JPH10194586A - Finisher - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To lessen a current consumed per unit time in a finisher without lowering the productivity thereof even when documents of the same width and different lengths in the feed direction are stacked together therein, and easily correct the folded states of sheets without varying the sizes of the folded sheets in the feed direction. SOLUTION: If a copying machine 10 is to eject sheets that may be folded like Z into the same size such as ones of A4Y and B5Y, typically ones of A3T and B4T in this case, a finisher 1 moves its stoppers 252 and 272 in advance to a position where the larger-sized sheets A3T and B4T are to be folded like Z and holds them there, thereby preventing the movement of the stoppers from synchronizing with the actuation of a drive source for sheet feeding. The finisher 1 also positions the two stoppers individually for correction on the basis of information about the Z-folded states of sheets, including a shift between a user-set sheet edge and the actual fold, such that the folded sheets necessarily become half as large in the feed direction as those prior to folding.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to sorting, binding, folding, and punching of recording materials (hereinafter referred to as "paper" for simplicity) such as recording paper discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a printing machine or a copying machine. More particularly, the present invention relates to a finisher that performs post-processing such as opening, forms a loop by applying the leading end of a sheet to a stopper, and controls the stopper of a sheet folding unit that folds the sheet by engaging the loop with a roller.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, various finishers for performing various post-processing on image-formed paper discharged from an image forming apparatus such as a printing machine or a copying machine have been proposed (Japanese Patent Application No. 8-108).
66143). Here, the post-processing means sorting the sheets into a number of copies, binding them using staples, folding them into two or three in a Z-shape (hereinafter referred to as Z-fold), punching holes for files, and the like. It refers to various tasks such as opening a day.

In such a finisher, a conventional sheet folding means for folding a sheet is a mechanism for forming a loop by applying a leading end of the sheet to a stopper and engaging the loop with a roller to perform a sheet folding process. The position of the stopper is moved according to the folding mode and the sheet size.

Further, the finished state of the paper folding slightly changes depending on the position of the stopper, and such fine adjustment of the stopper position has been performed manually.

[0005]

By the way, the stopper for positioning the paper folding can be moved as soon as the size of the paper discharged from the copying machine and the folding mode are known. Therefore, if the copying machine or the like gives the information to the finisher immediately after recognizing the folding mode and the paper size, if the image-formed paper discharged from the copying machine or the like has only the same size, the first sheet Since the stopper can be moved before the paper is carried into the finisher, the drive source for the stopper movement does not operate simultaneously with another drive source such as the paper transport drive source, and the current consumption per unit time is reduced. Does not have to be large.

However, for example, a document of A3 size and a longitudinal direction in the transport direction (hereinafter, used with a suffix T like A3T) and a document of A4 size with the longitudinal direction orthogonal to the transport direction ( Hereinafter, the subscript Y such as A4Y
When the originals are combined in a combination in which the lengths in the width direction are the same and the lengths in the transport direction are 2: 1 ratio, large-sized paper is Z-folded to have the same size. However, in such a case, the first few sheets may be replaced by small-sized paper and large-sized paper in the middle.In such a case, when the paper size is determined, When you move the stopper,
Since a small-sized sheet has already been conveyed, there is a problem that a driving source for stopper movement and another driving source such as a driving source for sheet conveyance operate simultaneously, resulting in an increase in current consumption per unit time. .

Further, it is conceivable that some users desire to slightly change the folding position of the sheet and adjust the finished state of the sheet folding. The finished state of this paper folding can be achieved by changing the position of the stopper, but the transport direction size in the folded state after folding must be exactly half the transport direction size in the unfolded state before folding. In addition, when documents such as A4Y and A3T are mixed as described above, there is a problem that the finished products do not have the same size, and that the accommodation capacity when stacking the folded sheets may be deteriorated. .

Therefore, a first object of the present invention is to reduce the consumption per unit time without lowering the productivity even when originals having a combination in which the lengths in the width direction are the same and the lengths in the conveyance direction are different are mixed. The purpose is to reduce the current.

A second object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily adjust the finished state of folding of a sheet without changing the size of the folded sheet in the transport direction after the folding.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: In a finisher that performs various post-processing on the formed recording material, at least two types of loops are formed on the recording material by abutting the leading end of the recording material.
Two stoppers, a folding roller for folding the recording material by biting the loop, a drive source for moving the position of the stopper, and a recording material on which an image is to be formed. When there is another recording material having the same length in the width direction and the same length in the transport direction, the drive source is operated to previously move the position of the stopper to a position where the other recording material is folded. And control means for causing According to the present invention, when an image is formed on A4Y or B5Y paper, for example, in preparation for the mixed loading of originals, the respective stoppers are operated by driving the drive source to set the Z-fold position at A3 or the Z-fold position at B4. By moving the stopper in advance to the position and waiting, the movement of the stopper can be completed before the sheet is conveyed into the finisher.
This eliminates the need to move the stopper midway in the mixed loading mode, and avoids simultaneously operating the drive source for moving the stopper and the drive source for transporting the paper.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus which is connected to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material and discharges the image formed from the image forming apparatus. In a finisher for performing various post-processing on a recording material, at least two stoppers that form a loop in the recording material by abutting the leading end of the recording material, and fold the recording material by biting the loop. Independently correcting the positions of the at least two stoppers based on information from a folding roller, a driving source for moving the position of the stopper, and an image forming apparatus in which a finishing state of folding processing on a recording material is set. And control means for operating the drive source to move. According to the present invention, the drive source can be operated to independently correct and move the position of each stopper, so that the folding position can be changed without changing the size in the transport direction in the folded state after folding. By changing it, it is possible to easily adjust to the set finishing state.
Thus, for example, in the case of Z-folding, even when the first folding position is changed, the length of the sheet in the folded state after the Z-folding processing is always half of the total length of the sheet in the expanded state before the Z-folding processing. Can be

[0012]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG.
An embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a copying machine to which a finisher according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a main part of the finisher, and FIG. FIGS. 4A to 4C are schematic perspective views illustrating a paper folding mode, and FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram illustrating a sheet stacking unit and a stapling unit of the finisher.

