A (right side in FIG. 1 ), thereby connecting post-processing device B integrally with image forming apparatus A. Because extension support portion 201 is extendable and retractable relative to mounting support portion 200 as described above, post-processing device B can be moved toward or away from image forming apparatus A while maintaining its connection to image forming apparatus A.

The device housing 21 has an inlet 22 on its right side for introducing sheets from the image forming device A. Inside the device housing 21 are first to third processing sections B1 to B3 (not shown), which perform different post-processing on sheets introduced through the inlet 22. A sheet introduction path for transporting sheets from the inlet 22 is provided inside the device housing 21, and branches off toward the first to third processing sections B1 to B3.

For example, the first processing unit B1 is a binding unit that stacks, collates, and staples multiple sheets introduced from the image forming device A. The stapled sheets are discharged to a stacking tray 23 located on the side of the device housing 21 opposite the image forming device A. The second processing unit B2 is a folding unit that folds the multiple introduced sheets after binding them into a sheet bundle. The folded sheet bundle is discharged to a stacking tray 24 located on the same side of the device housing 21 as the stacking tray 23. The third processing unit B3 performs jog sorting, separating the introduced sheets into groups that are offset by a predetermined amount in the direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction (the sheet width direction) and groups that are not offset. The jog-sorted sheets are discharged to a stacking tray 25 located on the same side of the device housing 21 as the stacking tray 23, and the offset sheet bundle and the non-offset sheet bundle are stacked together.

[Sheet folding device]
1, the sheet folding device C is fixedly supported by an extension support part 201 extending from the mounting extension part 200, and is connected between the sheet discharge part A5 of the image forming apparatus A and the sheet processing device B. The sheet folding device C is a device that receives and folds the image-formed sheets discharged from the image forming apparatus A. In order to perform the folding process, the sheet folding device C also has a control part made up of a control board including a CPU.

The sheet folding device C is arranged so that the paper feed opening 101a, which is the upstream end of the transport path 101 provided inside it, is continuous with the paper discharge opening 19a of the second relay transport path 19 of the paper discharge unit A5. Furthermore, the sheet folding device C is arranged so that the discharge opening 101b, which is the downstream end of the transport path 101, is continuous with the inlet 21 of the sheet processing device B. Therefore, a sheet transported into the sheet folding device C from the paper discharge unit A5 of the image forming device A is folded by the sheet folding device C, or is transported to the sheet processing device B without being folded, passing through the sheet folding device C.

Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the internal configuration of sheet folding device C. A conveying path 101 extending substantially horizontally inside sheet folding device C is provided with one or more pairs of conveying rollers 102 and a folding mechanism 103 (i.e., a folding processing section) located downstream of the pair of conveying rollers 102, and an additional folding unit 104 is provided at the end of the conveying path 101 downstream of the folding mechanism 103. As a result, sheet folding device C can fold a sheet conveyed along the conveying path 101 using the folding mechanism 103, and then additionally fold the sheet using the additional folding unit 104, and deliver the folded and additionally folded sheet to sheet processing device B.

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

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

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

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

The upper conveying guide 108 is formed from immediately behind the conveying roller pair 102 to above the abutment plate 107 so as to guide the leading edge of the sheet S from the conveying roller pair 102 to the abutment plate 107. The upper conveying guide 108 is intended to regulate the flow of the sheet S conveyed along the conveying path 101, and is located above the conveying path 101, bending downward as it moves downstream. The upper folding guide 110 is located between the upper conveying guide 108 and the folding roller pair 105, and extends to just before the folding roller pair 105 so as to guide the leading edge of the sheet S and the folded portion of the sheet S, described below, to the folding roller pair 105. The upper folding guide 110 is intended to regulate the flow of the sheet S in the folding mechanism 103, and is located downstream of the upper conveying guide 108 and above the conveying path 101.

The lower conveying guide 109 regulates the flow of the sheet S being conveyed along the conveying path 101. It is located below the conveying path 101 and, like the upper conveying guide 108, is curved downward as it moves downstream. The lower conveying guide 109 ends just before the abutting plate 107, and an open loop-forming space 50 is formed downstream of the lower conveying guide 109. The lower folding guide 111 is located downstream of the abutting plate 107 and has a horizontal surface for guiding the leading edge of the conveyed sheet S and the folded portion of the sheet S (described below) to the nip portion of the folding roller pair 105, as well as an inclined surface for guiding the leading edge to the horizontal surface.

