JPH0575661B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (a) Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing device for post-processing sheets taken out from an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printing machine, or a laser beam printer. The present invention relates to a sheet post-processing device that includes a folding section that folds sheets into a predetermined shape and a stacker section that stacks the sheets.

(B) Prior Art Conventionally, a sheet post-processing device equipped with a folding section and a stacker section is connected to an image forming device of a copying machine, and the sheet output from the image forming device is folded into a predetermined shape at the folding section as desired. It is processed and accumulated in the stacker section. In this type of sheet post-processing device, when stacking sheets in a stacker section, the stacker does not distinguish between sheets that are folded by the folding device and sheets that are not folded. is constant.

(c) Problems to be solved by the invention If the sheet receiving position of the stacker in Tororo is constant regardless of whether the sheet is folded or not, then
When stacking a large amount of folded sheets in the stacker, for example, when stacking Z-folded sheets as shown in _FIG . , there is an inconvenience that the next folded sheet P'' gets into the fold of the previous sheet P'.Also, when stacking two-folded sheets, there is no phenomenon that the folded sheet gets into the fold of the previous sheet, but the folded sheet The parts gradually become thicker,
The next sheet collides with the previous sheet, resulting in misalignment.
Or it may cause jam.

(d) Means for Solving the Problem The present invention aims to solve the above-mentioned problems, and includes a stacker movement mode setting that changes the movement mode of the stacker based on each mode selected by a mode selection means. and a driving means for driving the stacker in a predetermined movement mode based on a signal from the stacker movement mode setting means.

(E) Effect Based on the above configuration, when a predetermined mode of the folding device is selected when sheets from the image forming apparatus are sequentially carried out and stacked in the stacker, the stacker is operated in accordance with the selected mode. A predetermined movement mode is set. Then, the stacker is moved according to the movement mode and placed, for example, at a predetermined initial position. Further, when the sheet is folded onto the stacker into a predetermined shape according to the selected mode, or when the sheet is carried out without being folded, for example, as the sheet is carried out, the stacker bends into a predetermined shape according to the predetermined movement mode. Descend by the amount of descent. Then, the sheets are sequentially carried out and stacked on the stacker without being obstructed by the previously stacked sheets.

(f) Examples Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the sheet post-processing unit U consists of a folding device 1 and a finisher device 7. It is connected so as to match the loading port 9. Further, the sheet post-processing unit U connects the sheet inlet 2 of the folding device 1 to the sheet outlet 11 of the copier 10 to the copying machine 10, and processes the recording sheets ( P (hereinafter referred to as a sheet) is folded into a predetermined shape by the folding device 1, and further sent to the stacker section 5 or stapling section 6 of the finisher device 7 for stacking or stapling/processing.

As shown in detail in FIG. 3, in the folding device 1, a pair of carry-in rollers 13 are arranged facing the sheet carry-in port 2 provided at the top of the main body 12 of the folding device, and further downstream of the pair of carry-in rollers 13. An entrance deflector 15 is disposed on the side so as to be switchable in two directions, and directs the sheet P sent from the sheet inlet 2 to the passing conveyance path 16 or to the sheet folding conveyance path 17.
Guide and transport to. Further, a pair of discharge rollers 19 is disposed at the downstream end of the passage conveyance path 16, and a sheet discharge port 3 is provided downstream of the pair of discharge rollers 19, and the sheet discharge port 3 is connected to the sheet carry-in port 2. They are specified to be on the same horizontal level. Further, each member constituting the folding means A is arranged on the downstream side of the sheet folding conveyance path 17. First, a first folding roller 20 is arranged, and further a second folding roller is arranged adjacent to the roller 20. 21 are arranged. Furthermore, a first deflector 22 is disposed downstream of the first folding roller 20 so as to be switchable in two directions, and directs the sheet P conveyed from the folding conveyance path 17 to the first folding path 23 or The paper is conveyed to the joint (nip) between the first folding roller 20 and the second folding roller 21. Further, on the downstream side of the first folding path 23, a first fixed stopper 24 and a solenoid device 25a are connected to the first folding path 23.
A movable stopper 25 configured to protrude inward.
is installed. In addition, the first folding roller 20
A second deflector 26 is disposed on the downstream side of the second folding roller 21 so as to be switchable in two directions, and directs the sheet P to the second folding path 27 or between the second folding roller 21 and the roller 21. The folding roller 29 is guided and conveyed to the joint with the third folding roller 29 adjacent to the folding roller 29 . A second fixed stopper 30 is disposed downstream of the second folding path 27. Further, a third deflector 31 is disposed downstream of the second and third folding rollers 21 and 29 so as to be switchable in two directions, and the sheet P is directed to the third folding path 32 or to the third folding roller 29. and the fourth folding roller 33 adjacent to the roller 29. A third fixed stopper 35 is provided downstream of the third folding path 32. Also,
A folding end conveyance path 36 is formed downstream of the third and fourth folding rollers 29 and 33, and the conveyance path 36
The downstream side of is merged with the passage conveyance path 16 and communicated with the sheet discharge port 3.