<Structure of Copying Machine> A copying machine 10 to which a finisher 1 is connected forms an image on a sheet by a well-known electrophotographic method, and discharges the copied sheets one by one from a sheet discharging unit 10b. It is. The copying machine 10 has an automatic document feeder 850 (hereinafter, referred to as ADF) mounted on an upper part thereof. The ADF 850 feeds a group of documents set on a tray 815 one by one onto a platen glass (not shown) of the copying machine 10 and discharges and stacks the documents on a tray 856 after image reading is completed. .

The original set on the platen glass by the ADF 850 or the like is read by an image reader (not shown) built in the copier 10, converted into digital data, and stored in the memory of the control unit. Is done. The copy operation is executed by reading out the image data and adding necessary editing, for example, changing the page order, image inversion processing, or copy processing to the front and back surfaces.

<< Schematic Configuration of Finisher >> As shown in FIG. 1, the finisher 1 generally includes a non-sort tray 11a and a sheet stacking unit 11b for stacking and aligning sheets P discharged from a sheet discharging unit 10b of a copying machine 10. And the discharge unit 1
Paper folding means 2 for performing folding processing such as folding in two or Z-shape (Z-folding) as necessary for the paper P discharged from the paper stacker 0b, and installed downstream from the paper stacking unit 11b in the paper transport direction. A stapling unit 3 for performing stapling processing on the stacked and aligned sheets P; a sorting unit 4 for receiving and storing the stapled sheet bundle; The binding unit 5 includes a binding unit 5 for attaching a cover to a sheet bundle that has not been stapled, and a punching unit 7 that is provided in the sheet conveyance path and that punches a sheet as needed. Copier 10
The paper discharged from the printer is transported by the paper transport unit 6 to each unit in the finisher.

<< Paper Conveying Unit >> First, as shown in FIG. 1, the paper conveying unit 6
A conveyance path 61 that receives the sheet P and conveys the sheet P downward, a switchback conveyance path 62 that reverses the front and back and front and back of the paper P,
A transport path 63 for transporting the paper P to the non-sort tray 11a
And the sheet P branched from the transport path 63 and
And the sorting unit 4 or the sorting unit 4 diverging from a substantially leading end of the conveying path 63 and branching the sheet P.
And a transport path 66 for transporting the sheet bundle from the paper stacking unit 11b to the sorting unit 4 or the binding unit 5, and the paper P is transported on each of these transport paths on the basis of the center. .

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the transport path 61 has pairs of transport rollers 611, 612, and 613. The switchback transport path 62 includes a transport roller 621 that can rotate forward and reverse, a driven roller 622 that rotates in contact with the transport roller 621, and the transport path 63, the transport path 64, or the transport path 65
It has a pair of conveying rollers 623 and 624 for conveying in the direction, and a sensor SE1 for detecting a sheet.

The sheet P conveyed down the conveyance path 61 is first introduced into the switchback conveyance path 62.
For example, when the sheet is not folded, a predetermined time elapses after the trailing edge of the sheet P is detected by the sensor SE1, that is, when the trailing edge of the sheet enters the transport path 62, the transport roller 6
The switch 21 is switched to the reverse direction, and is transported upward from the switchback transport path 62 toward the transport path 63.

The transport path 63 includes a pair of transport rollers 63.
1, 632, 633, 634 and a discharge roller pair 635 are provided. If there is an instruction to form a punch hole at the leading end or the trailing end of the sheet P, punching is performed by the punching means 7.

The transport path 64 includes a switching claw 641 for switching the transport destination of the sheet P, and a transport roller pair 642.
And a discharge roller pair 643 for discharging the paper P to the non-sort tray 11a or the paper stacking unit 11b.

The transport path 65 includes a switching claw 651 for switching the transport destination of the paper P, and a transport roller pair 652.
Are provided to the binding unit 5 or the sorting unit 4 without being sent to the paper stacking unit 11b.

The switching pawls 641 and 651 are rotated by solenoids (not shown), and the sheet P conveyed from the switchback conveying path 62 is guided by the switching pawl 651 to either the conveying path 63 or 65. Will be.

If the sheets P stacked and aligned in the sheet stacking section 11b are stapled as required and then discharged as they are, the transport path 66 is a relatively thick path.
Through the sorting unit 4. On the other hand, in the case of binding, after stapling is performed as necessary,
It is guided to the binding means 5 through the transport path 66.

The transport path 66 is provided with a pair of transport rollers 661, 662, 663 which can be separated from each other, and a discharge roller 664 at the tip.

<Sort Unit> As shown in FIG. 2, the sort unit 4 has a sort tray 41 and a drive mechanism 42 for moving the sort tray 41 up and down. In the sort tray 41, the sheets P are transported one by one at the time of mass copying.
5, or sent from the sheet stacking unit 11 b to the stapling unit 3, and the stapled sheet bundle is sent through the transport path 66. The sheet P or sheet bundle conveyed from the conveyance path 65 or the conveyance path 66 is switched by the switching claw 665 to the tray 41 or the binding unit 5.
Guided to.

Sheets P stored and stacked on the tray 41
Each time is detected by the sensor SE2, the tray 41 is lowered by a certain amount by the driving mechanism. Sensor SE
If it is detected by 3 that the tray 41 has been lowered to the lower limit, the tray 41 is full at this time, and the subsequent copy operation is interrupted. The structure of the drive mechanism 42 for lowering the tray 41 by a fixed amount is well known, and the description is omitted.