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

In addition to the sheet position detection sensors 304a and 304b described above, a sensor 304c that detects the position of the abutting plate 107 is also connected to the control unit. The control unit is further connected to the conveying roller drive motor, the folding roller drive motor, the abutting plate drive motor, and the additional folding drive motor 128. Based on the detection results input from each of the sensors and various information received from image forming apparatus A, the control unit controls the driving of each of the drive motors and drives the conveying roller pair 102, folding roller pair 105, abutting plate 107, slider 124, and support member 112, respectively, to control and execute sheet conveyance, folding, and additional folding in sheet folding device C.

When the control unit recognizes that the leading edge of the sheet S being conveyed has been nipped by the pair of folding rollers 105, it moves the abutment plate 107 horizontally to a retracted position below the lower conveying guide 109 to form a folded portion in the sheet S, thereby opening the loop formation space 50 between the lower conveying guide 109 and the lower folding guide 111. Then, with the leading edge of the sheet S nipped by the pair of folding rollers 105, the sheet S is conveyed a predetermined distance by the pair of conveying rollers 102, and the middle portion of the sheet S bends downward from the conveying path 101 in the loop formation space 50, creating a loop.

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

As shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the sheet folding device C has a top cover 142 located above the transport path 101 of the device housing 141, which is configured to be rotatable upward around a pivot (not shown) on the sheet processing device B side. At this time, interference with the top cover 142 can be avoided by rotating the main stacking tray 7 of the paper discharge section A5 located above the sheet folding device C to the retracted position shown by the dashed line in Figure 1. By rotating the top cover 142 to the position shown by the dashed line in Figure 1, the top of the sheet folding device C is opened, so that if a jam occurs inside, work can be done to clear the jam, such as removing the sheet.

According to this embodiment, it is preferable to provide an opening (not shown) in the device housing 141 of the sheet folding device C on the side facing the reversing tray 11. The opening is positioned vertically to match the leading edge of the reversing tray 11 and open directly into the loop forming space 50. Therefore, even if the size of the sheet to be imaged on both sides is large in the sheet transport direction and its leading edge (outer edge) protrudes beyond the leading edge (outer edge) of the reversing tray 11, the leading edge portion of the protruding sheet will pass through the opening and enter the loop forming space 50. Furthermore, the opening is set to a width dimension that fully corresponds to the maximum sheet width used for image formation in the image forming device A, and a height dimension that takes into account the degree to which the leading edge portion of the sheet protruding from the reversing tray 11 will sag.

As a result, even if a large-sized sheet pops out of the reversing tray 11, the leading edge of the sheet can be smoothly reversed and conveyed to the image forming unit 3 without colliding with or bending the side of the device housing 141 of the sheet folding device C or the periphery of the opening. Furthermore, since the loop formation space 50 in the sheet conveying direction between the sheet folding device C and the image forming device A can be made to overlap, or serve as, a space in which a sheet can pop out of the reversing tray 11, the entire image forming system 1000 can be made more compact in the sheet conveying direction.

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

The control unit first moves the abutment plate 107 to the home position if it is not already there (the position shown in Figure 3(a)). Then, with the pair of conveying rollers 102 stopped rotating, when a predetermined time has elapsed since sensor 304a detected the leading edge of sheet S conveyed from image forming device A, the control unit drives the conveying roller drive motor to rotate the pair of conveying rollers 102, which then receives the sheet and begins conveying it, as shown in Figure 3(a). The predetermined time is the time necessary and sufficient for the leading edge of the sheet to contact the nip portion of the pair of conveying rollers 102 and align the leading edge position.

With the abutting plate 107 positioned between the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 to close the loop-forming space 50 (home position), the control unit rotates the conveying roller pair 102 to convey the sheet S along the conveying path 101, and after the leading edge of the sheet S passes the leading edge of the abutting plate 107 (a position 19 mm before the nip point of the folding roller pair 105) as shown in Figure 3(b), it rotates the folding roller pair 105 and drives the abutting plate drive motor to begin moving the abutting plate 107 toward a retracted position (see Figure 3(c)) located below the lower conveying guide 109.

