JP2002179331A - After-treatment device and image forming system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an after-treatment device useful for paper treatment separately from an image forming device, and to provide an image forming system having this after-treatment device. SOLUTION: This after-treatment device is provided with a boring means for boring paper sheets supplied from a paper sheets feeding tray provided in this after-treatment device, plural paper sheets feeding trays, and a treatment means for performing various treatment to the paper sheets fed from the plural paper sheets feeding trays.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a copying machine, a printer,
The present invention relates to a post-processing apparatus and an image forming system attached to an image forming apparatus such as a facsimile, and more particularly to an improvement of a post-processing apparatus that performs post-processing such as punching processing and binding processing on a recording sheet on which an image is formed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording sheet has been developed to have more functions and higher speeds, the use of the recording sheet on which an image has been formed by the image forming apparatus has become widespread, and an image has been formed. It has been required to perform various processes on recording paper.

Many recent image forming systems include an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording sheet, a punching process for making a hole for a file on the recording sheet on which the image has been formed, and a plurality of recording sheets. After binding processing for binding paper, folding processing for folding the recording paper on which the image is formed into three or two folds, and inter-sheet processing for adding a partition, front cover, or back cover between the recording paper on which the image is formed, etc. Equipped with a post-processing device for processing.

[0004] The post-processing apparatus utilizes its processing capability to not only record paper on which an image is formed in an image forming apparatus, but also
It may be used as a paper processing device that performs the above-described various processes on paper on which an image is not formed or paper on which an image is formed in advance.

For example, a sheet on which an image is formed in advance is loaded into a sheet feeding unit of an image forming apparatus, and the sheet is conveyed without forming an image in the image forming apparatus, and a post-processing device is operated to operate the post-processing apparatus. A desired process such as a binding process is performed.

Further, a sheet for an inter-sheet is fed from a sheet feed tray to perform a binding process.

[0007]

The most frequently used function of the post-processing apparatus is the punching function.

Since the conventional post-processing apparatus does not have a function of performing perforation processing independently of the post-processing apparatus, the value of the post-processing apparatus as a paper processing apparatus independent of the image forming apparatus was extremely low.

Further, a sheet feeding section for inter-sheets is provided as a function of feeding and processing sheets in the post-processing apparatus. The conventional sheet feeding section has one sheet feeding tray. Is provided only, so that it is not possible to feed paper only in the post-processing apparatus and to process an inter-sheet or the like. For example, it is not possible to perform a work of bundling sheets of different sizes to create a bundle of sheets of paper, inserting a partition sheet into printed sheets, or adding a front cover and a back cover and performing a binding process. However, conventional post-processing apparatuses are extremely insufficient as a paper processing apparatus independent of an image forming apparatus.

An object of the present invention is to significantly increase the use value of a post-processing apparatus as a paper processing apparatus independent of an image forming apparatus, and to provide a high-use-value post-processing apparatus and an image forming system equipped with the post-processing apparatus. The purpose is to provide.

[0011]

The above-mentioned object of the present invention is achieved by the following inventions.

1. A sheet feeding tray, a punching unit for performing a punching process on a recording sheet fed from the image forming apparatus in a punching mode set in the image forming apparatus, and feeding a sheet from the sheet feeding tray to the punching unit. Paper feeding means, setting means for setting a punching mode, and control means for controlling the punching means based on the mode set by the setting means, wherein the control means feeds the paper by the paper feeding means. A post-processing apparatus for performing control to perform punching processing on a sheet fed from a tray to the punching unit in a punching mode set by the setting unit.

2. A plurality of paper feed trays, a plurality of paper feed means provided corresponding to each of the plurality of paper feed trays, a recording paper transport means for transporting recording paper sent from the image forming apparatus, and the recording paper transport And a setting unit and a control unit for receiving the recording sheet discharged from the unit, wherein the control unit is configured to output the sheet from the sheet feed tray in accordance with a condition set by the setting unit. By controlling the paper supply unit to supply the recording paper to the recording paper transport unit, different types of paper from the plurality of paper feed trays are discharged to the discharge tray in a combination according to the conditions set by the setting unit. A post-processing device characterized by performing control to perform the following.

