JPH0790674B2 - Bookbinding device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a bookbinding apparatus for binding a plurality of sheets of paper to a binder for bookbinding.

[Conventional technology]

As a device for binding a plurality of sheets of paper to a binder for bookbinding, a bookbinding device as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 is provided. The binder 40 used in this bookbinding device is
Electric heating element 42 on the inner surface side of spine cover 41 and an adhesive covering it
Has 43. Further, a pair of electrodes 44 are provided on both ends of the electric heating element 42, and the electrodes 44 are exposed on the outer surface (lower surface in the figure) of the spine cover 41.

A bookbinding device 46 that performs bookbinding using such a binder 40.
Is a binder loading part 47 into which the binder 40 is inserted.
have. At the bottom of the binder loading portion 47, there is a pair of terminal electrodes 48 that come into contact with the electrodes 44 of the binder, and an electric current is supplied to the electric heating element 42 via the terminal electrodes 48. There is.

When binding is performed, the binder 40 is inserted into the binder loading portion 47, and the electric heating element 42 is inserted through the electrodes 44 and 48.
Supply current to the. As a result, the adhesive 43 is heated and melted, one end of the paper 45 is adhered to the binder 40, and bookbinding is performed.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

In the conventional bookbinding apparatus 46, in order to sufficiently heat and melt the adhesive 43, the binder 40 is added to the binder loading section.
When inserted in 47, it is important that the electrode 44 of the binder and the terminal electrode 48 be in close contact with each other. However, in the conventional bookbinding apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, for example, the contact portion 48a of the terminal electrode 48 that contacts the electrode 44 of the binder 40 is fixed in a fixed shape. Therefore, when the contact portion 48a is deformed, contact failure may occur between the binder electrode 44 and the terminal electrode 48.

Further, the terminal electrode 48 is often fixed by a retaining ring 49 and a protrusion 47b protruding from the case 47a of the loading section.
However, with this structure, when it is necessary to replace the terminal electrode 48, it is very difficult to remove the terminal electrode 48, and the maintainability is poor.

An object of the present invention is to provide a bookbinding apparatus in which the contact between the electrode of the binder and the terminal electrode is good and the maintainability is improved.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The bookbinding device according to the present invention is a device for performing bookbinding using a bookbinding binder having an electric heating element and an electrode for supplying an electric current to the electric heating element. The binder loading portion, the terminal electrode, and the locking portion are provided.

The binder loading section has a binder insertion port on one end side, and a binder for bookbinding is inserted therein. Further, the terminal electrode is provided on the other end side of the binder loading portion, and is composed of a support portion and a contact portion having a spring property that elastically deforms when the electrode of the binder contacts. The locking portion is provided at the bottom of the binder loading portion and has a recess in which the supporting portion of the terminal electrode is detachably locked.

[Action]

In the present invention, the terminal electrode is composed of the supporting portion and the abutting portion, and the supporting portion is detachably engaged with the recess of the engaging portion provided at the bottom of the binder loading portion. Therefore, as compared with the conventional device in which the terminal electrode is fixed by using a retaining ring or the like, the attachment / detachment work is very easy.

Further, the contact portion of the terminal electrode is elastically deformed when the electrode of the binder is in contact, and the elastic force constantly presses the electrode side of the binder. Therefore, the terminal electrode surely comes into contact with the electrode of the binder, and contact failure can be prevented.

〔Example〕

4 and 5 show a copying machine in which the bookbinding apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted.

In the figure, a document table 2 is fixed on the upper surface of the copying machine body 1, and a document holder 3 is arranged on the document table 2 so as to be openable and closable. A paper feed tray 4 and a paper feed cassette 5 are detachably mounted on the right side of the copying machine body 1 in the figure.
On the left side of the copying machine main body 1 in the drawing, a paper discharge tray 6 for discharging copied paper is mounted.

An exposure device 7 for reading a document is provided above the copy machine main body 1. This exposure device 7
Is composed of a light source, a mirror, and the like. An image forming unit 8 is provided in the center of the copying machine body 1.
At the center of the image forming unit 8, a photosensitive drum 9 on which an electrostatic latent image is formed is arranged. Around the photosensitive drum 9, a main charger 10, a developing device 11, a transfer charger 12, a separation charger 13, a cleaning device 14 and the like are arranged. Between the paper feed tray 4 and the paper feed cassette 5 and the image forming unit 8, a paper feed conveyance path 15 including a plurality of conveyance rollers is provided. Further, between the image forming unit 8 and the paper discharge tray 6,
A paper discharging and conveying device 16 and a fixing device 17 are arranged.