As shown in Figure 3(c), when the leading edge of sheet S passes sensor 304b and is transported a predetermined distance (20 mm), the abutting plate 107 reaches the retracted position. The position of the leading edge of sheet S is controlled by detecting the amount of drive of the pair of folding rollers 105 from the point when the leading edge of sheet S is detected by sensor 304b while sheet S is nipped between the pair of folding rollers 105. When the abutting plate 107 moves to the retracted position, a loop space 50 is opened below the transport path 101. When the leading edge of sheet S reaches 20 mm downstream of sensor 304b, the control unit reverses the rotation of the pair of folding rollers 105 to switchback transport the leading edge of sheet S toward the upstream side in the sheet transport direction. During this time, the conveying roller pair 102 continues to rotate to convey the sheet S in the sheet conveying direction, so that the portion of the sheet S upstream of the folding roller pair 105 curves and hangs down in a loop shape from the conveying path 101 into the loop forming space 50, forming a fold loop FL for forming a crease in the sheet. The loop FL continues to grow according to the amount of sheet S sent out by the conveying roller pair 102.

The control unit stops the switchback conveyance of the folding roller pair 105 when the leading edge of the sheet S is closer to the sensor 304b than the nip point of the folding roller pair 105 (a state where the sheet S is moved back 33 mm from the state shown in Figure 3(c) . The distance from the nip point of the folding roller pair 105 to the sensor 304b is 14 mm), and continues conveyance by the conveying roller pair 102 in the state shown in Figure 4(d). At this time, a fold loop FL of a size suitable for forming a fold in the sheet S at a predetermined folding position is formed in the loop forming space 50 by the continuous sheet feeding by the conveying roller pair 102.

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

The control unit rotates the pair of folding rollers 105 when the abutting plate 107 reaches a position 4.5 mm before the nip point of the pair of folding rollers 105. When the abutting plate 107 reaches the aforementioned abutting position in this state, the fold position that will become the first fold of the sheet S is caught in the nip portion of the pair of folding rollers 105, and while being transported downstream, the sheet is pressed and folded between the upper and lower folding rollers 105a and 105b. This pressure processing forms the first fold 132 in the sheet S at the specified folding position, as shown in Figure 4(f). The abutting plate 107 is moved to a retracted position below the lower transport guide 109 so as not to prevent the sheet S from being caught in the nip portion of the pair of folding rollers 105. This reopens the loop formation space 50 below the transport path 101.

The folding roller pair 105 continues to rotate even after the abutment plate 107 is retracted. Therefore, as shown in Figure 4(f), the sheet S is nipped by the folding roller pair 105 and transported downstream in a state where it is folded in thirds (Z-folded) with the leading edge in the sheet transport direction and the first fold 132 formed by the folding roller pair 105 leading.

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

The predetermined transport distance sent downstream in the sheet transport direction until the first fold 132 of sheet S stops from the additional folding position is determined by the sheet length of sheet S in the sheet transport direction and can be changed depending on the length. In this embodiment, as described above, the predetermined transport distance is determined based on the length of sheet S in the sheet transport direction so that the trailing edge of sheet S in the sheet transport direction has passed through the upstream unit and been completely transported into sheet folding device C when folding roller pair 105 and transport roller pair 102 stop. The control unit can receive information about the length of sheet S in the sheet transport direction in advance from the main body control unit of image forming apparatus A, and can also calculate the length from the time difference between the leading and trailing edges of sheet S detected by sheet position detection sensors 304a and 304b.

Next, as shown in Figure 5(h), with the conveying roller pair 102 stopped, the folding roller pair 105 is rotated in the reverse direction to move the sheet S upstream in the sheet conveying direction. When the first fold 132 of the sheet S is returned to the additional fold position, the folding roller pair 105 is stopped to position the first fold 132 at the additional fold position.

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

In this state, the control unit drives the additional folding drive motor 128 to perform additional folding of the first fold 132 using the additional folding rollers 114 and the additional folding support member 120. When the additional folding is complete, the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 are rotated to convey the sheet S downstream.

When starting the transport of sheet S downstream, the start of the transport roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 may be initiated with a time lag. Specifically, for example, the folding roller pair 105 may be initiated first, and then the transport roller pair 102 may be initiated a predetermined time later. By setting an appropriate time lag in the start of the transport roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 in this way, the second loop FL2 formed in the loop formation space 50 can be eliminated or reduced. It is also possible to have the second loop FL2 formed after the previous loop FL is wound around the folding roller pair 105. The time lag can also be set by replacing the amount of rotation of the transport roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105, the amount of rotation of the motor that drives them, the sheet transport amount, etc.