3. The control unit feeds sheets of different sizes placed from the plurality of paper feed trays, and mixes the sheets of different sizes on the discharge tray in a combination according to the conditions set by the setting unit. 3. The post-processing device according to the item 2, wherein the control is performed so as to perform the control.

4. 4. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of paper feed trays has a paper size sensor, and the control unit performs the control based on a detection signal of the paper size sensor.

5. The control means may insert a sheet fed from another sheet feeding tray between sheets fed from one of the sheet feeding trays to form a bundle of sheets of one unit. The above-mentioned 2 to 2, wherein the control is performed.
5. The post-processing device according to any one of 4.

6. The control unit forms a bundle of sheets of one unit by adding a cover of a sheet fed from another sheet feeding tray to a plurality of sheets fed from one of the sheet feeding trays. 6. The post-processing apparatus according to any one of the items 2 to 5, wherein the control is performed so as to perform the control.

[7] The control means adds a back cover of the paper fed from the other paper feed tray to a plurality of papers fed from one of the paper feed trays to form a bundle of one unit of paper. 7. The post-processing apparatus according to any one of 2 to 6, wherein the control is performed so as to form the post-processing apparatus.

8. 8. An image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording sheet; and the post-processing apparatus according to any one of the above items 1 to 7, for receiving and processing the recording sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus. system.

[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

The illustrated image forming apparatus A includes an image reading unit 1, an image processing unit 2, an image writing unit 3, an image forming unit 4,
A cassette paper feed unit 5, a large capacity paper feed unit (LCT) 6, a fixing device 7, a paper discharge unit 8, and an automatic duplex copy paper feed unit (ADU) 9 are provided.

An automatic document feeder DF is mounted above the image forming apparatus A. A post-processing device FS is connected to the paper discharge unit 8 on the left side of the image forming apparatus A in the drawing.

The document d placed on the document table of the automatic document feeder DF is transported in the direction of the arrow, and the optical system of the image reading unit 1 reads an image on one side or both sides of the document.
It is read by the CD image sensor 1A.

The analog signal photoelectrically converted by the CCD image sensor 1A is subjected to analog processing, A / D conversion, shading correction, image compression processing and the like in the image processing section 2, and then sent to the image writing section 3. .

In the image writing section 3, output light from the semiconductor laser is irradiated on the photosensitive drum of the image forming section 4 to form a latent image. In the image forming section 4, charging,
Processing such as exposure, development, transfer, separation, and cleaning is performed, and an image is transferred to the recording paper S conveyed from the cassette paper supply unit 5 or the large capacity paper supply unit 6. The recording paper S carrying the image is fixed by the fixing device 7 and sent from the paper discharge unit 8 to the sheet post-processing device FS. Alternatively, the single-sided image-processed recording sheet S sent to the automatic double-sided copy sheet feeding unit 9 by the conveyance path switching plate 8A is again sent to the post-processing device FS from the sheet discharging unit 8 after the double-sided image processing in the image forming unit 4. It is.

The post-processing apparatus FS includes a punching means 10, a shift means 11, an intermediate stacker 12, a stopper 13 for depositing sheets on the intermediate stacker 12, a stapler 14, and a folding means 15. The perforating means 10 is for making a hole for a file in the recording paper S and the paper P, and according to the setting conditions in the operation unit 51 provided with the setting means described later, the vertical side or the horizontal side of the recording paper S or the paper P. Make a hole in the part. Further, as described later, the punching means 10 changes the punching position according to the size of the recording sheet S or the sheet P to perform the punching process, and performs the punching process at an appropriate position for each size.

The shift means 11 is a processing unit for changing the sheet discharging position for each set in the conveying width direction and discharging the recording sheet S or the sheet P. The number of sheets to be shifted is set from the operation section 51. Is done. Reference numeral 14 denotes a stapler for binding a bundle of the recording sheets S or sheets P stacked on the intermediate stacker 12 with a staple. Processing conditions such as the number of sheets to be bound, the binding position (vertical side or horizontal side), and the number of bindings are set from the operation unit 51.

The processing conditions of the punching means 10, shift means 11, and stapler 14 are also set from an operation unit (not shown) of the image forming apparatus A.

The post-processing apparatus FS is provided with various trays described below. The sheet feed trays 20 and 21 are sheets P to be added to the recording sheet S discharged from the image forming apparatus A or sheets P to be processed only in the post-processing apparatus FS.
Is a paper feed tray on which is placed.
Although there are three paper feed trays, three or more paper feed trays can be provided.