The folding device 1 operates according to the following five modes selected by the mode selection means _Y1 such as a switch.

The first through-pass mode is a mode in which the folding operation by the folding device 1 is passed through, and in this mode, as shown in FIG. , is guided to the passing conveyance path 16, and sent out to the finisher device 7 through the sheet ejection port 3 by a pair of ejection rollers 19.

The second mode is carried out when a half-sized sheet of A4 or B5 or smaller is carried in, and in this mode, as well as the above-mentioned pass mode, no folding operation is performed. That is, the sheet P guided to the entrance deflector 15 by the pair of carry-in rollers 13 is guided here to the sheet folding conveyance path 17, and is further guided by the operation of the first and second deflectors 22 and 26 and the third deflector 31. , between the first and second folding rollers 20 and 21, between the second and third folding rollers 21 and 29, and between the third and fourth folding rollers 29 and 33, and then through the folding end conveyance path 36. The sheet is then sent out from the sheet discharge port 3 by a pair of discharge rollers 19 .

The third two-folding mode is a mode in which a sheet of A3 or B4 or larger is folded in two, and the sheet P guided from the carry-in roller pair 13 to the sheet folding conveyance path 17 by the entrance deflector 15 is folded into two by the first deflector 22. It is introduced into the first folding path 23 by operation. Thus, as shown in FIG. 4a, when the leading end of the sheet P comes into contact with the first fixed stopper 24, a loop X is formed at the center of the sheet.
Then, the loop X, as shown in FIG. 4b,
The sheet S is nipped between the first folding roller 20 and the second folding roller 21, and a crease _P1 is formed in the center of the sheet S, resulting in a two-folded sheet (see FIG. 5a). The sheet P thus folded in half is then transferred to the second folding roller 2 by the second deflector 26 and the third deflector 31.
1 and the third folding roller 29, and then passes between the third folding roller 29 and the fourth folding roller 33 via the folding end conveyance path 36, and then the discharge roller pair 19. Sent by

The fourth Z-folding mode is a mode in which the upper half is once folded in half and then one half is folded back to the opposite side.
The sheet guided to the sheet folding conveyance path 17 by
P′ is first introduced into the first folding path 23 by operating the first deflector 22 . When the leading end of the sheet P comes into contact with the movable stopper 25 projected by the solenoid device 25a, the sheet P
A loop will be formed approximately 1/4 from the tip of the folding roller 2.
0 and the second folding roller 21, a first crease _P2 is formed in the sheet P.
is formed (see Figure 5b).

Then, the sheet P folded in this manner is introduced into the second path 27 by operating the second deflector 26. When the first fold P ₂ of the sheet P folded in half is brought into contact with the second fixed stopper ₃₀ , approximately 1/4 further from the first fold P 2 of the sheet P folded in two is pressed against the second fixed stopper 30. A loop is formed near the latter half in the same manner as described above, and this loop is held in the nip between the second folding roller 21 and the third folding roller 29 to form the second fold.
_P3 is formed. (See Figure 5b). The Z-fold sheet that is folded back to the front side in this way is
Furthermore, by operating the third deflector 31, the sheet is guided between the third pair of folding rollers 29 and the fourth folding roller 33, and then sent to the finisher device 7 by the discharge roller 19 via the folding completion conveyance path 36. be done.

In the case of the fifth back Z-folding mode, in the same manner as described above, the sheet P guided from the carry-in roller pair 13 to the sheet folding conveyance path 17 by the operation of the entrance deflector 15 is operated by the first deflector 22. Therefore, the sheet passes between the first and second folding rollers 20 and 21 and is introduced into the second folding path 27 by operating the second deflector 26 from here. However, when the leading edge of the sheet P comes into contact with the second fixed stopper 30, a loop formed at about 1/4 of the leading edge of the sheet P is connected to the second folding roller 21 and the third folding roller. 29 and the first fold as shown in Figure 5 c.
P ₄ is formed.