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

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

In another embodiment, in the step described in connection with FIG. 5(g), the control unit can stop the folding roller pair 105 while continuing to rotate the conveying roller pair 102 thereafter to send the trailing edge of the sheet S downstream in the sheet conveying direction. This conveying of the trailing edge of the sheet S by the conveying roller pair 102 can be performed during all or part of the period from when the folding roller pair 105 is stopped and then reverses, returning the first fold 132 to the additional folding position and stopping, until the additional folding process is performed and the process proceeds to the next step.

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

In another embodiment, the control unit stops and reverses the folding roller pair 105 to transport the sheet S upstream in the sheet transport direction, and then temporarily stops and reverses the transport roller pair 102 to transport the trailing edge of the sheet S upstream in the sheet transport direction. In this case, the control unit controls the transport roller pair and folding roller pair so that the sheet transport amount due to the reverse rotation of the transport roller pair 102 is less than the sheet transport amount due to the reverse rotation of the folding roller pair 105.

This eliminates or reduces the size of the second loop FL2 formed within the loop formation space 50. In this case, the trailing end of the sheet S in the sheet transport direction moves toward the image forming device A of the upstream unit. However, even in this embodiment, from the perspective of the productivity of the overall system described above, it is preferable that the sheet S has completely exited the image forming device A by the time the additional folding process of the first fold 132 is completed at the latest.

Here, the sheet transport amount due to the reverse rotation of the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 can be set based on the transport distance in the sheet transport direction of the sheet S, the transport time, the rotation amount (rotation speed, rotation time) of the conveying roller pair and the folding roller pair, etc. Furthermore, the reverse rotation start and/or reverse rotation stop of the conveying roller pair 102 and the folding roller pair 105 do not necessarily have to occur simultaneously. For example, the reverse rotation start of the conveying roller pair 102 can be delayed relative to the reverse rotation start of the folding roller pair 105, or the reverse rotation stop of the conveying roller pair 102 can be earlier than the reverse rotation stop of the folding roller pair 105.

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

This completes the series of folding and additional folding processes in sheet folding device C. At this point, the trailing edge of sheet S has completely exited the sheet folding device C, so the upstream image forming device A is ready to send the next sheet to sheet folding device C, maintaining and improving productivity throughout the system.

[Improved work efficiency]
As described above, in addition to the main body paper feed section 2 provided inside the device housing 1, a manual paper feed section 9 and an external paper feeder D are provided on one side of the image forming unit A1 as paper feed means for externally supplying sheets to the image forming apparatus A. Furthermore, as post-processing devices for performing post-processing on sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming apparatus A, a sheet processing device B and a sheet folding device C are also arranged on the same side of the image forming unit A1, on the opposite side of the image forming unit A1 from the manual paper feed section 9 and the paper feeder D, with the second relay transport path 19 sandwiched between them and the image forming unit A1.

This arrangement allows the user to remain on the side of the image forming unit A1 and perform tasks such as replenishing sheets in the manual feed unit 9 and sheet feeder D and removing post-processed sheets from the stacking trays 23-25 of the sheet processing device B. Furthermore, the user can also perform troubleshooting and maintenance work, such as troubleshooting for sheet jams that occur in the manual feed unit 9, sheet feeder D, sheet processing device B and/or sheet folding device C, from the side of the image forming unit A1. Therefore, the user can efficiently perform the various tasks mentioned above for the image forming processing system 1000.

Furthermore, in order to perform the folding process described above, sheet folding device C must ensure a sufficiently large loop-forming space 50 below the transport path 101. For this reason, the portion of device housing 141 below transport path 101 protrudes significantly downward. Meanwhile, sheet folding device C connects transport path 101 to the second relay transport path 19 of discharge unit A5, which is positioned above the open manual feed tray 10 of manual feed unit 9 so as to overlap it in plan. It is supported by an attachment extension 201 extending from an attachment support 200 to which discharge unit A5 is fixed. This arrangement allows sheet folding device C to be positioned so as not to interfere with the range in which manual feed tray 10 is opened and closed (the quarter-circular range indicated by the dashed line in Figure 1).