A bookbinding device 30 is provided above the right side of the copying machine body 1. The bookbinding device 30 has a binder loading unit 31 into which a binder is inserted. As shown in FIG. 3A, the binder loading section 31 is composed of a first case 32 fixed to the main body 1 of the copying machine by screws and a second case 33 fixed to the first case 32 with screws. . The upper end of the binder loading portion 31 is opened to serve as an insertion opening 34 for inserting the binder. In addition, a storage portion 35 that stores a binder is formed inside. Further, the second case 33 is formed with a discharge port 33a which communicates with the accommodation portion 35.

At the bottom of the binder loading section 31, a pair of terminal electrodes 36 are provided on the back side and the front side (see FIG. 1) of the device. The terminal electrode 36 is arranged so as to come into contact with the electrode 44 of the binder 40.

An inner lid 37 is provided above the terminal electrode 36. Inner lid
One end of 37 is supported by the first case 32 so as to be openable and closable. And, it is always biased counterclockwise by a biasing member such as a spring. The other end of the inner lid 37 abuts on a stopper portion 33b formed in the lower portion of the discharge port 33a of the second case 33, and the counterclockwise rotation is restricted. Thus, the inner lid 37
Can have a closed position shown in FIG. 3A and an open position shown in FIG. 3B. Then, in the closed posture, the tip end side that abuts the stopper portion 33b is in a posture in which the tip end portion is positioned downward in proportion to the support portion side, and forms the passage 38 that connects the storage portion 35 and the discharge port 33a. ing.

1 and 2 show details of the supporting portion of the terminal electrode 36 of the binder loading portion 31.

The terminal electrode 36 has a horizontal support portion 36a, a vertical support portion 36b, and a contact portion 36c that contacts the electrode 44 of the binder 40. The horizontal support portion 36a and the vertical support portion 36b are respectively the second
The notches 29a and 29b formed in the rib 29 of the case 32 are engaged with the notches 29a and 29b, respectively, whereby the terminal electrode 36 is fixed. Also, the other end 28 of the horizontal portion of the other rib 28 of the first case 32
a and a lower end 28b of the vertical portion projecting downward from the horizontal portion are in contact with the vertical support portion 36b and the horizontal support portion 36a of the terminal electrode 36, respectively, thereby preventing the terminal electrode 36 from rotating. is doing. As shown in FIG. 2, the contact portion 36c
In the state where the electrode 44 of the binder 40 is not in contact,
Inclined so that the outer edge is upward. Then, when the binder 40 is inserted into the binder loading portion 31, the contact portion 36c is elastically deformed into a substantially horizontal state as shown by the one-dotted line in the figure, and the elastic force acts upward due to its springiness. Further, the plug 27 is inserted into the horizontal support portion 36a of the terminal electrode 36, so that a voltage can be applied to the terminal electrode 36.

As shown in FIG. 4, an operation panel 20 is arranged on the front side of the upper surface of the copying machine main body 1. Operation panel 20
Print key 2 for instructing the start of the copy operation.
2, numeric keypad 23 to specify the number of copies, bookbinding device 30
A heating display lamp 24 for displaying the heating operation state of the above, a cooling display lamp 25 for displaying the cooling state thereof, and the like are provided.

In the bookbinding operation in this embodiment, the binder 40 shown in FIG. 6 is used as in the conventional case.

In the copying machine with the bookbinding device having the above structure, the copying operation is performed in the same manner as the conventional copying machine.

On the other hand, in the bookbinding device 30, since the binder insertion opening 34 is opened upward, foreign matter such as dust easily enters through the binder insertion opening 34. However, when the bookbinding is not performed, the middle plate 37 is biased counterclockwise by the biasing member,
The terminal electrode 36 is covered in the closed posture as shown in FIG. 3A. Further, since the inner lid 37 forms a passage 38 that connects the accommodating portion 35 and the discharge port 33a, the foreign matter that has entered the accommodating portion 35 is discharged to the outside through the inner lid 37 and the discharge port 33a.

In the above apparatus, the bookbinding apparatus 30 can perform bookbinding on the copied sheets obtained by the copying machine. In this case, as shown in FIG. 6, the paper 45 is stored in the binder 40, and one end of the paper 45 is attached to the adhesive 43 on the spine cover 41.
Contact. Then, the binder 40 is folded and inserted into the binder loading unit 31. Then, the spine cover 41 of the binder 40 contacts the inner lid 37, and the binder 40 is inserted further downward, whereby the inner lid 37 rotates clockwise against the urging force of the urging member. And the binder 40 is the first
As shown in FIG. 3B, when the bottom of the binder loading portion 31 is reached, the electrode 44 of the binder 40 and the terminal electrode 36 come into contact with each other.
As a result, the pair of terminal electrodes 36 are electrically connected via the electrode 44 and the electric heating element 42.