The paper discharge tray 22 is a paper discharge tray for receiving the recording paper S discharged from the image forming apparatus A or the paper P fed from the paper feed trays 20, 21 and discharged after the processing. The discharge tray 23 receives a recording sheet S or a sheet P that has been processed and discharged by the shift unit 11 or the stapler 14, and the discharge tray 24 includes the folding unit 15.
This is a discharge tray for receiving the recording paper S and the paper P that have been subjected to the folding process.

The conveyance and processing in the post-processing device FS of the recording sheet S discharged from the image forming apparatus A are performed as follows.

When the recording paper S discharged from the image forming apparatus A is discharged in the discharge order, the transport rollers 30, 31, 3
The recording paper S is conveyed by 7 and 38 and discharged to the discharge tray 22. When performing the perforation processing, the perforation means 10 performs the perforation processing between the transport rollers 30 and 31.

When the shift process is performed for each copy, the recording paper discharged from the image forming apparatus A is transported by the transport rollers 30, 31.
The sheet is conveyed to the shift means 11, and after the shift processing, the sheet is discharged to the sheet discharge tray 23 by the sheet discharge roller 33. In addition,
When a process of inserting the paper P for each copy or inserting the paper P between the recording papers S is performed, according to the set conditions,
Paper P is fed from the paper feed tray 20 or 21, and the paper P is inserted.

In the binding process, the recording paper S discharged from the image forming apparatus A is transported by the transport rollers 30, 31, 34, 3
After the recording paper S is conveyed by 5 and 36 and the set number of recording papers S is deposited on the intermediate stacker 12, the binding processing is performed by the stapler 14. After the binding process, the bundle of recording paper S is pushed up by the intermediate stacker 12 and is held by the paper discharge rollers 33.
The paper is discharged onto the paper discharge tray 23 by the paper discharge roller 33.

In the folding process, the intermediate stacker 1
2 is folded by the folding means 15 and discharged to the paper discharge tray 24.

In the binding processing and folding processing as well, paper P is fed from the paper feed tray 20 or 21 and added to the recording paper S, and a bundle of the added recording paper S such as a partition, a front cover, and a back cover is added. Form. The selection of the transport unit that discharges the paper to the paper discharge tray 22, 23 or 24 is performed by the transport guide 39.

In this embodiment, a sheet P is fed from the sheet feed trays 20 and 21, and a punching process, a shift process, a binding process, a folding process, and an inter-sheet process are performed.

The paper P placed on the paper feed tray 20 is fed by a feed roller 40 as a paper feeding means and a separation roller 41.
The recording paper is conveyed by a conveyance roller 42 and is conveyed to a conveyance path formed by conveyance rollers 30 and 31 as recording paper conveyance means. Paper P placed on paper feed tray 21
Is a feed roller 43 as a paper feeding means, a separation roller 4
4 and the transport roller 45, and transported to the transport path.

The sheet P transported along the transport path formed by the transport rollers 30 and 31 is subjected to a punching process, a shift process, a binding process, a folding process, and an inter-sheet process in the same manner as the process for the recording sheet S. Is performed.

In this embodiment, the post-processing device FS
Has an operation unit 51 as a setting unit, and as shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 50 controls the punching unit 10, the shift unit 11, the binding unit 1 according to the conditions set in the operation unit 51.
4. Control the paper feeding means 46 (consisting of feed rollers 40 and 43, separation rollers 41 and 44 and transport roller 45) and transport section 47 (including transport rollers 30, 31, 34, 35 and 36 and transport guide 39). Control according to the setting.

As is apparent from FIG. 3 showing the operation section 51, the operation section 51 includes a ten key 52, a start key 53,
A display unit 54 and various function keys 55 to 61 are provided.

The 55 "tray 1" is the paper feed tray 20
Is a key for selecting the paper feed tray 21. 57 is a perforation key for setting a perforation mode, 58 is a shift key for setting a shift mode, 59 is a staple key for setting a binding processing mode, 60 is a folding key for setting a folding mode, and 61 is an intersheet for setting an intersheet mode. Is the key.

The processing performed on the paper P fed from the paper feed trays 20 and 21 in the post-processing device FS will be described.