Figures 6 and 7 show the overall configuration of an image forming system 1001 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the image forming system 1001 is configured so that the mounting extension portion 201 of the mounting support portion 200 extends further outward (toward the left in the figure) from the position shown in Figure 1. In this embodiment, the sheet folding device C is supported on the sheet processing device B side of the mounting extension portion 201 while being integrally connected to the sheet processing device B. The mounting extension portion 201 can be retracted from the extended position shown in Figure 6 to the original position shown in Figure 1.

By moving the mounting extension 201 to the extended position, the sheet processing device B similarly moves outward (toward the left in the figure) from the position shown in FIG. 1. This increases the space between the manual feed unit 9 and the sheet feed device D and the sheet processing device B, making it easier for the user to open the manual feed tray 10 of the manual feed unit 9 and place a sheet thereon.

Furthermore, in this state, as shown in FIG. 7, the paper feeder D can be disconnected from the one side of the image forming apparatus A and moved toward the sheet processing apparatus B. This opens the one side of the main body paper feeder 2 of the image forming unit A1 from the paper feeder D, creating a relatively large space. This allows the interior of the openable door 2c on the one side of the main body paper feeder 2 to be opened upward as shown in FIG. 7, providing a working space for clearing jams in sheets being fed from the main body paper feeder 2 to the paper feed path 8.

8 and 9 show the configuration of an image forming system 1002 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the image forming system 1002 is configured such that, when the sheet folding device C is integrally connected to the sheet processing device B, the mounting extension 201 of the mounting support unit 200 can be extended outward from the position shown in FIG. 1 and retracted to the position shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, in the image forming system 1002, when the mounting extension 201 is extended and the sheet folding device C is spaced outward (toward the left in the figure) from the paper discharge unit A5, the second relay transport path 19 is extended so as to connect to the transport path 101 of the sheet folding device C, as shown in FIG. 8. This allows sheets to be transported from the image forming device A to the sheet folding device C and the sheet processing device B via the extended second relay transport path 19 with the mounting extension 201 extended.

The extension of the second relay conveying path 19 is achieved, for example, by making the second relay conveying path 19 itself extendable outward, i.e., downstream, from the sheet discharge section A5, as shown in the same figure. In the illustrated embodiment, the guide rail section that guides the sheet and the pair of conveying rollers that send the sheet downstream are each composed of a section that is always maintained within the second relay conveying path 19 (i.e., within the sheet discharge section A5), and an expandable path section 19a that can extend outward (toward the sheet folding device C) from the second relay conveying path 19 (i.e., sheet discharge section A5). The expandable path section 19a is normally housed within the second relay conveying path 19 (inside the sheet discharge section A5) as shown in FIG. 9, and can be extended to the position shown in FIG. 8 as needed, and returned to the second relay conveying path 19 when no longer needed.

In the second and third embodiments described above, the sheet folding device C is configured to be integrally connected to the sheet processing device B. In the image forming system 1003 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 10, the sheet folding device C is integrally connected to the image forming device A, more specifically, to the paper discharge section A5. In this way, by leaving the sheet folding device C on the image forming device A side with the mounting extension section 201 extended, the user can move the sheet processing device B away from or towards the image forming device A in response to the extension and contraction of the mounting extension section 201 with less force than in the second and third embodiments.

Furthermore, the external paper feeder D is not an essential component of the image forming system of the present invention. Therefore, in another embodiment, the paper feeder D can be omitted from the image forming systems 1000 to 1003 of the above-described embodiments. Even if the paper feeder D is omitted, the above-described features and effects of the present invention are not impaired.

The manual paper feed unit 9 can be provided with a paper feed structure on the manual feed tray 10 so that a larger number of sheets can be placed on it and fed to the image forming unit A1. Figures 11 to 14 show the manual paper feed unit 9 equipped with such paper feed structures 401 to 404, respectively.

As shown in these figures, a paper feed opening 410 is provided on the side of the image forming unit A1 where the manual paper feed section 9 is located. Just inside and above the paper feed opening 410, a paper feed unit 411 consisting of a paper feed roller (not shown) is provided to feed sheets S placed on the manual feed tray 10 in the open position into the image forming unit A1 one by one.

The paper feed structure 401 shown in Figures 11(a) to (c) has an upper loading plate 412 that provides the sheet loading surface 10a, and a lower intermediate plate 413. A guide rail 414 protrudes from the upper surface of the manual feed tray 10 on which the intermediate plate 413 is placed, extending straight in the paper feed direction toward the paper feed slot 410 to the right when viewed from the front. The intermediate plate 413 can slide along the paper feed direction on the manual feed tray 10 by engaging a corresponding guide groove (not shown) formed on its underside with the guide rail 414. A guide rail 415 protrudes from the upper surface of the intermediate plate 413, extending straight in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction. The loading plate 412 can slide back and forth when viewed from the front by engaging a corresponding guide groove (not shown) formed on its underside with the guide rail 415.

A pair of side regulating plates 416a, 416b are provided on the top surface of the loading plate 412 to regulate the opposing side edges of the sheet S loaded thereon in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction. The side regulating plates 416a, 416b can be moved on the loading plate 412 in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction to match the size of the sheet loaded. The side regulating plates 416a, 416b, which protrude from the top surface of the loading plate 412, are accommodated within the paper feed opening 410 when the manual feed tray 10 is moved to the closed position.

When feeding a sheet from the manual feed tray 10 or when moving the manual feed tray 10 to the closed position, the loading plate 412 and intermediate plate 413 are completely stacked one on top of the other, with their leading edges pushed into a predetermined feeding position at the back of the paper feed slot 410, as shown in Figure 11(a). When setting a sheet on the manual feed tray 10, the intermediate plate 413 is slid outward from the paper feed position and pulled out to a position where the loading plate 412 is completely removed from the paper feed slot 410, as shown in Figure 11(b). Next, the loading plate 412 is slid forward on the intermediate plate 413 and pulled out to the sheet setting position, as shown in Figure 11(c).

The user can easily set a sheet by pulling out the loading plate 412 toward the front. The sheet is placed on the loading plate 412, and the side regulating plates 416a and 416b are moved in the sheet width direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction to align both side edges of the sheet S. Next, the loading plate 412 is slid backward on the intermediate plate 413 until it is overlapped with the intermediate plate 413, as shown in Figure 11 (b). Finally, the intermediate plate 413 is slid together with the loading plate 412 in the paper feed direction and pushed into the paper feed position within the paper feed slot 410, enabling paper to be fed.

The paper feed structure 402 shown in Figures 12(a) and (b) has a loading plate 421 on the manual feed tray 10 that provides the sheet loading surface 10a. The loading plate 421 is rotatable in-plane around a pin 422 that protrudes upward just outside the paper feed slot 410 on the manual feed tray 10 and toward the front. As a result, the loading plate 421 can be pulled from the paper feed position, where its leading edge (inner edge) is pushed toward the back of the paper feed slot 410 as shown in Figure 12(a), to the sheet setting position by rotating the rear edge (outer edge) of the loading plate 421 toward the front as shown in Figure 12(b).

A pair of side regulating plates 416a, 416b are provided on the top surface of the loading plate 421 to regulate the opposing side edges of the sheet S loaded thereon in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction. The side regulating plates 416a, 416b can be moved on the loading plate 421 in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction to match the size of the sheet loaded. The side regulating plates 416a, 416b, which protrude from the top surface of the loading plate 421, are accommodated within the paper feed opening 410 when the manual feed tray 10 is returned to the closed position.

The user can easily set a sheet by rotating the loading plate 421 toward the front and pulling it out to the sheet setting position. The sheet is placed on the loading plate 421, and the side regulating plates 416a and 416b are moved in the sheet width direction to align both side edges of the sheet S. Next, the loading plate 421 is rotated in the opposite direction and its leading edge is pushed into the sheet feeding position at the back of the paper feed slot 410, allowing the sheet to be fed.

In the paper feed structure 403 shown in Figures 13(a) and (b), the sheet loading surface 10a is provided by the upper surface of the manual feed tray 10. A pair of side regulation plates 431a and 431b are provided on the upper surface of the manual feed tray 10 to regulate, from both sides, the opposing side edges of the sheet S loaded thereon in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction. The side regulation plates 431a and 431b can be moved on the loading surface 10a in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction to match the size of the loaded sheet.