Here, the contact portion 36c of the terminal electrode 36, as described above,
It is arranged so as to be inclined slightly upward from the horizontal state. Therefore, the electrode 44 of the binder 40 contacts the terminal electrode 36,
When the contact portion 36c is horizontal, the terminal electrode 36 always has an elastic force acting upward. Therefore, both electrodes 44,36
Firmly adheres to each other, and a good adhesion state can be obtained. Also,
In the state where the binder 40 is set as shown in FIG. 3B, the binder 40 is pushed and supported by the inner lid 37 in the right direction in the figure at a portion near the terminal electrode 36. Therefore,
The posture of the binder 40 is stabilized, and the contact between the electrode 44 and the terminal electrode 36 is ensured.

The binder 40 is inserted into the binder loading section 31, and the electrode
When it is detected that 44 contacts the terminal electrodes 36, a current flows between the pair of terminal electrodes 36. As a result, the electric heating element 42 of the binder 40 generates heat and the adhesive 43 is melted. As a result, the adhesive 43 adheres one end of the paper 45 to the binder 40.

At the time of heating during the bookbinding operation, the heating display lamp 24 on the operation panel 20 of the copying machine body 1 is turned on. When heating is over, the heating indicator lamp 24 turns off and the cooling indicator lamp
25 lights up. Then, when the cooling is completed, the cooling display lamp 25 is turned off.

When it becomes necessary to replace the terminal electrode 36 due to long-term use, the screws are first loosened and the second case 33 is removed from the first case 32. Then, the terminal electrode 36 is attached to the first case 32.
Remove from rib 29 of. Then, plug the terminal electrode 36 into the plug 27
And replace it with a new terminal electrode.

Thus, the terminal electrode 36 can be easily removed from the rib 29 of the first case 32, and the maintenance of the terminal electrode 36 becomes very easy.

[Other Examples]

 (A) Another embodiment is shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B.

In this embodiment, a portion of the upper surface of the inner lid 50, which corresponds to a portion directly below the accommodating portion 35, that is, when the binder 40 is inserted,
Notch 50a is formed in the portion of binder 40 where spine cover 41 abuts.
Are formed. Since the cutout 50a is formed, the spine cover 41 of the binder 40 first comes into contact with the cutout 50a when the binder 40 is inserted, whereby the inner lid 50 rotates smoothly. Notch 50a
If is too large, the foreign matter that has fallen into the storage portion 35 may not be discharged to the discharge port 33a side, so it is necessary to make the size appropriate.

(B) Another embodiment is shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B.

In this embodiment, on the upper surface of the inner lid 51, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B.
A rib 51a is formed so as to project for the same purpose as in the illustrated embodiment. The rib 51a is formed at a plurality of positions in the front-rear direction. Of course, it may be formed continuously. Even in such an embodiment, FIG. 9A and FIG.
Similar to the illustrated embodiment, the inner lid 51 can be smoothly rotated.

(C) In the above embodiment, the case where the bookbinding apparatus of the present invention is mounted on the copying machine has been described, but it can be mounted on another machine and used, or can be used alone.

[Advantages of the Invention] As described above, in the present invention, the terminal electrode is composed of the support portion and the elastic contacting portion having spring characteristics, and is detachably attached to the concave portion formed in the engagement portion of the binder loading portion. Because I did
The contact between the electrode of the binder and the terminal electrode can be ensured, and the maintainability at the time of replacement of the terminal electrode is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partial sectional view showing a supporting structure of a terminal electrode of a bookbinding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3A is a vertical sectional view of the bookbinding apparatus, and FIG. 3B is a vertical sectional view showing a state where a binder is inserted in the bookbinding apparatus.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a copying machine equipped with the bookbinding device, FIG. 5 is a sectional configuration view thereof, FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of use of a conventional bookbinding device, FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof, and FIG. FIG. 9 is a view showing a conventional terminal electrode and its supporting structure, FIGS. 9A and 9B are views corresponding to FIGS. 1A and 1B of another embodiment, and FIGS. 10A and 10B are further views. FIG. 3 is a view corresponding to FIGS. 1A and 1B of the embodiment. 29 ... Ribs, 29a, 29b ... Notches, 30 ... Bookbinding device, 32
...... Binder insertion port, 36 ...... Terminal electrode, 36a ...... Horizontal support part, 36b …… Vertical support part, 36c …… Abutment part.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A bookbinding apparatus for performing bookbinding using a bookbinding binder having an electric heating element and an electrode for supplying an electric current to the electric heating element, the bookbinding apparatus having a binder insertion port at one end side thereof. A binder loading portion into which a binder for a binder is inserted, a support portion provided on the other end side of the binder loading portion,
A terminal electrode composed of a contact portion having a spring property that elastically deforms when the electrode of the binder contacts, and a support portion of the terminal electrode, which is provided at the bottom of the binder loading portion, is detachably engaged. A bookbinding apparatus comprising: a locking portion having a recessed portion for stopping.