<< Paper Folding Means >> Paper folding will be briefly described.
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the paper folding means 2 is provided directly below the paper transport unit 6 of the finisher 1 and engages with a rail member (not shown) extending in the front-rear direction (vertical direction in the drawing). The finisher 1 is configured to be movable from the front side to the back side (from the front to the back in the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of the drawing) by a plurality of rollers (not shown) provided in the paper folding means 2 so as to be detachable from the finisher 1.

As shown in FIG. 3, the paper folding means 2 does not carry out the paper folding process, and the paper escape transport path 26 when the paper P is switched back by the switchback unit 620 and the paper from the switchback unit 620. P, a first transport path 25 for performing a first fold, a second transport path 27 for performing a second fold, and a paper folding unit 20 for performing several types of paper folds
A pair of switchback rollers 291 for reversing the folded sheet P, and a pair of switchback rollers 291
And a switchback transport path 29 for transporting the transfer paper after being turned upside down by the switchback roller pair 291.

The paper folding means 2 has a function of folding the image-formed paper P in two at the center in the transport direction and a function of folding the paper P in a Z-fold. A paper folding unit 20 including three reversible folding rollers 21, 22, 23, and a backup roller 24;
The paper P is transferred by a plurality of paper transport paths 25 to 29 around the rollers 21 to 24.

Then, a first stopper 252 for forming a loop on the sheet P by contacting the leading end of the sheet P for performing the first fold is the same as that for performing the second fold. And a second stopper 272 for forming a loop on the paper P is provided, and the paper P is folded by being engaged with the loop by the folding rollers 21, 22 and 23. I have. Further, a first stopper drive motor and a second stopper drive motor are provided as drive sources capable of independently moving the first stopper 252 and the second stopper 272 in the direction of the arrow in the figure (not shown). .

According to the paper folding means 2, the copying machine body 1
The three folding modes that can be selected by an operation at the input unit 0, that is, a Z-folding mode in which the sheet P is folded in a Z-shape (see FIG. 4A), and a center folding (bag) in which the sheet P is folded in two at the center (Binding) mode (see FIG. 4 (B)), and saddle stitching mode (see FIG. 4 (C)) in which creases are made at the center of the group of creased paper P for stapling.
However, the details of the paper folding means 2 including these paper folding modes will be described later.

<< Staple Means >> The staple means 3
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the paper P discharged from the transport path 64 is aligned in the paper stacking unit 11b, and then stapled at a predetermined position of the sheet bundle. And a needle receiving portion 32 that receives and bends the staples thus punched out.

The sheet stacking section 11b aligns the leading end of the sheet P discharged onto the tray 12 (the rear end when viewed from the direction of discharge to the tray 12) with the leading end stopper 12a. The paper P reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and aligns the paper P in the lateral direction. Therefore,
In the center fold (bag binding) mode, the side with the fold of the paper comes to the leading end stopper 12a side. And the first
The chucking means 14a and the second chucking means 14b alternately grip the sides of the sheet P to prevent the sheet P from floating, and the first chucking means 14a grips the sheet bundle and sends it out to the stapling means 3. It has become.

The needle driving section 31 operates the needle cutting member and the needle bending member 312a via the cam link mechanism 312 driven by the motor M1 to cut and separate the staples of the needle cartridge 311 one by one to form a U-shape. It is bent into a shape and protrudes toward the needle receiving portion 32 side. The staple receiving portion 32 has a staple receiving member 321 that bends the protruding staples to bind the sheet bundle.

The stapling position of the staples in a direction perpendicular to the paper transport direction h is determined by the staple driving portion 31 slidably mounted on the two guide shafts 313 and 314 and the paper transport direction h by the stepping motor M2. The spiral shaft 315 provided in the orthogonal direction can be moved by forward / reverse rotation, and the needle receiver 32 is also slidably mounted on the two guide shafts 322, 323, and is driven by a stepping motor M3. 324
Is performed by moving in a direction orthogonal to the sheet conveying direction h in accordance with the forward / reverse rotation of.

The staple driving position in the paper transport direction is determined by the movement of the chuck means 14a. Therefore, the stapling process can be performed at any of the leading end and the trailing end of the stacked sheets by the feeding amount of the first chuck means 14a. In the case of the bag binding, the folded end of the sheet (the leading end when viewed from the discharge direction to the tray 12) is pushed out until it comes to the position of the staple contact portion 31.

After the stapling process, the sheet is sandwiched by the pair of conveying rollers 661 which can be separated from each other, and is conveyed by the conveying path 66.

The configuration and operation of the stapling means have been described above, but they are well known and will not be described in detail (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Application No. 8-66143).

<< Binding Unit >> The binding unit 5 is a unit that bundles sheets after copying and glues them using a commercially available cover. As shown in FIG. 2, the binding means 5 includes a cover accommodating portion 51 for accommodating a plurality of commercially available binding covers, and a cover transporting portion 52 for taking out and transporting one cover C from the cover accommodating portion 51. A sheet insertion unit 53 for holding the cover C conveyed from the cover conveyance unit 52 in an open state, a sheet conveyance unit 54 for inserting the sheet bundle conveyed in the conveyance path 67 into the cover C, A heating unit 55 that performs a heating process on the cover C in which the paper P is inserted by the insertion unit 53, and a discharge unit 56 that discharges and stores booklets bound by the cover C after binding outside the binding device. Have been. Thereby, the paper stacking unit 1
After the sheet bundle aligned in 1b as it is or after the stapling process is performed, it is sent to the binding unit 5 via the transport paths 66 and 67 and subjected to the binding process, or after being folded by the paper folding unit 2. Then, the sheets are sent one by one to the binding means 5 via the transport path 65, and a plurality of sheets are bound.