Note that, after this, the sheet P is introduced into the third folding path 32 by operating the third deflector 31, and the fold P ₄ of the sheet P comes into contact with the third fixed stopper 35, whereby the fold P ₄ of the sheet P is brought into contact with the third fixed stopper 35. Approximately 1/4 further from
The loop formed near the overlapping portion is held in the nip between the third folding roller 29 and the fourth folding roller 33, forming a second fold P5 as shown in FIG. _5c .

In this way, the Z-folded sheet P folded back to the back side passes through the folding completion conveyance path 36 and is sent out by the pair of discharge rollers 19.

In addition, in FIG. 3, S ₆ is an entrance sensor, and S ₇ is a fold detection sensor that measures the length of the folded sheet P.

Further, as shown in FIG.
A stacker 5a of a stacker section 5 that can be reciprocated vertically and horizontally by a driving means such as _M1 (see FIG. 1) is disposed, and further below the stacker section 5 is an intermediate tray 6a of a staple section 6. The tray 6 is arranged at the lower end of the intermediate tray 6a.
A stopper 40 supporting one end of the sheet P on a is rotatably disposed. Further, a lower tray 41 is arranged below the stapling section 6, and the rotation of the stopper 40 causes the sheet P on the intermediate tray 6a to fall and be stored in the lower tray 41. Further, a sheet inlet 9 is provided at the upper front of the main body 39 of the copying machine, and the sheet inlet 9 is arranged at the same height as the sheet outlet 11 of the copying machine 10. There is. A pair of carry-in rollers 42 is disposed at the sheet carry-in port 9,
Furthermore, an inlet deflector 43 is disposed on the downstream side of the pair of carry-in rollers 42 so as to be switchable in two directions, and directs the sheets P sent from the sheet carry-in port 9 to the stacker section conveyance path 45 or to the staple section conveyance path. 4
Transfer to 6. Furthermore, a pair of stacker discharge rollers 47 is arranged at the downstream end of the stacker conveyance path 45, and discharges the conveyed sheets P to the stacker 5a. Further, a pair of staple section discharge rollers 49 is disposed at the downstream end of the staple section conveyance path 46, and a lower roller 49a of the discharge roller pair 49 has a belt 5 whose lower end is in contact with the intermediate tray 6a.
The belt 50 rotates together with the lower roller 49a, and the sheet P discharged onto the intermediate tray 6a by the rotation of the stapling portion discharge roller pair 49 is wound along the stopper 40 at the end. be consistent. Further, a stapler 51 is installed above the lower end of the intermediate tray 6a, and staples the sheets P on the intermediate tray 6a.

Then, when the stapling mode is selected, the sheet P carried in from the sheet carry-in port 9 by the pair of carry-in rollers 42 is guided to the stapling section conveyance path 46 by the operation of the entrance deflector 43, and then the sheet P is brought in by the pair of stapling section discharge rollers 49. Intermediate tray 6a
is discharged upwards. Then, the sheet P is aligned in the longitudinal direction by the belt 50. Also,
Lateral alignment is performed by stepping motors.

The ends of the sheets P aligned on the intermediate tray 6a are stapled by the stapler 51. Next, the stapled sheet bundle is moved to the lower tray 4 by rotation of the stopper 40.
It falls and is stored on top of 1.

Note that the finisher device 7 is provided with various sensors, _S1 is a finisher entrance sensor provided at the sheet carry-in port 9, _S2 is a stacker exit sensor that detects sheets being carried out to the stacker section 5,
S ₃ is the intermediate tray exit sensor, S ₄ is the intermediate tray 6a
This is an intermediate tray sheet detection sensor that detects sheets carried out to the middle tray.

On the other hand, in the stacker portion 5, as shown in detail in FIG. 2a, a lever l is rotatably supported on a fulcrum 61 facing the stacker 5a.
is the tip of the stacker 5a, or the stacker 5
When the sheet is pushed up onto the sheet above a, its trailing edge is detected by the level detection sensor _S5 , and as a result, the stacker 5
a is now being detected. Further, the stacker 5a moves vertically in a predetermined movement mode or stops under the regulation of the stacker movement mode setting means _Y2 . That is, the stacker movement mode setting means _Y2 sends a signal to the motor _M1 that drives the stacker 5a based on each mode of the above-mentioned folding device 1, and moves the stacker 5a to the initial position where it initially receives sheets and descends as the sheets are loaded. Set the amount etc.