Of the side regulating plates 431a and 431b, only the front-facing side regulating plate 431a can rotate in its in-plane direction around a pin 432 located at its bottom rear end. In the paper feed position shown in FIG. 13(a), the side regulating plates 431a and 431b are positioned outside the paper feed slot 410 and regulate both side edges of the sheet S. In the sheet setting position shown in FIG. 13(b), the side regulating plate 431a is rotated toward the back of the paper feed slot 410 until its rear edge abuts and stops against the top surface of the manual feed tray 10. This opens the top surface of the manual feed tray 10 widely, allowing the user to easily set a sheet. After setting the sheet, the side regulating plate 431a is rotated in the opposite direction to return to the paper feed position shown in FIG. 13(a).

In the paper feed structure 404 shown in Figures 14(a) and (b), the sheet loading surface 10a is similarly provided by the upper surface of the manual feed tray 10. A pair of side regulation plates 441a, 441b are arranged on the upper surface of the manual feed tray 10 outside the paper feed opening 410 to regulate the opposing side edges of the sheet S loaded thereon in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction. The side regulation plates 441a, 441b can be moved on the loading surface 10a in a direction perpendicular to the paper feed direction to match the size of the loaded sheet.

In this embodiment, only the side regulating plate 441a on the front near side can be tilted toward the front near side around a support shaft 442 along its lower edge, until its entire surface is in contact with the top surface of the manual feed tray 10. This allows the top surface of the manual feed tray 10 to be opened wide toward the front near side in the sheet setting position of Figure 14(b), allowing the user to easily set a sheet. After setting the sheet, the side regulating plate 441a is returned to the upright paper feed position of Figure 14(a).

In another embodiment, an additional side regulating plate (not shown) can be provided on the front side of the upper surface of the manual feed tray 10. This additional side regulating plate can be configured to move inward of the side regulating plate 441a in the paper feed direction and move in conjunction with the side regulating plate 441a on the loading surface 10a in the sheet width direction to regulate the front side edge of the sheet S. When loading the sheet S on the loading surface 10a, even if the side regulating plate 441a is tilted toward the front as described above, the additional side regulating plate remains upright on the loading surface 10a. Because this additional side regulating plate is provided inside the paper feed opening 410, it does not get in the way when loading the sheet S as long as it is retracted in the sheet width direction. Furthermore, only the side regulating plate 441a, which is located in the path of the sheet S when loading the sheet S, can be tilted toward the front, making it easy to load the sheet S.

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

A Image forming apparatus A1 Image forming unit A4 First relay transport unit A5 Paper discharge section B Sheet processing device C Sheet folding device D Paper feeder 1 Device housing 2 Main body paper feed section 7 Main stacking tray 9 Manual paper feed section 10 Manual feed tray 19 Second relay transport path 19a Expandable path sections 23-25 Stacking tray 50 Loop forming space 101 Transport path 200 Mounting support section 201 Extension support sections 401-404 Paper feed structure 416a, 416b, 431a, 431b, 441a, 441b Side regulating plates 1000-1003 Image forming processing system

Claims (5)

an image forming apparatus having an image forming unit that forms an image on a sheet;
a stacking section provided on one side of the image forming apparatus for stacking a plurality of sheets; and a sheet supply deck for supplying the sheets stacked on the stacking section to the image forming apparatus one by one;
a post-processing device that is provided on the one side of the image forming device, on the opposite side of the image forming device with respect to the sheet supply deck, and that performs post-processing on sheets on which images have been formed by the image forming device and discharges the sheets;
a relay unit provided on the one side of the image forming apparatus above the sheet supply deck, the relay unit relaying sheet conveyance from the image forming apparatus to the post-processing apparatus;
a manual feed tray that is provided on the one side of the image forming apparatus between the sheet supply deck and the relay unit in a vertical direction and that is openable and closable, and on which sheets to be supplied toward the image forming unit are placed when the manual feed tray is open;
An image forming system comprising: The image forming system of claim 1 further comprises a second post-processing device located midway through the relay unit so as not to interfere with the trajectory of the opening and closing operation of the manual feed tray. the manual feed tray is configured to be movable between a setting position where a user sets a sheet and a paper feeding position where the sheet is fed toward the image forming unit,
2. The image forming system according to claim 1, wherein the set position is set on the one side of the image forming apparatus, closer to the front than the paper feed position. The image forming system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a second discharge means for discharging a sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming device, above the relay unit in the vertical direction on the one side of the image forming device. 5. The image forming system according to claim 1 , wherein the relay unit is extendable in a sheet conveying direction.