The cover accommodating portion 51 has a space for accommodating the cover C, an opening / closing door 511, a cover holding member 514,
The cover C is formed by the storage lower guides 512 and 513. When the cover C is supplied thereto, the door 511 is opened and the cover group is stored in a V-shape with the cover group opened (a state shown in FIG. 2).

The cover transport section 52 is provided with the cover C
A pickup roller 521 that comes into contact with the back cover and conveys the front end of the cover C;
1, a roller pressing member 522 that presses the cover 1 against the cover C, a pair of sub-rollers 523 that conveys only one cover C, and a front sub-member 5 disposed upstream of the pair of sub rollers 523.
24, a cover detecting unit 525 disposed downstream of the pair of sabaki rollers 523, a pair of cover transport rollers 526 disposed downstream of the pair of sabaki rollers 523,
1 and cover transport guides 527 and 528 configured to join the sheet insertion unit 53.

The sheet insertion section 53 includes guide plates 531, 532, 533, 53 forming an inverted triangular sheet insertion space.
4, a cover registration roller pair 535 disposed below the paper insertion space, a leading end stopper 536 disposed above the paper insertion space in the cover transport direction, and a paper registration space disposed above the cover registration roller pair 535. And the horizontal alignment member 537.

The tip of the cover C transported from the cover transport section 52 is directed upward along the guide plate 512,
It comes into contact with the tip stopper 536, but the cover C
Is transported and the back of the cover is bent downward.
31 and 532, the cover registration roller pair 53
5 regulates the lower end.

The passage of the back of the cover is detected by a cover detection sensor 538 provided above the pair of cover registration rollers 535, and the cover is brought into contact with the pair of cover registration rollers 535 for a certain period of time. Thereafter, at least the upper roller of the pair of cover transport rollers 526 is retracted outside the cover transport path.

With the retraction of the cover transport roller 526, the front cover of the cover C engages with the concave portion 527a of the cover transport guide 527 by its stiffness.
The rear end position of the cover C is regulated. Thereby, the cover C
As shown by a broken line in the figure, the back portion is set in the paper insertion portion 53 in a V-shape placed on the cover registration roller pair 535.

After the cover is set in the paper insertion section 53, the horizontal alignment member 537 is moved in a direction perpendicular to the direction of transport of the cover, and the end face of the cover is aligned with the alignment reference plate provided opposite the horizontal alignment member 537. (Not shown) and the position is regulated.

The paper transport section 54 transports the sheet bundle to the paper insertion section 53 on the transport path 67 extended to above the registration roller pair 535, and transports the sheet P in the transport path 67. The sheet bundle conveyed by the conveying roller pair 541 has a detection sensor 543 for detecting, and falls by its own weight into the cover C which is opened upward in the sheet insertion section 53. Due to this weight drop, the end of the sheet to be bonded is prepared.

The heating section 55 surrounds a heating plate 551 for heating the back of the cover C conveyed from the sheet insertion section 53, a heater 552 disposed below the heating plate 551, and a lower periphery of the heater 552. The heat of the heater 52 is transferred to the heating plate 55
A reflecting plate 553 formed so as to be concentrated on the same; a heater supporting plate 554 for integrally holding the heating plate 551, the heater 552, and the reflecting plate 553;
And a temperature detecting sensor 556.

When the sheet bundle is inserted into the cover C in the sheet insertion section 53, the pair of cover transport rollers 526 presses the end of the cover C, and then the pair of cover registration rollers 5
At least one of 35 retreats out of the paper insertion space. Then, the cover resist roller pair 535 is rotated forward and simultaneously the cover transport roller pair 526 is rotated, and the cover C is rotated.
Then, the sheet bundle is sent to the heating section 55 below the sheet insertion section 53, and the drive of the pair of cover transport rollers 526 and the pair of cover resist rollers 535 is stopped.
26 and at the same time, cover resist roller pair 535
Presses the cover C and the sheet bundle. By this operation, the end of the sheet bundle in the cover C is further adjusted.

After the alignment operation is completed, the back of the cover on the heating plate 551 is heated at an appropriate temperature for a certain period of time with the cover resist roller pair 535 pressed against the cover C and the sheet bundle, so that the adhesive fixed to the back of the cover is adhered. The agent is melted and the cover C and the sheet bundle are bonded. Thereafter, the time when the cover C and the sheet bundle are securely bonded is measured, and the cover registration roller pair 535 is rotated forward and discharged.

The discharge section 56 is composed of a discharge guide 561, a closing plate 562, and a discharge tray 563. The cover C conveyed from the heating section 55 slides down the surface of the inclined discharge guide 561 by its own weight. Are stored in a discharge tray 563.

<Control Unit> FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of a copying system including a finisher, and includes a copying machine CPU 910 for controlling the copying machine 10 and a finisher CPU 980 for controlling the finisher 1 (corresponding to control means). It is mainly configured.

The copying machine CPU 910 is connected to a drive system such as various motors and a sensor system installed in the copying machine 10, and performs overall control of the copying machine 10. The copying machine CPU 910 includes an input unit including a mode input switch for setting various operation modes such as a paper folding mode and a staple mode, and a number input switch for setting the number of copies and the like, and a display unit for performing various displays. Is connected. A portion enclosed by a broken line in the drawing indicates a document transport system, and a sensor system such as a document size detection sensor and a drive system such as a transport motor for transporting the document are provided with a copy machine CP.
It is connected to U910.

On the other hand, the finisher CPU 980 receives each operation mode, paper size, and the like from the copier CPU 910, and controls the operation of each part of the finisher 1 according to the information. Here, the finisher CPU 980 is
While a detection signal is input from a sensor system such as a paper detection sensor, a control signal is output to a drive system such as various motors and solenoids.

In this embodiment, in particular, the paper folding means 2
Of the paper folding means 2 will be described in detail.

<< Details of Paper Folding Means >> As described above, the paper folding means 2 is a sheet escape transport path 26 when switching back without performing the paper folding process, and the first transport for performing the first folding. Path 25, second transport path 2 for performing second folding
7, a paper folding section 20 for performing several types of paper folding, a pair of switchback rollers 291 for turning over after folding, and a third transport path 2 for transporting to a pair of switchback rollers 291.
8 and a switchback transport path 29 for transporting from the switchback roller pair 291 to the next process.

As shown in FIG. 7, the escape transport path 26
The transport guides 261 and 262 are provided. The first transport path 25 is formed by transport guides 253, 254, 255 and 256 configured to be openable and closable in the direction of the arrow in the figure around the lower end for paper jam processing. Between the folding section 20 and the folding roller 2
It is provided adjacent to 1 and 22.

The first transport path 25 is pressed against the folding roller 22 to assist the transport of the sheet in the first transport path 25 and
A backup roller 24 is provided for facilitating the engagement of the sheet with zero.

Further, the first transport path 25 is provided with a first stopper 252 movable in the paper transport direction according to the paper folding mode and the paper size, and is operated by a stepping motor as a drive source (not shown). The first stopper 252 is configured to move.

On the upstream side of the first transport path 25, the paper transported from the switchback section 620 is released, and the transport path 26
Alternatively, a switching member 251 for selectively switching to the first transport path 25 is provided, and is rotated by a solenoid (not shown).

The second conveying path 27 is provided with conveying guides 273, 2
74, a second stopper 272 for contacting the leading edge of the sheet is provided, and the second stopper 272 is operated by a stepping motor as a drive source (not shown).
The movement 72 in the paper transport direction is performed.

Further, in the vicinity of the folding roller 21 in the second transport path 27, there is a switch capable of selectively guiding the leading end of the sheet in the direction of the second stopper 272 or in the direction of engaging the folding rollers 21 and 23. A member 271 is provided, and switching is performed by a solenoid (not shown).

The paper folding section 20 includes three folding rollers 21,
22, and three folding rollers 21,
The folding rollers 22 and 23 are arranged so that the folding rollers 21 and 22 and 21 and 23 respectively come into pressure contact with each other, and are configured to be capable of normal and reverse rotation by a driving source (not shown).

Further, a heating means is provided inside each of the folding rollers, so that a better folding process can be performed on the sheet by heating the rollers themselves.

The third transport path 28 includes transport guides 281,
82 and a pair of switchback rollers 291 in the switchback transport path 29 from near the folding rollers 21 and 23.
It is configured to couple upstream.

The switchback roller pair 291 can be rotated forward and backward by a drive source (not shown).

The switchback transport path 29 is formed with transport guides 292, 293 and 294, and the transport path 65
3 (see FIG. 3), and a pair of transport rollers 295 and 296 for transporting the sheet from the switchback transport path 29 to the transport path 653 are arranged.

A reverse feed preventing member 297 composed of a mylar or the like attached to the transport guide 282 is provided at the joint between the third transport path 28 and the switchback transport path 29, and is switched back. This prevents the sheet from entering the third conveyance path 28.

<< Paper Folding Mode >> The present paper folding means 2 has the following four paper folding modes, including a mode in which the paper folding process is not performed. It is controlled so that it can be selected.

The first mode is a through mode, in which the sheet P is not entangled in the folding section 20 when the sheet P is switched back by the upstream switchback section 620 (see FIG. 3) without performing the sheet folding process. This is a mode in which the sheet is conveyed to the relieving conveyance path 26, and FIGS. 8A to 8D are diagrams sequentially showing sheet processing in the through mode.

In this mode, the switching member 251 is rotated by a signal from the copying machine main body 10 indicating that the folding process is not performed, so that the sheet P is released and conveyed to the conveying path 26 side. The sheet P conveyed to the sheet folding means 2 is conveyed to the escape conveyance path 26, and thereafter, is switched back by the switchback unit 620 according to a switchback signal and conveyed downstream.

The second mode is a Z-fold mode (see FIG. 4A) for folding a large-size sheet into a Z shape.
(1) to (5) and FIGS. 10 (6) to (9) are diagrams sequentially illustrating sheet processing in the Z-fold mode.

The sheet P discharged from the copying machine main body 10 and conveyed into the sheet folding means 2 is conveyed by the switchback roller pairs 621 and 622 toward the first conveying path 25 so as to perform the first folding. Then, it passes through a switching member 251 which is rotated so as to be conveyed to the first conveying path 25 side by a signal from the copying machine main body 10. At this time, the folding part 20
The rotation of the folding roller 22 is stopped, and the leading end of the sheet P is stopped by the folding roller 22 and the backup roller 24 to form a slight loop. As a result, the leading edge of the sheet P is aligned at the folding roller 22 and the backup roller 24, and the fold is perpendicular to the transport direction of the sheet P when the folding process is performed. (1)).

The paper P having its leading ends aligned with the folding roller 22 which has started to rotate in the direction of arrow a immediately after the paper P has formed a slight loop in response to a signal from the paper detection sensor SE1 arranged upstream. With the backup roller 24, the sheet is conveyed toward the first stopper 252 which is moved and stopped at a predetermined position by the signal of the folding mode and the paper size from the copying machine main body 10, and the leading end comes into contact with the first stopper 252 (see below). FIG. 9 (2)). When the paper P is transported as it is, a loop is formed near the nip of the folding rollers 21 and 22 that perform the first folding (FIG. 9C), and when the paper P is further transported, the paper P is caught in the nip of the folding rollers 21 and 22. Thus, the first folding is completed (FIG. 9D).

When the paper P contacts the first stopper 252 to form a loop, the first transport path 25
It is needless to say that the first and second nips are configured to bend.

The sheet P for which the first folding has been completed is switched by the switching member 271 which has been rotated to guide the sheet P to the second transport path 27 in response to a Z-folding instruction signal from the copying machine body 10.
The leading end of the second stopper 272 which has been conveyed to the second conveyance path 27 and has been moved to a position corresponding to the sheet size abuts (FIG. 9 (5)). The paper P further transported by the folding rollers 21 and 22 forms a loop near the nip of the folding rollers 21 and 23 for performing the second folding, and this loop is caught in the nip of the folding rollers 21 and 23. The second folding is completed by being transported as it is (see FIG. 1).
0 (6)). Also in this case, the folding roller 2 that performs the second folding when forming the loop of the paper P is
Needless to say, it is configured to bend to the nip side of 1, 23.

After the second folding is completed, the sheet P that has been Z-folded is conveyed to the third conveyance path 28 and further conveyed to the switchback conveyance path 29. Here, after the rear end of the sheet P has passed through the sensor SE4 (see FIG. 7) by the switchback roller pair 291, the reverse feed preventing member 297
After the time to exit the switchback roller pair 2
The rotation of 91 is performed in the direction of arrow c shown in FIG.
The switch is switched back by changing in the direction of arrow d shown in (8), and is conveyed toward the downstream conveyance path 653 by the conveyance roller pairs 295 and 296 driven by a drive source (not shown) (FIG. 10 (9)). .

In the Z-fold mode, which is the second mode, the first folding position is configured to be arbitrarily selectable by the user, and is folded to half the length of the sheet in accordance with the first folding position. By controlling the second folding position so that the sheet can be folded, the length of the sheet in the folded state after the Z-folding process can always be reduced to half of the total length of the sheet even when the first folding position is changed. , It is possible to ensure consistency during post-processing.

That is, it is conceivable that the user may slightly prefer the finished state of the paper folding, particularly the Z-fold, so that the user can finely adjust the finished state of the paper folding in the input section of the copying machine 10. Input switch is provided. Therefore, the amount of deviation in the sheet P after the user completes the Z-folding (Lc in FIG. 11B)
, The position La of the first stopper 252 for performing the first folding is changed from the regular position La = L / 4 to La = L / 4−Lc / 2, and the position La is moved to that position. (See FIG. 11A). Here, L is the total length of the sheet in the spread state, La is the distance from the nip between the rollers 21 and 22 to the first stopper 252, and Lb is the roller 21
And the distance from the nip between the second and the third stopper 272 to the second stopper 272. The position Lb of the second stopper 272 is changed from the regular position Lb = L / 4 to Lb = L / 4 + Lc / 2,
It will be moved to this position. Thereby, the first
Even when the folding position is changed, the length of the sheet in the folded state after the Z-folding process is always half of the total length L of the sheet in the unfolded state before the Z-folding process.

In the Z-fold mode of the second mode,
In the post-processing stage after the folding process, a mixed loading process in which the Z-folded paper and the A4 paper at A3 or the Z-folded paper and the B5 paper at B4 are mixed and post-processed becomes possible.

That is, the first stopper 252 and the second stopper 272 of the sheet folding means 2 are prepared for the mixed loading mode.
To the Z-fold position at A3 for A4Y copy, and B5
By moving the stopper to the Z-folding position at B4 and waiting for Y copy, it is not necessary to move the stopper in the middle of the mixed mode, reducing the peak value of current consumption and eliminating the wait time during copying. Can be.

In the mixed loading mode, the Z-folded sheet after the Z-folded sheet can be carried in at regular intervals, but the Z-folded sheet after the Z-folded sheet can be carried in at regular intervals. A sheet without folding processing cannot be carried in until the Z-folding processing of the previous sheet to be Z-folded is completed.
Therefore, by providing a wait time, it is possible to prevent the order of the pages and the collision between the sheets.

The third mode is a center-folding (bag-binding) mode in which the sheet is folded in half at the center, and is shown in FIGS.
FIG. 5E is a diagram sequentially illustrating sheet processing in the center folding mode.

The center folding mode is the same as the Z folding mode except that the position of the first stopper 252 is different from that in the first folding operation in the Z folding mode. When the sheet P is folded (FIGS. 12A and 12B) and the first folding is completed, the switching member 271 provided at the entrance of the second transport path 27 moves to the second transport path 27. Since the sheet P is not rotated so as to guide the sheet P, the sheet P is directly conveyed toward the nip of the folding rollers 21 and 23 for performing the second folding. (FIG. 12 (3)). In other words, if the paper P is immediately caught in the nip of the folding rollers 21 and 23 that perform the second folding after passing through the folding rollers 21 and 23, the sheet P is directly conveyed to the third conveyance path 28 and then switched back. The sheet is transported to the transport path 29 (FIG. 12 (4)), where it is turned over by the switchback roller pair 291 in the same manner as in the Z-folding, and transported to the downstream transport path 653 (FIG. 12).
(5)).

The fourth mode is a saddle stitching mode in which a center portion of a group of folds of paper, such as a weekly magazine, is creased for stapling processing.
FIG. 5 (5) is a diagram sequentially illustrating sheet processing in the saddle stitching mode.

In the saddle stitching mode, the sheet P discharged from the copying machine body 10 is positioned so as to be folded at the center in accordance with the size of the sheet P in the same manner as in the third mode. The sheet is conveyed toward the first stopper 252 of the first conveyance path 25 and forms a loop as in the third mode (FIG. 13 (2)), and this loop nips the rollers 21 and 22 performing the first folding. The sheet SE is conveyed downstream until the set time of the timer which starts at the timing when the sensor SE1 disposed upstream and the rear end of the sheet P detects the trailing end has elapsed (FIG. 13C). .

After the lapse of the set time, the folding rollers 21 rotating in the direction of arrow a so as to convey the paper P downstream,
22 and the switchback roller pair 621, 622
Since the paper P is rotated in the direction of the arrow b, the folded portion of the paper P comes out of the nip of the folding rollers 21 and 22 and is opened with a fold at the central portion. The sheet is switched back to the front end, transported again to the upstream side, and further transported to the next process section of the finisher 1 via the transport path 653 (FIG. 13 (4),
(5)).

After the above operation is repeated up to the number of sheets set by the user, if the saddle stitching process is performed in the next process unit, a desired group of sheets subjected to the saddle stitching process can be obtained.

<< Operation at Mixed Loading >> Hereinafter, for example, if the original is A3T
14 and A4Y (or B4T and B5Y), the copying operation when a combination of originals having the same length in the width direction and different lengths in the transport direction are mixed is described by using the stopper of FIG. The description will be made with reference to a flowchart showing the movement control.

The finisher CPU 9 of the finisher 1
80 is a copy machine CPU 910 of the copy machine 10
Various signals representing the size of the paper P on which an image is formed and the mode set by the user are received. The finisher CPU 980 performs an operation according to the paper size and the operation mode, such as the movement of the stoppers 252 and 272 of the paper folding means 2 based on the information.

The main body of the copier 10 has storage means for storing images, and it is possible to form images after reading the images of all the originals. The image reading and the image forming operation are performed in parallel.

The copying machine CPU 910 also detects the size of the original when reading the image of the original, determines the paper size on which the image is to be formed based on information such as the magnification set by the user, and determines the size of each original. A signal representing each sheet size is transmitted to the finisher CPU 980 each time.
The finisher CPU 980 controls the movement of the stoppers 252 and 272 of the sheet folding means 2 based on the signal.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the finisher CPU 980 first determines whether or not the paper folding mode is set for the sheet to be processed (step S1). If so, the process proceeds to step S2.

In step S2, it is determined whether or not the paper folding mode corresponding to the paper to be processed is the Z folding mode.
In the case of the Z-folding mode, the drive source (not shown) is operated to set the position of the first stopper 252 of the paper folding means 2 to La = L (paper size) / 4 so that the first stopper 2
52 is performed (step S3). L is the length of the sheet in the transport direction (the same applies hereinafter). Further, when the paper size is B4, the second stopper 272 of the paper folding means 2 is used.
The drive source (not shown) is actuated to move the second stopper 272 so that the position of is equal to La = L (B4 size) / 4 (step S5). If the paper size is not B4, that is, if the paper size is A3, The second stopper 2 of the paper folding means 2
The drive source is operated to move the second stopper 272 so that the position of 72 becomes La = L (A3 size) / 4 (step S6).

When the paper folding mode is set and the Z folding mode is not set, that is, in the center folding mode or the saddle stitching mode, the position of the first stopper 252 is set to La = L (paper size) / 2. Then, the first stopper 252 is moved by operating the drive source so as to satisfy (Step S7).

On the other hand, when the folding mode corresponding to the sheet to be processed is not set (NO in step S1), the following processing is performed. That is, when the sheet size is A4Y (YES in step S8), the first
The drive source is operated to move the first stopper 252 so that the position of the stopper 252 becomes La = L (A3 size) / 4 (step S9), and the second stopper 27 is further moved.
So that the position of 2 is La = L (A4 size) / 4
The drive source is operated to move the second stopper 272 (step S10). If the sheet size is B5Y instead of A4Y (YES in step S11), the drive source is operated so that the position of the first stopper 252 of the sheet folding means 2 is set to La = L (B4 size) / 4. Then, the first stopper 252 is moved (step S12), and the position of the second stopper 272 is set to La = L (B4 size) / 4.
The second stopper 272 is operated by operating the drive source so that
Is moved (step S13).

As described above, first, in the mode in which an image is formed only on sheets of the same size, the stoppers 252 and 272 of the sheet folding means 2 are turned on when a signal indicating the size of the first sheet is received. In order to start the movement, the movement of the stoppers 252 and 272 can be completed before the image of the first sheet is formed and carried into the finisher 1.

If only one of A4Y and A3T is Z-folded to form an image on a combination of sheets of the same size in the folded state, the first few sheets are sheets that do not need to be folded. In some cases, an image is formed on a sheet that needs to be folded in the middle. At that time, the finisher CPU 980 receives a signal indicating the size of the sheet that needs to be folded from the CPU 910 for the copying machine,
When the sheet 72 is moved, the stoppers 252 and 272 are moved when the sheet is being conveyed in the finisher 1. In such a case, as a method of not operating both the driving source of the stopper movement and the driving source of the sheet at the same time in order to reduce current consumption per unit time, for example, a method of recognizing all document sizes before the start of image formation, For example, a method of delaying image formation on a sheet of a larger size and moving a stopper after completion of conveyance and ejection of a sheet of a smaller size can be considered, but all of these methods cause a reduction in productivity.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as described above,
The finisher CPU 980 is a copying machine CPU 910.
The signal sent from the other paper becomes the same size as that of the paper when it is Z-folded, such as A4Y, B5Y, and the other paper having the same length in the width direction and a large length in the transport direction (A3T, B4 in this case)
In the case where T) exists, the sheet is always conveyed into the finisher 1 by controlling the actuation of the drive source to move the stoppers 252 and 272 to the position where the other sheet is Z-folded in advance. Stopper 25 before
2,272 can be completed. As a result, it is possible to avoid simultaneously operating the drive source for the stopper movement and the drive source for the sheet conveyance, and it is possible to reduce the current consumption per unit time without lowering the copy productivity. Become.

However, some users consider that it is better not to Z-fold large-size paper when the originals are combined as described above. It is possible to set a folding mode and a Z non-folding mode. Therefore, when the Z-folding mode is set by the input unit, there is no need to move the stopper, and the stoppers 252 and 272 are not moved.