When the tray selection key 55 is pressed, the punching key 57
When is pressed, the screen shown in FIG.
Pressing the display PA in a column of circles causes the mode in which a column of punching processing is performed on the right side of the paper P, and pressing the vertical black circle PB displays the paper P
When the horizontal black circle PC is pressed, a perforation mode in which a horizontal perforation process is performed on the upper side of the paper P is selected.

When the start key 53 is pressed, the sheet P is fed from the sheet feed tray 20, the set punching process is performed, and the process of discharging the sheet P to the discharge tray 22 is performed.

The paper feed trays 20 and 21 are provided with paper size sensors PS1 and PS2 for detecting the size of the loaded paper. The control means 50 is a paper size sensor PS
1. Punching means 1 based on size detection signal from PS2
The punching position of 0 is controlled, and control for performing a punching process at a position suitable for each size is performed.

When the shift key 58, the staple key 59 or the folding key 60 is pressed, a message "Please set the number of copies." Is displayed on the display section 54. The number of copies is set by operating the ten keys 52 to set the number. By pressing the start key 53, shift processing, binding processing or folding processing according to the setting is performed. When the staple key 59 is pressed,
The screen shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the display unit 54. By pressing the diagonal staple position display TA, the vertical staple position display TB or the horizontal staple display TC, a staple position is selected. Then, by operating the ten keys 52, the number of sheets P constituting each unit is set, and the number of sheets to be bound is displayed on the display unit 70. Also in the binding process, the binding process suitable for each size is performed based on the size detection signals of the sheet size sensors PS1 and PS2.

In both the punching process and the stapling process, a priority mode is prepared.
Alternatively, the respective processes are executed by pressing the staple key 59 and pressing the start key 53 without performing the screen operations of FIGS. FIG.
Can be set in advance as to which of the displays PA, PB, and PC should be prioritized, and which of the displays TA, TB, and TC in FIG. 5 should be prioritized.

When the inter-sheet key 61 is pressed and the tray selection key 55 and the tray selection key 56 are pressed, the paper feed tray selected after the paper P fed from the previously selected paper feed tray 20 is selected. The inter-sheet mode in which the paper P from 21 is inserted is selected.

When the inter-sheet key 61 is pressed, the display unit 5
The screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed in FIG. Display P in FIG.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a sheet P in the sheet feed tray 20, and display P2, P
Reference numeral 3 denotes a sheet P in the sheet feed tray 21. When the ten-key pad 52 is operated in the order of the tray selection keys 55 and 56, one of the displays P2 moves to the right of the set number of the display P1 like the display P3, and the insertion position of the paper P is indicated.
By pressing the confirmation key 71, the input inter-sheet condition is set. Pressing the start key 53 starts the inter-sheet processing.

By repeating the input operation up to the operation of the confirmation key 71, a plurality of inter-sheets can be inserted. For example, to add a front cover and a back cover every five sheets, press the ten key 52 "0" after pressing the tray selection keys 55 and 56, press the confirmation key 71, and then press the tray selection key 55, Press 56, then "5" on the numeric keypad 52 and press the confirm key 71. Further, following the operation of the tray selection keys 55 and 56, "5" of the ten keys 52 is pressed and the confirmation key 71 is pressed. By inputting “0” on the numeric keypad 52, the addition of the first cover sheet is set. Numeric keypad 5
Press "5" of 2 to input paper P from tray 20
After the fifth sheet, a condition for inserting two sheets of paper P from the tray 21 is set. If the number of sheets to be inserted is divisible by the number of sheets at the insertion position, only one sheet to be inserted is added at the last insertion position. That is, only the back cover is added to the last part.

When only the inter-sheet mode is selected, the paper P is fed from the paper feed trays 20 and 21 and discharged to the discharge tray 22 according to the inter-sheet mode according to the setting.

By using the above-mentioned inter-sheet function, mixed loading processing can be performed. Paper feed tray 2
Paper size sensors PS1 and PS2 are provided at 0 and 21, respectively, and the size of the paper P placed on the tray selection keys 55 and 56 is displayed. The operator can execute a mixed loading process of mixing sheets P of different sizes and stacking them on the discharge tray 22 based on the displayed sheet size.