Then, when the stacker mode is selected in the finisher device 1, under the regulation of the stacker movement mode setting means _Y2 , in the folding device 1,
When the mode in which the sheet is not folded, the first through-pass mode, or the second mode (substantive pass mode) is selected, the stacker 5a is set at the top level detected by the level detection sensor _S5 . (dotted line position of lever l),
Thereafter, it descends slightly to the initial position where it is no longer detected by the level detection sensor _S5 (the position indicated by the solid line on the lever 1) and then stops. Therefore, the sheets P are carried in from the sheet carry-in port 9 by a pair of carry-in rollers 42, guided to the stacker section conveyance path 45 by the operation of the inlet deflector 43, and sequentially discharged and stacked on the stacker 5a, so that the height of the sheets P is reduced. Increase the lever l
rotates accordingly and when detected by the level detection sensor _S5 , the stacker 5a lowers slightly, stops at a position away from the level detection sensor _S5 , and stacks the next ejected sheet one after another. A large number of sheets P are accumulated repeatedly (see FIG. 2b). Also,
When the sheet folding mode is selected, for example, the third to fifth folding modes described above,
The stacker 5a rises to the highest position detected by the level detection sensor _S5 in the same manner as described above, and then rises to the top position as shown in Fig. 2c.
As shown in FIG. 3, the sheet is lowered to a predetermined position (initial position), which is considerably lower than the initial position in the mode in which the sheet is not folded, and then stopped. It is desirable that this amount of descent be set to an optimal amount that differs depending on the two-fold mode and the Z-fold mode. Then, the folded sheets (folded sheets) P are sequentially discharged and stacked on the stacker 5a, but at this time, the stacker 5a moves a predetermined number of sheets from the lower lowering position according to the lowering amount set in each folding mode. Each time it is discharged, it is lowered (Fig. 2d). For example, in the case of Z-folding, the amount of descent is 3 mm for every 5 sheets, and in the case of half-folding, the amount of descent is 2 mm for every 5 sheets. It is set larger than the amount of descent depending on the mode.

Further, a switch may be provided that can vary the amount of descent according to the thickness of the sheet.

(G) Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, there is provided a stacker movement mode setting means for changing the movement mode of the stacker based on each mode selected by the mode selection means, and the stacker movement mode setting means. and a driving means for driving the stacker in a predetermined movement mode based on a signal from the stacker, so that the stacker is moved in a predetermined movement mode according to a folding mode that passes through the folding means and a pass mode that does not pass through the folding means. Therefore, the sheets to be carried out are stacked one after another on the stacker without being obstructed by the sheets that were stacked earlier, and a large amount of folded sheets can be stacked in the same stacker in the same way as sheets that are not folded. This is extremely effective for sheet post-processing devices connected to large, high-speed copying machines.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a sheet post-processing unit connected to a copying machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view showing a stacker section of a finisher.
a shows the structure of the stacker part of the embodiment of the present invention,
b shows the operation of the stacker when stacking sheets that have not been folded, c shows the operation of the stacker when stacking the folded sheets, d shows the state in which the folded sheets are stacked in the stacker, and e 1 shows a case where folded sheets are stacked on a stacker without applying the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side view of the folding device according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a side view showing the sheet folding operation in the two-fold mode, where a shows a state in which a loop is formed in the center of the sheet, and b indicates a state in which the sheet is folded in half at the center. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the sheet folding mode, in which a indicates the two-fold mode, b indicates the Z-fold mode, and c indicates the back Z-fold mode. FIG. 6 is a side view of the finisher device of the present invention. 5a...stacker, _M1 ...driving means (motor), _Y1 ...mode selection means, _Y2 ...stacker movement mode setting means, U...sheet post-processing device (sheet post-processing unit).

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A folding means for folding sheets in a predetermined folding mode, a mode selection means for appropriately selecting a folding mode that passes through the folding means and a pass mode that does not pass through the folding means, and a mode selection means for stacking sheets. and a vertically movable stacker, further comprising: a stacker movement mode setting means for setting the movement mode of the stacker to the folding mode or the pass mode based on the selection of the mode selection means; A sheet post-processing device comprising: driving means for driving the stacker in the folding mode or pass mode based on a signal from the stacker movement mode setting means. 2. The sheet post-processing device according to claim 1, wherein the stacker movement mode setting means is means for setting the initial position of the stacker for the fold mode to be lower than the initial position for the pass mode. 3. The sheet post-processing device according to claim 1, wherein the stacker movement mode setting means is means for setting the amount of descent of the stacker for the folding mode to be larger than the amount of descent of the stacker for the pass mode.