In a device provided with a sheet folding means, in one operation mode, the size of the sheet after folding is the same, and the combination of the sheet normally used and the folding mode is the combination of the sheet such as A3T and A4Y. In the combination, only the larger size paper is Z-folded. Other combinations of the paper and the folding mode are combinations that are not usually used after the folding process, such as not being the same size, or being mixedly folded and Z-folded.
In such a case, it is preferable to prohibit acceptance of the processing or provide a function of changing the size of a sheet on which an image is formed and performing the processing.

Further, as described above, Z-folding means that only one of the sheets folded inward at half the position in the sheet transport direction is placed at half position, that is, one-quarter of the sheet before folding, and In the folding method, the end face of the folded portion that is folded inward and the end face of the sheet that is folded outward are slightly shifted inside the sheet. This is to prevent the shifted portion from being folded together when folded inward when the end face is shifted to the outside of the sheet.

It is conceivable that some users may need to adjust the shift amount. The flowchart of FIG. 14 shows a case where the shift amount is not adjusted. Here, when adjusting the shift amount, the user sets the shift amount on the sheet P after the Z-folding is completed (see FIG. 11).
By specifying Lc) of (B), the position La of the first stopper 252 for performing the first folding position is changed by the driving means to the normal position La = L / 4 and La = L / 4.
−Lc / 2 and the second stopper 27
The position Lb of No. 2 is changed to a regular position Lb = L /
4 is corrected and moved to Lb = L / 4 + Lc / 2.

Thus, even when the first folding position is changed, the length of the sheet in the folded state after the Z-folding process is always set to half of the total length L of the sheet in the expanded state before the Z-folding process. Can be. Therefore, when the originals are mixed as described above, the completed ones can be folded to have the same size in a folded state, and the accommodating ability when stacking the folded sheets is not deteriorated.

The embodiments described above are not described to limit the present invention, and various modifications can be made. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the position of the second stopper 272 is moved by a driving unit such as a stepping motor (not shown). However, when the deviation amount is not adjusted, the second stopper 272 is simply moved. The stopper 272 can be configured to be able to advance and retreat in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance path by a driving means such as a solenoid. However, in this case, the edge of the second conveyance path 273 is Z at A3.
The second stopper 272 is formed at a position in the case of folding, and the position where the solenoid is turned on and the second stopper 272 is protruded and moved so as to block the conveyance path is set to the position in the case of Z folding at B4. It is necessary that the position of the stopper 272 in the paper transport direction can be switched.

[0106]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, it is not necessary to move the stopper in the middle of the mixed mode, and the driving source for moving the stopper and the driving source for feeding the paper are simultaneously operated. Can be avoided. Therefore, the wait time during copying can be eliminated, so that the copy productivity does not decrease and the overlap of the peak values of the current consumption can be eliminated, so that the current consumption per unit time can be reduced. It becomes possible.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, for example, in the case of Z-folding, even if the first folding position is changed, the sheet length in the folded state after the Z-folding processing is always Z-folded. It can be reduced to half of the total length of the sheet in the unfolded state before processing. That is, the folded recording material can be made the same size in a folded state. Therefore, the accommodation capacity when stacking the folded recording materials does not deteriorate.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a copying machine to which a finisher according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a main part of the finisher.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a sheet folding unit of the finisher.

FIGS. 4A to 4C are schematic perspective views illustrating a paper folding mode.

FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a paper stacking unit and stapling means of the finisher.

FIG. 6 is a control block diagram of a copying system including a finisher.

FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram illustrating details of a paper folding unit of the finisher.

FIGS. 8A to 8D are diagrams sequentially illustrating sheet processing in a through mode.

FIGS. 9 (1) to 9 (5) are diagrams sequentially showing sheet processing in the Z-fold mode.

FIGS. 10 (6) to (9) show FIGS. 9 (1) to
FIG. 8 is a diagram sequentially illustrating sheet processing in the Z-fold mode following (5).

FIG. 11A is a diagram for explaining a stopper position, and FIG. 11B is a diagram illustrating a state in which a sheet is expanded before Z-folding and a Z-position.
It is a figure explaining the finished state after folding.

FIGS. 12 (1) to 12 (5) are diagrams sequentially illustrating sheet processing in the center folding mode.

FIGS. 13 (1) to 13 (5) are diagrams sequentially illustrating sheet processing in the saddle stitching mode.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart illustrating control of movement of a stopper when originals are mixed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Finisher, 2 ... Paper folding means, 3 ... Stapling means, 4 ... Sorting part, 5 ... Binding means, 6 ... Paper conveying part, 7 ... Punch means, 10 ... Copy machine (image forming apparatus), 20 ... Paper folding Sections 21 to 23: Folding roller, 25: First transport path, 27: Second transport path, 252: First stopper, 272: Second stopper, 910: CPU for copying machine, 980: CPU for finisher (control means ), P: paper (recording material).

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A finisher connected to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material and performing various post-processing on the image-formed recording material discharged from the image forming apparatus, wherein a leading end of the recording material is provided. At least two stoppers that form a loop in the recording material by being brought into contact with each other, a folding roller that folds the recording material by engaging the loop, a driving source that moves the position of the stopper, and image formation. If there is another recording material that has the same width in the width direction and a large length in the transport direction that is the same size as the recording material to be folded when it is folded, the other recording material is folded. Control means for operating a drive source to previously move the position of the stopper to a position where the stopper is to be moved. 2. A finisher connected to an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material and performing various post-processing on the image-formed recording material discharged from the image forming apparatus. At least two stoppers that form a loop in the recording material by being in contact with the recording material; a folding roller that folds the recording material by engaging the loop; a driving source that moves the position of the stopper; And control means for operating a drive source to independently and independently correct the positions of the at least two stoppers based on information from the image forming apparatus in which a finished state of folding processing is set. Finisher.