For example, when the inter-seat key 61 is pressed,
Press the tray selection keys 55 and 56 in this order to
2 is operated, and then the tray selection key 56 is pressed, whereby a mixed loading process for inserting sheets P of different sizes for each number of sheets input from the ten keys 52 is performed.

When the inter-sheet and the shift processing, the binding processing or the folding processing are set, the paper P is fed from the paper feed trays 20 and 21 in the inter-sheet mode according to the setting, and the above-described processing is performed. Is carried out, the paper is discharged to the paper discharge tray 23 or 24.

[0056]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, sheet feeding, punching, and sheet discharging are performed in the post-processing apparatus, and processing is performed under the conditions set by the setting means of the post-processing apparatus. The use value of the post-processing device as a paper processing device independent of the forming device is significantly improved.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since different types of paper can be processed in the post-processing apparatus, the use value of the post-processing apparatus as a paper processing apparatus independent of the image forming apparatus is significantly improved.

According to the third or fourth aspect of the present invention, it becomes possible to use a post-processing apparatus for processing for mixing sheets of different sizes.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the inter-sheet processing can be performed only in the post-processing apparatus.

According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the process of adding a cover to a bundle of a plurality of sheets can be performed only in the post-processing apparatus.

According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the process of adding a back cover to a bundle of a plurality of sheets can be performed only in the post-processing apparatus.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the image forming system has a function as a paper processing apparatus in addition to the function of forming an image on a recording sheet. Since the functions are independent and easy to use, the use value of the image forming system is significantly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a post-processing apparatus and an image forming system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control system of the post-processing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a setting unit of the post-processing device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen of a display unit on a setting unit.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen of a display unit on a setting unit.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen of a display unit on a setting unit.

[Explanation of symbols]

 20, 21 paper feed tray 22, 23, 24 discharge tray, 10 punching means 11 shift means 14 stapler 15 folding means

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 2C061 AP03 AP04 AQ06 AR03 CK01 2H072 AA23 AA32 AB12 AB13 GA01 GA02 GA07 GA08 3F107 AA01 AB01 AC01 CA03 CB02 3F108 GA01 GB07 HA02 HA32

Claims (8)

[Claims] 1. A sheet feeding tray, a punching unit for punching a recording sheet fed from an image forming apparatus in a punching mode set in the image forming apparatus, and a punching unit from the sheet feeding tray. Paper feeding means for feeding paper to the paper, setting means for setting a perforation mode, and control means for controlling the perforation means based on the mode set by the setting means. A control unit for performing a punching process on a sheet fed from the sheet feeding tray to the punching unit in a punching mode set by the setting unit. 2. A plurality of paper feeding trays, a plurality of paper feeding means provided corresponding to each of the plurality of paper feeding trays, and a recording paper conveying means for conveying recording paper sent from the image forming apparatus. A post-processing apparatus having a paper discharge tray for receiving recording paper discharged from the recording paper transporting means, a setting means, and a control means, wherein the control means controls the paper sheet according to conditions set by the setting means. By performing control to supply the recording paper from the paper feed tray to the recording paper conveying means by the paper feeding means,
A post-processing device that controls to discharge different types of paper from the plurality of paper feed trays to the discharge tray in a combination according to a condition set by the setting unit. 3. The control means feeds sheets of different sizes placed from the plurality of paper feed trays, and the sheets of different sizes are placed on the discharge tray under the conditions set by the setting means. 3. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control is performed so that the sheets are mixed in a combination according to the combination. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of paper feed trays has a paper size sensor, and the control unit performs the control based on a detection signal of the paper size sensor. Post-processing device. 5. The sheet bundle of one unit, wherein the control means inserts a sheet fed from another sheet feeding tray between sheets fed from one of the sheet feeding trays. The control is performed so as to form
5. The post-processing device according to any one of 4. 6. The control means adds one sheet of paper fed from another of the paper feed trays to a plurality of sheets fed from one of the paper feed trays to form one unit. The post-processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control is performed so as to form a bundle of sheets. 7. The control means adds a back cover of a sheet fed from another sheet feeding tray to a plurality of sheets fed from one of the sheet feeding trays to form one unit. The post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the control is performed so as to form a bundle of sheets. 8. An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording sheet, and a post-processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, for receiving a recording sheet discharged from the image forming apparatus. An image forming system comprising: